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SUNDAY Sunday, APRIL 26, 2015 Vol. 2 No. 431

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N150

As a footballer, I used juju but it failed me, says ex-Super }51 Eagles defender, Taribo West

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP

gang up against Tinubu’s candidates

AKUME

GBAJABIAMILA

TINUBU

BUHARI

Ace producer, OJB Jezreel

ill again

}As donated kidney fails }30

Buhari

I’ll work closely with Nigerian media }62

Cash crunch Politicians, others seek buyers for lAPC to submit Buhari’s campaign account to INEC }6 private jets

Donald Ojogo

A Abuja

s intense lobbying, horse-trading and power play over the zoning of the Senate

presidency and speakership of the House of Representatives heightened over the weekend, indications emerged that no fewer than 64 Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress senators-elect

were scheming to block All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s candidates for Senate President, George Akume, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Sunday Telegraph learnt that they are instead rooting for former governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Sunday Telegraph gathered CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Lawyers differ over swearingin of Niger State’s gov-elect by mother-in-law }7

}7

Low turnout, heavy security in Imo, Abia, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba reruns }8

2

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Contents | 26.04.15 BODY & SOUL

Carve your niche Peace Anyiam-Osigwe studies law to please her mom, then went on to follow her dream and carve a niche for herself by creating the most prestigious black film awards, AMMA

}18

POLITICS

Broken promises (2) To what extent did the governors of Lagos, Niger and Rivers states fulfill their 2011 electoral promises?

}31

BUSINESS

445,000 bpd allocation Experts demand explanation from NNPC on how it uses the several products derived from refined 445,000 barrels of crude oil allocated to it daily by the Federal Government for domestic consumption

}23

FAITH

From field to pulpit The compeling story of exNigeria soccer star, Taribo West; his life of hard work, fame and service to God

}51

SPORT

The Falcon in Budapest Nigeria’s women football star, Ebere Orji, is in top form in the Hungarian elite Women’s Soccer League such that questions are being asked on why she is not in the Super Falcons team preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada

}59

LIFE

Hated by own mother Pregnant mother of one year old child traumatised by her mother, step-father for not marrying their preferred suitor

}41

SUNDAY

Editorial Boosting the economy through tourism

T

he danger in relying solely on oil to drive the Nigerian economy is a bitter lesson that all must learn from. With the array of experts who occupied various positions in previous administrations before the bang, it sounds illogical that this country should be grappling with the misfortune that befell the black gold.

Tourism is one huge sector that if well managed, will yield dividends that could sustain the economy. While all tiers of government waited to collect their meal ticket from oil sales, other areas were pathetically neglected.

The small Caribbean state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, depends on tourism and agriculture for its growth. Other nations like Kenya, Tunisia, Tonga and territories like St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe depend on tourism too. India, with its vast resources ,makes quite some money too.

In the United States, California gains so much from tourism and even could challenge oil rich Texas in terms of returns. In 1985, the state earned 30.1 Billion dollars from its tourist attractions.

Most of the dividends came from such sites as the Inyo National Forest, where you have the oldest living things on Planet Earth, as old as 4,627 years, and the tallest tree in the world.

If bigger nations like the US and India benefit so much from tourism , Nigeria must also learn from them.

Rebasing the economy is a nice idea, if only pronouncements are put into action instead of just flaunting them on paper.

The tourist sites around us are more than what some of the afore mentioned countries parade. In the North, there are Zuma Rock, Yankari Games Reserve, Kano City Walls, Gobarau Minaret Katsina, Ladi Kwali pottery, Suleija, Gurara Falls, and Shere Hills, Jos. We also have Mambilla Plateau and the Confluence Points of the Rivers Niger and Benue.

Down South, there are such spectacles as Ogbunike Caves, Oloibiri Oil wells, Uyo Ravines, Agulu Lake, Idanre Hills, Olumo Rock, Abeokuta,Ikogosi Warm Springs, Benin Moats, King Jaja of Opobo Monument and the Umuahia War Museum.

One could also find the Obudu Cattle Ranch, the Badagry Slave chains, Oguta Lake and site of the Gia Tyree in Badagry where Christianity was preached.

The festivals that if well managed, could rival the Brazilian Carnival, include the Kaduna Durbar, Eyo Festival , Lagos, Ekpe in Calabar,Ojude in Ijebuland, Kalabari Boat Regatta and Mmanwu in Anambra.

This nation is blessed with fine collections of Art pieces.Athough many were looted by European colonialists, our museums in Owo, Oron, Jebba, Ife, Lokoja ,Jos, Kaduna and Jebba have a lot to offer in sculpture, wood carvings and terracotta heads.

As Gen. Muhammadu Buhari prepares to take over leadership, tourism must be on his radar. Our politicians are so lazy that they have refused to think beyond the box. All they do every month, is to idle away in their offices, believing that at the end of the day, manna will fall from Abuja.

This cannot continue. The oil wells may be getting tired of abuse, so other areas must also be tapped to sustain the economy. What this implies is that in choosing his team ,Gen. Buhari should look beyond party patronage. In as much as some of those who contributed to his emergence need to be compensated, we hope they will not be given positions the y do not merit. Those who must serve should be round pegs in round holes.

Some top government officials spend their holidays outside our shores. Destination point most of the time, is the West Indies where they go sunbathing on the long Beach Islands.

This they can do in Badagry or Lekki.

There are fine beaches in the country begging for patronage.

However, boosting tourism without improving our security system may not bring the envisaged returns.

Tourists will not come if there are cases of armed robbery, terrorism and other forms of violence. They will not troop into Nigeria if our roads are bad, if there is darknes at all times and the business environment is also not investment friendly.

Nigerians deserve to earn so much from tourism under the Buhari administration. And the minister who will oversee the ministry must be someone well grounded in that field.

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SUNDAY

The Sunday Magazine SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

No regrets backing Jonathan’s National Coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, is a household name across Nigeria. He spearheaded a nationwide campaign that sold President Goodluck Jonathsn to even his most ardent critics as he showcased the achievements of the regime. In this interview with a group of journalists, Ubah bares his mind on the outcome of the 2015 general elections and the role TAN may play in the future. ONWUKA NZESHI was there.

How would you rate the impact of TAN in the 2015 general elections?

We are grateful for the short period of time and large impact we have created in the polity. I believe that in a very short period of time we were able to make our mark on the political landscape. We were able to draw attention to the activities of government as well as mobilise the grass roots for a more robust political engagement. Our activities generated incisive discussions in the choice of candidates and also added colour and substance to the political space.

To my mind, the best outcome is the effect of associations other than political parties in enlarging the political space.

Some political analysts are of the view that the Igbos put all their eggs in one basket by massively supporting President Goodluck Jonathan and that life in the opposition would not augur well for the Igbos. Do you share such a view?

The Igbos voting for Jonathan was not unexpected. The Igbos had quite a number of opportunities in his administration.

Even though Jonathan did a lot for the Igbos, most of the things he did as a president went to the North. He did more in the North like the Kashimbila Dam. It was the biggest project handled

by Jonathan’s administration. All the railways, Abuja, Kaduna and the rest of them.

You know, all these dams and hydro-power projects, are multi-billion dollar projects.

They were all done in the North. Irrespective of that, the Igbos are still appreciative of the much he did for us. Be that as it may, my position is that Gen. Buhari should think of the Igbos, and please make them his friends;

and if possible, do more than Jonathan did for us. That is my position on the election.

TAN seemed to have taken up Lagos as a special project during the just concluded elections. Why did your organisation embark on massive campaigns in Lagos?

The Igbos have been in Lagos since the creation of Nigeria. Zik was the only Igboman that represented

Lagos in the legislature. Since then, no other Igbo man has been voted into the Lagos State House of Assembly. For 16 years that AD/ACN/APC have been in power, they never cared about giving an Igbo man a slot to vie for an elective slot, in the Lagos State House of Assembly, or to represent it in the House of Representatives, while we have Igbos everywhere in Lagos. So, if truly you claim that you are a democrat, you need to practise it. And if the APC has not given Igbos that opportunity in Lagos, then we think there is still animosity against the Igbos. There are large populations of Igbos in many parts of Lagos like Surulere, Ikotun, Ojo etc, so it is expected that the political parties should factor them in their choice of candidates for elective offices. What we have therefore done is not something that we want the Lagos state government, or any person whatsoever, to be angry with. It is democracy in action.

They should take this as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and see how we can be accommodated. That is all that we ask for: to be involved in the scheme of things. I want the parties to recognise Ndigbo as part of the government. Nigerians are members of parliament in the UK. Why can’t people be elected in places where they have spent all their lives? We are not only

We only ask for good governance, infrastructural development of Igboland, a merit-based society, c o n d u c ive business atmosphere, level playing field and security of lives and property. You know, they voted Jonathan because his government guaranteed them these talking about Igbos, we want this for all Nigerians, no matter where they come from. Igbos are spread all over the world like the Jews. The elections have come and gone. We should go back to being our normal selves by going back to the drawing board, to plan for the next line of action till the next election comes in. I’m grateful to the residents of Lagos who by their votes showed that it is the candidate that matters notwithstanding where he comes from. The voters by their votes showed that the Igbos and other ethnic nationalities can call Lagos, home. I am grateful to Lagosians, who have deemed it fit to vote for non-Yorubas including some Igbos to elected into the House of Representatives for Lagos and also, House of Assembly in Lagos. This is a giant step forward for the nation.

Now, what would be your advice for Ndigbo given the experience from this election? ​Well, I will try to balance things. My advice is not to Ndigbo alone, my advice is to the government of Nigeria. The government should embrace all Nigerians irrespective of their tribe or tongue. Our leaders must build a nation where people get what they deserve and are not deprived of what they rightly deserve on account of where they come from or do not come from. People must also live in peace wherever they find themselves. They must also respect the culture of their localities.

Are you addressing your demands to the incoming government?

Yes, they should balance Ndigbo first, by giving us additional states, making us to be like others, and stop marginalizing us. That is one thing that is very important. If you do this to Ndigbo, there is no way, you will not be appreciated. Ndigbo are not asking for too much from government. We only ask for good governance, infrastructural development of Igboland, a merit-based society, conducive business atmosphere, level playing field and security of lives and property. You know, they voted Jonathan because his government guaranteed them these. So, if they say we are going to give you an additional state, so that you have six states, like the other zones. For example North-West has seven. We don’t want seven. Just give us six, like others. We will,

5

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

The Sunday Magazine

TAN will also engage in humanitarian activities. Reaching out to the less privileged in the society to see areas we can help.

Also TAN will be involved in sports development because youths are very much active in this area. You may recall that TAN was in the forefront of sports sponsorships. Many Nigerians benefited from World Cup sponsorship to Brazil. So there are many things TAN will do to help in our society

campaign –TAN boss, Ubah like others, be reassured that we are part of this federation.

The second way to assure Ndigbo and cultivate their trust, is to make them an integral part of the incoming government. This is of utmost importance. In any case, I wonder how any government which excludes Ndigbo or ‘punishes’ them because they did not vote for the President will function.

Such a government will unfortunately portray itself as petty and vindictive. I however do not think Gen. Buhari will be persuaded to exclude or ‘punish’ Ndigbo. He does not strike me as such a person. He is a great Nigerian with exceptional leadership qualities. Ndigbo have a special gift, which any government will be glad to tap into. You cannot do without the Igbos or indeed any ethnic nationality in the scheme of affairs of Nigeria. So, it is my opinion, that Gen. Buhari and APC need to show love to Ndigbo.

And once you show any Igbo man that you accommodate him, you can’t imagine what he will do in return. Four years is a long time to reach out and make new friends.

Now, let’s talk about TAN. Most of us know that a lot of money was spent on TAN. There are insinuations that TAN was funded with government money, others say that you funded TAN with your money.

What is the true position?

First and foremost, TAN was not funded with government money. TAN is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) and we have a lot of friends that have been supporting us. Political campaigns cost money, so it is natural to expect that we spent good money on our media and grass roots campaign. We are glad that our members and supporters were very supportive in contributing towards these campaigns. I believe that Jonathan is a good man, who meant well for this country. I supported him, and I still have the belief that he is a good man. I saw sincerity in him. Let me say actually, one thing that attracted me so much to Jonathan, is the love and passion he has for Nigeria. His humility in conceding defeat shows the extent of his great love and belief in our nationhood.

His statesmanship saved our nation from post-election turmoil and possible loss of lives and instability.

Since TAN was funded from your own pocket, do you have regrets that Jonathan didn’t win at the end of the day?

Yes, I can say yes and no. One is that, you don’t invest and wish that the investment would go the way this one went. The election has come and gone, I would not like to open old wounds, especially when the main actor in the whole episode has conceded defeat. But for me, we had a lot of strategies, we had a lot of people all over Nigeria, we had a lot of data, we had a lot of information, which were meant to give us victory, but God knows the best. All I ask for is that we should move on. The election has been won and lost. We must unite to move Nigeria forward. Jonathan has conceded defeat to Gen. Buhari. If you are in a boxing ring, and your coach throws in the towel, that is the end of the game.

I have chosen to respect his position and indeed that of Nigerians, even though it would have pleased me greatly to see Jonathan win.

I supported him because I believe in him.

The people made a choice and we have all accepted it. We all have to work to ensure

that we keep moving forward as a great nation. This is no time for regrets. The task of nation-building should be our major preoccupation. If it comes to the regret of being involved, or participating in the whole political campaign, I love it. It broadened my idea about politics in Nigeria. I have learnt also many things I did not know before. I think, I am developing more, day by day, in terms of understanding the politics of Nigeria. When I ran for the governorship of Anambra State, the experience I brought, you know, helped me in also working for President Goodluck Jonathan; but also, with what happened during this political dispensation, I have learnt more political lessons. But also, I am happy, that in some other states, especially in the South-South, South-East states, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and some others, like in Rivers state, where we worked hard, even in some part of the North, we worked very hard to make sure that we delivered Jonathan, but I think Buhari had more influence in some parts of the country and we also had more influence in some. You know, at the end of the day, he won the election.

Now that the PDP and Jonathan have lost the elections, what will be the role of TAN going forward?

Our primary objective is to advocate good governance and the transformation of Nigeria. We will continue to stand on the legacies of President Jonathan and watch from the stand to see what the President-elect will offer Nigerians. We will rather wait for events to unfold. Since he made electoral promises to Nigerians, we expect him to keep those promises which made Nigerians to vote him in. As I said earlier, we will continue watching from the sideline. I want to, however, note that we will support him in every form that his government delivers on his campaign promises so that our people continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Apart from this, TAN will embark on its other objectives which are the establishment of industrial parks in six geopolitical zones of the country before doing the same in every state of the federation. As we speak now our foreign partners have shipped the first phase of the park which will be installed in the regions that are ready. The industrial park will also serve as a vocational training centre for youths on different things among which is waste to wealth mechanism, business management and others.

TAN will also engage in humanitarian activities. Reaching out to the less privileged in the society to see areas we can help. Also TAN will be involved in sports development because youths are very much active in this area. . You may recall that TAN was in the forefront of sports sponsorships.

Many Nigerians benefited from World Cup sponsorship to Brazil. So there are many things TAN will do to help in our society.

You should not be stopped from serving your people.

I am therefore in politic, because I want to serve my people. It is a passion for me to serve

Let us go to the issue of fuel subsidy scam.

Your name was mentioned during that investigation. Would you want to enlighten us on how the matter ended, and if you were eventually cleared?

The Aig Imoukhuede committee, without giving me the right of fair hearing, declared that it had indicted me for fuel subsidy scam. The committee claimed to have indicted me even when their findings show that we imported the products in issue. It was a farce. The committee clearly had a mindset of what it wanted to achieve.

I believe, there was a bit of a conspiracy against me. It was all geared towards taking over my company. I stood firm in resisting the injustice. I dragged the Federal Government to the House of Representatives and insisted on a public hearing so that they can prove their case to the whole world.

The committee was shamed during the public hearing. They made mistakes, you know. Looking at my lifestyle or the things that I have achieved within a very short period of time, they thought, I had my hands deep in the scam. I have always insisted that anyone who has anything against me, should come out and show it to Nigerians.

Up till today, I have never been charged to any law court for the so-called subsidy Ubah scam. I have in fact been cleared by the relevant security agencies, after very intensive and people and managing public resources for rigorous investigations. A clear conscience the common good. If you feel you have gotten to a point that you have garnered leaderfears no accusation and I will be the first ship experience, you can serve people with person to challenge anyone who has anyyour knowledge. You should not be stopped thing against me to prove it. The campaign from serving your people. I am therefore in provided an opportunity for people to carepolitic, because I want to serve my people. lessly resort to cheap propaganda against me. If it was not that I was involved in It is a passion for me to serve. I have done so many things to create employment and subsidy scam, it would be that the police have arrested me. These are shamelessly much needed services in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. As the son associated with politics here. It matters not that the statements are unfounded. So the of a teacher, I have been blessed by God and allegation is a classic example of pull-himI will always use my wealth to give back to down syndrome. I have never been indicted the society. in any subsidy scam. The court also gave Do you still have any political ambition? me judgment against the Federal Government, and then, I have nothing to hide .

I did when I wanted to serve my state, Anambra as governor, but I don’t know if Most businessmen prefer to stay on in I will still want to contest. I am one politibusiness, and leave politics for politicians, cian, that you cannot define as being overbut you are trying to change the roles. You zealous to grab power. At least, over the are a successful businessman and also a present political dispensation, I am of the politician. How do you manage both ends? few politicians, from Anambra State, that Your question is rather interesting. Why was involved in the mainstream of the nation’s politics without personally aspiring would businessmen run away from politics? for any office. If I was desperate for power, If you know you have no skeleton in your cupboard, there is nothing bad in aspiring I would have gone for a senatorial slot, or to serve your people. Being a businessman for the House of Reps, but I said no, I don’t need anything. So, I don’t know, when should rather be a reason for going into polithe next political opportunity will come, tics because if you are able to manage and grow a business you should try and do the I might still say no, because am guided by same in politics. Politics is about service to my spirit, not of ‘wants’ of the world.

6

SUNDAY 26 APRIL, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

from a ranking Northern senator that the 64 senators consist of PDP (39); while the APC supporters are from North-West (18); Kwara (2); Kogi (2); Niger (2); and Nasarawa (1).

Akume is being backed

by APC senators from the South-West and some other states in North-Central.

The 109-member Senate needs a simple majority of 55 votes to elect its president, according to its standing rules.

Also, the South-West, to which the position of the House speaker was zoned, appears to be on the verge of losing the opportunity if a plot by elements of the New PDP who defected to the APC in 2013 and National Assembly members from the North-West remained unchecked till the day of inauguration in June.

The two blocs have reportedly formed an ‘alliance of convenience’ to checkmate Tinubu’s perceived influence in the affairs of the party.

At its meeting last week, the APC national leadership set up a committee to evolve a zoning formula for the National Assembly positions, with the NorthCentral and South-West getting the Senate presidency and the speakership of the House respectively.

Buoyed by this arrangement, both Saraki and Akume, who is the Senate minority leader, indicated interest in the race to succeed David Mark. But while Tinubu is said to be supporting Akume, Saraki is having the backing of most PDP senators and a sizeable number of APC senators from the NorthWest.

In the case of the House, Gbajabiamila, who is the APC Leader, was set to clinch the speakership until the last-minute permutations threw up other contenders from the NorthEast and North-West. They are Hon. Yakubu Dogara (Bauchi) and Abdulmumini Jibrin (Kano). It could not be confirmed if the emer-

Gangup against Tinubu’s candidates gence of both legislators on the scene in spite of the zoning of the position to the South-West was part of the plot to ‘checkmate Tinubu.’

A meeting of the APC leadership to resolve the matter ended on an inconclusive note on Wednesday.

Regardless of his mileage, Saraki has hurdles like power play, intra-party bickering and permutations as challenges strong enough to deny the NorthCentral the opportunity of producing the president of the Eighth Senate.

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, who is said to have come under intense pressure from some entrenched interests within APC to sway the pendulum in favour of their preferred zones and ultimately candidates of their choice has reportedly been looking the way of the North-East, it emerged on Saturday night.

The development which is coming on the heels of a strong push for the position by the North-East has three significant implications the earlier zoning of the position to the North-Central supposedly propelled by the former governor of Lagos State-led forces could be altered.

It also means that Akume and Saraki from the NorthCentral states of Benue and Kwara respectively may as well forgo their ambitions.

This is just as the contest appears narrowed to Yobe State-born Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts. Senator Ahmad Lawan.

The North-East push notwithstanding, the ‘New PDP’ elements who defected to the APC have argued that the influx of their members into the party had indeed brightened the chances of the merger group hence they deserved to be given the chance to produce the Senate president, according to our source.

A re-elected senator from one of the North-West states confided in our correspondent that the legacy parties, that is, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and Congress for Progressive Change are bent on electing Akume but nPDP elements led by Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, are also “crying for justice and fairness.”

He said, “The issue has gone beyond the way we have been seeing it. Quite honestly, the man (Buhari) has come under undue pressure because of the interests of some powerful forces within the party.

“I can tell you that most of the solidarity visits from the states are not solidarity visits. Some are indeed coming to pressurise the president-elect to back a zone or candidate for the Senate presidency. So far, the North-East has made several representations

stronger than any zone as far as this race is concerned.

“One of the arguments they have been pushing forward is that one man has been dictating which zone and who gets what since the formation of the party and that has not really made sense. This is because from all indications, Tinubu’s support for Akume means that he wants to install even the Senate president aside from the national chairman and the vice president-elect; and we have a strong feeling that he does not want Saraki because of the leverage he (ex-Kwara governor) has.

“But the interesting thing is that those who want to make and unmake the Senate presidency might be in for some shock because as I am talking to you now, there are suspicions and fears about the meeting between the Senate President, David Mark, and Gen. Buhari on Thursday.

“From all indications, if

care is not taken, even the South-West to which the speakership has ben zoned might lose out because Tinubu wants to bite more than he can chew. APC is no more the former AD, ACN or any party. It has become a truly national party and only serious consensus building can make us survive these four years; not one man dictating everything to his advantage.

“People might see it as a dream but it might happen the way (outgoing Speaker Aminu) Tambuwal was installed. Once the lawmakers enter the chambers, they are on their own. They are for themselves and their consciences, so nobody can dictate to them again.

“The true position is that majority of us in the Senate would ordinarily love Saraki if it zoned to the North-Central while most members of the House of Representatives would prefer Gbaja. But the issue is

that once people perceive Tinubu to be having too much influence, anything can happen,” he said.

Efforts to reach Tinubu’s media aide, Sunday Dare, were futile. Similarly attempts by our correspondent to find out from APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, when the issue of zoning would be resolved met a brickwall.

He said; “You Nigerian journalists have suddenly become lazy; is this Senate president’s story the only thing you can think of? All what you people have been writing is nonsense and if you don’t know people are laughing at you guys because you are no more credible.

“The media cannot stampede us to make any further statement on this matter apart from what we issued last. We won’t talk to you on this again please. Good day,” he told our correspondent on the telephone.

L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Kankarofi; Guest of Honour, Prince Tony Momoh; Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Chairperson, Mrs. Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo; Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba; President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina and Dean, College of Social Management Science, Caleb University, Prof. Nosa Owens-Ibie, at Nigerian Guild of Editors 2015 Biennial Convention in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

Rigging: INEC begins prosecution of staff APC to submit Buhari’s campaign account to INEC Onyekachi Eze

ABUJA

T

he Independent National Electoral Commission has set up a committee to ascertain the number of its staff that were involved in malpractices during the just concluded general elections.

The commission has however, began the prosecution of its official and ad hoc staff who were arrested for allegedly involved in election malpractices.

Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode

Idowu, who confirmed this in an interview with Sunday Telegraph, said the commission would not spare any of its staff who were linked with electoral offences.

“Some of those who were arrested are being prosecuted. Any ad hoc staff involved in election rigging will face the wrath of the law;, not only ad hoc staff even officials of INEC,” Kayode assured.

There have been allegations of election malpractices involving INEC officials.

Few days ago, the Rivers

State police command said it has arrested 104 persons for alleged electoral offences.

INEC Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega, had told newsmen that his commission was investigating allegations that some electoral officers disappeared with result sheets in some polling units.

“I can assure you that all alleged cases of malpractices will be investigated and if any member of INEC staff is involved, appropriate sanctions will be meted out, according to the Electoral Act”, Jega said.

Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja.

T

he All Progressives Congress has stated that it will soon present a detailed account of the campaign funding and expenditure of its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told Sunday Telegraph that the party was compiling the accounts for proper presentation to INEC.

Mohammed, however, stated that the party was not under any obligation to publish the accounts.

Buhari had during the presidential campaign stated that a proper account would be made of all the funds that accrued to his crowd funding platform.

Asked how much the party raised for its presidential campaign, Mohammed said, “I won’t know until we do our account.”

Also asked when the account would available to the public, the APC spokesperson said, “I don’t know but l think it is only INEC

that we are obliged to make it available to.”

He also stated that there was no time that the party said it was going to make the accounts public.

Secretary of Buhari Support Organisation, Dr. Ibrahim Dauda, stated that the BSO was compiling the financial records.

Asked how much came into BCFP, Dauda said, “I cannot give you any figure now. I have to look at the records and the records are not with me. However, we are compiling the records and will make them public very soon.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 26 APRIL, 2015

News

Lawyers differ over swearing-in of Niger gov-elect by mother-in-law Tunde Oyesina and Chijioke Iremeka

S

enior lawyers yesterday differed on the legality of the swearing in of Niger State Governorelect, Abubakar Sani-Bello, by his mother-in-law and Chief Judge of the state, Justice Fati Abubakar, on May 29, 2015.

The CJ is also the wife of former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

While some of the lawyers opined that there is nothing unconstitutional about a situation where the governor and his wife’s mother would serve as the first and third citizens of the state, others were of the opinion that such would not be healthy for Nigeria’s growing democracy.

Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who spoke to Sunday Telegraph, said there is no constitutional provision barring the incoming governor from running the affairs of the state with his mother-in-law. But they held that such a development, which nobody can do anything about, was open to suspicion.

Legal expert, Prof. Itse Sagay, said the coming together of the in-laws in the running of the state is one of the coincidences that nobody can prevent because one came in by appointment and the other by election.

According to him, the saying that no relative of a Chief Judge should contest an election does not find absolute application and situation in such a case to prevent the circumstances. He said the development is not the best in terms of objectivity and principle of ‘Separation of Powers.’

“The fact on the ground that it’s just consistent with the system of operation is not in conflict with any provision of the constitution. It’s not illegal. It’s just the question of operating the system

with common sense,” Sagay noted.

On the issue one compromising the law, especially when there is a constitutional crisis involving the governor, he said, “You can’t rule anything out because human nature is a difficult thing to make any regulations for. But what I will say particularly with the Chief Judge, who is a very senior person, much older and a person of integrity, is for her to maintain her status without compromise; regardless of her relationship with the governor-elect.

“It’s an advice and belief but not an absolute belief because I have known her for some 30 years now and she was my student in the university. She has maintained a certain level of integrity and self-respect. When she was the first lady, you saw the level of dignity that she maintained. She did her job quietly and effectively with self-respect in a manner that drew my affection to that position, contrary with what we have seen recently.”

Also, Chief Albert Akpomudje (SAN) said there is nothing wrong with both of them running the state at the same time since they are different individuals. He, however, cautioned that the CJ should live above suspicion.

“Again, her office is more or less an administrative position rather than merely for court issues. But where there would be a problem is when there is an impeachment crisis in the state. Of course, how will you ask the mother-in-law to welcome the impeachment motion that will remove her son-inlaw from the office?

“But there is nothing anybody can do about it. It’s something that should not be encouraged. Like I said earlier, there is nothing anybody can do about it. If the son-in-law were to be the governor of the state and his mother-in-law is now eligible for that position, it

would raise eyebrows. But there is nothing anybody can do. We pray there is no constitutional crisis within the state that involves the governor, because fear of uncertainty will be there,” he said.

In his own reaction, Bambo Adesanya (SAN), who argued in line with Akpomudje, said there is nothing constitutionally wrong with in-laws working together to ensure that the government is run accordingly, noting that they are two individuals of different personalities.

“They could be mother and son or mother and daughter, as the case may be. There is no constitutional debar against them. It’s presumed that the judge will be able to discharge her duties without fear or favour. For her to have risen to such a position shows a level of trust reposed on her by the institution.

“But then, this is the reason for ‘checks and balances’ in the government. Since she occupies that sensitive position, she should serve with all sense of responsibility. In

the area where her actions are in doubt, the court is there. This is the reason for law courts.

“Well, in the case of a constitutional crisis, one would not wish it happens within the period she is serving, because there will be the fear that things might go wrong within the system,” Adesanya added.

In the same vein, Obi Okorougo (SAN) and Emeka Ngige (SAN) noted that such was a coincidence.

They also said the incoming governor’s mother-in-law would not resign because of his emergence as the new governor of the state.

“They are in different positions. One is by appointment and the other is elective. It’s a coincidence and there nothing anybody can do about it.

It does not breach any law of the land. They can work together as long as they do not compromise the standard of the law,” they held.

A lawyer, Wahab Olatoye, stated that there is nothing wrong to have both of them in government, adding that Nigeria operates the presi-

dential system of government where each arm of government is independent.

“There is the separation of powers among the three arms of government - Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. What the constitution forecloses is for an individual to be a member of the executive, legislature or judiciary at the same time.

But in this scenario, they are two different personalities.

“The issue of blood relationship has nothing to do with professional career or administration of government. The woman has been a judicial officer for a long time and rose to the position of a CJ. Having her son-inlaw as the governor cannot foreclose her from doing her duty,” he added.

Another senior lawyer and President of Public Interest Lawyers League, Abdul Mahmud, said there is no illegality in the affiliation.

Mahmud stated that the constitution did not foresee such a scenario but, that that does not constitute an illegality.

He added that the consti-

tution does not bar people heading an arm of government from cultural or natural affiliation.

“There is nothing illegal or unconstitutional about it,” he added.

In contrast, a rights activist, Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, was not un the nation’s interest.

He added that Nigeria has not developed democratically to the point of separating family affinity from work or administration.

“Don’t forget that each arm of government is to serve as a check and balance for each other. The moral question here is how can a mother go against her son in public?

“Tthough the constitution did not say that it is illegal, but the black man’s mentality will not make it work,” he stated.

Supporting Akpan’s position, another lawyer, Idowu Ajagbe, noted that such an affiliation would not do the state any good as some issues that would contribute to the development of the state would be concluded at home.

L-R: Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Nuhu Bajoga; FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed; Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrims Board, Mr. Kennedy Opra; President Goodluck Jonathan; President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife, Helen, at the inauguration of CAN’s Jubilee Resort and Leadership Centre in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Cash crunch: Politicians, others seek buyers for private jets

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Wole Shadare here are indications that some politicians are looking for buyers for their private jets due to lack of funds to maintain them.

This follows a dip in their fortunes, occasioned by the heavy defeat suffered by many politicians in the just concluded elections.

Also, some businessmen who own private jets are said to be in the process of

selling them for fear that the incoming Gen. Muhammadu Buhari government may plug avenues for easy cash on which they had relied in the last few years.

Private jet manufacturers and dealers have found a ready market in Nigeria.

Indeed, Bombadier and Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, both jet manufacturers, have never had it so good.

The least of the aircraft goes for between $5 million and $10 million. A

Bombardiar Global Express aircraft goes for $45 million (N6.75billion); Gulfstream V costs $30 million (N4.5billion); a Challenger Global 5000. This aircraft, with a Rolls Royce engine, has a luxurious seating for 14 passengers and an interior that merits the description ‘palace in the air.’ It reportedly costs about $51m.

Overflying the Nigerian airspace today are some of the best and, of course, most expensive private jets these companies have on

offer. A senator, who owns a private jet but pleaded anonymity, told Sunday Telegraph that the cost of maintaining a jet is huge.

He confirmed that some private jet owners were indeed planning to sell them because of the harsh economy.

The source said, “I tell you, it is not going to be business as usual as the President-elect, being a very prudent man, is going to tighten all the loose ends to cut expenditure and do

a lot of projects. He is very austere in nature and this may affect politicians and other businessmen who allegedly got enriched by the government.”

Private jet owners in Nigeria reportedly spend at least $52.3m (N7.8bn) annually to maintain the planes and pay the expatriate pilots flying them because of the failure of the owners to register the jets locally.

When contacted for comments, Deputy General

Manager, Media for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said it was not usually brought into such deals, as negotiations are done between sellers and buyers.

Adurogboye said many private jet owners register their aircraft in South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States so that they could have second hand value when they want to sell them.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH APRIL 26, 2015

News

2015 rerun Polls

13 INEC officials arrested over ballot stuffing Steve Uzoechi

N OWERRI

o fewer than 13 Independent National Electoral Commission officials were arrested yesterday during the supplementary election in Imo State for alleged complicity in ballot box stuffing.

They said officials were arrested in five polling units in Oru East Council Area of the state while thumb-printing ballot papers in favour of one of the political parties.

Also arrested were fake INEC officials who posed as Returning Officers at a collation centre.

Edo State Resident Electoral commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, who was among the INEC team deployed to supervise the election in Imo said that the INEC officials were arrested at Omuma Primary School Ward 10, Polling Unit 008, Polling Unit 003 and three others.

He said: “ I was in the company of the Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police when some polling officials were arrested in Oru East who were involved in mass thumb printing and

they are now being taken to Owerri.”

He said he also saw an imposter who claimed to be an lNEC staff without proof acting as a presiding officer and he ordered for his arrest. The election was largely marred by poor turnout of voters across most of the affected council areas in Imo state.

Meanwhile, over a dozen of journalists accredited to cover the supplementary election were eased and detained by a detachment of over 45 soldiers at Nwaorieubi in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

Having passed several police checkpoints with their Independent National Electoral Commission tags and identification, the journalists were stopped by the soldiers from proceeding on the monitoring of the election.

Explaining their actions, the soldiers said the names of their media organisations were not on the list handed down to them by INEC to monitor the exercise. On a closer perusal of the list, the newsmen discovered that no media organisation was listed on it.

The soldiers, however, failed to allow the news-

men to proceed or return as it was against their directive for the election. While the exchanges were going on, a wedding convoy was flagged down by the soldiers and impounded.

After their pleas landed on deaf ears, the bride broke

down in tears lamenting the situation.

Speaking to newsmen, the bride said that the wedding was earlier scheduled for April 11 and when the governorship election was shifted to April 11, they moved

the wedding to the April 25 but to their shock, the election went into a runoff which was incidentally fixed for the 25.

The visibly sad bride further explained that having repeatedly shifted the wedding, it became too

expensive for them to continue to move the wedding which was why they decide to hold the wedding in spite of the supplementary election which they assumed should only affect the cancelled polling units.

Scene of gas explosion at Allen Gas, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos…yesterday

PDP clinches 26th Ekiti Taraba: Thugs disrupt election in Wukari Assembly seat when the electorate mostly scared them and forced celled by the Independent Sabiu Mustapha

Adesina Wahab, Ado-Ekiti he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti on Saturday completed its clean sweep of the House of Assembly seats in the state when it won the rescheduled Ilejemeje State Constituency election.

The party’s candidate in the poll, Cecilia Bosede Dada polled 3,449 votes to defeat three others in the election. Her closest rival, Samuel Olusegun Erinle of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking re-election into the Assembly, polled 2, 715 votes to come second.

Samuel Ojo of Labour Party polled 48 votes, while Adebayo Adejare Felicia of ACPN polled seven votes.

The result means that the PDP cleared all the 26 seats in the Assembly.

Election was rescheduled for Saturday in 22 polling units in the constituency following the violence that marred previous election two weeks ago.

The affected polling units were in Iye, Iludun and Eda Oniyo. The election in 22 polling units in Ilejemeje state constituency in Ekiti State went peacefully under a very tight security but recorded low turnout of

T

voters. On ground to monitor the exercise were fully armed soldiers, police and other security agents.

No fewer than two policemen were sighted at each polling booth to ensure security. Soldiers and mobile policemen were also patrolling the area to forestall any breach of the peace.

The April 11 state house of assembly election in the area was cancelled due to the violence that trailed the exercise during which ballot boxes and electoral materials were snatched and destroyed by party thugs.

Voters told our correspondent that election materials and Independent National Electoral Commission officials arrived polling booths as early as 7.35am and accreditation commenced at 8am with the use of card readers.

Corps members deployed in the area for the conduct of the election said the card readers worked well without any hitch.In an interview with journalists he said.

He alleged that members of the opposition All Progressives Congress caused the cancellation of the result in the area during the April 11 elections, adding that the party sponsored thugs to snatch ballot boxes.

JALINGO

S

ome youths suspected to be supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party 26yesterday in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, invaded Mallam Bello Nuru poling unit, when the governorship supplementary election was taken place and breached the smooth run of the election.

The incident occurred

women had turned out in their numbers and queued for the accreditation. The youths alleged to be carrying permanent voters cards insisted that they must be accredited.

One of the electorate at the poling unit, who craved anonymity, told our reporter that when the people tried to block the thugs, but they later intimidated the electorate by pouring beerat the women which

them to run away.

“We heard that they came with weapons, that waswhy the people ran, away the man said. A woman, who identified herself as Rabi, told our reporter they were frightened by the coming of the youth and had to flee to avoid been hurt by them,” she said.

Wukari Local Government Area is one of the 10 council areas where 127,125 votes were can-

National Electoral Commission in the April 11 governorship election.

The two frontrunners in the election are the PDP candidate, Arc. Darius Ishaku and Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan of All Progressives Congress.

In the resulted declared in the April 11 election, Ishaku led with 54,812 votes. He polled 317,198 while Alhassan got 262,386 votes.

Apathy, low turnout in Abia Igbeaku Orji UMUAHIA

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he rerun election in Abia State was generally peaceful but characterised by apathy and low turnout of voters yesterday.

The election scheduled to take place in 299 polling units of nine local government areas started at most polling centers as early as 8am while in others it started a little after 9am.

The nine local government areas are Ana North and South, Ikwuano, Ohafia, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Umuahia North

and South and Umunneochi.

In Umuobutu/Saint Silas Primary School, Old Umuahia and Umuezeala in Umuahia South Local Government Area, accreditation started at about 9am while in Umuobia it started by 11:30am because of delay in rectifying the card reader. In Ipupe, Umuosu and Mgbarakuma in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area, accreditation started at about 9am and ended at 1pm while actual voting started at 1:30pm.

But a common feature in all the polling centers

is the low turnout of voters. For instance, at the Umuobutu/Saint Silas Primary School, Old Umuahia polling center only 650 voters had accredited at the time of voting out of 1262 registered voters. Umuezeala had 152 out 650 while Umuobia 1 and 11 had 248 out of 1195 total registered voters. In Ohafia and Umuahia North the election also recorded low turnout just like in Aba. However, the security agencies at the polling centers varied from one unit to the other. The restriction order for vehicular movement was not

strictly enforced as vehicles, other than those on election duty, were seen plying the roads.

Inter and intra city commercial buses and tricycles did their normal business. Most shops opened for business while social engagements went on normally.

Some of these who spoke to the Sunday Telegraph attributed the low turnout to disenchantment with the process.

“People left their businesses every other Saturday since March 28 and April 11 so they have to return to their businesses.”

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

News

Three killed, houses burnt in Ilorin fracas

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

A

t least three people were feared killed yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a violent confrontation between security operatives and some hoodlums in the metropolis.

The fracas, which affected Gambari, Okelele, Ipata and Oja-oba areas of the state capital, also led to loss of property and goods estimated at several millions of naira which were set ablaze by the rampag-

ing hoodlums.

Investigations revealed that the fracas ocurred when men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency busted a hempsmoking joint in one of the areas. In retaliation, the hoodlums went on rampage, attacking anything on sight. They invaded two mobile courts sitting at Oja-Oba and Ipata and disrupted trial of suspects arrested over violation of the monthly environmental sanitation laws in the area.

The situation forced the courts’ presiding judges

and sanitation officers to flee the scene for fear of being attacked by the hoodlums who wielded dangerous weapons. The hoodlums including some women reportedly shots into the air, throwing pebbles, broken tiles and bottles at their targets.

The rampaging hoodlums, according to eye witnesses, covered their heads with clay pots to protect themselves from being shelled while they unleashed terror on the community. In the middle of the crisis, men of the Kwara State Fire Service

were drafted to put off raging fire of various property set ablaze.

In the ensuing melee, one of the hoodlums was said to have been shot while two passers-by were also hit by stray bullets.

Spokesman for the police in the state, Mr. Okasanmi Ajayi, however, confirmed only two fatalities. He also confirmed that a number of people were arrested over the incident but did not disclose the actual figure.

He said: “There was a kind of an ugly situation there. There was confron-

tation between miscreants and security operatives. It was as a result of problem between the NDLEA and drug users in that area. That was what caused the crisis and the police came and rescued the NDLEA officer and we are trying to control the miscreants there. Some houses have been attacked.

We have arrested some people. I can confirm that two people died.

Meanwhile, 36 persons were arrested and arraigned at different mobile courts sitting in Ilorin for violating the state environmental sanitation law. The courts where the defaulters were arraigned included Unity, Post Office and Offa Garage among others.

Speaking on the crisis,

the state Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Usman Abubakar Mora, regretted the recurring problem of inadequate security personnel during sanitation exercise and directed environmental management team in the ministry to raise letters to the state executive council and the state Commissioner of Police to address the incessant attacks on environmental officers by the suspected hoodlums.

Addressing newsmen after the exercise, Mora appealed to his men not to be discouraged by some of the challenges encountered while carrying out their lawful duties, saying “those are parts of occupational the hazards.”

86,000 students gun for 26,000 spaces in Unity Schools ...Only 55 students enroll in Borno Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

T L-R: Deputy Director, Disease Control, Lagos Ministry of Health, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagorite; Executive Secretary, Mushin Local Government Area, Hon. Babajide Bello; Baba Oja, Amu Plank Market, Mushin, Alhaji Jimoh Olowoidiobi; Lagos State Malaria Elimination Program Officer, Dr. Abimbola Osinowo and Category Manager, Pestcare, Healthcare, Aircare, RB, West Africa, Qaiser Rashid, during the Mortein sponsored community enlightenment in commemoration of the World Malaria Day in Lagos

Police kill three robbery suspects, hunt for others

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

O

yo State Police Command has foiled the exploits of some dare-devil armed robbery suspects terrorising residents and travelers along Ibadan/Ijebu Ode Road in the state by killing three of them in a gun duel.

A manhunt has also been launched for two members of the five- man gang, the state police Commissioner, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, revealed to journalists yesterday evening.

Speaking through the Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu (Deputy Superintendent of Police), the police boss said that members of the robbery gang had been terrorising traders, commuters and other users of the popular Ibadan/Ijebu-Ode Road at Idi-Ayunre axis.

Luck ran out on the gang, according to the police chief, after they robbed a couple travelling along the road.

He said: “Mr. Jaiyeola

Olawuyi and his wife who were travelling to Ijebu-Ode in their Toyota Corolla car ran into a barricade/road block put up by the gang.

They were reportedly dispossessed of money and jewelry while they also inflicted several machete cuts on them, leading to the admission of the couple in a private hospital.”

Ajisebutu said that “but

with the help of our robust intelligence network, the Command Ambush Squad comprising well-trained personnel from Idi-Ayunre Division, swooped on the suspected armed robbers during one of their operations on April 23, 2015 at about 10: 48 pm and engaged them in a gun battle.

“During the fierce battle arising from exchange of

fire, three of them were killed, while others escaped with bullet wounds. Exhibits recovered from them include two wooden guns wrapped with black cellotape, a cutlass, gold jewelry and two torches”.

He, therefore, enjoined hospitals, traditional healing homes to report anyone with bullet wounds immediately to the police.

Xenophobic attack: Nigeria summons High Commissioner

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he Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali, has summoned Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner in Pretoria, South Africa Ambassador Martin Cobham and the Deputy High Commissioner in Johannesburg, Ambassador Uche Ajulu – Okeke, over the on-going xenophobic attack on foreigners, mainly African migrants.

The current spate of at-

tacks began about three weeks ago, and has so far claimed some seven lives, destruction of property and created fear and uncertainty in the minds of African migrants in the former apartheid enclave.

The South African President, Mr. Jacob Zuma has condemned the attacks in a statement presented to the South African National Assembly, just as the Zulu

monarch, Goodwill Zwelithini, whose alleged inciting comment provoked the attacks.

A statement from the Public Communications Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which confirmed the invitation if the High Commissioners said several well-meaning South Africans have also organised peace marches against the xenophobia.

he National Common Entrance examination into the nation’s 104 Federal Government Colleges (also known as Unity Schools), took place across the country yesterday with over 86,000 candidates jostling for just 24,000 spaces in those schools.

According to Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a total of 86,365 candidates registered for the examination nationwide with Lagos state having 25,437 candidates as the state with highest the registered candidates while Borno state has 55 candidates, the lowest.

He said that the 104 Unity Schools have capacity for only 24,072 students.

“The total number from the statistics we have for this year is over 86,000 and when you break it down you will see that Lagos

State has the highest number, Lagos presented up to 25,000 candidates and significantly maybe because of the security challenges that we had, Borno State has very low registration but measures are being taken to ensure that even those states that are disadvantaged something is done to shore them up” he said.

The Minister who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday at Government Secondary School, Zone 3 expressed satisfaction with the conduct and organisation of the examination.

Malam Shekarau was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education; Dr. Mc John Nwabiala. He said that adequate arrangements were made for candidates in states like Borno, Adamawa and Yola where there are security challenges for them to write the examination in safe centers.

Explosion kills two soldiers in Jos Musa Pam Jos

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wo soldiers of the Three Divisional Headquarters of the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment Nigeria Army in Jos, Plateau State, were yesterday confirmed dead as result of an accident that occurred while they were transporting unserviceable ammunitions for destruction.

The Deputy Director Army Public Relations Col. Texas Chukwu, while confirming the accident in a press statement made available to Sunday Telegraph in Jos said the unserviceable ammunitions exploded in the process of being moved to

the destruction site.

“The explosion did not affect the cantonment or the neighbouring communities, unfortunately, two soldiers lost their lives and one sustained injury. But normalcy has since returned to the areas,” he said.

Col. Chukwu debunked some media reports that a bomb exploded in the cantonment as a result of handiwork of insurgents, “ I want to use this medium, therefore, to state that this cantonment was not under attack or attacked by the insurgents, but there was ongoing demolition exercise which started on Wednesday April 22, 2015 to terminate on the May 4 2015.”

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

OPINION

The advisers Buhari should watch

Emma Agu

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hey are many. Their motives differ.

Their strategies are varied and at times, conflicting. But what they have in common is that their only interest lies in what translates to their personal benefits.

Call it ‘stomach infrastructure’ if you like, with due apologies to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State. What is not debatable is the shameless selfishness that is thrown to the forefront by politicians as they jostle for position, power and influence.

For these opportunists and mischiefmakers, anybody, interest or virtue can be denigrated or sacrificed. What is important is the materialisation of their personal ambitions. In most cases, these personal ambitions have no social value worthy of their name.

In the wake of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s election, these habitual opportunists have activated their heinous machinery of mischief. Their stock in trade is to stalk the president-elect, deploying every social capital at their disposal. To the presidentelect, their advice is ‘probe this,’ ‘probe that,’ dislodge all! Their goal: secure an appointment; corner juicy contracts; milk the economy dry. These are professional opportunists, for whom personal interest determines their professed love for any leader or country.

Could that explain the spate of defections from the PDP to the APC? We may never be able to say so with any amount of certainty.

Yet, the behaviour of these characters has a striking resemblance to what Mahatma Ghandi had described as ‘politics without principles.’ Their fundamental philosophy,

Habib Aruna

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if it can be so described, remains the same: the average Nigerian politician is driven more by pecuniary considerations than any deep-seated principle of a social value.

I think the point about politics without principles needs to be clarified. As we are all aware, not every move was predicated on the ‘stomach infrastructure’ principle.

On the contrary, there were genuine cases where the absence of internal democracy and brazen executive corruption and favouritism had prompted defection to other parties.

In spite of that, Buhari should avoid professional blackmailers and malcontents who would run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Their stock-in-trade is to rubbish every political office holder either as corrupt on incompetent.

Good a thing, the report that Buhari has exhumed the Steve Oronsanye Committee Report on the civil service is a reassuring signal that the president-elect does not intend to throw the baby away with the bath water. If he searches deeper, he will discover that among those being positioned for crucifixion, even within the Jonathan Administration, there are competent, hardworking and patriotic Nigerians - men and women - whose only crime is that they have been privileged to serve in the Jonathan Administration.

At his age and with his experience, Buhari needs no reminding that he is no longer the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress but the president-elect of Nigeria. By May 29, 2015, he will become President of all members of all the political parties, including people who have no political affiliation. Even at

that, nothing stops him from running an inclusive government that attracts the best hands in the country, without prejudice to their affiliations. And there are examples to tap from. Take the case of President Barack Obama of the United States who, at his election, retained some known Republicans in his cabinet. Both Colin Powell and Robert Gates whom he retained as defence secretary were Republicans of high standing. Yet, in his calculation, America counted first hence his high-minded decision to run with them. If Obama’s posture could be justified in the United States that did not have the level of divisiveness that hangs over Nigeria at the moment, it goes without saying that Buhari may learn a lesson or two from that.

From all indications, the grand old man of Nigerian politics is well on track towards disappointing mischief makers who intend to take advantage of him. The presidentelect’s endorsement of Minister of Agriculture Akinwunmi Adesina for the post of president of the African Development Bank is a high-minded demonstration of statesmanship and patriotism. He ignored party and loyalists and placed Nigeria first.

Of course, this is not to discourage the president-elect from pursuing his anti-corruption programme. To abandon that will be tantamount to betraying the Nigerians who enthusiastically voted for change. Yet, it is important to caution against pursuing a policy that is driven by vendetta as the body language of some politicians suggest.

Already, some aggrieved individuals are calling for the probe of specific individuals in a manner that hints of some personal or ethnic undertones. That is unfortunate.

Rather than preoccupy ourselves with vendetta-inspired anti-corruption drive, the appropriate starting point should be understand the root cause of the endemic corruption that has plagued the broad gamut of the Nigerian social system to the extent that the notion of shame has disappeared from public lexicon. Thereafter, we can institutionalise the due process that will minimise the proclivity towards corruption.

Among the steps to be taken to stamp out corruption, Buhari can start by improving on the step taken by his kinsman, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who became the first president to publicly declare his assets. Buhari can waive the immunity clause, insist that all contracts be publicly advertised and the bill of quantities made public for professional and opposition groups to make their inputs and enact appropriate legislation against poorly or abandoned projects. Furthermore, nothing suggests that public office holders cannot be compelled to use less expensive official vehicles purchased from local manufacturers under terms and agreements that do not imperil our present and mortgage the future of our children. That way, the automotive policy of President Jonathan which, actually is a revival of the policy of the Obasanjo Aministration between 1976 and 1979, will receive a boost, to the benefit of all.

In all, I wish President-Elect, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, every success, guided always by the conviction that his success can only advance the course Nigeria and the welfare of its citizens. Of course, that includes me and you, the reader!

PDP must not be allowed to die!

ast week’s visit of the former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja was expectedly well reported by the media. Not less by its symbolism, the visit of the Prince who is also a ‘Prophet,’ came to many as a surprise just few days after his party was soundly beaten by the APC in a historic presidential election.

More than casual observers of the Nigerian political space would easily recollect that it was this same Ogbulafor, apparently savouring the spirit of the moment, who told a bemused nation that his party would rule the country for 60 years before it can be upstaged from power. It was a Sunday evening at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island in Lagos under the administration of the late Umaru Yar’Adua, when Ogbulafor led his party members to a dinner with media. This reporter wrote the story for Daily Independent.

Ogbulafor never minced words when he described the PDP as the biggest party in Africa and added that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years. Even though the audience was not elated with what he said, members of the party gave the remarks a standing ovation. Most of us saw it as not only uncharitable, but that the ruling party was hell-bent on making sure that the country remained a one-party state. We were indeed, further disturbed that there was nothing on ground to show that Ogbulafor’s ‘prophesy’ would not come to pass.

So, rather than being annoyed with what the chairman said, we were afraid that the nation’s democratic space would be dominated by one party, PDP, for a very long time. That was why the visit of Ogbulafor to APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, received ample mention in the media. It was clear that Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief and thanked God his ‘prophesy’ did not come to pass. The Prince did not foreclose the possibility of joining the APC in the near future.

That is the reality of Nigerian politics.

In what would be a case study to political scientists for a long time, the opposition party for the first time in our not too enviable political history defeated the ruling party, in an election that attracted a global audience. Working under the mantra of change, the APC picked former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, a man known for his strong stance against corruption, to enter the ring with incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan.

It was clear that most Nigerians were tired of the ruling party and the President whom, to many of them, had failed in the last four years; it was evident that voters wanted a change from the status quo to a new beginning; it was clear that they were fed up with Jonathan, whom they massively voted for in 2011. Of course, the ruling party was over confident of its victory that defeat was never envisaged.

The treasury was emptied and the instrumentalities of state were effectively used to curtail the opposition. It was also very evident that the ruling party underrated the capacity of Nigerians to consummate

the necessary change. The outcome was indeed in consonance with the immortal words of Victor Hugo that, “Not even all the armies in the world can stop an idea whose time has come.”

Predictably too, since President Jonathan conceded defeat, PDP members have been defecting to the APC in droves, forcing observers to question their commitment to the democratic project. What was expected at this time was that since losing the election the PDP leadership should brace up to the reality of providing an effective opposition. The party should redefine its focus from being a ruling party to that of providing alternatives to the government in power.

What I was expecting to hear from PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, after the loss was for him to announce his resignation and put in place machinery to pave way for a new leadership that would chart the way forward. It cannot be done by the Muazu-led executive. No way! The PDP would have to come to the realisation that it’s no longer a dominant body in the political space; it would have to re-organise itself and be more pragmatic to be able to win future elections.

It is in the best interest of the country and democracy for PDP to come out stronger after this process of electioneering. And thank goodness that some of its leaders like the Senate President, David Mark, Governor Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, among others have vowed to remain in the party and salvage it from going under. More importantly, the arrowhead of this rejuvenation may as well be

President Jonathan, who got his grooves back with the way he conceded defeat. The party can come together, put its house in order and act as checks on the likely excesses of the government in power.

For a country that is increasingly becoming a two-party state, an effective opposition party is what would guarantee that the citizens are not shortchanged; an effective opposition is what would put the government in power on its toes; an effective opposition would serve as a reminder that the people’s wishes and aspirations cannot be taken for granted; yet an effective opposition would always come up with alternatives to government policies and programmes.

Even so, history has shown that it’s not always easy for a ruling party, in this case one that has been in power for 16 years, to transform to a virile opposition party. It’s much difficult for a party without ideology, what brought them together was the spoils of office and perquisites of power. They, however, have to find solace in the new discovery among Nigerians that power resides in the ballot box. The PDP has to cash in on the insatiable appetite of voters, because soonest the honeymoon would be over, to be relevant and get back to power.

It is in the national interest and the future of the country for the PDP to be reanimated to perform the constitutional role of a virile and vibrant opposition party. Hence, rather than being despondent and recriminating, the party leadership should wake up and get back to the drawing board.

•Aruna, a journalist wrote from Ikorodu, Lagos

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Sunday Mail APRIL 26, 2015

You have a right to be heard! Send your letters and photographs to sundayletters@newtelegraphonline.com.

Letters should not be more than 150 words and must have the name and address of the sender.

Wake up, South Africans

Dear Editor, The recent happenings in South Africa may not be accidental. The attackers may have perfected their strategies and were just waiting for an opportunity to launch out, so when the Zulu King pulled the trigger, they threw out the blood seeking pebbles. The effect of apartheid in that great country must have had a huge psychological effect on the country’s African citizens to the extent that some of them got so lazy in their minds and forgot the reality of the philosophy of life which is seed time and harvest time.

The thinking in the apartheid period was ‘White’ foreigners came to exploit their land and took what belong to them.

When freedom came, they wanted to sit down and be spoon fed. How can that be possible? I can’t imagine a situation of Nigerian youths staging a campaign against foreigners taking their jobs. Entrepreneurs in a capitalist society will only reach out to hands that are skilled and willing to work, not those that think it’s their right to earn the money but not labour for the work. My brothers in SA should wake up.

If care is not taken, the disorderliness may lead to arm struggle and we may be heading to Apartheid part II, which may be seeking for ethnic cleansing. Xenophobia is just a political mild description of the happenings. It’s also good to note that just a handful percentage of the South African population is involved in this act, as we have seen a larger crowd of African citizens in South Africa protest against the barbaric act. Be that as it may, Boko Haram and Al-Shabab are also tiny group of individuals who claim to be fighting unsolicited for people that believe in a faith. A xenophobic militant group in South Africa will be more deadly.

World leaders should not just stop at denouncing the happenings in South Africa; they should apportion blame to the initiators or even bring the culprits to book. They should help in organizing cultural dialogue with traditional and youths leaders, they should come up with ideas on how to move forward as a nation and logically claim what belong to them.

Just yesterday, I read a report of some groups of youths who claim they have been given ultimatum to MTN Nigeria to close their offices or they will help them to do that if the crisis in SA is not abated. Such insinuation is an uninformed and irresponsible approach to solve the problem. Who are the people working with MTN or Multi-choice (DSTV) in Nigeria ? Are they South African citizens? The answer is no, and of course there is no claim anywhere that MTN South Africa is sponsoring the crisis. We can not afford to be stupid as youths. How can a country that is yearning for foreign investment take such action, the effect will boomerang as foreign investors are watching. A reciprocative action should come from the federal government as a diplomatic initiative to press the South African government to act fast and also be proactive. For instance,the Nigerian Ambassador in SA can be recalled, the Nigerian government, can also campaign for visa restriction not only to Nigeria but to other countries against notable youths fingered in the act.

King-Alfred Ayodele Meseko Researcher Peoples Friendship University of Russia Moscow Russia

It does not matter

Dear Editor, It marvels me the way people attribute any little thing to their birth. The fact remains that you will become what God wants you to be with hard work and prayers. It does not matter how you arrived on this earth, the fact still remains that God has a good plan for you!

This statement bears great weight to so many people in this generation who consider themselves a mistake and their birth a great error to humanity.

The reality is this, you may never understand the circumstances that made you arrive on earth in such a manner but once born, God has said he has a good plan for you. You have no need to apologise to anyone, nor walk with a sullen face as though you’re the greatest tragedy that happened when you were born.

Abodiya Godwin from Jos

Toying with danger.

Privatisation of power sector

Dear Editor, A review of the privatisation exercise is imperative because the supply of electricity across the country has not improved despite the fact that the sector has been in private hands for more than 16 months. The aim of privatising the sector has not been met as the country is still struggling to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity. The projection before the sector was privatised was that by the end of 2014, Nigeria would have been generating over 10,000MW. The official figures from the Federal Ministry of Power showed that the country’s peak generation as of April 12, 2015, was 3,263.6MW, while the energy sent out was 2,988.72MW. Despite the inauguration of completed power plants by the outgoing administration, the sector had failed to deliver adequate electricity to the citizens. Why should that be the case? Why should we not plan? Why should we not do first things first?

The incoming administration should consider the entire process so that it will not be an abandoned project.

Deborah Andrew from Lokoja

Who will take the accolades?

Dear Editor, President Goodluck Jonathan said: “If you scuttle a system for personal ambition, it becomes a collective tragedy.” Collective tragedy indeed but does Obasanjo realise this, having been engaged in the hanky-panky business all this while - a truly nice State’s man; the best President Nigeria will ever have from my own judgment, folks! Perhaps, if they tried to apply the byelections to the defectors, as it is the case in properly organised economies, we would have seen a more balanced election result!

The last election was very much skewed, campaign was even extended to the accreditation venues. But then Jonathan has done his own bit. Six years to me was almost the same as eight in practical terms. The question now is who will take the accolades when the programmes start evolving by the end of this year?

Reason why we pushed for second term for Jonathan as they did it in America for Obama vis-a-vis his Health Care programme!

We look forward to see who will do better than this.

Daniel Orugbe from Delta State

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Xenophobia incidents Dear Editor, It may interest you that more than 10 Nigerians who are hard working and living in the Republic of South Africa are victims of xenophobia incidents that occurred in South Africa. Please editor, I want to ask South Africans what Nigerians and other black Africans have done to deserve this treatment? Is this the thank you package for helping to liberate South Africans from apartheid? This is a clear case of man’s inhumanity to man! Say no to Xenophobia.

Albert Alikali from South Africa

Why should we hire you?

Dear Editor, I wish to notify my fellow applicants that this job interview question closely resembles “Why should we hire you?” It’s one question that makes candidates very uncomfortable because it puts them on the spot, but it’s really a fantastic question. Why? It allows you free rein to sell yourself for the job. Remember that every job interview is a sales process. You are the product (and the sales rep), and the hiring manager is the buyer. Why should he or she choose you above all the other products available? A bad answer focuses on you: “Because I really need the job, “Because I really want the job,” or “Because I would be great at it and love it.” A good answer focuses on them: What problems can you solve for them?What solutions do you provide to them? Tie everything to what they have asked for in a candidate, both in what you read in the job description, job interview preparation is essential to answering this question and what you learned through asking questions in the interview. You need to think about the things a hiring manager is looking for: the skill sets, the relationships, the background, the character trait and everything that is necessary to be successful in this role.

Emmanuel Uduku from Asaba

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Moments

A cross-section of the participants after the signing of the peace accord between Nigerians in the Diaspora Integration Agency and South Africans living in Nigeria in Abuja…on Thursday

L-R: Secretary to Bauchi State Government, Alhaji Mahmud Maijama’a; Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu; Governor Isa Yuguda and Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, during a courtesy visit by the state’s Council of Emirs in Bauchi …on Thursday. PHOTO-NAN

L-R: Executive Director, Corporate Services, NIPCO Plc, Alhaji Abdulkadir Aminu; Company Secretary, Mr. Paul Chukwuma Obi; Mrs. Ndidiamaka Obi and Paschal Madu, during Paul Obi’s 50th birthday celebration in Lagos…recently

L-R: Newly elected chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna State Council, Ephraim James; Deputy Chairman, John Adaji and Treasurer, Danladi Yahaya, at the 11th NLC State Delegates Conference in Kaduna …on Thursday

L–R: Mother of the wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Fidelia Nwanoka; Secretary to State Government, Sir Oseloka Obaze and wife of Anambra State Governor, Ebelechukwu Obiano, during the second phase f thedistribution of Prosthetic limbs in Awka…recently

L-R: Newly elected House of Representatives members, Akoko South-West/South-East, Ondo State, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde; Hon. Halliru Dauda Jika of Darazo/Ganjuwa, Bauchi State; Hon. Mohammed Mahmud of Agaie/Lapai, Niger State; Hon. Ibrahim Baba Azare of Katagun Federal Constituency and Director of Admin, Mr. Melaye Samuel, during the 8th Assembly New Nigeria Agenda Forum in Abuja… on Thursday

L-R: One of the taxi cab operators in Gbagada, Mr. Arogundade Adekunle; Chairman, Lagos State Taxi Cab Association of Nigeria, Prince Tajudeen Adetoro; Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Comrade Kayode Opeifa and Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, during the launching of new Lagos Taxi System and distribution of Taxi license to operators, in Lagos ...on Thursday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: National Publicity Secretary, NBA, Gbolahan Gbadamosi; Adelani Koleoso and Adewole Gbadamosi, during Koleoso’s 70th birthday celebration in Abeokuta…recently

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

14

S

Deborah Makoji

pecial Representative of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Godswill Akpabio on Intergovernmental and National Assembly Relations, in Abuja, Mrs. Mary Ekpenyong, is a politician with a difference.

This perhaps, is not unconnected with the trappings of the duties she performs and her exposure as a top government official saddled among other things, with the task of ensuring a mutually rewarding relation between her state government and its representatives at the National Assembly.

Interestingly, her venture into politics was by happenstance, one impelled by a desire for change from where women are seen and not to be heard. But she is resolute, stating that: “Women can bring the change to politics because of the unique way God created them. Women have a lot to offer in terms of national development,” she said.

As if sending a message to the womenfolk and their male counterpart alike, she said women “were not created just to be in the kitchen, cook and rear children.

There is a lot that we can do, even better than our male counterparts. We are nation builders and unless we wake up to this reality, we would always be relegated to the background.”

Shedding light on what her office as Special Representative to the governor is all about, Mrs. Ekpenyong said that the emergence

Life

Women can bring desired change, says Ekpenyong Women can bring the change to politics because of the unique way God created them. Women have a lot to offer in terms of national development

of a new democratic dispensation on May 29, 1999 in Nigeria necessitated a change in political administration in Akwa Ibom State.

The previous administration in its quest to ensure that every indigene of Akwa Ibom within the state and in the Diaspora were taken along on state government programmes and policies, considered the establishment of structures that would actualise this aspiration, hence the setting up of Bureau for Inter-governmental and National Assembly Relations, Abuja.

‘To ensure effective synergy of government programmes and policies between all arms of the Federal Government – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Akwa Ibom State Government accordingly, created a Bureau for Inter-Governmental and National Assembly Relations,” she said.

Explaining her schedule of duty, she said, principally, as the Special Representative otherwise referred to as “Ambassador, I serve as the ‘eyes, ears and mouth’ of the governor and the government of Akwa Ibom State in Abuja, the seat of the Federal Government.”

“My office co-ordinates and relates on all official matters that touch on the political and economic interests of Akwa Ibom State Government and the office of the governor.

And as its oversight function, relates with Akwa Ibom Communities and ensure harmonious wellbe-

Ekpenyong

ing of all indigenes of the State resident in the 19 Northern States’.

“The Special Representative is also to carry out such other functions as may be assigned by the state governor and the state government bothering on the best interest of the state,” she said. She was so appreciative of Governor Godswill Akpabio quality leadership that has driven the dreams and vision for the attainment of the Uncommon Transformation witnessed in all facets of life in the state today, transforming the land of promise to an enviable destination of choice, and was grateful that the governor gave her the opportunity to be part of this remarkable history.

Mary Ekpenyong had an unmistakable humble background even though her father was a shrewd Calabar-based businessman of high repute. Obviously, she had upbringing devoid of affluence and profligacy, even though her parents were relatively well-to-do.

At childhood the young Mary imbibed in profound dose, essential values of hard work, forthrightness, humility, simplicity, perseverance and discipline. Her parents inculcated these significant values in her, out of the conviction that, along with formal education, they were capable of making her become useful to herself and the family.

Born 50 years ago, precisely on January 7, 1965, at Itu General Hospital to the family of Chief Benedict Udo Ibanga and Benedicta Ibanga, (nee Umoeka), of Nkwot Ikot Obio-Ata in Ikono Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State was a lovely baby girl.

The arrival of the new baby lit the family with joy. Nothing had suggested that the newly delivered baby would put the family’s name in a limelight. Today she is a factor in the government of Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio.

Armed with this strict up-bringing, today Mary is so dedicated to her duty, almost to a fault. She is entirely devoted to it and free from all feminine narrowmindedness. She is a unique lady that is truthful in thought and fearless in action, combines meekness of a lamb with the courage of a lioness.

Interestingly, Mary Ekpenyong’s life story is not one that is difficult to tell.

She is the youngest daughter of the family. She attended Gorreti Girls’ School, Ikot Ekpene and School of Basic Studies, Akamkpa for her WAEC and Advance Level certificates before proceeding to the University of Ibadan where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

She got married in 1994 to a US-based Engr. Samuel Inyang Ekpenyong and relocated to America thereafter to begin a family life. Today she is blessed with two children, Imoh and Uko-Obong.

While in the United States, Mrs. Ekpenyong worked with world renowned retailer of general merchandise, tools, home appliances and automotive parts and services, Sears, Rocbuck Company, as a sales supervisor before returning to Nigeria in 1999.

As a devout Christian and a devoted Catholic, Mrs. Mary Ekpenyong loves God and worships Him with all her soul and spirit. For her, professed Christians should always let their lights shine before men, that they may see their good works and glorify their father in heaven.

SUNDAY

Fashion

Keep fashion cool in the heat 22&43

Bed, Work & Life

How long can you hide a secret?

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Body Soul SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

I studied law for my mother

- Peace Anyiam– Osigwe

16

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

y heart m m o r f t h g i Stra

r victim. n Naira? Cool. restitution, to herestitution for stealing 8millio in e, ol st e sh jail term and China, is one Fourteen-year Akinyemi! y of the Crimiown as African his lyrics. He kn y rl la e pu ic 468 respectivel e laws of the po st d to a, Ju an in oh ve 7 s lo nu 46 ge O st ), sa ju )(8 m es I ting nchy m hinagoro ctions 390(6)(7 Ogun State, not part of th who loads pu cial issues affec But pray, are se Nigerian artistemmenting on political and so ap 29, Laws of C w time l Code La na , ng me of our big so is known for co igeria. nt time releva d sentenced so have stolen huge y? l N tr an al y, s d un tr hi te co un ic to co g nv d in co sing who w not his belove ursday morning Why has the la , company executives et al ons and more in Naira ramme, og I woke up on Th lli ns pr bi ia , ic on ns lit si io po vi ill le e m rogu lar te into dizzying Mr. President. clear scenes from the popu through my mind’s eye. e total ounts running am o ed to sh r t ei fla no th , u, t is stolen to th been en ith yo ha w d Th w an nd of e ? ou ge rs lic gr ta lla po re en e rc have on ba : Th and do considers the pe es reported to Crime Fighters suspects, sitting or squatting eled past.

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Fighter, crime me Fighter/Tell me somethi oor man go dey shout, d sin no more. e law gave a leeway -plea ba former governor of an ri go /P C e) r up fo de si od ce of a er, m fall in le, th their fa dey halla pray For those peop rgaining is lawful, the case left many honest mouths t this nation to ba “Rich man go ake una lead us well/No le , ea on pl di ne gh bi ou Ig Alth M hare anwuola me)... earlier, I had Edo State, Chief Lucky Nosak laundere blues. A day th r om he fr to .” g ad l.. uption, money e -that in el he rr w y ng co m lo of to be ge in ra ar ai op e. ch N t ap n ’t dr un to just on The song didn that for stealing eight millio of a popular eatery was ag rough plea deal, the 191-co m was reduced e declaration hi t ns ai ag rt Th po 9b aff 2. re t in th t of N isonmale st read a employer, a fe ntenced to 266 years impr igh ing and embezzlemen e his interest in a GTB accoun se H ar e d cl at an St de d n to te gu d ic O te conv i of ef, Presihe neglec e A.A Akinyem mander-in-Chi t mere om of the EFCC! C s rm n’ fo tio ts ment by Justic a. na se r bu as as ar- of no corruption here, after all, ou Court, Abeokut before I learnt that she w of all Let me just stop nathan, once said, “There is nambra State Governor ed y ilt am A Jo gu re d found I had sc chamthe wife of Goodluck d indulges in the same way the 30 dent -count charge an raigned on a 34 ced to seven years on each of ges. stealing in Nigeria”; y declared that her husban ar dl and was senten ars on the remaining four ch e sen- Willy Obiano allege l! ho ye th co 14 at al d t th an no nt ts d ar an I le coun s mercies. lt better when ld be pagne, y case. r His numerou fo od G k m I exhaled and fe n concurrently. So, she wou ze’ an st Th re I il! ru ‘free Sunday in Apr tences were to 14 years. But she will not ars as This is the last xt month by His grace. r ye fo ne 14 rs r meet here behind ba ewhere fo ion Naira som e money Let’s Juliet the stolen 8mill i has ordered her to return th Justice Akinyem

C

Contents 26.04.2015 COVER Having brothers that could dream your dream and support your dream and always be there for you, has made life a lot simpler

-Peace AnyiamOsigwe

} 18-19

BEAUTY

Acrylic nails are held fast to your natural nail bed with glue. When they start growing out or look thick with too much polish, it’s time to take them off

} 21

GLAM DUDES White blazer adds an extra pizazz to your mien as white gives a sharp edge to any look

} 44

FASHION It certainly looks like the rains have taken a leave of us, and with it, the cool.

While it stays away however, you can keep cool and stay fashionable with the right fabrics

T h e Te a m Juliet Bumah (Editor)

Vanessa Okwara (Correspondent) Wole Adepoju Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent)

} 22&43

Ugochukwu Nnakwe (Graphics)

MY PASSION

Edwin Usoboh (Graphics)

Nothing beats the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction in one’s chosen career

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

Associates

} 17

BED, WORK & LIFE “Well sis, there’s fire on the mountain o. I can’t hear this and hide it from you. I learnt James has issues and can’t have children,” Kathryn says, breathing out...

} 20

Helen Paul

Eyitayo Aloh

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Body&Soul

I am fluent in five languages - Meg Otanwa Meg Otanwa is a beauty loaded with brains from Benue State, Nigeria. She left a lucrative job as a banker in Tunisia for her love for acting. In this interview with VANESSA OKWARA, she talks about her love for the make believe world and the kind of man that will make her happy Give us a brief background of yourself I am from the Idoma speaking tribe of Benue State. I’m your proverbial girl next door. I love to learn new things and have a good laugh. My professional acting career began with roles in TV dramas -’Coffee Shop’ and ‘Atlanta’. That same year, I was cast in the Desmond Elliot directed feature film, ‘I’ll Take My Chances’, produced by Emem Isong. And I have been in the game since then.

What was growing up like?

Growing up was a lot of fun.

Mine is a large family so growing up, there was never a dull moment.

What is your educational background?

I have a BA in English language from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Masters in Human Resource Management from TIME Universite, Tunisia and Business School at Universite Jean Moulin Lyon, France.

What was life like before you went into acting?

Before I moved back to Nigeria to join the Industry, I worked at the African Development Bank temporarily Qtrs in Tunis, Tunisia. Life was different. It was the standard 8am-5pm kind of job. I gained a lot of experience and I got the opportunity to learn about Africa as a continent and her pride and challenges.

You lived abroad for a long time. Why did you come back to the country?

Acting is something I had always been very passionate about. It was only a matter of time for me to get seriously involved in the industry. When I felt the time was right, I moved back for that purpose.

You traded a lucrative career for acting. Why did you do it and has it paid off?

I wouldn’t put it in those exact terms; it was a case of having a game plan and moving from Step 1 to 2 of one’s plan. Nothing beats the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction in one’s chosen career. I was happy and fulfilled at my previous place of work, but it got to a point where I felt I wanted to move onto something else. I didn’t look back, I took the leap and I have not had any regrets for a day.

I happen to have a flare for languages, it runs in my family as my father is a polyglot and each of my siblings speaks at least three different languages. I am fluent in five languages- English, French, Hausa, Yoruba and Spanish and of course my native language Idoma.

You recently featured in October 1 and Before 30, two of Nollywood most talked about movies for now. How does it make you feel to be in these movies and how did you land the juicy characters you played?

I indeed feel blessed to be a part of two hugely successful productions in the industry. I remember kneeling down and praying after I auditioned for the series BEFORE 30, three years ago. So I will say its God all the way. Both October 1 and BEFORE 30 are the most talked about productions currently. I was invited to audition for both productions.

Is there any role you won’t accept?

Yes there are roles that I will not play.

Would you act nude if the pay is right?

I think every serious actor desires to tell a story first and above everything else. We do not make films or tell these stories for ourselves. Each producer/director has a target audience for their films so when the audience is ready to tolerate or accept nudity in their content, there will be actors willing to go that far to tell a story.

Describe your style?

My style can be described as classy and sexy.

What fashion item is your favourite?

I love my heels.

Are you in a relationship?

You will have to wait a little longer to get an answer to that question.

What qualities should your dream man have?

I’m sure a man who has the fear of God, loving and caring will make any woman happy.

Which of the male actors in Nollywood would you consider as your man crush?

Man crush? hmmmmmmm! I really can’t think of any right now.

What is your favorite perfume?

When it comes to perfumes, I can’t say I have one favourite fragrance. I like to try on different ones even though there’ve been times when I go back three or four times for the same fragrance. I like to wear different fragrances depending on my mood.

What is your beauty routine?

I wash my face very often; sometimes it’s just about the refreshing feeling of cold clean water on my face.

I also drink a lot of water. Water is good therapy.

Could you name some of the films you have starred in?

I’ll Take My Chances, All That Glitters, Iddo, Tarzan Monologue, Dr. SOB, Doll House, Kpians, Ojuju, October 1, Being Single and a number of TV series including the new hit series BEFORE 30.

If you are going on the red carpet, how long will it take you and will you require the services of a stylist?

Sometimes I do engage a stylist other times, I try to style myself. On the average, it takes me about three hours to get ready for a proper Red Carpet event.

Which of the movies do you think brought you to limelight?

That will be difficult to tell as these movies are distributed on different platforms, most of my fans in the diaspora recognise me from the movies that are on some online platforms while the home based fans recognise me from the cinema movies like October 1 and the TV Series.

Who are your role models in the industry?

I have a lot of respect for the ladies who paved the way for the younger generation in the industry. Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde, Rita Dominic and Bimbo Akintola, these are the women I appreciate and have a lot of respect for.

What are the challenges you encountered before you were able to break into the industry?

Mostly it’s the-not-so pleasant experience at auditions sometimes that the challenges come.

What is your passion?

My passion is to live a life of purpose.

You are regarded as one of the new faces of Nollywood, yet you have starred in blockbuster movies. What is the magic?

GOD! God rewards hard work and passion, dedication, humility and resilience go a long way in this industry.

You are known to be an expert in different languages.

What have you gained and lost coming into the limelight as an actress?

Sometimes, one yearns for a bit of privacy, just to be able to discretely walk in and out of places. But by and large, the recognition comes with its blessings so I cannot complain.

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Why I won’t talk about my marital Peace, daughter of late prominent and successful Igbo businessman, Anyiam Osigwe, is an England-trained lawyer whose influence cuts across the strata of the society.

Having been under the spotlight as a result of her father’s name, she, however, broke new ground and became more famous when she floated what could be referred to as the most prestigious black film awards, AMAA, some years back. WOLE ADEPOJU sat with the amiable and soft-spoken lady during which she spoke about her career, passion, love life and how she became a lawyer to please her mother

Why did you step down as the CEO of AMAA? I stepped down as the CEO of the Africa Film Academy in order to go back to creativity and what I would call a ‘change mission to African cinema.’ If you read one of the mission statements of the Africa Film Academy, we said it’s a lobbying group for the understanding and acceptability of African cinema across the world. One of the last things the Coordinator–General of the foundation, Mr. Micheal Anyiam Osigwe, did was to try to change the tag of the African Movie Academy in order to make AMAA the most prestigious awards for black film makers across the world. After, he travelled with me to Venezuela, which has over 10 million black people. Colombia and Brazil have 90 million blacks or so, second to Nigeria. You would be surprised that Colombia has black people, Cuba, Haiti, my brother was able to get them all involved in AMAA. They are all Africans so, the word, black, had to be used a lot more.

So, it was important for him. And if you look at that, he was able to bring two new jury members on board - Charles Burney, who is one of the very well-known film makers in the United States and Philipe, the permanent representative of Burkina Faso in the UN at the moment. They will now be members of the jury and Dayo Ogunyemi who is the new CEO. But Dayo has been with me in the struggle since we set up AMAA; we just changed positions in a way. I go back to do things I want to do and he goes back to do what he wants to do, if you understand what I mean.

You are a trained lawyer. What informed your interest in film making?

I actually studied law because my mother wanted it. I have always been creative.

I’m a writer, I started writing when I was very young, and from writing I went into the technical side of film making. One of my major assets is being a cinematographer and one thing about me is that every new camera that comes out, I try to study it. Those are like pet things I do for myself and not for anybody else.

Are you fulfilled with the status AMAA has attained?

No! I would not say I’m fulfilled at the point it is at the moment. I feel like taking AMAA to a point where I can, based on the limitations of being in a country where people don’t really support their home grown products. Under so much constraints, we still emerge as one of the biggest brands from Nigeria to be internationalised and recognised as the most prestigious black film makers’ award in the world today because it encompasses everyone, and that is done under so much mental, physical, financial even spiritual strains. If one is to think of the nightmare of having to wait for some money to come in three days to AMAA and government not keeping to its obligations, all that kind of pressure was not worth it. It’s not easy to build a brand in that way and I doubt if the brand would have survived if not for the tenacity of the Osigwe Anyiam Osigwe Foundation and my own support system.

Having people around me that believe in the vision and see what we are trying to do together, people like Shaibu Hussein, Steve Ayorinde, Dorothy Iweana, Jona Komfra, Asantuwah and Babuh Ayuko in the United States, they get me going.

My publicist is more like a brother to me, and these are things that have helped me to grow. If we were in it for the money, we would not be doing AMAA, we would have run away a long time ago. People won’t believe the amount of money we are owed by previous governments of

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Body&Soul

life - Peace Anyiam-Osigwe Bayelsa State and we might not see all in the current administration. These things take a toll on you if you don’t have anything to fall back on. I’m sure my publicist would say people don’t understand you are a hustler (referring to herself). You do so many things and because of that, you are able to keep AMAA going without so much dependence. There is lot of talk out there about what AMAA gets. People call figures and it’s ridiculous because, if we ever see those kinds of figures, we would probably be able to run AMAA for years without even asking them for anything.

Tell us more about the build-up process to what you are.

I started writing when I was nine. My first article was published in The Punch newspaper when I was nine years old by Tunji Ladner Jnr. Then, I continued my education in the UK and I ran my first magazine called CLIQUES, when I was 16 in England as well. After that, I went to the university to study law. On finishing law, I went onward to do my training in different aspects of media -from television to film. I had a talk show before I came back - production techniques, and printing, everything with creativity. I am a kind of an all-rounder.

Tell us about the talk show.

My talk show was called ‘Piece of my mind.’ Basically, it was very blunt. It was one where you could talk about anything you wanted to talk about. Think of anything, it was there.

You contributed immensely to Nollywood but your name does not ring a bell. Does that worry you?

That is in Nigeria, funny enough. Outside Nigeria, I have a lot of respect for what I have achieved. And that’s what I said to you that my work speaks for me internationally. What I have done over the last few years of my life cannot be erased by anybody or anything. I’m not into what I do because of what people would say but internationally where it matters, I think the AMAA brand is well respected and Peace Anyiam-Osigwe is well known. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe is known for quite a few things. One is being a writer, the other, the fact that I’m a female who has achieved what I have achieved. I started writing when I was nine, published my first book at 13, my first magazine at 16, my talk show at 19… really, I had already established myself before I came back to Nigeria and joined Nollywood. When I joined Nollywood, we were the first set of people who made corporate Nigeria look into Nollywood.

After that, we went into what we called ‘Corporate Nigeria meets Nollywood.’

Then, we were at the film marketing in Babs Animasaun, then AMAA came along. The first trip by Nigerian film makers’ enblock to the United States happened because of me; getting young film makers to attend film festivals internationally and so on. We did Toronto last year, sometimes we sponsor journalists to CAN, Berlin, etc, so that they would learn and help to enhance what we are trying to build. The records we have set are there and we are recognised where it’s necessary.

You have attributes of a strong woman. One would have thought you were overpampered as the only girl in your home?

Ask anyone, they will tell you I was not overpampered by any-

body. I grew up as a Tom boy and I don’t have any regrets about it. I grew up to be very determined and independent. I grew up with a father that did not see any difference between a male child and girl child; a father that told you that you can be anything you want to be.

What influence did your father have on you while growing up?

My father’s main influence on me was just to believe in myself. Having brothers that could dream your dream and support your dream and always be there for you, has made life a lot simpler. My brothers are my best friends. My father was my best friend… he’s my best friend. I never talked about him in the past; neither will I talk about my brother that transited last year in the past, because they are here. So, for me, coming from a close knit family, there are little things you learn from your brothers -independence, loyalty- I think one of the influence they have on me is that most of my friends are male. I don’t actually have a lot of female friends. My closest buddies are males and that makes my life a lot simpler. I can’t deal with a lot of women issues, I deal with men issues.

We talk issues and not gossip.

With all you are into, how do you create time for yourself?

There is a time for everything. There is a time you switch off from work and be yourself. So, for me, that time always comes. If you are just busy, busy and you don’t create time, if you don’t make it out, your body will make it for you. That’s what happened to me years ago.

Running with AMAA, I happened to be under a lot of pressure and my body had to say to me, time to sit back, take some time, breathe in, breathe out so, that is how it works.

Does Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards have any negative effect on AMAA? AMAA is 11 years old and they are two different awards …two different styles of awards. AMAA has already carved a name but Africa Magic is building i t s

own name. We already know AMAA is the most prestigious black films award in the world and we are not limited.

What would you say has kept AMAA going despite challenges you mentioned earlier?

First and foremost, I am passionate about anything I do. First thing is, I enjoy everything that has to do with creativity.

To me, AMAA has been sustainable because it was driven by the passion to build something that will be a legacy. My other passion is fabrics. I sell fabrics. Most people don’t know that but that is the passion I have with my father. It is the creativity of a typical Igbo woman who is also a trader.

When I go to buy fabrics, people always wonder about me and my madness. I look at them and I laugh because they don’t know I deal in fabrics. I have a great passion for it and there is no way I will bring out a fabric and you will not buy.

Are you aware some people can’t place where you come from?

I don’t want to see people having to be told I am an Igbo woman. I’m a Nigerian and I am an African. You see people say these things and that is what shocked me in the last elections. Nigeria was divided for the wrong reasons. We are one country, we have major issues to deal with and people try to rile up tribal, religious sentiments and for me, that was the worst thing that could have happened. You don’t need to go to church or mosque to be a good human being, all you need is compassion. When people appear not to have any feelings about what is going on in the North-East or the Chibok girls because it’s not Lagos, Port Harcourt or Enugu, that is not fair.

These are human beings; these are our brothers and sisters. I don’t know what it is to base myself on a tribe because my father lived in the

North, he lived in Lagos. People started saying ‘the Oba said this, the Oba said that.’ My mum is the golden mother of Lagos, Yeye Aladewura of Lagos. Oba said what? Why should what the Oba said concern the candidate of your choice? My blame is not on the Oba. My father taught us that if you believe in something, stand for it. I have knowledge of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I call him Egbon. He’s close to my mother, my family. I know him as a very detribalised Nigerian. I remember him coming to one of our father’s lectures.

Along the way when he was making his speech, he said: ‘I know you people are from the East o but I know them as Lagosians.’ That is him and that is what I want people to understand. When people say Igbos will suffer because they did not vote for Buhari, I said I don’t think Buhari will have time to think about who voted for him or who did not vote for him. He’s thinking about Nigeria. It should not be about East, West or South, it should be about Nigeria. When people say they don’t know where I come from, thank God. That means I have been able to show that I am a Nigerian.

One would think you would go into partisan politics with this mindset so you can contribute to making Nigeria one.

Well, I think I tried to do that by setting up NOBAGA group. Not really about politics but communication. By letting people know that thing you think is far away from you is not really that far. Until my brother died on that road, a lot of people had died. That same day my brother was killed, over 30 people died on that road. That same day, 20 in a bus. Between 29th of November and 30th of December, 180 people died on that stretch of road between Okada Junction and Benin, and you are telling me we have an IG of Police, you are telling me we have heads of government, and nobody knew that that number of people died on that road. Every day, there was a robbery. It’s like an Igbo saying that until the corpse is yours, you won’t know what death is. You just hear that somebody died on that road, somebody died on this road but now it was my brother. Then I start to think why there was no ambulance on a stretch of road from Lagos to Benin. There was not one ambulance. My brother might have been alive today if there was a hospital that had oxygen or an ambulance within the mile stretch of the road, but there was nothing like that. So, you begin to realise it’s not far from you. There is no value on life in Nigeria, Africa has to change and that is what I will continue to preach through National Orientation of Be A Good African, NOBAGA. There is a wedding band on your finger. Have you remarried?

That is my personal business.

I wear my rings whenever I want to wear them for a lot of different reasons.

Will you welcome marriage if it comes your way again?

It will be my private business. One thing I have learnt in Nigeria is to keep it where it is. Let everybody mind their business when it comes to my private life. I just want to keep my private life private. I am happy where I am and that is what is important to me.

I have a mother, I have my brothers, children, I have my family. I am cool, life is good.

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

with

Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

julietbumah@gmail.com

How long can you hide a secret?

A

lice mulls over the past few moments. She had noticed the transformation in James’ attitude. His slow, but gradual acceptance of her baby. Why that? Surely, he doesn’t know that another man achieved what he couldn’t achieve in almost nine years. He was also so warm to her. It seems that the arrival of the baby has healed their pain. But is their misunderstanding caused by her childless state? She doubts it. James has been living his life, making himself comfortable with her wealth and the strange woman.

She dwells on Dave’s excitement also.

The way he is behaving, he will give them away in no time. Thankfully, James will not suspect that he isn’t responsible for her pregnancy.

How wrong she is!

She wishes Dave happiness. He is the man that gave her joy...that made her conceive, thereby, removing the shame of childlessness from her.

Her only prayer is that he finds joy. That Kathryn gives him a baby also so that his joy will be full.

Kathryn!

Why has she not been delivered of her baby? Kathryn got to the hospital before her although she hasn’t seen her as she was in serious labour when she arrived the hospital and was taken to the labour room immediately.

She prays for her safe delivery. It will be double celebration. She recalls their friendship over the years and smiles. After many years apart, of not knowing where each was, they came together, united in their marriages to two brothers. And now, they have children by the same man. That is the part she will not want to disclose with pride.

Well, there’s joy knowing that they are having their babies on the same day.

She looks at her son and smiles. It’s not how far but how well that matters. *** Kathryn has been delivered of a female child.

Immediately she sets her eyes on the bundle of joy, she forgets the pains of a protracted labour. So she’s now a mother like her sister/friend, Alice?

The Lord’s name be praised.

Alice has been so lucky, having given birth less than two hours after she drove into the hospital. Some women are just so lucky. But she still thanks God The baby looks every inch like Dave. That is the first thing the men noticed.

“It’s obvious I have a very strong gene,” Dave says proudly.

James swallows hard. It’s only virile men that can boast like that. Not him. He wonders if he can ever feel comfortable when the issue of virility is being discoursed.

He resolves to do everything medically possible to become a real man. It will cost him a fortune, he knows, but he won’t be daunted. He will look for the money.

Kathryn, looking so weak, feels for James.

She knows he’ll be hurting so much, listening to Dave’s talk. She glances at James and he looks at her that very moment. She tilts her head ever so gently to assure him of her support. James understands. A smile flickers across his face.

“You are so lucky, Dave. But I think she will resemble Kathryn as she grows up.

Look at the well-sculptured nose. You ain’t so endowed. Moreover, it will pay you better if your daughter takes after your beautiful wife and your son takes after you. That way, you have the best of both worlds,”

James says.

They all laugh. So like James when he’s in his element.

“You’re right my man. You make real sense for once,” Dave says, laughing.

They all laugh. It is sincere laughter.

“I make sense when I’m not drunk and lately, I’ve been living a teetotal...when I can afford to, that is. You must be a superman to bear my burden without grunting,” James says and they laugh again.

Kathryn gives James a quizzical look and he nods slightly, indicating that Dave knows about his predicament.

So they all seem to understand what he is talking about and are glad he seems to be getting over the self pity.

However, Dave wonders how his wife, Kathryn, got to know about something James told him just a few hours ago. Is he missing something? He remembers the issue of his wife’s car key being with James and the fact that James knows that she had an accident. He feels very uncomfortable.

He will get to that later. Right now, he prays that when the truth of the paternity of Alice’s son is made known, it won’t erupt like a volcano. Alice’s son looks so much like him. Only a blind man will not know that their family’s blood runs in him. Of course, it’s an advantage to James for those who do not know their secret, but not for those who know. Perhaps, only Alice is in the dark regarding James’ health profile.

It will be best if she knows so that she will mind her step.

He will do that at the earliest given opportunity. It’s better to be prepared, like the Boys Scout.

A nurse announces that the new mother and her baby are ready to be moved to the ward.

The men clustered around Kathryn as she is wheeled to the postnatal ward - a two-bed private room where Alice and baby are.

Alice and her baby are asleep. The nurses make as little noise as possible in order not

to the disturb them.

They talk in hushed tones as they make mother and child comfortable and then, leave afterwards.

Kathryn yawns and the men decide to leave to enable her catch some sleep.

“This is the beginning of sleepless nights,” James says.

“Yeah, for all of us,” Dave whispers and kisses his wife.

They check the babies in the cots and leave.

About an hour later, Alice wakes up and is surprised to see that the other bed is occupied. It takes her a while to remember that she’ll be sharing the room with Kathryn.

“Kiki...Kiki...Kiki,” she calls out gently.

Kathryn opens her eyes.

“Boy or girl?” she asks Kathryn who is trying to sit up.

“Mama na girl o,” Kathryn sings, and they both laugh weakly.

“Na boy I get here o,” Alice says.

“So we’ll swap then. You wanted a girl and I wanted a boy, remember,” Kathryn says and they laugh.

“Sis, you are very lucky. You dropped the thing in no time. Unlike me that saw my ears with my eyes! Labour pain no get part two. But the joy of having the baby in your arms afterwards, obliterates all the pain,” Kathryn says.

“You are right. But don’t think a short labour period means lesser pain. I’m sure the pain of 12 hours were packed into one for me. But we thank God. What if after all the pain, we had no babies to show? Now you know the pain of those who have still birth or lost their babies after birth. Let’s thank God,” Alice says.

“You are right sis,” Kathryn says.

Her mind is pushing her to ask Alice a very pertinent question. How she came about her pregnancy! It occurs to her that Alice couldn’t have known that her husband couldn’t impregnate a woman. After all, she believes that her husband has chil-

dren out of wedlock.

“How about James’ children with that woman?” Kathryn begins.

“Do I care? I have my own child now. Let him go have a dozen more children for all I care,” Alice says.

“Hmmmmmmm...what if he did not bear those children? What if the woman lied to him?” Kathryn says, trying for an opening to what she actually wants to talk about.

“As if I care now,” Alice says.

“What’s the state of affairs between you and your husband now?” Kathryn tries another opening.

“State of affairs? Did it change from what it was yesterday or this morning? I hadn’t seen him for days till I met him here in the hospital. In fact, I was surprised to see him here,” Alice says.

“Well sis, there’s fire on the mountain o. I can’t hear this and hide it from you. I learnt James has issues and can’t have children,” Kathryn says, breathing out. Finally, she has it out.

“Was that what you were discussing in that discreet hotel...? You said what? He has problem with procreation? Who told you?

It’s a lie. He had children from that woman,” Alice says as the import of Kathryn’s words hit her. She feels like cold water has been splashed forcefully on her face.

Oh the other hand, Kathryn feels hot and cold at the same time as the scene in the hotel’s car park -the accident, sudden labour pain et al -plays out before her again. So it was Alice’s car in that car park after all?

What did she see? Did she see her with James? Who else saw her? What did she come to that discreet hotel to do? To meet with the father of her baby?

They stare at each other, lost in their respective thoughts. ********* So many questions! I sure want the answers and more. If you also do, let’s play here next Sunday.

•Send your observations to the email above.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Body&Soul

Take off acrylic nails with less damage Vanessa Okwara

T

here is nothing as fascinating as wellfixed polished nails. It adds a touch of glitz to your overall look. But then, you can’t wear it forever. Turns out wrong removal process can damage your real nails if care is not taken. It leaves your natural nails rough -the pinkie nail beds really botched up and jagged.

Damaged nails can be so painful, especially when you’re trying to grow strong and natural nails underneath it. It is particularly disheartening when your nails had grown to an enviable length and then, just like Jack the Reaper, the artificial nails take the budding nails with them when they are coming off!

Acrylic nails are held fast to your natural nail bed with glue. When they start growing out or look thick with too much polish, it’s time to take them off.

To save you a trip to the salon and the heartache of damaged nails, you will need: Nail polish remover (Acetone), Nail clipper, Olive oil, moisturising lotion,

clean towel, petroleum jelly, water, Orange wood stick, nail buffer, nail file and glass or metallic bowl but not plastic as the acetone is likely to melt it.

Steps to follow: • For the first step, you want to begin by cutting your acrylic nails as short as possible, using the nail clipper without hurting yourself. This will make the job quicker and easier as there is less acrylic nail to deal with.

• File the topcoat off of the nails. Use a fine-grade buffer to file off the paint and remove as much of the acrylic as possible. Use long strokes that run the length of the nail.

• Fill up the bowl with acetone nail polish remover before getting any lotions or substances on your hands.

• When the acetone nail remover is ready, apply some petroleum jelly around the nail bed to protect your skin from the harshness of the acetone nail polish remover.

• Soak your hands and nails in the bowl and make sure there is enough ac-

etone to cover your nails completely. Leave to soak for 15-20 minutes. The fake nails should have lifted off from your natural nail plate and become soft.

• Then use the orangewood stick to gently remove the artificial nail from your natural nails. You can file the fake nails down and buff them completely off. If you find some of the nails haven’t lifted you can soak again in the acetone for a further 5-10 minutes and repeat the step above.

• Be sure not to yank the acrylic nail off your finger.

This could lead to rips in the nail where germs and bacteria can live and thrive. These can then get in contact with your skin and maybe your blood lead-

ing to infections.

• Once the fake nails have been removed, buff your natural nails with the buffer until smooth and shiny.

• Restore the moisture to your hands. Acetone causes skin to become extremely dry. Rinse off the remaining traces with soap and water.

Dry your hands and rub them with body oil, olive oil or a moisturising lotion.

• Be sure to leave at least a week between fixing artificial nails so your nails have enough time to heal.

Body&Soul

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weather, or you skulk around sweating and puffing like wilting brushes. It certainly looks like the rains have taken a leave of us, and with it, the cool. While it stays away however, you can keep cool and stay fashionable with the right fabrics that are cool and absorbent and definitely the right styles too. This way, you remain the centre of fabulousity no mat-

ter where you are. You will totally own your look, be it on the red carpet, at work, at play, on a date or just chilling.

This is the perfect time to show off that bikini bod you have been working on. Ladies, you can now break out the abs and the results from all those squats and lunges. This weather encourages you to wear those midriff baring

22, 43

hese are the days that easily set apart the icons from the wannabes. It is easy look around you; the heat wave is here and with it a new range of style preference. The moment you step out, you either strut around in careless disregard of the

styles, as well as those soft silks and chiffon dresses. You will stay cool, look sexy and have all eyes on you all at once. Seriously, this is a situation most people will refer to as a winwin. Exploit it!

Our current obsessions are these flatforms, cross body purse and Ankara dress.

Keep fashion cool in the heat

Biwom Iklaki

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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SundayBusiness SUNDAY

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

News

Agriculture attracts N1trn funds in three years p.24

Buhari’s reforms: NNPC’s swap deal under searchlight

A

Paul Ogbuokiri

Brands Assessing First Bank’s brand status p.28

Interview

How Nigeria can become fuel exporter – Aganga p.25

Paul Ogbuokiri Head, Business paulogbuokiri@newtelegraph online.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

s the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buharigets set to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, there are indications that the former head of state to beam his searchlight on how the state oil company handled the 445,000 barrels per day of crude oil allocated to it by the Federal Government for domestic consumption.

The 445,000 bpd represents the combined installed capacity of the four state-run refineries built between 1965 and 1988 – two in Port Harcourt and one each in Kaduna and Warri.

This informed the allotment to the state-run oil company.

Due to negligence and poor maintenance practice, the refineries became dilapidated and their capacity utilisation dropped abysmally. Efforts to ensure sustainable Turnaround Maintenance of the refineries despite the huge sums sunk into them have over the years not yielded any positive result.

Because the four refineries have been down and their output insufficient to meet domestic fuel requirements, the introduction of product importation became imperative, which was later Alison-Madueke followed by NNPC’s offshore processing/swap arrangements (OPA/Swap arrangement) to ensure adequate products supply.

The Federal Government should Experts who spoke to Sunday Telegraph say consider a review of the daily not only has the offshore arrangement become the major source of corruption in the downallocation of 445,000bpd to the stream sub-sector of the oil industry, it may level of available local refining also be the major source of revenue leakage in the system. They said the nation may have lost capacity to obviate the gaps in over $50 billion due to the practice in the past five years. the process They pointed out that what is called oil subsidy today is a product of the offshore processing of the crude allocation. They argued that from explanations given by government officials, what is paid as subsidy is often the difference between petroleum products.”

In a statement, he also listed the repair and mainthe landing cost of the refined product and the tenance of vandalised pipelines as some of the recost of transportation.

The Farouk Lawan report on fuel subsidy sponsibilities of NNPC, on which the billions were revealed that while the government has been applied.

A former President of the Association of National providing the cushion for 59m litres of fuel a Accountants of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Nzekwe, pointday, Nigeria only consumes about 35m litres. It said this was a scam in which companies were ed out that oil subsidy is a product of the offshore paid hundreds of millions of dollars to import processing of the crude allocation. He said from explanations often given by government officials, fuel - but they never delivered a drop.

“False claims were rampant. The scheme be- what is paid as subsidy is often the difference became an avenue for all forms of patronage,” said tween the landing cost of the refined product and the report, which described the fuel subsidy as the cost of transportation.

He urged the incoming government to take a close being a “limitless drain on the economy.” look at the offshore processing/swap arrangement, The report further said that in 2006, there were just six fuel importers. By 2011, the number had with a view to blocking the revenue leakages. According to him, it is obvious that in the interim, inexplicably soared to 140.

FBN Capital, Lagos Chamber of Chamber NNPC may not be able to refine all the fuel Nigeria Commerce and Industry called for total removal needs in-country. But a policy should be in place of the subsidy which rose to about N2.2 trillion to solve the problem permanently by refining for in 2011 and came down to N971 billion last year domestic consumption and for export.

He also tasked Buhari to remove the subsidy if while about 200 billion was budgeted for it in he wants to end the corruption in the downstream the 2015 Appropriation Bill.

The NNPC’s GM Public Affairs Division, sub-sector once and for all.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr. Omar Ibrahim, had claimed that the sum of $10.8 billion, out of the alleged missing $20 called for the total removal of the subsidy which billion crude oil fund, was spent on the vari- rose to about N2.2 trillion in 2011 and came down ous services the organisation rendered for the to N971 billion last year while about N200 billion government. These include “the unpaid sub- was budgeted for it in the 2015 Appropriation Bill.

Speaking at the Nigerian Association of Chamsidies on kerosene and premium motor spirit ber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PMS), bulk importation of the PMS and the maintenance of national strategic reserves for (NACCIMA) review of the state of the nation and

expectations from the incoming government, in Lagos, the Acting National President of NACCIMA, Chief Bassey Edem, urged it to probe the offshore processing of the 445,000 crude allocation to NNPC and the fuel subsidy. He said these would end the corruption in the downstream oil sector as well as save the country billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, the 2015 Appropriation Act passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday has no allocation for fuel subsidy. But the Chairman House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Hon. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, in a reaction to the development, said the zero allocation for fuel subsidy is a booby trap for the incoming administration.

“Regrettably, no provision was made in the y2015 Appropriation Act for fuel subsidy. Other than a reduced amount of N21 billion provided for SURE-P, no other provision was made in the budget for subsidised welfare services,” he said.

World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, Mr. Francisco Ferreira, in a video conference from Washington with journalists from across Africa on the release of the bank’s analysis of issues shaping the continent entitled, ‘Africa’s Pulse,’ said an examination of the nation’s financial records, especially allegations of corruption in NNPC, would check impunity and build public institutions in the future.

Some of the products realised from refined petroleum, include transportation fuels, fuel oils for heating and electricity generation, asphalt and road oil and the feedstocks used to make chemicals, plastics as well as synthetic materials. About 74 per cent of the 6.89 billion barrels of petroleum used in 2013 were gasoline, heating oil/diesel fuel and jet fuel.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has been strident in its criticism of the arrangement. For instance, in its report on domestic crude oil utilisation by NNPC between 2009 and 2011, NEITI said the corporation in 2009, got 161,914,000 barrels while only 19,363,000 barrels were refined locally and 142,551,000 exported. In 2010 alone, the corporation, according to NEITI, got 166,523,000 barrels, refined 34,703,000 barrels, exported 97,792,000 barrels, while 27,336,000 barrels went for offshore processing; 950,000 barrels for crude exchange and 5,742,000 barrels for product exchange.

Similarly, in 2011, NNPC got 164,455,000 barrels allocation, refined 45,394,000 barrels, exported 39,341,000 barrels, processed 23,688,000 barrels offshore, while 56,032,000 barrels were exchanged for product, the agency added.

The NEITI report said that from its computation, only about 20.2 per cent of the domestic crude oil allocation was delivered to local refineries, the balance was either exported by NNPC and proceeds paid into its accounts or utilised for offshore processing, crude oil exchange and product exchange.

The report therefore, showed that the country depends mainly on imported refined products for local consumption resulting in avoidable high payment of fuel subsidies. This also reduces the revenue accruable to the federation from crude oil sales on pricing, volume utilisation and exchange rate differentials.

NEITI further said, “The Federal Government should consider a review of the daily allocation of 445,000bpd to the level of available local refining capacity to obviate the gaps in the process.

C ON TI N UE D ON PAGE 24

24

Business/ News Paul Ogbuokiri

M

inister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has said agriculture attracted about $5 billion (N1 trillion) investment in the last three years, adding that investment in the sector is set to grow.

This is even as the Managing Director of Cassini Viggies Limited, Bolaji Lawal, said opportunities are limitless in the agriculture sector in Nigeria.

Adesina, who spoke to CNBC Africa on the side-lines of the World Bank and IMF annual meetings, said, “We have managed to attract about $5 billion within three years and we have managed to reach 14 million farmers within the same period.”

Adesina said about $45 billion spent by the region annually on food imports is senseless.

“We have a lot of water and we have cheap labour across African economies and what we should be doing is producing our own food so that we become a global powerhouse in food production,” he said.

Adesina said the agriculture sector has positive future prospects.

“The size of the food and agribusiness will be $1trn by 2030. The foreign direct investments that will go into this sector will rise to $45 billion by 2020 so as Nigeria we are paying attention into this sector.” He also added that Nigeria would turn agriculture into a big wealth creating sector.

“What we did first was to acknowledge that agriculture is not a development activity or social sector. It is a business and as a government we will get out of the way and allow private business to make investments,” said Adesina.

The agriculture and rural development minister said the government would enact good policies, institutions, infrastructure and public goods to help facilitate growth in the sector. “The banks and farmers are making money and this shows that agriculture is a business,” he noted.

He warned that banks were not philanthropic organisations and they are not going to lend money unless it is profitable to do so.

Adesina said the Nigeria government has managed to prove to business the value of investing in the agriculture sector, giving an example of Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote’s massive investments in rice farming.

Dangote is reported to have made investments of up to $1 billion in Africa’s largest economy.

Adesina said the challenges in the agriculture sector had more to do with perceptions than actual risks in the industry.

“The perception of risk is what is affecting investment in the agriculture sector,” he said.

Bolaji Lawal, a former investment banker, stated in a telephone interview from his Port Harcourt base that in the agriculture sector in Nigeria, the opportunities are limitless. He said the sector is still basically practised at the subsistence level and in dire need of Nigerians that can build it into a 21st century business.

“As an investment banker, when I hear of return on investment, I’m excited. The return on investment in agriculture is almost unbelievable,” he stated.

According to him, the company has a 30 hectare farm under cultivation in Port Harcourt, which is dedicated to the production of fresh corn for sale.

“Last year, we did about a little over N30 million in terms of turnover. This year, because we have added a new subsidiary – Cassini Viggies Limited – and of course we are expanding the corn business, we’re looking at a minimum turnover of N150 million. If our plans work out 100 per cent, maybe N300 million in terms of turnover,” Lawal said.

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Agriculture attracts N1trn funds in three years He added that while there are challenges in the sector, such as getting land, Cassini has still been able to make progress.

“For small to medium-scaled organisations like ours, it’s been difficult getting

a large expanse of land but because we understand the terrain, we’ve been able to make progress in terms of getting land,” he said.

“Though very expensive at the moment

– land is about 25 per cent of our cost of production, which is just too high (and) we’ve not gotten all the land that we want, that we need – we’ve been able to make a lot of progress.”

L-R: Communications and Engagement Manager, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc, Ms. Bolaji Sanyaolu; Brand Manager, Ribena, Mr. Essien Ekemini; Winner of N1million cash prize, Mr. Tomide Fasade and Head of Sales, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc, Mr. Joseph Agwa during the presentation of the Lucozade Ribena Big Cash Giveaway Promo cheque in Lagos

Buhari’s reforms: NNPC’s swap deal under searchlight CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 2 3

“Domestic crude oil sales proceeds should be paid into CBN in the currency of sales, where it should be converted at the appropriate rate by CBN and paid to the Federation Account. This will forestall the exchange rate shortfalls.”

According the Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Obafemi Olawore, the federal government should have long stopped allocating that huge volume crude to NNPC, since it does not have the capacity to refine it; “rather it should be allocated only the quantity it can refine in-country. This would make room for both accountability and transparency.”

NNPC started off OPA/Swap arrangements by appointing international commodity traders such as Vitol, Trafigura and Addax, among others, to lift Nigeria’s crude oil and import petroleum products. Later, some Nigerian companies such as Sahara Energy, Aiteo Oil and Gas and Ontario Oil and Gas were added to lift crude for NNPC, especially the allocation meant for Duke Oil, UK-based subsidiary of NNPC and in turn bring back products.

However, the swap deals, according to stakeholders, who would not want their names published, have become increasingly opaque. They have also been blamed for the revenue shortfalls in the Federation Account. They said that the country is being short-changed through the swaps, as commodity traders appointed by NNPC to lift the crude under the programme allegedly found avenues to make billions of naira.

Responding to the allegations of lack of transparency in the OPA/Swap arrangements, NNPC said that over the years, the operations of the domestic refineries have been very epileptic due to un-planned equipment failures as well as consistent acts of vandalism on the crude oil supply pipeline to the refineries.

It said that even when the refineries are fully operational, they cannot meet up with

the petroleum products requirements of the domestic market, especially PMS, whose domestic daily requirement is now put at 40 million litres. The domestic refineries at full capacity can only produce about 19 million litres of PMS while the balance of 21 million litres is sourced through import.

Information sourced from NNPC’s website indicated that the importation of petroleum products, which started in the 90s, was carried out under the open account system. This was done through an open tender process from reputable oil trading companies with proven track record of good performance and strong capital base.

It stated that along the line, NNPC started witnessing defaults in deliveries where most of the supply companies failed to perform, especially around the winter period. The trading companies perennially gave reasons of high cost of products and vessels freight for their non-performance hence the demand for increased premium. Rather than deliver cargoes based on their allocations from NNPC, they would insist on spot cargo offers. This resulted in the severe scarcity of petroleum products witnessed especially in 2009 and 2010, with the attendant negative consequences for the Nigerian populace and economy.

It was further disclosed that the open account import exposed NNPC to certain variable market conditions, especially the demand for high premium by the suppliers.

This demand in most cases was predicated on NNPC’s inability to fulfil its payment obligations as at when due. The delay in making payments for the cargoes delivered deteriorated to over 1,000 days in default. The debt owed by NNPC at the same point in time was about $3.2 billion.

NNPC said in view of the long delay in making payments, and the huge outstanding debt, most International financial institutions became reluctant to cover its imports. Even where the banks were willing to finance NNPC imports, the finance risk

cover became very expensive there by making deliveries by trading companies almost impossible.

“Therefore, the cost of finance risk cover on NNPC imports in addition to the high interest on delayed payment for cargoes delivered by the suppliers increased the exposure of NNPC as additional costs that are not covered under the subsidy template,” it declared.

The corporation said that the open account import provided for it to pay interest to suppliers in default of payment after forty five (45) days of cargo arrival as a contractual provision, regardless of any operational exigency that may arise or prevent payment.

Sustainability of products supplies almost became impossible occasioned by periodic interruption in supplies with the attendant scarcity around the country due to the vagaries of the open account regime, it added.

To mitigate the open account import challenges of price vulnerability, supply disruptions and also guarantee steady supply of petroleum products to the market, NNPC explored the option of offshore processing of the refineries’ unutilised crude oil, as well as the exchange of same crude oil for petroleum products.

NNPC said it was in view of the listed challenges that it sought and obtained the approval of late President Umaru Yar’Adua to enter into this arrangement pending when the refineries would be turned around for optimal performance.

The Offshore Processing and Crude Oil/ Products Exchanges provided NNPC the opportunity and flexibility to control the supply and availability of petroleum products into the market; it said adding that the arrangements also liberated the corporation from the necessity of making monetary payments to the suppliers as required in the open account import regime and interest on delayed payments.

CO NTINUED O N PAGE 27

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Business/ Interview

How Nigeria can become fuel exporter – Aganga

In this interview with STANLY IHEDIGHBO Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, outlines how Nigeria can become a net exporter of petroleum products by 2018

Aganga

Which area would you like the incoming government to build on, looking at what your ministry has achieved so far?

It is very clear that with falling oil prices and the level where our economy is, there is no doubt that the only solution is economic diversification. There is no doubt that when you talk about economic diversification, you are talking about industrialisation and adding value to many commodities. That is the gift we have left behind, our National Industrial Revolution Plan. It has become far more important than ever before. Once we have the products and the quality infrastructure we are able to put in place, it will mean that in eight years if it is followed strictly, we will successfully diversify our economy. Also, we will successfully diversify the sources of revenue so that we will not rely on oil.

That is the only thing we need to do and we have started it already. So my advice is sustain it. Mexico did it in last eight to nine years ago. We must keep the pace, we cannot take two steps forward and three steps backward.

What makes the new SON laboratories important to the economy at this crucial time?

The new Standard Organisation of Nigeria laboratories are internationally accredited microbiology and testing chemical laboratories with scope I understand that covers about 12 different fields. The laboratories will deliver Nigerian products to the world in best standards. This could not have come at a better time as the need to diversify the revenue resources of the country has become significant to increase non-oil sector revenue. The fall in oil prices is a wake-up call on us as a country that we should not have all along relied on just one export commodity. That was one of the reasons why we launched the industrial revolution plan which focused on adding value to our commodities.

But there are many products that come from crude oil.

Yes. Going forward is not about exporting crude oil. It is not just about selling crude oil to Nigerian companies that will process

them, create jobs in the country and produce petroleum products in this country.

Today, we spend more than $15 billion importing petroleum products and we would save that and become a net exporter of petroleum products by 2018.

Nigeria is said to have high potential in agriculture and sold minerals. What are the facts?

Nigeria’s potential in agriculture is unimaginably very high. The sector is critical but Nigeria is a blessed nation with 44 solid mineral resources in commercial qualities in this country and it is the largest crude oil exporter in Africa. It is a country with more than 84 million acres of land where everything grows and we are not ordinary people. God has blessed this nation so well and it is about adding value to these commodities. For decades, our exporters suffered heavy financial losses and the country lost significant amount of revenue.

Our image as a country has been dented because a number of Nigerian products are rejected. Nigeria, the giant of Africa and the number one economy in Africa, has had to export its products through Ghana. That was the situation before we inaugurated the SON laboratories. Now, I am delighted to say that the era of Nigerian agro allied exports products being rejected under the guise of not meeting up sanitary and phytosanitary requirements are now coming to a quick end.

With the laboratories, what are the products Nigeria will be able to export?

It can cover products like maize, rice, sorghum, millet, beans, soy beans, cassava and yam. Benue State produces large quantities of yam. Until now, we couldn’t export them to the United Kingdom without going through Ghana. It will affect fresh fruit, ripe fruit, village table leaf, gum Arabic, palm oil, palm kernel oil, groundnut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, plant tea and many others. You can see from the scope that it is actually quite large. It also gladdens my heart to learn that the scope of the laboratories is that they are accredited to process products like micronutrients,

tables, refrigerators, electricals, cement and construction materials.

This is only the beginning. These laboratories integrate part of the national quality infrastructure we are building for Nigeria.

It is a shame that after 50 years as a nation we never had quality infrastructure. That is what this administration is leaving behind as we leave office. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria are putting things in place to prove our competitiveness as a country. For example, for the first time in history, we now have a national quality policy.

Is this part of the legacies the outgoing administration is leaving behind for Nigeria?

It took a long time to put all these things together because we never had a policy on this as a country. This is unbelievable.

We have an accreditation board that will work with international boards to make sure that our laboratories are accredited and sometime next month I will be performing the ground-breaking ceremony in Enugu for the first ever meteorology institute in Nigeria. For those who want to know all these things we have done, these are game changers of things that never happened in this country before. For the first time in our history as well we have introduced meteorology in the oil and gas sector which means that today we have a process to make sure that the meters are well calibrated and meet international standard in all the oil terminals. That is the only way we can in all confidence import data in terms of crude oil. Today, Nigeria that was lagging behind is leading Africa. Members of my team are in Ghana sharing our experiences on this journey of building national quality infrastructure with the rest of the countries in ECOWAS. I will join them to share my experience with other regional ministers. To tell you how bad things were, when you talk about the numbers of rejects in major foreign markets up to between 2007 to 2012, I do have numbers 2013 to 2014, while countries Angola had three reject products, Benin Repub-

lic had two rejects, Egypt had 95 rejects, Ethiopia three rejects, Gambia five rejects, Ghana had 51 rejects, South Africa had 65 rejects and Nigeria had 102 rejected products. When you export your products to the United States, United Kingdom or any other countries, they normally test them to see whether they have things that are harmful to the body, like chemicals. They also look at the quantity. If it is too high they will reject it. This means that all the efforts the importers made to package them for export, the money they have spent and when it gets over there it is rejected. That is why Nigerian exporters are suffering heavy losses and where they could manage it, they reduced the price. So they still suffered in terms of financial losses. From the numbers of rejects Nigeria has, it is clear that the country is by far the largest economy but it also shows that we have the largest rejects. This is not good and that is what the laboratories will correct.

But I must say that none of these things we have done over the last four years would not have been possible without the active support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.

UNIDO has been with us side by side. The secretariat of the unit infrastructure is with UNIDO. None of these could have been possible without the support of the European Union. They gave me 12 million Euros to build the national quality infrastructure.

More importantly, none of these would have been possible without the proactive effort of the Director-General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, his management and the managements of the accredited laboratories for their effort to sustaining the process of the accreditation and bringing it to fruition in spite of the termination of the EU-sponsored project when it first started in 2012.

So, is it possible for Nigeria to move away from its mono-economic status?

The only and greatest asset is not agriculture. It is not solid minerals or the crude oil.

It is our people, Nigerians have confirmed that we can do it if we want to.

You were passionate about the new auto policy. Is it an ongoing project?

The Nigerian Automotive Policy is meant to wean the country off the hurting dependence on imported vehicles. There are aspects of it that have come to full implementation, like the 70 per cent tariff on vehicles for importers that have no plan of producing in the country. Also, the Vehicle Purchase Scheme, which will give soft loans of not more than one digit interest rate to Nigerians to buy Made-in-Nigeria cars has yet to take off. Some manufacturers are already assembling in the country and many more are on the line to set up their plants in the country.

It is a policy we cannot afford to reverse if we want our economy to survive because its impact on the economy is enormous in terms of foreign exchange, job creation technology transfer and contribution to the nation’s gross domestic capital. A lot of ground has been covered; all that needs to be done is to sustain the policy.

26

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Profit taking dominates activities

T

he Equities market declined by 1.48% during the week’s trading, as the direction of market activities was greatly influenced by the activities of profittakers. Consequently, the All Share Index YtD return pared to 0.49%, just as the volume and value of transactions traded in opposite directions, appreciating and declining by 7.53% and 11.46% Week on Week (WoW) respectively.

There were 43 advancers against 34 stocks which declined in value, pegging market breadth at 1.26x, in favour of the advancers.

RTBRISCO emerged as the top gainer for the week, with a 20.24% increase in share price.

NEIMETH (18.95%), NPFMCRFBK (18.80%), PZ (15.67%), and PORTPAINT (15.32%) also featured on the top performers’ list. On the other side, IKEJAHOTEL led the laggards, after paring by 22.06% WoW. Other underperformers were COSTAIN (-16.00%), TRANSEXPR (-13.33%), LIVESTOCK (-11.15%) and FIDELITYBK (-10.80%).

Despite the recent moderation of risk factors, most notably the political headwinds, while global oil prices have recently spiked as Saudi Arabia persists with military action in Yemen, local market activities have been down-trodden.

We believe that this might persist in the shortterm, before the new government takes office, as many foreign investors stagger their investments inflows, due to a view that the currency is not appropriately priced at the current level.

Although we do not suggest that the entrance of the new government will result in a relaxation of the current currency management system, we anticipate that investors will react to their policy stance on the issue.

In this report, we review events in the economy, laying emphasis on performance of different segments of the financial markets, while presenting our expectations for the week ahead.

World economies threatened by high migration levels During the week, Africans continued to speak up against the increased incidence of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, triggered by frustrated locals threatened by the growing number of foreigners in South Africa, especially with the weakening economy and diminishing standard of living. On the other side of the world, migration in search of better living situations, took another dangerous turn as numerous migrants from Africa, and war torn countries in the Middle East, perished on the Mediterranean. The growing level of migration across the world, despite consistent growth of the global economy in recent times, may be an indication of the widening disparity in economies, as well as the resultant impact of war on affected nations.

We believe that the growing number of illegal migrants; mostly unskilled and uneducated, may increase crime levels, while also pressuring growth and development in the receiving countries, as scarce resources become further strained. This trend may affect net-export countries like Nigeria, which depend on the state of the global economy for its revenues.

In the local space, economic activities remained moderate despite the elimination of political headwinds. This, we believe may not be unrelated to pensive investors waiting to ascertain the direction of the nation’s economy following the commencement of the next regime on May 29th 2015.

Fixed Income Update … Investors’ sentiments rallies relatively Rates at the interbank market trended upward on three of the five trading during the week, as demand outweighed supply earlier in the week given the moderate market liquidity. Nonetheless, rates closed the week southwards, pegging at 9.88%, 14.18%, 15.20%, 15.83%, 9.25% and 10.00% for the CALL, 1M, 3M, 6M, OBB and OVN rates accordingly.

The Treasury bills market experienced mixed sentiments, as the average yield declined by 0.64%, to peg at 12.55% across tenors. A Primary Market Auction (PMA) for 91-day (NGN38.71bn), 182-day (NGN45.00bn), and 364-day (NGN85.73bn) instruments, worth NGN169.44bn was supposed to hold on Wednesday. This, was however, truncated as CBN payment website experienced some technical issues preventing settlement.

Enjoying an increased investors’ confidence, demand was heightened in the bond market, as the average yield for the Benchmark and Offthe-run bonds closed the week at 13.97% and 14.82% across instruments, representing a WtD

…NSEASI pares by 1.48%

recorded substantial price appreciations. Subsequently, we imagine to see some levels of position-taking on stocks trading below their fundamental justified prices.

average change of 0.31%.

The Naira remained resilient in the week, with the domestic currency depreciating by 0.88% to close at NGN/USD199.16, which indicates YtD depreciation of 7.34%.

Agric Sector… Reeks of Gloom The positive mood which pervaded the sector in the preceding week, dissipated this week, as the MERI-AGRI index declined by -0.43% WtD to settle YtD return at 6.86%. A solitary stock recorded a price gain, as against two stocks which declined, to peg the sector’s breadth at (0.50x).

OKOMUOIL topped the gainers’ chart, with a marginal +0.22% change in value. Leading the pack of losers, was LIVESTOCK (-11.25%) which seemed to be taking a somewhat cyclical turn in the last 3 weeks. PRESCO also pared by 0.95%, while FTNCOCOA and ELLAHLAKES traded flat.

We believe that the lack of positive news flow into the agric sector contributed to the drab mood witnessed during the week. We opine that corporate releases, if positive, will serve as a catalyst to lure discerning investors.

Banking Sector… Weak outing as MERIBNK index declines 1.78% The Banking sector, as measured by the MERI-BNK Index, ended the week with returns of -1.78%, as investors took profits on sector heavyweights. Sector breadth favoured losers at 0.86x as there were six gainers and seven losers in the week. ETI traded flat while UNITYBNK, following its share reconstruction now trades at NGN5.00, as the bank’s shares outstanding reduced to 11.69 billion.

Top gainers for the week were FBNH, UBA, SKYEBANK, STERLNBANK and DIAMONDBNK with respective gains of 6.71%, 6.61%, 5.10%, 3.96% and 2.40%. Conversely, top losers were FIDELITYBK, ACCESS, ZENITHBANK, GUARANTY and FCMB, with losses of 10.80%, 4.97%, 4.35%, 2.56% and 2.32% accordingly.

During the week, ETI released its FY2014 results, which showed respective YoY growths in gross earnings and profit after tax of 18.99% and 178.66%. Also, STERLNBANK, ZENITHBANK and FBNH released Q1:2015 results, which showed YoY gross earnings growths of 10.16%, 20.14% and 23.5% respectively, while Profit-After-Tax YoY growths for the respective banks were 24.71%, 16.91% and 4.9%.

We expect increased buy sentiments in the

sector during the coming week, as investors take position in stocks, given the long-term viability of the banks as they continue to partner with key sectors in the economy in spite of fundamental challenges.

Consumer Goods … DANGSUGAR declares NGN0.40 dividend Consumer goods counters recorded a negative WoW return of 1.90%, with some of the heavyweights losing significantly, while most tickers recorded marginally positive returns.

The major gainers this week included; 7UP, DANGFLOUR, FLOURMILL, VONO, VITAFOAM, PZ, AGLEVENT and INTBREW with respective WtD gains of 4.70%, 4.30%, 8.79%, 6.93%, 4.76% 15.67%, 9.15% and 4.78%.

NNFM and PREMBREW, however, traded flat.

On the flip side, UACN, CADBURY, UNILEVER, GUINNESS, NB, and CHAMPION all recorded respective WtD losses of 5.46%, 2.46%, 7.90%, 1.18%, 6.38%, and 3.95%.

DANGSUGAR released its 2014FY scorecard during the week, which showed an 8.04% YoY decline in revenue, while Profit-After-Tax (PAT) grew by 7.28% YoY, on the back of a reduced tax payable, which declined by 32.88% YoY. The company also declared a dividend of NGN0.40, which implies a yield of 5.53% at the current market price of NGN7.23.

Flour millers enjoyed positive sentiment this week, with the sugar and salt manufacturers also being beneficiaries. We do not expect the sentiment to persist, and so, advise cautious position taking in fundamentally justified companies amidst current market movements.

Healthcare Sector … Meri-Health Index Trailed the Market The Meri-Health index pared by 4.90% WoW, to settle the YtD return at +6.73%. Sector breadth pegged at 0.5x, in favour of decliners, as one stock appreciated against two stocks which shed points, while all other counters closed flat.

NEIMETH consolidated on previous week’s gains to emerge as the top gainer for the week, after appreciating by 18.95% WoW to settle price at NGN1.13, representing the stock’s yearhigh price. On the other side, MAYBAKER and GLAXOSMITH declined, shedding 5.76% and 4.99% respectively to peg prices at NGN1.80 and NGN53.45 accordingly.

The sector reversed the positive sentiment witnessed in the past few weeks, which we attribute to profit taking on stocks that have

Insurance sector … Best performing sector for the week Insurance stocks saw an increase in active bargain hunting during the week. Consequently, the sector recorded an impressive gain of 2.56% WoW, to trim year to date return to -0.09%. Six stocks recorded gains during the week, while a lone stock pared in value.

WAPIC returned the highest gain of 7.84% WtD to close at NGN0.55 (vs. NGN0.51 in previous week). Other top performers during the week were; ROYALEX (+5.77%), MANSARD (+4.93%), AIICO (+4.59%), NEM (+1.47%) and CONTINSURE (+1.15%). CUSTODYINS (-2.47%) was the sole decliner for the week, while other stocks traded flat.

In an attempt to remain competitive in the growing insurance sector, Union Assurance recently announced an additional capital injection of NGN3.7bn (USD21.8mn). The CFO, Mr. Segun Adesanya, said this would enable the company operate beyond the stipulated solvency margin, whilst also positioning the company to better execute underwriting services.

Considering the recent undulating movement in the prices of insurance stocks, we do not expect the sector to sustain the positive momentum in the coming week. We envisage profit-taking on stocks that appreciated during the week, and therefore advise cautious trading.

Industrial goods … BERGER and CAP expand topline in Q1:2015 The mood in the sector was slightly upbeat during the week ended, as only one stock recorded negative WoW returns. The reversal of sentiments may not be unrelated to encouraging result releases during the week.

PORTPAINT emerged as the highest gainer, with a 15.32% WoW increase in share price to NGN3.84. BERGER, CCNN, WAPCO, ASHAKACEM and CUTIX made up the list, with respective gains of 5.16%, 4.04%, 3.33%, 2.75% and 0.58%.

DANGCEM, the only sector decliner for the week, was marked down for its NGN6/share dividend payment. Consequently, the stock closed 2.78% down relative to previous week.

Berger Paints Plc recently declared it’s Q1:2015 result, showing an unexpected 20% YoY growth in revenue. Profit after tax (PAT) also increased by 46% from previous period, driven by improved production and operating cost management.

CAP, the paints industry giant, recorded slower topline growth of 3% YoY, although it managed to sustain its earnings growth momentum. PAT for the period came in at N485m, representing a 21% YoY growth.

We expect other companies in the sector to release their 1st quarter scorecards in the coming week. We are however, not overtly optimistic about these earning releases significantly driving investors’ sentiment, as we do not anticipate surprises given the harsh operating environment.

Oil & Gas Sector… Poor Sector Run Results in 0.75% WoW Decline Investor’s bias was somewhat bearish on the sector’s stocks, as there was only one advancer in the week. Consequently, the NSEOILG5 index returned -0.75% WoW, to pare YtD retun to 7.98%.

OANDO witnessed a price appreciation of 7.93% to settle at NGN19.60, while TOTAL, ETERNA, MOBIL, CONOIL, FO, and SEPLAT recorded price declines of 9.75%, 7.35%, 4.97%, 4.71%, 3.26%, and 0.21% accordingly. Other sector stocks traded flat.

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc. (SEPLAT) restructured its existing debt portfolio during the week, after securing a syndicated loan and a revolving credit facility from five Nigerian banks, and a consortium of international banks respectively. The value of the total facility is USD1.7bn, with USD1.4bn coming from the Nigerian banks, while the outstanding USD300mn was sourced from the international banks. This, the company states will help in debt refinancing, whilst also putting the company in a vantage position for future acquisition opportunities in the Nigerian energy space.

We expect investor sentiments to tilt towards the buy side in the coming week, considering the fairly low prices of some of the sector’s counters.

27

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

SundayBusiness

Ten points to greatness (1) Success Nuggets Victor Okwudiri 08037674300 (SMS only)

POINT ONE: You are not too small to make an impact.

Impact is not about age. For you reading this, I want you to know that irrespective of your AGE, you can be on the world STAGE. King Solomon of blessed memory, did not become as old as Metuselah, yet he remains a symbol of sagacity.

At 32, Yakubu Gowon became the Head of State of Nigeria, and he was able to pilot the affairs of a whole nation, yet there are older people who have failed in governing their families and communities.

Alfred Diette-Spiff became the Military Administrator of Old Rivers State (now Rivers and Bayelsa States) at 24, and he has to his credit a good foundation for the modern Rivers State.

About two years, a friend of mine who worships in the same church with me, told me that our Pastor brought a young lady called Toyosi Akerele to speak in church. That was when I heard of her for the first time. She is about 31 now. Friend, if

Friend, you are not too small to make an imprint of your name on the sands of time. What are you waiting for

you google ‘Toyosi Akerele’, you will be shocked. If you google ‘Toyosi Akerele’, you will see a video of Mitchelle Obama saying that she looked forward to meeting with Toyosi Akerele in the course of her (Mitchelle Obama’s) visit to Africa (now in the past). Imagine the First Lady of America looking forward to a meeting with a 29-year old Nigerian girl. That is GREATNESS. The list goes on and on.

Aliko Dangote has been ranked the 23rd and 67th richest person in the world at different times. He is ranked Africa’s richest person. That sounds good to many, but not so many may know he started business at age 20. Thirty-eight years down the line, he still blazes the trail in African capitalism. What if he felt he was too small to start business at 20?

I leave the answer to you.

Another example.

I was invited to speak in an international youth conference in one of the halls at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. It was the 11th day of August, 2013. I was 28 then. Other speakers at the conference were Kanayo O. Kanayo, Funlola Craig, etc. After my presentation, I was feeling so cool. Later on, a young man called Dayo Israel was called up stage to speak. He was just 27 then. Boy-o-boy! It was ‘wow!’ He practically dazed everyone. At 27, Dayo Israel had met with the Queen of England and many world leaders.

Words cannot tell all there is to that wonder-boy. He is about 29 now.

Yes! I will not forget. I will not forget that sometime in 2012, MTN brought a 27-year old ‘American wonder’ called Farrah Gray to speak in a leadership/motivation seminar in Lagos, Nigeria.

What about Malala Yousafzai, who won the latest Nobel Peace prize at 17, the youngest ever to have attained such height?

What about our own Zuriel Oduwole, a Nigerian girl recognised as an ‘Ambassador’ in Tanzania, at age 11?

Friend, you are not too small to make an imprint of your name on the sands of time. What are you waiting for?

Now, on your mark. Get set. Go! Please follow me on Twitter @VictorOkwudiriNOTE: Today’s piece is also available in a CD titled ‘SIX POINTS TO GREATNESS’, by Victor Okwudiri.

Wise spending can only become rich if you are rich on the inside. The sum of N6m may seem small, but if given to some persons, they will make a success out of it, Have you taken your time to find out why some people revert to poverty, Julian Atufunwa years after being paid their gratuity or winning a lottery?

08032810713 (SMS only) Sometimes, it’s not really how much you make but how well you manage what you make that matters.

There is no substitute for personal heard a story recently of a man called Stanley (not his real name) growth. There should be a deliberate effort to get educated on issues who was given N6 million in December. Ossy, his childhood friend, concerning money, investment, health, marriage etc. There must be a change had wanted to take him along with him to the United States in an attempt of mindset to create enduring wealth.

There are three major things that to change his pitiable financial status. people with a poor mindset can do Unfortunately, Stanley was refused a with money when they suddenly visa, so Ossy gave the money to sort acquire it: himself out before he left.

1. Spend it all Stanley, now a millionaire, went to 2. Waste it an auto shop and bought himself an 3. Hoard it SUV with N3m. He smiled satisfactoHow best to spend rily to himself, saying: “When I show The best way to spend is to first up at the Umunna (kinsmen’s) meeting, nobody will hush me down when settle God and get Him involved in your finances. Everything belongs to I stand up to speak.” Secondly, he reminded himself of the importance of Him, in the first place. So, 10 per cent changing his wardrobe to accord with of all your income should be used to appreciate the Universal Power for his new status. Thirdly, he moved his supporting you. family into a three-bedroom apartSecondly, save 10% - 20% of your ment and furnished it. Then, after income. much pleading by his wife, he gave Thirdly, invest 20% of your income. her the remaining N200,000 to stock her shop. Four months down the line, This will generate more income in the future.

Stanley has become stuck and is conNext, settle some of your debts. Get templating selling his SUV. I will leave out of debt, and then spend the rest you to imagine the rest of the story. with your family.

Money is a good servant but a cruel master. After hearing this story, Before making any purchase ask I asked myself isn’t it the same reason why the poor keep getting poorer and yourself the following questions: the rich keep piling up riches. The fact • Is the item the best quality?

Quantity will run after quality any is, money won’t make you rich. You

The Big Picture

I

day. Always go for the best quality even if it costs twice the less quality items.

• Ask yourself if buying this item or thing improve the quality of my life?

• Is it an asset or a liability? i.e. Do I need a large sum of money to maintain it? If yes, can I afford to maintain it with my current financial capacity? Is it the right timing for this luxury?

• Do I really need this item or do I just want to please people or keep up with the Joneses? Will Rogers says: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”

• Is the price right? Should I make a price comparism before paying?

• Research shows that sometimes we get emotional in buying some items (impulse buying). So it is wise to delay buying for some days or weeks or even months, At some point, you may discover that it is not really necessary to buy.

• Are there alternatives? Don’t I have something already that can do this same work? Why can’t I decide to borrow from someone and then return afterwards?

• Can’t I make this item myself to reduce cost? There are lots of household items or food that will cost cheaper, are more nutritional value and more hygienic when we produce or make them ourselves.

• Will buying this help me achieve my goals and aid me fulfill my assignment?

Finally, let’s meet here next week for another interesting discourse.

God bless you

Glo re-launches ‘Bounce’, offers 11k per second for calls T

elecommunications giant, Globacom, has relaunched Glo Bounce, a product specifically designed to help the young and the young-at-heart to enjoy seamless and affordable communication.

The greatly improved Bounce was re-introduced to the public at a media conference held recently at the Mike Adenuga Towers Head Office of Globacom.

According to Globacom’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Ashok Israni, who unveiled the product together with two other exciting offers, the re-launched Glo Bounce was re-designed to suit the active, trendsetting life-styles of the young and young-at-heart.

According to Israni, Glo Bounce allows subscribers who sign up to the plan to call each other at a heavily discounted rate of 11 kobo per second.

The product also has a feature tagged ‘Campus Zone’ which enables subscribers to call other lines at the rate of 11 kobo per second once activated.

In addition, they will get 15MB free for every recharge of N200 and above. They also get unlimited, free SMS with the offer.

To get on the Bounce platform, subscribers are requested to dial *170*4#.To opt for Campus Zone, they are required to dial *170*9#.

Buhari’s reforms: NNPC’s swap deal under searchlight CONTINUED F R OM PAGE 24

It was learnt that under the Offshore Processing Agreement, NNPC delivers crude Oil to a refinery for processing at a contractually agreed yield pattern and processing fee. In return, NNPC evacuates the refined products that are needed most. The OPA provides NNPC the opportunity and flexibility to exchange products grades based on domestic need and immediate requirements. As a result, NNPC can request the refinery to make available for evacuation more of PMS and Kerosene that are required most in exchange for automotive gas oil out of the products yield.

The corporation explained that in the OPA/Swap arrangements all other products such as propane, butane, vacuum gas oil (VGO) and fuel oil that are not necessarily needed for consumption in Nigeria are sold by the refinery on behalf of NNPC at the prevailing market price and proceeds remitted to NNPC. “Under Swap/Crude exchange arrangement, NNPC allocates crude oil to reputable oil trading companies in exchange for the delivery of PMS, dual purpose kerosene (DPK) or any other petroleum product as may be required by PPMC. The contract is based on the international market value of the petroleum products against the prevailing international market value of the crude oil. This is value for value arrangement; crude oil lifted versus products supplied. The value for value philosophy enshrined in the Swap contracts is validated and tested on a regular basis when reconciliation meetings are held between NNPC and the trading companies.

“In the Crude Oil/Products Exchanges, PPMC can also request for pre-delivery of petroleum products where tightness in the supply is anticipated in order to forestall scarcity or as a result of any operational constraint that may hinder the loading of the crude oil at the terminals. The equivalent crude oil will be made available to the supplier at a later date to cover the products delivered.”

Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had last year called on the National Assembly to probe two companies involved in the NNPC swap deal - Taleveras and Aiteo - as they had recently submitted the highest and unmatched bid of $2.85 billion for the largest of Shell Nigeria’s four oil blocks slated for sale, the Oil Mining Lease, OML 29, which Shell is selling with its 97-kilometre Nembe Creek oil pipeline.

He described as simply incredulous the fact that the two firms, with a track record as oil marketers (not explorers) of less than five years, could make such a huge bid. He stated that this has put into a glaring context what may be the opacity of the barter programme under which the NNPC exchanges a huge chunk of the 445,000 barrels per day – which the government allocates for domestic refining – for refined petroleum products.

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SUNDAY

BRANDS SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Assessing First Bank’s brand status

For the fourth time in a row, The Banker Magazine has named FirstBank as the best bank brand in Nigeria.

DELE ALAO takes a look at what gives the lender its competitive edge.

In the beginning…

Founded by Sir Alfred Jones, a shipping magnate from Liverpool, England, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (“FirstBank”), established in 1894, is one of the leading financial services solutions providers in the country. The bank, with its head office originally in Liverpool, commenced business on a modest scale in Lagos, under the name, Bank of British West Africa (BBWA).

In 1912, the lender acquired its first competitor, the Bank of Nigeria (previously called Anglo-African Bank), which was established in 1899 by the Royal Niger Company. In 1957, the lender changed its name from Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) to Bank of West Africa (BWA). In 1966, following its merger with Standard Bank, UK, the bank adopted the name Standard Bank of West Africa Limited and in 1969 it was incorporated locally as the Standard Bank of Nigeria Limited in line with the Companies Decree of 1968.

New frontier…

Building on its solid foundation, the lender according to a report obtained from the bank, has consistently broken new ground in the domestic financial sector for over a century and two decades.

FirstBank is a well-diversified financial services group and one of the largest private sector financial services providers in sub-Saharan Africa (ex-South Africa). The Bank according to the report, maintains one of the leading positions in many of the markets in which it operates and also has a well recognised brand with a large customer base.

The lender is present in the United Kingdom and France through its subsidiary, FBN Bank (UK) Limited with branches in London and Paris; and in Johannesburg, Beijing and Abu Dhabi with its representative offices there. In October 2011, the lender acquired a new subsidiary, Banque International de Credit (BIC), one of the leading banks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In November 2013, FirstBank acquired ICB in The Gambia, Sierra-Leone, Ghana and Guinea, and in 2014, the lender acquired ICB in Senegal.

These were major landmarks in its plan for growing its sub-Saharan African footprint.

With almost 800 business locations in Nigeria, all on-line and real time, the bank has one of the largest domestic sales networks in the country. As one of the market leaders in the financial services sector, FirstBank pioneered initiatives in international money transfer and electronic banking in the country, serving more than nine million customer accounts.

Growth strategy….

First Bank’s strategy has been focused on restructuring the business to take advantage of growth opportunities within the industry, pursuing business line expansion across strategic business units,

continuously implementing a systematic international expansion plan, sequencing its growth initiatives across defined metrics, as well as building synergies and crossselling across the First Bank Group. This strategy according to the report, supports the lender’s vision of being the leading subSahara African financial services group.

Experts insist that continued implementation of this strategy would produce longterm profitable growth as well as build great franchises and deliver value to all stakeholders.

Unique Selling Point As the global operating environment evolves, FirstBank has kept pace, responding to the dynamic needs of its customers, investors, regulators, host communities, employees and other stakeholders. As an institution that knows and understands banking, its balanced approach to plan execution, has made the bank to consolidate its industry leadership by maintaining transgenerational appeal. Thus, the lender has continuously boosted its customer-base, which cuts across all segments in terms of size, structure and sectors.

Leveraging experience spanning over a century of dependable services, FirstBank has continued to build relationships and alliances with key sectors of the economy that have served as strategic building blocks for the wellbeing, growth and development of the country. With its huge asset base and expansive branch network, as well as continuous re-invention, FirstBank is one of Nigeria’s strongest banking franchise, maintaining market leadership on virtually every fronts in the nation’s financial services industry.

Award…

The lender’s prime status has been rein-

Bisi Onasanya

forced with the award of the prestigious ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certification, the world’s highest accreditation for information protection and security from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). By this certification, FirstBank distinguished itself as the first organisation in Nigeria to achieve the ISO 27001, which is an affirmation that the lender has adopted and complied with the highest known standards in information security globally. After three years of certification, FirstBank has successfully implemented the recertification of ISO/IEC 27001:2005 in 2013.

In addition to this certification, FirstBank again became the first organisation to be awarded the BS25999 certification, the highest accreditation in Business Continuity Management received from the Brit-

ish Standard Institute. The certifications confirm the bank’s ability to safeguard its assets, staff well-being, customers’ investments, and favourably respond to incidents and business disruption to ensure business continuity at all times.

Confirming its knowledge and understanding of banking, for the fourth time in a row, The Banker Magazine named FirstBank as the Best Bank Brand in Nigeria.

This according to FirstBank, is a very big deal for the bank and its stakeholders.

“We won the Best Bank Brand in Nigeria in 2012, 2013, 2014 and now again in 2015, thanks to all our stakeholders. Winning this award four times in a row is a further affirmation of our brand promise - that we will continue to put our stakeholders and partners at the heart of our business,” the bank said in a statement.

Report identifies Africa’s marketing challenges A

report, which showed the state of marketing expertise, challenges and opportunities in Africa has been launched.

The study released recently is fallout of a global marketing conference, which revealed the gap in consumer understanding that local and regional marketers say exists at a global level.

According to a statement issued in Lagos

by Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), the report contains the key challenges that all brands face in Africa, notably the lack of reliable data, including media consumption and retail performance, as well as the progress that marketers in the region are making in delivering more effective marketing.

“It reveals the gap in consumer understanding that local and regional marketers

say exists at a global level. Fifty-five per cent respondents agreed with the statement that global colleagues do not understand consumers in our local markets and only 20 per cent disagreed. The local versus global debate also applied to local agency partners, with 58 percent of respondents agreeing that local agencies have a superior understanding of local business issues than international agency brands,” the statement said.

“Nevertheless there was also a lot of common ground with marketers in other regions with key priorities cited as brand positioning, integration, consumer insights and marketing analytics. This reflects many of the core concerns that a most recent survey of marketer priorities identified, where integrated activity planning and digital marketing are the top

priorities.”

President of ADVAN, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, said at the launch of the report in Lagos that the study was a week of knowledge, new experiences and new insights into the marketing profession especially as it affects measurement of effectiveness in marketing.

“It was quite insightful to learn from other markets the challenges and proven solutions to key marketing issues, these results are also applicable and automatable for Nigeria. We are back with fresh information to ensure best practice marketing in Nigeria,” ADVAN president said.

The report was done in collaboration with other local bodies such as Millward Brown and National Advertisers Associations in Cameroon (CMA), and many others.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Experts discuss next PR frontier

T

Dele Alao

he Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), the umbrella body of PR consultancy firms in Nigeria, is set to discuss “Culture: The Next PR Frontier” at the inaugural edition of its monthly breakfast meeting.

The event, which comes up this week, will feature Corporate Affairs Adviser of Nigerian Breweries Plc. Mr. Kufre Ekanem, as Spe-

cial Guest Speaker.

President, PRCAN, Mr. John Ehiguese, in a statement, said: “The PRCAN Monthly Breakfast Meeting was conceived as a forum for our members to interact and share ideas with senior executives on the client side. As PR consultants, we invariably work for clients, and there are issues in client relationship, which comes up from time to time, and which may not be adequately addressed in the course of our day-to-day work. The

breakfast meeting provides a platform for such issues to be discussed in a quasiformal atmosphere, and in such a way that enables us, not only to see things from the client’s perspective, but

also to learn from each others’ experiences. The Breakfast Meeting, which will be a monthly event, will be attended by senior agency executives, and will feature a Guest Speaker, who has the

SundayBusiness/Brands

liberty of choosing a topic to speak on. After that there will be a general discussion session.”

PRCAN is legally chartered by a Bye Law of the Nigerian Institute of Public

Relations (NIPR), to cater to the interests of the consultancy side of PR practice in Nigeria. It currently has a membership of 50 PR consultancy firms providing services across at least 21 PR practice areas.

Coca-Cola records global growth in Q1

C

oca-Cola has credited its increased spend in marketing and innovation as its first quarter results show global growth in its sparkling and still beverage categories, largely driven by its CocaCola and Innocent brands.

In its latest financial results for the first quarter of its financial year, the company reported net revenue growth of one percent due to increased shares in its sparkling and still beverage, tea and water categories.

Global sparkling beverage volume was also up by one percent due to growth in its Coca-Cola brand, Coke Zero, Sprite and Fanta brands, though this was slightly offset by a six percent decline for Diet Coke.

Meanwhile, in Europe, organic revenue grew by five percent, “with the Coca-Cola trademark up by one percent partly due to the rollout of its Coca-Cola Life variant,” according to the company.

It also credited doubledigit increases in its Innocent smoothie brand for volume growth in the still beverage category.

On the results, the chief executive officer,Coca-Cola Muhtar Kent, said: “We gained value and volume share in core sparkling and still beverages driven by strong marketing investments and the impact of new product launches in both categories. We continued to leverage innovation to strengthen and diversify our brand portfolio to capitalise on opportunities across our European markets.”

He added: “We are pleased with our solid progress on the implementation and execution of our global strategic initiatives. Though we are still in the early stages, we see some initial positive indicators that we have the right strategies in place to accelerate growth.”

The company also announced the launch of its “One Brand Strategy” in March, set to roll out in

May in the UK, which will put the company’s four cola product variants, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life, underneath the Coca-Cola master brand rather than being marketed as separate brands.

The move will also see the company evolve its “Open Happiness” strapline to “Choose Happiness” in Great Britain in an effort to enable consumers to make informed choices and suggest there is a Coca-Cola to suit every taste by more clearly communicating product differentiation.

Also in March, the company announced a shift towards global marketing concepts with a “digital backbone”, starting with a global campaign to mark 100 years of its ‘contour’ bottle.

The company’s Q4 2014 results, released in February, showed signs of improvement in its sales and volume performance globally, with its decision a year ago to increase media and marketing spend partly credited for improved performance.

Marketing spend also grew by high single digits in the last quarter of 2014 and mid single digits in the full financial year, a move in line with the five-point marketing-led plan the company introduced last year in hopes of driving a resurgence in its revenues, following successive quarters of decline in 2013.

Last February, Kent had said that the company would continue to increase the quality of its media as it sees marketing execution “speed up incremental value”, plans that have already become apparent in the UK. The company recently replaced Coca-cola.co.uk with a new multimedia platform, Coca-Cola Journey, which brings to life the company’s newly-launched “One Brand” strategy through a “digital magazine” rather than a traditional website.

L-R: Vice President, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Mr. Udom Inoyo; International Leadership expert, Mr. Keith Coats; President, CIPM, Mr. Eromonsele Arobame; National Treasurer, Mrs. Ifeoma Adeniyi and Past President, Mr. Victor Famoyibo, during the Institute’s 7th special Human Resources forum in Lagos…Thursday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

‘Why consumers prefer Ace Roots’

M

ore insights have been given for the patronage of the recently introduced Ace Roots, a Ready-To-Drink (RTD) herbal mixture from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc. NB Plc’s Zonal Business Manager – West, Opeyemi Oluwalusi, who introduced the product to the company’s teeming trade partners (retailers, distributors, bar operators) and consumers at separate Trade launch/ unveiling of the product in Ibadan, Oyo State and Akure, Ondo State recently, said that Ace Roots has come to fill a yawning gap. “ I make bold to say that Ace Roots is the only product in the market today that is offering consumers what they want from herbal drinks. It’s the only readyto-drink herbal drink in Nigeria today that is actually made from natural herbal extracts,” he said.

He explained that Ace

Roots is a product of painstaking research by NB Plc. into consumers’ demands, feedback from the company’s in-depth consultations with critical stakeholders (trade partners – retailers, distributors, and bar/entertainment spot operators).

“At Nigerian Breweries Plc., we love to respond to consumers’ demands. The feedback you brought to us from consumers during our consultations with you critical stakeholders played critical roles in the making of the product we are here to unveil to you,” he told his audience in Akure.

Oluwalusi said that there were high expectations and urge from consumers and NB Plc trade partners for the company to come up with its own brand of herbal drink when the company’s oldest competitor, Guinness Nigeria Plc. launched Orijin into the market last year.

“When our competitor came up with her brand

sometimes last year and stakeholders like you and our teeming consumers started asking when is Nigerian Breweries going to come out with her own brand of herbal mixture drink? We appealed to you to exercise patience and explained that we are working on some extraordinary. “This was because we need time to carry our proper research and consultations with you critical stakeholders. The result of that painstaking research and consultation is what we are launching and unveiling to you here today – Ace Roots,” he said.

Oluwalusi explained that consumers prefer Ace Roots today because it is the only product that is offering what they want.

“It is the only product in the market today that caters for the consumers’ wellbeing and welfare. Ace Roots is produced with concern for the consumers’ health and wellbeing. It is the only

drink with the lowest sugar content in the market today.

Other so-called herbal drinks contain as much as five cubes of sugar, but Ace Roots has just one cube of sugar. Whereas others are mainly a mixture of flavours, sugar and spirits (alcohol), Ace Roots is made with actual herbal juice extract from age-long roots, leaves and herbs. But more importantly, Ace Roots offers consumers great value for their money. I can assure you that Ace Roots will not bore holes into your pockets,” he said.

He added: “These are some of the reasons why consumers are fast changing Ace Roots.” He said his marketing and sales team is not losing sleep over competitors’ accusation of the new product as a ‘bully’ despite being a debutant.

“That goes to show that Ace Roots is not only a threat, but is fast taking leadership of the market.

Sunlight engages customers in Ibadan S ponsor of the popular Yoruba drama series on select radio stations across the South West, Alarambara. Sunlight 2-in-1 detergent, will next month engage customers in the ancient city of Ibadan, OyoState in an Owanmbe party.

According to the Category Manager, Sunlight, Doyin Abanishe, in a statement, the party aims to appreciate loyal consumers, especially in the South-west of Nigeria, who not only

use Sunlight, but have also followed the Alarambara radio drama series since it started airing on select radio stations across the region earlier in the year.

Abanishe said: “We know our consumers work hard and enjoy coming together to catch up with friends in a relaxed atmosphere with good food, drinks and good music. This is why our Owambe has been tailored to attend to these specific attributes in a bid to reward

them.’’

She added: “The Sunlight brand will continue to bring smiles to the faces and homes of its consumers and we are proud to have them as partners. We promise to sustain the quality of our brand, which is dedicated to delivering cleaning and freshening benefits and making laundry more enjoyable.’’

Nollywood actress, Mosun Filani, who plays the voice of the lead character,

Sisi Oge in the radio drama series, along with other artistes who play the voices of her friends - Anike, Iya Alaje, Bisi and Iyawo, will all grace the event and interact with fans, some of whom won invites to the Owambe during the phonein segments that followed each episode of the show.

Alarambara radio drama series started in February 2015 and airs weekly on major radio stations across the South-west, Nigeria.

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

SundayMagazine

OJB Jezreel ill again, wife sources for funds P

Vanessa Okwara opular Nigerian music producer and artiste, OJB Jezreel Babatunde Okungbowa, who had a lifesaving kidney transplant last year, is in fresh health trouble as his kidney has collapsed again.

Sunday Telegraph learnt that the producer ’s health is a serious condition.

After battling with post-surgery recuperation in the last eight months, Sunday Telegraph learnt that OJB was rushed to one of the prominent general hospitals in Lagos for treatment two weeks ago. On arrival at the hospital, doctors diagnosed acute renal failure and he was swiftly admitted.

Thereupon, they administered emergency treatment on him and expressed dismay at his poor health. Our correspondent gathered that they insisted that he must undergo at least five dialysis of his failed kidney before they could ascertain the next line of action.

A source close to his family disclosed to Sunday Telegraph that the medical experts who attended to OJB at the Lagos hospital were aghast at the sudden relapse despite last year ’s successful kidney transplant. They chided him for not going back to India for post-surgery check-ups as specified by the team of Indian doctors in the medical report given to him.

The source said the award winning music producer opened up to the doctors on his poor financial state, saying that this had prevented him from making at least two check-up visits to India since his kidney transplant.

It was learnt that his financial state had become so bad that his family had been struggling to buy vital prescribed drugs.

It was so bad that, the prescribed five dialysis of OJB’s failed kidney at the Lagos hospital had to be delayed for several days while his family members led by his first wife, Mrs. Mabel Okungbowa, ran from pillar to post to raise the needed funds for the dialysis.

While the delay was on, our source revealed that OJB’s illness entered the urea level, which forced him to be saying things that were not comprehensible.

A medical source described this as a symptom associated with failure to dilate a collapsed kidney on time.

This continued for days until the needed funds were raised and his condition became stable after two sessions of dialysis.

OJB is left with three more dialysis session before the doctors in Lagos can ascertain the next step to take on saving his life.

Sunday Telegraph also learnt that he is down with acute diabetes caused by one of the drugs he has been placed on for over one year. This has spread in his blood stream much that doctors had to resort to giving him regular injections to checkmate the insulin-induced diabetes.

One week after OJB was taken to the hospital, his other two wives, Amar and Korede, are said to have stayed away from the hospital for reasons best known to them.

OJB (right), in a TV programme at Ebony life shortly after his surgery in India

Nigerians came together to raise funds for his treatment in India.”

Last year, OJB had put the total cost of his kidney treatment at N15 million. But he realised close to N50m as Governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State donated N30m.

It was learnt that the producer may have spent some of the funds on the acquisition of some personal items and the construction of a four-bedroom bungalow inside his compound in OJB (left), with one of the Indian doctors that treated him The music star with his first wife, Mrs Mabel Okugbowa Surulere, Lagos.

The source disThis has left only the first wife run- closed that for OJB to stand on his feet On his own he had given ning around to save their husband’s life. again, there is the urgent need for NiIt was Mabel who donated one of her gerians to come to his aid again, despite strict instructions that kidneys to her husband when the other his refusal to make a fresh public plea nobody should go cap in hand for help. wives refused to do so.

Our source noted that “OJB’s condiNone of his wives or family members publicly to source funds for tion is so bad that the doctors who are could be reached for comments on the his treatment as it was done attending to him have fears over his sur- matter.

OJB is reputed as the strong hand bevival. On his own, he had given strict last year when Nigerians instructions that nobody should go cap hind artistes such as Tuface Idibia, Rugcame together to raise funds in hand publicly to source funds for his gedman, Jazzman Olofin, Nomoreloss treatment as it was done last year when among others. for his treatment in India

SUNDAY

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Politics SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

The Sunday Interview

Ateke Tom: Patience Jonathan didn’t use me to foment trouble p.32, 33

Interview

Mbadiwe: PDP failed to read the signs p.34 Dabiri-Erewa: Nigeria won’t become one-party state p.37 Amaechi

Opinion

Sharing formula: APC must get it right p.40

Aliyu

Govs and litany of broken promises (2) In this concluding part of the story, our correspondents, Dan Atori, Muritala Ayinla, Emmanuel Masha, from Lagos, Minna and Port Harcourt give insight into series of uncompleted projects and broken promises in various parts of the country

E Biyi Adegoroye Assistant Editor biyi.fire@yahoo.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

very major rainfall in Lagos State renders many major roads in Ikeja, Ikoyi, Ajamgbadi, Agege almost impassable.

The reason? Flood in the state is assuming a pandemic dimension, as major roads like Awolowo Way, Toyin Street, College Road at Ogba, Ijora Badia and in Surulere are often soaked after every downpour Besides inadequacy of reliable drainage system, a number of the roads in the state are in bad condition. However, several projects including road projects were embarked upon by Governor Babatunde Fashola in the last eight years. Many of the projects were completed within the first four years, others are yet to be completed and there are indications that this administration may not be able to complete them.

In the last four years, government records show that no fewer than 281 roads, covering over 296,000 kilometers were either constructed or rehabilitated across the state. A total of 201 roads, covering 231,771 kilometers are undergoing construction and rehabilitation, while 71 others are undergoing grading and surface dressing.

In agreement with government’s classifica-

tions, some roads were identified as vital and fixed in view of their strategic importance to the economic well being of the state. They include: Idimu- Ejigbo Road, Ago Palace Way, Surulere, Industrial Road, Ikeja, Obafemi Awolowo Road, Ikorodu, First Avenue/ Bank Road, Ikoyi, Ijegun- Isheri-Osun-Isolo, Karimu Laka/ Bamishile roads among others.

The state government under the outgoing Fashola’s administration is also said to be undertaking the replacement of the expansion joints of several bridges, including Carter Bridge, Eko Bridge, Ikotun Ejigbo, Bridge, Oke-Afa Egbe Bridge and Dopemu Bridge.

Other projects that are not likely to be completed before the end of the administration include: the Light Rail Project on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Lagos State Secretariat Extension, Ijegun Isheri Osun-Isolo Bridge, Eluku Road, Agbowa, Babatunde Bakare street Epe, Obafemi Awolowo Road, Ikorodu, Ago Palace Way phase IV, the Urban Renewal Project, Isale Igangan, Lagos Island, Ilubirin Housing Scheme, Alausa Housing Scheme, Apapa Amusement Park The Ilubirin Housing Estate in Ikoyi is a two

-phased estate comprising 66 blocks of houses consisting of 1,254 apartments of two and three bedroom flats. Phase 1 of the project, consisting of 33 blocks of flats, is currently under construction while the Ijora Badiya Housing Estate consists of 1,008 flats of two, three and four bedroom apartments.

Speaking after inspecting the Ilubirin Housing Estate, recently, Governor Fashola expressed satisfaction with the progress of work at the site.

He, however, identified funds as limiting factor, and promised that government would continue to allocate the funds as they come to enable the contractors finish the work.

On why he wanted to ensure that most of the projects were completed before he leaves office, in spite of the closeness to terminal date of his tenure, Fashola said: “Well, they elected me to serve until the last day; so my term ends about 42 days from today, so we keep pounding on. You see, this is not about what we can finish because if we had embarked on only what we could finish I should have gone on a one-year holiday.”

“But it is about service to the people; more CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

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The Sun

Ateke Tom: Patience didn’t use me to fome Chief Ateke Tom, ex-militant leader and founder of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, speaks on the victory of General Mohammadu Buhari (rted) at the March 28 presidential election, the accusation that he was used by Mrs. Patience Jonathan and other salient issues. Emmanuel Masha reports What is your position on Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the presidential poll?

General Mohammadu Buhari is now our president-elect. I congratulate him for his victory, resilience and perseverance. We want good leadership and I am prepared to work with him. I pray that God should grant him wisdom to lead Nigeria in the right direction. Let him treat all Nigerians equally.

Former Niger Delta militants had a good relationship with the out-going President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

What are you expecting from the Buhari ‘s administration?

I expect Buhari to dialogue with true leaders of the Niger Delta and he hould not be taken in by the self-styled leaders of the Niger Delta, who are only interested in advancing their personal interests to the detriment of the greater majority. Buhari should ask us what our problems are in the Niger Delta. He should not scrap the amnesty programme which to a large extent has reduced militancy in the region. We know what we fought for so the amnesty programme should not be jettisoned.

What is your position on the statement by some ex-militants in the Niger Delta that they will go back to the creeks should President Goodluck Jonathan lose the presidential election?

For me, I am not going back to the creeks.

Some people have been saying that militants may return to the creeks because our brother Dr. Jonathan lost the March 28, presidential election. It is not true. As an ex-militant leader, I want to say categorically that I will not go back to the creek, and as far as I know no militant in his right mind will return to the creeks. I am one of the ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta, so take me seriously when I tell you that ex-militants will not go back to the creeks.

What of other ex-militants who are not under your command?

Just take my word for it. No ex-militant will go back to the creeks. We are ready to work with General Buhari. All we ask for is that he should invite us for a dialogue and we will tell him what the real problems of the Niger Delta are. We live here and we know are problems. I am personally appealing to our youths not to go back to the creeks with anyone because Buhari will be forming the next government. What are we going to do in the creeks? Go to the creeks for what? All we need is for General Buhari to address the problems of the Niger Delta.

And what are the problems?

Our youths need employment in government as well as in the multinational oil companies. The oil companies also need to give our people contracts. Oil companies should treat their host communities with some measure of respect and acceptability. Yes, Jonathan is our brother and he is the out-going President, but that does not mean that everything that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua conceptualised under the amnesty programme has been fully implemented. We hope that Buhari will implement the amnesty programme to the fullest. We are tired of gas flaring in the Niger Delta. We expect Buhari to implement the UNEP Report on the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland. We need government-funded micro-scheme to assist our small and medium scale business men and women to kick-start their business. Under Buhari , we look forward to a safer and more secure Niger Delta so that everyone who lives in the region to go about his or her legitimate business or routine engagement peacefully.

How would you assess the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the just concluded general elections?

Let me be frank with you, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Atahhiru Jega has tried. He did well and I congratulate him. Let me tell you, in Nigeria, try as you may, politicians will always want to outwit themselves at the polls to emerge victorious. We can only pray and hope that the conduct of elections will get better with each election. I know that with time elections in Nigeria will get better than it is today. I also commend and congratulate all those who supported Jega and President Jonathan to make sure that violence did not erupt across the country after the results of the presidential election were formally declared.

How do you view President Jonathan‘s decision to concede defeat?

President Jonathan’s decision in conceding defeat and congratulate Buhari has ushered peace in Nigeria. I commend and congratulate him. He has demonstrated that he is statesman and a patriot. I wish

we all can put the interest of Nigeria first that way Jonathan has done. I thank God for giving President Jonathan the wisdom to conced defeat. I have always advised our youths that they should not allow any politician to influence them into taking up arms to kill their political opponents. If our youths want to show their support to any politician, the should register as voters if they are eligible to do so.

On the day of the election, they should pick up their Permanent Voters Cards, and go to their polling units, vote quietly and go back to their homes. They should not put their lives in danger for any politician.

I told our youths recently not to be deceived by politicians to shoot and kill anyone so that they can be elected. Most of these politicians have sent their wives and children abroad. So why must any politician hire youths to carry guns to ensure his victory while their families are safe in foreign countries? Any young man who takes up arms in defence of a politician is on his own. When he is arrested the politician who hired him will disown him.

Some of the youths are married; they have children; they have parents, too. If they die carrying guns in support of one politician or the other who will take over the responsibility of taking care of their families? Any youth who fails to adhere to this admonition will live to regret it. Politicians will only take their families along with them to government house, while the youths will be left to lick their wounds. As a leader, my duty is to advise them to do what is right and proper. We cannot achieve anything in an atmosphere of violence. We must all resort to peace to attain growth and development in our state and country.

Is it true that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, asked you to assist in making sure that the All Progressives Congress did not hold their governorship rallies in Okrika, where both of you hail from? Two APC governorship rallies billed to hold at the Okrika National School field, were aborted by youths who shot to scare away members and supporters of the APC? How can the First Lady ask me to assist her in dis-

Why would Mama Peace do that?

Why would she ask me to ask the boys to stop any rally? Mama Peace was among those who took my guns during the amnesty programme

Tom

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

nday Interview

Criminalising torture and inhuman treatment

Jonathan ent trouble L

From the

Green Chamber ternyam@gmail.com

Philip Nyam

rupting APC rally in Okrika? I no longer have arms and ammunitions. I publicly embraced the amnesty programme and I did so by submitting all my arms and ammunitions. Where did anyone expect me to get guns with to arm youths to disrupt political rallies? How can I be preaching peace and then go behind to encourage violence? That allegation is false. It is propaganda against Okrika. How I wish you were here for the election. Okrika was very peaceful. There was no single incident of violence. What happened in Okrika was a clash between two political parties. Why are people mentioning my name? I am not a politician.

For me, Okrika was the most peaceful local government in Rivers State during the just concluded general elections.

But did Dame Jonathan appeal to you to make sure that no other party except the Peoples’ Democratic Party dominated the political landscape in Okrika?

Why would Mama Peace do that? Why would she ask me to ask the boys to stop any rally? Mama Peace was a m o n g those

who took my guns during the amnesty programme. So why would she ask me to stop any party from campaigning in Okrika? Where did they expect me to get guns from? I am not as young as I was when I was in the creeks. As a leader in the Niger Delta, I have so many responsibilities. I am not interested in fighting with anyone. My main interest is to work in concert with other good natured Nigerians to reduce poverty in the Niger Delta. Why should I be wasting my time trying to prevent political parties from holding rallies?

We are now in a democracy and political campaigns are one of the attributes. Even though I am not a politician, I appreciate that politicians have a duty to campaign for votes and I am very sure that our laws allow politicians to hold rallies. I wish politicians will leave me out of their quarrels. How can anyone expect me at this stage of my life to start shooting a gun to disrupt political rallies or to cause disaffection among politicians? If I go back to shooting guns where would I have the moral authority to counsel our youths in the Niger Delta? My position is simple: I want to work with General Buhari and other leaders of the region to improve the welfare of my people and not to cause disaffection among any group of people. This is my pledge.

What is the relationship between you and Governor Chibuike Amaechi?

I know that Governor Amaechi does not like me as a person but I hope our President-elect will able to make him understand the need to make peace with me and anyone that may have caused him any pain in the past. To err is human and to forgive is divine. For me, I have forgiven all those who wronged me one way or the other in the past. As the saying goes: ‘Your worst enemy could be your best friend!’ It is not impossible that one day Governor Amaechi and I may make up after our differences for the utmost good of our people in the Niger Delta.

Governor Amaechi and some of our leaders made me popular because of the accusations they leveled against me during the Niger Delta struggle. I was not really known in the past. I was a fisherman who also dug sharp sand in the creeks. I was contented with my vocation until all sorts of labels were hung on me. So, people began asking: ‘Who is this Ateke Tom?’ And that was how I became famous. One thing about me is that I love people. I don’t like being alone.

Anytime you visit me you will always see people around me. So the erroneous impression is that those seen around me where being recruited by me for militancy. If you observe, I am always been called names or even antagonised during the period of elections and that is because I am popular among my people. And that is unfair!

Today, I am a man of peace and my people will attest to that.

If you come across Governor Amaechi now how would you react?

First, Governor Amaechi is my brother, and I am sure we will both embrace ourselves. Sincerely, I commend him for his struggles to attract development to Rivers State. His struggle to get the Soku oil wells returned to Rivers State did not go unnoticed by the people of the state. Again, I commend Amaechi for banning Okada because it was being used by criminals as a quick means of escaping after stealing and robbing innocent people. We should be honest to applaud people when they have done well.

ast week, the House of Representatives took a giant step in its efforts to ensure that victims of torture and other inhuman treatments both at home and in public places such as offices, police cells as well as other detention facilities have some reprieve.

The lower chamber passed for third reading the bill criminalising torture and inhuman treatment of people.

This bill could not have come at a better time than now. Our security agencies have severally been indicted at different times by various bodies for alleged torture and manhandling of suspects. Even civilians have been accused of varying degrees of violence perpetrated against the weak.

Unfortunately, purveyors of these crimes, in most cases go scot free due to enabling laws to prosecute them. This bill, when passed into law promised to fill the vacuum that has long existed and provided an alibi for wicked and intemperate humans to face the wrath of the law.

Titled a “Bill for an Act Penalising the Commission of Acts of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishments, Prescribing Penalties Thereof and for Other Purposes”, is sponsored by the Chairman of the House committee on Aviation, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (PDP, Abia). When passed into law will penalise every acts of high-handedness by individuals towards their subordinates, servants or people in custody in the case of criminal suspects under investigation.

Oyejeocha had in her executive summary before the consideration process told her colleagues that the bill was necessitated for reasons such as: “Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments or punishments are strictly prohibited at all times under international laws, regardless of the person committing such unlawful acts and what crimes the victim may be suspected of having committed.

“The enactment of a law against torture and ill-treatment would protect the rights of the potential victims of such ill-treatment and would enable the punishment of the responsible individual(s), thus, ensuring there will be no impunity.

“The proposed Bill underscores that freedom from torture is a non-derogable right. No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for torture”, she noted.

Onyejeocha argued further that the aforesaid Bill is contemporaneous and seeks to among other things; (i) “Criminalise torture as an act by which sever pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him/her or a third person information or a profession; and (ii)”Punish him/ her for an act he/she or a third person has committed or is suspected fo having committed”.

Section 1 (a)and (b) of the Bill makes it a state policy to; Ensure that the rights of all persons, including suspects, detainees and prisoners are respected at all times; and that no person placed under investigation or held in custody of any person in authority shall be subjected to physical harm, force, violence, threat or intimidation or any act that impairs his

Solomon Aranse

free will; and (b) to fully adhere to the principles and standard on the absolute condemnation and prohibition of torture set by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and various international instruments to which Nigeria is a state party.

Another clause retained by the House is Clause 2 considered as fundamental to the description of acts constituting torture and punishable under the Act if passed.

According to the clause, acts of torture include’: Systematic beatings, head-banging, punching, kicking, striking with rifle butts and jumping on the stomach; food deprivation or forcible feeding with spoilt food, animal or human excreta or other food not normally eaten; electric shock; cigarette burning, burning by electrically heated rods, hot oil, acid; by the rubbing of pepper or other chemical substances on mucous membranes, or acid or spices directly on the wound; Submersion of the head in water or water polluted with excrement, urine, vomit and/or blood until the brink of suffocation.

Being tied or forced to assume to a fixed and stressful bodily position, sexual abuse of any kind are among other acts considered as tortuous by the Bill. It is hoped that this will strengthen law enforcement agents to utilize more of scientific methods of investigating crimes and gather evidence as against the notorious torture of crime suspects.

...Ihedioha goes for broke

F

or Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha, this weekend will mark a rise or decline in his political career. Perhaps before this piece would have been published, the result of supplementary gubernatorial election in Imo State where Ihedioha is challenging Owelle Rochas Okorocha would have been released.

Can Ihedioha pull across like his contemporary the governor-elect for Sokoto State, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal? Can he dislodge Okorocha and join his colleagues, the Chairman of the House Committee on Maritime and now governor-elect for Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi?

Ihedioha has put up a spirited fight but can he repeat what Okorocha did to Ikedi Ohakim in 2011? Some big shots in the PDP have already jumped ship and are pulling the strings for Okorocha and the APC. This may work against the number two man in the Green Chamber.

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Politics

Mbadiwe: PDP took things for granted Hon. Eddie Mbadiwe represents Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State and he is the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Security and Intelligence. In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID, he speaks on why his party the Peoples Democratic Party lost in the last elections, mass defection of its members and the place of the Igbos in the emerging political dispensation Nigeria has just come out of the general elections. What are your expectations from the incoming administration?

My expectations are not different from the expectations of many other Nigerians. The major expectation is that the country should move forward. There is no doubt that it got to a point where it looked as if we are stagnant.

So, the change mantra caught up with many people. We wish the new government a lot of luck because it needs it. You see, Nigerians have been in this thing for eight years.

It is not going to change overnight. So, it requires a lot of work to get people to be able to change their habits. But it can be done; it has been done in a lot of places. The best thing one can do is to lead by example. Those who follow you should look at your lifestyle, what you are doing, and that helps to transform them. The government also has to see how it can work on the psychology of people voluntarily, not by force. That can be done because there are studies to that effect. So, once you can get people to believe in what you are doing, then the rest of the story is simple.

But the corruption thing is definitely massive, and there is no doubt that everybody in Nigeria wants it killed. But corruption is in every facet of our life. It is in civil service, it is everywhere and it is open. It is no longer hidden which is really a shame to the nation.

You said that the corruption in the system is massive. Do you think that the incoming government can tackle it and how do you want this to be archieved in view of the fact that a lot of times, there is conspiracy to commit the vice?

I don’t know about the conspiracy theory; I don’t agree with that. You see, what I said at the beginning is that a lot will depend on the lifestyle of the leader. It has been shown in a lot of places. As a governor of Rotary Club for instance, you can get your district to work just by being punctual at meetings. That’s just one example. If the people

Mbadiwe

know that if you get meeting at eight O’clock, you will get there at one minute to eight, you change people automatically; they will come early. They may not come that first time but after that they will start coming but it all depends on the lifestyle of the leader. Again, if your staff know that you don’t take bribe, he/she will begin to emulate you. We know in this country that people buy employment; civil service employments are sold. It is open.

In my constituency, people that I gave jobs were shouting that they didn’t believe that it was possible for them to get these jobs without paying. I asked them, who are you going to pay, do you mean to pay me? They say they will pay my staff who will now talk to me, I say no. They too know that they cannot do that because I won’t take the money. And if I find out that they have taken money, I will sack them. This is just one simple example.

So, if you can get this through the system, you can change the system very easily. And I know that the incoming President will try along these lines. There is this very bad habit most of us Nigerian leaders have; if I fix a meeting for two O’clock for instance, I don’t even leave my house till about 2:30 to 3 O’clock, and people are waiting for me. It is rudeness, it’s wrong. So, these are basic things we should do. This is the way business is conducted all over the world; if you give an appointment and you don’t come until two O’clock, people will say that you are not serious and they will go away.

But in Nigeria they will say, oh, he will come, let’s wait for him, give him another one hour. This is all nonsense.

This is the first time an incumbent President lost election in Nigeria. Do you see this as a weakness on the part of the PDP? No, it is not a failure on the part of the PDP as such; I think it is the inability of the PDP to read the signs. The signals were all there, the PDP did not

read the signals. Personally I knew that this country wanted a change for the President to go to the North; there was no doubt about that. I even know that even the PDP people from the North had that craving. So, if the party read the signs properly initially and said okay, let’s get a northern candidate to compete with anybody, we might have a different result. So, you must flow with the tide.

That’s what leadership is all about; you must watch the tide. The tide was for change to the North. Am not saying it is right but that was the tide. You refused to flow with the tide and you are doing three times the work you should have done. That was the problem of the PDP. PDP was flowing against the tide that is the truth of the matter.

There is this school of thought that the Igbos put their eggs in one basket and today they have lost it completely. Don’t you think that this is a failure on the part of Igbo elite?

The Igbos have not lost anything; I will not accept that, we have not lost anything. What we have to do as a people is to get ourselves together. Let’s meet. The Igbos are so hardworking that they can even do without government. We can generate enough money in a lot of other places. The fact that we are not in APC doesn’t mean that we have lost everything. Even, government is not for one party. It doesn’t matter who is the President; he is not a sectional President because in the next election he will want our votes; and he won’t get them unless he pleases us. So, the Igbos don’t have anything to regret. We have to get ourselves together and discuss on how to forge ahead irrespective of whether we voted for APC or not.

You know that the Igbos did not produce anybody in the APC who can be elected as the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives. Doesn’t this give you concern that the Igbo nation will be missing out completely in the incoming political dispensation?

Yes it is true, but what I am saying is that it should not bother us so much because we can still organise and move on. The Igbos are basically manufacturers, contractors, traders and other self-employed and highly industrious people. And you know that even if it is abroad, people reject government appointment because if you do it honestly there is no money in government appointment. This is the truth; there is no money unless you are going to government to steal. In America for instance, people are begged to come for government appointment and they say no. So, the Igbos can adopt that style and say please you rather come to us. We set up industries and they will come and buy our products. If our products are good they will come. So, that’s my advice to Igbos. Let us look at our core

values and develop them, enhance them and we move ahead.

You defected from the APC to the PDP shortly before the general elections; do you regret leaving the party that is going to form the next government in the country?

No I don’t regret at all. You see, for me as a person, there are people I cannot deal with. If you are insincere, if you are dishonest, I don’t want to have anything to do with you. I left because I was betrayed; I was betrayed by the Governor, Rochas Okorocha. How can somebody put people in the same party with you against you; set up people and give them money to fight against you? That’s a betrayal and I don’t have anything to do with such people in my life. So, that is the position. I was betrayed.

Your governor appears to be the only prominent person in the APC in the South-East. Do you see him giving life to the region now that it appears that the rest of the states are out of the party?

You see, as a people we must have a direction. No one is going to force his own ideas down our throats. We must sit down and discuss where we want to be. There is a saying that where ignorance is bliss it’s folly to be wise. You have heard that, haven’t you?

People are saying that Igbos are ignorant and foolish, whoever thinks that he is a Messiah is looked at as a fool because our collective wisdom is certainly much greater than any person’s individual wisdom; they want to arrogate to themselves what they don’t have.

What can they show to prove that they are better than anybody else? Nothing apart from razzmatazz; nothing.

President Goodluck Jonathan refused to sign the amendment to the constitution into law few weeks to his exit from the office. Don’t you think that the National Assembly did hasty job on the document?

I don’t think it was a hasty job but the National Assembly has asked him to return the submission in its original form so that they can look at it. The President raised some valid and salient points. That’s what democracy is all about; we can look at them. If it is possible we amend, if it is not we send it back to him; if he doesn’t sign it we override him and pass it. That’s the law. But I don’t want us to get to that stage where we have to start overriding the President. I think the country will be better if we all meet and agree on the way forward.

Why is the National Assembly foot-dragging on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, which we all know will inject life into the petroleum industry?

I don’t think we are foot-dragging on the bill because it is almost at 98 state of completion; it’s just remaining one or two things to conclude it. But I can assure you that before this Seventh Assembly winds down the PIB will be passed.

What about the 2015 budget which is yet to be passed by the National Assembly too?

It is a matter of following the processes.

That will be passed this month; I can assure you. We have done all the necessary adjustments. We have brought down the benchmark and so on; so, it will be passed. The country has to function whether you change government or not. That is the beauty of the western democracy; it doesn’t matter who is CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

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Politics

Dabiri-Erewa: Nigeria won’t become one-party state Hon ABIKE DABIRI- EREWA is a ranking member of the House of Representatives; Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs and a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. In this interview with Onwuka Nzeshi, the lawmaker relives her experience while on the presidential campaign train and gives insight into what Nigerians should expect from the in-coming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) What does the landslide victory of the APC at the general elections mean for Nigeria?

This victory means a lot because for the first time in our political history, we had a merger of some political parties which formed a formidable force that has successfully dethroned a ruling party. The victory did not come by chance. The All Progressives Congress spent time to prepare itself for what you are seeing today. After it was formed, APC spent about six months to draw up its constitution, manifesto, slogan and symbols. When you see our manifesto, it states clearly the challenges we face as a nation as well as what we call the commonsense solutions. We did not just say we would do this, we would do that, but we did an assessment of the situation on ground and proffered solutions to these challenges in our manifesto. It is a party that has put in a lot into planning. Our leaders and members of the party did a great job of putting together a manifesto that touches on the needs of everybody in the society.

The campaigns were very rigorous and the mantra of “Change” caught up with the people everywhere we went. The idea was that you know that this country cannot continue like this.

What I think has happened is that the political landscape in Nigeria will never be the same again. Now with the introduction of the card reader, people will now have more confidence in our electoral system.

When you know that your vote is your power and you could bring about change if you use it, the citizens would be encouraged to exercise their franchise. It is also a loud message to politicians that if they are elected and they don’t perform, they could be voted out. I think that that is the most important change on our political landscape today.

Again, for the first time, we have a president-elect who has come out to contest and was received everywhere with unbelievable passion. The passion was so much that for some people, just catching his eyes was all they needed; just touching the vehicle he rode on was enough; not to talk of having a handshake with him. This is because of his consistency, integrity and leadership qualities which he had displayed over the years. Our campaign focused on three major issues- security, corruption and economy. We believe that once you put these three issues in their proper places, Nigeria will move forward. The truth is that what has been lacking is the political will by successive governments to do the right things. APC under the leadership of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has the political will to change a lot of things.

He is determined to bring a lot of changes.

Even our attitude to things will change. We seem to have lost faith in ourselves; things are done with impunity. So even if it is a change of attitude that we can achieve with the incoming administration, I believe it is a success story.

While you were on that campaign train, did you really believe APC was going to win given the fact that Buhari had been through the same process several times before and lost?

When I saw the faces of the people in the crowd, I knew we were going to triumph.

Sometimes, I would leave the podium and move incognito to talk to people, just to feel their pulse. When I saw the faces of these people and when I heard them speak, it was obvious that the message of change was having a great impact on the citizenry. They said things like: “We are tired”. Somebody said to me: “I am not even sure I like Buhari, but I don’t want this situation to continue, so I want to try this man, this time around.” You needed to see the passion with which they spoke.

It was not only in the far North that we saw the acceptance of the people, it was everywhere. Whether it was in Oyo, Kogi, or Kwara State, the feeling was the same.

The day we arrived at Ariaria Market in Aba, the market closed down. It was not announced or planned. He was just passing by and decided to stop over to say hello to the traders and the market closed down.

So you see, the love the people have for him has to do with his consistency over the years.

If you look at his stature, that is how he has been since he was a Colonel or so. You now remember that when he ruled this country about 30 years ago, things were not this bad.

When he ruled 30 years ago, there was discipline. How much was the Dollar to the Naira? There was sanity in the system. When someone asked whether we want Nigeria to go back 30 years, some guys said, yes we want to go back 30 years because it was better then. You see a man who is very disciplined and if he says a meeting is for 7.30, he is there at 7.30. Not too many words, very observant and he knows exactly what he is doing. You can’t joke with a man of that calibre who has had military training and lives by it. We are tired of what has been going on and we can’t continue like this. We had the luck of the introduction of the card reader by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It might not have been 100 per cent effective, but it helped to check a lot of fraud during the elections.

If it’s only this assurance that from now on your vote would count, we are satisfied with

the revolution this election has brought to our country. .

Are you saying that without the card reader, APC could have lost the election?

No. No, No. What I am saying is that we now have more confidence in the electoral system. We still have areas where results were written - some parts of the South-South and South-East, but a situation where you know that these are the number of voters in a particular place, it was much more difficult to rig. The truth is that the card reader has helped to sanitise the system.

Don’t also forget the role the social media played a role in this election. Since we all had our phones, it was easier to monitor what was going on and people passed on information more quickly than they would have in the previous eras. As people voted, they were recorded; as the votes were be-

ing counted, People were recording. In my constituency for instance, I was getting the results from every ward as they were emerging. So it was more difficult for those who wanted to manipulate figures.

This victory has placed enormous responsibilities on your party and Nigerians are waiting eagerly to see the promised change. But where is the assurance that this change would come as your party promised?

We are confident that with what the APC has put on the ground, this change will surely come. I told you that it took about six months for this party to come up with its manifesto. Nigeria is not that difficult to govern and deliver the needed changes; it’s the political will, sincerity of purpose and determination to do the right things.

Even in this National Assembly, you find out that there are some people that have taken their jobs more seriously than others.

So, it’s more of the political will which the incoming administration has and which was the reason a lot of people came out to vote for APC. I remember that in the course of the campaign, General Buhari and the Vice President- elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo were always talking about the expectations that seemed to be written on the faces of the people. They know that looking at those faces, the only thing this incoming government can do is to make the lives of the people better. They know that with openness and transparCONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Dabiri-Erewa

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Politics

Dabiri-Erewa: Nigeria won’t become one-party state C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 5

ency a lot of positive changes can be made in this country. Take the issue of power.

There are gaps in the privatisation system as it is today and one of the first things APC would do is to look at those gaps and close them on the interest of the people. Buhari has no interest in enriching himself.

As a former Head of State and later Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, he didn’t have one filling station for himself or allocate one oil block to himself. Is it now that he wants to do it?

A man like Prof. Osinbajo has unparalleled integrity and if you cannot measure up to that level of integrity, then you can’t work with him. So, like I said, the real thing is having that political will to do the things that the people have been yearning for all these years. Corruption is a major problem in this country. We know it but nothing has

Obaze

been done about it. I am really optimistic that by the time you block the loopholes, a lot of things would change for the better.

Buhari is not going to perform magic, but you are going to see gradual progress.

Your party’s victory has triggered another mass defection and a lot of politicians are moving to join the APC every day. Are you not worried that this might not be the best for our democracy?

I think that our Chairman, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun has addressed this concern recently. Personally, I think that the mass defection going on right now is a sign of political immaturity, a little bit of irresponsibility and to a large extent a negative development. You lost an election today and you want to join APC tomorrow.

I think that it is even immoral. While you can’t stop anybody who wants to leave his party and join another, it is really better for

people to remain consistent and build their parties in the interest of our democracy.

In any case, our Chairman has asked these defectors to remain in their parties because even if they join now, they cannot suddenly become like those who have been there all along and have worked tirelessly to build the party. So I’m not actually impressed by the development.

If Asiwaju Bola Tinubu hadn’t remained in opposition for 16 years and General Buhari hadn’t remained consistent for the same number of years, would he have been the President- elect today? We have been in opposition for 16 years. I have been in the parliament for 12 years as a member of the opposition. It’s a very tough situation because you don’t get the top category committees on parliament. You know that as an opposition, you ate treated like you are less than your colleagues from the majority party. I was just lucky to have gotten

Diaspora Affairs Committee, but it didn’t deter me because I knew that as a member of parliament, I had a job to do. When I was Chairman, House Committee on Media and from the opposition, there was no pressure they didn’t put on Hon Aminu Masari to remove me unless I joined the Peoples Democratic Party, but I said I would not crossover. I said that if they wanted to remove me on account of my membership of the opposition party, it was okay but that I would not jump ship. Masari refused to remove me because he looked at the fact that I was hardworking and adding value to the system. So, really, we need credible opposition. We don’t want a one- party state. We want to be on our toes too. Let them stay in their parties and give us good opposition. It’s all for the good of Nigeria.

Do you think that the PDP, having been in government for 16 years will have the calibre of persons that could form a credible opposition to the incoming APC government?

I hope they will. Opposition or not, we will leave the Nigerian people to judge the incoming government at the end of the day. There would be a sense of direction, sincerity of purpose and the will to do what is right under an APC leadership. Even the way the party is run, the way the campaign was run, you could see that there was no better choice. I am sure that the administration of General Buhari will do the right thing whether there is a strong opposition or not. We are going to run an administration that will connect directly with the people. You must remember that the incoming President is not interested in sycophancy.

We are going to have a bottom- top approach to governance and there would be no room for deception. The channels of communication would be opened between the government and the governed for the former to hear directly from the people. This would enable the government know when it is doing well and when things are not going the right way.

Political analysts have accused the APC of deploying massive propaganda and downright blackmail in its campaign and that you left the issues of socio- economic development in your campaigns. How would you react to this assertion?

I disagree with you and I don’t want us to go back to that; there’s been no winner no loser. Buhari won and Jonathan congratulated him. So I don’t want to go past them to the abuses that characterised the campaigns. If anything, this man (Buhari) was demonised, he was called names - a liar, a certificate forger, religious bigot a non- tolerant person. Don’t let us go into all that. The good thing was that he was calm about it and said, he was confident in himself.

So I don’t think this question of which party used propaganda is even relevant now.

Rather, it was Buhari that survived negative propaganda as against those who put a lot of hurdles against him.

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Politics

Who needs an inaugural award?

Villa Notes emmyanule@yahoo.com

Anule Emmanuel

T

hirty one days from now, Major General Muhammadu Buhari will assume office as resident, succeeding Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. In fact, arrangements are already in top gear on both sides, from the incumbent President Jonathan’s team preparing handover briefs and the incoming government getting ready, shoulders high to begin not with the fresh air but a season of the governing party as the President-elect puts it.

The committee set up by General Buhari and his party on the one hand and that of President Jonathan have been meeting to ensure that everything is in place for a final smooth transition. Away from the earlier confusion that President Jonathan will hand over on May 28 instead of May 29 and the interpretations which followed that he may have tacitly decided not the attend the inauguration ceremony at the Eagle Square, a clearer picture has begun to emerge.

Interestingly too, the Federal Government came out last week with the clarification that it was misrepresented in some section of the media about the handover date. As being planned, government intends to host a dinner on 28 May at the Presidential Villa where it hopes to handover all papers to the incoming administration. The inauguration day is expected to be set aside specially for the President-elect.

One aspect of the transition programme as disclosed after the weekly Federal Executive Council FEC meeting by the Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki is plan by

the President Jonathan to present an award to General Buhari at the dinner.

Although, the reasons for and the nature of the award have not been given, the plan raises concern in several quarters. One question which has been asked is whether there should be a prize for defeating an incumbent considering how difficult it is, not only in Africa but most parts of the globe. It is really a jinx broken. Maybe, for doing so, the General deserves some public commendations.

General Buhari is a recipient of several honours including the nation’s highest Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) by virtue of his being a former Head of State. He has also received many other awards including medals among which are the Congo Medal (CM), Defence Service Medal (DSM), Forces Service Star (FSS), General Service Medal (GSM), Global Seal of Integrity (GSOI), Loyal Service and Good Conduct Medal (LSGCM) and National Service Medal (NSM).

Looking at the array of these awards and medals, one imagines what title or form an award as a result of victory in an election would take. Who knows? The President-elect may be receiving the planned award from President Jonathan for being able to have complied fully with the guidelines of the Peace Accord which they signed before the elections.

There is the belief that Nigerians have indeed witnessed relative peace after the 2015 presidential elections as compared to 2011. Maybe, because the General won this time after three previous unsuccessful attempts.

President Jonathan and his team should be careful. They need to convince the Presidentelect enough on why he merits an award.

There is a rumour making the rounds that the General may even boycott the well touted dinner. According to those close to him, he would prefer that the funds to be expended

in hosting the dinner are deployed to assisting the poor and the less privileged.

Come to think of it, President Jonathan’s handlers should understand that it makes more sense for the incoming government to have been the one planning an award for their principal. He deserves it, at least for being a sincere statesman and a gentleman in defeat.

When Buhari takes over office on 29 May 2015 as scheduled, it will mark the first time

S

…Injury time Ministers

ome ministers in the out-going administration of President Jonathan knew they joined a cabinet that would last for just two and a half months. Of course, they also knew that they came on board at a very critical time. Within the little time, they needed to play vital roles in the political space to ensure their principal’s re-election.

You would be safe to call them election ministers.

Unfortunately, the eight ministers today are among those feeling the pain of Jonathan’s defeat. Those inaugurated on March 18 include Senator Patricia Akwashiki (Information); Professor Nicholas Akise Ada (State, Foreign Affairs I), Col. Augustine Akobundu (retd.) (State, Defence), Mr. Fidelis Nwankwo (State, Health), Mrs. Hauwa Bappa (State, Niger Delta Affairs); Mr. Kenneth Kobani (State, Industry, Trade and Investment), Senator Joel Ikenya (Labour and Productivity).

For Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (State, Foreign Affairs II), it was a second missionary journey. Obanikoro had earlier resigned in the cabinet to contest the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos

‘PDP failed us in Niger’ Still basking in the euphoria of the landslide victory the party had in the just concluded general elections which saw the All Progressives Congress, clinch over 90 per cent of positions including the number one seat in the state, the Chairman of the Niger, Mr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam tells DAN ATORI that unlike the PDP, the party will not let the people down What is your take on the outcome of the general elections?

The outcome of the elections is an indication that the popularity of APC in the entire state and Nigeria in general is the best thing that has happened to our country and the polity. The outcome which brought in our candidates can be described as ‘the broom revolution’ because the PDP is now a shadow of itself.

I want to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission and indeed all Nigerlites for allowing peaceful, free,

in Nigeria’s history that an incumbent elected President will peacefully transfer power to an elected leader of the opposition.

Like several commentators who are recommending the President for the Nobel Peace Prize, an award from the incoming government would of course, further boost his chances. One only hopes that the Information Minister will not again recant on this. We wait patiently to witness this award presentation.

State, but lost to Mr. Jimi Agbaje.

I remember one of the new ministers wondered in silence in a discussion with me after the announcement of the election results that “We have just been abandoned in the middle of the road.” For him, most of them came on board with high hopes that Jonathan would provide them another opportunity in his second term.

There is no doubting the fact that they have not really settled down. Their comportments during the Federal Executive Council meeting especially in the areas of interacting with the older colleagues tell it all. In the past two council meetings they attended after their inauguration, they have been truly ‘Johnny just come’ ministers. As if he had an inkling of the fate that would befall him, President Jonathan at their inauguration had told them that they came in during his administration’s “injury time.”

One good thing going for them is that they have added a new feat in their profile. Although, they could deliver as expected, they must take solace in the fact they would all be referred to as former ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

What message do you have for the people of Niger State?

I can only appreciate all Nigerlites and you journalists. They should cooperate with us, and work with us so that we can move the state forward. All hands must be on deck. The governor-elect has said it that he will run an all-inclusive government. I am sure everybody will be carried along.

We thank them for coming out to vote the All Progressives Congress in the last presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections. The support was overwhelming and unprecedented; we indeed consider the support as a challenge to bring to Niger State the needed change and uplift our dear state and country to a greater heights.

Are you looking at challenges ahead that could affect the manifesto of the APC? Well, we in APC are not immuned to challenges, but beyond the euphoria of the victory, we are not unaware of the challenges ahead, we will want to immediately fulfill our campaign promises, but the appalling state we may find the state of the economy can hinder our vision. Notwithstanding, we are confident that with your prayers we shall overcome whatever difficulties we envisage and encounter to deliver good governance.

Mohammed Jibrin Imam

fair and credible elections.

What message do you have for your party supporters?

We must all roll up our sleeves and be prepared to make sacrifices, ready to work harder and be willing to look not only after ourselves but after each other and move forward.

What plans does the APC have for the Niger?

I can only tell you that despite the challenges envisaged ahead, the party will not let the people of the state down in ensuring that we deliver good governance. APC has very good plans for the people. This will be shown in the months ahead by our programmes and projects.

Many analysts hold the belief that the outgoing government have chains of unfulfilled promises, how can you manage promises you make to the people?

By the confidence reposed on us, we will not let the people down, but we will take good governance with all seriousness that it deserves to deliver dividends of democracy devoid of window dressing and cosmetics. We cannot afford to betray their confidence. We will do our best to fulfill our promises.

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Politics

Governors and litany of broken C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 1

people are being born and they need service; more people are growing up; more people are graduating and more people are getting married, so work continues and our governorelect is waiting to take over and now I am running the last lap,” he said.

Explaining why some of the projects could not be competed, especially the light rail project, Fashola said, that even though he never promised to complete the project, rail project are built in sections. The governor, who said that the Federal Government was yet to refund the N51bn it expended on rehabilitation of federal roads, said that some of the projects embarked upon by his administration were supposed to have been executed by the Federal Government.

He said:”But the important thing is that rail projects are built in sections. We have finished one section as I told you Mile 2 to Costain.

We have completed four stations now. We are going through the next station which is to Marina. That will give us 13 km. I think that if you google Mumbai and Dubai, you will see that we have done better by many miles in term of planning and delivery than they did in the number of years that it took to conceptualise and deliver. If we also look at it on the basis that in those two cities, it was the Federal Government that funded those projects, you will also see that we have done better by many miles. This is a totally funded state government project and with our penny and your taxes that is how far we have gone.

“When we are also talking about debts that is where the money is. It is a 150-year infrastructure; you don’t build it a second time.

The coaches, once you buy them would last you at least 50 years subject to maintenance so that is where to put money. So you can’t aim to do those ambitious things and be squabbling about borrowing.

“The issue should be what we borrowed money to do? We borrow money to buy fire engines and so that is where money should go, not to buy jets. The next problem Is how do we power the coaches and we know what coaches we want to use. We want to use electric coaches because of the environmental issues. Where is the power? We are solving that power problem by ourselves because if we wait for them it will never happen.

“Signals on the trains must run efficiently. I think if it is going to be about twenty minutes from Okokomaiko to Marina, they must be on schedule. You can predict them by your watch so signals have to be correct. So all of that is still going on but as I said to you we have not lost the desire to put it into service even before I go but those are the things that we don’t control.

“We still had a meeting last week taking decisions and I am also learning in the process because the truth is that we have not done this before. The last train that was built by the Europeans and at the same time we are building local capacity to ensure that we can build the next one by ourselves. At least, before I go, we would be testing because even when you bring the trains you have to test for safety and all those things before you open for full commercial operation.

“We have moved from concept drawing and design to brick and mortar, iron rod, steel and everything is there and that is the whole idea about developmental governance. It is not about what you can finish but what you can begin and what you can plan. If you look at the Guateng Rail in Johannesburg, it was Thabo Mbeki who started it when he bided for the World Cup, but it was completed by Jacob Zuma and that is how nations and cities should develop. If we limited ourselves to only what we can finish, we won’t do those kinds of things.”

Niger’s heavy indebtedness When he assumed office in 2007, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State came with a

Olaniyi Street, Oyingbo, Lagos after a downpour...recently

bag of promises. For instance, he promised to tar 10 kilometres of roads in each of the 25 local governments in the state at a total cost of N8.6 billion. He also proposed athe sum of $700 million for the development of an estate to be known as ‘African Village’ Also in 2008, the plans were on for a fivestar hotel, a Waterfalls and a Cable Car all at Zuma Rock, besides a proposal to establish a $300 million Niger-American Medical City in Minna. He also proposed a N2.5 billion 10,000 capacity steel stadium in Maikunkele, near Minna, a N4.6 billion shopping mall and the N1.8 billion Madalla Ultra-Modern Market.

Besides the above was the construction of Baro Refinery into which N12.8 billion was committed by the state government; construction of a hydro dam in Izom, where the sum of $250 million was allegedly committed, the Minna Cargo Airport have all gulped billions of naira with most of them not seeing the light of day. He also promised a N274 million monthly allocation to the Ward Development Project and construction of permanent NYSC camp as well as IBB University Business School at Suleja.

As he bows out in the next few weeks, to what extent has he fulfilled his pact with the people, by living up to his promises which bother on infrastructural development? To what extent, eight years after, has the Chief Servant delivered services to the people through various policies and programmes that have direct relevance to their socio-economic aspirations?

Looking back today, it is a fact that most of the projects never come off the ground, while most of them were abandoned. For instance, the 10 kilometres of roads were never completed, because there is hardly a local government in which four kilometers of roads were constructed during his tenure. The cargo airport mooted with the Federal Airport Authority is still at foundation stage, while the several others like the monthly allocation to the NYSC and a permanent site for them were never fulfilled.

That much various have been acknowledged by stakeholders in state. An analyst, Alhaji Hassan Ahmed said that Aliyu’s failure to complete all the 10 kilometre roads he promised was not good enough. Huge

amount of money was expended on the projects but what did they do with it? Look at the Old Airport Road that links the Olusegun Obasanjo Complex and the Abdukadir Kure Ultra Modern Market; they are all lying there uncompleted. That road is in the heart of Minna city”.

A member of the APC, Alhaji Umar Shuaibu, lamented that most of Aliyu’s projects ended only on billboards, because according to him, Aliyu embarked on gigantic and uncompleted projects that have no direct impact on the life of the common man.

A visibly angry Shuaibu said: “The governor has so far collected bonds that were used to either construct road to his house or to his farm. It is more disturbing that the burden of some of the bonds will be taken over by the next administration, thereby weighing down the next administrations and generation unborn with debt burden.”

Confirming his facts, he said: “A very diligent inquiry into the projects, apart from being self-serving, also showed that the projects were awarded to firms ready to serve the interest of the members of his inner caucus at inflated costs.” A civil servant in the state who pleaded anonymity lashed out at the projects embarked upon by the governor, describing them as tantamount to undermining the intelligence of the citizens.

He said: “In the chronicle of governors in the state from inception, if there is any governor either appointed or elected that has ever promised heaven and earth and always reneged on them, it is Governor Aliyu”.

A chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Shehu Nafuntua, said that Governor Aliyu has failed to redeem his electoral promises to the people of the state. “The PDP had squandered about 16 years of its rule in the state. Governor Aliyu is a roadside politician who came with no vision for the development of our state, he made so many promises and he is leaving without fulfilling them”.

The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa said “the governor’s administration since 2007 is nothing but of promises and grandstanding, whose main agenda is to make people believe that they are being provided with the needed dividends of democracy while in the real sense they are being deceived.”

Commenting on the promises, he asked: “Where are the 10 kilometre roads in each of the 25 LGAs, totaling N8.6 billion since 2009? Where is the $700 million for the development of an Estate to

be known as ‘African Village’? Where is the fivestar hotel, Waterfalls and a Cable Car all at Zuma Rock since 2008? Where is the establishment of $300 million Niger-American Medical City in Minna?

Where is the N2.5 billion 10,000 capacity steel stadium in Maikunkele, near Minna? Where is the N4.6 billion shopping mall in Minna? What about the N1.8 billion Madalla Ultra-Modern Market?

He added “Where are the proceeds from the sales of type ‘A’ Quarters (Commissioner’s Quarters)?

The cost of the 25-storey city tower with five-star hotel and a cultural centre remains mysterious to Nigerlites.”

He further disclosed that the construction of Baro Refinery, into which N12.8 billion was committed by the state government; construction of Hydro Dam in Izom, where the sum of $250 million was also committed, Minna Cargo Airport have all gulped billions of Naira with most of them not seeing the light of day. Where are they?

A businessman who simply gave his name as Baba Jiya said “There are numerous projects in which billions of state fund have been channeled into, but they remain white elephant projects. It is just unfortunate because Nigerlites will never forgive him (Aliyu). The people knew all these things and that was why they did not vote for his candidate. It is also because of these funds that Nigerlites refused to vote for continuity, otherwise, Umar Nasko was a preferred candidate. The young chap was unfortunate because of his alliance with Aliyu.”

However, the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state Hassan Shaba faulted the claim saying all the accusations are unfounded.

“The people of the state are comfortable with the performance of PDP government and all the projects executed by the present government are on ground for anyone who cares to see them”.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Israel Ebije also refuted the claims, saying they were false, misleading and provocative. He added that it is another desperate propaganda by the opposition to rubbish the efforts of the Aliyu administration after a successful eight years. The projects are there for all to see, the governor has assured that most of them will be completed and commissioned before the end of his tenure.”

Vatsa told the Sunday Telegraph that “apart from the governor’s unfulfilled promises, the Debt Management Office has revealed that he is leaving behind a debt burden running into several billions

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promises, heavy debts (2)

Politics

An uncompleted road in Minna, Niger State

Abandoned monorail project in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

A bad road near Ogba Housing Estate, Ikeja, Lagos.

of naira.

The Sunday Telegraph reliably gathered from sources that “the total outstanding debt stocks the governor will leave behind is N36,005,685,440.58, external debt is N4,678,244,414.40. Its domestic debt status which include bonds is N16,347,232,682.81, commercial loans from banks run into N5,462,217,817.98. The status of both state and local government Arrears pension and gratuities arrears amount to N2,343,002,925.39 and N7,174,987.600.00 respectively.

Amaechi’s promises Similarly, when Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took over from his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia in 2007, shortly after a Supreme Court verdict, he promised to enrich the lives of the people through purposeful leadership.

He also promised to make the state the envy of all by executing meaningful projects. Seven years and some months down the line, a trip round the state strongly demonstrates that he did not just make those promises, but that he kept them. The accolades and awards that greeted his stewardship shortly after he became governor, to a great extent show that he delivered on his promises.

For instance, in 2007, just a few months in office, he bagged the Sun Newspaper Man of the Year Award, and equally in 2008, bagged the Compass Newspaper Award for Security. In 2009, he was given an Award for Excellence by the Leadership Newspaper, and in 2012 emerged as Vanguard Personality of the Year. These awards reflected the governor’s giant strides in education, road projects, security among others. These are achievements that would give him a sense of achievement in years to come.

But as Amaechi leaves office on May 29, 2015, there are a few areas where some argue that he

did not live up to expectations, or pay serious attention to in the interest of people of the state. Four key areas stand out – the ongoing monorail project, the unfinished mega hospital project, water project and unpaid workers salaries.

The first that easily comes to mind is the monorail project that has gulped millions of dollars. The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, a modern day transport system conceived to decongest the ever-busy Port Harcourt road. The project was planned to be executed in phases by its drivers, with the first phase linking Azikiwe to the Old Port Harcourt Town axis. But more than five years after it was initiated, the first phase has not been completed.

Expectedly some have criticized the project, which foundation was laid on July 21, 2010, as a white elephant project. But the governor at a forum on transportation, disagreed, saying that the project was a vision for the future.“What the administration is doing is for the future and may not be appreciated today.” He also said that the project would seriously address the traffic challenges in the city.

Not satisfied, the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah called the project a money laundering conduit, stating that: “It is regrettable that everything about the monorail project is shrouded in secrecy, ranging from the actual amount, the name(s) of the contract partners, the reason for the snail-speed progress of the construction work and actual amount paid to those whose property were demolished to make way for the project.”

Also, the Governor-elect, Barr. Nyesom Wike, during his campaign, told a large gathering of supporters that no right thinking government would embark on such a “waste” in the name of improving transportation in the state.

Another uncompleted project is Adolphus Karibi-Whyte Mega Hospital. This project was conceived to address the issue of health referrals outside the country. When the idea was tabled before stakeholders, many welcomed it warmly, as a major project that would help the state to address the health challenges of the people of the state, while generating revenue.

It was supposed to be a1,000 -bed hospital, and named after Adolphus Karibi-Whyte in a public private participation arrangement in-

volving the state government and a Canadian Company called Clinotech. Preliminary work had started on the project, with the governor releasing the sum of $50M (N9.2B) as part of the contract fee.

Just when observers started commending the project, after the buildings and structures in the site earmarked for the project had been demolished, Clinotech abandoned the site. Some felt it was a minor issue that would be addressed, but barely six weeks before Amaechi leaves office, nothing has been heard about the project.

Experts came up with the verdict that the soil of the site is unsuitable for the project, and suggested another site. By then, a lot of money had been disbursed. To date, the state government has been unable to recover the huge sum, even as lots of buildings were destroyed because of the project. One of such was a teaching hospital that was destroyed for the project - a facility that once served the people in the metropolitan Port Harcourt . Today, majority of them head to the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, the closest general hospital to the area.

Water Project. The governor has never hidden his displeasure at the insufficiency of potable water for the people of the state. He knew that the state water board alone was incapable of meeting the challenge. One time acting General Manager of the Board, Martins Mmeo once complained that the “major problem of the board is the high cost of running the equipment with diesel to power the pumping stations.”

He also sought for assistance in power generation for the running of equipment at minimal cost, noting that the board was not moribund, despite the intervention of the World Bank to improve water supply in the state.

In a bid to find a lasting solution to the water challenges facing the state, the governor looked towards the World Bank for loan. He was, however, unsuccessful as the Federal Government, allegedly prevented the loan from materialising. In fact, the loan resulted to verbal war between the Amaechi and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The governor alleged that the Minister was using her position in government to frustrate him from accessing the loan. He also urged the House of Representatives to probe her and the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe for allegedly confiscating the World Bank and African Development Bank loans approved by the National Assembly for the state.

With worsening power supply in Rivers, house-owners are not finding it easy pumping their water. Depending mostly on generator to power their boreholes, to some it is a misery in a rich state that has the capacity to address the challenge of potable water supply.

Worker Salaries/Pensions. Civil servants in the state are owed four months salaries, and are not sure when the government would pay them. Surprisingly, workers in the state have not embarked on strikes to protest the situation.

But in most government owned offices, there is serious anger and frustration over government delay in paying workers salaries.

Also, pensioners are being owed. In February, many pensioners stormed the streets, protesting their three months’ unpaid allowance and harmonisation arrears. The pensioners tried to take their protest to the governor, but neither him nor the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, could receive the document containing their complaints.

They carried placards reading: ‘Governor Amaechi, primary school teachers, who taught you are dying for non-payment of the entitlements,’ ‘Amaechi, Rivers State pensioners are yet to be paid their harmonisation arrears.’

The state NUP Chairman, Mr. Edward FestusAbibi and the State Secretary of the union, Mr. J. J. Agbo, leading pensioners numbering about 11,000 said they were very aggrieved by the actions of the state government over the nonharmonisation of pension from 2003 to date valued at over N3 billion.

Closely akin o this is non-payment of monthly pension allowance for November 2014 and January, 2015. The pensioners said they have been pushed to the wall. “The state received N13bn from the federation account last December and realised N10 billion from internally generated revenue. We are, therefore, at a loss why the pensioners should be made the sacrificial lamb of the political adventure of Governor Amaechi,” they said. They demanded that pensioners in the state be paid their three months pension allowance.

When their successors assume office in the weeks ahead, they would not only contend with a heavy debt burden but also uncompleted projects. Ironically, they too will make new promises, commence new projects and abandon inherited ones they consider at variance with their priorities. That way, the roller coaster would ontinue.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Politics

Sharing formula: APC must get it right

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Ebomhiana Musa

here have been so many commentaries and stories in the media as to the abysmal performance of the octopus called the People’s Democratic Party, in the just-concluded general elections. These pitfalls are not new to anybody; especially the political class and I believe that the All Progressives Congress should learn some lessons from it. Unfortunately, the way the leadership of the party has broken into camps for the purpose of sharing the “spoil of office” gives cause for concern. Sad enough, they are going about the sharing/zoning of plum offices pretending to be in the nation’s interest, but deep down their heart, most of them are out to pursue individual selfish agenda.

Like I said earlier, the APC must inculcate the culture of discipline in its members from the top to bottom. Indiscipline has been the bane of the PDP which led to its implosion and eventual relegation to an opposition party in the country. The zoning formula must be done with utmost care to reflect fairness, equity and justice across board. The media was awash weekend with the proposed zoning arrangement of the APC subject to ratification by the party’s NEC this week. I must say that if that proposal is allowed to stand, it may mark the beginning of intra-party problems in the APC. For instance, how does one explain a situation where the President resides in the North and some persons still want the Senate President and the Speaker to be in the North? That is, the South will be left with just the Vice President and other crumbs. This is inequitable. It is fair enough for the big four, President, Vice President, Senate President and the House Speaker to be shared between North and South, two apiece. Anything short of this will be unfair and leaves power tilting towards one side, gives room for suspicion.

In fact, some persons have already been shouting of northern agenda with the proposal made last week which is still subject to ratification of the NEC. Every zone of the country must be carried along and given a genuine sense of belonging. The scale of justice must balance. Again, the South-West, which already has the Vice President and is still angling for the House Speaker slot must be seen to be asking for too much to the detriment of other zones in the South. Yes, the zone voted massively for the party, its vote alone could not have made Buhari the President of Nigeria. This is why it should take other zones into consideration while making its demand.

The leadership of the party should guard against the spirit of winner takes all at this moment so as not to send the wrong signals to some parts of the country, as if they are not wanted. Though, the South-East has no elected ranking APC member to be given any principal office in the Eighth National Assembly, the zone must be carried along by way of conceding some appointments to it in key government agencies and departments.

The South-South is where the out-going President comes from; therefore, it cannot be left bare without a commensurate appointment zoned to it. It will not be out of place for it to be considered for one of the big four.

With the Vice President in the SouthWest, it will be fair enough for the House Speaker to be conceded to the SouthSouth. The zone looks up to Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and Chibike Amaechi of Rivers State to use their good offices and attract the best to their people without being shortchanged, especially with the presidency leaving the

Oyegun

zone.

However, some persons may want to argue that in the out- going dispensation, the Vice President and the House Speaker come from the same zone, North-West.

That is, out of the big four, only the President resides in the South. I must say that it was an aberration because it was not meant to be so by the PDP leadership following the inauguration of the Goodluck Jonathan government May 29, 2011 and

the subsequent proclamation of the Seventh National Assembly. The seeming fair and equitable zoning arrangement put in place by the PDP leadership was truncated due to high level indiscipline on the part of some of its leaders and to some extent, on the part of members.

The party had zoned the position of the House Speaker to the South-West so that the President and the House Speaker reside in the South, while the Vice President

and the Senate President is in the North.

As history has a way of repeating itself, the entire South-West but Oyo State voted APC ranking members in the 2011 elections. So, Oyo was the only state left to produce the House Speaker. The same scenario is currently playing out in the South-South where Edo is the only state in the zone that voted the APC, against all odds; it delivered 41.66 per cent to the party. As the PDP threw its weight behind Hon (Mrs.) Mulikat Akande Adeola from Ogbomosho in June 2011, then President Olusegun Obasanjo and some of his associates in the party backed Hon Funsho Muriano from Ibadan. That set the stage for the cataclysm in the green chamber that eventually tore the PDP along the line of godfathers. That of course was the beginning of its end as the dominant party in Nigeria. This is a lesson for the APC if only it chooses to learn. The party must insists that positions shared to any zone be left to be contested for by members from the zone only under an atmosphere devoid of intimidation.

Hon Aminu Tambuwal and his friend, Emeka Ihedioha latched on this crack in the party hierarchy and emerged as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, to the utter embarrassment of the party. That is how indiscipline shattered the PDP zoning arrangement in the Seventh National Assembly. For now, the APC as a party appears more cohesive and it must not allow its members, especially the lawmakers to behave like sheep without shepherd. But can the party instill this much needed discipline given the fact that its top hierarchy has already pitched tent with some aspirants for the national assembly leadership positions?

No doubt, the struggle for the leadership of the national assembly remains an acid test for the APC, the management will, to a large extent, determines the level of discipline in the party and will define its preparedness to keep its position as the ruling party.

•Musa is a public affairs commentator writes via ebomusa@yahoo.com

‘PDP took things for granted’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 4

there, the government must keep functioning to serve the people and the parliament will always do what it can to help government work properly at all times.

What is the hope of the PDP in winning the rerun of governorship election held in your state yesterday?

We have very great hopes, even though there were instances of rigging by the APC in the first one. The rigging was massive. In a place like Ideato South, where I represent, they claimed that they got 33,000 votes, how can they get that? It is not possible. Even the electoral officer confessed that a gun was put in her mouth to change results. We can’t run this country like this. This country cannot be run by thugs for goodness sake. There must be decency in public life. And whoever does not want to abide by decency should get out of public life.

What is your assessment of the use of the card readers in the last elections, do you think that it improved on our electoral process?

It didn’t do the magic; it did not because many places where these elections were rigged they wrote the results by hand. They discarded the card readers and started doing manual voting. But the card reader idea is the one that everybody should encourage. I

think it is very good for this country. I think they should be able to fine tune it so that in the next election, anybody who does not go through the card reader should not be able to vote. They should be no provision whatsoever for this manual accreditation. It is done in other places and I think it can be done in Nigeria. So, I think we should commend INEC for even bringing it up. With time we should get our elections right; but for now the results are being written, let’s not kid ourselves. People are writing results and submitting and they are accepting them.

What is your view on this attitude of politicians, whereby immediately after the general elections people started defecting massively to the APC? Well, I think it is very disgraceful; it is totally condemnable. You begin to wonder why people are in politics, is it for their stomach or what? I am not saying that people should be fixed in a party but the way they are doing it now is so shameful. That’s why I brought a bill in the life of this parliament to remove Section 68(g) of the Electoral Act, which allows people to change their party if there is a split. But that bill was defeated.

And as people told me after the meeting, they said it was like shooting ourselves in the foot. That’s why they defeated it. But that amendment I brought, which I am still canvassing is in the best interest of the

country. Anybody who changes his party should go back to the electorate. If you are very popular and confident, go back and let them bring you back. Until we do that, we are not going to have any sensible representation or democracy because people just flop in to collect money and nothing more.

The PDP has lost, yes but the PDP has to rebuild itself, rebrand itself and be a new party; and sell itself to the electorate, that is how it is done. When Labour was in opposition for more than 15 years in Britain, what did they do, they set up new Labour; new Labour, new programmes. You have to find out what the people need. So, what the PDP has to do now is to build a new PDP with programmes that could sell to the people.

And that will be in the interest of the whole country because you now have the APC in the central government and have a strong PDP in opposition, which will be good for the country.

Are you saying that anybody who defects from his/ her party to another party should lose the seat occupied?

The moment you are defecting, it means you are vacating your seat. That is the amendment I think we should do, so that you know the full implication of what you are doing. As you are defecting, you vacate your seat and go back to the electorate. If the people like you, they bring you back.

Life SUNDAY

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Police arrest, torture pregnant wife, husband after court wedding

Kenneth and Vivian Ikpa

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Juliana Francis rs. Vivian Ikpa thought someone was playing an April Fool’s prank on her when a policewoman led a team of cops to where she was conducting lessons for children on April 1, 2015 and told her that she was under arrest.

Stunned and unsure if it was not a case of a mistaken identity, she asked them what her offence was. Rather than give her a straight answer, the policewoman allegedly slapped her, unmindful of the fact that she was pregnant.

Vivian burst into tears but this did not deter the police team from forcing her into a waiting SUV. All the while, the cops ignored her questions. As she was being forced into the SUV, she sighted her step-father, Mr. Victor Oboho, and her mother, Mrs. Dele Oboho.

Recalling her nasty experience in an interview with Sunday Telegraph, she said: “I realised that it was my mother and step-father that invited the police. As they dragged me to Elemoro Police Station, Ajah, Lagos, I pleaded that someone

We bought necessary things for the introduction.

We went to Akute twice.

We bought drinks, goats, yams and money. We carried things there twice.

The second time, they said it was insulting, that we didn’t buy a George wrapper which would be used to tie the goat we bought

On their wedding day

should call my husband. It was at the police station that they started insulting and cursing me. They said I wasn’t married; that my marriage was not recognised.

“But I know that I married my husband

in a court. I wedded at the registry in Ibeju Lekki. My step-father said he had chosen a husband for me. The man is a medical doctor and currently waiting for me in the United States. The police said they would give me drugs to terminate the pregnancy. They threatened me endlessly. My parents hit me several times.

They said my husband abducted me.”

Within a few hours of her getting to the police station, her husband, Mr. Kenneth Ikpa, also appeared, asking for his wife.

He also demanded to know what she had done to warrant being arrested.

“Rather than explain to me why they arrested my wife, the police pounced on me. They slapped me repeatedly from different directions. I started bleeding from my ear. Even up till now, I still can’t hear properly,” he said.

Though the police said Kenneth abducted Vivian, both of them were detained until nightfall.

Vivian, who got married in 2013 when she was 25, said: “My step-father gave the police N25, 000 to arrest and torture us. I knew about the money because he said that I made him to spend N25, 000 at the police station.”

Vivian said that she didn’t understand why her parents refused to acknowledge and accept her marriage. She was even more shocked at her mother’s position on the issue since she was present at the court wedding and appeared to have given her support and approval.

The four-month pregnant mother of a year-old child added that she didn’t understand what the fuss was all about, since her mother, together with the children she had for Victor, forced her to leave home.

Vivian said she sleepy in the open for close to three months, in the rain or under the sun. She said nobody cared whether she lived or died, adding that she would have remained homeless for a long time if not for the intervention of a Good Samaritan woman, who took her under her roof.

The woman, Mrs. Ajakaiye Tawa, didn’t only offer the lady shelter, but gave her food and clothing, until she found another comforter in her husband, Kenneth.

Fuming, Vivian said: “I don’t know what they want from me now! All I want is for them to leave us alone. I’m legally married. My husband is my life. He may be a pauper, but I don’t care. I love and want him just the way he is. When nobody wanted me, my husband did.” …In the beginning According to Vivian, the traumatic time she has been going through in the hands of her mother didn’t just start because of her marriage.

She alleged that her mother hated her, describing it as a case of transferred aggression by her mother against her father.

She said she grew up to realise she was living with her maternal grandmother in Ibadan, noting that she had neither seen nor met her father. When she asked for her father, her mother told her that he C O N T ’d O n PAG E 4 2

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Police arrest, torture pregnant wife, husband after court wedding CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 41

was dead. When she asked for his relations, she was given the silent treatment.

“My mother would curse me whenever she got angry. She said that my father had many wives and that was why, when she got pregnant with me, she had to leave him,” Vivian said.

She said that even after her mother got married to her step-father and started having children, they left her with her grandmother.

When she was 12, her mother suddenly came to Ibadan to pick her.

“She told me that my step-father wanted his kids and me to grow up together. That was how I started living with them. Her husband was residing in Italy, but later moved to the United States.”

By the time Vivian came into Victor’s home, there were already three children from the marriage, while a fourth one came along later.

Vivian, who spoke from Mrs. Ajakaiye’s home at Molete Ajah, said: “My mother loves my step siblings more than me.

Sometimes, when she’s angry, she would hit my head against the wall. She calls me, ‘house borrower.’ By this, she meant that the home I was living in didn’t belong to me, but to her other kids. I feel she’s taking her anger against my father out on me.”

Recalling precisely what led to her leaving her parents’ home for the streets, Vivian said it had to do with her kid sister called Michelle Eboho.

Vivian’s aim was to go to university, but she had to assist her mother in her restaurant business at Crown Estate. She said that many of the workers left over salary issue and the business eventually folded up. Sick and tired of staying at home, Vivian joined a free computer training programme in the area, run by people offering training to indigent students.

She, however, eventually got her chance go to a higher institution. But this opportunity came only because it was time for Michelle to gain admission to a higher institution. Thus, both ladies attended National Open University of Nigeria, where Michelle studied Law, while Vivian took Computer Science.

Soon it was time for final examinations.

After their final papers, Vivian said they wanted to go home, but there wasn’t enough money with them. They decided to stay with one of Vivian’s male course mates and the next morning, they sourced for fund and went home to Ajah.

A few weeks later, Michelle discovered she was pregnant. She told their mother.

Vivian said she was blamed for the pregnancy.

She recalled: “Michelle told our mother that I connived with boys to get her drunk and raped. I didn’t even know anything happened that day in that house.

She didn’t even tell me anything. I was in the kitchen one day when she just dashed in and slapped me. She attempted to use glassware to harm me.

“I ran out and alerted my mother ’s brother. By the time my uncle came with me, we discovered Michelle had gathered all my clothes, certificates and other items and set them on fire. My mother and Michelle started threatening to kill me. My mother said she didn’t want to see me in the house either dead or alive.”

Petrified that they might carry out their threats, the lady said she bolted from home. She located some Ghanaian friends and started staying with them, but her mother located her and allegedly threatened them. She said she left the place to avoid causing further problem for her

Vivian and their child

She said she didn’t want to see Vivian. I have kids living overseas and I know that strangers must have assisted them in one way or another over there. It was my time to help somebody

friends who were already being threatened with the police. Vivian said that the only time she went to the Ghanaians’ home was to have her bath.

Good Samaritan’s intervention Vivian had been sleeping on the streets for three months when Ajakaiye, who was returning from a party one night, noticed a bundle in front of her shop. She initially didn’t know it was a human being until the bundle moved. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, it assumed a female form.

Ajakaiye drew nearer and woke her up.

“I asked her why she was sleeping outside. She said her mother wanted to kill her. She looked dirty and haggard.

Anything could happen to her out there.

The following day, I called people nearby

and told them about the lady I saw sleeping outside my shop,” she said.

At night, some residents waited to sight the strange lady. When darkness had fallen, the lady shuffled to the place and prepared to sleep. The people all came out and started interrogating her.

Kenneth said: “I looked at her face closely and realised that I had seen that face before. I and some of my colleagues used to go to their restaurant at Crown Estate to eat. I knew her mother.”

Vivian, weeping in a heartbroken way, poured out her heart to the strangers.

Ajakaiye said: “Kenneth instructed me to start giving the lady anything she needed as a source of nourishment from my shop. He said he would pay. I took her into my home and took care of her.”

In the morning, Kenneth, with his younger brother went to see Dele, whose husband was outside the country when all these were happening. They tried to reason with her, begging her to take Vivian back into her home, but the woman allegedly refused.

Ajakaiye said: “When Kenneth and his brother failed, I went with Vivian. I thought as an elderly woman, her mother would listen to me, but she didn’t. She said she didn’t want to see Vivian. I have kids living overseas and I know that strangers must have assisted them in one way or another over there. It was my time to help somebody.

“Vivian was frustrated and I was afraid of what she could do to herself. I went

Life to report the matter to the Baale in our area. That was how Vivian started living with me.”

Wearing a frown, Vivian interjected: “When Mama took me to my mother, she said I maltreated her kids. She refused the reconciliation move. My stepfather even later called that I should go back home. But the children ganged up and threw my things out. My mother was there and did nothing. I made up my mind that I’ll never go back to that house!”

Vivian explained that not only was Kenneth seeing to her feeding, but he gave her money to get some new clothes. He also asked her to go in search of a teaching job, which had become her career before she left home. What started as an innocent friendship blossomed into a full-blown affair of the heart and body and soon Kenneth and Vivian were dating.

Ajakaiye recalls: “I was at home one day when Vivian came to tell that she was pregnant. I asked her the person responsible for the pregnancy; she replied that it was Kenneth. I said okay, he has an apartment, go and meet him.”

Vivian said she had gone to her mother’s brother, Shittu, to alert him about the pregnancy. She said Shittu took her to her mother.

“In the presence of my mother, my uncle asked me if I would marry Kenneth and I said ‘yes.’ My mother called her husband, who directed that we should go and meet his elder brother at Akute, Ogun State,” Vivian said.

Vivian said that when her mother heard of the pregnancy, they agreed that the couple should go and meet Victor’s elder brother, Mr. Friday Eyo, at Akute.

Eyo acted on behalf of Victor and Kenneth’s people were asked to bring the necessary items needed for a formal introduction. They did, according to Vivian.

“We bought necessary things for the introduction. We went to Akute twice. We bought drinks, goats, yams and money.

We carried things there twice. The second time, they said it was insulting, that we didn’t buy a George wrapper which would be used to tie the goat we bought.

They collected money for the wrapper from us,” Ajakaiye said.

Victor was further said to have directed that the couple should also have a court wedding. On the day of the wedding, Eyo, Dele and other witnesses went to the registry with the couple.

The couple thought everything was stamped and sealed until Victor suddenly returned from USA this year, and began kicking against the union.

Victor and Dele first arrested Ajakaiye on April 1, and used her to track Vivian down. Ajakaiye said she escaped being taking to the police station after she told them that she needed to answer the call of nature and bolted away.

On April 10, our correspondent visited the home of Vivian’s parents, also at Ajah but they were not available. A call card was given to one of their daughters, but the couple didn’t call Sunday Telegraph.

A few days later, Our correspondent called Dele to get her own side of the story but the woman insisted that it was not a a matter for discussion on the telephone. She urged the journalist to book an appointment to see her.

After the April 11 governorship election, Sunday Telegraph called her to book the appointment, but the woman said she wasn’t interested in the issue any more.

She said: “My sister, I’m not in a good mood at all! They have written a petition against me. Didn’t they tell you that they wrote a petition against me? They are supposed to have let you know about the petition. The husband and wife wrote a petition against me, so you should remove your hands from the matter. I’m not interested in their matter. I’m the one that gave birth to my daughter.”

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Blazing white Vanessa Okwara

B

lazers are a classic staple in any man’s wardrobe. They can instantly define your looks and add sophistication to any ensemble. For men, a blazer should be your go-to item for every outfit, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. Having a white blazer adds an extra pizazz to your mien as white gives a sharp edge to any look.

The beauty of this surprisingly versatile item is that you can wear it with just about anything. If it’s white, it will give an unexpected edge to all your ensembles. It is important to note that a white blazer is not a business-style suit. The white suit is a fashion suit, so look for one that’s a slim fit and also tailored to your shoulders and tapered at the waist.

White blazers, if worn correctly, can create a nice casual style. So style it correctly to fit the occasion. White blazers can be worn with ease if you pair it with the right clothing.

For an evening out, pair it with ultradark rinse, slimmer fit denim and leath-

er lace-up dress shoes. Those who are not afraid to make a style statement can team this blazer with a fedora hat.

Wearing the white blazer with jeans is fine. Just be sure to wear the sleeves all the way down. Never bunch up the sleeves or roll them up. If you do, you will look like a throwback from the ‘80s.

You can look dapper wearing white blazers with black trousers for a special event and glamourous occasions.

Create a dressier look by pairing your white blazer with neutral-colored dress trousers. Go ahead and add a greatlooking pair of dress shoes and a stylish button-up shirt to complete the look.

Take your appearance up a notch by knotting a matching silk tie or just a bow tie for a classy ensemble.

More generally, you can wear white blazers with almost any type of trousers, if you’re daring. It’s less about what you wear than how you wear it. While most men keep to jeans or trousers in the same fabric for their blazers, you can expand your options to trousers in different patterns and textures and you will come out looking very sophisticated.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Body&Soul

Captivating ways of saying ‘I LOVE YOU’

L

oving someone and being loved back in return is one of the greatest cravings of every human being. If you are among the few people in life that have found true love, I enjoin you to do all you can to ensure that the oil of love in that relationship does not dry up. Just like the engine of a car cannot function to its maximum capacity without constantly changing and topping up the oil, the same is applicable to the bonds that hold your relationship.

A relationship needs many things to be successful. But more often than not, what matters most is letting your lover know just how much they mean to you. Communicating love to your partner often and in a variety of forms is the key that builds great and lasting relationship.

You can’t say ‘I love you’ all the time.

You’ll just end up sounding like clanging cymbals. That means you have to think of creative and beautiful ways of saying ‘I love you’ to your partners and still communicate just how much they mean to you.

Blow the mind of your partner by using expressive words that convey how you feel about them by often interjecting your sentences with beautiful phrases like ‘You mean so much to me’; ‘I adore you’; ‘I’m totally into you’; ‘You complete me’; ‘I’m crazy about you’; ‘I yearn for you’ and so many other great phrases you can come up with. It mustn’t even be in English language as you can use your dialect to create a phrase that is uniquely yours and used only for your partner. That way, they feel special and form a tight bond that is unequivocal.

Although professing undying love to

J

CONNECT NG vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com your partner is very important, unfortunately it is not just enough. Is there any need to say “I love you” if it is not backed up with action? “I love you” must not be ‘said’ with words alone, but must be backed with action if you want that love to survive the test of time. While this phrase is a powerful conveyor of emotion, showing your love in other ways is just as significant, and possibly even more effective, at keeping a relationship alive and healthy.

Commitment is the foundation in which any relationship survives. If you really want to make an impact, make it more action-based than just mere words. There is no need to say “I love you’’ when you do not even make that person a priority in your life. Make your lover the number one person in your life by demonstrating it through active support. Being thoughtful and taking the initiative to bring happiness to your partner is another simple and practical way to say “I love you.”

It’s the small things you do for your partner that really counts and not necessarily when you buy the whole world for him/ her. Take for instance, a woman whose husband is extremely rich and provides for her material needs yet he’s uncaring

and inconsiderate will live an unhappy life or seek that happiness in the arms of a poorer man. Happiness in a relationship does not only consist of the abundance of what you possess but in the demonstration of love and care from both parties involved.

Do you ever sacrifice your own happiness just to bring smiles on your lover’s

You can’t say ‘I love you’ all the time.

You’ll just end up sounding like clanging cymbals...You have to think of creative and beautiful ways of saying ‘I love you’ to your partners and still communicate just how much they mean to you

face? Giving up on something you like just to see your lover happy is the purest way of saying ‘I love you.’ When you put your lover’s needs before yours, you’re definitely making it clear just how much you love them.

Do you remember your anniversary and your partner’s birthday and other special days? Being thoughtful is one of the sweetest ways to let your sweetheart know how much you love them. Make sure you remember all of your partner’s special events and try to be a part of it as much as possible.

Don’t be stingy with compliments! Show appreciation anytime your hubby or wife does anything for you, no matter how small. Compliment her looks and make her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, while the woman responds with loving words loaded with respect for the man. Words are very powerful! What we say goes a long way to actually depict how we truly feel in our hearts.

You cannot say “I love you’’ in one breath and the next moment you are using hurtful and abusive words on your partner.

Is that true love? Being constantly critical and only focusing on your partner’s negative attributes doesn’t say “I love you” very well. In fact, it’s demeaning and will drive him/her away from your life. Please recognise the damage your criticisms may be causing in your relationship.

When you begin to say “I love you’’ with action rather than with words, you will surely elicit a positive response from your partner that will reinforce the love both of you have for each other more than words can ever say!

•Send your views to the email above!

The rainbow flag just turned red

ust what is happening in South Africa? I want to know because the news coming out of the rainbow country defies all rational logic. It seems certain elements in the country have forgotten their history so quickly and now biting the fingers that fed them and extended a helping hand to them when they needed it. I am ashamed that people I call ‘brothers’ now consider me an enemy and only my life will be sufficient to assuage their thirst for blood.

If you are surprised that I am getting personal, then don’t be, for indeed, this is personal. I recall my elementary school days when a nun, or an activist dressed as a nun, came to my school to talk to us about apartheid in South Africa and how children our age were being denied education because of the colour of their skin. We were showed pictures of killings in Soweto and hungry orphan children roaming the streets in South Africa. We all promptly contributed our lunch money to the nun. In our childish innocence, we felt pity for fellow African children and did what we could.

Now, anyone who schooled in Lagos in the 80s will tell you lunch contributions was not optional, it was compulsory as caterers have been contracted to provide lunch. When the caterer arrived for collection, she was not too pleased that half the children had given their money to some nun and promptly reported us to the Headmaster. In addition to our financial contribution to South Africa, we suffered physical pain.

When I moved to a secondary school in another neighbourhood with children from another school, they also related a

similar experience. How sad that one of those who made the contribution way back in the day is now resident in South Africa and hiding from the very people for whom he made personal sacrifices.

He works and making contributions to the South African economy, contributions that is redistributed in the form of social amenities for the same people who are calling for his blood.

I need to ask the misguided and gullible-beyond-reason perpetrators of this

The genesis of the xenophobia has been traced to a statement reportedly made by Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini.

If this is true, then he has failed to live up to his name as this is no way to extend goodwill to fellow Africans

xenophobic acts the colour of the rainbow? How do you justify being called a rainbow country when you remove a colour from it? I do not expect an answer as I expect those behind the acts are either uneducated or ignorant to the highest possible degree. Which is why we must provide them with an education.

For one, there are South African companies in other parts of Africa. While their main grouse is not against any particular African country, but immigrants in general, we can use Nigeria as an example. I cannot count the number of patrons that DSTV, MTN and Shoprite have in a particular months. These are all South African ventures operating in Nigeria. These are companies that bring in South African nationals to work in Nigeria; companies that pay taxes in South Africa from money made in Nigeria. The lack of basic education means they did not think through the economic cost of their actions.

Those who incited the populace to such actions did not think of the consequences. The genesis of the xenophobia has been traced to a statement reportedly made by Zulu king, Goodwill Zwe-

lithini. If this is true, then he has failed to live up to his name as this is no way to extend goodwill to fellow Africans.

However, he has denied the reports and stated that his comments were taken out of context. Which reminds me to inform all monarchs that they really need to watch what they say in order to forestall incidents like this. Lives have been lost as a result of this ‘taken-out-of context’ statement, businesses ruined, livelihoods destroyed and relationships scarred for life. Perhaps, it is time our monarchs speak plainly and clearly to forestall anyone taking their words out of context.

Credits where due, the actions have been condemned by the South African President and the government. Well meaning South Africans have also spoken up against the barbaric acts and offered some compensation but sadly, it will not bring back the lives lost. The same is true of revenge actions being planned by the immigrant communities in South Africa and in other African countries against resident South Africans; please stop. Two wrong actions will not result in a right one. Good only prevails if it stays good. I also do not support the call to recall our envoy in South Africa. With the protection he/ she enjoys, he is in a prime position to protect and speak up against the violence in higher places. Let us show class and further shed light on the evil acts, then we can shine as the positive beings in the mayhem currently engulfing the continent.

It is sad that the rainbow flag just turned red with innocent blood.

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SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul with

Wole Adepoju 07037763410

woleadepoju@yahoo.com

Fani Kayode’s painful merriment B orn into a noble family and to an influential father who was a political bigwig while he lived, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, could not ask for more. This is because by the virtue of his father’s status in the society, young Femi had everything he wanted at his beck and call.

When his father passed on, reality set in for Femi and he had to live abroad to earn a living. Luck eventually smiled on him when former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, made him an aide while he was in office. Perhaps, his boss was impressed with the way he handled his assignment that he was elevated to the post of a minister. Their tenure expired and Femi had to find his way politically. He had toyed with the idea of vying for the governorship position of his state, Osun, but his calculations did not work. After a while, he dumped the party from which he had made a fortune to pitch his tent with the then opposition APC. All the while, the lawyer-turned politician, FFK, as he’s fondly called, had established himself in the polity through his outspokenness. In his bid to gain relevance as it’s believed all over, Femi returned to the PDP and he was received as a beautiful

Olumide Osunsina back at work

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raduating from Ahmadu Bello Univ e r s i t y, Zaria, as a building technologist and forging ahead to BerkOsunsina shire University, England for his Masters, Ogun State-born Otunba Olumide Osunsina had armed himself with all that was required to make an impact wherever he went. Luck, indeed, smiled on him as he was able to rise through the ladder to become an employer of labour and a money bag.

53-year old Otunba Olumide, a big player in real estate, is the founder and CEO of Megamound Investment with subsidiaries like Paramount Metro, Carlton Gate Lekki and Lekki Country Homes. With the wherewithal at his beck and call, Otunba ventured into the political waters, signifying his intentions to represent Ogun Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly under the platform of Labour Party. When Otunba Gbenga Daniel returned to PDP, Olumide became the major financier of the governorship candidate of the party and he was able to carry on well. Otunba Olumide eventually defected to SDP

bride. Towards the recently concluded electioneering, he was made the spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan’s the campaign organization. Through his usual outspoken form, he went all out to work for his principal and most of his utterances were received with condemnation by the public. The election has eventually come and gone with Jonathan losing to the opposition and his party recording defeat in over 20 states.

This incident naturally has since put the camp of the outgoing president in a sour mood.

However, with information making the rounds, Femi seems to still be finding time to make merry even as he grieves over the election loss.

Very recently, tales hit town that the handsome dude has been enjoying a sizzling romance with a beauty queen, Precious Chikwendu. At a time least expected, the ex-minister is reported to have bestowed upon his pretty mistress a brand new 2014 Range Rover.

Meanwhile, the controversial dude, Celeb Lounge learnt on good authority, has spared no cost in making himself happy as he was reported to have recently doled out a good amount of money for a mansion at Aso Drive, Abuja.

when he eventually contested against Kashamu Buruji of PDP and Dapo Abiodun of APC, leaving controversial Kashamu to carry the day.

For his deep involvement, Otunba was up and doing in the political arena to ensure victory and this made him neglect his job. Having seen the eventuality, Otunba, a source in the know revealed, has eventually resumed at his Victoria Island, Lagos office to face his work properly and try to evaluate his financial loss to politics.

Vlisco celebrates womenhood

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n its quest to make the International Women’s Day memorable as well as celebrate women, Vlisco has nominated three women in Nigeria for the Vlisco Women’s Month Award, 2015.

The honorees are Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, the founder of Mirabel Centre, a foundation set up to provide rehabilitation for rape victims; Mrs. Dotun Akande, the founder and proprietress of Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, the first of its kind in Vlisco Nigeria; and women Miss Tolulope Sangosanya,

who is an award winner of the Future Award for Best Use of Advocacy on her philanthropic works with children. The nominees, according to the organisers, were selected based on their hard work, diligence as well as their enthusiasm in impacting to humanity positively.

The campaign themed ‘Live the dream,’ is a tribute to women who have the courage to turn their dreams into reality, despite the challenges they face in their daily lives. It will afford the nominees emerge winner of the Vlisco’s brand ambassador for 2015 through public vote.

The winner will be announced during the Vlisco Women’s Month Award Night on April 26 at the Federal Palace Hotel Victoria Island in Lagos.

According to the organisers of the event, award-winning Congolese singer-songwriter, Barbara Kanam, will be the face of this year’s campaign which is designed to honour the outstanding achievements of West and Central African women by identifying and rewarding those who inspire others to realise their dreams.

Yomi Balogun mellows

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f there is one police chief whose story will any day be of interest and his name will always be part of history for negative reasons, many will steadily agree no one can beat disgraced former police boss, Tafa Balogun, to it based on the manner he was relieved of his job some years back.

However, the bulky, Ila, Osun Stateborn ex-IGP has since put the bad experience behind him and is enjoying the best that life can offer. He also does not hesitate to make merry at social gatherings. In the same manner, Balogun his son, Yomi, at a time, became the toast of high profile social gatherings with so much money to play with. Yomi eventually set tongues wagging when he was alleged to have beaten a female staff of a night club in Lekki, Lagos to a pulp.

Celeb Lounge cannot categorically state what the dark skinned young man has been up to, but what is observed is that little or nothing has been heard from his stable in recent times.

Biola Bashorun’s peculiar style

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or a large number of girls who have toed the path of pageantry, the fame, connection and glamour that come with it are some of the reasons why they thought of it in the first place.

Many young ladies who have been beauty queens at one time or the other have been able to leverage on the opportunities their crown could afford them, especially as it concerns being noticed.

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This cannot be said of former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Abiola Bashorun.

L i g h t Bashorun skinned and slim built Abiola, during her yearlong reign in 2007, was able to ward off all scandals and quietly relocated to the United Kingdom upon completing her reign. Though she has visited Nigeria since then, information reaching us says the beauty queen has finally returned home. In her usual way, she is said to be quietly enjoying her privacy at Victoria Garden City in Lagos, where she resides.

Between Jimoh Ibrahim and Primate Ayodele

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hile the Igbotako, Ondo-State born billionaire, Jimoh Ibrahim, is known as a business man who has made a fortune and has a place among moneybags in the country, the founder of Inri Church and Foundation in Lagos, Primate Elijah Ayodele, is known for Ibrahim his predictions.

Ayodele, who also hails from Ondo State, publishes a yearly book titled, ‘Warning to the Nation.’

As it is known that Jimoh has a knack for courting men of God as friends, he shares a bond with the prophet. Ibrahim, it’s a known fact, has a very cordial relationship with the founder of Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo and Bishop Steven Ogendengbe of Wisdom Chapel Church, Akowonjo, Lagos. It was learnt on good authority that the businessman and publisher as well a the prophet were so close in the past that the businessman used to be physically present at any event of the church. Information at our disposal at the moment has it that the one-time good allies have since parted ways and neither of them is ready to speak about what has torn them asunder.

Tinubu excites Oba Akiolu

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t will amount to stating the obvious to say the national leader of the All Progressives Congress and Jagaban of Borgu kingdom, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a power broker in Lago State. It is the same way the Oba Tinubu of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu,

Fola Adeola’s good fortune

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gun State-born Fola Adeola was able to identify his area of strength early enough in life that he did not make the mistake of toeing another path other than banking, where he could operate perfectly. He learnt the ropes and diligently rendered the services that were expected of him. Gradually, he climbed the ladder till he became a top shot.

Having reached the zenith of his career as a stakeholder in Guaranty Trust Bank, he naturally threw in the towel and moved on to other things.

Fola had no doubt become a financial expert and an authority in his own right. He ventured into partisan politics to serve and due to his distinct nature, Action Congress of Nigeria (now APC) picked him as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in 2011. But his and Ribadu’s first attempt at occupying an elected office would only become an experience as they lost.

Unlike what is typical of politicians, Fola stayed back in the party to lend his support where necessary. Now that his party has become victorious, the time for him to be in sight may have eventually come. According to information reaching Celeb Lounge, he is likely to make the economic team of the Presidency when Gen. Buhari is eventually enthroned. It was said his name came up for mention not because he has been loyal to the party, but because he has the required experience to execute the job he might eventually be given. reserves some power and rights as the traditional ruler of Lagos. Another fact that cannot be disputed is that the two sons of the soil share a very strong bond.

During his birthday, Tinubu is said to have received so many gifts, among which were two Rolls Royce Phantoms.

Sources in the know revealed that Asiwaju had said such vehicles are meant for kings and as such sent one of them to Oba Akiolu. He was said to have sent the other to another monarch in the Northern part of the country.

Queen Ure off the radar

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ith a sound education, bright mind, i r resistible Queen Ure beauty and commendable public relations, daughter of former minister, Chief Ukezie, Queen Ure, sure has all that is required to be on top of her game and hold her own.

The light skinned lady, who came into limelight through her romance with one time music rave, Soul E, has since moved on since they parted ways.

About two years ago, the former founder of a church decided to try her hand in commercial music and she dropped a

few singles with videos. Several months after, her projection to rule the music world has not become a reality, but she has trudged along without being weary.

However, the publicity-craving lady in recent times has soft-pedalled on her appearance at functions as well as slowed down on her music. Those who are close to her are saying to whoever cares to listen that she might after all have returned to her life-coaching job full time.

Hon. Odeneye walks tall

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here were unsettled situations in some states before the recent elections. In the same vein, the Gateway State, Ogun, was beclouded by a serious crisis that could not make anyone sure his permutations would work at the polls. While the heavy weights in the PDP ruffled feathers during and after the governorship election, the ruling APC was not spared the crisis.

Many were skeptical that incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun would retain his seat largely because one of the party chieftains, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, defected from APC with a number of important politicians that included senators and House of Representatives members to form the Social Democratic Party. One federal lawmaker that remained loyal to Amosun was the House of Representatives member representing Ijebu Federal Constituency, Kehinde Odeneye. Even when it looked like Odeneye might

not be re-elected, he remained steadfast with his belief. The rest is history as the defectors lost their seats while Odeneye won.

The petite chartered accountant who has endeared himself to his constituents on account of his humble nature and sterling performance is presently the toast in political circles of Ogun State. He now enjoys special status and treatment from the governor who salutes his loyalty and members of the public who now regard him for his rare demonstration. Through his foundation, OK, many have benefited from his generosity and efforts to make life better for his people and he’s well loved.

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GLOBAL FASHION

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Fashion meets makeup

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Biwom Iklaki

ashion is nice and all, but there is only so much fashion can mean without the accompanying makeup. These two elements of art go hand in hand as much as peanut butter and bread. They are a famous couple, literally!

It goes without saying that the makeup industry is almost as big as that of fashion, if not more. However, because they go hand in hand, there is never any need to do any comparison.

If in doubt, refer to the fashion scenes. Parties, fashion shows, weddings, red carpet events, and many more. A look is never complete without the accompanying makeup. Just as a designer dreams up his clothes, and through his inspiration, the clothes pass through many processes before the final look on the runway. Just

before they are passed off for runway-ready, one of the major consultants who signs off on the presentation is the makeup artist. She makes sure that the mood and story behind the clothes is enhanced by the makeup.

Any celebrity worth his salt does not mess with his fashion and beauty team, which includes a makeup artist. He or she brings the story as told by the clothes to life. They give it animation, if you wish. All these can translate into a look synonymous with romantic, bridal, innocence, Victorian, gothic, rock, punk, and many more.

Many brands are making a huge profit yearly, the likes of which are, Loreal, Lancome, Mary Kay, Maybelline, Avon, covergirl, MAC etc.

Next time you set off for any outing, think and rethink your makeup. It just might be the cherry on your fashion cake!

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Wine & Dine

Body&Soul

Refreshing Prosecco Ibukunoluwa Kayode

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a Marco Prosecco is a sparkling Italian wine rich in polyphenol antioxidants. The golden-coloured sparkling wine similar to champagne is made up of white grape and can be taken by all.

This light fizzy wine has aromas of citrus, peach, and honey suckle with rich fruity flavours of lemon, apple and a touch of mineral that is delightful.

It is a good choice of wine for the diabetics due to its antioxidant content that helps slow down the removal of nitric

oxide from the blood, lowering blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of heart problems and strokes.

Prosecco is more of an apperitif wine unlike other wines. It can be used to celebrate the small pleasures of everyday life with friends as well as any occasion, from indoor to big outdoor parties.

With its high acidity, it lends itself well to spicy Asian dishes. If can also pair with seafood dishes and snacks due to its low alcohol volume.

For proper enjoyment, Prosecco should be served very chilled.

Ghanaian Kenkey with fresh fish stew Biwom Iklaki

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enkey is one of Ghana’s most popular staple foods. It can be found on most dinner tables irrespective of social class. I have heard so much about this meal and how it can be eaten with many different sauces that I thought we should try the recipe this week. I hope you have as much fun making it as I know I will.

INGREDIENTS (KENKEY) 2kg maize flour (e.g cornflour or cornmeal) white cornmeal is preferred METHOD: To prepare Kenkey from scratch, the maize flour first has to be fermented. It’s mixed with just enough warm water to wet it before being allowed to ferment (covered with a clean cloth) for two to three days to form maize dough. It has slightly sour aroma when properly fer-

mented.

The resultant dough is kneaded with the hands until it is thoroughly mixed and has stiffened slightly. At this point, it’s divided into two equal portions.

Half the fermented dough is placed in a large pot along with 250ml water where it’s partially cooked for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly and vigorously (at which point its called aflata).

The uncooked half of the dough is added and mixed-in well. The resultant aflate–

dough mixture is divided and shaped into serving-sized pieces before being wrapped tightly in banana leaves, cornhusks, grease-proof paper or foil. The wrapped dough is then placed on a wire rack above a pot of boiling water and is steamed for between 1 and 3 hours.

The resultant meal is deliciously tasty (think moimoi). Serve hot with your favourite sauce (kidney, shrimp, crab meat, gizzard, chicken or like me, fish).

Culled from digest.bellafricana.com

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Body&Soul

When the clock got sick

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nce upon a time, in a land not too far from where you live, there was a bank whose outside clock was the talk of the town. Clocks usually don’t cause people to talk about them, unless they’re not working right.

The clock was a digital clock, meaning that it was the kind of clock with large neon red numbers that glowed both day and night.

You could read the clock from an entire block away.

The clock sat prominently a few yards above the main doors to a respected bank, right on the corner of a major intersection in town. In some ways, the clock represented the very centre of town.

One day, a few months ago, the time on the clock started slipping backwards a few minutes. At first this didn’t cause any alarm. After all, if you are two minutes late, or two minutes early to an appointment, is there any harm done?

But then the clock’s health got even worse. Not only did the clock slip back more than a few minutes, sometimes it would actually jump forward an hour or two, and then jump back to being a few minutes

late. It was clear to everyone in town that this was a sick clock.

What do you do with a sick clock, though? Take it the clockerenarian?

Take it to a clockpital? Visit a clocktor?

You’re right. Healing a sick clock is not an easy thing to do. First you need to find what’s wrong with the clock, and then you need to find a place that sells the particular part that needs replacing.

You see, a young child on the way to a birthday party burst into tears when he looked up at the clock and realised that he was going to be late. On that day, the clock was running about two hours fast, and the child was in perfect time for the party. The child just thought he was late, because who would ever doubt the time on a public clock?

And then there was the whole wedding fiasco last week. A groom, on the way to his wedding ceremony, noticed that he was two hours early, so he stopped off at the cybercafe to do some web surfing. When he showed up to the ceremony two hours late, the bride and everyone else were not overjoyed to see him.

The straw that broke the cam-

Cross word puzzle

Celebrations!!!

el’s back, though, was last week when an army major was traveling through town. Being an army major, he would regularly adjust his wrist watch to make sure it was perfectly on time. When he saw the clock above the bank, he immediately reset his watch three hours ahead of time. And the next morning he woke his troops at 3 AM to do their regular 6 AM ten mile morning run.

The troops were not amused.

And so they stopped by to pay a friendly visit to the bank manager. “Please, please, please repair the clock above the door of your bank,” they spoke in military unison. “Each one of us would like to chip in $20 to repair the clock,” they added.

The bank manager, a kindly young woman, promised that she would do whatever she could to find a part to repair the clock. She would even take the clock to a clockerenarian, if need be. And she had not ruled out the possibility of driving the clock straight to the clockpital, herself. Her own doctor had recommended some skilled clocktors that she could use when she received the replacement part.

Until the clock was repaired, though, she decided to switch off its electricity. For three weeks the lights on the clock were entirely dark. And then one day a UPS truck drove up to the bank with a very small package. Inside that She is a fiesty, funny, and naughty little ball of sunshine and we wish her favour, blessings, prosperity and uncommon grace above her peers very small package was a very everyday of her life. Amen! small part that made the clock healthy again.

The town sighed a huge What did the pencil say to the other sigh of relief What do you get from a pampered cow? pencil?

A: Spoiled milk. when the clock A: You’re looking sharp. was switched on again. And What do lawyers wear to court?

What did Bacon say to Tomato?

A: Lawsuits! then everyA: Lettuce get together! one reset their watches and What gets wetter the more it dries?

What is the most hardworking part of A: A towel. went on their the eye? merry way.

A: The pupil What do you get if you cross a cat with Phil Shapiro a dark horse?

How do you make a tissue dance?

A: Kitty Perry A: Put a little boogey in it!

Hurray! Celebrating Katriel @ 2!

Gags

MOYIN & FRIENDS

LITTLE LINDER

By Ayo Oyerinde

08034407393

By eei

SUNDAY

Faith 51

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015

Sermon Still on the encroaching culture of death p.54

Sermon Release yourself to the hand of grace p.56

News Jonathan commissions N600m CAN resort centre p.58

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

Š Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Taribo West: From pitch to pulpit

Taribo West was known for his deft defensive skills in his days as Super Eagles defender. The rugged footballer, who was also known for his weird hairdo, tells TAI ANYANWU how he moved from being a footballer to becoming a pastor for the downtrodden in the last 20 years Beginning of the ministry Well, problem-wise I think the complexity has to do with the faith father structure in the land. It is not a big challenge to me.

The good thing is that I have been able to find my place, not to indulge myself in this religious thing that is going on. One of the good things God helped me to discover was to find myself as a kingdom son. And when you find that, it is different from being in a church. And what I found out in Nigeria was this religious concept of people being churchy. And I think that has helped me to just have a balance. And it has been wonderful. I have no regret. The reason is because, where I am coming from, God has built me in the valley. Let me say; this is my 19th or 20th year in the ministry. So, I have been in the valley for a long time and through that I have experienced a lot of things. That experience has helped me to have a balance here in Nigeria. I also decided to come this low so that I can reach the downtrodden whom everybody someway somehow has forsaken. To reach out, preach to the grass roots and build myself to come up with them. So, that is where I am now, and I thank God for how far I have come.

Valley Experience Being in the valley is a process of time.

West There was a man God sent to the valley and in the process of time the valley dried up. I believe that the valley is a preparation centre; that if you have to conquer in I believe that the valley is a Mount Zion, God has to train you in Mount preparation centre, that if you have Hebron first. So, my training process has been to conquer in mount Zion God has a rewarding process. I sent out my David to train you in mount Hebron first. from nowhere. Of a sudden, he hit the base of a military zone and saw a giant just boasting So, my training process has been a and making all kinds of noise. Everybody rewarding process was afraid, even the king was afraid; and of a sudden David said he was going to take off the head of this giant and he launched out.

I launched out a mentorship. I launched out not going to be at peace. When something without a proper training of spiritual cover- is from God, the business is from God, it is ing. And in the middle of that, I was hit by going to be bigger than that man. What He is trial and error. I did a lot of things based on going to do is that He will use you as a chanignorance. In that process, I made my mis- nel to create offices. I started in Milan, Italy. takes and I was able also to learn from those The mistake I made there was that I had peomistakes. God created those mistakes for me ple who were not trained and lacked spiritual to learn and to also build my character in focus. Dem no know tail, dem no know head. order to maintain what would come in the When they went there they scattered everyfuture. These are some of the pitfalls I went thing. I had ushers who were not trained. I put them inside and they scattered. I had peothrough and God saw me through. ple who were running a lot of things in the maintenance team and transportation. Some Pitfalls Pitfalls, like a brother was discussing with of them took my cars and sold them. I use me this afternoon, he said that well I see no to have Kenyans, Ivoirians, South Africans, choir, I see no ushers, I see no this, I see no Ghanaians, everybody was coming. I create that. I said well the reason why I did that is offices without training without any person that I am peaceful. It is only the devil that is saying anything like tell them to be doing

this. They were happy because everybody was relaxed; but none of them was coming for God. They were coming for a star who has made it, who is open to bless people.

At the end of the day, they sold all the cars or sent them to their countries. I learnt from those experiences, never to make madness anymore. So, I am patient with everybody and ready to build the people through what God is bringing ahead of us. By God’s grace, we will do the building. Next month and the upper coming month, I have made up my mind to just be on the deep things that we have in the church. I started it early last month and I cut it off because that is what God is telling us this season in the church.

So that was what I was working on in my message today.

His Message It is building and understanding the power of righteousness, consciousness and the Holy Ghost. I think it is a missing link in the church. The church should be conscious of sin. Nobody in these last days is trying to teach the body of Christ to find themselves in the kingdom. The Bible says seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.

So, when the church becomes righteousnessconscious, I believe there is going to be a balance in the church. I believe that God will help us in the work, to know more about Him and He will take us to where He has appointed us to be.

Church in Italy They have an attendance range. But it is not as much as I used to have because when I was there, I was doing almost everything. I had a lot of economic refugees. When people are out there to survive, it is not easy like here.

Whereas people have to fight to get their accommodation, documents, a job and in the middle of that he has to make ends meet. It is not as it used to be, but it is okay. It is quite a small number but they are well.

Pastor of Italy church I have a young son, Moses, whom I built up. He is there as well as a young daughter also, Helen. We are hearing from them every now and then. And they are doing well at their own level.

Church in Nigeria In Nigeria, the church has been well. Eh! Few challenges that I face here is all about what I was saying. It is the Sunday, Sunday thing; and people’s hearts is far from God. I have been to so many countries, and I have lived in four continents. Africa is my fifth continent. Within these continents I have CO NTINUED O N PAGE 52

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‘I’ll build church in Lagos slum’ CO NT INU ED F R O M PAG E 5 1

experienced the spirits that are in those continents; I think that we are blessed and God is in this country.

But the problem is that we have yet to find the practical fullness of Christ in the body. I believe that in these last days, this is where God is leading the church to. And if you can understand righteousness and be conscious of who you are in Him, then miracles will become easy; the signs and wonders will become easy. Yesterday, I was handling scriptures in the book of James 4:7; it says: “Resist the devil and submit unto God.” Not government, not the system and not religiosity. So, if you can submit unto God, you can get power from there because submission pulls power. It is another form of love. Love is sacrificial. Submission is another form of transferring responsibility. When I submit to you, it means I have possessed myself enough; forget about the materialistic things of existence and look up to you. I can gain knowledge and entrust my future in your hands and that is where we are today. We have a lot of complexities in our government system. We have a lot of youths who are out of job. I believe in these last days, the only answer and solution is in the hands of the Lord. That is where we are today, and what I am teaching in the church. We are building the blocks and God will take care of that.

Why build church in Lagos slum (Laughs)! In the last 20 years, I have been working with God; and I have not still known Him very well.

But in my few years, what I have experienced is that when you work with something long enough, you become close to that thing. And God speaks; in the last few years, He has shown to me the reason why I retired to Nigeria. Almost 16 years ago, He spoke to me and revealed it to me. Even when I was about to leave the field, I had an experience four times, an encounter that I should leave football, that He had given me a gift to do His work. I didn’t want to leave football. The only thing I know how to do is football; and transiting from football to become a pastor was not an easy job.

And even when I made up my mind after the fourth experience, I was still having challenges because the discipline on the football field is different from discipline in the church. I was just out of the key. So, I made a lot of mistakes and I made a lot of blunders.

When I sailed out, I didn’t have any father or mentor to instruct me, tell me and direct me on what to do.

But I thank God because in all these experiences I was able to find my way and stumbled into the hands of a good father who was able to guide me, lead me and tell me what to do. So in the process of this journey, God revealed to me that where He was going to use me to sail out and hit the world is in Africa; that it was going to be in Nigeria and He announced the particular city to me. When I entered Nigeria, L did not start in that city. I started in Lagos, and for me to stay in Lagos I had to keep a momentum not to kill the gift. In that process, I had another revelation that the Lagos church is not going to be in all these big and luxurious vicinities; but that I should go to the people, the downtrodden who have not heard God’s word. The Bible says that in the last days, this word of the father will be preached to all nations. There are people in those places that need salvation; there are people in that place that need to hear the voice of God. He specifically showed me that

Taribo in action

this is our geographical place in Lagos, for us to use. That is why I am working on that and by God’s grace we will have our permanent site on that side.

How ministry began in Italy It started in a jungle. There were a lot of our young girls who took prostitution as a career. And even the system of the Catholics was involved in it. So, it was a heavy mafia trafficking business. When this calling came, I just sailed out.

The good thing is that even then I didn’t have a father or a mother to explain to me how to do it. The Holy Spirit was guiding me. I went into fasting and prayers for six months.

When I came out, I just went out to the streets. Any of these girls I saw on the road, I would pray with them, talk to them and lay hands on them. So this prophetic thing don start since (started a long time ago). They will just be manifesting and the spirit in them will be speaking. In the middle of that, I spoke with some of my good friends in town who looked for a location for the church. The location they found for the church was inside the jungle where the less privileged people and Italians were living. It is Afori in Milan; it is just like Ajegunle in Lagos. it was a big hall that can take up to 500 people and I started the church there. The vision that God gave me is to reach out to the destitute, people whose lives have been battered. People who have divorced, widows, men and women whom someway somehow, life has taken into a nasty kind of lifestyle.;even people whom government has forsaken just like the prodigal son. In the middle of these are problems. God gave us a revelation to call the name of the ministry Shelter in the Storm, Miracle Ministry of All nations. And truly, when they go to meet all kinds of trouble in life, when they enter into that grace, it becomes a shelter

to accommodate them, to secure them, to heal them, to deliver them and restore them. It was a heavy one. That is how we started and since then till now, it has been the function and region of the ministry. I will not look back.

This place is small and will not be able to accommodate.

What we are doing here is to train these young people because if we train them they will be able to manage the people and what God is going to give us.

Support for downtrodden Nigerians The micro system in Nigeria is somehow. But I believe that in the future God will help me to do those things.

What I used to do in those days was that we would talk to banks. I have a lawyer. Number one, when you come we deliver you; and when we deliver you, we give you training, we give you documents and you get employed.

That is empowerment, you have been delivered. The next one is that we talk with a bank, so that all the money you are receiving from your salary you can make a percentage. And in the process of that you can ask for a loan.

That loan could help you have your house and a vehicle.

If it were there, all these boys you see would have been established. But the system here is not as effective as it has to be. But in the future, we are still going to work on that.

I have some prominent bank managers that can render help. So with their income, they can buy a house in Mowe, Ogun State and know someone who can help them buy a vehicle. If he is delivered, he has a house, he has a vehicle and at the end of the day, he has a job and income is coming; what does he need again? It is to stay in his church and be praising his God and God is going to have more people. That is the vision and that is what we’ve worked on for so many years. I was preaching before you came and I told them that most of my girls are relocating. One of them returned to Nigeria, I rented my mother’s house to her because her mother died some years ago and left a very big house in Port Harcourt. When they see me they embarrass me with blessings, with money because I touched them and now some of them are even richer than me. The ones that remember do remember; some I will hear that they have bought houses here and there.

These ones here will get there, amen.

Prophecy and deliverance Yes, my gift is heavily more on deliverance. When this grace comes you can work on the fivefold ministry - the prophetic, apostolic, the evangelistic the teacher and sometimes it comes like prophetic. I can see and just tell somebody what you have and it comes like that. But my talent and what gifted me is deliverance. I am into heavy deliverance ministry. When it comes I can enter into any place and affect the lives of the individual and the place and turn it around. I think I’m operating with the four gifts and I am working hard to get to the fifth gift by the grace of God. CO NTINUED O N PAGE 53

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Faith Born-again experience I came from not a very bad Christian home. My father was a free thinker. My mother was a Baptist. Somehow, we had this Christian foundation. In that process, I was able to break out and became bornagain in Assemblies of God Church. I relocated from my father’s house to live with my friends. And I started attending Deeper Life. I became well grounded in Deeper Life at a young age. I was able to learn something in three years in Deeper Life; but when this football career journey started l backslid. I was doing my own thing until I went overseas. After the Super Eagles victory in Atlanta 1996, we were invited to one occasion in Georgia, USA with the Nigerian Embassy. We went as a team. There was a very great woman of God, whom a night before the event, God had told to go to that event with a message to a young man He had anointed to use for His work in this generation. I didn’t know about that, but at the event, a woman popped up to me and said: “My young man, what is your name?” I said: “I am Mr. Nobody.” She said: “What do you do? Where are you from?” I said: “I am Mr. Nowhere.” She just got angry and left. I just embarrassed her. I didn’t even mind her. I was with my friends; but somehow I walked to an isolated area. Within a twinkle of an eye something slapped me hard on my back, in big multitude at the event.

I looked but did not see anybody within range. I said this was strange; and I heard a voice saying; “This lady that came here to speak to you, do you know who she is? Oya turn; just go look for her.” It was strange. I went back to look for the woman until I located her among the people and said I was very sorry. “My name is this; I live here; this is my address and this is my telephone number.” She said it was okay and gave me her card on which she had written her telephone number. She surveyed my face and said any time I had a problem, I should call the number.

All along I was doing my own thing. But every now and then there was this urge in my spirit I can’t explain that I should call her, I should talk to her, I should tell her what was happening. Every now and then, it was like a burden, like a fire burning in my mind. So, I would take my phone and call her: “Madam, how are you doing?” and all that. She would say she was fine. I talked to that woman for about a year; she didn’t tell me anything until the day she came around. Then, something in my spirit told me that there was something I can’t explain it. One time like that she called and asked: “Where are you?” I said I had relocated from France because when I met her I was living in France. I said I was in Italy. She said that she had a two-week holiday and that she was looking for where she could spend it. I said okay, she should come and spend the two weeks with me. She said she did not have money for ticket and I told her that I would buy her a ticket. She was living in Texas; and I bought a Texas-WashingtonMilan ticket. When she got to Washington D.C., it was like the demonic spirit fighting my life stopped her. It was in transit that they said could not let her come. When I asked what the problem was, they said it was the ticket. There was no problem with the ticket, but they won’t let her come. She now called and said this was what happened. I had my ticket office to make a first class ticket for her and she came. Now, that is another story.

Let’s hear it...

Nobody will tell me that God is not alive.

I was living with a Yugoslavian sister in my house that was sent by hell to destroy me. I saw a lot of things about that lady but didn’t take them seriously. Her name is Yasta Jasmina. I remember that every night, she would leave her body to go to the spirit. All the cats, all the animals in my community or environment would be making a noise. But who was I to know?

‘My deliverance was interesting’ Ethiopian girl, who was also a giant in the spiritual world. This woman of God looked at me and asked if I knew these two people that I kept in my house. I say this one is very pretty, I like am well, well.

Taribo West preaching to the congregation

Resist the devil and submit unto God.” Not government, not the system and not religiosity. So, if you can submit unto God, you can get power from there because submission pulls power

That Yasta would call a dog or talk to any animal and they would hear her and obey her word. While living in that big house, whenever I called her and asked her: “Yasta, how are you?” She would say she was fine. I would ask: “Are you not alone?”

She would say she was not alone; but I should know who she is. She tell me that for my ear, but me I no understand anything. Spiritual darkness; me myself I was inside. I had another sister in the house.

If we talk stories eh my deliverance is another thing. I used to have a Senegalese friend, my manager. He would to carry me to juju (witch doctors’) places in his country. They would cook me (do rituals on him). After they cooked me, they would cut my legs, my hand and my tongue. When they finished cooking me, they would tell me to go. Power don enter me now. If I stand for defence, no player go fit dribble pass me. I go stand gidigba.

Ignorance; I was spending money for all that; some players still dribbled me and scored goals.

But people said you were unconquerable.

Leave that one for Naija (Nigeria).This one, I dey tell you for club level. Dem dey pass me even score goal. Some go even score two goals. I say this something is wrong. They cook me; then give me things; me I carry go. Then back home I was in Celestial Church and Cherubim.

Cele would give a big candle and Cheru-

bim would give a rock. They say if I take this rock play, no hand go fit break am. I was ignorant to the point of madness. At the end of the day, I found out that something was missing. I was an empty vessel.

I had fame, I had a name and I had money; but I didn’t have peace. I was in bondage; and heavy bondage, my brother, because I was involved in a lot of yeye power wey e no get head e no get tail. Meanwhile, the power in me is greater than any other power and I didn’t know. And everybody was manipulating me. This one would take money from my hand tell me one lie; another would take money from my hand and tell another lie. My manager was just using me to make money for himself with juju wey no get head no get tail. And who was I to know because where I was coming from no father taught me anything, no mother taught me anything till that woman of God came? I picked her from the airport. The good thing was that I had a lot of Christian songs in my car and I kept playing songs. I no knows say it was motivating the woman because she come into the spirit with songs. We got to my house; as I opened the door for her to come in she said: “Ah! Taribo which spirit you take dey live for this house; which power?” I said: “Which kind power? I beg enter me I get work.” This was because it was time for me to go for training. And the training ground is as far as travelling from Ikeja to Ikorodu. But it is not like Lagos here where you have traffic problems. When you burst out on the expressway you will be there in a short time. The woman paused for like two minutes to take a long look at me and hissed as in this one no sabi anything. She managed to enter and I left; we had two trainings that day, so I came in late around 6pm. I greeted her happily because I was happy to see her.

She asked: “Who be that white girl wey you put for house?” I said that one na one of my girl friends I just de play with am.

She replied: “You dey play with what?”

She said okay.

Beside that one I had a very pretty

Dem no dey fight?

They no dey talk to each other. The Ethiopian one would stay in the sitting room; the Yugoslavian one would stay in her room. I dey try to make them to talk but dem no dey talk together. So, the woman told me that this Ethiopian one is a wild cat in the spirit and she does not compromise. She will finish you. Then this Yugoslavian one is a queen and a lion in her kingdom. When she was talking I didn’t mind her as my mind was on something else. I was using them to satisfy my fleshly desire. So, she said we would go for Bible class. The Ethiopian girl sneaked away but the Yugoslavian was with me and could not avoid the Bible class. In the Bible class, the power of God struck. Earlier in the service, the woman of God told me that the Yugoslavian girl was distracting her; but me a no know. They were fighting spiritually. The power of God threw her down and she began to growl like a lion. The woman of God said to me ‘you see wetin you dey carry,’ my mouth was shut. Goose pimples appeared on my skin. She was growling and manifesting from one animal to the other. The woman of God said: “See wetin you carry enter your house.” Then the snake girl attacked the woman of God who ordered her to say whom she really is. She said she was sent from hell to destroy me. We recorded her confessions on video. It didn’t believe that what I was seeing was living in my house. Before I knew it, the power of God hit me. I did not know where I was for a while, only for me to wake up feeling that something had broken off my life. This was the first time I ever had peace, real peace and rest. Then I looked at myself and went back to my house. Back in the house, my kitchen, the windows, everything was open. The entire juju that my manager gave me to play football was scattered; everything came out by itself, nobody brought them out. After a while, the woman came to the kitchen, saw the mess and then she started giving me prophesies about what I would become and how God would use me. She then told me what transpired before she came to Atlanta and why she came to meet with me. I recorded everything. After that day till today, my life changed. I saw God live.

What became of the girls?

Before then, I had four women in my life. They all came to abort my destiny; but this deliverance saved me. The Ethiopian and Yugoslavian girls took my knee at a time. I woke up one morning and felt pains in my knee as if it had been crushed. Nobody hit me. I did not have any injury from any game. I just woke up one morning and couldn’t stand.

It was during the deliverance that she told us that my leg was deposited on the altar of their kingdom. After, I had a dream and saw that the stadium where I was playing was where witches were meeting. I saw my leg on top of their altar and blood was rushing. I snatched it and ran away.

After a week, no doctor touched me, my leg was restored. The girls no stay, they packed their things and left by themselves. Before if I asked them to go, they would say they won’t leave. Na she carry her things and say she dey find her level.

Since then, when that woman of God, Sister Patience Ikemefuna came, my life has not remained the same.

•Next week, his upbringing and other matters

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Faith

Still on the encroaching culture of death Firm Faith:

Right Reason Most Rev.

Emmanuel A. Badejo fradebadejo@yahoo.

0803 949 4219 (SMS only)

L

ast week, the Catholic Church of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province hosted an international Pro-Life and Pro-Family Conference at Ibadan. The final communiqué of the conference noted that a creeping culture of death, as opposed to the culture of life, is encroaching on life around us. With advancement in technology, it spreads like fire in the harmattan. It aims to dethrone God and enthrone science; and make the absurdity, which a powerful minority wants, to become the morally acceptable.

If we take the line of thought of the great Saint John Paul II: “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” We might just find our society standing on the death row right now.

In our contemporary times, the culture of death is becoming more worrisome because many structures and Institutions which ordinarily are meant to support life are fast placing themselves at the service of a lobby that promotes and encourages death. For example, some advocates of abortion in the United Nations use obscure UN commissions to attempt to wrestle vague, but poisonous language into international resolutions. UN agencies develop curriculum for children promoting abortion. Some donor countries, billionaires, Foundations and UN

agencies fund abortion under the guise of “sexual and reproductive health rights” to work within developing countries. At the UN, government grants are given to Non-Government Organizations to train health care providers in “values clarification” to weaken the respect for the dignity of unborn children as persons. Billions of dollars are spent influencing the laws of different nations and their cultures in order to create an anti-life agenda.

Trends challenging human life and family values 1. The world as a whole will always have its problems and challenges but these challenges should never be confused with ones which have a well-organised and unfortunately sinister origin.

Secular (atheistic, religious, ideological and imperialistic) Humanism is the concept under which they all operate.

These challenges include the modern epidemics of sexism, contraception, immorality, pornography, hedonism, abortion, broken homes, homosexuality, crass materialism, so-called same sex marriages, international terrorism, rape, crisis in the religious as well as family life, and a lot more.

2. Drawing from the articles of faith of Secular Humanism as most succinctly expressed within their cycle, especially that on the “death” of God as well as that of the absence of anything called sin, the evils that these have created are all there for everybody to see. Such terms as fornication and adultery have completely disappeared from human literature – including the books of many of the new age religions, even in Christianity! These two sins are now referred to as pre-marital or extra-marital sex – because for Secular

Humanism, all sexual intercourses are the same, whether pre-marital, intramarital or extra-marital!

Abortion has become “menstrual regulation;” “menstrual induction;” “menstrual extraction;” the “removal of the products of conception;” or the “termination of a mere pregnancy.” Some of these people have also demanded openly that pregnancy be considered a disease. Hence the whole of society is rapidly sliding into a serious moral and spiritual death; and few people are seeing or realising it!

The Church promotes life and family as way forward. Based on discussions and presentations surrounding the issue on sanctity of human life and the values inherent in family life at the Conference, we hereby declare as follows: i. Life is God’s gift and this life starts at conception and can only be taken by Him. Every man and woman is created in the image and likeness of God. Thus, every nation, every Institution, every man and woman must respect, protect and uphold the dignity of human life. ii. The family is the cradle where life is nurtured and protected. Thus, every family as a matter of necessity must create a conducive environment where the value of life is imbued and upheld.

Pastors of souls should pay serious attention to the preparatory stages of marriage for family life and help families facing different challenges to grow, trusting in God without losing their faith. iii. The sanctity and sacredness of sacramental marriage is instituted by God as a union between a man and a woman only. Thus, every other form of union

is contrary to the mind of the Creator.

Inclinations that are inimical to the mind of the Creator must be fought by all, reminding people of what life means and what the family stands for.

Also, credible ethical alternatives about human life, family life, sexuality and relationships should be taught by Pastors of souls. iv. Every form of deception by different Agencies, Organisations and Individuals, to promote the fact that abortion should be seen as a right that can be determined by the individual should be rejected. As such, those who legislate on the laws of our country should reject every pressure and attempt to legalize the killing of babies in the womb. v. The promotion of chastity should be given priority. This should entail a suitable sex education of the young, by the parents, who are the first and best teachers, to school teachers and pastors of souls. Such education should include: “the Love of life; appreciation, love and respect for one’s body; respect for the person of others, regardless of their physical characteristics and sexual orientations; the search for and acceptance of one’s identity and the roles that depend on it; respect for freedom; the sense of responsibility in sexual activity”, among others into consideration.

It is urgent that discerning individuals and institutions defend life and family, the two main gifts that have indiscriminately moulded humanity most positively through the ages against deceitful and post-modernist fads which undermine cultures and our innate consciousness of the Divine. We would simply be saving our own lives.

Oh Lord, trouble the king for my sake (2) Insight Rev.

Femi Akinola

www.thehebrewsng.com

01-790 3163; 0808 584 5864

M

ordecai was a faithful gateman in the palace of King Xerxes.

He had no reputation, being a slave under the reign of this king. In his line of duty, he once foiled an assassination attempt against the king by his security aides, though this act was not rewarded but was recorded.

“During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, …two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes but Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai... All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.” Esther 2:21-23 (NIV) The suffering of Mordecai continued as a gateman until that day that the king could not sleep because God was set to lift Mordecai. The Lord caused an upset in the king’s mind and discreetly directed his thought to the book of Chronicles because of Mordecai. In essence, there was an alarm in the board room of heaven for the sake of Mordecai and an emissary was sent to trouble this king for Mordecai’s enthronement. Are you the Mordecai in that office or establishment? Get set because very soon, you shall be rewarded for your

faithfulness in the name of Jesus.

“That same night the king could not get to sleep, so he had the official records of the empire brought and read to him.

The part they read included the account of how Mordecai had uncovered a plot to assassinate the king... The king asked, “How have we honoured and rewarded Mordecai for this?” His servants answered, “Nothing has been done for him.” Esther 6:1 (GNT) That night marked the beginning of Mordecai’s lifting; he never remained a gateman again. In this scenario, God used his enemy as a mouth piece to set in array his honour. Anybody planning evil for you to demote your destiny, the Lord will use this same means to bring you to your place of honour in Jesus name. Haman thought he had hatched evil against the people of God through manipulation but this became Mordecai’s lifting. The king said to Haman, as you have just said go right now and do it for Mordecai. I close the big gap between you and your helper now in the name of Jesus. Anybody that has vowed to sink your destiny shall die shamefully in Jesus name.

“Then the king said to Haman, Make haste and take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have spoken. Then Haman took the apparel and the horse and conducted Mordecai on horseback through the open square of the city...

Then Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened to his house, mourning and having his head covered.”

Esther 6:10 (AMP) Mordecai was rewarded and he became the king’s second in command in that land. The Lord closed the gap between

Then the king said to Haman, Make haste and take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate him and his destiny helper by divine connection.

“Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants.”

Esther 10:3 (NLT) Can you hear the report of Mordecai?

May be your current placement is worse than that of a gateman, if God could do it for Mordecai, the Bible says, “Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever.” I see God closing up the gap in the name of Jesus. The king wouldn’t ordinarily have rewarded Mordecai so. The great will not help you so readily, they often want to demand something in exchange for whatever help they want to render. But when God is involved, they don’t have a choice than to do it. Who is the king/ruler of this world that is holding what belongs to you? They will not sleep. The same way God remembered Mordecai, so will He remember you in the name of Jesus.

“In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that disturbed him deeply. He couldn’t sleep. He called in all the Babylonian

magicians,… to interpret his dreams for him… he said to them, “I had a dream that I can’t get out of my mind. I can’t sleep until I know what it means.” Daniel 2:1-3(MSG) Before the kings will contact you, they must have become virtually stranded.

The best in the king’s palace will not be good enough until they see you in Jesus name. He called all his sorcerers and demanded to be told his dream and interpretation. This was deliberate because, according to him, if he told them the dream, they could tell him anything (which may not be true) as the meaning. But if they were able to tell him the dream, then he would believe they truly understood what it meant, else they all would be killed. And there was pandemonium in the palace. But all of a sudden, someone said there was a particular boy and so they sent for Daniel.

“When Daniel finished, King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face in awe before Daniel. He ordered the offering of sacrifices and burning of incense in Daniel’s honour.” Daniel 2:46 (MSG) A replay of the dream was made to Daniel in a night vision when he cried to God. The solution to the problem of great people, the Lord will put it in your hands in Jesus name.

How can a king worship a small boy that sits at the gate? I see great men bowing to your God by reason of the solution He will put in your hands in Jesus name.

Surely, God will trouble the kings for your life to be a testimony in this nation in the name of Jesus. Daniel lived in the palace all his life time because the Lord troubled the king for his sake. This will be your own testimony too in the name of Jesus.

To be concluded next week…

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Faith

It’s time to wake up Mystery ofAnxiety Bishop

John Ogbansiegbe

W

0803 341 6327 hatever any person is doing in preparation for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the person should perfect it now. There is no time to waste. Time is very short and the rapture will soon take place. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ requires an immediate and constant readiness from every heaven conscious believer in Christ.

The brevity of time in respect of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ can never be over-emphasised, especially when you consider that almost all the signs He gave relating to His coming have all been fulfilled before our own eyes and in this present generation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ assured us in St John’s gospel 14:2-3 that He will surely come back again. He said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ was very sure that He would come back. His return was a divine arrangement which must be carried out. The two angels that appeared after His ascension also confirmed this fact before His disciples in Galilee, when they said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing

up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” - Act 1:11.

But the big question is: When will He come? How soon will He come? Will He come in this generation? Even His apostles were also bothered by these questions.

Consequently, the Bible recorded in Mathew 24: 3: “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately saying; tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of the coming, and of the end of His world?”

Answering their questions, our Lord Jesus Christ enumerated various events that must take place before the rapture.

His second coming will be in two stages.

The first stage is that He will come like a thief to steal away the ready bride; it will be sudden and swift. When two will be in field one will be taken and the other left.

This is the rapture which will precede the great tribulation. The second stage will be when he will come in glory to reign on earth with His bride and every eye shall see Him. It is important to note that there is tribulation in the world already, but it is quite different from ‘The great tribulation,’ which is also referred to as the ‘The time of Jacob’s trouble.’ The unique thing about this period is that it will be the period of the fullest disclosure of the son of perdition and all his powers. That is the time of the anti-Christ. But one great and blessed scriptural position which remains is that, the rapture will exclude, prevent and remove the ready saints of Christ from ‘The great tribulation.’

The question still remains: How soon

will the rapture take place? One clear and guiding fact is that the fulfilment of almost all the signs given by our Lord Jesus Christ in relation to His second coming is a definite pointer to the brevity of time. Let us then take an analytical look at these signs as it affects our generation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said in Mathew 24: 5 and 8: “Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours or wars: see that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquake, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

In Luke 21:25-26, the Bible said, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s heart failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

Also in 2Timothy 3:1-5 , it was stated, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall abound; covetous , boasters , proud, blasphemes disobedient to parents , unthankful , unholy , without natural affection , trucebreaker , false accusers , incontinent , fierce , despisers of those that are good , traitors , heady , highminded , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

These signs are already the characteristics of our present world. It is relevant to co-relate the events of our present world with the signs enumerated on the above

scriptural verses to show that we are in that last generation which shall witness the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The signs of wars and rumours of wars; in our world, almost all the nations of the world are into one form of war or the other. Listen to your radio or television broadcast and read newspapers, you will know what I am talking about. It may be political, religious or racial war. And millions of the world’s income is being channelled into ammunitions.

The signs of famine: In our present world, starvation is a worldwide problem.

Over 30 million people in various parts of the world die of starvation. For instance, Ethiopia and many other countries of the world are notable cases. Also, the global economic meltdown which devastated the financial economy of many countries of our modern world from year 2007, worse than the days of the Great Depression, is a major sign of His coming.

The signs of earthquakes: Before our present age, earthquakes were seldom occurring. But today, there are frequent cases of earthquakes in diverse places. There is always one major earthquake at least once a month. From present historical data, it has been gathered that over one million people have been killed in this century and over 10 billion dollars damages have been incurred through earthquakes. These earthquakes are continuously on the increase. In recent times, this generation has recorded the most tragic earthquakes such as: Shaanxi Earthquakes: 820,000, 830,000 died on January 23, 1556.

Tangshan Earthquakes: 242,419 – 779,000 died on July 28, 1976.

Antioch Earthquakes: 250,000 died on May 21, 525.

Jesus Christ is The Passover (Easter) the of

Oracles God

Frank Oboden Olomukoro frankolomukoro@yahoo.com

0703 362 1866

G

iven a real focus of what the Passover (Easter) meant, (even though the word Easter is meant to be same as Passover by church tradition, but it is not,. iit is a disguised name that represents the goddess Astarte or Ishtar), we would be able to extract the juices of the benefits of the Passover from the covering of traditional rites associated with the annual commemoration of Lenten fast, sunrise services, Easter eggs, Easter flower, Easter rabbits, to mention just some. Jesus Christ remains the only substance in the Christian Passover through His death and resurrection. If Jesus is the centre of all things to the Christian, then I think we ought to let loose of everything else (traditions, creeds, dogmas) and cleave to Him. Remember, He is the North star, He is the absolute, He is the Ultimate. The Word of God always points to Him not to the church.

People today run after everything else but Christ. They run after denominations; they run after sensations. They hear about miracles, blood, fire, smoke and anointing oil or something, and they run after them.

They run to creed, they will join and un-join but they won’t try to take Christ Jesus. Run into the Word and you’re safe, “because Heaven and earth will pass away: but my Word shall not pass away”

(Matt 5:18). He that heareth my words and believeth on Him that sent me has everlasting life; shall not come into the judgment but has passed from death unto life (John 5:24) HOW THE PASSOVER ORIGINATED

The children of Israel had been in bondage under the Pharoahs for over 400 years. Time came when God decided to deliver them. Moses had been instructed to lead them out of Egypt and save them from the evil of ungodly and despotic rule of Pharoah. Through a series of 10 plagues upon the Egyptians at various times, their waters turned into blood, their land was filled with frogs, gnats, flies, hail, locusts and darkness. Then in one awesome act of God’s ultimate authority, He sent one final devastating plague: every first born of the Egyptian household and animals was annihilated.

But for the Israelites, His mercy shielded them from such judgment. God gave Moses instructions to follow in Exodus 12:1-14. In sum, each family was to take a lamb and all households were to slaughter their lambs at the same time at twilight. They were then commanded to paint the sides and tops of their doorway with some of this blood to spare them from death. This was what the Lord said: “On that same night, I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn… both man and animals… and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt, I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will Pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate for the generations to come, you shall celebrate it as a festival to

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Galatian 1:4) This present evil world spiritually is Egypt the Lord… a lasting ordinance. (Exodus 12:12-14) That is the reason for Passover (Easter) THE MEANING OF THE PASSOVER It is the feast of freedom. On Passover, the Jews commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

They also celebrate the birth of the Jewish nation after being freed by God from captivity. On the other hand as Christians, we remember a historic event of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross to liberate us from Satan the devil, and in a broad sense our freedom from sin to saints.

The Passover was a foreshadow of the coming event in the New Testament. The Passover lamb is Jesus Christ as John proclaimed: “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29). By the death of the Lamb and sprinkling of its blood on the door post and lintel, the death angel passed over the families of the Israelites.

Typing Jesus Christ by whose death on the cross and resurrection, overcame death, and all who believe in Him as the Lamb of God crossed over (Passed over) from death to eternal life “For God so

loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Jews believed in the power of the sacrificed lamb and the sprinkled blood to avert the judgment of God and it did. Jesus in the same vein said, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: (not on the church or priest/pastor) but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Each one must work hard to be free from Pharoah and the task masters of today represented by Satan the devil and his demons, who hold humanity in sin and trespasses as the god of this world. (I Corin 4:4). It is the will of God that you be delivered.

“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Galatian 1:4) This present evil world spiritually is Egypt.

GO TO THE ALTAR FOR YOUR REDEMPTION When you try to substitute Jesus Christ on the altar of your heart for traditional Easter celebration, you are in danger of death. Besides, on Easter, people come to church with Easter flower and gift or Christmas flower and lay them on the altar. God doesn’t care about that flower on the altar. He wants you on the altar: You’re the person for the altar, not your flower or your money. The altar was built for you to sacrifice your own will to His will. Only those who have received eternal life by the personal experience of salvation can and will live eternally. (I John 5:11-12).

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Faith

Release yourself to the hand of grace Taming your Emotions Bishop

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

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eople have run you down; people have made you lose your confidence. But I am sent to assure you that they are not your God. Jesse did not pick David first, he was the last to be shown the prophet but he had been chosen by God. Pharaoh wanted all male children dead, but grace kept Moses.

What about Jacob, whom some of today’s preachers have nick-named a trickster? He was a fugitive running away from the vengeance of his brother, Esau. He landed in the house of Laban and favour was upon him.

When he was about to leave to care for his household, Laban said: “I have discovered that my prosperity is a result of your hand in my business.” On his way back home, he was afraid of Esau and divided his household and property. But God met him in a night encounter and changed him to Israel.

Jacob was a prince with God. It was such a huge responsibility, God the owner of the heavens altered the man’s story. The law of inheritance would have relegated him because he was not the first born. No wonder Paul says God is able to make all grace abound towards you irrespective of what man has said. God is able, God is willing; release yourself to the

hands of grace and you will marvel at what shall become of you.

What more can I say unto you? I take you to the book of Judges, where you will find the story of a man called Gideon. In the church, he was always murmuring and complaining like most of us here. If they say God does miracles, he would ask where the miracles are? It was in the midst of his complaint that an angel met him and hailed him as a mighty man of valour.

He looked around and saw whom the angel was addressing as a mighty man of valour. The angel said: ‘I am talking to you.’ The man whom the angel called a mighty man of valour said: ‘You don’t know what you’re saying.

My village is called Manasseh. It is the least clan in this town. My father’s house is nothing to reckon with. Myself, I am ‘Mr. Nobody’, so how can you call me a mighty man of valour?’

To me the eye of grace is seeing something else that you cannot see.

But this day God will open your eyes.

Elisha prayed and said: ‘O lord, open the eyes of thy servant to see that those be for us are more than they that they are against us.’ There is more on your side, you are bigger than what you think. You are greater than what you think, because the grace of God is upon your life.

After Gideon finished his message of hopelessness, the angel announced to him that he had been chosen by God to lead the war against the enemy.

Gideon said: ‘I think I need so many people.’ And God said: ‘If only he understands my grace.’ The grace of God does not require multitudes to win battles. Go and ask Samson and you will discover how many soldiers lost their lives in thousands. It is not by might or by power, but by my spirit

You need to understand what life is all about, when you do, you will learn to reverence the place of grace.

The favour of God brings a man to limelight says the Lord. God said to Jerubabel, your hand has laid this foundation. Your hand will finish it, not by struggle, but by grace, so begin to shout grace upon this mountain. The grace of God will make every mountain plain before you.

You need to understand what life is all about. When you do, you will learn to reverence the place of grace. The favour of God brings a man to limelight.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of Nigeria would never have raised the money involved in the presidential election but the favour of God according to the workings of grace saw him through to the presidency. That is why Moses told God, if your presence will not go with us, don’t carry us there.

God said to Gideon to prune the number down. He did and God said: ‘It is it okay, go in this thy might.’ The little number that grace is upon will accomplish what multitudes cannot accomplish. Look at the name we have built for the kingdom of God through this ministry. People carrying crowds all over the place have not built anything near that. When you talk about integrity, when you talk about excellence, when you talk about purposeful ministry; when you talk about engi-

neering growth spiritually and raising formidable structures and formidable men and women, everybody talks about Power line ministries.

There was a day I went somewhere for a meeting. It was supposed to start 10am. I did not get there till some minutes to noon due to traffic jams and unforeseen circumstances.

The chairs were arranged in a perfect order, the people to sit on each side were already informed. When I got to the hall by quarter to noon, I looked at the hall in my mind in picture and moved towards the side I thought I belonged to. But to my surprise somebody shouted: ‘No sir, no sir, that is not the side. Your name is on the seat over there.’ I looked at the ‘gurus’ that were sitting on that side and I said within me: ‘What qualified me to be on this side other than grace?’ As I sat there everybody was waiting on the word that would come out of my mouth. So be careful. The Bible says that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. There is something great inside you that God needs to open your eyes to see.

Gideon almost missed it; Gideon almost frustrated the grace of God. Gideon almost aborted the power of grace because he was looking at himself. You are bigger than what you think. You are bigger than what people told you. If you are waiting for people to tell you, they will never tell you the truth.

If this message has blessed your life, you can get more at the Powerline Bible Church. We invite you worship with us at powerline Bible church glass house, Odolowu Bus Stop, ijeshatedo, along Mile2- Oshodi Expressway, Lagos.

Experiencing the wonders of praise (4) The Voice of Dominion by

Bishop David Oyedepo

7747546-8 (SMS only)

L

ast week, I showed you a number of things in what is the weapon of praise. Apart from that, we discussed the virtues of praise warfare, and I listed some of them for clarity of purpose.

As I conclude this teaching for the month of April this week, we shall continue from where we stopped last week. Remember that God created us in spite of our challenges to praise Him. The Bible authenticates this truth in the Book of Isaiah 43:21 which says: This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Also, 1 Peter 2:9 says: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” God expects us to always praise Him because He brought us out darkness into His marvelous light!

Recognise that praise is not what you do when things are working and going well for you. Praise is a sacrifice

-- a continuous sacrifice to God (Heb. 13:15). The Bible enjoins us to praise God continually, when things are working for us and when things are not working (Psalm 24:1). The true worth of your praise is when things are not working for you.

Think of Job! He lost all he had. Despite these calamities, Job worshipped God (Job 1:14-20). So, stop asking where God is! In everything, give God thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). Give God thanks for all things (Ephesians 5:20).

Recognise that God has His fingerprints on each day. Praisers look for God’s fingerprints each day with their praise. Praise-centred people look out for reasons to praise God. Remember that God can heal any disease. It should not be circumstances around you that determine what you should say (Colossians 1:27). If God took a slave like Joseph and made him a Prime Minister in Egypt, He too, can do it for you. However, it will happen for you, if you glorify and praise God from your heart, your circumstances notwithstanding.

Why Must We Praise God? • Praise is where God dwells (Palm 22:3). When you praise God, He inhabits your praise.

• Praise is the spiritual medium by which we transfer the battles of our lives to the Almighty God (2 Chronicles 20:17). When you praise God, He comes to be with you (Ex. 14:13-14). Note that Jehoshaphat and

Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood.

Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God

his subjects transferred the battle to God via praise. Then God set ambushments against their enemies and they were all smitten (2 Chronicles 20:15-24)!

• Praise provokes supernatural promotion (Habakkuk. 3:17-19).

• Praise provokes divine health (Proverbs 17:22). Joy releases your muscles. Joy increases your resistance to pain. Joy puts away death far away from you (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:3 & Joel 1:12). So, don’t let the enemy steal your joy from you.

• Praise provokes delivery of answers to your prayer.

Note that when you pray, you recharge the power base. When you praise, you discharge the devil.

When you give thanks to God, you take charge! For instance, when Jesus gave thanks, He said, “Lazarus come out,” and he that was dead

came back to life (John 11:43-44). As you are praising God, you must be saying what you want to see!

Friend, the praise that is acceptable to God is the one from His children.

Are you a child of God? Being a child of God entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are set for it, please pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

I will be with you next month, if Jesus tarries! This is your year of Heaven On Earth!

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — Understanding The Power Of Praise and The Wonders Of Praise.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.

I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 77475468; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

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Faith

Omo Baba, Kore dazzle congregation As RCCG HOP celebrates

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Charles Ogundiya he fourth year anniversary of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Habitation of Praise Mega Youth Church, with the theme ‘It is my turn to laugh,’ was a time to remember for young and old members of the church.

The three-day celebration began on Friday April 17, with a powerful praise night featuring the selfacclaimed most handsome comedian of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olufemi Fagade, popularly known as Omobaba.

Also in attendance was Kehinde Akinbode (Kenny Kore), former lead singer in the multiple awards winning gospel music group, Infinity AKA Olori Oko and Kunle Akewi.

The congregation hit the road on Saturday to reach out to its immediate community and distributed gifts residents in what was termed ‘Jesus on the Street.’

That phase ended with a football match which saw

the church team losing 5-4 to the contesting team.

The grand finale on Sunday was another moment of celebration as the first minister of the parish, Pastor Sola Owoeye, delivered the word of God powerfully, on the theme of the programme.

Speaking to Sunday Telegraph, the Pastor in charge of the church, Pastor Diipo Omopariola, described the programme as a huge success.

“I can’t but appreciate God for what He has been doing in the past four years in this church.

“The church has moved from being a tenant to the owner of the building we are using now. It was just God and not man that made it possible because the journey has not been easy,” he said.

While appreciating everyone that took part in the programme, Pastor Dee, as he is fondly called, prayed that laughter would come into the life of every member of the church, invited ministers and guests.

Kore prayed for more glory to manifest in the

church.

He said, “When I was told that the church wanted the band to come and fellowship with them during their fourth year anniversary, we were happy and we felt very honoured for the opportunity.

“The scripture says where two or three people are gathered, God is there in their midst. Coming here to sing, dance and celebrate in the presence of God was to bring His presence down into our midst for people to be blessed.

“I felt blessed during the programme. I didn’t just come to minister, but was

also ministered to. I am holding up to some of the words that were said during the programme and I am going back home with more knowledge of God. “I am joining my faith with the church that they will be moving from height to height and the glory of God will continue to shine in the church.”

For Omo Baba, he advised the church to monitor the talents in the church by not allowing them to be lost to the streets.

“This fourth year anniversary is just the starting point and I would advise that they allow the talents

in the church to blossom and not allow them to end up on the streets.

“When they are going to the streets, they should be able to bring more lost souls to the church and not to stay out there on the streets. They should not get to the street and get lost,” he added.

Omo Baba added: “I saw a gathering of energetic and young Christians wanting to praise God and be happy in His presence.

When you see youths working for God this way that means we still have hope for the future and the country as a whole.”

Abanum ‘SMS’ Abraham, the church’s own comedian, was not left out during the programme while the church’s choir and drama group took time to minister to the congregation.

Pastor Owoeye in his message cited the example of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible as some of the people that laughed after being blessed by God. He told the congregation that laughter only comes when a believer’s way is right with God. The programme ended with thanksgiving and the cutting of the anniversary cake on Sunday.

RCCG ‘Season of Total Lifting’ ends today

The church’s ministers cutting the anniversary cake

God’s Mercy Revival Ministries to empower Nigerians Stanley Ihedigbo

The Facilitators and session of the training involves deve lopi n g and mastering leadership skills as a tool for excellence in the 21stcentury marketplace

G Pastor Olagbadegun

Charles Ogundiya

T

he Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos Province 10, three-day programme tagged ‘Season of Total Lifting’ with the theme: ‘My Land, Yield Your Increase’ will end today (Sunday) with an anointing service.

The programme began on Friday, April 24 with a fire prayer at all the zonal Headquarters under the

province with a Red Letter Day at the Provincial Headquarter on Somoye Street in Mulero on Saturday.

According to the PastorIn-Charge of the province, Pastor Olagbadegun, there is the need for total lifting and the need to pray to achieve the lifting.

He called on members to be available for the anointing service starting by 3pm today as they prepare for the new month of May.

od’s Mercy Revival Ministries has announced its plan to empower men and women in skill acquisition and financial support through the Mercy Business Forum.

Speaking with Sunday Telegraph in an interview, the General Overseer of the church, Dr. James Akanbi, said that in marking this year May Day Workers Conference, the church came up with a skill acquisition training programme to empower church members and the general public.

According to him, the scheme would be followed by financial support from the church. He added that the event tagged: ‘The gold standard worker,’ was part

Dr. Jame Akanbi

of the church’s activities to celebrate Nigerian workers.

On the training, the cleric said that professionals from various fields are invited to help the people in the training prorgamme.

He said, “The facilitators and sessions of the training involve developing and mastering leadership skills

as a tool for excellence in the 21stcentury marketplace. Financial discipline for a gold standard worker, 21st century employers’ psychology and 12 basic human capital steps for a job seeker.”

He further said that certificates would given to all participants as well as

startup cash for soap making business will also goes for 20 people.

“Startup cash for bag making business for 20 participants, 10 cameras for people in photography business and 10 others will go home with a laptop. There will be employment opportunities for 30 job seekers and graduates, and academic grants for 50 secondary school students.

“There will also be a scholarship for a three-month diploma in the GOMERM Business School for 80 beneficiaries and N100,000 financial support for two outstanding businesses,” he stated.

Akanbi hosts a cable TV programme known as ‘Empowered Destiny,’ that airs to millions of people within and outside Nigeria.

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Faith

Jonathan commissions N600m CAN resort centre

P

Anule Emmanuel

Oritshejafor

resident Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday commissioned the over N600 million Christian Association of Nigerian’s (CAN) Jubilee Resort and Leadership Centre in Abuja.

The Centre, which is within the premises of the National Christian Centre, Abuja, provides rooms’ accommodation and halls for conferences to the public at a fee.

Thanking God that he witnessed the beginning and end of the project, Jona-

than said that with unity of purpose, the body of Christ can achieve greater things.

He said: “I urge Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of unity and with it nothing can stop us from reaching greater heights.”

He noted that one of the greatest assets from a family to the nation is good leadership.

“I believe this centre will be used to re-orientate and re-focus us.”

He warned that it will not be good if the edifice cannot generate income to at least cater for its maintenance.

“We hope we will be able to generate enough to maintain this centre,” the President added Commending the prudence in the cost of the building, he said that such building and its facilities would have cost three times the cost expended on the project if it was handled by the government.

Speaking at the occasion, the CAN President, Pastor Oritsejafor, said the cost of the building came down because some engineers and other people gave their services free of charge.

Bishop vows to fight Boko Haram

T

he Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri, Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme, has said that he will end Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria through marathon Rosery prayers.

Dashe said that the rosary was potent enough to rid Nigeria of the Islamist terrorist organisation, which had unleashed mayhem on some states in the North-East.

He however explained that God had mandated him to lead others in praying the rosary until the extremist group disappears.

“Towards the end of last year I was in my chapel before the Blessed Sacrament… praying the rosary, and then suddenly the Lord appeared,” Bishop Dashe told newsmen.

The cleric said that Jesus appeared to him in a vision; and didn’t say anything at first, but later extended a sword toward him, and he in turn reached out for it.

“As soon as I received the sword, it turned into a rosary,” the bishop said, adding that Jesus then told him three times: “Boko Haram is gone.”

“I didn’t need any prophet to give me the explanation,” he said. “It was clear that with the rosary we would be able to expel Boko Haram.”

The bishop said he didn’t want to tell anyone, but “felt that the Holy Spirit was pushing him to do so.”

The bishop explained that he had already commenced the Rosary prayers with priests of his diocese.

Addressing the participants at the 2015 congress held on April 17-19 in Madrid, Spain, he urged all to join in the prayers to end Boko Haram according to divine directives.

The event, it was gathered, is being sponsored by the Spanish Catholic sister groups hazteoir.org and CitizenGo to gather ideas on how to preserve the Christian presence in nations where they are most persecuted.

SUNDAY

Sport 59

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Eagles

Mixed grill over Keshi’s return to Eagles p.61

Ebere Orji: The raging Falcon in Budapest

Rugby

Cowrie RFC maintain lead, as Police RFC displace Racing RFC p.61

EPL

Wenger vows to end poor record against Mourinho p.61

Taekwondo

Chukwumerije: A Pillar of Taekwondo, says Danagogo p.61

Deputy Sports Editor Dapo Sotuminu

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

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Dapo Sotuminu

uper Falcons striker, Ebere Orji, who was shockingly left out of the Canada 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup-bound Nigerian squad for reasons best known to coach Edwin Okon, is performing wonders in the Hungarian elite Women’s Soccer League in the colours of Ferencváros TC. Orji, who joined the Budapestbased club in February in an elaborate ceremony, has been banging in the goals with relative ease, the same quality that made her the highest goal scorer in the 2014 edition of the Nigeria Women’s Federation Cup where she topped the chart with four goals. Three of the goals were scored in the finals of the competition against the City of David United FC tutored by former Super Falcons goalkeeper, Ann Agumanu.

Ferencvaros TC, which is the second biggest club in Hungary are enjoying the goal poaching desires of the Nigerian star striker who has scored three goals and had three assists. Orji, had a good game in her debut match against FC Femina which they won 3-0, but she was substituted in the 80th minute when she had a muscle strain.

Team’s chief coach, Balazs Dornyei, was impressed with the Nigerian and expressed his delight at the purchase of the

striker who has made the club dreaded in the women’s league.

A very determined Ebere has promised to replicate the form that gave her three goals and three assists in other matches to be played in the season. Ever since her arrival in the club, she has been the best player in the fold.

She said: “It’s heartwarming to score goals for my club and also help my team mates. I have the determination to score more goals so that the club would be more than encouraged to give me a contract extension, as the deal I signed would expire at the end of the 2015 season. They have the right of extension and I am sure that would be favourable to me at the end of a wonderful season.”

Orji, who was introduced to the Hungarian club by former Super Falcons World Cup star, Maureen Mmadu, a coach with a second division club in Norway, played in the colours of the Nigerian national team in three straight FIFA World Cup finals’ tournaments.

She was at

the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany 2010 and Japan 2012. The top striker also played in the senior FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Germany 2011.

Orji’s three goals were scored

against Astra HFC and Dorog FC. She scored the second goal against Astra in her team’s 4-1 victory and assisted in the fourth goal. In the match against Dorog FC, she scored two goals and assisted in two in her team’s 6-1 victory.

Maureen Mmadu who spoke on the prowess of Ebere Orji in Hungary, said, it is still unbelievable that such a brilliant player was left out of the Super Falcons World Cup-bound team.

Due to her excellent play in matches played so far, the club supporters have made it a tradition to take photographs with Ebere after every match.

“The media in Hungary have been asking her persistently if she would stay back at Ferencvaros TC, as other top clubs have started mapping out strategies on how to snatch her away. She has been telling them that such move would depend on what she wants. She expressed her love for Ferencvaros, but still has to wait to see what happens at the end of the season,” Madu the Nigerian women’s football legend told Sunday Telegraph.

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rsenal host Chelsea on Super Sunday with Arsene Wenger looking to end his miserable record against Jose Mourinho’s side and keep the Blues waiting for the Premier League title in the process.

A simmering rivalry boiled over at Stamford Bridge when Wenger and Mourinho nearly came to blows on the touchline in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Arsenal earlier this season.

The verbal (and physical) sparring has cooled since then, but today’s meeting promises further intrigue. Wenger is yet to beat Mourinho in 12 attempts, and some sports pundit think that record will be playing on his mind.

Obviously Arsene Wenger is going to say it isn’t that big a thing, but it’s in the back of his mind.

You don’t want a record like that against anyone.

Arsene Wenger will know, if they want to compete and win trophies, Chelsea and Mourinho are going to be in the way so they have to start taking points off them.

In last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester United, Mourinho, ever the pragmatist, provided another example of how he can set Chelsea up to frustrate top opposition.

“Wait for a mistake and score a goal,” the Chelsea boss said afterwards. “We were able to make their important players disappear.

Nobody saw them. They were in our pockets.”

Chelsea are the masters of grinding out a result, and as well as finding a way through their defence, Wenger will need his side to be watchful of the brilliant Hazard, who scored the winner against United.

“They mustn’t make mistakes,” Carragher said of Arsenal. “Chelsea are the most ruthless team in the league - they capitalise on other teams’ mistakes. That will be very important from Arsenal’s point of view.”

A draw would suit Chelsea, who are already 10 points clear at the top of the table, so the pressure is on Wenger to finally engineer a victory against his old foe.

Arsenal right-back Mathieu Debuchy made his first appearance since January when he completed the full 120 minutes in their FA Cup semi-final win over Reading.

The experienced French international came in for teenager Hector Bellerin, who had an ankle injury, and will now fancy his chances of starting against the Blues – and a meeting with Hazard, a former Lille team-mate.

It’s a daunting prospect. While some of his team-mates’ form has dipped in the second half of the season, the Belgian has consistently shone, scoring 13 Premier League goals and laying on eight assists.

Hazard has made a habit of producing moments of magic when it counts, and it was his slaloming run in the reverse fixture that drew a foul from Laurent Koscielny for Chelsea’s penalty, which he duly dispatched.

Hazard’s performances have delighted Mourinho, who sang his praises after his winner against United. “He’s a kid, but he is also a family man and he knows he is one of the three best players in the world,” he said. “Responsibility comes with that and he is coping with that responsibility.”

Arsenal versus Chelsea in Super Sunday:

Wenger vows to end poor record against Mourinho

Whether it’s Debuchy or Bellerin, the big responsibility for Arsenal will be keeping a lid on Chelsea’s dangerman.

The superb form of Giroud has been one of the key factors in Arsenal’s recent turn-around. The Frenchman has netted 12 goals in as many games for the Gunners and he is expected to return to their starting line-up having dropped to the bench for today’s FA Cup semifinal win over Reading.

Giroud has been on the receiving end of fierce criticism at times during his Arsenal career, but he

has dramatically improved this season, scoring 14 Premier League goals in 21 appearances compared to 16 in 36 last year and converting 29.9% of his shots compared to 18.18% in 2013/14.

Giroud’s big game record has been scrutinised, too, but he has scored against Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool this season and will be eager to add Chelsea to that list having missed the reverse fixture through injury. Standing in his way, however, will be Chelsea captain Terry, who has excelled under Mourinho

this season.

The 34-year-old hasn’t missed a minute of Chelsea’s league campaign but he will need to be alert to stop Giroud. As well as offering a threat in the box both in the air and on the floor, a big part of the striker’s role is dropping off and flicking the ball on to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey with his back to goal.

If the 1-0 win over Manchester United was anything to go by, Chelsea will sit deep and adopt a defensive approach against Arse-

Arsenal Olivier Giroud battle for the ball against Chelsea’s John Terry in previous cracker

nal. With Terry marshalling such a well-drilled backline, Giroud could face one of his toughest tests yet.

All eyes will be on Cesc Fabregas as he returns to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since his departure to Barcelona in 2011. Arsene Wenger opted not to re-sign him last summer, and the Spanish pass master will be eager to impress against his old side.

Fabregas has added a new dimension to Chelsea’s midfield since his arrival in the summer, and his total of 16 assists is by far the highest in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has not quite hit the heights of his early season performances since the turn of the year, but Wenger is all too aware of the threat he still poses.

Francis Coquelin could be the key to how Fabregas fares. The duo were team-mates during Fabregas’s final three years in north London, but Coquelin has had to bide his time for his chance.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation at the base of Arsenal’s midfield in recent months, averaging more tackles (3.5) and more interceptions (3.8) per game than any Arsenal player in the Premier League.

Wenger will hope for another commanding performance from Coquelin. If he delivers, Fabregas could find it difficult to make his mark on the game.

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Chukwumerije: A Pillar of Taekwondo, says Danagogo

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ports Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Dr. Tammy Danagogo has described late Senator Uche Chukwumerije as a pillar of Taekwondo in Nigeria as well as “an epitome of statesmanship and sportsmanship”.

Dr. Danagogo said this Friday at the residence of the Chukwumerijes in Abuja where he had gone to pay them a condolence visit on the death of their father.

The Minister, who signed the condolence register opened in honour of the late Taekwondo Black Belt holder, said that the National Sports Commission sees late Senator Chukwumerije as part of the sports family.

“We are particularly touched because apart from being an expert in Taekwondo, he imparted the skill of the sport on his children and other Nigerian athletes. We see your father as one of the pillars of Taekwondo in Nigeria,” he said.

Disclosing that the late Senator was an ardent advocate of more funds for sports for the effective administration of the sector, Dr. Danagogo said, “we have lost somebody and it pains us because we didn’t need to lobby him to fight that more funds be given to sports.”

Owumi set to replace Chibuzor in Rangers

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arri Wolves Football Club Chief Executive Officer, Prince Davidson Owumi, is expected to return as General Manager of Rangers International FC of Enugu, the team that brought him to limelight.

Rangers enjoyed one of their most productive years under Owumi and he is now touted to stage a sensational comeback.

Rangers’ General Manager, Paul Chibuzor, will give way to Owumi, it was further learnt.

“Owumi’s family still lives in Enugu and of late, it has not been going very well for him at Warri Wolves. So the likelihood he will return to Rangers is very, very high,” a top source disclosed.

RESULTS

Barclays Premier League Southampton 2 - 2 Tottenham Burnley 0 - 1 Leicester Crystal Palace 0 - 2 Hull City Newcastle 2 - 3 Swansea QPR 0 - 0 West Ham Stoke City 1 - 1 Sunderland West Bromwich 0 - 0 Liverpool Man. City 3 - 2 Aston Villa Germany - Bundesliga Dortmund 2 - 0 Frankfurt Cologne 1 - 1 Leverkusen Hamburger 3 - 2 Augsburg Hannover 1 - 2 Hoffenheim Stuttgart 2 - 2 Freiburg Mainz 2 - 0 Schalke Bayern 1 - 0 Hertha Berlin Italy - Serie A Udinese 2 - 1 AC Milan Spain - Liga BBVA Espanyol 0 - 2 Barcelona Cordoba 0 - 1 Athletic Bilbao Atletico Madrid 3 - 0 Elche France - Ligue 1 Marseille 3 - 5 Lorient PSG 6 - 1 Lille

Mixed grill over Keshi’s return to Eagles

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Damilare Omosanya

he Nigerian soccer fans have reacted to the reappointment of Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi as they believe his past performances were below expectations. They expressed their feelings that the Eagles team needs a serious-minded coach that would improve the team’s fortunes.

The Sunday Telegraph spoke with some Nigerians on Keshi’s return and they expressed mixed reactions.

Michael Orekoya, a student and a lover of football told our reporter that the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to re-appoint Keshi was not good enough as the coach has showed everybody that he is not capable of shouldering the heavy task of

handling a team as big as the Super Eagles. “I am not happy with Keshi’s return, after a prolonged uncertainty of his re-appointment he is not expected to be back in the team. The Eagles need a serious minded coach.”

While Ahmed Ajibola, a trader and a soccer fan told our reporter that: “the return of Keshi shows that the NFF believes so much in him. Let’s give him a chance, actu-

Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone; captain of the winning school, Government Secondary School, Imo, Amadi Chukwuebuka; Most Valuable Player in the Etisalat U-15 School Cup, Nnadi Tochukwu; Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko and Head, Events and Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani, at the grand finale of the Etisalat U-15 School Cup, held at Campus Square Mini Stadium, Lagos Island, Saturday 25th April

Flying Eagles storm Germany Wednesday

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he Nigeria national Under-20 soccer team, the Flying Eagles will jet out to Germany on Wednesday, April 29 to begin their final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that a team of 30 players and 10 officials will depart for Germany from Abuja on Wednesday.

“The boys will arrive in Germany on Thursday, April 30, and would

train there for 22 days, before flying to New Zealand on May 23,” he disclosed.

“The present NFF administration is fully committed to providing the best of preparation for any of our national teams ahead of major international matches of championships,” Sanusi said.

The reigning African champions are expected to arrive at their base in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on April 25, ahead of their first match of the tournament against

Brazil on June 1.

Nigeria, beaten finalists in 1989 and 2005, will also play North Korea and Hungary in Group E of the three- week, 24-nation tournament.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Floyd believes he has an Ighalo celebrates Watford’s promotion edge over Manny

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South West League Week 8:

Rugby: Cowrie RFC maintain lead, as igeria international striker, N Odion Ighalo, has celebrated Police RFC displace Racing RFC the promotion of his club Watford

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he second phase of the South Western League organised by ‘Friends of Rugby’ and sponsored

by CMB Building and Maintenance Company started on Saturday on a bright note.

First game saw Racing Rugby Football of Lagos walked over Lagos RFC who failed to show up for their match and were walked over with 14 points The seconnd game was between Gosar RFC and Eco II RFC started on a cautious note as both teams were skeptical of committing all into attack in fear of a counter -attacking move before Felix Salami of Gosar took the game to their opponent as he scored their first try of the second phase in the 21st minute against Eco II with Gbenga Hammed missing the resulting conversion kick.

Alex Ngbonyebi of Gosar RFC piled more miseries on Eco II RFC with a well worked try in the 33rd

minute with Gbenga Hammed missing the resulting conversion kick.

Gosar RFC took a 15-0 advantage over their local rival from Ajegunle, Eco II RFC into the 1st half break.

Gosar RFC extended their lead against Eco II with the commencement of hostility in the 2nd half with Gbenga Hammed scoring another penalty conversion in the 62nd minute to record 18 points.

Busari Kazeem of Eco II redeemed his team with a dramatic try scored in 71st minute before stepping up again to convert the resulting kick.

Felix Salami of Gosar RFC took the game before Eco II as he scored another good try in the 81st minute of the encounter before Babatunde Shittu missed the resulting penalty as the game ended in 26 points to 7 in Gosar RFC’s favour.

ally he deserves a second chance after failing to take Nigeria to the last edition of the African Nations Cup. We also must not forget that, he won the African title for us in 2013 after the country last won it in 1994.”

Faruq Isah, a student said:“I think Keshi’s re-appointment was a big mistake made by the NFF. The coach’s performance is below average and just as all the top soccer playing countries in Africa have done, we need a world class coach.”

Shola Aminat a sports enthusiast declared that Keshi is not supposed to return to the team. He is shameless after losing other international jobs he still fell back on the Nigerian job. It was improper for the coach to apply for over five national teams jobs across Africa while the NFF were still considering his reappointment. He insulted the country by his action.”

Ibrahim Qoyum a Lagos-based businessman noted that the Nigeria Football Federation would be blamed if the Eagles failed again.”

The ‘Big Boss’ assured Nigerians after signing the new deal that all those who had lost trust in him would in a short while support him again as he would never let them down for the second time.

He promised to rebuild the team and restore the lost glory of the Super Eagles. He also assured the Flying Eagles outstanding players a place in the national team.

Keshi’s contract which is worth N168million is expected to last till 2017 and would be determined by success in the next coming years.

FC from the English Championship to the Barclays English Premier League.

Watford sealed their promotion on Saturday after the Hornets won 2-0 over Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium thanks to goals from Troy Deeney and Matej Vydra.

The feat was also achieved by a combination of factors including Watford’s closest rivals for promotion - Middlesbrough and Norwich City - failing to win on Saturday.

Ighalo played for an hour in the game before he was substituted, with Vydra taking his place.

The attacker subsequently took the time to celebrate the news on Twitter.

“Thank u JESuS, becos at last it all ended in praise,” he tweeted via @ighalojude.

loyd Mayweather believes he has a psychological advantage over Manny Pacquiao ahead of Saturday’s superfight in Las Vegas.

The pair accidentally bumped into each in January at a Miami Heat basketball match, chatting briefly as they came face to face for the first time before exchanging phone numbers.

He looked shocked, like - ‘damn, he’s taller than me. He’s bigger than what I thought he was’.

Mayweather later visited the Filipino in his hotel suite in what has since been described as the turning point in ending the five-year stand-off that had prevented the welterweight rivals from fighting.

It was during those discussions that Mayweather, who stands oneand-a-half inches taller and possesses an extra five inches in reach, detected an element of concern in Pacquiao.

“You can read a guy’s body language. When Pacquiao first saw me in Miami, he didn’t expect to see me over there at the basketball game,” Mayweather said.

“He looked shocked, like ‘damn, he’s taller than me. He’s bigger than what I thought he was’. Just by being in the sport for so long, you’re able to read body language and to read a fighter’s eyes.

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Muritala Ayinla resident-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), yesterday called for the collaboration of the nation’s media with the incoming administration to enable it provide qualitative leadership and desired positive transformation.

Buhari, who made the call at the 2015 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, held in Lagos, said the job of the nation’s media was not over yet, “because if Nigerians must experience good governance, it must be enhanced by a vibrant and robust media to hold the government accountable at all times without fear of favour.”

General Buhari, who was represented at the convention by the Vice –President-elect Professor Yemi Osinbajo, also paid glowing tributes to the nation’s media, saying its vibrancy is not in doubt.

He affirmed that the Nigerian press played a key role in bringing about the present

SUNDAY APRIL 26, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Buhari: I’ll work with media for quality leadership change in the nation’s leadership and other spheres that would be evident soon in the country, urging the media to brace up and play its constitutionally guaranteed watchdog roles in the nation’s democracy.

Buhari said: “The work of the press is not over. The incoming administration would like the press to continue its role of watchmen and women, aggregating the views and positions of the people on national issues and presenting these as lucidly as possible through publication and other channels to the government to guide it in the onerous task of providing good governance for our people.

Stating that the media as the fourth estate of the realm performs a pivotal role, Bu-

hari said democracy cannot survive without a vibrant media to keep the government on its toes always.

He said: “It is important to mention that the press in Nigeria and indeed in many countries influences millions of people daily, as most people make it a habit to read a newspaper or listen to newspaper reviews every morning before setting out for the days’ business.

“And for many people including government officials, the reports contained

in newspapers or the editorial opinions of some of the influential newspapers remain at the back of their minds and influence the basis of discussion and debate among government officials.

“There is no modern society or government that can neglect the press or can function without a vibrant media. It is for this reason that most government agencies, ministries and departments as well as the Presidency or Office of the Prime Minister have press offices manned by media special-

ists and communication officers,” he said.

The Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, in her goodwill message, called on journalists to report the country especially under the new administration in a positive and professional way.

Represented by the Registrar of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Bello-Kankarofi, the Minister also lauded the pivotal role played by the media during the last general elections.

Earlier in his address, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors Mr. Femi Adesina said that the welfare of members had been held in high esteem, adding that plans were afoot to come up with an endowment fund that would take care of editors in distress.

Adesina presented an audited report which showed that the body had over N200 million credit balance, noting that the body had enhanced the career of members through trainings within and outside the country.

‘Agbaje will reclaim mandate at tribunal’ Temitope Ogunbanke

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Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Lagos State, Chief Taiwo Kuye has said that his party will approach the Election Petitions Tribunal to reclaim its mandate from the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate and governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.

Speaking to journalists at the party’s secretariat in Lagos, the state Financial Secretary, said the result of the April 11 governorship election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission was not the true reflection of the electorates and therefore PDP will do the needful to regain its mandate from APC at Election Tribunal.

The PDP chieftain also alleged that APC rigged the

April 11 governorship election in Lagos by colluding with the INEC officials in all the 20 local government areas in the state to increase the votes of the APC governorship candidate.

“Lagosians, having been crying for change for a very long time against the government of oppression in Lagos came out in their thousands to vote for Jimi Agbaje as their next governor and he was adjudged winner of the governorship election by well meaning Lagosians, intellectuals and corporate bodies, going by the field results from our agents.

“Although Jimi Agbaje won the election, very clearly, INEC officials aided and abated by the police gave it to Ambode. The mandate given to Ambode is a temporary mandate,” he said.

Why we are yet to deploy 1,000 CCTVs Muritala Ayinla

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he Lagos State Government has said that it has not dropped the plan to install additional 1,000 close circuit cameras across the state to enhance security surveillance, saying negotiations were still ongoing with the camera manufacturing firms to acquire.

Upon their acquisition, and installation, the cameras will complement existing one in the state to boost security surveillance in some strategic locations.

Speaking at the ongoing 2015 Ministerial Press Brief-

ing, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Onikepo is currently negotiating with the best vendors that sell quality cameras at affordable prices to the state.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, dispelled claims that the CCTV project has been abandoned, saying the specifications of the camera and consideration for other items that would power the CCTV as well as funds were responsible for the delay.

L-R: Chairman, Abeokuta South Local Government Council, Mr. Lanre Edun; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso, during an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by last Friday’s rainstorm to Oba Lipede Market, Kuto, Abeokuta...yesterday

APC wants PDP Reps sacked in Jos

Musa Pam Jos

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he Election Petitions Tribunal in Plateau State has received five election petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress challenging the victory of the People’s Democratic Party candidates during the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Chairman of the Election Petition Tribunal, Justice

Lanre Akeredolu, who presided over the inaugural sitting held at the State High Court Jos, said the petitions were filed by aggrieved candidates of political parties who felt short change during the 2015 general elections.

Justices Akeredolu granted the applications and motion experte sought by the counsel to the APC, Barrister Garba Pwaul (SAN) to compel the Independent National Electoral Com-

mission to make available materials used during the 2015 general elections in the affected constituency for inspection and cross extermination.

Hon. Gabriel Humkup, APC candidate for Shendam/Mikang/Quanpan Federal Constituency filed a petition, challenging the victory of Hon. Johnbull Shekarau of the PDP, while Alice Din, candidate of APC for Bokkos/Mangu Federal Constituency is challenging

Hon. Solomon Maren of the PDP who won the election.

Other petitions filed by Barrister Pwaul, counsel to the APC include a petition challenging the election of Timothy Golu of the PDP against Solomon Gumsher of the APC for Panshin/ Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, while Daniel Dung of APC filed a petition to contest the victory of Barrister Edward Pwajok of the PDP for Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency.

Groups want Dogara as Speaker House of Representatives Mohammed Kawu Bauchi

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Coalition of six associations in the NorthEast under the auspices of Northern Youth Forum has endorsed the candidature of Hon. Yakubu Dogara for the Speaker of the Eighth Assembly of the House of Representatives to be inaugurated June this year.

The Associations are Northeast Students Forum, Northeast Youth

Discussion Circle, Tafawa Balewa/Dass/Bogoro Youth Development Initiative, Northeast Youth Awareness Forum, Bauchi State Women in Politics, and ‘Gidauniyar Talakawa’.

Zonal Chairman of the Northern Youth Forum, Comrade Awwal Gambo said the need for the position to be zoned to the North-East is in spirit of justice, equality, and fair play in the conduct of gov-

ernment business as promised by the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

He explained that Barrister Yakubu Dogara has proven to be a man of integrity, hard work and dedication to his duties manifested over the years in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

According to Gambo, Dogara has served in various committees of the House either as the

chairman or as a member.

Therefore, electing him as a Speaker will not only consolidate on the performance of the House, but further unite Nigerians especially of both faiths.

“We are advising the National Executive Council of the APC, its Board of Trustees and indeed all members-elect to put aside all their differences and make careful assessment of the packs aspiring for the office of the Speaker.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015

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Wenger vows to end poor record against Mourinho

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Bishop vows to fight Boko Haram }58

The Presidential Election The winners and losers (Part 3)

his week, we shall conclude our analysis of the pattern of voting in the last presidential election that blatantly denied GMB a Pan-Nigerian mandate, with the remaining two geo-political zones, North East and North West. Thereafter, we shall remind GMB of the check-list of his many promises to Nigerians.

NORTH EAST In the North East geopolitical zone, GMB had carted home 3,624,919 in 2011, a figure that depleted to 1,832,622 in the 2015 election. GEJ on the other hand, had lost NE to GMB in 2011 when he garnered 2,848,678, a figure that drastically plummeted to 796,588 in the just concluded election, no thanks to Boko Haram, Chibok girls, IDP, PDP implosion, etc. GMB won five of the six states, leaving GEJ with only Taraba. The percentage shows GEJ’s poor performance: Adamawa – GMB (52.7%), GEJ (35.4%); Bauchi – GMB (91.3%), GEJ (8.6%); Borno – GMB (94.3%), GEJ (5.1%); Gombe – GMB (78.4%), GEJ (18.7%); Taraba – GMB (45%), GEJ (53.6%); Yobe – GMB (85.7%), GEJ (4.9%).

The above results show that some sitting governors in states like Niger, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kogi and Benue were beaten black and blue, in their own states, some even shamelessly losing their senatorial seat aspirations. For emphasis, GMB took five of six states in the North East. The result confirms the rumour before the election that some of the governors of the Northern geopolitical zones were secretly working for “their own” GMB, even though they belonged to GEJ’s party. Can GMB use the APC broom to sweep under the carpet, those numerous voters who rejected him here? He dares not.

NORTH WEST GMB’s strongest base as expected was the North West, where he hails from. A predominantly Muslim, Hausa-Fulani region, these geopolitical zones clearly underlined the politics of religion and ethnicity that bedevilled the last election, in the same measure that South South and South East exemplified these in favour of GEJ. GMB walked away with victory in all six states of the zone, leaving Jonathan to pick 25% in only one, Kaduna. GMB made his largest haul of votes here, which firmly sealed to the coffin of GEJ’s ambition to retain his seat.

Let’s do some mathematics: Jigawa – GMB (85.3%), GEJ (13.7%); Kaduna – GMB (64.5%), GEJ (27.7%); Katsina – GMB (92.8%), GEJ (6.8%); Kebbi – GMB (83.8%), GEJ (14.9%); Sokoto – GMB (80.5%), GEJ (18.2%); Zamfara – GMB (80.4%), GEJ (19%).

In 2011 GMB had hauled 6,453,437, a figure he upped in 2015 to 7,115,199.This figure is about half his total votes across the entire country! From only one out of six geopolitical zones! GEJ, on the other hand, garnered 3,395,724 in 2011, a figure which abysmally depleted to 1,333,709, in 2015.

From the above results, GEJ, more than in any other geopolitical zone, actually lost the election in GMB’s South West home turf, a clear indication that religion and ethnicity played a major role in the election. But, can GMB afford to be president of North West and parts of North East geopolitical zones alone? No. He dares not.

The

Nigerian Project

MIKE OZEKHOME san, ofr mike.ozekhome@yahoo.com 08094777755 (sms only) ALL RESULTS ADDED: THE EMERGING SCENARIO OF A FRACTURED COUNTRY With all these results added, we are faced with the grim picture of a gravely fractured country, wearing the hideous visage of a sorry country yearning for nationhood. It means that absolutely more than half of Nigerian voters rejected GMB in the election.

The margin of 2,571,759 votes with which GMB defeated GEJ, pales into infinitesimal insignificance when compared with the humungous 10,280,334 votes with which Jonathan humbled Buhari in 2011.

THE VOTING SPREAD Noticeably, both President Jonathan and President-elect Buhari, had each scored the mandatory 25% in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states and FCT, Abuja, to satisfy the Constitutional requirement. Buhari however coasted home with a plurality or majority of votes. Significantly, GEJ, the loser, had 25% in 25 states, while GMB, the winner, had 25% in 27 states of the Federation, two states more than GEJ. This is a very dicey situation of nearly the same six and half a dozen, or the same Hamlet and the Prince of Denmark. More interesting is the fact that in the remaining states that both candidates lost, GMB, the winner, had 10% and above in only one state (Imo), while GEJ, the loser, scored 10% and above in seven states (Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna and Sokoto states), showing clearly, more acceptance of GEJ in the North, than of Buhari in the South. Do you now see why he needs to work very hard in bridging this alarmingly yawning divide?

In 2015 of GMB’s 15,424,921 votes, he made a total haul of 12, 228, 491 votes in the North alone, comprising of 19 states, which is well over two-third of his entire votes in the country. This also means that he only got

a pitiable 3,196,430 votes in the entire South comprising of 17 states. This is even less than one- quarter of his total votes in the country.

Indeed, GMB got half of his entire votes in the country from only 7 states of the North West alone, leaving the other half for the remaining 29 states across Nigeria, and FCT. This is not good enough, as it casts him in the unflattering mould of a sectional leader.

GEJ won seven states in the North in 2011, a feat that plummeted to only three states in 2015 (Taraba, Plateau and Nassarawa).

Thus, even with his abysmal performance in the North in 2015, GEJ still managed to have more spread as he penetrated the North (Taraba, Plateau and Nassarawa in the North East and North Central); while GMB could not penetrate anywhere in the entire South South and South East at all. Remember he shared North West with GEJ on a ratio, of at best, 60-40%. GMB, in the 2015 election, won in 21 states (16 in the North, 5 in the South West and none in the South South and South East at all). GEJ, on the other hand, won 15 states (11 in the South East and South South, one in the South West and three in the North.

Can you now see what I term the lack of a Pan Nigerian mandate by GMB in the last Presidential election?.

That same proverbial banana peel is still there, in Aso Villa, lurking around GMB. Can he avoid it? Only time and his actions will tell.

CHECKLIST OF BUHARI’S PROMISES DURING AND AFTER HIS ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGNS On marble like the code of Hammurabi, and recorded by Nigerians, during his electioneering campaigns, after he was declared President-elect, are the following promises made by Buhari and his campaign team, amongst others: 1. Every youth Corper will be paid a stipend for a year after NYSC, until they are gainfully employed.

2. Will pay N5000 to 25 Million poor Nigerians, or most vulnerable citizens, over a phased period of time, ... 5 Million people every year (this will amount to N1.35 trillion naira if paid at once).

3. The exchange rate of the Naira will be 1 Naira to 1 dollar a promise APC has since denied was ever made by GMB. 4. Chibok girls will be rescued after he is sworn in.

5. He will end Boko Haram insurgency during his Presidency, leading from the front, as a General.

6. There will be stability of crude oil price.

7. There will be no more importation of petroleum products within a year of his presidency, for all refineries will be producing at full capacity, whilst new ones will be built.

8. There will be free tuition in all Federal Universities and Polytechnics for all Nigerians.

9. Teachers in the country’s public schools will get free tertiary education from May, 29.

10. One free meal per day for each school pupil across Nigeria.

11. No known corrupt person will be appointed into his Government.

12. He shall end corruption in Nigeria.

13. Petrol will sell for 45 naira per litre, and Kerosene, 30 naira per litre – this was promised by his acolytes, not by him as a person.

14. There will be provision of better and modern trains in Nigeria.

15. Electricity will be stable in Nigeria.

16. Prospect for oil in the Chad Basin and transfer of water from Central African Republic to boost fishing and irrigation.

17. More, more and more.

Nigerians are keeping this check-list for future close scrutiny on deliverance.

THE PROVERBIAL BANANA PEEL Nigerians are very impatient people, having been short-changed again and again, by successive governments, whether civilian or military. Ask GEJ how he frittered away the overwhelmingly massive love, goodwill and support that Nigerians bestowed on him in the 2011 election, with just one stroke of an ill-advised action – the removal of oil subsidy in January, 2012 - barely seven months after he was sworn in as president. He was never thereafter allowed any breathing space, or even a honeymoon period, to romanticise his victory. Many Nigerians never forgave him, for that faux pas, parapraxis and blooper. • Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN

BUSY BODY

By Aliu Eroje

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