5th June 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

NO 2,049

SUNDAY, 5 JUNE, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

Buhari, Kano gov vow to punish Igbo woman’s killers

War looms in Niger Delta

Nigerian Tribune

•Police arrest 3

N200

Pg5

pg44

•As Avengers declare ‘Operation no flow of oil’ •Navy threatens showdown •Nigerians, Ijaw leaders call for dialogue •Analysis: Return of the long knives pg29

We’ve recovered $9.1bn, 183 buildings —FG Pg4

What I tell men who make advances —Shalom

Terrorists plan to bomb during Ramadan Pg4 •Defence Hqts warns

•Publishes list of recovered loot •It would have been illegal to publish names —Lawyers MUHAMMAD ALI: World pays tributes to a legend Pgs 2, 3 & 46

Defamation: Omisore sues EFCC for N10bn

Oyo: Labour leaders give Ajimobi conditions Pg45

•NULGE dissociates self from JNC

Pg6

Gunmen kill naval personnel, 18 others in Rivers Pg41

Alleged invasion of Ambode’s mother’s home Pg45 stirs controversy •It wasn’t a kidnap attempt —Lagos govt

muhammadali1942-2016

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Legacy of the greatest boxer

ORN Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January. 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali learnt to box after his bicycle was stolen when he was 12 years old. Young Clay vowed to “whoop the behind” of the thief, but a local police officer encouraged him to learn to box instead. He would go on to become known as “The Greatest,” and at his peak in the 1970s was among the most recognisable faces on earth. Ali was known for his tendency to recite poems while making predictions about his fights – “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.” – as well as for giving opponents often unflattering nicknames. He referred to Sonny Liston as “the big ugly bear,” George Chuvalo as “The Washerwoman,” Floyd Patterson as “The Rabbit” and Earnie Shavers as “The Acorn.” However, his most controversial, and some would say cruel, nicknames were reserved for his fiercest rival, Joe Frazier. He first dubbed Frazier “Uncle Tom” and then later called him “The Gorilla.” When Ali prepared to meet Frazier for a third time in Manila, Philippines, on October 1, 1975, he frequently carried a toy rubber gorilla with him. At one news conference, he pulled the gorilla out of his pocket and began punching it as he said, “It’s going to be a killa and a thrilla and a chilla when I get the gorilla in Manila.” Frazier, though, took it personally and harbored a decades-long grudge. “It sure did bother him,” Gene Kilroy, Ali’s friend for more than 50 years, told Yahoo Sports. Kilroy said Ali was simply promoting the fights and meant no harm, and that Ali regretted the impact his words had upon Frazier. “I used to tell Ali, ‘Someday, me, you and Joe are going to be three old men sitting in the park laughing about all that (expletive),’ “ Kilroy recalled. “And Ali said, ‘That would be great!’ I talked to Joe and Joe said, ‘No, I don’t want to be with him.’ But he loosened up later and they mended fences.” Not long before Frazier’s death in 2011, he attended an autograph signing and memorabilia show in Las Vegas. Frazier grabbed a copy of an old Sports Illustrated magazine that had a photo of the two fighters and promoter Don King on the cover. “Man,” he said, sounding wistful, “we gave the people some memories, me and Ali.” Ali was at the peak of his professional powers after knocking out Zora Folley in New York on March 22, 1967. He battered Folley throughout and stopped him in the seventh. After the bout, Folley shared his thoughts with Sports Illustrated. “The right hands Ali hit me with just had no business landing – but they did. They came from nowhere,” Folley said. “… He’s smart. The trickiest fighter I’ve seen. He’s had 29 fights and acts like he’s had a hundred. He could write the book on boxing, and anyone that fights him should be made to read it first.” Ali’s boxing career came to a screeching halt after that fight. He’d refused induction into the U.S. Army because he stated he was a conscientious objector. In 1964, Ali converted to Islam after the first of his two wins over Liston, and changed his name from Cassius Clay. He said Islam was a religion of peace and that

he had no desire to engage in combat with those who’d done him or his family no harm. This all went down at the height of the civil rights movement. “Shoot them for what?” Ali asked in an interview after he refused induction. “They never called me nigger. They never lynched me. They never put dogs on me. They didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. What do I want to shoot them for, for what? Why do I want to go shoot them, poor little people and babies and children and women? How can I shoot them? Just take me to jail.” He went on trial in Houston on June 20, 1967. The jury deliberated for only 21 minutes before finding him guilty. He was fined $10,000, faced five years in jail and had his passport taken. He was stripped of the crown and deprived from making a living, but he wasn’t silenced. Ali would go on a lecture circuit, speaking at colleges for as little as $1,500 and as much as $10,000. He desperately needed the money because he wasn’t making a lot after being stripped and he was paying an expensive team of attorneys. Always conscious of his image, Ali joked in one interview that he couldn’t allow people to see his car. “I didn’t want people to see the world heavyweight champion driving a Volkswagen, while all them guys were driving their Cadillacs,” he said. At first, there was a lot of tension in the crowds, as opposition to the Vietnam War had only just started. Gradually, though, Ali swung the crowds to his point of view as the country’s opinion of the situation in Southeast Asia turned dramatically. Ali said that on one series of lectures he was set to make $1,500 a speech for talking to students at Canisius, Farleigh Dickinson and C.W. Post. He opened his wife’s piggy bank and found, he said, $135, which he needed to buy gas and food for his trip. Kilroy said that whenever Ali was paid, the first thing he did was find a Western Union.

“Whenever he’d get paid, he’d go send some money to his mother and father so they were OK and then he sent what was left to his wife and kids,” Kilroy said. Despite his financial difficulties, Ali never lost the courage of his convictions. At one of his speeches, he insisted he had

no regrets. While many tried to convince him of the errors of his ways, he remained steadfast and resolute. He told the crowd that sticking for his beliefs led him to come out on top. Continues on

pg 3

muhammedali1942-2016

The women in his life By Femi Osinusi

HAT Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers to have lived is not in dispute with his dexterity inside the ring. He was surely a beauty to watch anytime he was in the ring. However, behind the great champion lay a dinstinct marital life that saw him married to four wives and having nine children. Ali had a fair share of failed relationships and marriages and by the time he died on Saturday morning, he had married four women who all bore him nine children, as reports said his temperament could not

With Veronica Porsche

enable him to have a good marital life. He was however lucky at the tail end of his life as his fourth and last wife, Yolanda, also served as his carer till he breathed his last. Ali, who is also called ‘The Greatest,’ met his first wife, Sonji Roi, in July 1964 and they got married on August 14, 1964 when he was 22 years old. She, however, left him a little after one year of marriage, Roi’s objections to certain Muslim customs in regard to dress for women contributed to the breakup of their marriage. They divorced on January 10, 1966.She died in 2005. After the divorce, she complained that Elijah Mohammad’s Nation of Islam had ‘stolen’ Ali’s mind and threatened her with reprisals. She was quoted as saying: “I wasn’t going to take on all the Muslims. If I had, I probably would have ended up dead.” One year after, on August 17, 1967, Ali married 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, who converted to Islam and changed her name to Khalilah CamachoAli after their wedding. It was the same year he refused to be conscripted into the military and was immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. They had four children. Nine years after, in 1976, Ali and Khalilah went their First wife, Sonji Roi separate ways.

Khalilah-Ali

With last wife, Yolanda

Harvell and her daughter

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

In 1977, Ali married an 18-year-old Veronica Porsche who he met in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic of Congo) during his ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight with George Foreman. Porsche was one of the poster girls during the fight. Porsche had two daughters for him including Laila Ali, who became a boxer in 1999 despite her father’s objection. She later became an undisputed female heavyweight champion before she retired. Sadly, nine years after, Ali and Porsche divorced in December 1986. A few days after the divorce, Ali married Yolanda Williams. They had been friends since 1964 in Louisville. They never had any child of their own but had one son, Asaad Amin, whom they adopted when Amin was five months old. Before he died, he lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Yolanda. Yolanda converted to Islam from Catholicism in her late twenties. Ali was also said to have had two children from extramarital affairs. The first came in 1972 with a woman named Patricia Harvell and the second, in 1974, to a 16-year-old woman, Wanda Bolton, who changed her name to Aaisha. There have been several others who have claimed to be Ali’s children, including Kiiursti Mensah Ali, a 35-yearold from Houston Texas who bears a striking resemblance to Ali and whose mother, Barbara Mensah, claims to have had a relationship with Ali in his hey-day. Speaking on how it was to marry Ali, one of the wives, Khalilah, said: “we were both alike, strong in our beliefs and our devotion and our dedication to life and what we wanted to do in life. And by him marrying me, I knew I would be the chosen one to help him, guide him that way. Even though he was eight years older than me, I was a little smarter than him and a little bit more educated, too. And helping and guiding him was the best time of my entire life. “See, you guys don’t realise Ali wasn’t the great Muhammad Ali as he is now. He was going in that direction. He was struggling in that direction. He was struggling with people taking everything from him and everything, and I was the only thing that hold everything together. … I was using my own college money to support us for three years, and I never let him know about it because I didn’t want him to feel bad as a man. “So, you know, I kind of guided him along the way, and it was it was a wonderful struggle, and it was tough for him. He was depressed most of the time. He was unhappy, didn’t know what the hell was going to happen to him. So I had to give him that positiveness, that positive ‘Hey, you can have a family. We can do this together. I could write the speeches, and you could speak the speeches, and we’ll become a people’s champ.’ I’m his campaign manager.”

‘He’s the trickiest fighter I’ve ever seen’ continued from

pg 2

“There have been many questions put to me about why I refused to be inducted into the United States Army,” Ali said in the speech to students. “Especially, as some have pointed out, when not taking the step I will lose so much. I would like to say to the press and those people who think I lost so much by not taking the step, I would like to say I didn’t lose a thing up until this very moment. One thing, I have gained a lot. Number one, I have gained a peace of mind. I have gained a peace of heart. I now know I am content with almighty God himself, whose name is Allah. I have also gained the respect of everyone who is here today. “I have not only gained the respect of everyone who is here today, but worldwide. I have gained respect (from) people all over the world. By taking the step, I would have satisfied a few people who are pushing the war. Even if the wealth of America was given to me for taking the step, the friendship of all of the people who support the war, this would still be nothing (that would) content (me) internally.” The Supreme Court would reverse Ali’s conviction in 1971 by an 8-0 vote. But by then, Ali was already back in the ring. He actually returned from exile in 1970. Georgia didn’t have an athletic commission and so he wasn’t banned there. He faced Jerry Quarry on Oct. 26 in At-

lanta, a fight Ali won via a third-round stoppage. After one more fight, a knockout of Oscar Bonavena in the 15th round, Ali was ready to face the undefeated Frazier. According to boxing promoter Bob Arum, the fight nearly took place in Las Vegas, with then-Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt endorsing the fight. “The bad luck was (when arranging the fight) we stayed at the Desert Inn,” Arum told Yahoo Sports. The Desert Inn was owned by Moe Dalitz, a one-time bootlegger and racketeer who was the most powerful figure in Las Vegas. He was also a reputed mobster. Dalitz didn’t care for Ali because he didn’t serve in the war. He saw Arum and Conrad eating breakfast and asked Conrad why they were there. Dalitz went crazy, Arum said. “He said, ‘I don’t want that [expletive] draft dodger in this town,’ “ Arum said. “ ‘It’s not good for the town.’ “ And so the biggest fight in history went not to Las Vegas but to New York a few months later. But Ali would have his days against Frazier, defeating him twice, in a non-title bout on January 28, 1974, in New York, and for the heavyweight title in Manila on October 1, 1975. That was a fight for the ages, remembered as one of a handful of the best in boxing history. Ali won by 14th-round stoppage when Frazier’s train-

er, Eddie Futch, asked referee Carlos Padilla to stop the fight. There has long been question about whether Angelo Dundee, then Ali’s trainer, would have allowed Ali to go out for the 15th had Futch not stopped it. Ali wasn’t nearly the same fighter after that. He’d taken a fearsome pounding in his second career, after his return from exile. His three fights with Frazier, his 1974 fight with George Foreman in Africa and his 1980 bout with Larry Holmes were particularly brutal. Ali’s win over Foreman became known as “The Rumble in the Jungle,” fought in then what was called Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He employed his famous “Rope-A-Dope” strategy in that fight. Foreman was a fearsome opponent at the time, the hardest hitter in boxing with a 40-0 record and 39 knockouts. There were many sportswriters and boxing experts of the day who feared for Ali, such was Foreman’s reputation at the time. “I thought I was going to go in there and just go out and go, ‘Boom, boom, boom,’ and hit him and get him out of there and then go home,” Foreman told Yahoo Sports in 2014. “That was my mistake. This was Muhammad Ali. He was ‘The Greatest,’ and they called him that because he was, but he was also the smartest. He knew what to do. And he did a great job of it.” Source: Wikipedia More stories on pg 46

news

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

We’ve recovered $9.1bn, 183 buildings, others —FG

From Christian Okeke and Ayomide Odekanyin

HE Federal Government, on Saturday, released what it described as an interim report on financial and assets recoveries by the administration.

In the report made available by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos, the federal government made cash recoveries totaling N78,325,354,631.82; $185,119,584.61; 3,508,355.46 Pounds Ster-

ling and 11, 250 Euros from 29 May 2015 to 25 May 2016. He also disclosed that Recoveries Under Interim Forfeiture (cash and assets) during the period totaled N126,563,481,095.43; $9,090,243,920.15; 2,484,447.55 pounds sterling

and 303,399.17 Euros. According to the statement, which is based on the interim report on the financial and assets recoveries made by the various government agencies from 29 May 2015 to 25 May 2016, the funds awaiting return from

Foreign jurisdictions total $321,316,726.1; 6,900,000 pounds and 11,826.11 Euros, 11 cents). It showed that non-cash recoveries (farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and

INTERIM REPORT ON FINANCIAL AND ASSET RECOVERIES MADE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM 29 MAY 2015 TO 25 MAY 2016 Continued from Front Page

4 VAT recovered from companies by ONSA 529,588,293.47 5 EFCC Recovered Funds Account in CBN 19,267,730,359.36 455,253.80 6 ICPC Revenue Collection Recovery in CBN 869,957,444.89 7 Office of the Attorney General 5,500,000,000 5,500,000 8 DSS Recoveries 47,707,000.5 1,943,000.5 3,506,000.46 9 ICPC Cash Asset Recovery 2,632,196,271.71 Total 78,325,354,631.82 185,119,584.61 3,508,355.46 11,250 Recoveries Under Interim Forfeiture Serial Items Naira US Dollar GB Pounds Euro 1 Cash in bank under interim forfeiture 8,281,577,243.92 1,819,866,364.73 3,800.00 113,399.17 2 Amount frozen in bank 48,159,179,518.90 7,131,369,498.49 605,647.55 3 Value of properties under interim forfeiture41,534,605,998.00 77,844,600.00 1,875,000.00 190,000.00 4 Value of cars under interim forfeiture 52,500,000.00 5 ONSA Funds under interim forfeiture 27,001,464,125.20 43,771,433.73 6 Value of Assets Recovered by ONSA 512,000,000.00 7 ONSA Assets under interim forfeiture 260,000,000.00 8 DSS Recoveries Frozen in Banks 658,929,000.00 226,476.20 9 EFCC Cash in Bank under final forfeiture 103,225,209.41 17,165,547.00 Total 126,563,481,095.43 9,090,243,920.15 2,484,447.55 303,399.17 Grand Total 204,888,835,727.25 9,275,363,504.76 5,992,803.01 314,649.17 Funds Awaiting Return From Foreign Jurisdictions Jurisdiction US Dollar GB Pounds Euro 1 Switzerland 321000000 2 UK 6900000 3 UAE 310501 11826.11 4 USA 6225.1 Total 321,316,726.1 6,900,000 11,826.11 Non Cash Recoveries Serial Items Quantity ICPC EFCC ONSA 1 Farmland 22 2 Plot of Land 4 3 Uncompleted Building 1 4 Completed Building 33 145 4 5 Vehicles 22 3 6 Maritime Vessels 5 Total 82 153 4

maritime vessels) during the period total led 239. Meanwhile, following President Buhari’s failure to name looters as promised, some legal pratitioners and senior lawyers have expressed divergent opinions over the issue. It will be recalled that the president had in London promised to reveal names of persons who had voluntarily returned looted public funds. The president also promised to mention the total amount recovered so far by his government. Speaking with Sunday Tribune, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ladi Williams noted that the issue could be looked at from two perspectives. “It is partly right and wrong. It is a matter of discretion. It would be wrong to mention their names if they have returned the money and have not been convicted by any court,” he said. Also baring his mind, Barrister Monday Ubani, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, and a social commentator also stated out that the president must name the looters. “Many us are disappointed by the president’s refusal to name the looters after he specifically promised to do so. “The issue is a bit conflicting because if he names the alleged looters and includes the names of people who have returned their loots it would be illegal under the law because they have not been convicted. However, looking at it realistically and from the point of law, it would be illegal to name the alleged looters,” he said.

Boko Haram plans to bomb during Ramadan, says military •Kills 32 soldiers, as troops kill 19 terrorists DEFENCE Headquarters, on Saturday said that information available to it indicated plans by terrorists to use the Ramadan periods which usually attracts gathering of large number of persons during morning and evening worships and prayers to carry out large scale bombings. Against this background, it advised the general public to be watchful of strange persons and objects in their localities particularly, around places of worships and to promptly report same to security agencies. It further advised that adequate security and surveillance be evolved by respective places of worship to forestall any unwholesome acts by some unscrupulous elements. The defence headquarters, in a statement, reas-

sured law-abiding citizens to go about their normal businesses while efforts were being made to eliminate the remnants of the terrorists from their hideouts as well as address other security challenges in the country. Group kills 32 soldiers Thirty soldiers from Niger and two Nigerian troops were killed in a Boko Haram attack on Niger’s border with Nigeria, Niger’s defence ministry said. “On Friday, hundreds of assailants of Boko Haram attacked the position of the army of Bosso,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “The counter-offensive conducted early this morning helped to retake control of all the positions in the city of Bosso. The

situation is under control,” it added. Since February 2015, Niger has been plagued by Boko Haram attacks in its southeast region. The armed group frequently stages crossborder raids from their stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria. The war between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government has left at least 20,000 people dead in six years and made more than 2.6 million homeless. The Lake Chad region - which borders Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger - has been frequently targeted by Boko Haram and all four countries have formed a coalition along with Benin to fight the group. In another development, the Nigerian Army said

that its troops in Borno on Friday killed a top Boko Haram commander known as Ameer Abubakar Gana and 18 other fighters. A statement issued on Saturday by Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman said several arms, ammunitions, vehicles and other items were recovered during the operation. Usman said in the statement that the commander and his men were killed during a clearance operation on the terrorists’ stronghold at Chukungudu by troops from various army battalions with support from Air Force aerial surveillance. Usman said the operation was conducted following intelligence report about the activities of the insurgents in the area. “Following credible in-

formation on the presence of Boko Haram terrorists at Chukungudu, a carefully planned operation comprising troops of 22 Brigade Garrison and 153 Task Force Battalion as well as Nigerian Air Force Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaisance, was conducted. “While advancing to the location, the troops encountered Boko Haram terrorists’ ambush position at Muskari, Gilam and Hausasi. “During the encounter at the camp, the troops killed 19 Boko Haram terrorists including their notorious leader, Ameer Abubakar Gana. ``They also destroyed the terrorists’ Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making factory and detonated four primed IEDs at the factory’’, the statement

quoted Usman as saying. It said the troops recovered two anti-aircraft guns, one AK-47 rifle and a magazine, a pistol, one rocket propelled grenade, 267 rounds of 7.62mm NATO metal link ammunition and 23 rounds of 12.7mm belt ammunition. It added that the troops also recovered a Canter truck, one gun truck, one Land Rover vehicle and a Toyota (Hilux) pick up. It said two soldiers who sustained gunshot injuries during the operation were in stable condition and responding to treatment. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that ground forces with aerial support from the Nigerian Air Force recently killed scores of insurgents, cleared their camps and rescued many hostages.

news Buhari, IGP vow to punish killers of Igbo woman 5

5 June, 2016

•Police arrest 3 suspects • CAN expresses satisfaction From Leon Usigbe, Chris Agbambu-Abuja, Kola OyelereKano with agency report

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured that justice would be done in the case of the Igbo woman, Bridget Agbahime, reportedly beheaded by a mob in Kano for alleged blasphemy. She was reported to have been beheaded and her head paraded in Kano on Friday after she was involved in an argument with some people. In a reaction contained in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina in Abuja on Saturday, President Buhari said it was “sad and regrettable the developments that led to the killing of Mrs Bridget Agbahime, an Igbo market woman in Kano.” Buhari condoled with the husband of the deceased, Pastor Mike Agbahime, the family and relations, praying that God would give them the fortitude to bear the loss. He also commended the law enforcement agents for apprehending the suspects behind the killing, as well as the Kano State government, which summoned a meeting of Christian and Islamic leaders, widower of the deceased, and security agencies, as soon as the sad event occurred. The statement quoted the president as saying that “justice would be done in the matter,” and urged the people not to take the law into their hands. He equally charged those who may want to use the development to fan the embers of religious or ethnic hatred to remember that two wrongs never make a right, and that when law and order break down, those who become victims are never distinguished on the basis of religion or ethnicity. The statement further quoted Buhari as saying; “The incident at Kofar Wambai market, Kano city, is utterly condemnable, and the state government has been quite proactive. Let us ensure that we keep the peace, as justice will be done. Let us learn to respect one another’s faith, so that we can know each other and live together in peace.” Also, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has condemned the murder. Ganduje gave the condemnation while addressing newsmen after a meeting with Islamic scholars, Christian Association of

Nigeria (CAN), leaders of different ethnic groups in the state and the deceased’s husband at the Government House on Friday night. The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate and barbaric, condoled with the husband of the deceased and her

family. He said that all the stakeholders had unanimously agreed that Bridget’s death was uncalled for and totally condemned the action. The stakeholders also agreed that justice must be done as the suspect had been apprehended by the police.

“The Council of Ulamas and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership have also been urged to publicly condemn the barbaric act in the media,” he said. He promised that the state government would assist the family of the deceased to prepare for the

burial arrangements. In his remarks, the state CAN chairman, Bishop Ransome Bello, said that the Christian body was satisfied with the resolutions taken at the meeting. He also commended the governor and promised to convey the message to his

Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, Akarigbo of Remo Kingdom (right), presenting a staff of office to the new Olotu Ebi Liyangu Akarigbo Remo ruling house, Sagamu, Olotu Olutayo Dendoga Onafuwa, at his residence, on Saturday.

Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran (right); Co-Chairman, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu left), and the new Olotu Ebi Liyangu Akarigbo Remo ruling house, Sagamu, Olotu Olutayo Dendoga Onafuwa, during the presentation of staff of office to the new Olotu Ebi in Sagamu, on Saturday. PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

Ramadan: Await Sultan’s pronouncement on moon sighting , NSCIA tells Muslims By Saheed Salawu

MUSLIMS in the country have been enjoined to be on the lookout for the directive of the Amir Mumineen, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, as regards the commencement of the 1437 AH (2016) Ramadan fast. The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs

(NSCIA), under the leadership of Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, in a statement, which made the appeal in a statement, congratulated the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and all over the world on the occasion of this year’s Ramadan. “Since the last Ramadan fast, the National Moon Sighting Committee (NMSC) of the NSCIA, under the leadership of Mal-

lam Hafiz Wali and Prof. Usman El-Nafaty, assisted by Bro. Muhammad Yaseen Qamarud-Deen, advises the President General of the NSCIA on the commencement of every lunar month. The President General, as advised, always makes monthly declaration of the commencement of every lunar month. “The NMSC had advised the President General that

the crescent of Ramadan should be searched for on Sunday (today), 5th June, 2016 equivalent to 29th Sha’ban 1437 AH. “If the crescent is actually sighted by informed persons on Sunday night and His Eminence is so advised by the experts, he would declare Monday, 6th June, 2016 as the first day of Ramadan.

Sunday Tribune

people within and outside Kano State. Also speaking, Sheikh Abdulwahab Abdalla, who spoke on behalf of the Council of Ulamas, condemned the act which he described also as unIslamic and barbaric. Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has called for calm and reassured the family of the deceased and the public that justice shall be done in the case. In the wake of arrest of two suspects, the IGP has directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) to deploy the Homicide Section of the Department to immediately take over the investigation of the case and ensure meticulous investigation and speedy prosecution of the arrested suspects. He also directed the state Commissioner of Police to sustain the community engagement actions which he is currently initiating with all strategic security stakeholders and community leaders in the state with a view to dousing the tension being generated by the incident. In addition, detachments of mobile and conventional police as well as the intelligence assets of the Force have been deployed to protect citizens and prevent the incident from degenerating into a major security threat. The statement further noted that “the Inspector General of Police and the entire Nigeria Police Family, therefore, condole the family, friends and colleagues of the victim and stressed that the Force shall uphold its mandate touching on criminal justice delivery in the most firm and speedy fashion in this instance and in other cases of this nature. “While the members of the public will be updated on progress of investigation into this case, they are advised to go about their normal activities and resist any temptation to capitalise on the incident to threaten national security as any such attempt will be dealt with. “The Inspector General also calls on Kano State residents and indeed all citizens to imbibe the culture of tolerance, rule of law and peaceful coexistence and to trust and cooperate with the police as we strive to ensure justice in this case.?”

news

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Muslims to pay over N1m for 2016 hajj THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced the 2016 hajj fares in Northern and Southern zones of the country. “This was contained in a statement issued by Alhaji Uba Mana, Head of Media of NAHCON, on Saturday, in Abuja. “The Northern departure zones are: minimum fare N998, 248.92 (with $750 Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), medium fare N1, 047, 498.92 (with $1,000 BTA), and maximum fare N1, 145, 998.92 (with $1,500 BTA). “The Southern departure zones include: minimum fare N1, 008, 197.42 (with $750 BTA), medium fare N1, 057, 447.42 (with $1,000 BTA) while the maximum fare is N1, 155, 947.42 (with $1,500 BTA).” The statement advised the states boards, agencies and commissions to speed up the process of collecting the balance of the hajj fares from intending pilgrims. It also directed the state boards to ensure timely remittance of the balance hajj fare to NAHCON to facilitate early conclusion of necessary arrangements. The statement, however, said that the hajj fare components which include suitcases and uniform are to be determined by the state pilgrims boards, agencies and commissions. Members of the Women Arise Organisation and Kudirat Initiative For Democracy (KIND) laying the wreath at the grave during the 20th anniversary of the death of Mrs Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief M.K.O Abiola, in Lagos, on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

Omisore sues EFCC for N10bn Oluwole Ige-Osogbo

HE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State during the August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has instituted a libel suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged libelous publication. In the suit, which is before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Omisore is asking the agency to pay “the sum of N10 billon being aggravated and exemplary damages for libel and injurious falsehood maliciously published about him on the pages of the Nation Newspaper of 18th May, 2016.” Also joined in the suit as defendant was one Wilson Uwujaren. According to the suit, the publication sponsored by the defendants in the national newspaper, where he was declared wanted had subjected the plaintiff (Omisore) to public ridicule and rubbished his integrity. The statement of claims by Omisore reads thus, “the plaintiff avers that by a publication contained on Page 37 of the Nation Newspaper of 25th May, 2016, the first defendant maliciously declared the plaintiff “Wanted” in connection with a case of re-

ceiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700 million between June andNovember 2014 from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). An excerpt of the defendants’ malicious publication is shown below: “The public is hereby notified that Iyiola Ajani Omisore whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a case of receiving and misappropriating the sum of over N700 million between June and November 2014 from the office of the

National Security Adviser (NSA). He has refused to make himself available to the commission for clarifications in the investigation since invitation via a letter dated 7th April, 2016.” Omisore stated that apart from the advertorial in the Nation newspaper and other national newspapers which had very wide circulation within Nigeria, the publication was widely circulated by electronic media thereby causing its contents to be published to persons resident in various countries of the world.

South African nabbed with cocaine in brassiere at Lagos airport Shola Adekola-Lagos ATTEMPT by a South African lady to smuggle 1.210 kilogrammes of white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine to South Africa through Nigeria has been foiled by anti-narcotics officers. Thirty-four-year-old lady, who was an apprentice chef, reportedly had two parcels of cocaine carefully concealed inside her brassiere on her way to Johannesburg when she was arrested. The drug was detected by a female operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

(NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, during screening. NDLEA commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba, gave the name of the suspect as Lekganyane Lerato. According to Garba; “the suspect was intercepted during routine screening of passengers on South African airline. The drug was neatly concealed but certainly not good enough to escape our notice. She is currently under investigation but will be charged to court very soon.” The suspect, who said she was lured into drug trafficking by friends, declared; “I am an apprentice

Screening of applicants into Nigeria Police Force begins Monday THE Nigeria Police Force has announced that screening of candidates/applicants who applied to be enlisted into the Force will begin tomorrow.

The plaintiff avers that the content of the publication was completely false, misleading and defamatory of the plaintiff, adding that “by the publication, the defendants damaged his character, integrity and personality.” “Sometime in 2014, a company, Fimex Gilt Ltd., presented some proposals to the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki on some of the security services it could render to the National Security Adviser towards combating the scourge of terrorism and influx of terrorists into the country.”

According to a press release signed by Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police and made available to Sunday Tribune, applicants of Oyo State origin should check

their names on the list of applicants shortlisted for screening at the office of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command immediately.

chef in Johannesburg. A friend lured me into drug trafficking. I never imagined that the drug will be detected because it was carefully concealed inside my brassiere. “A female officer requested to feel my boobs, that was how the cocaine was detected. “My travelling expenses were handled by the sponsor who promised to pay me 3,000 dollars when I get to Johannesburg but all my dreams had been dashed following my arrest.” Commenting, the NDLEA Chairman, Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.), expressed optimism that the chances of being caught with drugs are getting higher in the country, saying; “daily arrest of drug traffickers has validated our superiority. Drug trafficking organisations may try their best but they will end up in prison.” The NDLEA boss called on drug cartels to quit the act or be prepared for arrest and prosecution.

el-Rufai launches Kaduna branded fertiliser at N4,000 per bag Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna GOVERNOR Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has kicked off the sales of Kaduna branded fertiliser at N4,000 per bag for the 2016 farming season to farmers in the state. The governor warned against diversion of the products for commercial purposes,saying anyone found sabotaging the scheme would be prosecuted. el-Rufai while kicking-off the fertiliser sales in Giwa Local Government Area of the state,said his administration had pulled the state out of the waste and fraud of fertiliser subsidy being practiced in the past. In 2015, with 40 per cent subsidy,NPK was sold at N3,750 and Urea for N3,600. However, with the removal of subsidy, it is now being sold at N4000. el-Rufai explained that he stopped the past practice of allocating fertiliser to big men “whether they are the governor, commissioners or traditional rulers, politicians or senior government officials.” The governor said: “Today, we are delighted to be back here to formally kick-off fertiliser sales for the 2016 farming season. “When we performed this ceremony in Kachia on 10th June 2015, we promised to improve on the system of making fertiliser available to our farmers. “We have stopped the past practise of allocating fertilisers to big men - whether they are the governor, commissioners or traditional rulers, politicians or senior government officials.”

Ijaw youths commend FG for Ogoni clean up THE Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), on Saturday, applauded the Federal Government for the commencement of the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland. The IYC made the commendation in a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr Eric Omare and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The youth group also urged the Federal Government to extend the gesture to other Niger Delta communities adversely affected by oil and gas exploration. The IYC noted that the formal inauguration was a practical demonstration of political will to implement the UNEP report on Ogoni by the highest political authority. “We are of the view that irrespective of the fact that funds have not been released for the purpose, the effort is nevertheless commendable. “The government is advised to immediately take concrete actions by awarding the relevant contracts and release funds for the actual clean-up to start without delay. “We express our solidarity with the Ogoni nation and salute the courage of fallen and living heroes of the Ogoni struggle such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni 9, Ledum Mittee and others. “This effort by government clearly shows that their sacrifices were not in vain and it is also the triumph of nonviolence struggle. “We recommend the Ogoni example to other Niger Delta people and communities,” the statement read in part.

crimereports

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Though I’m a Muslim, I act as pastor to swindle our victims —One Chance syndicate member Stories by Oluwatoyin Malik

HE Oyo State Police Command recently nipped the activities of conmen who disguised as taxi drivers and pastors to defraud their victims in the bud, when six suspects belonging to two different syndicates were apprehended. While three of the suspects were arrested at Orita Challenge area of Ibadan after they fraudulently collected N55,000 from their victim, the other three suspects were nabbed at Ikolaba area by policemen from Bodija Housing Division. The Orita Challenge suspects include Olaniyi Olojo (51), Sule Adio (55) and Sadia Oladimeji (30) while those of Bodija Housing Estate were James Emmanuel, Aliu Oyewole and Adebayo Shola. Speaking during a press briefing on the arrest of the suspects, the state police boss, Leye Oyebade, said that his command’s search for the fraudsters who had been causing pains to innocent victims in many parts of the state yielded fruits when they were apprehended by the operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad at Challenge area. He disclosed that they dispossessed their victim of N55,000 after taking him to a secluded place “Also on May 16, the three other suspects, using a Nissan Micra car with registration number AJ 265 YNF, picked a passenger that they wanted to dupe at Bodija Housing Estate area. “On realising that she had been picked by a fraud syndicate, the victim reportedly raised the alarm which caught the attention of a member of the public. The passerby quickly alerted a police patrol team attached to the station and with the support of publicspirited people, chased the vehicle until they caught up with it at Oluwo Kekere in Ikolaba area,” Oyebade said. In an interview with Crime Reports, one of the suspects in the first group, Olojo, confessed to the crime, saying he joined the syndicate to make money in addition to what he was getting from book sales.

The two sets of the suspected fraudsters “We usually targeted victims whom we suspect of having some money. One of us, Adio, used to act as a pastor and a prophet. He would relay a vision that the victim should be careful of two witches in her family, telling her that the way she used to have terrible dreams and forget them in the morning was their handiwork. I would come along and he would reveal a vision that my father was fighting over a land which I would confirm. “Adio would ask me to

walk to three junctions ahead to offer prayers, saying that he would have told our victim the name of the person behind my problem. He would warn me not to go the junction with money or charms, asking me to keep them with our victim till I would return. I would do as he commanded and at my return, he would give the name of the person who placed a charm on the controversial land, which I would confirm, unknown to our victim that we belong to the same syndicate.

“When it comes to the turn of the victim, she would also drop her belongings with me. Before her return, we would have boarded a cab.” Narrating the incident that led to the gang members’ arrest, Olojo said that they had succeeded in sending their victim to go and pray at a junction but he did not get to the particular place he was sent to before turning back. “Shortly after the victim left, we went to board a cab, but he returned and started searching for

us. He met us in the cab and raised the alarm. The mob descended on us and beat us mercilessly before handing us over to the police,” Olojo said.” Another suspect, Adio, confessed that though he was a Muslim, “I was acting as a pastor to deceive our victims. I have been doing this business in the past three years. It is easier to get victims to fall for our antics if we pretend to be pastors seeing vision.” The lady among them, Oladimeji, said she joined the syndicate whn her hus-

band died and survival became difficult for her. In the second group, a member, Sola, said “it is true we used to defraud people by pretending that a passenger in the cab stole from his boss and a charm was placed on the money. Any greedy passenger would fall for the story and go along with us while those who are not interested would be allowed to disembark from the car. I was selling planks before I was also duped. That was when one Abass introduced me to this business.”

Customs intercept 10 smuggled vehicles, bags of rice THE Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service recently hit very hard at smugglers as its anti-smuggling patrol teams intercepted several vehicles and trucks conveying contraband items into Nigeria through routes from different parts of the states. Among the contraband were bags of rice, vegetable oil, and bales of fairly-used clothes. Also intercepted by the anti-smuggling patrol of the area command were 10 vehicles of assorted brands and models such as Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet SUV, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Hiace buses, Nissan Van and Mazda 323. Also, the Customs Area Controller, Tolulope Ogunkua said that his area command generated about N4.612 billion as revenue in the first quarter of the year while it also had a total of 72 seizures with duty paid value of N203.65 million between January and April 2016. Speaking with journalists during a press briefing recently, Ogunkua said the seizures were made from different parts of the area

A truck loaded with bags of rice. Inset is the Area Controller, Tolulope Ogunkua inspecting a vehicle loaded with fairly used clothes while other Customs officials look on command. He disclosed that the seizures included a Mack truck with registration number EDE 147 XA loaded with 600 bags of 50-kilogramme rice, a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number APP 531 XD loaded with 397 kegs of vegetable oil, two Volkswagen Golf cars with registration numbers KEY 625 XA

and KMA 179 AA loaded with bags of rice, a Toyota Previa loaded with fairly-used clothes and a Volkswagen bus loaded with 14 bales of fairly-used clothes, among others. The Area Controller pointed out that when the first quarter seizures is compared with the 53 seizures with duty paid value of N145.44 million within the same period in 2015,

the Customs Area Command has had an increase of 19 seizures and a duty paid value of N58.20 million. Ogunkua enumerated some of the significant seizures in the first quarter of 2016 to include 3,103 bags of rice with duty paid value of N24.79 million, 43 fairly-used assorted vehicles with duty paid value of N52.985 million, 66

cartons of frozen imported poultry products with duty paid value of N548,262 and 226 packages of cannabis sativa. He expressed the hope that there would be an increase in the command’s revenue profile in the current quarter through voluntary compliance with duty payment by genuine importers and excise factories.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

life&living

‘Why we prefer other means of

transport to boat ride’

Ambode

Water transportation in Lagos State has witnessed some forms of investment by government, both at the Federal and state levels in recent years. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI examines why in spite of this huge investments, Lagosians avoid commuting on water.

ater is a veritable means of transportation in other climes. For State like Lagos that is sandwiched by bodies of massive waters and lagoons, many would have expected that water transportation will be the State’s major means of connecting the many islands that litter the City of Excellence. From Ikorodu to the Victoria Island, Marina to Apapa and other places connected by the lagoon, many working class Lagosians still take to the roads in getting to their offices. For Chukwuma Anaroke, a banker working with one of the new generation banks in Apapa, going to the office from Costain via water transportation is a risk he would not like to take. Speaking to Sunday Tribune in an exclusive chat, Mr. Anaroke stated that,

“even when the roads leading to Apapa from Costain was very bad and there was chaotic traffic gridlock on the roads, I will rather bike it to the office at a very expensive fee than go to Apapa from Marina by water transport which cost just N150. “I cannot stand the water because I don’t’ like big water. If I ever get onboard any boat, different thoughts will be going through my mind like what if the boats break down mid journey on the water? Unlike a bus where I can easily get down angrily and pick another one or even go for a bike, on water I don’t have such luxury. “I read in the papers news of boat capsizing and people getting drowned. I cannot swim, so why should I go on board a boat? If anything happens, what will I do?” Thoughts like this pervade the minds of many Lagosians and have therefore ren-

Famakinwa

dered the water transportation very far behind the road transportation. Fear factor? According to the Secretary to the Board of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Oluwadamilola Famakinwa, while speaking to Sunday Tribune, the fear factor is aided by the way and manner many of the boat operators drive their boats while on water. In his words, “although there are a general phobia for water, but the way and manner many of the boat operators overspeed has not helped matters. Although there are a number of wrecks along the

Muazu

water channels, the way and manner operators drive their boats could be scary sometime. “A lot of the operators are always overspeeding while driving their boats. So, at top speed, if a boat hits any of this wrecks that litter the water channels, the boat will definitely capsize. We have had that issue with the boat operators, but many of them give excuses that passengers are in a hurry to get to their offices.” On the part of the Lagos General Manager, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Muazu Sambo, water transport Continues pg 10

10 life&living

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘I’ll rather ride on a bike than use water transport’ Continues pg 9 should not be compared to road transport or air transport due to state of investment by government in the water transportation. “You cannot compare road transport to water transport because it is the oldest form of transportation in the world. More so, don’t forget that water transportation is the least developed modes of transportation in Nigeria. This is because over the years, attention has always been on road, air and just of recent rail mode of transport. “Water transportation picked up after former President, Musa Yar Adua approved the dredging of the River Niger. That was when water transportation began to receive the immediate attention that it deserves. “Don’t forget that for water transportation to be on the same level with road transportation, it requires a lot of capital investment like channelization which cost a lot of money. To channelize, the water, there is need to dredge the water to have the routes where the boats will follow. “There is need to build jetties where the vessels will berth. The average cost of a jetty now will not be less than about N1billion. For government to have a standard, ultra modern jetty, it will cost government nothing less than N1billion. “There is also the need to have a terminal building where passengers will come in, buy their tickets, sit down to relax before boarding the boats. Just like the terminals at the airport where passengers wait before proceeding to board the planes, we are not going to keep passengers under the sun at the jetties. We have to build the terminal and attach it to the jetty. All this cost huge amount of tax payers money,” Sambo stated. Concerning wrecks along the water

channels, Sambo stated that, “many of this wrecks were caused by the boat operators themselves. Many of them abandon their bad vessels in the water, and in-turn, this vessels become wrecks over time for other unsuspecting boat operators.” Death on water Despite the LASWA allegation that boat operators over-speed on water, the boat operators have shifted the casualty blame on the passengers who board the boats. Speaking to Sunday Tribune from Venice, Italy via telephone, the President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Ganiyu Tarzan Balogun blamed cowardice on the part of passengers for incessant casualty on water transportation. “The major reason some people stay away from water transportation is due to accident that happens when boats run into wrecks. I will not agree with the as-

Driving a boat once its nightfall is dangerous because visibility is at its lowest. With many wrecks lying in-wait along the channels, passengers are more at risk of boat capsize at night.

sertion that boat operators are not safety compliant. “Anytime there is an accident on water, we ask passengers to jump into the water because that is the only way to stay alive if the boat is sinking. Firstly, we won’t allow any passenger to come onboard if he or she does not agree to wear a life jacket. “With life jacket worn, once the boat is sinking, the only way to stay afloat is to jump into the water. But due to fear of the large expanse of water, most passengers will refuse to jump into the water and therefore go down with the sinking boat. “Once a boat is capsizing, all those who are outside the boat with their life jacket fitted on are safe. That is what we call ‘abandon ship’ in maritime parlance. But due to the fear factor, some people will stay put inside the sinking boat. Such people sink with the boat. “For water transportation to be safe, government has to remove the wrecks along the water channel. Then government has to regulate more against night boat ride. Some of my members fall guilty of picking passengers around 7pm. You will agree with me that any boat that moves from 7pm will get to its destination under nightfall. “Driving a boat once its nightfall is dangerous because visibility is at its lowest. With many wrecks lying in-wait along the channels, passengers are more at risk of boat capsize at night,” Tarzan Balogun explained. Are there returns on investment? While the Federal Government see water transportation as a social service, the State government view it as a money spinner. According to Muazu Sambo, “it is not every investment government expects returns from. “Some services are social. Water trans-

portation and rail transportation are means of mass movement of people. There are some investment government go into just to provide services for people without having it in mind that profit must come in. “Take for example, the Snake Island and its environs. Nigerians live there but cannot access Lagos without water transport. This people are sandwiched on one side by the Port Novo Creek and on the other side by the Atlantic Ocean. “This people are Nigerians. They are Lagosians. The only way they can access main Lagos is by water. So will government say because there is no return on investment from the use of water transport by this people, it will not build jetties or other water infrastructure for them? No, these are social services. “It is not every investment by government that is meant to attract returns on investment in terms of revenue. There are certain investments that are done clearly for social reasons.” For Oluwadamilola Famakinwa, LASWA made so much from water transport prior to the court case between NIWA and LASWA. “About 2 million people use water transport on a monthly basis in Lagos State and we made more revenue prior to the court case between us and NIWA in 2014. We stopped generating revenue after the NIWA judgement was obtained in 2014. “We did not generate enough revenue in 2015 too because the court judgement still subsist. But now that we and NIWA are now collaborating, we are expected to generate much more revenue in 2016,” Famakinwa explained. He however declined to give a figure as to the exact amount LASWA generates from water transport on a monthly or yearly basis.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

feature

Public schools, private controversy

PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE

Govt, stakeholders new ‘war’ in Oyo State The gathering storm in Oyo State over how best to run public schools and the resolve of government to allow private investors run the schools is threatening the peace between labour and government. WALE AKINSELURE examines the cause and how best to calm the tempest.

ontroversies have continued to trail the resolve of the Oyo State government to allow missionaries, alumni and interested individuals to take over the running and management of some of its 631 public secondary schools. The intention of the state government became clear with an advertorial on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, in Nigerian Tribune, when the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology called on interested stakeholders to express interest in the management of public secondary schools by collecting an application form for N250,000. The interested individuals or groups were mandated to show evidence of previous experience in school administration and evidence of financial and management capability to

operate the schools successfully. Subsequently, the stakeholders were invited for an interactive session on Wednes-

Privatisation of education means commercialisation of education and a ploy to remove education far beyond the reach of the poor masses.

day, June 1, 2016. However, the interactive session was not to be as the organised labour movement in he state which had continued to brew its opposition to government’s plan mobilised its supporters to disrupt the scheduled event, chasing away interested stakeholders whom they referred to as “buyers” and “sellers”. While government termed the policy as Public/Private Partnership in the running of schools, the labour movement maintained that government’s move is inherently targeted at privatisation of public schools. At a recent event, Governor Abiola Ajimobi did provide a precursor to government’s move when in response to the request by the prelate of the Methodist Church, Dr Samuel Uche for a return of mission schools to their original owners, stressed that government would critically look at the request. Ajimobi said: “The government will look critically into this request. Your request, however would receive favourable consideration if they are found to be genuine and in the greater public interest. If we receive genuine proposals and we are convinced of

the commitment of such schools to education development, we will consider it. The current state of the economy in the country requires the collaboration and cooperation of all and sundry for us to progress. Any organisation or group willing to partner the government in any sector to accelerate such progress will be welcomed.” However, the labour movement noted that the government took over the private schools by Edict No 14 of 1975 because, “the owners charged exorbitant fees and did not give quality education to students; school buildings were of substandard structures; unqualified teachers were employed; teaching and learning materials were inadequate while classrooms were over-crowded.” Therefore, to them, a return of schools would amount to a sojourn back to the days where owners charged exorbitant fees, failed to give quality education to students, employed unqualified teachers and allowed religious discrimination in pupils’ enrolment. In an advertorial of May 31,2016 in Nigerian Tribune,, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) held that, “Returning schools to forContinues on pg 12

feature

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘Oyo not returning schools based on religion’

Disorganised venue of stakeholders meeting

Labour protesting

Continued from pg 11 mer owners amounts to privatising education, which, in principle and practice, negates the resolution of the UNESCO to which our country is a signatory. Privatisation of education means commercialisation of education and a ploy to remove education far beyond the reach of the poor masses. This, in essence, deviates from the universally acclaimed position on the right of every child to education without any form of hindrance which is also the position in the UBE law signed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.” The fears of the NUT among other stakeholders like the Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS) also include that government’s decision would amount to retrenchment of teachers, which is against the Obafemi Awolowo legacy of free education as well as the Universal Basic Education of 2014 which states that “every government in Nigeria shall provide free compulsory and Universal Basic Education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.” The state government in addressing those fears insisted that the policy was neither privatisation nor was it aimed at retrenchment of teachers but rather targeted at returning and ceding some schools to interested missionaries, communities and stakeholders, in the overall public interest. Archbishop of Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh had described the takeover of schools from the mission by the federal government in the 1970s as a great mistake. “Takeover of schools from the mission by the federal government in the early 1970s was a great mis-

take, a wrong step in the wrong direction, because it resulted in high level of delinquency among teachers and a free fall in moral standards among students and pupils,” he said. Okoh had decried a comatose in the education sector calling for the involvement of the religious missions in managing schools. Archbishop of Ibadan Methodist Archdiocese, Most Reverend Kehinde Stephen had also called for a return of mission schools. Secretary to the state government, Mr Olalekan Alli had maintained that the state government was not privatising or selling its educational institutions but intended to allow individuals, alumni and missionaries to takeover only 10 percent of its 631 public secondary schools. “Government will never abdicate its responsibility of ensuring improved quality of education and maintaining religious diversity; neither shall we negotiate our free education policy among others. We are not returning schools on the basis of religion but on the basis of the set criteria for all interested stakeholders that will be further prequalified. It is intended that less than 10 percent of the 631 secondary schools in the state may be involved in the participatory venture, rather than the erroneous impression that education in the state is being privatised wholesale,” Alli said. Noting that the decision was aimed at raising the standard of education in the state, Alli said the government would ascertain the financial wherewithal and proven managerial acumen of such individuals/missions before government gives the approval for the takeover of public schools.

“We are inviting stakeholders to join us in managing our schools. We will allow individuals, corporate bodies, participate in schools management, they will co-host the schools with us. We will regulate, they will take over infrastructure from us and manage both the personnel and materials. We will provide the regulations. It is for quality assurance and quality enhancement and funding too. “We are giving the schools to people who are interested in educational enhancement. We have alumni associations, school associations that have indicated interest. The government is not commercialising education. What we are doing is attempting to raise the standard of education by allowing relevant stakeholders to participate in the management and running of schools.” In addition, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs A. O. Makanjuola said the process would be gradual. She noted that only JSS1 students and teachers would be initially affected. She said school applicants would not be placed in ceded schools in September while the teachers of JSS1 classes would be given an option to stay with the new managers or with government. Makanjuola had also assured that the government would would not approve requests to take over schools in areas where there were no other schools in the area to place students. “Even after they have satisfied the criteria to take over the schools, government will still decide whether to approve or not. For example, if there is a request to take over a school in a populous area where most of our students are learning, it may not be possible to return

The government insisted that the policy was neither privatisation nor was it aimed at retrenchment of teachers.

such if there are no schools around the area to place our students. They should have a board of governors, quality assurance must be ensured just like we regulate and monitor in private secondary schools. “We give the teachers an option to either go with stakeholders or stay in the service of Oyo state. If they decide to stay in the service of Oyo state, we start by redistributing the JSS1 teachers to other government schools. Then the following year, the teachers in the next class will be redistributed and so on, as the need arises. This will even enhance the availability of teachers,” Makanjuola said. However, some stakeholders have chided the approach of the state government to the matter. They noted that the state government should have consulted all relevant stakeholders before coming up with its advertorial. This would have reduced the opposition to government’s policy like the introduction of N1,000 Education development levy, stoppage of WAEC fees payment which was implemented smoothly. An educationist, Mrs Olabisi Awoniyi said: “The approach of the state government is wrong. The government should be more transparent in its dealings if it wants to return the schools to the real owners. The fears that teachers would be laid off is not unfounded as the new owners would engage their own personnel. The government is seen as using this policy to generate revenue. I don’t think they have the real interest of the people at heart. If it is public/private proprietorship, it should be clear, where the government will have its own role and the partners will have their own roles. It should not be a situation where government asks people to pay some ridiculous amount of money to get the schools.” Librarian, Federal College of Education (Technology), Gombe, Mr Ishaya Dauda notes that the move would complement government’s efforts in improving the education sector. He notes that the clamour of the labour movement and relevant stakeholders should be improved funding of the education sector. “There is no harm in involving the private sector to supplement government’s efforts because of the current situation in the country. Moreover, we have private universities, so I don’t see anything wrong in

allowing private individuals to run public schools. They can run side by side, it’s like a complementary effort. It has always been said that government alone cannot fund education adequately. Though government is encouraged to improve the funding of education, the fact remains that government alone cannot provide the needed education in the country. The clamour of the labour movement should be that government should improve the funding of education rather than that private individuals should not be involved. “On the issue of increase in tuition fee, it is a matter of option. We have private and public educational institutions. Many private institutions tend to provide better facilities than public institutions. After all, we will have only a few of such institutions run by missionaries or private individuals. They just complement each other,” Dauda said. A lecturer in the department of Linguistics, University of Ibadan, Dr Jacob Oluwadoro, supports the policy if the return of schools would enhance effectiveness. “If returning the schools to the missionaries will bring effectiveness, the government should return the schools. There is nothing wrong in that. It will make education better. What we want is the best for our children. If returning the schools to missionaries or private individuals will improve the standard of education, let it be,” he said. On fears that the fees would be unbearable for the masses, Oluwadoro said, “They can’t charge exorbitant tuition fees. We are used to free things. Education can’t be free. If (you say) education is expensive, try ignorance. Many of our children are enrolled in private schools. Let people pay and we see the results. Such government move will make education effective.” The crisis over the takeover of schools however continued on Friday as the Oyo State Police Command arraigned seven members of the NLC who were arrested for allegedly disrupting the stakeholders’ meeting at an Ibadan Magistrates’ Court on a six count charge. Those docked include Mr. Sikiru Bayo Titilola Sodo, Mr. Waheed Olojede, NLC state Chairman, Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi. Mr. Waheed Olajide stood in for the 1st defendant, Akin Ladipo for the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Yakubu Fadare for the 4th and 5th defendants, while Olutayo Oyewale held briefs for 6th and 7th defendants. They were arraigned on charges on alleged assault on the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, destruction of property; disruption of stakeholders’ meeting, chasing of participants, unlawful assembly and acts capable of breaching public peace. The accused persons were later admitted to bail. Additional report by Tunde Ogunesan

5 June, 2016

Awo’s thoughts PATH TO NIGERIAN GREATNESS

On the campaign trail

Fundamental issues in nigeria’s economic development Continued from

Table 8.3 Revenue Raised and Spent by Each Level of Government 1970-71 - 1977-78 (N Million)

Revenue Raised

States

Local Governments

Revenue Revenue Revenue AlloRaised Allocated cated

Office and House Maintenance

5028

3350

7927

17302

29531

21599

18576

12403

Motor Vehicle Purchases

983

1657

2397

5848

29892

9690

9431

5390

Vehicle Advances

3154

1728

4111

10964

20702

19915

20928

12190

Vehicle Allowance

1543

1145

3081

7172

10855

11932

14209

14720

Overseas Visit and Expenses

6026

6566

8550

94320

28499

25863

20020

20160

Telephones

1020

1928

3311

4358

6989

6195

6303

5245

Hospitality

1147

1417

2604

3857

4368

4539

3398

2508

Rent, Furniture and Accommodation

2437

2312

7137

17366

30108

33094

28501

25282

Contributions to External Agencies

1778

2373

4009

3466

6085

10171

9805

7605

Conference and Seminars

1318

1763

3542

5224

5667

7268

5165

2584

Casual Labour Costs

1490

1689

4135

5801

15598

13947

5077

5040

* 1977-78 Reversed Estimates * * 1978-79 Estimates

last week

Federal

Sunday Tribune

Revenue Raised

Gross Total Total Domestic RevProduct enue Rev- Revenue Total at Factor AS% of enue AlloRevenue Cost GDP Raised cated Spent (GDP)

1970-71

758.1

456.0

91.0·

363.0

50.9

81.0

900.0

9442

9.5

1972-73

1390.-

1077.4

142.4

419.9

85.6

120.6

1618.0

11998

13.4

Table 8.5 Estimated Gross Domestic Product, Government Revenue Federal and States), and Educational Expenditure 1970-1980 (N Million)

Education Expenditure

Year

GDP at Current Factor Cost

Govt Revenue as % of GDP (State)

Govt Revenue (Federa)

Variant A

Variant B

Education Expenditure % of Revenue

Ed. Expenditure % of GDP

Variant A (Col 5 as % of Col 4)

Variant B (Col 6 as % of Col 4)

Variant A (Col 5 as % of Col 2)

1973-74

2171.1

1847.4

225.6

504.3

105.3

150.3

2502.0

13135

19.1

1974/75

5171.1

4343.4

335.9

1123.6

122.6

168.6

5635.6

14254

39.5

1975/76

5856.2

4138.4

451.8

2119.6

135.0

185.0

6443.0

14648

44.0

1970

1742.9

18.3

318.6

77.0

81.2

24.2

25.5

4.4

1976/77

7057.2

5642.3

710.3

2072.2

152.6

205.6

7920.1

16040

49.4

1971

1878.2

21.1

397.2

81.0

87.8

20.4

22.1

4.3

1977/78

7966.2

6086.3

810.4

2490.3

210.8

410.8

8987.4

17500

52.5

1972

2055.5

23.1

473.8

85.8

95.3

18.1

20.1

4.2

1978/79

6855.2

5168.1

920.8

2407.9

224.0

424.0

8000.0

19000

41.1

1973

2280.9

24.9

570.2

109.7

123.5

19.2

21. 7

4.8

1974

2554.6

25.0

638.7

135.2

147.0

21.2

23.0

5.3

1975

2861.2

25.5

729.6

160.7

178.6

22.0

24.5

5.6

1976

3204.5

26.0

833.2

188.6

231.8

22.6

27.8

5.9

1977

3589.0

26.5

951.1

217.9

268.9

22.9

28.3

6.1

Table 8.4 Federal Government of (Common) other Charges and Special Expenditures: 1971-72 - 1978-79 (N Thousand) ITEM

197172

19721973

19731974

19741975

19751976

Local Transport and Travelling

26367

21755

35039

62584 122780

19761977

19771978’

197899**

120055

120757

82055

To be continued

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5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Please fish out our son’s killers, family cries out to Oyo police By Oluwatoyin Malik POLICE detectives from the Homicide section of the Criminal Investigation Department in Oyo State Police Command are currently working on clues that could enable them unravel the mystery surrounding the death of 38-year-old Fasasi Wasiu, whose body was found along Konko Road, near Igangan in Ibarapa Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, May 13, 2016. This is just as the deceased’s family members cry out to the police not to allow their son’s death to go unresolved. Some hours before his body was discovered, Sunday Tribune learnt that he left his home at Ayete community at about 5 p.m. on Friday, May 12, after receiving a call summoning him to attend to an important matter at a nearby Konko community. He did not return home until his body was discovered along the road where it was probably dumped, with deep cutlass injuries which were suggestive of the method his killers adopted to eliminate him. His family members are, however, eager to know the reason(s) behind the killing; whether it was for ritual purpose or a business agreement that went wrong. They appealed to the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Leye Oyebade, to help in exposing their son’s killer(s) and bring them to justice.

Before his gruesome murder, Sunday Tribune gathered that Wasiu was a vibrant young man who did his job as a transporter with vigour, taking goods and farm produce to Lagos and other states. According an elder brother of the deceased, Mr Musa Fasasi, “my brother was killed by unknown persons in Ibarapa North Local Area of Oyo State on May 12. The matter was reported at Ayete police station and it has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.” The elder Fasasi disclosed that the deceased was found at a spot along Konko road the following morning after he left home.

“Before the incident, some people called Wasiu on phone, telling him to come for an important matter at Konko community. After the call, he told his family members that he wanted to attend to a matter he was called for at Konko. That was around 5:00p.m. He did not give the identity of those who called him and no one bothered to ask him because they did not feel he could come to harm. “He mounted his motorcycle and left. And that was the last that was seen of him. Family members became apprehensive when he did not return home. The following morning, a search party was formed and it was in the process of the search that his body was discovered along the road, with his motorcycle placed beside him.” Fasasi also disclosed that a personal item of the deceased was found at the scene

BUHS: We’ve accomplished our mission in education —Principal By Kehinde Adio

oday, all the gates that lead to Babcock University, Ilishan, in Ogun State will be opened to receive distinguished people from all walks of life within and outside the country by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo and other principal officers for the 14th graduation ceremony of the institution. From all indications, the proprietor of the institution, Seventh Day Adventist, has invested so much in education development in Nigeria to produce quality graduates in primary, secondary and tertiary education. The development has made the institution to stand out among others in the country. It will be recalled that ever since there had been a problem with qualitative education, especially at the secondary level. Different individuals, groups of people and religious bodies had shown interest in complementing the effort of the government and its bid to revamp the standard of secondary education in the country. In view of this, almost everyone wants to run a school. It is therefore becoming more difficult by the day, to find a school with a proven record of academic excellence in the maze of existing secondary schools in the land. It is even more difficult still to find those few ones among them which not only consistently deliver on academic excellence but also pay attention to producing the ‘total child’. However, in our recent search for secondary schools of repute in the country, for parents to make their choices, Babcock University High School, (BUHS) Ilishan, Remon , in Ogun State has been found to be a school to reckon with in character building and learning among others in state. Sunday

Dr (Mrs) Bola Adebawojo, BUHS Principal

Prof. Ademola Tayo, Babcock VC

Tribune learnt that BUHS started as a private coaching class in the middle of 1994. This was borne out of the need to remedy the case of disruption of academic calendar as a result of incessant industrial actions by the Nigerian civil service at that time. Within a short period, it became evident that the private coaching classes would not be enough to satisfy the spiritual and academic yearnings of the Adventist parents and their children. Thus, on January 3, 1995, Adventist Seminary High School Committee Management was set up to herald the establishment of Adventist Seminary High School (ASHS) which later became Babcock University High School. Sunday Tribune also gathered that the high school became the pace setter for other schools in its environs and even beyond especially in the areas of intellectual, physical, spiritual, social and moral training of the students. The principal of the school, Dr (Mrs) Bola

Adebawojo said: “We recognise that, raising dedicated and qualified leaders is the yearning of nearly all organisations in the country and private and public sectors have been starved of visionary leadership. “In the light of this, we have engaged in sourcing for and hiring qualified, seasoned and dedicated administrators and teachers, irrespective of tribe, colour or race so as to achieve our vision which is to become a first class based institution. Also, our goals and objectives are to become the primus inter paves (first among equals), having products that are being sought for in all fields globally, with our core values of excellence, love and quality services. “Here in this school, the quality of the teaching staff is never compromised. We have highly qualified professional, experienced and God-fearing staff. It is a fact that the quality of teachers or tutors plays a very important role in educating the young minds and will definitely affect the abil-

and had been handed over to the police. Tendering the picture of the deceased taken at the scene where he was discovered, the elder brother said he was found to have been severely inflicted with machete cuts on his two hands, which had been severed at the wrists but held to the rest of the arms by his skin. When asked whether the family is suspecting anyone, Fasasi replied that they suspected no one. “Up till today, we don’t know who could have carried out such dastardly act and what his offence could have been,” he remarked sorrowfully. He described Wasiu as the family’s breadwinner, saying: “What we want is that the perpetrators be fished out and brought to book. Sunday Tribune learnt that the deceased left behind an aged father, two wives and three children, with the second wife pregnant with her second child. Late Wasiu’s first wife who has two children for him was said to be living separately from him while the second wife lived with him with her child. The deceased had been buried in his private residence at Ayete. When contacted, the police image maker in Oyo State, Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the story, saying that detectives at the homicide section were working on the case. “Though we have not made any arrests, we are making progress on our investigations; but I cannot disclose all information so that they would not jeopardise the investigations,” Ajisebutu stated further.

ity and the performance of the students. A teacher can only give what he or she has. Our students are adequately exposed to rich co-curricular activities that are academically challenging. “So, for a student to graduate from the school, he or she must be seen to be fit in learning and in character. This discourages truancy and immoral acts and allows students to place focus on their academic pursuit. “I make bold to say that the consistency of our students’ academic performances in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination over the years speak volume of our success in education, yet we are not complacent. Our vision in education in Nigeria as a church is fulfilled but still working hard to sustain and upgrade it.” Speaking about extra co-curricular activities, she said,”the creation of clubs formed a valuable part of each student’s life in this school. This provides opportunity for enrichment, leadership training and social wellbeing of the students. “These clubs include: Business club, Farmer’s Club, French club, Geographic club, JETS club, Literary and Debating Society, Pathfinder club/Adventist Youth Ministry, Press club and Sports club. “The teaching and learning in BUHS is incorporated with e-learning and this gives students the ability to retain and recall information very fast in their various subjects because it motivates students to learn during the class Moreover, student’s success is also greatly aided by the availability of accurate notes after class for review. Therefore, learning with interactive whiteboards, projectors, laptops and network facility with internet in the classroom enhances effective student’s retention of academic works ,’’ she said.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

5 June, 2016

Prologue: The salutation to Ogbeni of the Living Spring was originally for last week. Democracy Day prevailed in space shuffling. It’s back this week unedited. The time extension can only add to the appropriateness of the heading. God bless.

HIS birthday greeting should have been next year. Then, by the grace of the Almighty God, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola will be hitting the diamond mark. He was 59 last Wednesday. Well, statisticians would prove me wrong. By their “approximately” calculation, you are already a year older, the moment you cross the threshold of one. For statisticians, Ogbeni was already 60 last Thursday. So this could well be a diamond jubilee celebration , just ahead of the original date. Were Segun Bada, my friend and late aide to the governor, to be around, he would have informed me of the birthday commemoration well ahead of time in his usual combative way, in the faulty assumption that I didn’t like someone who should be a big brother to me. Former Osun Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, another friend and brother who could have dropped a line with me about it, seems to have beaten a tactical retreat, possibly not to be seen as dining with the enemy. Today’s felicitation has nothing to do with governance or its critique. It is about shared humanity and brotherly love. It may even come to the celebrator as a bit of surprise. It also means those hard knocks of the past bore no personal agenda imprints. Maybe, some of us were too bothered about history of the future, as it relates to the history of the present made by him as the first Ijesa governor of the State of Osun and what would be said in another 40 years when it would, realistically, be the turn of the Land of Industry to produce another Osun governor. Recently, my friend and brother, Pastor Soji Oye, NJC Director, Media and Protocol took up issues with me for endorsing his governor’s lone oppositional role. He felt this space was too credible for an incredulous act like the Ekiti governor. I explained that circumstances make oppositional elements and every democracy that will survive must have at least one. Our chat veered to Aregbesola. He soaked him in all the superlatives, topping it with “Ona baba ona” (the excellent infrastructure governor). He lamented the paucity of funds

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Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola @60

that robbed the state of Ogbeni’smagic. Was I missing something? It is either outsiders are too far to see what insiders claim to be seeing or insiders are too close not to see what outsiders are seeing. Or maybe Ogbeni is just that proverbial unappreciated prophet at home. I’m leaving Ogbeni’s gubernatorial sojourn to posterity. Just want to greet him at 60, even if months away. Yoruba will say, there isn’t a set time to wear a new dress. Here is a toast to the Omoluabi governor.

President Trump (3) Six, but for a crowded field, he would have garnered more votes than Hillary in the eight-month primary contest, who is now sinking due to the email scandal for which she had been partially indicted (only liable now for civil suit but an indictment by FBI would make it criminal and open

This piece was originally meant to be published on May 29 in commemoration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s one year in office PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari was the choice of majority of Nigerian voters at the last presidential election because he was considered, among the lot that aspired for the office, as the one who could bring into reality the Nigerian dream. However, the president is not the people’s hero yet. For Buhari to be our hero, he has to do just one thing. He has to bring Nigeria to the state that no Nigerian would want to live outside the country just because things are not right at home. I came to this conclusion after listening to the dispiriting account of a Cote d’Ivoire returnee who said Nigerians are treated as dirt in the country. He explained that no matter how educated a Nigerian is in Cote d’Ivoire, the best he can get is a menial job; yet Nigerians daily troop into the country. When asked why they decided to stay in the country despite such treatment, his answer was; “Are we treated better in Nigeria?” So, my demand from President Buhari on this occasion of his first anniversary in office is to make Nigeria a country that cares for the generality of her people, and not just a select few. He should make Nigeria a country that retains her talents. He should transform Nigeria into a country loved and respected by her nationals. For him to achieve this, he has to ensure the provision of jobs for as many Nigerians as are willing to work. He also has to ensure that they are well remunerated and are provided an environment that will enable them give their best to the country. To many Nigerians who live abroad, east or west home is the best. They would rather stay in their country were there opportunities for them to thrive. But since the opportunities in the country are daily petering out, many Nigerians have decided to look for opportunities where they think the grass is greener. I am aware that the president has promised to provide job opportunities for Nigerians. But the number being bandied around is a far cry from the nation’s requirement. The point here is that the government alone cannot provide adequate job opportunities; it has to work with the private sector to accomplish this. At the moment, private companies are groaning under the burden of having to pay so much for diesel with which they power their generators.

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Buhari: Not yet a hero

The cost of generating power has bloated the cost of doing business in the country. This has made imported materials cheaper than the ones produced locally. So, while importers, who add little value to imported items and employ insignificant number of people, are smiling to the banks, manufacturers are daily counting their losses and are forced to lay off workers. Therefore, for the Buhari government to create more employment opportunities in the country, it has to take seriously the issue of electricity. Again, I am aware that Buhari is working hard to solve the electricity conundrum. I am also aware that the president believes that if he is able to tackle this particular problem, he will be regarded by many Nigerians as very successful. But I am also aware that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had good inten-

Sunday Tribune

the door for a likely Trump/Sander contest). Strangely, even Evangelicals preferred him to born-again Cruz, women preferred his old face to Marco Rubio’s comeliness and he has been winning across board. The so-called Independents in American politics just don’t want to carry party cards, but participate in open state primaries. Let no CNN deceive those who should prepare, that no black or Latino is voting Trump. World leaders who once called him stupid because of CNN characterisation are now eating their words and inviting him for buffet to discuss the future. Seven, even CNN anchors, particularly FareedZakari, the worst Trumphobic confessed they didn’t realise how talented Trump was until he marched through a field of seven popular sitting governor and seven wave-making senators. The party they vowed won’t touch him, is rallying round him, while the centre isn’t holding for the Democrats? Won’t America want to see how talented he could be as President, bringing something entirely new to governance and Washington? Eight, America loves leading. Right now it isn’t. Russia, North-Korea, Iran and China are running the show. Barack Obama, though with high job approval rating of 50%, is seen as being too conciliatory. Every nation is electing its own strongman, I can place a bet on America waiting to so do. Nine, Washington is believed to be dirty because politicians running the show are deliberately programmed to be compliant. The decision to be different stood Cruz out in the senate and took him far in the contest. Now, a noncompliant, never-compliant character with the peculiar New Yorker spirit is here. The battle between Washington and American people is about to be sealed. Trump is the ace. Ten, at the 2015 White House media dinner which Trump attended, he was Obama’s target all night, describing the mogul’s planned White House run as a belly turned upside. The joke this year is upon Barack. Not learning his lessons still, he recently declared god-like “Trump won’t succeed me”. In November, he would surely eat his word as his boast can only draw sympathy for the man who heckled him over his birth-place. God says He will confound the wise with the foolish things of this world. The world is already confounded Trump made it this far, it would be total in November. Would I vote Trump if I had one to give? Yes. When a mob gathers, the agenda isn’t always altruistic. Just like CNN, Romney’s mob. tions about ensuring the provision of stable electricity. His administration voted about $10billion to revive the sector through the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP). Similarly, late President Umaru Yar’Adua had good intentions about improving electricity generation in the country. For this reason, his administration approved a special intervention fund of about $5.09bn to the sector to facilitate the generation of 6,000 megawatts by the end of 2009. Immediate Past President Goodluck Jonathan also voted huge sums of money to electricity generation, transmission and distribution. But despite these huge investments, adequate electricity supply seems to be light years ahead of Nigerians. Why? Corruption is at the root of the problem. The investment between 1999 and 2015 of over $20 billion into the energy sector should have yielded better results but because corruption is institutionalised in Nigeria, most of the dollars have gone down the drain. While it is true that Buhari is striving to succeed where his predecessors failed, unless he is willing to root out corruption completely from the system, he should not expect any result different from theirs. But the war against corruption should be total, not selective. Everyone who had wrongly dipped his finger into the nation’s till should have his rendezvous with justice. If the president fights this war and wins, then Nigeria will have stable electricity supply, abundant job opportunities and even Nigerians in the Diaspora will want to return home. However, if he makes it selective, it will not matter what else he does because the demon of corruption will swallow the fruits of his efforts. One common denominator of heroes is that they decide the wars they fight. It is almost impossible to fight a war without having casualties. The casualties of the Buharicorruption war will be some well-heeled members of the political class who the president may not want to hurt. He has to decide between them and the rest of us. But we shall be glad to have these stumbling blocks taken off the tracks so we can make progress. I hope the president is ready to fight and have casualties. If he fails to fight this battle rightly, he will be an ‘also ran’ president and that will be a terrible bungling of this second and final chance because he won’t be anybody’s hero, not even his wellheeled friends.

5 June 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘How a near-fatal accident inspired my shoe line’

I’m not dating Simi —Falz

Olajumoke donates to IDPs

5 June, 2016 Segun Adebayo tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

Seyi Sokoya seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08075166585

Patience Ozokwor to anchor labour room TV Show VETERAN Nollywood thespian, Patience Ozokwor, has been billed to anchor the first Nigeria Rebirth Labour Room Reality TV show slated for August. According to the organisers, the show will generate employment by its approach of empowering the housemates with seed capital. At a press briefing on the forthcoming event in Abuja last Tuesday, the national coordinator of the Nigeria Rebirth Project, Mr Isaac Balami, said the TV show is was second phase in the series of their initiatives, which is geared towards values and ethics reorientation and stimulation of national economic activities that will position Nigeria as the next super nation. Balami noted that the ‘Labour Room’ is the first national development reality television show in Africa strategically designed by the Nigeria Rebirth Project to activate the true “super nation potentials” of Nigerians. “Thoroughly selected Nigerian youths at home and in diaspora from different ethnicities, religious, political and social divides will be subjected to the confines of a ‘Ten Room Mansion’ in a secret location for 60 days. “They will be confronted by the harsh realities of living with a stranger from a completely different background and work together to solve real life issues confronting Nigeria and Africa like unemployment, leadership, conflicts,” he added. He pointed out that every housemate stands the risk of being evicted by the global TV audience if they cannot break through the limitations of the several differences other housemates bring to the House.

Sunday Tribune

I didn’t steal Shoki from Lil Kesh —Orezi

Tough times for Skales, Runtown

By Segun Adebayo

HE last few days have been a rough one for two of Nigerian’s hip hop singers, Skales and Runtown. (While Skales and his manager, Osagie Osarenkhoe) were reportedly detained and released by the police in Lagos State, Runtown on the other hand is currently battling to save his career following a court injunction obtained by his record label, Ericmany Limited, restraining him from undertaking any rendition or performance or any musical concert during the duration of his agreement between him and his owners.

Osagie and Skales were reportedly arrested by the police on Tuesday and remanded in police custody after they were accused of diverting funds belonging to Skales’ record label. Osagie later took to her twitter handle to confirm the arrest but denied being detained. Skales, who was recently unveiled as MTN ambassador, is reportedly doing all he could to put the incident behind him. It was gathered that his relationship with Baseline had gone sour since 2015 and he had been financing his projects personally. For Runtown, whose music career has been experiencing a lull in the last one year, this is

said to be a setback for him at a time when he has just started putting his game back on track. But according to those who should, what some people see as a setback may eventually turn out to be a blessing for the young man. It was argued that Vector D Viper suffered similar fate four years ago when he was slammed an injuction which restricted him from performing at shows within and outside the country. It was a quiet moment for Vector who later came out of the drama a better artiste. Efforts to reach Runtown through his management were unsuccessful as none of them was willing to comment further on the matter.

RK1 warms up for US tour By Seyi Sokoya Fuji act, Alhaji Rahman Akanni, popularly known as RK1, has revealed his plans to embark on a musical tour with his International Classic Fuji band to the Unite States later in the year. The Ogbomoso-based act made this known to newsmen during a media parley at Ogun/Osun River Basin, Ibadan, Oyo State, last Tuesday. According to RK1, plans have been concluded to fulfill his promise to his fans abroad who have been longing to have him. Akanni, who also urged his fellow musicians not to relent in ensuring Fuji music takes a leading role among other genres of

music, will leave for the United States on August through his promoter, Mr Sola Olaniyan of Heritage Promotion, Texas in United States. He added that, “We will be touring about six states to entertain my fans abroad. We will also visit Texas, Dallas, Chicago, New York and Maryland. I am confident that they will be happy to receive us once again.” He also told R that activities of the tour had been mapped out and that he and the promoter had finalised plans on how to treat his fans . “The tour will take us about three month before we return home. I want to use the oppor-

tunity to plead with our Nigerian fans to bear with us during these periods. We promise to make up,” he said.

NIGERIAN musician and songwriter, Orezi has cleared the air on the controversy over the authentic owner of the popular Shoki song. The song was said to have been released by Lil Kesh before Orezi dropped the same version weeks later.The song topped music charts across the country and it came with a special dance step. Speaking in a recent interview, Orezi said he released the original version of the song before anybody. He explained that he was surprised to hear people saying that he Lil Kesh was the original owner of the song, adding that he didn’t steal the song from anybody. Orezi said he didn’t steal the song from Lil Kesh and Kesh did not steal it from him neither. “The truth is that I was the first person to drop Shoki. I never stole it from Kesh or anybody. The truth is we were probably thinking in alike when the song was released.

I’m not dating Simi —Falz Those who have been made to believe that rapper, Falz and singer, Simi are having an affair have been told that nothing of such has ever existed between them. The denial came from Falz who said the thought had never crossed his mind for once, describing his relationship with the JAMB Question crooner as something that should not be mistaken for a relationship . Falz, who has continued to enjoy his time in the music industry since he made his break, said he would not want to dwell on hearsays, hinting that dating Simi was out of the picture for him. Falz and Simi have appeared on each other’s songs and videos in the last two years and people have been suggesting that there was more to their closeness than meet the eyes.

razzmatazz

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Ayan Afilusoro releases ‘Great Commendian’

Kiriji War movie to gulp N2 billion

As Ooni, Alaafin, Olubadan, others give consent By Segun Adebayo

proposed movie on the Kiriji War that ravaged the Yoruba race between 1877 and 1893 has recieved the blessings of royal fathers in the Yorubaland. At a script conference held at the International Conference Centre,University of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, the royal fathers who were present at the event gave their approval and blessings to the movie. The Obas who spoke one after the other expressed their readiness to support the movie, however, urged the producer to take cognisance of important roles played by the war warriors so as not to distort history. According to the Olubadan, “Peace is better than war. The Kiriji war remains the biggest and dreaded one in the history of Yorubaland because of the people that were involved. Nobody prays for war, because we have moved beyond that phase. The unity of the Yoruba race is crucial to the survival of the race, so we urge everybody to continue to embrace peace.” In his contribution, the Alaafin of Oyo, “I am happy that we are all seated here today to discuss something that I have always been passionate about- peace of Yoruba nation. We have suffered too much because we have failed to allow peace to reign in our region, but with this move and the new movie on Kiriji War, I am happy that we are beginning to see the need for us to embrace peace and live in unity.” The movie which would be produced by ANOB film productions would gulp a total sum of N2billion. According to the CEO of ANOB, Mrs Anike Obot, the new movie was aimed at resuscitating the Yoruba unity. Mrs Obot said her company started working on the movie about eight years ago, adding that the sensitivity of the movie would not permit them to do a shady job

that was capable of distorting history. “With the pervading peace being preached by our royal fathers, we felt the need for us shoot an epic movie that would depict what the Kiriji war was all about. Ou last findings revealed that the movie will cost us over N2billion. The money is huge but the importance of such movie to today’s happenings outweighs the cost. We are bringing in experts from the US.

A world class director and costume maker have been contacted, and they have billed us $5million. This project is big and we will get it done with the support of our royal fathers and well meaning Nigerians.” The chairman of the ocassion, Dr Yemi Faroubi appreciated the royal fathers for their listening attention and contributions towards the realisation of the movie. He urged them not to rest

on their oars in their pursuance of peace and unity among the Yoruba race. The event had in attendance, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Alaafin of Oyo State, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the represenative of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwunsi, Adegbodu Fatunse, the Ologotun of Ogotun Ekiti, Oba Samuel Oladapo Oyebade and other traditional rulers.

Olajumoke donates to IDPs in Abuja Ademola Adegbite- Abuja MONTHS after her sudden turn around from a bread seller to celebrity, Olajumoke Orisagunna has seen the need to replicate her gesture as a means of appreciation to the downtrodden. Olajumoke, on Friday, donated food items to the victims of series of insurgent attacks from Borno State at the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp located at

New Kuchingoro village in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abuja. While handing over the items to the displaced persons at the camp, the celebrity said it was pathetic and inhuman seeing fellow human beings experiencing hardship and abandon them. Orisagunna, who was accompanied by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shirley`s Con-

fectionery, Mr. and Mrs Amarachi and Iwuanyanwu, stressed that onus is on her to give back to the society as part of her social responsibility. She, therefore, promised to make it a continuous exercise with a view to ensuring that the underprivileged in the society felt her impact positively, calling on governments at all levels and philanthropists to come to the aid of IDPs.

TALENTED drummer, Prince John Adamson Oyeyemi, otherwise known as Ayan Afilusoro has urged government at all levels and well meaning Nigerians to contributing their quota to socio- economic and educational development in the country. Prince Oyeyemi disclosed this while speaking on his maiden album entitled: The Great Commendation. Ayan Afilusoro as he is fondly called, who used traditional talking drum to showcase Federal Government, corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians, said every individual is endowed with talents and decided to commend them as a motivation for them to do more. “Talking drum is a means of communication and I decided to employ it in another dimension to pass vital messages to Nigerians “The composition in the sixtrack album was also translated into Yoruba language to promote Yoruba tradition and cultural heritage as encouragement to Federal Government’s determination to diversify to culture and tourism to boost the nation’s economy.” The album, which will be launched on June 25, is a demonstration of patriotism and encouragement to cooperate bodies, traditional rulers, professionals, among others, in their efforts to make Nigeria a better place to live for everybody.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Segun Adebayo and Seyi Sokoya tegbollistic@yahoo.com, seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08116954644 08132577840

I married at 18 to avoid disturbances from men

ect. We can’t afford to fail, that’s why we are speaking with those who understand what led to the war and how it ended. How did you come about the idea of shooting a movie on Kiriji War? When our forefathers fought the war, I was not born then. But one thing that struck me about the war was that when it was about to start, if there was no unity among the Ekiti people, they would not have succeeded at the war. Though, we were made to understand that there was neither victor nor vanquish at the end of the war, but the Ekiti people were united to fight the war. It was their first and last war in Ekiti. So, I was moved by the unity among the Ekiti people. I was also moved by the peace treaty they signed many years ago, which they seem to be shying away from now.

—Anike Obot

How much support have you got now? We have been receiving support from all the obas who were part of the peace treaty that was signed many years ago. They have been supporting us morally and they promised to support us financially.

Veteran actress and producer, Anike Obot is a household name in the movie industry. With almost 40 years experience and five movies to her name, Obot in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, recounts her early days in the industry and sheds more light on her latest movie.

Where do you intend to raise that kind of money for the movie and do you think you have the wherewithal to pull it through? When we went to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and showed him the scripts, he was very happy. He said he would use his position to facilitate sponsors for us.

HE name Anike Obot is not new to many home video viewers, especially the old generation. How long have you been acting? To God be the glory, I have been acting for almost 40 years. All thanks to God for bringing me this far on the job that I so much love. Forty years on this job is not a joke, how did it start? I got into filmmaking through my late boss, Chief Duro Ladipo. I joined his theatre group in 1974 and that was when my career actually started. What made you to join his group? I was a member of the dramatic students group when I was in the secondary school, so when I left secondary school, my love for acting grew, so big that all I thought about that time was to be an actress. One thing eventually led to another and I met with the Duro Ladipo Group. Since 1974, I have been an actress and a filmmaker. I have not done any other job till now.

Your name has become a household name and you are famous with epic Yoruba movies, why the special interest in this kind of movies? I studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and I have always loved reading Yoruba novels. Even till today, I have not stopped reading them. Apart from that, when I was working with my boss, I always played the role of a queen. So when you bring all of these together, you will realise why I am in love with epic movies. But that is not to say that I can’t produce other movies. I am a professional thespian and I have been trained to take any role. How have you been able to sustain your career till date? Acting is the only thing I have been doing. I don’t have any other job. I am a

script writer, a dancer, a movie producer and I also have a dance group. My group goes out to dance at functions and we are usually well paid for our performances. I am a woman of culture and I am proud of who I am today. In all these years, what is that one thing that you regret about your career? I have never had any reason to regret any of my actions. I understand that there is no perfection in human beings, but all my mistakes always turned out to be blessings for me. There were days that I would go to locations and I would leave the venue a disappointed person but that does not mean I won’t go back the next day. The only thing that makes me sad in the movie industry is what practitioners have reduced movie making to. It is very sad. Today, you will hear that 20 movies are released in a month, and I begin to wonder what kind of movies they are shooting. How can you shoot a serious movie in four days and you would say you have shot a movie? Even when they shoot, the ladies are almost naked. From then till now, how many movies have you produced? I have produced five movies. I produced my first movie in 1992. My first movie was Ojo Ijesha, Ayo ni Mofe came in 1994, Ile Anu Oluwa Ki Su came in 1996, that same year, I produced Anike Ogo. In 2003, I produced Jogun Omi.

Why the long break from 1996 to 2003 before you produced Jogun Omi? I couldn’t just produce Jogun Omi without doing all the necessary research. My research took about seven years before I could start shooting Jogun Omi, because the movie brought about the latest one we are about to shoot, Kiriji War. I am going to start shooting as soon as our consultations with those who were directly involved in the war are over. At the script conference for the movie, you said the movie would cost you N2 billion, is that not on the high side and have you considered factors that could in turn affect the distribution of the movie? I am shooting a celluloid film, not home video. When we shoot it, we can enter it for international film festivals. We are not producing the movie for our Nigerian audience alone. We all know that producing movies in Nigerian market today is rubbish. There are no structures that will encourage such market. So, we are producing celluloid film that we will take to many European countries for exhibition at film festivals. I am sure we will make our money back. It is an epic film that has a lot of historical facts. I am not saying that our Nigerian audience can’t come and watch the movie. The movie is about the Kiriji War that was fought among the Yoruba many years ago. We are speaking to the obas in Yoruba land and other well meaning Nigerians to support us on this proj-

Have you been getting the support? Yes, we have been getting the support of well meaning Nigerians. When do you think the shooting will commence? We don’t know yet because even if we have the money, we will still need to do a proper planning. Some people are asking what kind of movie would you shoot with N2 billion… The fact is that the money is going to be more than N2 billion. This is because the estimation we did was before the high exchange rate. That was when the dollar was at N162. We are inviting costume and make up artistes from the United States. We are also inviting stunt directors from America. So, the project is huge. When you say you are producing a war movie, you have to portray it as real one. During your youthful days, how did you handle male advances? I was a small girl when I got married. I was not disturbed at all. In fact, I didn’t want to be disturbed. So you had to get married early to avoid being disturbed by men? I was 18 years old when I got married. My husband was quick to take me away from prying eyes at that time. How did you handle marriage at 18 years-old? It was not as difficult as you are talking about it. I went through it with the grace of God. That’s how much I can reveal.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune With Segun Adebayo &Seyi Sokoya tegbollistic@yahoo.com seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08116954644 08132577840

Day I received insults inside BRT bus —Actor

Adedayo Davies is a professional actor, photographer and film producer. The graduate of Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), in this interview with TAYO GESINDE, speaks on his foray into acting and how he has been coping with competition in the industry. Excerpts:

oray into acting I started with stage play while at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). I joined a club called T15, that was in the 90s. One day, Wale Adenuga came to our school and did audition for some of us. That was how I started professional acting. I acted in Papa Ajasco and has never looked back since that time. However, it was the TV series Flatmates, where I played the role of Landlord that gave me prominence.It was produced by KP Cypress.

The journey so far We thank God. It has not been smooth but He has been faithful. I featured in many productions on television and adverts. I have also featured in movies like Just not married, Hell or High Waters,Dig Deep, ATM and more. What I do aside acting I compere events and I am also into photography. My most challenging role Playing Mr Johnson on About to Wed by Royal Roots. The producer, Greg Odutayo, insisted that I deliver my lines word for words from the script, and the lines were long. He said he paid for every letter in the script. Before then, I was more of a comedy actor, so word for word did not totally work for me then. My role models in the industry Wale Adenuga (because he played a fatherly role in my early years in the industry), Bakky Adeoye, Lakun Ayinde and Zakki (Tony). These people and more believed in me. Coping with competition in the industry It’s has been God and also keeping up with the trend in the industry. The gains and pains of being a celebrity It opens doors for you and people always celebrate you. For instance, when my father was doing clearance for his pension some years back, his colleagues spent weeks but I

spent two hours because they recognised my face from the movies I had featured in. Also, when you go to some places, you don’t really need to explain or introduce yourself before people will attend to you. The pain is that you don’t have a private life, when people offend you, you can’t react. For example, if someone hits your car, he begs you and you hear him say things like, “you are our role model, I am sorry.” You have no other choice than to just let it go. Most embarrassing thing a fan has ever done to me It was when my car had a fault and I went out in a BRT bus and people started insulting me for boarding a commercial vehicle. Assessment of Nollywood There has been a lot of improvements from when I started but a lot still need to be done, especially in the area of investors coming into the industry and also the need for government to stop piracy. Philosophy of life To always wait on God. Whoever waits on Him gains all. Description of self I am this person who believes so much in God and I also believe in waiting for Him. I won’t do anything without Him. In the past, I made a lot of mistakes but I know better now and want to make amends as much as I can. In 1995, I made a great mistake, it cannot be undone but can be forgiven, so I use this opportunity to ask for forgiveness from the Badmus family. How I handle advances from female admirers We joke and that is it. I always tell them that I am happily married. It is just a few of them that go overboard, most of

them are wonderful people. On whether I will give politics a shot I will never go into politics. I don’t think I can play the game the way it is being played in this part of the world. To me, I think I will get into trouble very fast because I don’t know how to cover up wrong doings. Favourite pastimes I play games on my phone, swim or take a long walk. If I have to choose between acting and standup comedy Any form of art is a gift from God. Some people call themselves comedians but if you hear their jokes, you want to cry for them. A lot started and they are nowhere now but some are ever fresh after so many years in the act. I am doing what I know that I am good at. I no dey do pass my self. Advice for young people In this time and age, direction can only come from God but now, it is use what you have to get what you want. But does that really get it for ? I always tell the ones who come to me that it is only God that can make you a true star, yes we have stars and we have true stars. Word to fans I want to say a big thank you to everyone that has appreciated my work on screen, stage and the Internet. Those who see me on the road and say it’s been a while, thanks for your care and love. As I said earlier, I am human. If in anyway I have offended you, find it in your heart to forgive me. And to my fans, expect more from me. God bless you.

5 June, 2016

makeover

are a good choice for drawing attention to beautiful legs. Qipao: Taking off from Asian origins, the Qipao dress has found its way across continents, and has been in Nigeria for as long as anyone dares to remember. They come in short or long versions, with or without slits, and usually in satin, but can come in other material. Because of the design, they work better on slim or averagely built women and can be worn to the office or for other outdoor events. If you dare, borrow the design for a wedding dress. Their signature statement is in the high neck design and short sleeves. Slip: the slip dress is totally forbidden for the work place because of the cut and design, and especially because they look like a night gown. They are best for strictly informal outings because of their sheer sexy nature, and unless the dress code calls for such, try to add some sense of decency by wearing a jacket or shirt over it. Shift: They are the slim versions of tent dresses, except for the fact that they are straight-cut, usually with no sense of shape, so they work well with many body shapes. They are a wonderful choice for office environments, picnics, and religious activities. They have the advantage of allowing your body shape to define their presentation. Apron: As the name connotes, they take the shape of aprons and give a woman a laid-back feel of ease and calm. They can be worn with a t-shirt, or if you dare, without.

Pouf dress. Photo: www.fabafriq.com Sheath dress. Photo: www.shortblackcocktaildresses.com

a way of drawing attention, desired and otherwise. For best presentation at red carpet events, go for an option with less layers. Besides, Ankara can create ball gowns too. Pouf: They are a mini version of the ball gown, and add class to a lady’s general outlook. They are in vogue now, and they can be made with as many types of material as possible, including Ankara. They come in a variety of designs and print, and are a loose version of the peplum design. They probably trace their origin to designs usually used for babies or girls. For best results, let the pouf begin at the top of the waist and keep the length well above the knees. Sheath: The sheath dress works in all times and seasons and can flatter as many body shapes as possible. Interestingly, they can work as office outfits, or for outings, depending on the accessories used to dress the outfit up or down. They can even be worn to church. Tent: Also known as trapeze or sack dresses, the tent dress is usually shaped like a collapsed huge umbrella, the tent dress is best worn for informal events. It’s a good choice for expectant mothers or if you want to hide a bloated belly. To give it a sense of fitting, pair with leggings or cinch it at the waist with a belt. Tent dresses can be tricky to wear because they sometimes add to a person’s size. They work with nearly all body shapes, and are great for hiding unattractive shapes, especially if you’re on a weight loss programme. They

Slip dress. Photo: us.asos.com

you look less jejune

Ball gown. Photo: www.instyledress.co.uk

Qipao dress. Photo: modernqipao.com

Shift dress. Photo: www.lyst.co.uk Peplum dress. Photo: www.lyst.com Maxi dress. Photo: www.liquorishonline.com Tent dress. Photo: www.appletonaltrusa.com

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 rosarumese@gmail.com

10 dresses that will make

HE month of June is usually dedicated to dresses, and in the spirit of that notion, this month on Makeover will focus strictly on dresses. We will be providing tips for dressing by shape, various dress styles, appropriate dresses for various events and even wedding gown styles. For this week, the spotlight will be on 10 types of dresses every woman should know about: Peplum: With half of the year about to end, peplum is still holding strong on the league of bold fashion statements for 2016. Peplum dresses can work for as many outings as possible, depending on the material. They are a great choice for offices, dinner dates, weddings, among others. Maxi: These are long-flowing dresses which are usually made from chiffon, satin, or other material, and usually sleeveless or with straps for sleeves. They work well for formal events such as red carpet evening ceremonies, depending on the style and pairing. They also work for informal outings, such as an afternoon with the girls, a day at the beach, or for Sunday brunch and are very comfortable. Ball: As the name suggests, they are strictly for balls, that is, a formal activity that basically involves dancing. The style is also common for wedding dresses, but choosing this style depends on your body shape. If you wish to wear it for a red carpet event, be absolutely sure that the style is appropriate as the outfit has

Sunday Tribune

Apron dress. Photo: www.lyst.com

5 June, 2016

sundayzest

Sunday Tribune

With Victory Oyeleke victoryoyeleke@yahoo.com

White garment church fined £230 in UK for noise pollution

HE notoriously happy clappy white garment churches have been having a hard time keeping in line with the noise pollution requirements in London as councils (local authority) are inundated with residents complaints on the noise these churches make especially during the early hours of Saturday. The latest church to fall short of the noise level requirement is Celestial Church of Christ, Seventh Year Parish in Grays, Essex. The resident pastor, Akinseye Iyun, has been fined £230 for regularly holding ‘unbearably’ loud sermons until 4.00 a.m. According to the petition, the pastor infuriated neighbours with the noise up to four times a week. Local residents complained to the council about loud drumming and chanting but the pastor claimed the church was sound-proofed. However, after investigation and following several ignored warnings from Thurrock Borough Council, Iyun-

was charged and prosecuted on May 25th 2016 at Basildon Magistrates’ court. Iyun, 38, of Brunel Close, Tilbury, admitted that as the Pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ in Bridge Road, Grays, he was in breach of noise abatement notice. The court heard how Iyun and the church had been given noise nuisance ad-

As leader of the church, he should make sensible arrangements that people can rest and enjoy their homes in the way he and his congregation would like to enjoy their church.

vice before a noise abatement notice was served in the early hours of 31 January, 2015. It came following the witnessing of a statutory noise nuisance by Thurrock Council Environmental protection officers. The court was told most of the council’s advice visits were made during the weekend and out of hours, especially during last summer and a breach of the notice was witnessed in October 2015. In November, a breach of notice letter was hand-delivered to the church, following further visits and numerous residents’ complaints about loud amplified music, particularly drumming and chanting over a speaker system. Though Iyun was interviewed under caution in December, the noise and complaints continued. Gavin Dennett, Thurrock Council’s environmental health and trading standards manager, said: “Our environmental protection officers are prepared for any further breaches of notice and will apply for a warrant and forfeiture of sound equipment if the noise nuisance is witnessed again.

“The peace and tranquillity of local people was being disturbed on a regular basis and this shows the council will act as and when necessary. “The magistrates said, of course, he and his church were entitled to celebrate, but not in a way that disregards the local community and certainly not in breach of the noise abatement notice. “As leader of the church, he should make sensible arrangements that people can rest and enjoy their homes in the way he and his congregation would like to enjoy their church.” Iyun was fined £230 with a £23 victim surcharge and Thurrock Council was awarded full costs of £988.50, totalling £1,241.50. Magistrates also considered the seizure of the church’s noise-making equipments but decided against it. However, Iyun was warned that should he and the church be recalled to the court for noise nuisance, the matter would be taken more seriously.

Sunday Tribune

5 June, 2016

glamour H

OW did you conceive the idea of floating a shoe line? In 2009, I was in a near fatal accident in New York City on my way to a party in which I broke my femur (the longest bone in the body). I was wearing my first pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and the first thing I asked the emergency medical personnel was the whereabouts of my favoruite pair of shoes because after the accident, the shoes came off my feet. So you were more worried about your shoes than your broken femur… I was more worried about my shoes than my broken leg. I was in therapy for six months after the accident. So, at the end of it all, the shoes motivated me to actually walk again because I couldn’t imagine never being able to wear my high heels. At this moment, my life calling and passion became clear to me. I would build my pharmacies and also design objects I wanted for myself, which started with shoes. That was how we floated a shoe line called SHOLA DESIGNS Why did it start with making shoes? Art and fashion have always been a driving force in my life. I grew up with a mother who sold luxurious fabrics and was also a fashionista. She would take yearly vacations to Italy and Paris to buy enough shoes, clothes and bags to last her till the next vacation. She never wore the same outfit including shoes and bags twice. It follows that from a young age, I was always interested in dressing well. How do you get the inspiration for your designs?   I have always been inspired by colours. Colours form a big part of my inspiration. I am always thrilled by colours. Secondly, my trips around the world also provide some exposure and awareness of one’s environment. Sometimes, inspiration could come from friends, family, culture, magazines or walking down the street. Wherever it comes

How a near fatal accident inspired my shoe line

OW I discover passion for music My passion for music was probably the first thing I discovered about myself. As a little girl, my dad would play the guitar and teach us songs. I have always looked forward to the guitar moments. This later helped my sister and I to start singing “special numbers” in church. Music is my best therapy, my favourite moments, and it just kept growing. I had always loved to sing and do music. When I took it up professionally That is hard to say. I ought to have started professionally before now, but God has His own way of doing things. I had been in a music reality TV show, I had staged a concert of my own, I also studied music. All these were different start ups for different levels of my music career. But officially, OluwaShalom as an artiste was launched about a year ago.

—Shola Yusuf

About my new album, ‘Eledumare’ I feel blessed and extremely grateful to God for surrounding me with amazing people, at home, work and my church. I was elated with the success of the event. I never thought it would turn out to be an awesome gathering, because of my expectations wasn’t forthcoming, but God eventually had His way and also manifested Himself through the initiative. The album launch wasn’t planned to hold on my birthday, but due to logistics, it got postponed and the new date picked happened to be my birthday. So I’ll just say that was how it was meant to be. Above all, I want to use the medium to thank everyone that contributed to the success of the works and also graced the event held penaltimate Saturday; I pray God will reward you all accordingly.

Shola Yusuf is a US-based fashion entrepreneur who discovered her passion for fashion at very young age. Driven by art and fashion, Yusuf floated a shoe line called SHOLA DESIGNS. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, Yusuf speaks on how her trade has fared in the US and how she intends to enter into the African market, especially Nigeria. from, it takes you to where you need to go or places you didn’t even know you needed to go. So, colours and my travellings around the world opened my eyes and put different ideas in my head. It has been a wonderful journey and I feel very elated about the success we have recorded so far.

of the shoes. Once you approved the prototype, then you can go into full production. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months with multiple trips to the factory.

Could you tell us the process it takes to create the shoes? Firstly, you have to be inspired by something, and then you communicate your vision to your team who will create the design. Take your design or drawing to a shoe factory to create a prototype of each style. Handpick or select your materials for your prototype based on the style

Why are you specialized on female shoes alone, don’t you think you should reach out to the men as well? You know these things take time. You have to make sure you have succeeded at one and establish your brand very well strongly before delving into another market. The fact is that I am currently working on men’s collection.

Who do you envision wearing your shoes? Do you think about this when you work on designs? A smart and sophisticated shopper who wants to feel as good as she looks. Looking good also entails that you wear good shoes. So, when you consider yourself as a sophisticated shopper, our shoes are best for you.

You did a photo shoot recently where some of your shoes were on display. Tell us about some of the designs that were displayed in the shoot? The designs featured in this photo-shoot are from my “SAN Marinio Collection”. They are stylish, elegant and comfortable. They are all handcrafted and made mostly with vibrant metallic Italian leather. Every single one of the designs is inspired by friends and

fashion associates. I have named each style after them. For example, a shoe is named after a friend “Sandra” who described her personality to be confident, driven and supportive. You’ve lived in United States for most of your life, why are you now considering the African market? Yes, I have lived in the US and the SHOLA designs are really thriving in the US, I strongly feel it’s time to get back to my roots. Africans, especially Nigerians, have always been a fashion conscious and savvy nation. Tell me, how better can you join in promoting the African fashion revolution than to be at the heart of it? This is why we are coming home to our people in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. We have been studying the Nigerian market for a while and we believe that this is the best time for us to penetrate and establish our brand. We are currently looking for retailers all over Africa. We have been getting a lot of positive feedbacks on our social media platforms, particularly on Instagram: @sholadesigns_africa and Instagram: @sholadesigns. As a matter of fact, people have been calling to place their orders, so we are ready for Nigeria and Africa at large. The shoes will be available in premium stores all over Africa from July 1st for those that can’t order online. People can also pre-order by calling or sending us an email to win a discount voucher.

Challenges I want to say that each step of the way has come with its own peculiar challenge. First was how to start and then who to work with and then meeting up with the standard of music I want to do. So far, it has been interesting. Why I chose gospel I’ll just say this is me. This is what I have inside. This is what I have to give. This is my purpose. How I intend to carve a niche for myself in the music sector Firstly, by staying true to myself and my brand. Not trying to be anyone else. I believe that we are all unique in our own way, and that already is a niche. I will also work hard to be excellent in what I do. Consistent delivery of excellent music, great content and positive impact, and with God at the centre of it all, I am confident that I will stand out. On whether I am satisfied with the state of the gospel music ministry No, I am not, because this is not our best yet, but I am glad that it is getting better. What I would have become if not gospel musician I would probably have been a florist or maybe a jeweller or a writer. I haven’t lost touch with any of these though. I am still in the process of being all that. Inspiration I get inspired by a lot of things. Nature, experiences, circumstances, scenarios around

With Tayo Gesinde temiligali03@yahoo.com 08054727801

Whenever men make advances, all I say is ‘thank you’ —Shalom Olorunfemi Shalom is one of the fast rising gospel musicians in the industry. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, she speaks about her new works and her fashion fondness. Excerpts: me, images, words, scriptures, books, among others. Role models I have people I look up to in different aspects of life; career, songwriting, performance, excellence in living, business achievements etc. Basically, people who have gone ahead of me and making marks

in various areas of life I am stepping into are my models in those roles. I look after my pastors, boss, some senior friends, singers etc. Most embarrassing moment I guess that was the day I missed my lines when singing. It was really an uneasy moment that I cannot easily forget.

Songs I have to my credit I can’t give an accurate number of songs. But God has helped me to write quite a number of songs. I have a complete album entitled:”Eledumare” of 13 tracks. I have written songs for people, and there are many more songs yet to be recorded. How I am coping with competition in the industry I am not in a competition. I am on a journey to fulfill a mandate. Others are there to challenge me, help me get better, and get blessed and encouraged by me as they go in their journey too. If there is anyone to outshine, it is who I was yesterday and trust me, I am winning that one. What I do aside music I do a couple of things aside singing. I work as a vocal coach, a florist, fabric jeweller and a producer. Definition of style Style, for me, is that thing that makes you unique and distinct. It defines a particular aspect of you. It could be dressing, music, expression. Your style is part of your identity and signature.

I would probably have been a florist or maybe a jeweller or a writer. I haven’t lost touch with any of these though.

Self description I’ll just say I am God’s masterpiece and a very simple person.

Beauty regimen I take plenty water. I ensure I wear smiling face always. I also make sure I have good grooming hair and nails and enough care to keep my mouth clean to have fresh breath. I try to get enough sleep too. Favourite colour Aqua blue. Favourite fashion designer AyBl. Fashion item I can’t be caught dead wearing Nose rings, ankle chains. Special treat An evening of smooth jazz and pizza, preferably in closet. Fashion item that takes lager part of my wardrobe That has to do with my shoes. I love shoes to a fault. Take on provocative dressing No! For all reasons. How I handle male fans I handle them with a beautiful smile and a pleasant ‘thank you’ to all the compliments. My kind of man I will adore God-fearing and cool headed man. Growing up I grew up in Kogi State with my parents and siblings. I also had my primary and secondary school education in Kogi State.

5 June, 2016

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

Love, laughter in ‘Ghana Must Go’ Nkem Owoh, Helen Paul, Yvonne Okoro, Blossom Chukwujekwu and others shine in the romantic comedy set in Nigeria and Ghana

KEM Owoh (Osuofia) has featured in his share of slapstick comedies but there is nothing slapdash about ‘Ghana Must Go’. A romantic comedy produced by Desamour Production Company owned by Ghanaian Nigerian actress, Yvonne Okoro and her sister Roseline, this is a thoroughly enjoyable rib cracker that you won’t regret investing some 90 minutes in. In fact, film journalists who were treated to an exclusive screening of the movie at The FilmHouse Cinemas, Surulere, Lagos recently, couldn’t help but howl with laughter for the duration of the screening as the plot unfolded with actors including Okoro, Owoh, Kofi Adjorlolo, Ik Ogbonna, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Helen Paul and

A scene from the movie Ada Ameh amongst others playing starring roles. Written by celebrity script writer, Tunde Babalola and directed by the multiple awardwinning Frank Rajah Arase, the imprints of

both men is evident on the film as it is almost a perfect piece of work. The dialogue is witty and lively while the acting, except for some instances where Ogbonna appeared to over act, is good. Even the naturally ebullient

Etisalat Prize for Literature: Chapter 4 begins Some months after the winner of last year’s edition was recognised at a colourful ceremony in Lagos, the race for the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature is on THE race for the 2016 Etisalat Prize for Literature got underway on Wednesday, June 1 with a call for entries and announcement of the judging panel of the Pan African contest for debutant writers of fiction. Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher; patrons of the prize, Professor Kole Omotoso and Dele Olojede; chair of the judges, Helon Habila, and Manager, High Value Sponsorship and Events, Etisalat Nigeria, Opeyemi Lawal, were all present at a news briefing held at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos where the call for entries was made. Speaking at the occasion, Willsher described the prize now in its fourth year “as the leading prize in the continent that identifies and recognises some of the amazing talents we have here.” He added that it’s a “critical prize not just for recognising literature but talents coming through in the literary world.” Willsher, who further noted that the prize is important to support the author and the publishing industry as a whole, appealed to writers and publishers to “submit great new works.” He added that only books by debutant writers published not later than 24 months before submission, will qualify for entry. “They must also be by registered publishing houses not less than six years as incorporated publishers with registered ISBN Number or the equivalent, and who must have published a minimum of six authors. All entries should be accompanied by seven copies of the book entered along with an acceptance of our publicity terms. A publisher may submit a maximum of three books. The rules and guidelines for entry are available at prize.etisalat.com.ng,” he said. The CEO, who reiterated that Etisalat believes in innovation and creativity, said the

From left, Dele Olojede; CEO, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher and Chair of Judges, Helon Habila company’s commitment to the prize is long term and deeper than just sponsorship. Etisalat, he said, is also keen about improving publishing in Africa and would continue to do its best to promote it by purchasing a thousand copies of the winning entry for distribution to schools and libraries across Africa. He thereafter announced the judges of this year’s prize to be Nigerian writer and academic, Helon Habila; South Africa’s Elinor Sisulu and Ivorian writer Edwige-Renée Dro. Professor Omotoso hailed the prize as one that “supports the institutional elements of the book industry; publishers, editors and book sellers.” The author of ‘Just Before Dawn’ also reacted to grievances from some quarters that no Nigerian writer has won the prize this way: “if Nigerian writers want to be winners, Nigeria’s publishing industry must revive itself. We must talk about the change the publishing industry needs in Nigeria.” Pulitzer Prize winner, Olojede aligned himself with Prof. Omotoso. He noted that Nigeria has insufficient infrastructure for her pool of talents and highlighted the critical roles editors supplied by publishing firms play in the lives of writers. “A writer needs that supportive infrastructure absent in Nigerian publishing houses,” he said adding that he is “pleased to have seen the prize grown to an institution.” Writer, poet and Associate Professor of Creative Writing at George Mason University,

USA, who is also, chair of the judges, Habila, expressed happiness with the task that he and his colleagues have been assigned. The author of ‘Waiting for an Angel’, ‘Measuring Time’ and ‘Oil on Water’ said he doesn’t see the task as a challenge but as an “opportunity to do something great.” He expressed hope that there would be more entries this year and described the prize as a great opportunity for writers to tell Africa stories, especially as African literature is sometimes underappreciated. Sisulu, who spoke vide video from South Africa, also hailed the Prize, comparing it with the prestigious Noma Prize. “The Etisalat Prize is a very exciting development; its structure is brilliant and innovative. Here is a message to first time authors: ensure your publisher enters your book,” said the judge of numerous literary prizes including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and Golden Baobab Award. Instituted in 2013, Etisalat Prize for Literature prize which also incorporates an award for flash fiction; an online-based competition for non-published African writers, is celebrates debut African writers of published fiction. The winner receives a cash prize of £15,000, a fellowship at the University of East Anglia, UK under the mentorship of Professor Giles Foden, the award-winning author of ‘The Last King of England’ while 1,000 copies of the winning entry are also purchased for distribution to schools and libraries across Africa.

Owoh curbs his enthusiasm and plays the lover-boy father’s role perfectly. It is mature acting from him and markedly different from a number of his comic roles in pedestrian video films. Helen Paul, who plays his younger wife and ever willing side kick, complements him perfectly. Set in Accra, Ghana, the comedy that will start screening in Nigerian cinemas on June 10 revolves around two young lovers of Nigerian and Ghanaian origin. Okoro plays Ama, a London-based Ghanaian lady who brings her fiancée, Chuks (Blossom Chukwujekwu) home to meet her family. She is met at the airport by her brother, Kwabena (Ogbonna) who is dazed to realise that Chuks is a Nigerian. The truth is that Ama’s family, especially her father, Alex Kanga (Adjorlolo) are not huge fans of Nigerians. On reaching the Kanga family house in Accra, Chuks realises that Ama is actually from an affluent family. Her mother, Dolores, is an Accra high society lady and her father a retired senior army officer and industrialist. The Kanga family, who have all been under the impression that Chuks is an American, Australian or from the Caribbean but not a Nigerian are thoroughly shocked. The shit hits the fan when they learn he is a Nigerian with Dolores and Kwabena fainting and Alex reaching for his guns. Such is his hatred for Nigerians! At his wits end after being deposited unceremoniously at the airport by Alex who tells him to return to Nigeria and never step on Ghanaian soil again, Chuks places a call to his father, Owoh, to come to Ghana. Not aware of the tricky situation on ground, the father and his two wives; Chuks’ mother (Ada Ameh) and Owoh’s younger wife (Helen Paul) arrive at the Accra airport with a number of Ghana must go bags, live goat and fowl amongst others for their in-laws. This further worsens the situation with the ensuing series of events testing the love of the lovers in the most hilarious and unexpected fashion. Speaking after the screening, Okoro said ‘Ghana Must Go’ is a film that everyone should see. The actress who also produced the 2012 box office success, ‘Contract’, disclosed that shooting ‘Ghana Must Go’ was fun and that she hopes people will learn not to hold to stereotypes from watching the movie. Corroborating her, Osuofia said that the movie has a lot of lessons to teach those who come to see it.

sundayinterview

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

We’ve been fair to the opposition —Jigawa gov

Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of jigawa State, in this interview with select journalists, including ADAMU AMADU, speaks on the politics of the state and how his government has fared in the last one year. Excerpts:

T has been alleged that you are intimidating and victimising the opposition, especially members of PDP. Is this true? Let me first thank the citizens of Jigawa for their unprecedented support and encouragement over the last 12 months. I make bold to say that without their patience and understanding, the modest achievements I have outlined would not have been possible. As soon as you win an election to executive office, your focus must shift from politics to leadership. That is my creed. We uprooted selfstyled political giants in2015 and they are still recovering from their shock loss, so they come up with all sorts of propaganda and innuendos. We participated in local government elections as an opposition group and won two local governments and several wards hands down, but the previous government could not come to terms with it and arrogantly refused to accept defeat, imposing caretaker committees in place of the winners. The government amended the local government law eight times to suit whatever political purpose they wanted to achieve. We had to harmonise it and come up with a consolidated bill because we lost track of the numerous amendments I inherited elected local government structures from the opposition party and was under pressure to sack them but I resisted. I worked with them in a politically neutral atmosphere to the extent that a majority of them abandoned their party and became our allies, how can anyone accuse me of victimisation? I think we have been fair and objective in taking some decisions that have actually not gone down well with our own supporters. But like I said, we are in a leadership position and every citizen of jigawa, irrespective of his political affiliation, is our responsibility and deserves our attention. How will you react to the allegation that you are overwhelmed by your predecessor’s achievements in infrastructure and political sagacity? It is interesting how leaders can so brazenly take their people for granted. I read an interview where I was called a “political illiterate” simply because I chose to put people first. Can you imagine someone whose completion of secondary school became the subject of litigation, who has never been within the hallowed walls of a university lecture room, using the word illiterate to describe a chartered accountant? This confirms to me that anything goes in Nigeria. As for infrastructure, it should be evident to all but them that the only motive for some of the so-called gigantic projects was the corresponding giant kickbacks that have seen many of them in the dock, spending their ill-gotten wealth on lawyers’ fees. What is the point of giant infrastructure and ego massaging white elephant projects that have no positive bearing on the livelihood of the citizen but continue to consume scarce resources to maintain? Does it make any sense to spend N17 billion building an airport when you could use the same amount to irrigate several thousand hectares? When the host city and its environs are facing acute water shortages, or have children taking lessons on bare concrete floors? Or when you have several unviable airports within a 200 kilometer radius? As I’m talking to you I am yet to see the feasibility, viability or in fact any report that justifies an airport from a business perspective. The three flights per week being operated were underwritten by the state government and on many occasions come to pick up one passenger to Abuja, unless of course you factor in the governor’s comfort.

Governor Muhammadu Abubakar, Jigawa State Your administration is one year in office, how do you feel about this landmark? I feel relatively fulfilled, after the shock and bewilderment that we were in after the swearing-in. You know, we made some discoveries during the transition period, but it was only after we took over that we realised the extent of the financial mess that we inherited, and we had to quickly revert to survival mode. Even members of the previous administration were counting the days till we crash-landed from the enormity of the financial burden, because they knew what they left behind. But we thank Allah for his mercies; we’ve put the state on a reasonable solid and sustainable expenditure framework, relative to our present earnings and we are hoping for better days ahead. How did you manage to start then? As I said earlier, we switched to survival mode. In May 2015, we had less than N17 million in the treasury. We had salaries to pay, scholarship arrears and exam fees owed WAEC and NECO. The Hajj operation preparations had started in earnest and the former government, after trying unsuccessfully to “borrow” from the contributory pension fund, simply achieved this through the back door by refusing to pay the state’s own contribution for almost 11 months. To compound issues, contractors started demanding for payment of their liabilities, which amounted to over N14 billion in vouchers awaiting cash backing in the treasury and close to N100 billion in ongoing proj-

ects. I had to call major stakeholders and lay bare the financial situation to them. I said “gentlemen, this is our situation. I believe I have the capacity to deal with this but it will not be easy or painless.” I got the mandate I needed and immediately started a massive cost-cutting exercise, starting from the Government House. You see, if I say I’m cutting my salary and that of the deputy governor by half, it would translate to about N12 million annually and our deficit is in nine figures. So, that won’t help our case. We had to look at it holistically reducing the cost of governance businesses and it was not difficult to find areas because the previous regime was living in a fools’ paradise, just increasing recurrent spending exponentially in direct proportion to the windfall coming in from the Federation Account. How did you do that? Fine, in one year, protocol expenditure in our Government House was slashed by 88.6 per cent, from N325,395,536 in the last 11 months of the previous administration to N37,035,187 of the same time frame in our tenure, while security and related expenditure dropped by 87.9 per cent from N1,825,866,274 to N220,251,850. Government House expenses dropped by 60.7 per cent from N1,524,115,320 to 598,194,408 while that of the Deputy Governor’s office was reduced by 56.6 per cent from N456,400,00 to N198,000,000. Overhead expensContinues pg 28

sundayinterview

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘How we’ve re-engineered Jigawa’s finances’ Continued from pg 27 es for the civil service was also reduced by 47.55 per cent from N1,661,202,000 to N871,253,000 in consultation with heads of MDAs. I am giving you figures so any one doubting can verify, these are public funds and we are not running a secret society. Additionally, all government service agreements were also renegotiated with facility management contracts for the federal secretariat and other assets reduced by 50 per cent, with the same contractors agreeing to provide the same level of service at half the cost. We also undertook the 2015 Hajj exercise, adjudged to be one of the most successful and incident- free at the cost of N280 million compared to N780 million spent on the 2014 exercise. The list goes on. Anywhere we can find a cheaper way of doing things without losing quality or value, we go for it. They call me “Baba calculator” and I don’t mind, because I’m applying the same principles of prudence and accountability for the state that I apply in my own business, go and investigate the lifestyles of some of these people out of government. Are they spending their own money with the same profligacy and recklessness that they applied to public funds? But why have you abandoned other sectors, focusing only on completion of roads? We didn’t abandon any sector; we are continuing with all and focusing more on human development in all ramifications, with the ultimate aim of reducing the poverty level. Even the roads we are continuing were selected based on public impact, opening up of communities, providing access to markets for farm produce and linking major towns and communities. The other critical sectors in this chain are health and education. We must educate our people and, as the saying goes, health is wealth. In the health sector, we have focused on Primary Health Care delivery to devolve smaller facilities spread out at the grass-roots level as opposed to mega hospitals that are costly and very inefficient, since all cases irrespective of severity are handled at that level. Typically, close to 80 per cent of patients can be handled at the primary level for malaria. Most importantly, we can now achieve eligibility in accessing funds from the National Health Fund to augment our efforts at the state level. To strengthen this basic level, we have commenced construction of 27 basic health clinics in each local government at the cost of N424,980,000.00 and 27 units of midwives’ quarters in hard-toreach primary and basic healthcare centres at the cost of N203,257,692.00. We have also embarked on renovation and improvement of hospitals in Gwaram and Birniwa with the provision of an operating theatre at the total cost of N194,918,946 as well as several smaller facility interventions in Sarawa, Majeri, Kununu and Katsinawa and renovation of 25 health facilities worth N25 million in Birnin Kudu, Garki, Gwaram, Jahun and Maigatari Local Government Areas. Within this period, drugs worth N612,738,288 were procured by JIMSO under the drug revolving scheme. The construction of the Birnin Kudu General Hospital is also being continued as well as the construction of the main gate and perimeter fence for the new Hadejia General Hospital and the conversion works on the proposed 2nd school of

a concept to production cycle of just six months following my first trip to China, and today, branded “Jigawa Granite” is rolling off the production line in Kachi and making inroads into the building material market. This is the same dedicated approach we intend to use in ensuring the gradual industrialisation of Jigawa State notwithstanding the prevalent economic challenges, using the full complement of my office as Chief Investment Promoter, and our supporting agencies which are being strengthened for greater service delivery, I am a business man turned politician and not the other way round.

Governor Abubakar Nursing Hadejia which has reached completion stage. In your inaugural speech, you promised to use agriculture to build a sustainable local economy. Is that process on course? Very much so, we have no option because it is the only sector where we have a comparative advantage at the moment. I said I would focus on attracting largescale agricultural investment because we must leapfrog and catch up with global best practices. If you have a look at our statistics, we are at the bottom of almost every yield table for our major crops despite years of government and development partner intervention. The only game changer I can see is private sector involvement. If we don’t begin to look at agriculture from a business perspective, we cannot be competitive and no amount of government control or protection can help a farmer producing 2.5 tons a hectare against his counterpart in Thailand or Brazil producing 10 tons per hectare twice a year. There is simply no contest. In pursuit of this, we have adopted the International principles of large scale agricultural investment (RAI) and developed a State Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework (LARF) to achieve a balance between the investors need for large scale land and the citizens’ right to minimal disruption of lifestyle and livelihood. This has resulted in the adoption of out-grower scheme models involving small holder farmers in all our major large scale agricultural partnerships, which include the Dangote Rice Project that will eventually cover about 30,000 hectares and The Lee Group sugar project covering about 12,000 hectares. The out-grower scheme has commenced in earnest even before the development of the commercial farms, and farmers have already started benefitting from the advantage of an organized cluster approach with pooled resources and input provision. Recently, during the recent fuel shortage which saw many individual farmers abandoning their cultivation due to lack of fuel for irrigation, the members of the out-grower cooperatives had the protection of group logistic dynamics that guaranteed all inputs, including fuel as part of the agreement and as we speak a large percentage of rice cultivation in the affected areas is only evident on

farms that are part of the scheme because individual farmers couldn’t afford fuel for irrigation at the black market price. What did you achieve in this first one year with regard to convincing investors to come to the state, especially as you have been mentioned among the governors who travel abroad the most? Me? Is that so? You all know we are in difficult situations of serious fall in the price of oil in the international market. That seriously affected government revenue. And this government of change came with a policy of diversifying the economy to non-oil sector which must be agriculture, mines and industrialisation. That made us to go the extra mile in attracting the right kind of investment in Jigawa because we are surrounded by states like Kano that have a comparative advantage in terms of infrastructure and a ready market. I have already mentioned our giant strides in the agricultural sector with conglomerates moving in to give impetus to our goal of large scale production. In the last 11 months alone, we have also fast tracked the development of solar energy with Nova Scotia power and Pan Africa solar taking advantage of the LARF policy to fast-track land acquisition and compensation process to commence 80MW solar plant in Dutse and another 100MW divided between the Hadejia and Dutse substations. Erisco Foods and Dangote Farms are establishing tomato paste factories covering a combined 5,500 hectares. Additionally, following the successful opening of the Lee Group Kijawal factory in Ringim LGA, the company has expressed its desire to expand additional production lines and the State government has decided to establish an Industrial park in the same vicinity to take full advantage of the location. The Park will provide incentives and the provision of common services including infrastructure, serviced industrial plots, and warehouses as well as ancillary business and production support like group security, weigh bridges etc. Here in Dutse, we just commissioned a granite and marble tile production factory that has the capacity to cater for both domestic and international demand for granite finished products. By sheer dint of relentless focus on investor requirement and promotion, we were able to achieve

What is your message to the people as you celebrate one year in office? I will give them my commitment to put their interest above all others in the discharge of their mandate and I promise to run an open and responsive government that is not a family affair. I want to assure them that I will stick to people-oriented programmes despite the ironic and insensitive mockery of our grass-roots poverty alleviation programmes by a government that expects people to be flying to imaginary destinations, when the state is adjudged to be at the bottom of the national poverty table. Our empowerment programmes are target-specific and carefully structured to ensure sustainability, not some generic unimaginative tractor or equipment distribution scheme that is hijacked by cronies. We are still trying to recover money ploughed into such schemes by the last government. without success. Our goat empowerment scheme, which they chose to ridicule, is simply a micro credit programme replacing conventional currency with three goats, which by their nature are maintenance-free small ruminants, which can multiply two folds within 12 months after which we retrieve three offspring from the beneficiary to put back to the pool. This programme is called goat lending or livestock revolving scheme in other places, and has been successfully used to alleviate poverty in rural women by up to 73 per cent in over 23 countries, and our target is 20 women per ward or about 17,220 goats. One set of three goats that can change the life of a rural woman is less than the cost of an air ticket from Dutse to Abuja and I would rather do that than pay an airline for empty seats. I must also commend their patience because we have taken over at the worst possible period and witnessed a combination of negative and interlinked trends from falling oil prices to currency devaluation and galloping inflation. The fact that some unpatriotic elements who have lost the chance to continue their brigandage are sabotaging our efforts is no longer in doubt. After all, the question needs to be asked: “what are they avenging?” While they were cheering at the loss in revenue from falling oil prices, they have started attacking facilities to cripple production at a time when we were just rejoicing at the fact that prices were climbing again. The situation, therefore, calls for patience and understanding and we are doing everything in conjunction with the Federal Government to put all hands on deck to alleviate the plight of the people. I also give them glad tidings of our modest attempt at complementing the palliatives being rolled out by the Federal Government to cushion the prevalent difficult situation.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

thepolity Niger Delta: Return of the long Knives

In the light of the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta and the loss of revenue for the country, DARE ADEKANMBI looks at how successive governments have handled the Niger Delta puzzle and the options open to President Muhammadu Buhari in addressing the problem.

HE resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region has apparently added more ache for managers of Nigeria’s tottering economy, with daily loss in revenue now put at N14.4 billion. The drastic reduction in daily crude oil production capacity from 2.2 million barrels to about between 800, 000 and 1 million means less money will be available for sharing among the three tiers of government from the federation account. Therefore, if the new militancy is not arrested, the cash crunch in states may not end in the coming months, the salary reduction and delays being experienced by workers in most states may linger longer than expected. In official statistics, the Niger Delta is said to constitute about 25 per cent of Nigeria’s human population and arguably the richest of the world’s deltas. It accounts for between 90 and 95 per cent of the country’s external earnings from crude oil and gas, the mainstay of its economy since the neglect of agriculture in the 70s when the country became drunk on the stupendous takings from sale of oil. However, in spite of it being Nigeria’s treasure base, all the Niger Delta region has to showcase are indices of economic dislocation, which has furthered poverty

in the region, environmental degradation, as a result of oil spillages and crude oil extraction activities of the oil companies, weak governance, among others. To worsen the situation, the efforts of the central government hardly count and are infrequent. Where they exist, they do not serve the needs of the people. To force attention to its plight, the region began to agitate for control of its oil resource, a clamour that led to the emergence of rights and environmental crusading in the region. The most visible of these crusaders was Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was later dispatched via a controversial judgment by the government of General Sani Abacha. With the scars of the Abacha junta execution of Ogoni nine, a group of environmental activists crusading justice for the region and led by Saro-Wiwa still very visible, the agitation grew louder with the restoration of civil rule in 1999. Established to further the campaign were groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) (the biggest of all), led by Henry Okah; Egbesu Boys of Africa; Niger Delta People’s Volunteers Force (NDPVF) led by Mujahid Dokubo-Asari; the Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV) led by Ateke Tom and others. The existence of these groups with violent activism as

their mode of operation has created a climate of turbulence in the region. Several oil pipelines and sundry facilities have been vandalised with the attendant further degradation of the environment, expatriate oil workers have been kidnapped, just has there have been losses of men and material by both the militias and men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) detail to restore order to the region by the Federal Government. Militancy and the Olusegun Obasanjo era During the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, there were almost countless cataclysms between the militias and managers and operatives of state security apparatus. One of such was the Odi incident in 1999. Miffed by the spate of vandalism of oil installations and the toll on the country’s earnings, President Obasanjo, directed the JTF to smoke out the militants from their hideout and bring them to justice. Five policemen and four soldiers, who were part of the JTF team deployed to carry out the order, were said to have been killed, after they tried to enter Odi, a community in Bayelsa State, where Continues pg 30

sundayinterview

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Between militarisation and dialogue Continued from pg 29 the Niger Delta warlords were said to be taking refuge. Enraged, President Obasanjo directed the governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to fish out the killers of the security personnel. The governor, in collaboration with the security agent, after fruitless search, told Obasanjo the militants could not be located. A furious Obasanjo ordered the invasion and sacking of Odi by soldiers with deaths said to be in hundreds. The decision was greeted by searing condemnations from Western countries and human rights organisations, though Obasanjo shrugged it all off. After a series of military strategies and tactics employed by the JTF under Obasanjo failed to restore a tranquil atmosphere congenial to oil extraction and earning of revenue, the president found merit in the agitation of the area and established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000. The commission is saddled with developing the oil-rich region. The move was hailed in many quarters as a timely response to the yearning of the ethnic minority region. Although the commission did a few projects on social and physical infrastructure, environmental reclamation, its creation only doused little tension in the region. Thus, the militants continued their vandalism of oil facilities on the argument that commission was a mere tokenism out of their demands. Yar’Adua-Jonathan presidency and the Niger Delta puzzle Though a protégé of Obasanjo, President Umar Yar’Adua’s approach to solving the Niger Delta conundrum largely tilted towards dialogue, rather than strategy of militarisation of the area and criminalisation of the militia leaders as was the case under his predecessor. Out of his confrontation-avoidance strategy and perhaps on the counsel of his advisers, President Yar’Adua on September 10, 2008, moved a mile further in addressing the underdevelopment of the region with the establishment of the Niger Delta Ministry assigned to two ministers to underscore the importance of the region to free flow of revenue into government coffers. One year after the federal ministry was created, President Yar’Adua in June 2009, announced what was called the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme under which militants in the region were given unconditional pardon and asked to lay down their arms and give peace a chance in exchange for a wide range of incentives including security jobs, stake in the oil industry, and other economic lifelines, all embedded in a rehabilitation and re-integration programme. Yar’Adua pledged to develop new towns in the region, create coastal roads, among others. A peace pact was consequently signed by the government and the militant leaders. The death of Yar’Adua in 2010 paved the way for the emergence for Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the then vice-president and son of the soil. Jonathan not only continued the amnesty programme launched by his late boss, he ensured the initiative was well-funded. During the Jonathan-Yar’Adua presidency, votes for the NDDC and the Amnesty programme were put at over N1.1 trillion. The Jonathan era witnessed considerable peace in the Niger Delta region, a development many analysts have attributed the sense of “our man is now in charge” which pervaded the area. No fewer than 17,000 ex-militants were said to have been rehabilitated through skill acquisition training, graduate scholarships, aeronautical training as pilots. Many of the hitherto armed youths were transformed and they turned over a new leaf. Those who were not originally militants but were graduate youths from the zone were allowed to participate in the programme. Buhari and resurgence of militancy With the advent of President Muhammadu Buhari, there has been forecast of possible renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta region. Some of forecasters have predicated their take on the fact the zone would feel robbed of another legitimate four years for the son, Dr Jonathan. But months into the Buhari government, the forecast did not come to pass until the beginning of this year when a new group which called itself the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) broke forth and began to attack oil and gas pipelines. Despite the re-militarisation of the region by the Buhari administration, none of the brains behind the attacks have

Obasanjo

Yar’Adua

Jonathan

Buhari

been arrested, while the destruction of the oil facilities with attendant revenue haemorrhage continued. After carrying out its attacks on the pipeline and oil facilities, NDA would claim responsibility for the attacks on its website. Chevron, Shell and other multinationals have shut down operations in the region, with some declaring a force majeure over the development. Although NDA claims it has successfully reduced daily crude oil production to 800, 000 barrels per day, officially the figure is said to have remained at 1.2 million barrels per day, before the recent attack on another Chevron’s Oil Wells RMP 23 and RMP 24. Ostensibly to avoid giving the military justification for another Odi massacre, the Avengers have distanced themselves from the killing and wounding of soldiers assigned to secure the oil facilities. The latest development has generated mixed reactions with some denouncing it as absolute criminality, while many have called on President Buhari not to see it through the criminality prism but to dialogue with the leaders of the region and the war lords as well. Could the decisions taken so far by President Buhari be responsible for the resurgence of militancy in the region? In the face of dwindling receipts from crude oil, President Buhari announced a number of belt-tightening measures, including streamlining ministries into manageable number and running a slim-sized government. Consequently, the Ministry of Niger Delta had to give way. Buhari also said the amnesty programme he inherited could not be sustained for want of money and would therefore be phased out in 2018. The contract for the policing of pipelines awarded under the last administration to some of the ex-militant leaders has also been cancelled. According to observers, these decisions are said to have factored in the renewed vandalism of oil facilities in the oil-rich area. This is being interpreted against the backdrop of a silent amnesty programme said to have been drawn up for repentant Boko Haram insurgents. Although the Federal Government has denied contemplating or running such programme for the insurgents, tongues continue to wag that the reason advanced for the phasing out of the Niger Delta amnesty programme and the scrapping of the federal ministry established to address the plight of the

people of the area was not convincing. The options before Buhari With the militarisation approach having failed to achieve peace, analysts are of the view that a de-militarisation of the region and opening of a dialogue channel might gel. It might be argued that the NDA is largely a faceless organisation who could not be dialogued with, the possibility of members of NDA carrying the same DNA as repentant militants should not be foreclosed. Such dialogue may have to be phased and held first with the leaders of thought in the region who need to embrace more than the open condemnation of attacks by NDA to restore peace to the region. Even Obasanjo, who was deemed to have dealt most ruthlessly with the militants, started the policy of engaging them to police the pipeline. Apart from monetary loss, electricity, which depends largely on gas supply from the Niger Delta to the power plants, has been another casualty of renewed hostilities. To analysts, President Buhari will have to call the antigraft agency, EFCC to order to respect the rule of law in its anti-corruption fight. The non-adherence to due process is being hidden under to read persecution into some of the graft cases involving citizens of the region who served under Dr Jonathan. Already, the Federal Government, on Thursday launched the clean-up and restoration programme for Ogoniland in the heart of the Niger Delta. The long-term project, which is based on the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and will see 27 oil communities benefit from the exercise, costs $1 billion. The UNEP report was submitted in 2011 during the Jonathan presidency. But nothing was done about its implementation. The Buhari administration, which has launched the clean-up programme, hopes to harvest a lot of goodwill from the region for this. But, with the fresh attacks and the attendant further contamination of the soil and water and the ecology of the region, can the Federal Government afford another round of clean-up? More stories on page 44

interview

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

LG election: Accord won’t fall into Ajimobi’s trap —Chairman Oyo State chairman of Accord Party, Alhaji Bashir Lawal, assesses the government of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, renewed bid for Senator Rashidi Ladoja to return to PDP, the coming council election, among other issues in this interview with DARE ADEKANMBI. Excerpts:

FTER two general elections, do you reckon Accord cannot stand alone, that you need to have other groups or parties to align with you? I agree and this is why we are making advances to other groups and that is not new in politics. APC came on board as a fusion of five parties-ANPP, CPC, ACN, a faction of APG and New PDP. We are also reaching out to those in other parties. But the moves are not made public for strategic reasons. We politicians can be very terrible. When they know your plans, they find ways of scuttling them. So, we will go public when the plans have been concluded and all things are set. One year of the second term of Governor Abiola Ajimobi. What is your assessment? It has been a complete failure in the sense that in the past one year, nothing has moved in the state. The only two policies the government has announced are anti-people and dehumanising policies. The first is the revocation of all land allocated as farm settlements. Thousands of farmers make a living working on the farm settlements. It is not an unreasonable policy for a government that is mouthing economic diversification. If the governor wants to do anything about agriculture, he ought to upgrade existing settlements and establish new ones. We all know how government bureaucracy works. Before new allocations are done, the farming season will have passed and that will be more hunger and misery for the already paupersied people of the state. The second policy is the so-called public-private partnership policy on public secondary schools. The government just uses this phrase as a euphemism to smokescreen the real intention of the policy which is to sell public schools to individuals. That is the government’s intention in a plain language. This is a government that rode on the back of government philosophy and we all know the philosophy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as far as education is concerned. Governor Ajimobi has shown that he is insensitive to the education of the children of the common people in the state. It is unfortunate that Ajimobi’s government policies in the area of education have been unfair to the masses. He stopped the payment of WAEC fees, introduced school fees, promised an elusive Technical University and now wants to privatise public secondary schools. In an interview, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ismail Ali said those of you in the opposition parties have been silent because they felt humiliated in the last election… We have been silent because there has been inaction in the state. Nothing is going on anywhere in the state. We don’t comment when there are inactions. The APC government train in Oyo State is on

polls. But despite the OYSIEC members being APC members, we are going to slug it out with them in the election. The government does not have the acceptability that will make it win any election in the state. We also want to give the people an opportunity to make a choice. A good politician should not boycott an election. We will be doing a disservice to the people of the state if we boycott the election. Let them do whatever they like with the results; the people will know who they voted for and that they have been robbed. We will see what President Muhammadu Buhari will do because he mentioned the impunity the councils have been subjected to in his inaugural address. Corruption is not by stealing money alone. When the wishes of the people are upturned, that is the highest form of corruption. We will await Buhari’s verdict on it.

Alhaji Bashir Lawal one stop and not moving. So, we don’t know whether it is the rail that is bad of whether it is the train itself that has collapsed. When they brought two unpopular policies, we were the first to kick against those policies. The government has been hiding under a broad narrative that the economy is bad. Yes, the economy is bad. But has the government stopped the culture of waste the state has become synonymous with? What did he do with the state resources when the economy was buoyant during his first four years in office? The SSG said in the interview you mentioned that the IGR was N1.2 billion monthly. They brought in a consultant and gave him a benchmark of about N364 million monthly. Now, the consultant is generating N1.2billion. They take the difference and give the consultant 15 per cent of the money. This amounts to N119 million monthly. During the government of Ladoja, the base line for IGR was N700 million. Do you now see how the waste? Or is the consultant acting as a front for some people? They have done this for four years and you can imagine how much money has been lost to this. The government claims it has taken governance to a higher level. But in actual fact, what it has taken to a higher level is the level of waste and impunity. After five years in office, Governor Ajimobi appears ready to conduct local government with the sending of eight names to the Assembly for scrutiny as OYSIEC members. Have you seen the list? I have seen the list. But unfortunately, all the eight members are card-carrying members of the APC. With the names

sent, Ajimobi has set a trap and we in Accord are not going to fall into the trap. He wants a situation whereby we will say we are going to court to challenge the composition of OYSIEC who are APC member to use that as an excuse to halt the election. We won’t go to court. We will go on the field and challenge APC in the election and also work with other opposition parties during the polls. I don’t think Ajimobi really wants to conduct council poll. He is just trying to avoid what happened in Osun State where a group petitioned the EFCC against Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the alleged misuse and misappropriation of council funds. But can the records in the last five years be erased? If Accord wins even just one seat, we will be able to have access to records through that and then confront the governor. We are very optimistic about our success in the election. Expressing optimism when in another breath you just alleged that those who will conduct the election as APC members. Where is the optimism from? It is not the eight members that will vote. We know that they may want to announce figures and winners. But people only rig election when they have a level of popularity. This government is not popular with the people. This has been made worse by the education policy. Education is a social basic right in Nigeria as contained in the law passed by the National Assembly in 2004. Incidentally, Ajimobi was a senator then. Maybe he was not in the red chamber when the bill was passed. We will go in collaboration with other parties to challenge the APC in the council

In 2019, where should the governor come from? People from OkeOgun where you hail from are agitating that it is now their turn. But there are people form Ibadan who are already showing interest… I also believe Oke-Ogun has not got its fair share of the governance of Oyo State. If it is possible we sit around a table and they give it to Oke-Ogun, I will love that. But that is not going to be possible. Yes, it is not going to be served on the table. When you look at the composition of the state in terms of votes, Ibadan has more than 50 per cent of the votes. That is what they are capitalising on to say democracy is a game of number. To me, the remaining 22 local government councils have not yet suffered enough under the Ibadan hegemony. When they have suffered enough, they will come together and fight for freedom. If they come together and Ibadan says it has more than 50 per cent of the votes, the Ibadan candidate will have the problem of spread. But can there be that unity of other zones against Ibadan? Everything is gradual. For example, in the old Oyo State, most of the time, it was the people from Osun State that used to call the shot. Osun State people the used to leave Ibadan people and come to OkeOgun to use us in Oke-Ogun. Ibadan cannot do it alone; they need other zones. BY the time the other zones realise that the Ibadan people just use and dump them, they will sit tight. I would not want it to get to the level of a gang up against Ibadan. If that happens, Ibadan will find it difficult to get the governorship again. Ibadan has a very large number of non-indigenes who are resident in the metropolis. By the time we other zones begin to sensitise the nonIbadan and they form the Central Council of Non-Ibadan Indigenes to rival the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), it may portend danger. But I don’t want it to get to that level. I want us to jaw-jaw and not war-war.

thepolity

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Leadership crisis: What future for PDP? LEON USIGBE writes on the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the danger it poses to its aspiration as a political party.

ATHER than the much-desired solution, the Port Harcourt, Rivers State national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) produced more complications in the efforts to resolve its leadership crisis. Former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, came away with the post of chairman of the national caretaker committee which the convention vested with the powers to steer the ship of the former ruling party pending when another convention is held. But as far as the party’s constitution is concerned, the national caretaker committee is an aberration. Sacked by the national convention to pave the way for the emergence of the caretaker committee, former national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, refused to give up the post. Working with former National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and former National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, he secured a Lagos High Court order stopping the convention from conducting elections to replace them. Rather than flouting the court order, the convention sought to pull the rug from under everyone’s feet by dissolving the National Working Committee (NWC) and instituting in its place, the caretaker committee. Since the court said “don’t conduct elections into the three positions,” PDP reasoned that what it did in Port Harcourt was within the ambit of the order. This laid the basis for the new crisis. Sheriff would have none of that. He has continued to lay claim to the national chairmanship post despite another court order obtained in Port Harcourt directing that the Makarfi-led national caretaker committee is the authentic leadership for the party. Concerned PDP Stakeholders, led by former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, which was angered by Sheriff’s continued occupation of the office, the pre-national convention zoning of the office to the North East for Sheriff’s sake and his inevitable victory at the convention, had mounted pressure for its cancellation by organising a parallel and simultaneous convention in Abuja to elect its own national officers to run the affairs of the party. It ended up only ratifying a national steering committee having learned that the Port Harcourt convention would not be re-electing Sheriff. The Concerned PDP Stakeholders made up of mainly members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and former ministers eventually threw their weights behind Makarfi just as the BoT and the former NWC members except Oladipo and Adeyanju. Sheriff’s stance suggested that all hell would soon let loose at the party national headquarters because he showed determination to continue to occupy the national chairman’s office, the existence of the national caretaker committee notwithstanding. But in a swift move, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, deployed a detachment of armed policemen to seal off the Wadata Plaza, Abuja edifice hosting the party’s national secretariat. The police explained that there were indications that some aggrieved leaders and members of the party had perfected plans to engage thugs from across the country to join them in threatening public peace and security in Abuja. It said it had therefore directed the deployment of policemen to secure the PDP secretariat and protect the staff until the threat to internal security that was being occasioned by the intra-party crisis within the PDP subsided. For nine days, therefore, the secretariat was under siege and neither Makarfi nor Sheriff showed up to occupy the office. Makarfi, PDP state governors and other party stakeholders have been working round the clock to resolve

Senator Ahmed Makarfi

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff

the leadership imbroglio in time to be able to deal with the impending Edo and Ondo state gubernatorial elections. And hope rose for the party when the BoT stepped in to take possession of the national secretariat having convinced the police that enough truce had been reached among the contending forces. The BoT took over the secretariat and has actually been running the affairs of the party in the exercise of its powers under Part ix, Section (5)(e) of the party constitution (as amended in 2012) which empowers the board as the only organ of the party vested with the assets and custodians of such assets. But the BoT was keen to stress that its actions does not affect the position of the Makarfi’s national caretaker committee. Even though it said in one breath that it moved in order not to allow a vacuum, it maintained in another that the caretaker committee retains the exective role of the leadership. “For emphasis, the PDP is one and united and the Board of Trustees as the conscience of the party is performing one of its constitutional powers by mediating in the leadership crisis that has befallen the party following the outcome of the just concluded national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The BoT therefore did not and has not sacked the national caretaker committee,” Chinwe Nnorom, the Head of Publicity Department of the PDP, said.

Two members of the House of Representatives, Tony Nwoye and Emmanuel Udende from Anambra and Benue states respectively, apparently interpreting the current situation in the PDP as factionalism, last week announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is an ominous sign for the the PDP. But the BoT promptly responded, warning both lawmakers that they stood the risk of losing their seats because they were wrong to assume that there are factions in the opposition party. Secretary of the BoT, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, did not mince words when he told the defectors and others who may be nursing the idea that following the Port Harcourt national convention, all other groups have been re-integrated in the party with reconciliation of other aggrieved members ongoing. Maduekwe said: “The rank and file of the party have resolved to work together and PDP has never been stronger than it is now since its entry into the honourable role of a robust and principled opposition. Any suggestion of a faction is at best ill-informed and ignorant, and at worst, part of a grand plan to decimate the only political platform today that is ready, experienced and able to honour the nation’s invitation to have a credible opposition party that will hold government of the day accountable and thereby strengthen and nourish our young democracy.” The BoT Secretary, therefore, warned: “Our party will insist on a declaration of vacancy and subsequent elections in affected constituencies in the event of such misguided defections,” adding that the PDP would recapture the seats in new elections judging by the pattern of the party’s electoral victories all over the federation since the 2015 general elections. In spite of the BoT’s position, the former ruling party is in a dire strait. It is not functioning as it should be, especially at a time it is required to provide constructive opposition to the party in government. Its condition is less than inspiring for its faithful and it is looking increasingly likely that it will lose Edo and Ondo elections unless it can work fast to put its house in order. The establishment though believes that the worst nightmare has been surmounted and it is picking up itself and will indeed rebound stronger than ever before. But only time will tell.

The former ruling party is in a dire strait. It is not functioning as it should be, especially at a time it is required to provide constructive opposition to the party in government

OT a few young Nigerians and adults as well were excited to have President Muhammadu Buhari take charge as the President of the Nigerian federation on May 29 2015. Much of that excitement was due to the combative publicity embarked upon by his party, the All Progressives Congress(APC), which succeeded largely in casting the previous administration as a do-nothing government, especially as far as the insecurity and massive insurgency was concerned. To cap the woes of that administration, the then government of Dr Goodluck Jonathan had the misfortune of losing over 200 school girls to kidnappers in the name of insurgency. All things worked together for the victory of the APC in March 2015 and today, we are celebrating President Buhari’s one year in office. Since he came on, Buhari has come to realise the difference between opposition postulations and realities of government. He has come to know that many of the outlandish projections made by his party during the campaigns were not only tenable, but far from being feasible. Besides the economic realities, the practicality of it all has been difficult to fathom. The question of making one Naira equivalent to one US Dollar is one of such and the promise that petrol would sell for as low as N40 per litre. The promise of providing N5, 000 stipend to the poorest of the poor in the country as well as the school feeding programme in the public schools are also programmes that remain on the drawing board. One year down the lane, what have we seen? That is the question from many quarters and that is the question that has propelled members of the House of Representatives to premier the sectoral interaction with Ministers at committees of the Whole. During the presidential campaign, the president was loud on three key issues: economy, insurgency and anticorruption. By and large, the three issues largely encapsulate the Nigerian situation. Ahead of the 2015 campaigns, the Boko Haram insurgents really had Nigeria’s back to the wall. What we gained from the quiet that engulfed the Niger Delta was immediately lost following the upsurge of insurgency in the North East. The insurgents killed, maimed and kidnapped. They owned territories and dared the state. The government of former President Goodluck Jonathan apparently underestimated the crisis. Before it could do much, territories in the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe had been appropriated.

IS it not ironic that 14-year-old Ese Oruru who was rescued from her captors some months back would give birth on the eve of this year’s Children’s Day? Ese, who was delivered of a baby girl two Thursdays ago, was allegedly abducted in Bayelsa State in August 2015 and taken to Kano State where she was converted to Islam and married out without the consent of her parents. What happened to Ese underlines the aptness of the theme for this year’s children’s celebration which is: “Protect the rights of the child in the face of violence and insecurity: End child marriage.” In view of what happened to Ese, I wonder what the future holds for her little daughter in terms of the protection of her rights in the face of violence and insecurity especially the predominance of forced (and) child marriages. Again, what choices await Ese herself in view of her broken education, the over-exposure and violation of her privacy that her situation has forced upon her? Can she truly pick up the threads of her life again, continue her education and indeed achieve her previously set goals and dreams (if any)? How is she going to deal with the stigma of having a child in such controversial circumstances and how is she going to handle motherhood, even as a child herself? It is unfortunate that the fact of these circumstances has effectively made this girl a single mother even at such a tender age. Will Ese be able to cope with it despite the obvious love and support of her parents? I hope so. What was uppermost on my mind and I believe on the minds of many mothers is the issue of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) commonly called the leaking disease in northern Nigeria where it is predominant because of forced marriages imposed on the girl-child whose reproductive organs are usually not well developed for conception. VVF is an abnormal medical situation that involves the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. According to Ese’s father, Charles Oruru, the young girl, who was in Junior Secondary School at the time she was taken away, was in a good state after going through the early morning labour stress. Charles said that the

5 June, 2016

the lynxeye with Taiwo adisa

08072000046

These 356 days of Change…

Though that government did much to push back the insurgents in the days preceding the general elections, the opposition had succeeded in painting the government of the day in bad light as far as its management of the insurgency crisis was concerned. Since he came on board, Buhari has shown he want to tackle insurgency. He has announced the shifting of the theatre of operations to the North East and charged the military to tackle the insurgents. While we cannot say that the war has been won and lost, the government has since

frontrow with Toyin Willoughby Muyi 0805 500 1769 toyeenz@yahoo.com

Babies having babies: Revisiting children’s day

family was excited about the latest addition to the family, despite the circumstances surrounding Ese’s pregnancy; adding that Ese gave birth without much trouble. Others haven’t been that lucky. It is noteworthy that the family has risen to the occasion and has considered the welfare of their daughter a priority, otherwise how would the lay-about who got her pregnant have taken care of her? According to reports, Yunusa Dahiru who got her into the mess can’t even fulfil the bail conditions slammed on him by the court for the

Sunday Tribune

announced it has degraded the Boko Haram fighters. While the government wants us to believe that the war has been won, I want to align with commentators who are of the view that you cannot totally defeat insurgents. You can score a temporary victory, but with ideology and religious fundamentalism involved, you stand at the risk of emerging cells of radicalism in different other forms. That gives the indication that rather than continuously turn the guns on the insurgents at every stage; the government would need to address fundamental issues that provide the bedrock for radicalism, fundamentalism and insurgency. Once the critical factors that provide oxygen for the rise of fundamentalism are death with, the Army would not need to kill as many of its citizens in the name of fighting militants. On the corruption war, the government appears to have revved the engine of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). I am one of those who believe that you cannot kill corruption in human society, unlike the postulations by our political leaders, but you can terminate the source of livelihood for corruption such that the crime becomes unattractive. The government’s war of corruption has thrown up many figures, so many of them scary and unimaginable. While some persons are already answering questions in the courts, many others are undergoing investigation by the EFCC. This is big business and the government seems to be devoting its energy to this. But many Nigerians have also questioned whether you fight corruption without catching a glance at the building blocks of the economy. While those who are allegedly corrupt are being handled and you can be sure they are less than one percent of the population, the rest of the country should not be made to endlessly suffer for the sins of the few. Even at that, the government should always observe the rule of law in dealing with anyone so accused. To this effect, it has become incumbent on economic managers of the incumbent administration to design ways of expanding the economy and shielding the poor and the vulnerable from the crimes of the few. Emerging data from the widely acclaimed National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) are scary for the financial sector. There have been job losses in all sectors since Buhari took over, inflation has hit double digits and there are no sign where it would end. The manufacturing sector is comatose and no one knows where crude oil is headed. Rather than mouth diversification repeatedly, agents of this government would do well to actualise this word.

five counts of alleged kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation of a minor! Having said this, there are many young girls who are victims of rapists and abductors. The news media is replete with many heart-rending stories, that one wonders how the girl-child is going to survive the violence and violations she is exposed to on a daily basis. Whenever my daughter is ill-disposed, she abandons her room and says I am sleeping in your room tonight. She believes that mummy and daddy can take care of whatever is behind her ailment. Sure we do all we can, but how many parents can truly say they can indeed protect these children when they themselves are open to abuse and violence on a daily basis? Issues of insecurity and violation of children especially the girl-child are issues that should be put on the front burner on days like this, not empty rhetoric by politicians which they forget immediately their false promises are made. Children’s Day should not simply be a day to celebrate children for who they are, but to draw attention to the fact that many children around the world have succumbed to violence in forms of abuse, exploitation and discrimination. It should be a day to remind adults that many children experience violations every day in terms of being recruited as child soldiers, being killed and maimed; being abducted and used as child labourers or sex objects. It is a day when we should remind ourselves that there are many children living on the streets and begging for food, not through any fault of theirs. It is a day when we should rub minds on how to protect the rights of these children and give them a better future. The Federal Government should heed the call by the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) and take actions to renew efforts towards ending all forms of violence against children. UNICEF records show that more than 1.2 million children have been displaced in the NorthEast of the country. As the Representative, UNICEF Nigeria, Jean Gough noted, the theme of the day helps to shed a much needed light on the unprecedented levels of violence against children in Nigeria in the recent past and present. We need action not rhetoric.

5 June, 2016

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With Bolanle Bolawole turnpot@gmail.com 07052631058

lord’sday Fulani herdsmen: Fayose bells the cat

OVERNOR of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, has trod where angels would fear to tread: he has banned the medieval practice of grazing cattle all over the place in Ekiti State. He has promised to send draft legislation to this effect to the state House of Assembly to be passed into law. When this is done, both cattle and herdsmen caught on the wrong side of the law will be sanctioned. The beasts will be confiscated while the herdsmen will cool their heels in gaol. Not only is the practice of itinerant rearing of cattle archaic, it also negates the giant strides that Mankind has made from the Stone Age. Grazing cattle in an unruly and unorganised manner over farmlands, destroying the means of livelihood of law-abiding citizens and trampling their inalienable rights is an affront to the legal order and an unwarranted assault on those at the receiving end of the bestiality of both beast and herdsman. All over the country are strident cries against the callousness of the herdsmen who not only feed their cattle on, and as a result destroy, farmlands, thereby complicating the problem of skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs in the land; they also main, rape, and kill innocent indigenes of the communities they traduce to the bargain. They kidnap and torture, they demand and collect ransoms before releasing their victims. Most times, the victims still get killed even after ransoms have been paid.Cattles have been known to cause fatal accidents on the highways. The increasing wave of armed robbery attacks in many of the rural communities has also been traced to herdsmen who wield AK-47 in broad daylight in flagrant violation of the laws of the land which frown at the proliferation of small arms. The authorities look the other way while these atrocities are perpetrated across the country. The latest bus stop of the audacious bestiality of the herdsmen was Ekiti state, at a community called Oke-Ako in Ikole Local Government Area of the state. Not less than two residents lost their lives instantly while scores of others suffered varying degrees of injuries and the community as a whole was sacked. Reports said it was reprisal attack or vengeance mission by the herdsmen, in that earlier; the community had repelled a similar attack and got some of the assailants arrested by law-enforcement agents; even though they were reportedly left to go scot-free soon after. As if they expected the community to simply fold its arms and do nothing, the herdsmen returned penultimate week to teach the OkeAko people “a lesson.” The community got wind of it and alerted the security agencies but for reasons which bother on complicity, duplicity, and dereliction of duty, the appropriate authorities failed to act. A government that is pouring troops into the Niger Delta to “crush” Niger Delta Avengers looked the other way while Fulani herdsmen avengers swarmed and over-awed Oke-Ako. Whether in the cities or in the rural areas, the security

agencies appear the same: They wait until the deed is done before showing face! This is one reason to support the clamour for state police. It is also another reason why each state government must endeavour to act outside the straitjacket of the FG-controlled security apparatus. Until reason prevails and the security architecture is decentralised, each state must find ways and means to circumnavigate the current strictures of a centrally-controlled security force, such as arming vigilante groups. Fayose deserves commendation for blazing the trail in his resolve to compel cattle owners to do the right thing: Look after their cattle in ranches as is done in other parts of the world. Seizing lands to create grazing routes all over the country as some nit-wits are contemplating in the National Assembly is not the right way to proceed. This is private business and should be privately organised and financed. The decision of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to use tax-payers money for this purpose is not only superfluous but also an act of corruption. For one, Buhari is said to be patron of the cattle owners’ association. For another, he is the owner of herds of cattle and, in that respect, an employer of herdsmen, be they Fulani or otherwise. So, there are two very serious issues involved here: Conflict of interest and compromised conduct leading to deliberate dereliction of duty and or failure to activate his Oath of Office. The president wants to use tax-payers’ money to improve his stock; this is not acceptable. It is akin to what President Jacob Zuma is facing more than a hundred corruption charges over in a South African law court. The president’s tardiness; nay, lack of interest, in threatening hails and brimstones against the Fulani herdsmen in the same manner he has repeatedly done against neo-Biafra and neo-Niger Delta militants has been put down to the twin evils of selfish interest and tribalism. This president must not only act as the president of the whole country in an even-handed manner, he must also be

manifestly seen to be so. So far, this has not been the case. In his appointments – from the beginning to the latest ones that he made last week, he has left no one in doubt that he, a Fulani man, is the president of the Fulani and not of the entire country. He has marginalised the other ethnic groups to the consternation of his most ardent supporters. I have begun, myself, to regret voting for this man. Only crumbs have come the way of the South-West, for example. The president’s statements have also done very little to conceal his unbridled sense of partiality; for instance, the “us” (Fulani/North) and “they” (other tribes/South) that he made at the emir’s palace in Katsina recently. In the event that the president is not at all minded to be the father of all, the onus lies with everyone to take his or her own destiny in his or her own hands. It is imperative for other governors to follow the example of Fayose and enact laws that will outlaw cattle rearing in their respective states. The president must also be prevailed upon not to spend a dime of tax-payers’ money – or oyel (oil) money – on any grazing route of trouble and acrimony. Then,all men and women of conscience must get ready to defend and protect Fayose because he is already being attacked for his courageous act of protecting the interests of his own people. Anti-Fulani charges and the badge of an ethnic jingoist are already being pinned on him. But I am disappointed that Fayose appears to be falling for it. He had no business denying that he is not an ethnic jingoist. Most Nigerian leaders are ethnic jingoes! In fact, those making the allegations are themselves the worst culprits. What is President Buhari himself if not an ethnic jingoist by all his appointments, statements, preferences, and body language so far? We all knew him to be one before he became president. Since he became president he has been even more so. In Nigeria, only the Yoruba belabour themselves unnecessarily not to be seen as tribalists. Put an Igbo person in a position and he fills everywhere with his or her fellow Igbo person. That is the

bitter truth – and everyone knows it. The other tribes are also the same – only the Yoruba are not. We are always talking fair play; we are the nationalists while the others are very proud tribalists. This way, we have suffered. Is that not why Olusegun Obasanjo, in his eight years as president, handed over the presidency, first to Atiku Abubakar, and later to the Igbo while the Yoruba, whose turn it was, got nothing? Even the Yoruba in Obasanjo’s cabinet suffered in the hands of Fulani and Igbo. Ask Borishade. Ask Adeniran. Since the Otta farmer left the presidency, which other president has towed his line of fair play to tribes other than their own? LAST WORD: Senator Iyiola Omisore said he was in court with EFCC penultimate Tuesday in the morning but before the end of that day, he had been declared wanted by the same EFCC for remaining “elusive” for more than one month!I am sure I saw photographs of the same Omisore in the newspapers at PDP congresses and conventions. Did he use the Yoruba “iboju” to cover the EFCC’s eyes or he used for himself the “egbe” or “ofe” to disappear from those venues? Should we now call Omisore the “Black Pimpernel”, the nickname given to Nelson Mandela for his disappearing acts during the ANC-declared armed struggle against apartheid in South Africa? FEEDBACK It is because of you and Diran Apata that I buy Sunday Tribune. You make my Sunday! I am a retired lecturer of European History at the University of Ibadan. Your writings are so true and factual. I keep on telling friends and foes alike that Nigeria cannot make it until we accept the facts and go back to practical federalism. Know what? I blame you Yoruba! You have all it takes to lead but you would not. Change will not come! —Dr K. Irene Princewill. May Almighty God continuously enrich your knowledge, guard, and guide you. Your contribution to national development is well-recognised. —Prince Adelegan Adegbola, fcpa (President, Oduduwa Cultural Foundation). I have just gone through your write-up on the state of the nation; it is quite pathetic! The greed for oil is the root cause of our problems. The situation was compounded by the military when they introduced the unitary system of government. We now have a situation where the component state governments run to Abuja cap-inhand for monthly hand-outs. This country can never move forward with the way it is structured. The feudal lords who are against the restructuring of the country are the worst enemies of their own people. Nigeria will continue to be on the dark side of the world! Please do not expect our bosses at the National Assembly to even suggest the restructuring of the country. This is their “own time to have a bite” of the national cake. —Dr Martins Ahiakwo.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune With Rita Okonoboh rosarumese@gmail.com 08053789087

tribunechurch

Herdsmen attacks: These are not the Fulanis we’re used to —Primate Okoh

Head, Global Anglican Future Conference Primates Council (GAFCON) and Primate of Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Most Reverend Nicholas D. Okoh bares his mind on religious, political and economic issues in Nigeria. Excerpts:

AILY routine I wake up very early to enable me have morning devotion with my family, because that is another church. During devotions, we don’t just read the Bible, we listen to comments. We seek the opinion of the young people about the scriptures and then I give my own. Beyond the scripture, we also discuss family issues. We discuss and pray. The next thing to do would be to go for my exercise. I go to a park; jog and trek as far as my strength can carry me. After that, I have a little rest in the morning, and then breakfast. I thereafter get ready for the office. All these things are before 10.00 a.m. when I have to be at the main church. We start from 10.00 a.m. and sometimes leave at 6.00 p.m. After closing, we have meetings, which usually take us farther into the night. My new role at GAFCON GAFCON came to be in 2008 when homosexuality became an issue and some churches in the Anglican Communion refused to go to the Lambeth Conference because of the issue. Instead, they went to Jerusalem to hold their own conference. That conference was planned in Nairobi, Kenya, under Archbishop Peter Akinola and executed in Jerusalem. That conference adopted a statement, which is commonly known as the GAFCON statement and Jerusalem declarations. That is the creed of the body of Anglicans who objected to revisionism agenda, that is to say, it is not just about homosexuality and lesbianism; it has to do with the attitude to the Bible. There are people who think that their culture and interpretation should supersede what is in the scriptures. But the GAFCON group said no, and that is what it is all about. My duty will be to organise them as the chairman and ensure that we move forward. For example, the conference we had in 2008 at Jerusalem, after five years, we had another one in Nairobi and this time round, we are going to have another one in 2018. Efforts are being made to get the venue, but we have not succeeded. At the last conference, it was decided that because 2018 will be 10 years when GAFCON was born, it will be very important for us to go back to Jerusalem in order to observe 10 years of the

existence of GAFCON, and after the next five years, we could go to another place. My plan for the church My first assignment is my diocese, the Abuja diocese. Our programme is to continue to raise new churches and ensure that they are properly led with pastors who will provide good spiritual diet for the people. Following that, based on our Church of Nigeria vision, and our church being a caring church, we must provide schools and hospitals. That is why we are negotiating for land in order to establish a hospital for the care of the sick and people who are unwell. This is our area of interest. More than that, we are going to lay more emphasis now on the rural areas in the suburb of the city, because that is where the people who matter are. They are the people who need the message and pass it on to their children, so that the gospel can be domesticated in this place. The wait for Buhari’s invitation Really, if you have followed media reports, as a member of the peace committee, I had taken part in all the discussions held to make sure that there is peace in the country. We had written letters; we invited the authorities to Akure, they never showed up. We invited them to Kubwa, it was only the VicePresident who came. The Anglican bishops wrote to the president to schedule a visit. We did not even receive an acknowledgement, let alone an invitation. What we concluded is that the letter might have gotten lost somewhere, because we could not imagine why the letter could be dishonored in that manner. We are thinking that we should allow him to settle down more, and then we can make more efforts to get in touch. We have written three times to get his audience, but it did not work out fine. That is not to say that we are not with them. We are with them because of the work they are doing. We believe what the president is doing now is very good especially on the issue of corruption. If not for corruption, maybe we would have risen far beyond where we are today in Nigeria. If all the money budgeted in Nigeria had been spent for the people, then we could have gone very far. We are body and soul with the presi-

dent in this agenda, because it is for the people. No Christian who is worth his name can be against an administration that is fighting corruption. It is very important. God is just and righteous, and fighting corruption is righteousness. But the battle is an ongoing one, it is not over, so we are available. We are part of the crusade against the evil in the land.

very necessary. What we consider to be absent now is the fact that the states and local governments are not being carried along. The real effect of government is at the local government. All the money they collect on monthly basis, what do they do with it? The states need to be carried along in order to make the war against corruption effective.

Effects of insurgency on the church Not much has been done to restructure or review the trend. In Damaturu, Yobe State, we have not been able to do much because if you go there, even the bishop is on exile in Jos. He lives in Jos and only goes there to see things. A lot was damaged in Mubi area under Yola diocese and Maiduguri of course. These things take time, and we hope that the effort being made by government to rebuild the North-East will also include rehabilitating the religious facilities that were destroyed by insurgents.

If Nigeria is fantastically corrupt? The fault of that statement is that it has no time frame and you cannot conclude that Nigerians are not corrupt. There is hardly any area where you mention corruption and Nigeria’s name will not appear. Look at the Panama documents, Nigerians are mentioned there. That was why I said the fight against corruption is at its infancy. It is going to go very far for the impact to really be felt in the society. First is that it has to go from the federal to the states, then to the local governments, the universities, the market, the industries, banks, churches and all places. It is a comprehensive crusade.

On the anti-graft war The war against corruption is

The herdsmen rampage Fulani herdsmen are a common sight in any part of Nigeria. Everywhere you go, you meet them and they have always been used as good examples of diligence, devotion and dedication to duty in the way they graze their animals while they eat scanty food. You cannot really fault them for doing anything and so they were a welcome sight in any village or community with their sticks and so on. Sometimes, they carried musical instruments and radio and they exude happiness in the bush. But in recent times, what we are seeing of them does not give us the confidence to refer to them as herdsmen. We are dealing with terrorist organisations that are devoted to killing people. Where it matters to us now is that the major policy of this government on economic revival hangs on agriculture. But people cannot go to farm anymore. They can no longer eat because somebody is waiting with a rifle in the bush to kill and rape. That is brigandage. We appeal to government to quickly intervene because this is not the set of Fulanis that we were used to. To us, something has happened and we do not know what it is. This problem could have arisen from the negligence of the government in guarding our borders. People crossed over into our country to perpetrate evil and we must watch it. Whichever way you look at it, it is the government’s responsibility, whether immigration, customs, military or police, they are all government agencies. Nobody can solve the problem, but only the government. Before we get to that point where security becomes the affair of ethnic nationalities organising their militias, there is a need for government to look at this matter with the urgency it requires before things eventually degenerate. On the economy First and foremost, we were told in the media that due to the fact that the budget had not been released, money has not been flowing; economy has not been properly fixed. They said what they are running are programmes made by past administration and there is a disconnect between that administration and this one. Now that the budget has been signed, we will give it a while to see whether the approval of the budget will bring new life. If it does, then we shall clap and rejoice. If it does not, then we should begin to think more and more of where to find our salvation.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews FG asked to ban hate preaching By Olaide Sokoya

cleric, Reverend James Adebayo Owoyemi, has urged the Federal Government to ban preachings that threaten Nigeria’s corporate existence. The Deputy General Overseer of the United Apostolic Church of Christ, who made the call in Ibadan, Oyo State, while speaking with journalists on this year’s annual prayer and fasting programme of the church tagged: “The Holy Spirit” held throughout this month in Ibadan, also predicted that the final end had come for Boko Haram activities in the country. He pointed out that in doing this, the Federal Government should not hesitate to review the nation’s policy guiding religious activities across the country in the overall interest of the unity and stability of Nigeria.

Methodist Bishop worried over corruption

According to him, the time has come for both the federal, states and local governments to be more sensitive on religion and to also ban any form of preaching capable of threatening the

peaceful coexistence among Nigerians . He said: “Government should be observant and vigilant now on religious issues in this country more than it used to be. I think

anything contrary to the peaceful coexistence among Nigerians should not be allowed. “Boko Haram is anti God. They claimed they were fighting against western

education and at the same time making use of the western education by posting their clips through the internet, which is a product of western education. The end has come for them, we

Christian foundation rolls out scholarships, empowerment programmes By Rita Okonoboh

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji (second right); Pastor Abraham O. Akinosun, President, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide (third left); Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara (right); Pastor E.E. Mapur (second left), General Secretary (CAC), and Pastor Adefemisoye Alawode (P.R.O.), during a visit to Oba Adetunji at his palace in Ibadan, Oyo State, last week. PHOTO: D ’TOYIN.

Celestine Ihejirika -Umuahai THE Bishop of Methodist Church Nigeria, Umuahia Diocese, Abia State, Right Reverend Godfrey Akubuisi, has expressed worry at the rate of corruption in the country, saying the change mantra championed by the present administration must begin with the leaders. The bishop stated this at the occasion of the Archdiocesan Wesley Day Celebration, held at Wesley Cathedral Church, Umuahia, Abia State. He disclosed that he was angry at the level of embezzlement of money belonging to Nigerians, adding that the revelations made so far by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the amount stolen by leaders was unacceptable. He noted that it was worrisome that those who were supposed to protect the citizens were the ones looting and bringing hardship on the people. In his presentation, the organiser and a knight of Charles Wesley, Sir Christopher Igwe, said this year’s event was remarkable because members came out to participate in the celebration.

are praying over it, the termination of their activities is at hand,” he stated. Owoyemi added that over 20 clerics from different denominations across Nigeria were participating at the fasting and prayers programme scheduled to end on Tuesday with members of the church from the 36 states of the federation.

From left, Chancellor, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, Justice Babasola Ogunade (retd.); Bishop of Lagos West, Right Reverend James Odedeji; his wife, Lydia, and Registrar, Diocese of Lagos West, Mr Bambo Adesanya (SAN), during the 2016 Lagos West Anglican Diocese Trinity Ordination Service, held in Lagos last Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Cleric sets agenda for Buhari’s administration By Remi Anifowose THE President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has been urged to tackle corruption headlong by galvanising the country’s struggle against corruption, which was said to have hindered the country’s development and which has similarly brought untold hardship to the citizens. The Presiding Pastor of Sanctuary of Christ Evangelical Church, Ibadan,

Oyo State, Pastor (Dr) Gbade Ojo, gave the charge during the church’s 17th anniversary and thanksgiving service, held at the church premises, located at Seminbio, adjacent CAC Grammar School, Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway, at the weekend. The pastor, who is also a University of Ilorin don, in his address to President Buhari, urged the new government to diversify the economy and make worthwhile input in

agriculture, stating that agricultural mechanisation should be embarked upon while agro-allied industries should be encouraged to boost industrial growth. He added that the Federal Government should ban the importation of food items into the country, urging all able-bodied people go back to farming in order to have sustainable food security. The cleric also used the occasion to advocate the

revival of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to give Nigerians a new value system that would promote moral values among the citizens and also stem the tide of corruption, adding that Nigerians are in dire need of re-orientation if the fight against corruption must be successful. He expressed sadness over the economic crisis currently affecting the country, describing it as the worst ever.

FORMER General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Reverend Wilson Badejo, has revealed programmes aimed at alleviating poverty. The cleric, who noted that the church had been at the forefront of providing succour for the poor, stated this at a press briefing organised by the Wilson Badejo Foundation (WBF) in Lagos, recently. Citing some examples of the interventions taken up by the foundation to empower individuals, the cleric noted that the programmes were part of the activities scheduled for 2016 as well as the celebration of the 69th birthday of Badejo. According to him, “in WBF, this is our season to help the underprivileged in our society who have been progressively sidelined over the years by our economic system. Other activities lined up include the Boyz Empowerment Programme and the annual lecture during which we will unveil the names of not less than 30 undergraduates that will benefit from our scholarship scheme this year.” Also noting that there have been activities targeted at societal reformation, Badejo stated that there would be a lecture slated for June 7 to address the topic, “Nigeria and the rising tide of poverty: What workable socio-economic agenda for the under-class?” with the Vice Chancellor of Bells University of Technology Ota, Ogun State, Professor Isaac Adebayo Adeyemi, as guest lecturer.

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5 June, 2016

Preaching licence uncalled for —Yewa Anglican Diocese bishop

Bishop of Yewa Diocese (Anglican Communion), Ilaro, Ogun State, the Right Reverend Michael Adebayo Oluwarohunbi, in an interaction with RITA OKONOBOH, speaks on the role of the Church in nation building, what the future holds for Diocese of Yewa after 25 years, and the forthcoming synod. Excerpts:

EWA Diocese recently clocked 25. You have gone through so much with the recent crisis and the like. What would you say the future holds for Yewa diocese? The future is very bright and we are moving on and the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church. Every challenge that has come our way, God has given us the power to overcome and that is part of the message of the synod. We already have and shall continue to overcome. We’re marching forward. I believe that very soon, Yewa Diocese will be as prominent as other dioceses that people know. What is the theme for the synod? The theme of the synod is “We are well able,” taken from Numbers 13:30. That theme is based on the response of Caleb when the 12 spies were sent to carry out an expedition of the promised land, and while others gave a negative report and advised against possessing the land, Caleb said ‘we are well able...’ The synod will take place from Thursday, June 9, till Sunday, June 12 and will take place at St. Paul’s Church, Owode, Yewa, Ogun State. The Bishop’s charge will be presented on Friday, June 10. The synod will be preceded by a revival programme which will begin today at various parishes and at the archdeaconry headquarters, and will run till June 7. On June 8, we will have an all-night prayer to usher in the synod on Thursday. Why did you pick that theme? When we look around us, we would see that many things stand between us and the promises of God, as a nation, as a Church, and as individuals. Since our arrival in the diocese in 2014, our concern has been to mobilise every stakeholder to join us to move Yewa forward. Last year, our synod theme was ‘Come, let us build’. To give impetus to what has been done, we are being led to encourage ourselves that we are able to build our careers, lives, businesses, families and the nation, even in the midst of the current challenges we face. Because we are God’s own people and He has a purpose for our creation, and knowing that God’s promises never fail, we want to use the platform of this year’s synod to charge the people and the nation that we will overcome. From the theme, what is your message to Nigeria, in the face of current challenges, and this administration’s one year in office? There is hope, because God does not wish Nigeria to go into extinction. The important thing is for us to pray for the administration and government at all levels to take the right decisions at the right time. We wish to acknowledge that there is no country in the world that has not passed through difficult times. The dedication of the leaders, the readiness of the people being led to cooperate with government and make necessary sacrifice matter a lot. Therefore, with honesty, dedication, patriotism, we shall overcome. The president should ensure that the right people are working with him; that right policies are in place and ensure that there are no leakages in the economy. Also, those that deserved to be punished should not be spared so as to act as a deterrent to others. We thank God for this administration’s efforts in the fight against insurgency. There are still many other things we expect from them for the slogan ‘Change’ to make any meaning. We want

to encourage him to put in the same zeal in tackling our other challenges. If this is done, very shortly, Nigeria would bounce back. How has the economy affected the church? Generally, members’ contributions have dropped but God, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof and to whom silver and gold belong, has been very faithful. The economy notwithstanding, the church and our diocese in particular is moving on. The blessing of God over the little we have has been tremendous. We however wish to use this medium to appeal to Yewans both at home and in Diaspora to join us to spread and promote the gospel and build the diocese and the great land of Yewa. What is your reaction to the preaching licence being proposed by the Northern governors? That is part of what I’ll address in my charge. It is uncalled for and we would not allow anyone to infringe on our right and freedom to worship. The governor of Kaduna State initiated this and we know his antecedent when it comes to dealing with Christians, going back to when he was the Minister of the FCT. We will not accept any infringement on our right to worship. We advise the president

to caution him and others by calling them to order. Anyone who wants to interfere in religious matters is only asking for trouble and countries that have done so are still facing the consequences. So, it is in the governor’s interest, and the interest of the president to please allow us our freedom. What is your message for the government and religious leaders? We encourage government to be conscious of the people they are leading so as not to make life difficult for them. The people want, and are eagerly waiting to draw from the benefits and dividends of democracy. Hence, they should evolve policies that will solve the people’s problems and not to compound them. Government should focus on the welfare of the people and also provide the basic amenities: electricity, security, good roads, potable water, and good medical services, so as to make life better for the generality of the people, at the federal, state and local government levels. For religious leaders, we should continue to pray to God and to give the right teaching to our people. We should remain faithful as watchdogs for government. We must not lose our place as the voice of God, remembering that judgment will start from the household of God.

Your Life Counts

Sunday Tribune

by Tunde Jaiyebo 0803 406 2013

Thrive and not survive (2) LAST time we began talking about thriving and not just surviving in life. We saw that in the midst of the storms of life that we have found ourselves we must not allow survival to be our only option. We must not allow ourselves to be pressured and cornered to the realm of survival as that will hamper our ability to live our dreams. There is no way our lives will count if we operate if live and operate from the land of survival. We must come to terms with the fact that our dreams, desires and purposes are too crucial to be limited, restricted or stopped by anything. We must put the right value on them. We must not allow the adverse and tough environment to limit our destiny and purpose. We must understand that we have only one shot at life hence we cannot afford to live without fulfilling our life purpose. We must not have a victim mentality. “Today is a new day. Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!” Steve Maraboli Life wants to force us to think we are victims of what we go through and this mindset is what pushes us to operate fro the survival mode. No matter what we go through or experience we must have the mindset of “thriving”. “Life is not compassionate towards victims. The trick is not to see yourself as one. It’s never too late! I know I’ve felt like the victim in various situations in my life, but, it’s never too late for me to realize that it’s my responsibility to stand on victorious ground and know that whatever it is I’m experiencing or going through, those are just the clouds rolling by while I stand here on the top of this mountain! This mountain called Victory! The clouds will come and the clouds will go, but the truth is that I’m high up here on this mountaintop that reaches into the sky! I am a victor. I didn’t climb up the mountain, I was born on top of it!” C. JoyBell C Our thought life and thought pattern have a critical role to play in what we turn out to be in life. “When you can admit and realize all your decisions in life both consciously and unconsciously have led you to all your experiences— no matter if they were positive or negative—you can stay in the position of thriving instead of just surviving.” Karen Kleinwort We must think consciously, constructively and creatively. We must avoid the toxic thoughts of negativity. “Now there is a very tiny percentage of people who don’t fall for the life is hard story and they are fuelled by an entirely different purpose. They work to thrive and they don’t think about why something cannot be done. They have a beautiful vision and they take constant action to make that vision a reality.” Simona Rich Toxic thoughts create images of impossibility, limitation, barriers which disable us from thinking constructively to create the future that we desire. We cannot be negative and pessimistic and operate in the thriving zone. Things might be tough but we must develop an attitude of gratitude . . . things could have been worse but as long as we have life there is hope. Ingratitude is a cancer that destroys hope and once hope is lost we lose the drive to keep on moving. For enquiries/comments please send email to charisfamily@yahoo.com

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communication and to be a friend. Many do not understand what love is. I always tell single ladies that if a man tells you this is the reason why I love you, please, disengage immediately. Love has no reason. If there is one, that reason will be the cause of the break-up. Love should be a natural flow that cannot be attached to any reason.

Co-pastor of Light Impact Church, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pastor Banke Armstrong Bello, is a motivational speaker, marriage counsellor, and the brains behind the popular radio programme, ‘Couples and Singles Connect.’ In this interview with OLAIDE SOKOYA, she shares her thoughts on raising godly children, why pastors should engage themselves productively, and her advice on making the best in marriage. Excerpts:

OU celebrated your birthday recently. What has life taught you at your age? Life has taught me so many things. One major thing it has taught me is that no condition is permanent. Secondly, life has taught me that every post one aspires to, you need to properly prepare for it. There is no place for laziness at the top. The top is for hard workers and people that depend absolutely on God. Life has also taught me that marriage is a possibility. I have discovered that what makes marriage bitter is because they don’t know better. When you know better, you live better. I strongly believe marriage is beautiful. As a parent and a pastor, how can one raise godly children? Someone once asked me why most pastors’ children end up being wayward. It is because most pastors preach what they don’t do. These pastors give wonderful sermons, but at home, these children don’t see the example of what is preached on the altar, so they see their parents as hypocrites. Children learn by observation, not by what you tell them. They copy what you do. For example, I discovered that my child copies the way I sing; the way I worship at church is the way I worship at home. Secondly, most pastors introduce religion to their children not Christianity and that is wrong. Don’t force your children to do things but let them grow to know the truth. Thirdly, pray for them. Every child is born with a little madness in his/her heart and that is why you don’t tell a child to lie before he or she starts lying; you don’t tell them to steal before they start stealing. You should pray daily for them and introduce them to God’s word. Poverty is another reason children become wayward. Daddy, who has no money to feed them, will say they are living by faith. I’m not saying you shouldn’t live by faith. You should live by faith but raise these children properly and let these children grow like normal children. Nobody can be successfully godly under poverty. As a pastor, you must be hardworking. If pastoring is not enough to feed you and your family, then find other productive means to engage yourself. Even God will not hold you responsible for doing that. You see pastors’ children who go hungry from morning till night, and at the end of the day they end up with rogues. They pretend in church and at night, they smoke weed. They get mixed up with bad gangs and become involved in robbery. Find time to also monitor your children. These days, people are too busy to look after their children. Your ministry is into counseling of singles and married persons. What prompted this? Right from my days as a single woman, I discovered that most of the single people I moved with were scared of marriage. When I was preparing for marriage, I was asleep one day and I heard the name ‘Home-maker’ whispered in my ear. I wondered why God was calling me a home-maker. I was not sure what marriage for me would be like; I just went into it by faith. Recently, I

Nobody can be godly under poverty —Bello

had another dream, I was passing through a particular street and I saw somebody by the road side who asked me to come to her house. I entered the house, the house was very dirty and I started cleaning and arranging the house. When I woke up, I began to ask God why he wanted me to become a house cleaner? At the end of the day, God told me “Start cleaning houses.” That is how I started. I discovered that what was lacking was good foundation, proper knowledge, patience. Some people also get married for the wrong reasons.

tired of themselves. God does not encourage divorce. The only problem I have is if I can really tell people to divorce. With the level of atrocities people commit in marriages now, one can say the devil is really destroying marriages. There was a case in which a spouse denied the other sex and it led to strangulation. The major challenge I have is following biblical guidelines of counseling, especially as it does not go well with people. For instance, I was telling someone that God hates divorce and she answered me, ‘Till I die?’

What are some challenges you have faced in your work as a marriage counsellor? I have faced several challenges. There are cases that are unheard of and will make one wonder if it truly exists. I always trust God for direction for such cases. Can you imagine a lady telling me she never loved her husband from the beginning and she went ahead and marry the man? Now, they have spent one year in marriage and they are

How can one understand his/her spouse? Understanding your spouse takes a lot of hard work. You have to understand your spouse’s temperament. Is she/he an introvert or extrovert? Is he/she the first or the last born of the family? If you get married to a first born, you need a lot of patience because he/she is the head of the family. If you get married to a last born, you should know you are probably marrying a spoilt child. Marrying an introvert is a big task; you do a lot of digging to get into his/her mind. Most introverts struggle with their emotions; they keep their pain and anger within them. Another thing is the background; you most know your spouse’s background. Is he/she from a polygamous or monogamous home? Most people raised in polygamous homes are usually suspicious. They always have the spirit of excess, such as extramarital affairs, which is as a result of their background. When such thing happens, most women turn their backs on them, whereas, the more they turn their backs, the more they give third parties a chance. The best thing to do at that time is to get closer sexually, through

If you get married to a first born, you need a lot of patience because he/she is the head of the family. If you get married to a last born, you should know you are probably marrying a spoilt child

Sunday Tribune

What are those things ladies must know before saying ‘I do’? A lot. One is to make sure that person is a child of God; I’m not referring to his declaration that he is a Christian because men at the beer parlor will say they are Christians. Attending church services regularly or being in the choir doesn’t make a person born again. Most ladies now look outward and not inward. Ladies should know their spouse 50 per cent before going into marriage with them; his weakness and strength should also be known. But, these days, all what ladies want is to bear somebody’s name and marriage is more than that. Marry a person with a vision; the Bible says where there is no vision, people perish. When you marry a man of vision, the family will be focused and there will be dedication. Lastly, a lady should not marry an insecure and angry man; such a man can never be managed in a marriage. An angry man is a danger of two feet; they won’t get anywhere in life and they won’t allow others to get there, and at the end of the day, domestic violence may occur. If your man is very hot tempered during courtship, don’t marry him thinking he will change. If he doesn’t change before marriage, he will never change after marriage. Also, make sure the man respects you and your parents. If a man does not fear anyone, including your parents, you are not safe. In every marriage, there will be troubling times in which you could threaten to report him to your parents, and he can say “Please, don’t report me.” Marry a person that loves you and not the man you love. Don’t marry a man because he is handsome; a handsome man is everybody’s husband. Don’t marry a man you will provide for. If so, there is the tendency he will cheat on you because he is less busy and lazy. What would you say is responsible for the increase in domestic violence? So many singles go into marriage for the wrong reasons. These days, people marry out of desperation and not because they have done their home work right. At the end of the day, when the man realises himself, he will want her out by all means but the lady won’t go and out of frustration, one of them will do something nasty. Also, ladies don’t place value on themselves unlike before. Many ladies now live with a man before they get married. When value is not known, abuse is inevitable. The Bible says marriage is honourable when you don’t defile the bed. To avoid domestic violence, don’t throw yourself on a man; put value on yourself. Let a man sweat a bit before he gets you. Secondly, so many couples lie to themselves and when the reality comes, it leads to violence. Also, people cannot endure. They think marriage is a bed of roses, whereas, every marriage grows through stages. The first stage is the honeymoon stage, then the realisation stage where you get to know who really he is. What advice do you have for women? A woman should believe in herself and be complete. Every woman has a purpose. Your destiny doesn’t start or end in the kitchen. If you die in the kitchen as a woman, you are a deserter. You have a purpose more than the kitchen. Secondly, believe in yourself; there is nothing you cannot do. Always move forward and lastly, pray fervently for your home.

39 tribunechurch

5 June, 2016`

Sunday Tribune

livingword

dawnofanewera with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa

By Bishop David Oyedepo Call 7747546-8; or e-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

When the righteous rule: Overcoming evil advisers

Unveiling the miracle power of thanksgiving!

A leader should watch the kind of people he surrounds himself with. You may be a good man, but if you are surrounded by too many bad people, your government will be equal to a bad government. We see this scenario playing itself out again and again in our political landscape; where an otherwise virtuous leader is held captive by a corrupt cabal who surrounds and insulate/suffocate the leader. Instead of advisers helping the leader to discover reality, they in fact shield him from reality so that they can exploit his errors for personal gain. They manipulate the leader to make and implement policies that may not favour the society, just for their own private benefits. In Daniel chapter 6, the nobles in MedoPersia made Darius the king to issue an unrighteous decree, not for public good, but because they wanted to bring down Daniel whom the king had found to be a better adviser than all of them. They subjected a whole empire to great inconvenience for thirty days just because they wanted to destroy one man. Evil advisers like that still exist in our days, and good leaders should pray to God always, that God should expel such persons from the ranks of their advisers. What about Haman? Harnan wanted to destroy Mordecai, because Mordecai would not massage his bloated ego. Haman, however, did not limit his anger to

THE scriptures unveil thanksgiving as one of the great mysteries in the Kingdom. This is because in thanksgiving lies unimaginable values. For instance, when the mystery of thanksgiving was engaged in scriptures, it raised Lazarus to life after being dead for four days. The power in thanksgiving also multiplied a little boy’s lunch to feed five thousand men, excluding women and children. That is an estimate of ten thousand people fed, with leftovers. In other words, at the instance of thanksgiving, miracle working powers are provoked from heaven (Luke 11:40-44; Jeremiah 30:19-22; John 6:6-11). Let’s examine some miracle powers embedded in thanksgiving. Thanksgiving preserves our blessings: Thanksgiving is simply acknowledging God for what He has done in our lives. When we do so, we insure and secure our blessings from curses. As it is written: And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it (Malachi 2:1-3; see also Jeremiah 13:16-17).

Bishop of Ibadan Anglican Diocese

Mordecai. He decided that the entire race from which Mordecai originated needed to be wiped out (Esther 3:5-5). He did not have power to effect that, but the potential to do this evil lied in his influence; he was close to the king. He exploited this closeness to manipulate the king into issuing an irreversible decree that the entire Jewish race should be wiped out on a certain day. Esther 3:8-11 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. An evil adviser was going to manipulate the king into committing genocide, if not for God’s divine intervention. God had graciously made a way of escape for the Jews in the person of Esther who had become queen around the same time. To be continued next week

Mothers charged on responsibility as Christians Celestine Ihejirika -Umuahia

MOTHERS all over the world have been described as special gifts from God who, despite challenges, ensure their families never get distracted from the face of God. The General Overseer, Reigners Glorious Mission, Apostle Emma Anene, who made the remarks at the just concluded Mothers’ Day celebration held in Umuahia, Abia State, charged the mothers to always remain firm in the activities of God. Apostle Anene, who commended them for their untiring efforts, said their support for the church will never go unnoticed but will forever be cherished. He thanked all the various groups and associa-

tions of the church for making this year’s celebration a huge success. In her address, the Women President, Evangelist Vidah Goodhope, described the event as unique as it was the first of such by

women of Reigners Glorious Mission. In her remarks, the wife of the general overseer, Pastor (Mrs) Priscilla Anene, urged mothers to continue to exhibit the virtues of Christian mothers.

Cleric tasks choristers on godly duty THE Provost, African Church, Jehoval Nissi Cathedral, Aragan Ilesa, Osun State, Venerable A.O. Ekanola, has tasked choristers on their duty as God’s messengers on earth. Ekanola stated this while delivering a sermon at the thanksgiving service to mark the end of the 93rd anniversary of the existence of African Church choirs, last Sunday, at the Cathedral Church, Aragan,

Ilesa, Osun State. Ekanola stated that the choirs in heaven, if the assumption could be correct, could be judged better than choirs anywhere on earth, no matter the songs they produced in their various churches, or anywhere they may have their stand. He called on choristers to embrace the teaching of Christ and discharge their duties with the fear of God.

CAC prays for peace in Nigeria CHRIST Apostolic Church, Victory Land, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State, has begun a series of prayers for peace. The event, which began on Saturday, is the second quarter of the seven prophetic Saturdays declared for prayers by the church. With the theme, “Opera-

tion this story must change,” the programme will continue every Saturday till July 16 by 7:00 a.m. daily at the church premises, 20, Joel Ogunnaike Street, along Lagos Country Club, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State. Guest ministers include Pastor Gift Peters, Prophet

Joshua Sanmori (Ijanla), Prophet Wole Oladiyon and other clerics. Host ministers are Pastor Segun Fasuyi, Director of Mission, CAC Worldwide; Pastor S.K. Olawoye; Pastor Israel Ajanaku; Pastor Akinwumi Akintunde and Pastor Joseph Minari.

Again, the Bible makes us understand that whatever God does is forever. However, we must engage the mystery of thanksgiving to commit Him to perform. It perfects our blessings: We understand from scriptures that the perfection of all that concerns us resides in heart–rooted thanksgiving. For instance, when that leper returned to glorify God, the Bible states that he was made perfectly whole (Luke 17:11-19; Psalms 138:8). That means imbedded in the mystery of thanksgiving is the perfection of whatever may have been damaged in our lives. However, we must recognise that it is not enough to give God thanks; we must do so on time as the one leper did. This is because God expects timely thanksgiving from us, and it perfects our blessings (Luke 17:15-17). I pray that as you engage this mystery, God will preserve and perfect all that concerns you in the name of Jesus Christ! Are you born again? This means to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. If you haven’t, you can say this prayer and you will be born again: “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, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

theapostolicmessage By Pastor (Dr) G.O. Olutola JP.

Preaching of the cross Continued from last week FOR the mere fact that they have this in their mind, the scripture says they are spoilt. 1. Those who doubt the word of God are spoilt. (Matt 23:17; I Cor.1:1; Phil.3:1819). 2. To them we are not wise, we are jobless, we are foolish. But to us the Word of God is power of God. May be the little word spoken by the minister will be your strength for the whole year, others may take you as crazy not knowing you have received the power of God. 3. It is a power of God to the believer (I Cor.29:12; Rom 16:25).The revelation of deeper things; this man who had gone to the cross and died for us is a powerful man, he conquered satan, he has given us victory. What he is asking for is for us to believe Him. 4. Christ’s Cross to the Contemporary believers (Matt.10:38). Jesus said; “And he that does not take his cross is unworthy of me”. If anybody would neglect his cross the Lord said he cannot be counted among his own. Let’s consider this, many Christians today don’t want to carry their cross while following Christ. They do so in vain. Do you see a man that wakes up in his house who fails to dress up but puts on the sleeping cloth and says he is going to work? People will take him for an insane. There are some Christians today they

are even leading the church yet they have neglected their Cross and Christ counted them unqualified. You need to carry your cross in your Christian journey. Whosoever deserts his or her cross, is going nowhere. One rich man loaded his handbag with N1000 notes. It was a big bag. He went to the Airport, asked for the counter of Britain, America and Ethiopia, but mark you he had no passport, no visa. He was moving majestically and asked to be attended to. They asked for his passport. If we are going to heaven with Christ we must not forget our Cross. It is our passport or visa to enter Heaven. Our crosses may not be the same. Crosses are in different shapes, sizes and modes. I can point to 17 kinds. The weight of the cross of Christ was heavy; as He carried it He fell, and they had to ask someone to assist Him. Late Pastor Rankine made a teaching at Oke Oye, many years ago; saying if Jesus fell at the city let us look at the distance he had covered. He was in the garden of Gethsemane with sweat dropping as of blood. He said that type of sweat can not be shed by any man for more than a minute before he died. Christ sweated for about 17 minutes. He bore His Cross. What is your cross? Is it your marriage? Want? Affliction? (Rom. 8:35-39). To be continued next week

5 June, 2016

language&style

by Samson Dare 0805 500 1770 samsonadare@yahoo.co.uk

Another harvest of errors (IV)

ODAY, we conclude our discussion of the excerpt that has for the past three weeks offered us the opportunity to review some of the stylistic and grammatical issues we had considered many times on this page. Here is the excerpt again labeled sample 1. Sample 1: “Umar Midala, a schoolteacher and an indigene of Biu, was still enjoying his early morning sleep on that unfaithful day when he was roused from slumber by his sister as gunshots rent the balmy air, shattering the serenity of the somnolent town…Early on November 1, 2014, about 42 Boko Haram fighters were killed by the civilian JTF from Biu who saw about 50 Boko Haram fighters hiding under a truck conveying sheeps and goats…The near decimation of its fighters who embarked on that unfaithful mission has sent shills down their spines…there is another factor accounting to non-conquest of Biu by the insurgents: spiritual…Sadly, social and cultural activities have almost grinded to a halt in Biu. To forestall the insurgents from infiltrating Biu in the guise of being participants in cultural activities or detonating bombs in gatherings, the annual durbar have been kept on hold…”(Borno Town Where Boko Haram Saw Hell, The Sunday, April 24, 2016) Now consider the expression accounting to which occurs in the following context: “there is another factor accounting to the non-conquest of Biu by the insurgents: spiritual.” I invite you to notice the particle to which occurs with the present participle accounting. The verb account, let us note, does not take the particle to. The appropriate particle is for. If you say something accounts for another thing, you mean it provides explanation for it; it tells us why it happens. Now read the following sentences: 1) Limited rainfall accounts for the poor harvest this year. 2) His impatience and intolerance account for the crisis in his marriage. 3) Stress accounts for the loss of the pregnancy. 4) The attack of malaria accounted for the loss of appetite. 5) Cultural differences account for the constant misunderstanding between the man and his wife. 6) Poor sanitation accounts for the outbreak of the disease. 7) Illiteracy accounts for the inferiority complex he exhibits when interacting with highly educated people. 8) Reading under poor light accounts for the problem you have with your eyesight. 9) Nervousness accounted for the blunders he committed when he was reading the speech. 10) Greed and corruption account for the poor leadership we have in this country. 11) His arrogance accounts for his refusal to seek assistance whenever he runs into trouble. 12) The drop in the water level accounts for the drop in the megawatts of electricity generated. If someone accounts for an incident or a development he provides a reason for it: 1) The Federal Government must account for the sliding value of the naira. 2) You have to account for your absence during the visit of the Governor. 3) He may be called upon to account for his spending during his tenure. 4) The policemen have been asked to account for their action during the protest. 5) You have not been able to account for your movement when the house was burgled. 6) Engineers must be able to account for the rising incidence of collapsed buildings. 7) The doctor must account for his carelessness resulting in the death of his patient. 8) The Parents/Teachers Association has asked the principal to account for the mass failure of his pupils in public examinations in the last three years. 9) Security agencies seem to be unable to account for the prevalence of violent crimes in the country. 10)Teachers should account for the movement of their pupils during school hours. 12) Nigerians expect the Chief Coach to account for the dismal performance of the national team during the last outing. There is yet another sense in which the expression is used/construed: forming part or percentage of a thing. The following sentences illustrate the usage: 1) Women account for more than half of the country’s population. 2) Revenue from oil accounts for almost ninety percent of the country’s total earnings. 3) Traditional worshippers account for less than five percent of those who practise religion in the country. 4) Female nurses account for about seventy percent of all nurses in most developing countries. 5) The beef from the Fulani cattle accounts for ninety percent of the beef consumed in this part of the world. Next, we note the structure, “the annual durbar have been kept

on hold…” The word have (as different from has) is a plural form of the verb. The noun form with which it is supposed to be in grammatical agreement is durbar. But is durbar a plural noun? No. It is a singular noun. As a singular noun, it can only be in agreement with has. What is the difference between have and has? This raises a fundamental question about grammatical agreement or concord, an issue we have addressed in this place several times before. But this matter is so important that no amount of time spent on it is wasted. In fact, it is a matter that needs to be revisited from time to time. Consider the following sentences: 1) I go to school every day. 2) We go to school every day. 3) They go to school every day. 4) You go to school every day. 5) He/Shegoes to school every day. In each of those five sentences, the verb to go is in its present simple form. There is a correlation between the form of the subject and the form of the verb. In the first sentence, the subject is in its first person singular form. The assumption here is that there is a speaker who uses the pronoun I. The speaker is regarded as the first person. Since the speaker is only one person, the pronoun I is said to be a singular one. A first person singular pronoun I takes the form go when the tense is present simple. The subject in sentence (2) is a first person plural pronoun, we. Since it is assumed that two or more persons are speaking, we say that the pronoun is in the plural form. As it is with the pronoun I, the verb-form that goes with this pronoun is go when the verb is in its everyday form. In sentence (3), the pronoun they, which is the subject, is in the plural form. Besides, it is the third person form. What do we mean by the third person? A first person---say I---speaks to a person directly about another person. That other person is a third person. In our case, the third person is plural---they. The verb-form that goes with the third person plural subject isgo. The subject of sentence (4) is you, a word that can either be singular or plural. In English, it is only the context that shows whether the pronoun you is intended as singular or plural as the following sentences illustrate: (6)(a) You are a fool. (6)(b) You are fools. In those two sentences, it is the complement that indicates the number. In (a), youis singular; in (b), it is plural. Now we come back to sentence (4). Whenever the pronoun you occurs, whether as singular or plural, the verb-form it takes is go. Youis a second person. A first person--I—speaks to a second person—you—about a third person. Sentence (5) hashe (or she) as its subject. This form is a singular one and it is a third person. A first person—I—speaks to a second person—you—about a third person—he. The third person singular number-- represented as he—invariably takes the verb-form goes. Of all the persons and numbers we have considered so far, it is only the third person singular number—he—that takes the verb-form that ends in s or es as the case may be. All other persons and numbers take the verb go—without the s or es. This distinction is very crucial and a failure to understand it has resulted in many users writing ungrammatical sentences. The distinction is a very clear one and you should make effort to grasp this elementary detail before you go on. The other point we need to make is that the verb go has been used only as an illustration to avoid confusion. Any other verb in English behaves in exactly the same way as go, relative to the persons and numbers discussed so far. The following sentences illustrate the point: 7) Hespeaks good English. 8) He writes a lot. 9) Sheloves the man. 10) He deceives most people. 11) It wags its tail. 12) He drives dangerously. 13) She possesses a balanced mind. 14) She sings beautifully. 15) She works round the clock. 16) It surprises me—this sudden change of mind. 17) Hecomes from a wealthy family. Unlike the third person singular number (he, she, it), all other persons and numbers take the form of the verb without the s or es: 18) They speak good English. 19) We love each other. 20) Youwrite a lot. 21) I work round the clock. 22) They possess balanced minds. 23) You drive dangerously. 24) We sing beautifully. 25) Theysurprise us. 26) You come from a wealthy family. 27) They deceive their friends. 28) They wag their tails.

Sunday Tribune

line

life

with Niyi Osundare

Random Blues (They say the Poet insulted their crimes I)

They said the Poet abused the King They sent a royal order to arrest his song Say, they said the Poet abused the King They sent a royal order to arrest his song Powerful thieves who lay siege on the truth Scions of the crooked, the blindly strong Once upon a midnight caucus They cooked the books and routed the rules Yes, once upon a midnight caucus The cooked the books and routed the rules They put a phony crown on the new King’s head And sent the land into a reeling ruckus A fool’s gold, diamond of the damned Were the shiniest jewels on his stolen crown Hah, a fool’s gold, diamond for the damned Were the shiniest jewels on his stolen crown A peacock arrayed in pilfered feathers He strutted around like a shameless clown The nation watched in shock, beyond dismay Sigh and silence, insult and outrage Agbaga, the nation watched in shock, beyond dismay Sigh and silence, insult and outrage The drama unleashed by the braggart king Would burn the platform of any stage Stung sleepless for many days The poet quaked into adage, shuddered into song I say, stung sleepless for many days, The poet quaked into adage, shuddered into song Bewailing Truth’s absence in a land which trifles The difference between right and the criminally wrong

news

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Security intelligence services: CAN faults Buhari’s appointment of only Muslim North Adetola Bademosi-Abuja

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike (middle) and a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Okey Wali (SAN), inspecting the remodeling of Port Harcourt Civic Centre, on Saturday.

Gunmen kill naval personnel, 18 others in Rivers Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

HERE were fear and anxiety as gunmen killed no fewer than 19 persons, including a naval personnel in Aluu and Obite in Ikwerre and Obite communities of Etche and Ikwerre local government areas of Rivers State, on Saturday. The gunmen, suspected to be members of the Greenlanders cult group, invaded Aluu in an alleged reprisal against the Icelanders and killed 19 persons, including a nursing mother. The cultists also left several other persons with bullet wounds in the attack. Fifteen persons were said to have been killed in Ikwerre Local Government Area, while four lost their lives during the cult clash in Obite, Etche Local Government Area. Sunday Tribune learnt that the assailants launched a coordinated attack, acting on information that members of the Icelanders were taking refuge in Aluu. The incident had left the residents of the area in anxiety as some people in the affected communities have fled their homes. “Some cultists we believe

to be member of Greenlanders entered the community and killed some people. The boys operated in a very terrible manner. They went to a supermarket and opened fire and killed over six people,” a resident said. A source who didn’t want his name mentioned for fear of being attacked, informed Sunday Tribune that some people sustained gun shot wounds, noting that residents suspected the cult war ongoing in the state as reason for the attack. Also several persons suspected to be members of the Greenlanders were alleg-

edly killed by the Icelanders in Obite, as another source said the armed cultists engaged in looting spree and also destroyed property in the community. Residents noted that the assailants invaded the community by 9.00 a.m., “shooting and looting every viable item they see.” “They entered the compound of the Chief Security Officer of the area with the intention to kill him but unfortunately, the person they met was his in-law,” a resident added. However, the caretaker chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mr Samuel Nwanosike, said

I’m also going on indefinite strike, Fayose tells workers Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, at the weekend, announced that the state government had paid the January salary of local government workers, primary school teachers as well as the subventions to tertiary institutions but said he was also a “comrade” and would embark on strike in solidarity with the workers. Governor Fayose, who addressed the people of the state, said he would embark on the “indefinite

strike” in solidarity with workers of the state civil service, who have been on strike for about 12 days. He had said the “solidarity strike” was to show concern with the workers, who are owed five months’ salaries. Fayose said: “I want to tell workers that I have placed myself on an indefinite strike in solidarity with you. I share your pains, but it is rather unfortunate that a man can’t give what he doesn’t have. “I have told you the true position of the finances of

Shomolu LG PDP swears in new executives By Seyi Sokoya STAKEHOLDERS in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State have inaugurated new executive members for the party in the local government area. The swearing-in ceremony, which was held at the party’s secretariat in Shomolu recently, was wit-

the reports about the incident were being overblown, adding that the government had swiftly responded to the situation and restored normalcy in the area. Nwanosike, who visited the area with some security personnel, said the suspected cultists had been chased out of the area, adding that the army raided some hideouts in the area. Sunday Tribune could not get a police confirmation of the incident as of the time of filing this report, as the state police spokesman, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, did not respond to an SMS sent to his mobile phone in that respect.

nessed by party stalwarts and supporters across the state. Speaking at the event, the outgoing chairman of the party in the local government, Mr Adewale Onilere, thanked every member of the outgoing executive for working very hard to re-position the party in the local government. In his inaugural speech, the new chairman, Chief

Wasiu Adeyemi, commended the outgoing chairman and his team for leaving behind beautiful legacies worthy of emulation. He promised that his administration would run a transparent system and ensure an open door policy, which will give the party an advantage over the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the local government in the next election.

the state, of which you had played critical roles in distributing the federal allocations to relevant sectors, which shows how well I had carried you along since the dwindling revenue to the state commenced. “During my first term, I mean, 2003 to 2006, I used to pay salary of workers by 21st of every month. But the present situation is very unfortunate and we have to learn how to live with it until the country wriggles out of it and things will change for better. “I want to say that I will be expecting you back to your offices when you are ready to return to work. I shall be expecting you, because presently, I am handicapped and there is nothing I can do. But before then, I have placed myself on an indefinite strike in solidarity with your course. But I appeal that you, put the interest of the state above everything because the present position affects everybody.”

THE Coalition of 14 Christian groups under the aegis of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), on Saturday, in Abuja, faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of only Muslim North to head key positions in the security intelligence service. The association, which described the appointments as lopsided, said the policy direction was a negation of the Federal Character principle in appointments into federal offices. While briefing newsmen in a press conference on the state of the nation and other important national issues, including the bill reportedly against Christianity in the House of Representatives, the national president of the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN), said this might stand as an instrument of oppression towards other parts of the nation. He said: “We are disturbed by the virtual northern Islamisation of the key security units in the country. Under the present administration, the signal we are receiving is that it is only Muslims from the North that are capable of managing security units in Nigeria. “Not only is this policy direction a total negation of the Federal Character principle in appointments into federal offices, it also promotes the possibility of a section of the country using the instruments of the state to oppress, suppress and intimidate other parts of the nation.” He pointed out that: “Today, the following appointments have been made in key security units in the nation, namely; Director-General, Department of States Services; Minister of Defence; Minister of Internal Affairs; National Security Adviser and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. They are all Muslims from the North.” Asemota expressed certainty that if such move had been made by previous administrations headed by the Christians from the South, all hell would have been let loose.

2 feared dead as communities clash again in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya -Warri NO fewer than two persons have been feared dead in a renewed bloody clash between Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South West Local Government and Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State. Sunday Tribune gathered that the renewed feud, which occurred on Friday night, also left scores injured and several houses razed. Names of the two deceased persons were given as Mr. Chicago Friday and Mr. Sunday Ovien. They were said to have been attacked while in their farm and construction site respectively. It was gathered that assailants from Ogbe-Ijoh community, alleged to have been armed, attacked Aladja through neighbouring Esaba community road and the main OgbeIjoh road. But the press secretary to the Ogbe-Ijoh community traditional council, Mr. Monday Keme, said that it was security men hired by both communities, who requested for payment of services rendered, that shot the Aladja people, because they reportedly refused to pay. President-General of Aladja community, Mr. Elias Dogene, accused the police of complicity in the attack. He said the attack started immediately mobile policemen with four Hilux vans brought to maintain peace in the area pleaded to take their leave. According to him, 30 minutes after the mobile policemen left, some Ogbe-Ijoh youths stormed Aladja community with weapons and killed Friday and Ovien and injuring others. Many of the injured were said to be receiving treatment in hospitals in Udu and environs. Dogene pleaded with the state government to detail security agencies to the area to enable the committee of enquiry setup by the state government do its job. But the acting Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, Mr Charles Muka, confirmed the incident but denied the allegation of police complicity, adding that calm had been restored in the communities.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

WHEN THE BISHOP OF LAGOS WEST, ANGLICAN DIOCESE, THE RIGHT REVEREND DR. JAMES OLUSOLA ODEDEJI WAS CONFERRED WITH A DOCTORATE DEGREE IN NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY BY THE LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY ON THURSDAY, MAY 26TH, 2016

8 1. His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode congratulates Bishop of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, The Right Reverend Olusola Odedeji. 2. Bishop Olusola Odedeji (middle) with Dean of Archbishop Vinning Cathedral, Venerable Abel Ajibodu and his wife Mrs. Ajibodu.

degrees savouring the moment with a friend (middle) 5. Right Reverend Dr. Olusola and Mrs. Lydia Odedeji with their children 6. Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji and his wife, Mrs. Lydia

3. Bishop of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, The Right Reverend Olusola Odedeji (first from right) with other Doctorate degree granduands at the event

7. Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji (third from right) with some clergies from his Dioceses and well wishers.

4. Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Ijebu North, The Right Reverend Dr. Solomon Kuponu (left) Bishop Olusola Odedeji (right) both newly conferred with the doctorate

8. The Chancellor, Lagos State University, Justice George Oguntade in handshake with Bishop of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, The Right Reverend Olusola Odedeji.

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

FACES AT THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 6TH SYNOD OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF LAGOS WEST HELD AT ARCHBISHOP VINNING MEMORIAL CHURCH,GRA, IKEJA FROM MAY 19TH-22ND, 2016

8 1. Dean of the Cathedral Venerable, Abel Ajibodu, The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos West, Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji and the diocesan Chancellor, Justice Babasola Ogunade 2. The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos West, Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji (middle) with the Dioceseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal luminaries, from left, Legal Secretary, Mrs. Pheola Caulcrick, Deputy Chancellor, Justice Ayo Philips, Chancellor, Justice Babasola Ogunade and Registrar, Prince Bambo Adesanya (SAN)

5. The Diocese Registrar, Prince Bambo Adesanya (SAN) first from left, , explains a point of interest with The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos West and President of Synod, Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji (first from right) and others during the synod 6. The Diocesan Treasurer, Mr Toyin Okeowo (second from right) and other Delegates at the front row during the synod

3. The Diocesan Bishop of Lagos West and Synod President, Right Reverend Dr. Olusola Odedeji flanked by other Anglican Bishops at the opening service of the synod.

7. Thanksgiving time, DANCING UNTO THE LORD- Venerable Tunde Owoyele (in front) and other delegates at the synod going for thanksgiving.

4 . Father of the Diocese, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye presenting an award to the Lagos State, Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni for his ability to rescue the three kidnapped students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu.

8. From left, Bishop of Yewa Diocese, Rt.Rev. Michael Adebayo; Guest Preacher, Dr. Uche Ogah; Diocesan Bishop of LagosWest, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. James Olusola Odedeji,; Bishop of Isialangwa Diocese, Rt. Rev. Isacc Nwaobia; Bishop of Egba Diocese, Rt. Rev. EmmanuelAdekunle and Bishop of Ijesa North-East, Rt. Rev. Joseph Olusola during the closing thanksgiving service

news War looms in Niger Delta 44

•Avengers declare operation no oil flow •Ijaw leader call for dialogue From Ebenezer Adurokiya, Dapo Falade, Jude Ossai, Muhammad Sabiu, Abiodun Awolaja and Austin Ebipade ULL-SCALE violence appears imminent in the Niger Delta region going by the flexing of muscle between the military and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). Unbending in its resolve to completely bring an already bleeding economy to its knees, NDA, which has claimed responsiblity for the numerous attacks on the pipelines in the region, has issued a fresh threat, declaring “Operation no flow of oil” in the region. But the Navy has vowed to get the militants by all means region. The avengers also cautioned new groups emerging in the struggle, including Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), to “dry their gunpowder” and keep their anti-aircraft missiles until the military warplanes deployed for aerial reconnaissance in the region kill anybody or destroy property. The group enjoined affiliate bodies “in the struggle for the liberation of the Niger Delta” to limit their attacks only to oil facilities but spare oil workers and soldiers. This came 20 hours after the destruction of Forcados crude oil export terminal trunkline in Delta State and another one in Bayelsa State, bringing estimated daily loss in revenue to about N14.4 billion. In a statement entitled “Message to our Brothers in the Struggle”, signed by its spokesperson, ‘Brigadier General’ Mudoch Agbinibo and posted on its website, on Saturday afternoon, NDA reiterated its intention to grind the economy to a halt by ensuring that no oil flows from any of the export terminals. “The liberation of the Niger Delta people has taken a new swing with the daily emergence of new groups all over the region. The avengers are calling on all groups in the region to be strong and resolute as it is obvious that God is on our side. “The high command of the avengers is calling on you not to attack any soldier and those claiming to have anti-aircraft missiles should desist from targeting any aircraft. “We must desist from any life threatening actions

that will derail our genuine struggle for our people,” the statement read in part. The group affirmed, contrary to reports from some quarters, that in spite of the aerial surveillance ongoing in some Ijaw communities in the region, no soul had been lost to the military siege. “The military warplanes hovering round our towns and villages have not struck a soul or destroyed any property, so those groups with anti-aircraft missiles should dry their gunpowder.” “When it is time to engage the military in combat, the whole world will know they start the war and not the avengers. The group boasted that in spite of heavy presence of soldiers around oil and gas pipelines, “we still find way to carry out our actions without attacking soldiers. The avengers will deal with any group that refuses and attack military.” Meanwhile, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS DELTA), Warri Naval Base, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, has vowed to unmask those who destroyed the Forcados 48-inch crude oil export terminal pipeline in the early hours of Friday. The naval chief, who visited the site on Friday, also warned Odimodi and Ogulagha communities, which are hosts to the export terminal pipelines, to prepare for the consequences of allowing the destruction to take place in spite of their earlier promise to the navy in April to take ownership of the facility. It will be recalled that the crude oil export trunkline was repaired between April and May, after it was bombed in February and the members of the NDA had claimed responsibility for the destructions.

Nigerians speak In a related development, to avert a looming war in the region, eminent Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to engage the leaders of thought in the region in dialogue to bring an end to the attacks. Use carrot and stick approach, Balarabe tells FG Former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has advised the Federal Government to use military and dialogue to curtail the growing threat of the

avengers. Musa said if the Federal Government failed to use military option to crush the Avengers from the region, similarly inclined groups would be emboldened to emerge. The former governor was of the view that both military and dialogue should be applied as done in the recent counter-insurgency war, stressing that the dialogue option should however be emphasised. He attributed the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta region to the weakness of the Federal Government in taking pro-active measures in the region.

Solution lies in national dialogue —Olajide Publicity Secretary, Yoruba Unity Forum and Southern Nigeria People’s Assembly, Dr Kunle Olajide, described the renewal of militancy in the region as being part of the general discontentment in the country. Speaking with Sunday Tribune, Dr Olajide said the militarisation of the region as a strategy to contain the Avengers, instead of dialogue, would not bring the desired solution. “The human spirit is the thing that lives forever; the body rots away in the grave. And once things have reached this stage, we have to remind the Federal Government of the truism that those who make peaceful resolution of conflict impossible make violent resolution inevitable. “I think it is time for dialogue, but the dialogue should not only be with the Niger Delta. The dialogue should be national in outlook because no part of the country is happy with this country today. The solution is to implement the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference. “I don’t want us to isolate the Niger Delta militants alone. There is no section of this country today that is happy with Nigeria as it is presently constituted. “It is unfortunate that the avengers have adopted a violent option as a reaction. But sometimes, one can sympathise with their plight. Former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar himself said that even in the North, it has not favoured them. “So, for me, it is not a matter of Niger Delta militants alone; our youths in the South-West are very restless

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

•We shall get them —Navy

now; they’ve been mounting pressure. It is only the elders in Yorubaland that have been prevailing upon them to wait and see how this government unfolds,” he said.

All options should be explored- Bamigbetan Also speaking, a former Senator and ex-Ambassador to Cuba, Nicaragua and the Commonwealth, Chief Segun Bamigbetan, who described the resurgence of militancy as unfortunate, called on President Buhari to take a hard look at the report of the 2014 national confab. “It is better that the agitation by any group should be resolved in a peaceful manner. “Having said that, government also cannot ignore what is going on because it is constituting a great threat to security and also to our national economy. So, government needs to give serious attention to it. All options should be explored. “The 2014 confab is the way forward because we have lost the spirit of federalism and what we are practising is a unitary kind of government. In the military, it is command and control; democracy does not function that way,” he said. Nigeria needs reconstructive surgery- Odumakin Afenifere spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, advised President Buhari that this was not the time for zero sum game as was the case in the last one year, but a period “to build an all-inclusive society.” “After the 2015 elections, Max Siollun, author of Soldiers of Fortune, wrote an article in the New York Times and he said that, looking at the map of the election, Nigeria needs a reconstructive surgeon, not a bulldozer. “In the last one year, we have been trying to bulldoze. Now is the time for reconstructive surgery to build an inclusive society and look at the genuine fears of people. “In the last two weeks, I have seen Biafran currency. I have seen Niger Delta currency. I have seen the Middle Belt currency. These are not good signs. “Those of us who are saying let us restructure the country, if today the leadership of the country takes a constructive step towards implementing the 2014 national conference report by

saying they want to have a referendum or they want the National Assembly to look at it, 90 per cent of these centrifugal forces will lay down their arms. We’re indifferentOhanaeze Ndigbo Reacting to the development, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the panIgbo socio-cultural organisation, Dr Joe Nworgu, said although he was pained by the destruction of oil installations in the delta region, he was however indifferent. But Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, the youth wing of the socio-cultural organisation, pleaded with the avengers to give peace a chance in national interest. In the statement, he asked the militants to probe the real owners of oil blocks in the region instead of blowing up pipelines, an action, he said, “serves nobody’s interests”. According to OYC, the activities of the militants are beginning to have negative impact on the economy, as well as exposing the region to higher risks. Ijaw leaders call for dialogue In the same vein, the Ijaw apex socio-cultural organisation, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), has called on the Federal Government to open dialogue with the avengers in order to curb the humanitarian crisis brewing in Ijaw communities as well as halt the dwindling economic fortune of the country. The group, which also urged the avengers to cease fire unconditionally to give way for dialogue, made the plea at a press briefing weekend in Warri, Delta State. President and Secretary of INC, Mr Boma Obuoforibo and Dr Bibobra Bello Orubebe, respectively, as well as leaders of communities from Gbaramatu and Egbema kingdoms in Warri South-West and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State, condemned the activities of the NDA in the region. They said the Ijaw people reiterated their commitment to the success of the President Buhari-led administration. They, however, condemned the use of maximum force on Ijaw communities, saying most of their women and children were still trapped in the forest un-

der excruciating hunger and elements of nature. The group also urged humanitarian groups such as the Red Cross to send relief materials to the internally displaced persons who were in dire need of help in Warri and environs. They called on aggrieved youths in the Niger Delta to embrace peace and progress of Nigeria and stop using the country’s oil economy as a battle ground. The IDPs, some of whom narrated their ordeals before escaping from the creeks, called on the Federal Government to send them urgent help. Meanwhile, a prominent Niger Delta advocate, Alhaji Mumakai Unagha, has said that the issue of NDA is the issue of some Ijaw boys who are disgruntled that former President Goodluck Jonathan lost in the last election. According to him, other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta are not part of the NDA and that not all Ijaws are also part of the group. “If President Buhari is treating the issue of the NDA, he should not limit it to the Ijaws. He should treat every other ethnic nationality in the region equally. It is not because they can pick arms, every other person can pick arms. But we are civilised in that regard. “We cannot open our eyes and destroy our assets. The NDA is limited to the Ijaws. Who are they avenging for? What has the government done to the Urhobos people that they want to avenge?,” he queried. ‘Jonathan, Dickson know nothing about Avengers’ Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of Niger Delta Youth Forum (NYDF), Comrade Ogidi Bara has chided the founder of the Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, Israel Akpodoro, for linking former President, Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson with the Avengers. In a statement made available to Sunday Tribune in Yenagoa, Bara said:”Akpodoro’s claims are to say the least preposterous and divisive, and a clear indication that he is just out to dent the image of Niger Delta leaders to gain favour from the powers that be. “Akpodoro is a blatant liar. Money can buy betrayal but it cannot buy destiny,” he said.

45 news Oyo NLC poised for showdown with Ajimobi •Mobilises workers to resume at magistrate court on Monday By Tunde Ogunesan

HE Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, has directed all public workers in the state to, as from Monday June 6, resume at the Magistrate Court Complex, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, until their leaders who were arraigned on a seven count charge of alleged destruction of government property on Friday before a Magistrate Court, in Ibadan, are released from prison custody. This was made known on Saturday morning during a press conference addressed by the Treasurer and Acting Chairman of the congress, Comrade Bosun Daramola, listing their five demands, at the union’s state secretariat, America Quarter, Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State. The arrested labour leaders are Chairman, Comrade Waheed Olojede, Sikiru Sodo, Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi. They were alleged to have destroyed chairs at the venue of the stakeholders’ meeting, valued at N1 mil-

lion, accused of disturbing public peace, assaulting the Secretary to the State Government, Olalekan Alli, and threatening the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi. Though they were granted bail, they were unable to fulfil the bail condition as stipulated by the Magistrate before the close of work on Friday, June 3. However, the union members stated emphatically that the arrest, arraignment and subsequent incarceration of their leaders is a gimmick by the state government to weaken the resolve of the union to stop the government from what it described as the sell-off of some leading schools in the state, under the pretext of a public/private partnership initiative, saying the union would not surrender to the blackmail by the state government. In a statement signed by both Daramola and the auditor of the congress, Comrade M.A. Badiru, they enjoined members of the public to join in the campaign. They listed their five demands as, “unconditional release of the NLC chairman and six other labour

leaders; immediate withdrawal of all trumped up charges levelled against the incarcerated labour leaders; rescinding the decision to sell-off any public schools in the state; proper and adequate funding of the education sector, including payment of living wages and other incentive for educational workers and the immediate payment of six months’ outstanding salaries and all pension arrears.” Explaining the role of the union on its take on the exercise, Daramola stated that “returning schools to ‘former owners,’ alumni associations, individual alumni and alumnae ‘stakeholders,’ etc., as being claimed by the Oyo State government is tantamount to the privatisation of education, which in principle and practice, negates and contradicts the resolution of the UNESCO to which our country is a signatory. Privatisation of education will, no doubt, amount to commercialisation of education which will definitely, sooner or later, take education beyond the reach of children of the masses of Oyo State. “This deviates from the

UBE Act signed into law by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2003. According to this law, every child must be accorded the right to education without any form of hindrance under whatever guise.” Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Oyo State branch, has dissociated itself from a statement purportedly credited to the chairman of the Oyo State Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Olusola Ogundiran, which dissociated the body from the peaceful protest staged by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, on Wednesday, 1st June, 2016. NULGE, in a statement signed by its Principal Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Adetola Joseph Oguntimehin, said: “NULGE, Oyo State branch, as a bonafide member of Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), condemn in strong terms, the statement credited to Comrade Ogundiran and view such statement as an expression of his personal opinion and not of the members/affiliates of JNC in Oyo State.”

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

FG should review policy on tax incentives, waivers —Rep By Segun Adebayo LAWMAKER representing Ijebu Central Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Honourable Kehinde Odeneye, has tasked the Federal Government to review its policy on tax incentives and waivers. Odeneye, a chartered accountant and tax practitioner, made the call in an interview with newsmen in IjebuOde, recently. It will be recalled that Odeneye, on May 24, passed a resolution mandating the house committees on public accounts and finance to investigate tax incentives currently being granted to multi-national corporations. Odeneye said this was aimed at reducing and abolishing unproductive incentives and ensuring that those remaining were targeted at achieving specific social or economic objectives. He added that while tax waivers and incentives could boost predictable micro-economic indices, there were concerns that foregone tax was depleting needed capital to support infrastructural and economic development. He said that though the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council reported in 2015 that the nation receives about $6 billion in foreign investment annually, it was foregoing about $2.9 billion yearly in form of tax incentives.

Nigerians tired of APC misrule, economic hardship —PDP Oluwole Ige-Osogbo THE chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Boripe local government area of Osun State, Apostle Omotayo Owolabi, on Friday, said Nigerians are already tired of the All Progressives Congress (APC) misrule and economic hardship occasioned by what he termed anti-masses policy. He contended that with the economic realities and current myriad of challenges confronting the people, Nigerians have realised that the PDP was a better party in government, considering its welfarist programmes. Owolabi, who took over from Honourable Alalade Emmanuel Oyeleke, made this assertion during the inauguration of the PDP new executives in Boripe local government. He appealed to Nigerians to endure the hardship, expressing optimism that the party would take over the governance of the country by 2019.

Etisalat inspires children at ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’ Season 2 By Rotimi Ige

Oludare Onasanya, Executive Producer, HB Consolidated; Orah Egwu, Manager, Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria; Tony Okungbowa, Host, Kids Say The Darndest Things; Elvis Ogiemwanye, Director, Brands and Experience, Etisalat Nigeria and Chichi Nwoko, Executive Producer, Hey! What’s on Production at the press conference to announce the commencement of Kids Say The Darndest Things (KSDT) Season 2 in Lagos on Friday.

INNOVATIVE telecommunications company, Etisalat, has kicked off the second edition of ‘Kids Say the Darndest things’ (KSDT), following a highly successful debut edition. KSDT is a platform where children are interviewed on various topical issues ranging from family to career, politics, sports, nature, spirituality and any other topic of interest. The auditions which took place over the weekend saw children from different parts of the country jostle for spots to feature on the show in an atmosphere of fun, excitement and drama. The 2016 edition of KSDT has as its theme “Let your little star shine bright” and is powered by Etisalat Cliqlite which is the first ever child-friendly educational package in Nigeria designed to make learning fun for children between the ages of 8 and 15. According to the Manager, Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Orah Egwu, the company the show has become a platform that recognises and celebrates children with talents.

Controversy over invasion of Ambode’s mum’s house •It wasn’t kidnap attempt —Govt Bola Badmus and Olalekan Olabulo-Lagos CONTROVERSY has continued to trail the alleged invasion of the home of Mrs Christianah Ambode, the mother of the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, by security personnel. But the Lagos State government has described as false, the claim that the incident was a kidnap attempt. The governor said this in

a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Habib Aruna, denying the media report. Two policemen were, on Friday, allegedly injured by soldiers, who invaded the Gbagada Lagos State home of the mother of the state governor. The police in the state confirmed the attack and stated that efforts were on to arrest the yet-to-be-identified soldiers. One of the injured police-

men was drafted to the governor’s mother’s home from the state house while the other was deployed from the Rapid Respond Squad . The soldiers also reportedly went away with one of the policemen’s rifles, after they were injured. Sunday Tribune gathered that the Friday night attack was a kind of reprisal attack by the soldiers, who had earlier in the day, had an encounter with the policemen at the governor’s mother’s

home . It was gathered that some of the soldiers, who were dressed in mufti and drove in a Honda car marked RBU 12 NW, parked in front of the building . The security men on guard had reportedly accosted the soldiers and a serious disagreement was said to have ensued in the process . The soldiers reinforced and returned in the night with two vehicles, including an operational van of the joint mili-

tary patrol, OP MESA. The image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident to Sunday Tribune and added that investigations had commenced . Meanwhile, the Lagos State government said the report earlier carried by an online newspaper was not a true reflection of what transpired at the residence of his mother. “While we would like to

put on record that the disturbance was not a kidnap attempt on the governor’s mother, as nothing untoward happened to her, we also like to caution against needless sensational journalism which could cause unnecessary panic. “At the moment, officials of the state government are taking appropriate steps to sanction the unruly military personnel who joined their colleague to disturb public peace,” Aruna stated.

5 June, 2016

SUNDAY

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman 08053789060 tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com Muhammad Ali deals with an opponent during his heyday.

MUHAMMAD ALI (1942-2016)

Ali will never die —Don King

As Obama, Cameron, Tyson, others react

Celebrities as well as sports personalities across the globe paid glowing tributes through the social media, to the former world heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, who died in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 74. Ali’s former promoter in his tribute to the boxing legend says “Ali will never die” as former world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis writes “I loved his flashiness”.

ARACK Obama (US President) He shook up the world, and the world’s better for it. Rest in peace, Champ. We admire the man who has never stopped using his celebrity for good — the man who helped secure the release of 14 American hostages from Iraq in 1990; who journeyed to South Africa upon Nelson Mandela’s release from prison; who has travelled to Afghanistan to help struggling schools as a United Nations Messenger of Peace; and who routinely visits sick children and children with disabilities around the world, giving them the pleasure of his presence and the inspiration of his example. I was still in grade school when Ali made his extraordinary comeback after nearly four years of exile and later shocked the world by winning his title back. It was this quality of Ali’s that I have always admired the most: his unique ability to summon extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity, to navigate the storm and never lose his way. This is the quality I’m reminded of when I look at the

iconic photo I’ve had hanging on my wall of the young fighter standing over Sonny Liston. Michael D. Higgins (President of Ireland) Many will remember the wit, grace and beauty he brought to boxing and some will recall his visits to Ireland. Lennox Lewis (Ex-world heavyweight champion) A giant among men, Ali displayed a greatness in talent, courage & conviction, that most of us will EVER be able to truly comprehend. #RIPAli. Muhammad Ali inspired me to chase my dreams in and out of the ring. He meant a great deal to me. I kind of fashioned my whole career after him. Watching him on television as a youngster really did something to me. I loved his flashiness, I loved what he stood for, like going against America in the Vietnam War. I loved the fact that he always had helpful advice, was a nice man that he was very religious, that he wanted to help people. Dr Bilal Philips (Jamaican-born public figure) A legend has died. Muhammed Ali was a man of integrity and strong will. A man

with the passion and zeal to do what he believed in. He said that this power came to him after Islam. A man of forbearance and strength; he carried the flag of Islam in everything he did with pride. He was the man with the silver tongue; a leader, a fighter, an inspiration. I make dua’ that Allah grants him the best of the best in Jannah and grants him Jannatul Firdaws. Muhammed Ali, you will be missed... Gareth Bale (Real Madrid star) RIP to a true legend #MuhammadAli #thegreatest. Gary Lineker (ExEngland player) The greatest has fought his final round. Muhammad Ali was the most magnificent athlete who transcended his sport. #RIP. Matt Dawson (Former England rugby star) My sporting hero leaving us all. I met you in 1999 and will never forget the life in your eyes.” Gary Lineker posted a picture on Instagram and added: “The greatest featured in the greatest sporting picture.

Amir Khan ( Former unified WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion) RIP The greatest of all time. Our prayers and thoughts are with Muhammad Ali and his family. Tyson Fury (Reigning WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight champion) Rip the greatest of all times in many different ways. Floyd Mayweather Jr ( Retired world champion) There will never be another Muhammad Ali. The black community all around the world, black people all around the world, needed him. He was the voice for us.” David Cameron (British Prime Minister) Muhammad Ali was not just a champion in the ring - he was a champion of civil rights, and a role model for so many people. Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr Let us pray for @MuhammadAli; good for America,

world boxing champion, social transformer&anti-war hero. #TheGreatest. Pele: The sporting universe has just suffered a big loss. Muhammad Ali was my friend, my idol, my hero. We spent many moments together and always kept a good connection throughout the years. The sadness is overwhelming. I wish him peace with God. And I send love and strength to his family. Oscar De La Hoya (Exworld champion in six different weight categories) RIP @muhammadali, a legend who transcended sport and was a true champion for all. #thegreatest #MuhammadAli. Mike Tyson (Ex-undisputed heavyweight champion) God came for his champion. So long great one. @ MuhammadAli #TheGreatest #RIP Don King (Renowned boxing promoter) It’s a sad day for life, man. I loved Muhammad Ali, he was my friend. Ali will never die. Like Martin Luther King his spirit will live on, he stood for the world. He’s always been right there, Johnny on the spot, anything he could do for the benefit of mankind. Let us celebrate his life. This is not a time to mourn. This is a time to try to emanate the job he was doing and the burden he leaves behind for us to carry on, to remember that the people are the most important. Bob Arum (Renowned boxing promoter) A true great has left us. @MuhammadAli transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit. George Foreman (Ali’s opponent in The Rum-

ble in the Jungle) He is one of those special people. He was one of those things you see maybe only once in a lifetime. Like a total eclipse. You are not going to see anything like that again. Boxing doesn’t do enough to define what he was. He was the greatest personality that sports has ever seen, or ever will see. He was the greatest personality ever. He had everything – charisma, charm, looks and great athletic ability – and you hated him because the guy was handsome. You thought ‘If I could just mess his face up a little’, but you couldn’t get near him in that ring. Evander Holyfield (Exheavyweight champion) I’m glad to have known Ali because when I was a kid, at eight years old, I was told I would be like Ali. To take it upon yourself and say; ‘I’m the greatest’, you put yourself in a position for people to take pot shots at you. This is what Ali did. It’s amazing him becoming three-time heavyweight champion of the world. At that time people thought, ‘Who could beat three? You have to be stronger to get up from a loss to go on and that’s what Ali proved to be. David Beckham (ExEngland captain) The greatest there will ever be... the biggest and the best.” Alex Salmond (ExFirst Minister of Scotland) Muhammad Ali was a man of lightning hands, feet & wit. The Elvis Presley of boxing will never be forgotten & will forever be the greatest. James DeGale (IBF super-middleweight champion) A very sad day for my sport. There are few real heroes left in this world. Today we lost ‘The Greatest of All Time’.”

47 sport

5 June, 2016

Sunday Tribune

MUHAMMAD ALI (1942-2016)

I met Ali when he visited Lagos in 1966 —Obisia Nwankpa By Ganiyu Salman and Nurudeen Alimi

HE exit of the boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, was also acknowledged in Nigeria, as sport personalities, administrators and government functionaries sent in their tributes. Former Nigeria boxing coach, Obisia Nwankpa fondly called the Golden Gloves wants Nigeria to be represented during Ali’s burial as another Olympian, Jerry Okorodudu said Nigerian boxers must hold a candle light procession in Lagos, in memory of the former world heavyweight champion. Excerpts: •Professor Patrick Omo-Osagie (Sports consultant) He was no doubt the greatest athlete. He is what you will call a crossover athlete. He was liked by all, blacks, white, Christians and Muslims. Rich and poor. But at 74, a bit young to die. Cassius Clay as he was first called, was the world’s first crossover athlete. He was beloved in hid field of boxing but he was more than a boxer. He was a nationalist, a brave soul that went to jail and lost a lot because of his convictions. He changed his religion as part of his growth in life, he challenged the system in boxing and yet he was beloved the world over. Muhammad Ali was the greatest because you do not have to like boxing to know and like him. If Tiger Woods who has come close as a crossover athlete, has earned a billion dollars, imagine what Muhammed Ali would have earned. May he rest in peace. •Mallam Nasir el-rufai (Governor, Kaduna State) SAD, VERY SAD: I woke up this morning to learn of the death of boxing legend, civil rights icon and an inspiration to my generation Muhammad Ali. •Sadiq Umar (UK-based Nigerian boxer) I will remember Muhammad Ali for the reasons I put on my (social media) post this morning. He demonstrated that self-belief is the strongest tool in becoming great. That Charisma is infectious and that being humble before God will keep you grounded. He was a pioneer and inspired so many people around the world and as a result will never be forgotten. •Dr Bukola Saraki (Senate President) It is with great pain that I received the news

of the death of one of the greatest AfricanAmerican icons of our generation, Muhammad Ali. He may have gone but his many passion and humanitarian services will preserve his memory in my heart for a very long time. Ali who at birth was named Cassius Clay was not only an enigmatic and colourful boxer, he was also a good and devout Muslim who devoted his life to the worship of Allah. There is no doubt that the fire of black nationalism he contributed immensely to ignite and promote led to the rise of many AfricanAmericans in the context of their country and ultimately to the eventual emergence of President Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States.

•Baron Akintunde Opaleye (Chairman, Oyo State Boxing Association) His death is tragic, we have lost an icon in the boxing fraternity. He is one of the greatest if not the greatest boxer that ever lived. We have lost a gem and may his soul rest in peace. We will be looking forward to having a programme (Oyo State Boxing Association) in his honour. Nobody can match the achievement of Ali, one could have mentioned somebody like Floyd Mayweather, but Ali’s achievement is far ahead. We should not judge by what the present day boxers earn but by their contributions to the development of boxing. His death is a big loss to the boxing world. •Gboyega Makinde, Acting General Manager, Oyo State Sports Council Ali was the greatest stylish boxer in the world, and he promoted boxing as a real entertainment sport for everybody to enjoy always. He was always a delight to watch in the ring. He will be greatly missed. •Remi Aboderin (Secretary, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control) We have lost the Eiffel Tower of boxing, he was truly the greatest. With his antics in and out of the squared ring, he brought boxing back to life from the mob. Whatever acceptance and glamour the sport is enjoying right now, Ali gave it to it. •Sabo Mohammed (Two-time Olympian and ex-Commonwealth bantamweight boxing gold medallist) Ali’s death is a loss to the boxing world because he brought glamour to the sport. He made boxing what it is today and all boxers must appreciate him.

Obisia Nwankpa

•Obisia Nwankpa (Olympian and exCommonwealth gold medallist) Everything about me was derived from Ali, he was my role model so to say. I took after his style of boxing. In fact, I was one of the young boxers who came to receive Ali when he visited Nigeria in 1966. He made another visit a few years later. I could recall that he even featured in an exhibition bout with somebody during the visit at Onikan. In fact, Dick Tiger was asked to face Ali in the exhibition bout but he (Tiger) said no. Ali had a lot of respect for Nigeria and his two visits had shown that. He encouraged so many young Nigerians to embrace boxing through his visit to Nigeria and we just have to celebrate him. So, Nigerian boxers should be represented during his burial and that I believe will appease his spirit that in Nigeria, we truly appreciate him. •Jerry Okorodudu (Olympian and ex-African light heavyweight title contender) I will remember Ali in so many ways because I embraced his style of boxing. I was even being referred to as Nigeria’s Muhammad Ali by the media because of my style. In the then Bendel State, every boxer loved to fight like Ali because he was so unique. He was such a brilliant boxer. Ali made the Blacks to know their rights. We should hold a ‘candle night’ for him in Lagos in his honour. We have to show appreciation to Ali in Nigeria because he made boxing a household name in this country. •Desmond Ekwueme (Sports journalist) ALI THE GREATEST... Muhammad Ali was to boxing what Pele is to football, what Michael Jordan is to basketball, arguably what Tiger Woods is to golf, perhaps what Undertaker was to wrestling and may be what Usain Bolt is to athletics among others. Now he is gone but his achievements stand as a challenge to many who see him as a sporting role model. Rest in Peace “the greatest”.

Sabo Muhammed

Okorodudu

•Sunday Oliseh (Ex-Nigeria coach) Legendary Muhammad Ali is dead! In My

heart he will always live on! Ali’s Documentary “the Greatest” is the most motivational video ever! •Steve Olarinoye (NSC, Zone One Zonal Coordinator) Muhammad Ali remains the greatest of all times. Scientific boxer who added glamour to the sport of boxing. A boxer that stings his opponent with his mouth and punches. No doubt he will be missed.

Some of Ali’s memorable quotes “If Liston even dreamed he could beat me, he’d wake up and apologise. I’m going to put that ugly bear on the floor, and after the fight I’m gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I’m gonna give him to the local zoo after I whip him. “This will be the easiest fight of my life. I’m too fast. He’s old. I’m young. He’s ugly, I’m pretty.” (Taunting world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston) “I’m so fast that I can turn the light off and be in bed before the bulb goes out. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” (Ali on his own boxing style) “Man, I ain’t got no quarrel with the Vietcong. Why should they ask me to go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?” (On refusing call-up into the United States army) “Everything I do now, I do to please Allah. I conquered the world, and it didn’t bring me true happiness. The only true happiness comes from honouring and worshipping God.” (On his Muslim faith)

SIDELINES NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

5 JUNE, 2016

NO 2,049

www.tribuneonlineng.com

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World’s greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali, may just have the right inspiration for moving Nigeria forward, especially for the ruling elite that has kept the country down with outdated ideas and primordial sentiments, despite gaining independence over 50 years ago. As Ali puts it, ‘The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.’

Southwest: Our priority now should be security

N December 2014, I wrote three successive articles in this column, pleading with our leaders in the Southwest –our state governors, state legislatures, Obas, village Baales, Local Governments, etc., - to take steps urgently to build up protection for our people in our cities, towns, villages, and farmlands. As of the time I was writing those articles, the great threat to security was Boko Boko Haram. Boko Haram had overrun most of the Nigerian Northeast, commanded considerable support in the Northwest, was able to operate widely in the Middle Belt including the federal capital city of Abuja, and was beginning to show its hands in the South. So, much of my warning was still about Boko Haram, and much of my pleading was that our leaders should prepare our people to meet the Boko Haram menace. But, even at that time, I was already able to add that other dangers than Boko Haram were coming. I wrote as follows: “As I pointed out in this column in the past two weeks, Boko Haram may not be the only danger that will threaten our communities in the Southwest, and even most of the South, in 2015 and after”. I then reminded our leaders and people as follows: “The former Governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, warned some months ago that some influential citizens were working towards a widespread insurrection for political purposes in Nigeria, an insurrection whose early signs we as a country ignore now, but which, when it comes, may prove more devastating than Boko Haram”. I pointed out that the attacks by Fulani herdsmen on rural folks in some parts of Nigeria needed to be watched and resisted – and that these were probably the beginnings of what Balarabe Musa was warning all of us about. As of that time, most of the attacks of the Fulani herdsmen were still against the farmers and villages of the small nationalities of the Middle Belt – the Birom and others. Some citizens of these places were shouting for help, but most of us were not inclined to rise up and support them. Now, the Fulani herdsmen are indeed devastating farmers and villagers in all parts of the Middle Belt and the South. And there seems to be no doubt at all that this is what Balarabe Musa was talking about. This is, as he warned, a danger much bigger, much better organized,

much better armed, and altogether much more serious than Boko Haram. There is no doubt that the attacks of the Fulani herdsmen are well orchestrated and command solid support from certain influential citizens. Notice how some influential citizens of the Arewa North have been supporting the herdsmen in public statements, how they have been claiming that the herdsmen have the rights of Nigerian citizens to roam and kill and destroy anywhere in Nigeria, and how they have been petulantly asserting that no Nigerians can exclude these murdering herdsmen from any part of Nigeria, and how they have been threatening that excluding them from any part of Nigeria would lead to the dissolution of Nigeria. We must not forget also that, in the

There is good reason now for us to see the Fulani herdsmen not merely as Fulani herdsmen. President Buhari himself told the world in an interview with CNN in London some days ago that there are many Libyan militiamen among these Fulani herdsmen. These Libyan militiamen used to belong to the private army of late President Ghadafi. They are well-trained and well-armed killers. They fled south to West Africa after the fall of Ghadafi, and now many of them have somehow become entrenched among the murderous herdsmen all over Nigeria. In short, we had better realize that the so-called Fullani herdsmen, many of them well-armed and well trained, and reinforced by highly trained and well-armed Libyan militiamen, are an army of “insur-

diranapata@yahoo.com

past four years or so, we Southerners have been quite frequently subjected to threats of war from some members of the Northern elite. We have been told from time to time that the North would go to war rather than accept certain kinds of change in Nigeria, and that the North was more ready for war than the South. In the background to all this, there have been constant reports in the media that some influential Nigerians have been illegally importing arms to Nigeria. And, furthermore, in the course of 2014, some highly placed Northerners heightened the rhetoric of war fearfully. One, who claimed to be speaking for the Hausa-Fulani, threatened that his people, rather than accept certain changes in Nigeria, would “kill, maim, and destroy, and turn Nigeria into the greatest refugee camp on the African continent”, and asserted that “the Mujaheedin are ready and, by Allah, we shall win”. Incidentally, Mujaheedin is the name that Ghadafi called his private militiamen.

rection” – a major insurrection planned by some people for some big political objectives. We do not need to wait to find out what these people’s objectives are. What we need immediately is to begin to provide for the protection of our people. Furthermore, we had better not forget that a very major economic disaster may be now looming over Nigeria. The oil revenues (which Nigerian rulers have foolishly allowed to become the only pillar of the Nigerian economy) have crumbled. The world price of oil has dropped from about $110 per barrel only over a year ago to about $50 today. Because we were unprepared for this, it is rocking Nigeria seriously. Observers fear imminent popular revolts in response to the escalating poverty and deprivation. We Yoruba, with the largest population of highly educated and unemployed youths in Nigeria, have been lucky so far that our youths have borne their hardships peacefully. But, if these hardships further escalate in the next few

Suwon tourney: Siasia blasts Dream Team over 6-2 loss to Denmark By Oluwabunmi Ajayi NIGERIA’S U-23 team on Saturday lost 2-6 to Denmark in its second game at the ongoing Suwon International Tournament played at the Goyang Sports Complex, South Korea. The Dream Team had in its first game also lost 0-1 to hosts, South Korea when the game was heading for a stalemate. Meanwhile, coach Samson Siasia speaking after the match acknowledged that his men’s

approach cost them victory, just as he said the result was an embarrassment to Nigeria. “We got it wrong from the blast of the referee’s whistle; we made so many mistakes; we didn’t play like we were meant to. The Danes did not play so well in their first game, but they were tactically sound and we simply did not know how to defend against them. “There were too many blunders on our side. We allowed them to control and pass the ball, and that’s how we got killed.

“It’s so embarrassing. I have never lost by six goals anywhere since I started my coaching career. All the same, that’s why we are here, to look at the guys who can play, and the ones that we can take to the Olympics. “It is very embarrassing, not because we lost, but the way we lost. Now, we have to snap out of it. We still have one more game to play, we will work hard to see that one turns out differently,” said the man who coached Nigeria to win silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

months, are we likely to continue to be that lucky? In our own interest, our leaders and people in the Southwest must do everything to strengthen security in our region now. Against the present gang of mostly trained killers, our protective mechanisms must be thoroughly capable and efficient too. In spite of all the threats from some influential Northerners, our protective measures must include preventing these herdsmen and their Libyan co-killers from entering our part of Nigeria henceforth. As we are seeing now, dependence on the Nigerian police or military may not suffice. Our answer, most obviously, is to adopt other kinds of community protection measures. In that regard, I recall that in 2014, the new Emir of Kano offered the wise advice that the peoples of the North who were facing Boko Haram menace should take their own steps to protect their communities. Civil society in our South is under serious attack and threat today too, and our various states and communities must take action to protect our people. And we must not limit this to our farmlands and villages; we must reckon that this spreading danger will soon come too to our mosques, churches, marketplaces and shopping centres, sports and entertainment centres, crowded motor parks, etc. We are facing a war – and we had better realize that. Fortunately, we Yoruba have powerful traditional institutions with which we have defended our communities throughout our history. In times of threat to community security, our rulers commonly called out certain groups of citizens to protect the community. In spite of modern changes, this is still part of our nation’s cultural heritage. Our Obas or Baales must alert their communities to the dangers that are coming, and then revive our traditional community security practices. OurObas and Baales must be assisted in all this by our State Governments. In short, our state governors and legislators, no matter what parties they belong to, owe us in the Southwest the urgent duty of providing security for us now. This is not a matter for partisan politics, or one allowing for hesitation, disputes or delays. We need and demand action now. Waiting for next week to start may be too late. All who live in our Yoruba homeland, including non-indigene residents, must be firmly surethat their lives are secure.

NPFL Match Day 20 fixtures Sunday, June 5, 2016 El-Kanemi vs Warri Wolves Heartland vs Enugu Rangers Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourists Kano Pillars vs Plateau United Shooting Stars vs Akwa United Sunshine Stars vs Abia Warriors Rivers United vs Lobi Stars Nasarawa Utd vs Enyimba Tornadoes vs Ifeanyi Ubah POOLS result: 9, 32, 47. Panel 5. LKO: 2,3, 6, 10, 13, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26-28. TODAY’S Matches: 1, 4, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 34, 35, 37-44, 46, 48, 49.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: sundaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR : SINA OLADEINDE. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 5/6/2016