5th December 2015

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

NO 1,128

www.tribuneonlineng.com

SATURDAY, 5 DECEMBER, 2015

Nigerian Tribune

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Nigerian Tribune

$2.1bn: Court orders EFCC to

produce Dokpesi on Dec 14

pg5

Wada, Faleke talk tough over Kogi polls Democracy is on trial —Kogi gov The battle has just started —Faleke

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24,000 security personnel for Bayelsa gov election

Why I avoid

the media —Don Jazzy pgs 2 & 30

Naira falls further, sells N248/dollar

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From left, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Paul Arkwright; Group Executive Director, Globacom, Mrs. Bella Disu and the Regional Director, Partner Markets, Vodafone, Mr Vik. G Patel, at the public unveiling of Globacom-Vodafone partnership agreement at Eko Hotel on Thursday night.

Ooni remains permanent chair of Osun Council of Obas —Ife board replies Owa Obokun

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We won’t join other govs to sack workers

—Fayose, Jigawa gov

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entertainment

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Why I avoid

the media —Don Jazzy Top Nigerian producer, Michael Collins, aka Don Jazzy, is arguably Nigeria’s most soughtafter record label owner and music business mogul. In this interview with journalists, the Mavin’s boss talks about the secrets of his success, his upcoming Christmas concert, relationship status and other issues JOAN OMIONAWELE brings the excerpts.

Y

OUR record label is set to hold a concert on December 23 and you revealed that you had been planning for the concert for three years, why did it take you so long?

It’s not as if we stalled for three years, but I have been planning things in my head but it is now that we are going live.

Why did you decide to do a concert this year?

People thought you will do something after Mohits fell apart.

We did not have any content then, I am a perfectionist. I have to be sure I am not doing something until I have what it takes. I could have said I had a concert to do and our fans will attend, but we wouldn’t have had any content.

Are we going to see a surprise act this year?

I don’t understand what you mean.

Will Dbanj be there?

I cannot categorically tell you that Dbanj will be there, but he hasn’t called me to say, o! boy, you dey do show too, I go come o, but right now, he is not billed to be on the show.

Will you collaborate with Dbanj soon, considering the fact that 2face specifically asked for it?

It is possible. When we both settle down and agree to do it, we will sing a song together. He is a very busy person, who travels from UK to US and other countries and I am busy with my new artistes, but we will work on something as soon as we can work on something.

Continues on pg30 Continues on pg30

3 newsfeature

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

For allegedly stealing his mum’s money, stepdad sears boy’s body with hot iron

By Oluwatoyin Malik

W

ith his chest and left shoulder covered with gauze and plaster, Azeez Yusuf, a Primary Four pupil of IDC Primary School, Gbagi, Ibadan, suffered an obvious discomfort .

The second child of his mother, Azeez had, a few days before an encounter with Saturday Tribune, gone through torture at the hands of his stepfather for losing N1000 from the proceeds he made from the sale of fish he hawked for his mother.

The stepfather, Mr Kunle Anisere, had reportedly used a hot pressing iron to inflict injury on the 12-year-old boy on November 22, a day after he lost the money. Though he kept the pain to himself, on November 24, Azeez’s school mates noted that he was not looking well and did not hesitate to notify his class teacher about the situation .

Saturday Tribune learnt that the teacher was shocked when she saw the wounds from the burns Azeez suffered, after he asked him to remove his uniform.

The teacher promptly reported what she saw to the headmistress and the rest, they say, became history. The Divisional Police Officer at the Egbeda division of the Oyo State police command, CSP John Aku, sent detectives to arrest Azeez’s stepdad and mother over the issue.

Narrating the incident that led to his injury, Azeez said: “I always assist my mother in hawking fish after school. On a particular day, my mother told me to hawk some grilled fish. Unfortunately, I lost N1,000 out of the N1,400 that I made from sales.

“When I got home, I told my mother and she beat me.

The following day, I did not go to my mother’s shop after school. I went home and my stepfather came to me. He asked me what I did with my mother’s money and I told him I put it in my pocket and it got lost.

“He was angry at my reply and he picked up a cable and used it to beat me. When he noticed that I did not wince or cry, he plugged an iron and used it to sear my body.”

When asked why he did not run away, Azeez answered: “my stepfather blocked the doorway which was the only route of escape. I shouted but no one came to my rescue.”

The boy admitted that his stepfather had never beaten him before the recent happening, saying that he (stepfather) had always shown him love and care. He also said that he was being adequately taken care of by his mother and stepfather.

“What led to this problem was that I used to lose the money I was making from fish sales, and it was believed that I was spending it while claiming that it got lost. It is true that I used to lose money every time I went hawking.

There was a day I lost N3,000; I lost N4,000 at another time. It could also be N1,000, N500,” he narrated.

Mrs Toyin Anisere, however, punctured her son’s claims, saying that Azeez and his elder brother, Ibrahim, had ruined her fish business with their pilfering. “Azeez and his brother, Ibrahim, whom I had before my second marriage, hawk fish for me after school hours. This is to support me because of the financial burden of feeding them and paying for their school needs.

“After I got separated from their father, he took the children to his mother. Later, I brought them to live with me. The elder brother was the first to start spending all the money he made from fish sales before he would return home. I had to stop him from hawking. Azeez also started doing the same thing. I used to plead with them not to ruin the business because it got to a stage that I had to start taking fish carton on credit as I no longer had money to pay.

“When the money loss became a daily occurrence, I went to Gbagi market where he used to sell the fish and I was shown where Azeez used to sit to spend money buying different items. I was also told that he used to go to a place where young boys pay money to ride bicycles. I would cry and cry, but he did not stop the habit. I stopped him from hawking for about six months because of this, but I had to make him start again because my nieces who were living with me also sold my fish and went away with the money.

“The last one that I took on credit was just half of a carton and I was expecting him to bring the money so that I

Azeez

Azeez

could pay my creditor, only for him to tell me that he had lost N1,000 out of the N1,400 he made. He hawked fish worth N1,800.

“I think my husband was touched by the way my children were treating me despite the love we both shower on them.

He didn’t mean to hurt him that much because he had never beaten him. I believe the devil wanted to put us into trouble by causing the issue to be magnified.”

The stepfather, Mr Kunle Anisere (31), while narrating his side of the story, revealed that he was an okada rider, and that Azeez had been living with him for the past three years. “I got married to his mother about six years ago and I accepted him and his brother as my sons.”

Answering questions on why he inflicted burns on his stepson, Mr Anisere first answered by praying to God that he would not fall into trouble through a costly mistake.

“The boys were well-behaved when they came to live with us, but changed when they returned from holiday with their paternal grandmother.

“The grandmother came to take them away, on the excuse that she wanted them to celebrate Ileya with her in Lagos.

It was Ibrahim, Azeez’s elder brother who told us that he was taken under the bridge to start selling sachet water. He

After I got separated from their father, he took the children to his mother. Later, I brought them to live with me. The elder brother was the first to start spending all the money he made from fish sales before he would return home. I had to stop him from hawking. Azeez also started doing the same thing.

The parents

was using the profit to feed himself and his brother. And it was there he mixed with shady characters. Ibrahim later got hold of his mother’s number and called to intimate her of their plight. She sent money through someone so that they could return to us.

“By the time he and his brother came back to us, they had become hardened. Money started getting missing. He stole N25,000 which his mother collected as contribution and ran away to Lagos. But he did not go to his grandmother.

He returned to us after some time, but stole another N45,000 and ran away again. Police caught him where he was spending the money and arrested him.

“Their mother stopped him from selling fish for her when he always spent the money and said Azeez should take his brother’s position. Unfortunately, Azeez started doing the same thing his brother was doing. Why I became part of the last one was to support my wife in disciplining the children, as I saw that their actions were already affecting her health wise.

“I used to avoid beating them so that people would not say I was maltreating them because they were not my children. I didn’t mean to hurt him so much; it was discipline gone awry.”

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Oyo State, DSP Kunle Ajisebutu, said that the suspect would be charged to court at the completion of investigation.

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5 December, 2015

Kogi gov: Wada, Faleke talk tough as court strikes out all cases challenging poll

•I’ll appeal, battle has just started —Faleke •Democracy is on trial —Wada Sunday Ejike - Abuja and Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

A

S a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered that today’s supplimentary governorship election in Kogi State should go ahead, the state governor, Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and James Abiodun Faleke, running mate to the late Alhaji Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) talked tough on Friday, vowing to approach the Appeal Court to quash the decision.

While Wada declared that the judgement showed that democracy was on trial, Faleke, who described himself as a long distance runner, said that the battle had just started.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday struck out all the five suits that emanated from the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State that were filed before, his court.

The trial judge, in his judgment that lasted for about two hours on the five consolidated suits held that he had taken a cursory look into the reliefs sought by the five plaintiffs and found that they were the type that could not be granted by a Federal High Court.

From the processes filed by the plaintiffs, Kolawole said there was no dispute in the fact that the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State was substantially conducted and results being announced when the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ‘tragically’ died. Kolawole also held that it was also not in dispute that the deceased APC candidate was leading by over 41, 000 votes when he passed away.

The court also held that there was no dispute in the fact that Governor Idris Wada scored the second largest votes and that James Faleke was having a joint ticket with the late Audu and that they were coasting home to victory when the death came.

Kolawole noted that from the undisputed facts, the Kogi State governorship election had been substantially conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and by that, the only appropriate place for aggrieved contestant in that election is the state governorship election petition tribunal to ventilate their anger when the election is finally concluded.

He said it would amount to an exercise in futility for the court to go into the merits of the five cases, when the undisputed facts supplied

to the court by the plaintiffs themselves have proved beyond doubt that the matter was a post-primary election which can only be adjudicated upon by a tribunal that will be set up by the President of the Court of Appeal in line with Section 182 of the Constitution.

“Let me state here that the hands of the court are not tied, but the court cannot go into the merits of the five suits because of the glaring facts that this court has no jurisdiction,” Justice Kolawole held and consequently struck out the applications.

Governor Wada and the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Hon James Faleke had, in separate suits, approached the court seeking to declare them winner of the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State.

In their own suit, Wada and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wanted the court to declare Wada as the winner of the November 21 election, having scored the second highest votes after the deceased candidate of the APC, Prince Abubakar Audu.

Faleke, in his own suit, asked the court to declare him winner of the said poll on the grounds that he was having a joint ticket with the late Audu.

Three other plaintiffs — Johnson Usman, Emmanuel Idakwo and Emmanuel Igbokwe — had also in their separate suits asked the court to conduct a fresh governorship election in the state.

When the matter came up earlier, three issues which were formulated by parties were argued by counsel for Wada, Chris Uche (SAN) and the separate suit filed

by Faleke, through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) was also heard.

In the three issues formulated, the plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether INEC could lawfully conduct a second/supplementary election into the office of the governor of Kogi state on December 5, 2015 or any other date at all let alone accepting the nomination/substitution by the APC when the new or substitute candidate was not part of the original election.

The plaintiffs also wanted the court to decide whether in view of the provision of Section 178(2)(3)(4)(5) of the 1999 Constitution and other enabling provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 and having regard to the doctrine of necessity, the plaintiff being the only surviving candidate with the majority lawful votes cast at the Kogi State governorship election held on November 21, ought not

to be declared and returned

by INEC as the winner of the election having secured not less than one-quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of all local government areas in Kogi State.

They also wanted the court to determine whether INEC ought to conduct a fresh governorship election in Kogi state.

In his submission, counsel for the APC, Bola Aidi argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter in the first place and said that the matter is a pre-election matter and hence should be left for the election tribunal.

In his own argument, Faleke’s counsel, Olanipekun urged the court to declare that election to the office of the governor of a state can only be conducted in the manner expressly stipulated in Section 179(2) (a), (b), (3) (a), (b), 4 (a), (b) and (5) of the constitution.

He further submitted that by express provisions of Sections 1(2) and 179 (2) (a), (b), 3 (a), (b), 4 (a), (b) and (5) of the constitution, INEC is constitutionally bound to declare his client as duly elected to the office of governor of Kogi State.

He, however, prayed the court to grant an order setting aside INEC’ s decision that governorship election held in Kogi state on November 21, 2015 is inconclusive and the public notice dated November 24, 2015 titled, “Kogi Governorship Election 2015.”

Responding, INEC, through its counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), submitted that Faleke had no power to declare himself as the candidate of the party.

He further submitted that it is the party that had the power to nominate candidate and that the party had nominated someone for the supplementary election and prayed the court to dismiss the application.

I’ll appeal, battle has just started —Faleke Running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu in the Nov. 21 governorship election in Kogi, Mr Abiodun Faleke, said he would appeal against the Federal High Court Abuja’s ruling that it lacked jurisdiction over the case.

Faleke said in a statement in Lokoja on Friday that he would take the matter to the Appeal Court to get the mandate rightly given to him by the electorate in the state.

In the statement, Faleke, who ran the joint ticket with the late Audu on the platform of the APC, described himself as a marathon runner, saying that the judgement fell short

of expectation.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole had declined ruling in a case brought before him on the grounds that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

Faleke appealed for calm among members of the APC and his supporters in the state, saying that the battle to get justice has just begun.

He also condemned the attack on INEC office in Dekina Local Government Area, by yet to be identified hoodlums, describing it as barbaric and a desperate move to subvert the wishes of the people.

Democracy is on trial —Wada The Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada, on Friday described the judgement as a “clay-legged contraption.”

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Communication Manager, Phrank Shaibu, said “ Our confidence in the judiciary remains unshaken. The letters and wordings of the judgement has given hope to the survival of democracy, especially coming at a time when some officials of key institutions of democracy such as INEC who as electoral umpires are expected to be impartial unto death but have chosen to compromise their independence apparently under the dictates of an Attorney General appointed by a very and desperate All Progressives Congress.

“While our lawyers are preparing their papers for an appeal, we call on all our supporters to remain calm and move to the field for the supplementary polls.

“We are confident that, this clay-legged contraption, when tested further in the courts, will crumble like a pack of cards. Our democracy is truly on trial.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), urged electorate, political parties and other stakeholders in the political crisis rocking the state to embrace peace.

A statement by the state branch of CAN called on the people to abide by the verdict of the appropriate authorities in the overall interest of the state.

The statement, signed by the state Chairman of CAN, Archbishop Emmanuel Egbunu, urged the youths to resist being used for narrow intents and shun all forms of violence.

Egbunu also called on Christians to earnestly pray and intercede for a peaceful resolution of the present political uncertainty over the state.

Saturday Tribune

24,000 security personnel deployed for Bayelsa poll Ebenezer Adurokiya - Yenagoa SECURITY became heightened, on Friday, in every nook and cranny of Bayelsa State ahead today’s governorship election.

Armoured Personnel Carriers were seen mounted, particularly at entry and exit points of Yenagoa, the state capital.

To bolster security arrangements, the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have jointly deployed about 24, 000 personnel in the state to secure life and property and ensure a hitch-free election.

The police and NSCDC personnel are being joined by scores of battle-ready military personnel and other paramilitary agencies.

The state Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Oki, told Saturday Tribune, on Friday that the more than 14,000 personnel deployed in the state for the election had been instructed to be civil in the way they go about their duty.

The commissioner also announced the restriction of movements from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

“The Inspector General has deployed enough policemen in every nook and cranny of the state such that there will be no violence before, during and after the election.

“The policemen have been briefed on being civil with the electorate; that they should do their duties diligently according to the electoral laws. The AIG from Abuja also spoke with them and advised them to be civil,” Oki stated.

He appealed to the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully and return home after casting their votes.

Oki, however, said if they must stay to watch their votes, they should be no fewer than 300 metres away from the voting centre.

He warned the electorate against carrying arms and ammunition to voting centres, while also saying that VIPs would not be allowed to approach voting centres with their security detail.

“We are on top of all situations in Bayelsa State. Voters should be peaceful, go and cast their votes and return to their respective houses.

“If for any reason they must stay at the voting centre, they should stay as far as 300 meters away from the polling centre. Nobody should bring arms to voting centre. No big man should come to centres with armed policemen as bodyguards.

“Restriction has been imposed from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. on Saturday, provided there is no reason for extension. So far, the situation is upbeat. No problem at all,” he noted.

Oki said no security threat had been reported in any part of the state so far ahead of the poll.

The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, has given the assurance that today’s governorship election in Bayelsa State would be peaceful.

Muhammadu, who gave the assurance at the corps’ national headquarters in Abuja, disclosed that 10,000 personnel had been deployed to provide security before, during and after the election.

Kogi: Fire razes INEC office in Dekina LGA Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

TWENTY-FOUR hours to the conduct of supplementary election in Kogi state, suspected hoodlums set ablaze the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Dekina local government area of the state.

The office was said to have been burnt completely overnight and nothing could be salvaged from the place.

Dekina Local Government has the highest number of prospective voters for the governorship supplementary poll with over 17, 000 votes out of the expected 49, 000 from 18 of the 21 local government areas of the state.

Souces told Saturday Tribune that the inferno started in the early hours of the day with nobody knowing the major cause.

However, the INEC in Kogi State has said there is no cause for alarm over the fire incident as none of the sensitive materials to be used for the supplementary election was affected.

A statement by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Halilu Pai, also said the affected area office had been relocated to the police divisional office in the community.

It reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kogi State wishes to inform the general public that its area office at Dekina Local Government was burnt down by some hoodlums last night alongside the non-sensitive materials that were in the office.

“However, the sensitive materials and the card readers are intact because they were still at the INEC state headquarters office at the time of the fire incident. During the unfortunate situation, no life was lost.

“The area office at Dekina is temporarily shifted to the police station at Dekina to enable us [to] continue our operations for the continuation of the governorship supplementary election which is scheduled for Saturday, 5th December, 2015”.

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news

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Angry youths stone gov Ademola Adegbite - Lafia

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa (right) welcoming President Muhammadu Buhari to the opening ceremony of Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in South Africa, on Friday. PHOTO: NAN.

Naira falls further, sells N248/Dollar

By Chima Nwokoji - Lagos

TRAVELLERS going abroad on Friday mounted pressure on the parallel market in search of dollars for Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) thereby dragging the naira to as low as N248 to a dollar, on the unofficial market.

Traders said the refusal by the Central Bank of Nigeria to sell the greenback to some Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators for incomplete documentation on Thursday has pushed foreign currency demand to the unofficial market and is still taking its toll on the local currency.

The currency was quoted at N246 on Thursday against the dollar on the unofficial market, weaker than N243 the previous day.

On the official interbank market, the naira, which has been pegged against the greenback since February, traded at N198.97.

However, the central bank maintains that the local currency remains pegged at N197 at the official interbank market.

Reuters quoted Aminu Gwadabe, president of Nigeria’s bureau de change association as having said that 1,599 bureaux de change agents out of 2,818 operators were denied access to the foreign exchange sale on Wednesday, limiting dollar supply.

“The bureaux de change operators were denied access to the forex window because of their failure to file documentation backing previous purchases,” said Gwadabe.

The central bank last week asked all bureaux de change operators to submit accounts showing their dollar usage at the start of each week before they can access future sales, a move traders say was aimed at curbing speculation.

The unofficial market ac-

counts for less than 5 percent of total dollar trades in Nigeria. The bank sells around $30,000 to each operator every week.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview, Gwadabe

complained that lack of awareness by customers, of CBN’s directive mandating buyers of foreign exchange to provide their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), is affecting

the business.

According to him, though the association is in full support of BVN, there still exists a lot of challenges in its implementation for BDC operators

Produce Dokpesi in court on Dec 14, court orders EFCC Sunday Ejike - Abuja A Federal High in Abuja on Friday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce the former chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi in court on December 14 and show cause why he should not be granted conditional or unconditional bail by the court.

Dokpesi has been in the custody of the EFCC for almost a week now over an alleged money laundering involving $2.1 billion.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, while ruling in an ex parte motion argued by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), ordered that EFCC should be put on notice and appear on December 14 with the detained former boss of DAAR Communications.

In the ex parte application filed on December 3, Ozekhome had prayed the court for an order compelling EFCC to produce Dokpesi, who is presently in its custody.

He also prays the court for an order admitting Dokpesi to bail on self recognisance or liberal terms pending his formal arraignment by the anti-graft agency.

The grounds of the ex parte motion, among others were that Dokpesi had been detained for more than 48 hours without filing any criminal charge against him as required by law.

Dokpesi was also said to have, on December 1, reported at the headquarters of the EFCC following a telephone call to that effect, but was subsequently detained after several hours of unprepared

interrogation.

Other ground for the motion is that the offences preferred against Dokpesi are ordinarily bailable, adding also that Dokpesi has no reason or any likelihood to jump bail, escape justice or interfere with witnesses.

Ozekhome said Dokpesi has no criminal antecedent or record and that because of his status in the society, he should be granted bail on self recognisance or in the most liberal terms.

It will be recalled that Chief

Dokpesi was on December 1, arrested and detained in connection with money disbursed from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki (retd).

Chief Ozekhome said, “I do not regard this as an arrest. If you are invited by the EFCC that is not the same thing as an arrest. We got this information through a mere phone call.

There is no warrant of arrest and as a well-respected obedient nationalist, Chief Dokpesi decided to go and answer the invitation,” he said.

IT was a bad outing for Governor Umaru Tanko AlMakura of Nasarawa State on Friday, during the final interment of the late Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Mohammadu Chindo Yamusa II, as angry youths, numbering over 100, attacked him with different weapons, as he was about entering his official vehicle in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

Witnesses told Saturday Tribune that immediate intervention of the security operatives attached to the governor’s convoy saved him from the angry youths, as they continued throwing stones and other dangerous substances at him, as he was rushed into his vehicle.

It was further learnt that the youths started mobilising themselves after the arrival of Governor Al-Makura and his entourage at the venue of the burial. After the interment, the angry youths started molesting him, calling him names and throwing stones in his direction.

Shops and stores were hurriedly closed down as a result of sporadic shooting by the security operatives attached to his convoy, to scare the irate youths.

When contacted by phone in Lafia, the state capital, the Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ahmed Tukur said he was not at the assignment, so he did not have anything to say about the incident.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Sani Mohammed, during a press conference in Keffi, ordered the Keffi Area Commander to commence immediate investigations and bring the perpetrators to book without any further delay.

The Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Mohammadu Chindo Yamusa II, who passed on, on Friday morning, at the age of 70, ascended the throne in May, 1978. He is survived by two wives, 27 children and many grandchildren.

Galadima of Keffi, who is also the Emir‘s cousin, Alhaji Abdul Usman, confirmed his demise officially to newsmen in Keffi, saying the traditional ruler took ill briefly and died in his palace in Keffi.

According to him, “our emir, the promoter of peace and culture died this morning after a brief illness. His death is heartbreaking, painful but God gives life and takes it at will. The emir had contributed a lot to the development of not only Keffi, but the state and the entire country while alive.”

He, therefore, urged the citizens to pray for his family, saying his death was a huge loss to the Keffi Emirate Council and the state at large.

At the time of filling this report, traditional rulers, including the Emir of Lafia, who is also the chairman of the state’s traditional council, Alhaji Mustapha Isah Agwai 1 and other sympathisers were seen trooping into the late emir’s palace.

Buhari’s foreign trips not frivolous —Lai Mohammed PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips since assuming office are critical to the implementation of his administration key policies of enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and fighting corruption, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.

A statement issued on Friday in Abuja and signed

by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the Minister quoted Alhaji Mohammed as saying that all of President Buhari’s trips have been anything but frivolous, and that they have started yielding fruits in terms of turning the tide in the fight against the insurgents who have been most active in the north-east, attracting investments in the range of billions of dollars, and securing global support for the administration’s anticorruption fight.

“Nigerians, whether in the ruling or the opposition par-

ties, have a right to ask questions about the activities of their president, but it is absolutely important that they do so from an informed, rather than partisan or sensational, standpoint,” he said.

The minister explained that most of the president’s trips - to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as to Germany, the US, France and the UN - were devoted to rallying regional and global support for the war against terrorism.

“He was in Germany at the invitation of the G7 to solicit support from the Industrialised Nations for the war against terrorism. No one who has witnessed the killings and maiming in the past seven years by Boko Haram will call such trips frivolous. After all, the security and welfare of the citizens are the reason for the existence of any government.

“The president’s visit to South Africa was to attend the regular summit of the

African Union; the trip to Ghana was aimed at fostering better relations with a brotherly country; the trip to India was for the IndiaAfrica summit that provided the opportunity to explore ways of enhancing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from Indian investors, while the trip to Iran was to attend the forum of Gas Exporting Countries, a veritable platform for discussing how to better harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrial/domestic consumption and export, at a time of dwindling oil prices.

“The president also travelled to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, from where he travelled to Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change. The president’s second trip to South Africa since assuming office is for the China-Africa forum.

On the few occasions that the president has embarked on a state visit, he has tied that to

an agenda that will further the quest for support for the war against terror and the efforts to enhance FDIs, thus stimulating economic growth and creating jobs,” the minister said.

He said that apart from rallying global support for the country’s wars on terror and graft or seeking foreign investments, it is important that Nigeria leverages President Buhari’s brand, a high integrity quotient and an embodiment of committed and dedicated leadership, to further Nigeria’s relevance and visibility on the global stage.

“President Buhari is well respected on the global stage for his high integrity, his transparency, his patriotism and his purposeful leadership. It is important to leverage this respect in such a way that Nigeria can become a major player, either in the realms of economy or global diplomacy,’’ the minister said.

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Ondo fixes Dec date for Mare festival

From left, Registrar, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Mr Hezekiah Oladele Fehintola; Rector, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Professor Olatunde Fawole; Oyo State deputy governor, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo and former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr Olalekan Ali, during the 31st convocation ceremony of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, on Friday. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE

We can pay minimum wage, Fayose, Jigawa gov distance selves from NGF From Sam Nwaoko and Adamu Amadu

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OVERNORS Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State have insisted that they will neither slash workers’ salaries nor reduce their workforce in contradiction to the conditions expressed by the Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) on Thursday in Abuja.

The NGF, through its chairman, Abdulaziz Yari, who is the governor of Zamfara State, had told correspondents on Thursday that due to the current economic situation in Nigeria, states no longer had the wherewithal to pay their workers the minimum wage of N18,000 monthly, proposing either pay cut or retrenchment as last resort.

However, on Friday, Fayose and Abubakar begged to differ, insisting the NGF was not speaking for them.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Friday, Fayose said

NGF’s ‘ pay cut or retrench’ suggestion was an agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“It could at best be described as an agenda of the All Progressives Congress and its central government which appears clueless about revamping the Nigerian economy,” said Fayose.

He added: “I like to restate that workers remain critical stakeholders in governance in Nigeria and as such, their rights and privileges must be protected and guaranteed at all times in the spirit and letters of Nigerian constitution, particularly the fundamental objectives and directive

principles of state policy.’’

Fayose remarked that workers should not be made to pay for financial recklessness committed by some state governments in the past, asking governors and political parties who cannot effect the minimum wage to give way to more competent managers.

He asked states to cut expenses on foreign travels and huge estacodes and “look inwardly for alternative means of sourcing revenue instead of resorting to borrowing.”

Meanwhile, Jigawa State governor, Badaru Abubakar vowed that he would continue to ensure the pay-

Book on Ooni of Ife out Monday A book entitled, “Outstanding Traditional Rulers and Leaders of Yoruba Nation,” (Reprinted and enlarged) dedicated to the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Alaiyeluwa Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ajaja II. will be out

on Monday, December 7, 2015 to coincide with the presentation of instrument and staff of office to the new Ooni of Ife. The book is on eminent leaders and traditional rulers of Yoruba nation. There are other important areas

Unpaid allowances: Nationwide strike looms in health sector Isaac Shobayo - Jos THERE are strong indications that medical services in the nation’s health sector may grind to a halt following the threats by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANSM) and federal health institutions in the country to embark on a strike over unpaid allowances.

This was contained in a communique issued by the association at the end of its 30th annual scientific con-

ment of N18,000 minimum wage for the state workers.

Addressing permanent secretaries and directors in the state’s civil service at the Ahmadu Bello Hall in Dutse on Friday, Abubakar said rather than slashing salaries or retrenching, the state government would cut overheads and running cost.

“We are all aware of the shortfall in federal allocation due to sharp reduction in oil price and according to international economic analysts, the bad day for oil price may last till next two years, so we must have a measure to see how we can survive without abandoning our primary responsibility.”

ference, where it accused chief executives and heads of federal health institutions of conspiring with IPPIS Office to unlawfully withhold the payment of teaching allowances of some category of nurses against extant circulars to that effect.

It implored President Muhammadu Buhari to declare an emergency in the health sector, especially in the areas of staffing, training, retraining and equipping health institutions with modern facilities.

According to the communiqué signed by the national chairman, Mr. Nana Takai and the national secretary, Mr. Gambo Danfuali respectively and made available to Saturday Tribune in Jos on Friday, the association also accused some Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors, “who deliberately refused to pay uniform allowances to nurses and midwives against the provision of the Civil Service Rule No. 130127 .”

in the book such as: History of Nigeria, The Origin of Yoruba Tribes, Oduduwa The Renowned Ancestor of the Yoruba Race, Kingship Institution, Oduduwa Children, Ile-Ife: The Source, and the difference between Mystery, Myth and History. The book, printed by Lichfield Nigeria Limited, will be of benefit to readers, libraries, schools, etc. It will serve as a reference book now and in future.

A book on His Imperial Majesty, Alaiyeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade II, the late Ooni of Ife, earlier scheduled to be released on December 7, 2015, has been postponed for good reasons. A new date will be announced soon.

Alaiyeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II was a special person who contributed greatly to the Yoruba nation, Nigeria, the institution of obaship and humanity, etc.

THE 2015 edition of the annual cultural-cum tourism programme of the Ondo State government, Mare festival, has been scheduled for December 18 and 19.

The event brings focus on the potential of the hills in Idanre, an ancient town and the exposition of the tourism potential in the state to the world.

A major feature of this year’s event is the showcasing of Idanre Hills Resort, Habitat 1 and Tourism zone.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, while speaking with newsmen in Akure on the development said this year’s edition of the two-day event will witness the introduction of competition among local acts in the state as well as a marathon race, mountain climbing and a raffle draw.

The commissioner said government is encouraged by the consideration given to the hills over its enlistment by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialised agency of the United Nations, as one of the world’s heritage sites.

He added that it was celebrating the Mare festival annually in order to showcase the Idanre hills to international tourists with the ultimate aim of attracting direct investments into the economy of the state.

EdeMapo Arogun 2015 ACTIVITIES marking Edemapo Arogun Day 2015 will be rounded off on Sunday with an enlightment programme on electronic media and church service which will take place at C.A.C N0. 7, behind First Bank, Olowobida Street, Ede, Osun State. On Friday, the Jumat service took place at Ede Central Mosque, Oja-Timi Ede, followed by youth rally across the city and ended with indigene night, tagged a “Night With Kabiyesi”, where sons and daughters of Ede received royal blessings and interactions from HRM Alhaji Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, the Timi of Edeland, Laminisa 1.

Today marks the grand finale as Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, the Timi of Edeland Laminisa 1, President, Federal Council of Ede Descendants Union, Otunba Adebayo Mikahil Adeniyi and the chairman planning committee, EdeMapo Arogun Day 2015, Hon. Debo Kamoldeen Akanbi are calling on all sons and daughters of Ede to come home and contribute to the development of Edeland.

Chief S.O Babalola will be the Father of the Day, while Chief (Mrs) Folashade Tinubu Ojo will be the Mother of the Day. The Chief Launcher is Alhaji (Hon) Bayo Oshinowo (Peperito), and the Grand Royal Father of the day is His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo and paramount ruler of Yoruba race, H.I.M Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, while H.R.M Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal will be the royal host. Also expected are the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam and all honourable members .

The award of merit will be conferred on three notable indigenes of the town, namely, Pastor Funso Akande of Ori-Oke Baba Abiye Ede, Alhaja Sinyanbade and Hon. Musibau Kolawole Taiwo as the Golden son.

Another mysterious fire razes over 80 shops in Kano Kola Oyelere - Kano WITHIN a week, three mysterious fire incidents occurred in Kano with the latest being that of Thursday in which more than 80 shops at the Abubakar Rimi market in Sabongari, were razed and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The fire incident occurred between 8 and 9 p.m. and razed the furniture section of the market and also gutted many shops where electric appliances were being sold.

Barely five days after a mysterious fire engulfed a hostel at the Government Girls Secondary School in Jogana, Gerzawa Local Government area of Kano State, claiming seven and injuring 25 others, another occurred on Wednesday, this time at the Boys Secondary School, Kwankwaso, in Madobi Local Area but did not record any casualty.

This latest incident occurred when traders had closed for the day. But on learning about the fire, owners of the shops who ran to the market to ascertain whether their shops were affected were prevented from entering the market.

A reliable source within the market said people were prevented from gaining access into the market in order not to allow miscreants take advantage of the melee to loot propertry.

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

newsmaker Faleke and Kogi’s opportunism incorporated

By Abiodun Awolaja

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BIODUN James Faleke, the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the Kogi State inconclusive governorship election of November 21, is currently fighting probably the fiercest political the battle of his life so far. The election, though declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, had the APC leading by a comfortable margin, but the death of its governorship candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu hours after the result was announced, quickly fortified the confusion that had enveloped the state ahead of the election.

That confusion rested partly on Faleke’s candidature. While serving as a two-term chairman of the Ojodu Local Council Development Area and a member of the House of Representatives representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Lagos, Faleke, (as can be confirmed at the website of the National Assembly, had declared himself a Lagosian). Indeed, during his time as a council boss, the Kaduna Polytechnic and Imo State University-educated ally of the national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the chairman of Forum 57, a forum of local council bosses in the state.

Interestingly, Faleke’s legislative Interest is “true federalism”. How truly federalist is the switch from Lagos to Kogi?

The pre-election period also witnessed apocalyptic declarations. On November 8, a cleric, one Apostle John Suleman had, while holding a meeting at the Omega Fire Ministries in Lokoja, the state capital, dropped a bombshell.

Suleman, an Auchi-based prophet, declared that any politician who shed blood during the election would die instantly: “Let me say this to Kogi State and all those politicians who are going out for blood: you attempt (to take the life of) anybody, you die! You attempt any head, you die. If you want to do election, do election. Don’t take life. I am repeating it because there is going to be confusion for any one that attempts. Don’t be surprised, you will hear some politicians will sleep and not wake up.”

The APC heads into the supplementary election today clothed in confusion. For one, its new candidate and runner-up during the primary that produced the late Audu, Yahaya Bello, is going into the ring with his heart in his mouth because Faleke has remained staunch in his refusal to serve as running mate to him, even

though his (Faleke’s) name was still penned down as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate despite his repudiation of his nomination. On Tuesday, Faleke had written to INEC demanding the removal of his name as Bello’s running mate in today’s supplementary election. He had earlier filed a case at a Federal High Court, Abuja requesting to be declared as governor-elect.

For another, Bello is going into the election as a full symbol of the ethnic hegemony in the state, a power structure completely opposed to the installation of members of Faleke’s Yoruba ethnic minority, as governor. Thus, even if he is eventually declared governor, the future is, for him, pregnant with rebellion.

Worse still, loyalists of the late Audu, piqued by their party’s refusal to allow Audu’s son to inherit his father’s votes, have vowed to impeach a hypothetical Governor Bello. Here, again, is material for a Nollywood blockbuster, provided that we at least have an intelligent director.

On the other hand, Bello might choose to take temporary consolation in the suggestion that Faleke’s second letter to INEC is

defective, since only the APC has the locus standi to notify the commission of a change of name. Enter Section 35 of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended): “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered by himself to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the commission not later than 45 days to the election.”

Alas! The 45-day timeline has elapsed. Worse still, Faleke is still threatening to quit the party. And yet, in another suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/977/2015 he filed through a consortium of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN and Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, he asked to be declared the Kogi governor-elect, seeking “A declaration that by the combined reading of sections 179 (2) (a) and (b) and 181(1) of the constitution, upon the death of a person duly elected as the governor of a state, the person elected with him as deputy governor is to be sworn in as the governor of the state.” But was Audu duly elected?

During the Bukola Saraki/Yakubu Dogara emergence earlier this year, members of the Tinubu camp argued strenuously in favour of party supremacy, declaring the duo (Saraki and Dogara) rebels in the APC. But why the switch of position in the Faleke case? Why is Faleke not bowing to party supremacy after the APC made it clear that it would stick with Yahaya Bello? The answer is opportunism.

On another plane, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and current governor, Idris Wada, had accused INEC of acting out a script in the state. That is why he asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday (Friday) to determine whether, in view of Section 181 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, INEC ought to conduct a fresh governorship election in Kogi. Wada specifically prayed the court to determine “whether in view of the provisions of

interview

seniorcitizen

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Biafra: Violence won’t help anyone —Alaba International Market leader

How I resisted moves to ‘overthrow’ my boss, Sir Otedola, as Lagos gov —Ojikutu, ex dep gov

Those seeking to lead the Yoruba are selfish, greedy —Bishop Gbonigi

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Pp35&37

Section 179 (2) (3)(4)(5) of the constitution, and other enabling provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, and having regard to the doctrine of necessity, the plaintiff being the only surviving candidate with the majority lawful votes cast at the Kogi State governorship election held on November 21, 2015, ought not to be declared and returned by the INEC as the winner of the election, having secured not less than one-quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of all the Local Government Areas in Kogi State.”

Wada’s position may be that of the Electoral Act, but his opportunism is still in clear evidence.

How logical it is for a runner-up to inherit the victory of another candidate on his death, when the candidate jointly elected by that candidate is still alive? And what does it say of the political status of an incumbent governor to be so easily routed by a candidate he had previously defeated by a wide margin? Were the PDP to win a presidential election in 2019 and have a similar scenario sadly replicated, would it sit idly by and allow the candidate of another party to inherit its votes? If the position of the Electoral Act is that Wada becomes governor in a case like this, it is clearly against the precedent set by the Supreme Court, which has ruled that it is parties, rather than candidates, that win elections in Nigeria, particularly as the nation is yet to have independent candidates. The bigger question, however, is whether the election was truly free and fair.

On yet another plane, the governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, argued that INEC should not have waved the Electoral Act requirement for a governorship candidate to be nominated with a deputy just because it is the APC that is involved. As Fayose pointed out, INEC merely carried out the directives of the Attorney General of the Federation, who was not competent to issue such a directive. The opportunism seems limitless.

In all, it is tragic that Faleke, the personality with the strongest claims to logic in the Kogi election, is himself clothed in crass opportunism.

health&fitness

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I became a prostitute ’cos he refused to give me money —Wife She has no time for the children because of her promiscuity —Husband

Pp18&31

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

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OW long have you been in practice?

I became a doctor slightly over 23 years ago and I’ve been practising as a paediatrician since 2002. That’s about 13 years now.

What spurred your interest in paediatrics?

I must say that to become a paediatrician, it must be from the heart. But I must also add that I was also led by God. Apart from the love I have for children, God spoke to me that I should be a paediatrician. So I can say it’s a calling. If it’s not a calling, one will not be fulfilled because it’s a discipline that is highly demanding. You must be compassionate in order to render excellent service. Three important things which have happened to me in life are one, I gave my life to Christ early in life, second is the type of family God has given me and the third is that I’m a pediatrician.

‘Sleeping in separate rooms is dangerous for couples’ Dr (Mrs) Adejumoke Idowu Ayede is a senior lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and a consultant Paediatrician/Neonatologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

She speaks with OYEYEMI OKUNLADE on her job, marriage and life as a pastor’s wife.

Marriage has taught me several lessons topmost of which is love. Good husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church. When there is love there will be a better understanding between couples. There is also forgiveness when there is love and once there is understanding, there will also be forgiveness. Marriage has also taught me the essence of putting our resources and plans together. We plan and execute together; we understand each other’s likes and dislikes.

At what point did you decide to specialise in paediatrics, while you were a medical student or after you graduated from the medical school?

As a medical student, paediatrics was one of my best subjects. But the final decision to become a paediatrician was made when I sat for primaries and I had a lot of problems in Obstetrics and Gynecology. But then I realised that I had not really prayed. I just felt that I didn’t have a heavenly backing. And the worst came when I failed the primaries. I had never failed an examination in my life. I was relatively an excellent student. So the failure was a shock to me. I knew God was telling me He must be in everything I do.

It was when I prayed that God spoke. I thank God for sustaining me thus far on my job. I have been able to face all challenges through His divine backing.

It’s recommended that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months, how safe or hygienic is it for mothers whose work schedule are tight to express milk in bottles for their babies?

Ideally, all babies should be breastfed exclusively for six months because the advantages are many. If a mother is well informed of these advantages and appreciates them, she will go the extra mile to ensure that the baby is exclusively breastfed. There are several ways of going this extra mile; one of which is expressing breast milk. Mothers that will express breast milk are those who don’t have access to their babies while at work. Because of the problem of diarrhea in children and inadequate potable water, we don’t recommend use of feeding bottles. Feeding bottles are difficult to clean, can be easily contaminated and could be a source of infection to the baby. We will prefer that the breast milk is expressed in a cup that has a cover and as soon as possible, it should be given to the child. If the breast milk is not given to the child immediately, then, it should be stored in the fridge for few hours.

Is baby formula a good substitute for breast milk?

Currently, we said that breast milk substitute should be prescribed. For a new born to be on breast milk substitute, there must be a strict medical indication for it because breast milk is the best for a child. Apart from this, it is the cheapest food for the baby. No new born should be deprived of getting all these benefits. But in some instances, we may have indications for breast milk substitute and that’s why it should be prescribed by a medical personnel. There are instances that may warrant a new born to be given an artificial milk. For instance, if the mother died or has some problems with her breast like cancer. I have managed babies of mothers with cancer of the breast. They are on chemotherapy. One will not expect a baby to be feeding on cancerous breast and apart from that, the drugs the mother is taking can also pass through the breast milk and these can also affect the baby. Also, if the mother has severe infection in the breast such as breast abscess, I will not want the baby to feed on breast milk. Another reason is mothers on hard drugs like heroin, marijuana and cocaine. Such drugs can actually go through the breast milk. We can withdraw the baby from them and not allow them breastfeed their babies. Again, the mother can be HIV positive. What is recommended for HIV mothers is that they should breastfeed their babies but we will give the mother antiretroviral therapy and at the same time give the baby prophylactic antiretroviral therapy so that the baby does not develop HIV. Even for mothers that are HIV positive, the recommenda-

Had your husband been ordained a pastor before you got married?

He was already into the pastoral ministry before we met and got married.

As a spinster you must have had many admirers, what influenced your decision to marry your spouse?

I gave my life to Christ early in 1986, so I’ve been tutored and discipled through reading many books among which were those of Pastor Kumuyi, Pastor Adeboye and late Pastor Ijagbulu and I had listened to several sermons on marriage. God is a perfect match maker. I know I had to pray before choosing, so I had no choice but to choose right and till date we remain ever convinced that our marriage is ordained by God.

tion presently is that they should also breastfeed. But few of these mothers prefer to give their babies artificial milk. Occasionally, we have babies that react to some components of breast milk like lactose intolerance. At that time, we may have to give them lactose-free artificial milk.

With the nature of your job, how have you been coping with your responsibilities as a wife, mother and a pastor’s wife?

It has been by the grace of God and wisdom from on high.

God has given me grace to manage my time. I don’t joke with time management. I tend to live a triangular life. First is God, followed by my family and then my job. Others like socials, paying visits and making phone calls and the like are to me appendages. Also, I do a lot of prioritisation of my activities and before I do anything, I commit it to God. There is hardly anything I don’t pray about and God has always granted me grace. Again my husband is highly supportive. His prayers and godly advice is wonderful. We are open to each other, so I tell him virtually everything which goes on in my office and he gives me advice. He is more experienced because he has been into managing human resources for a long time as a leader in many organisations and currently as a pastor.

Can you introduce him?

He’s Reverend (Dr) Michael Olusegun Ayede, presiding pastor, Akobo Baptist Church, Akobo, Ibadan. My husband is a full time cleric. He used to be a lecturer in the pastor’s school, Oyo. How old is your marriage?

I have been married for 18 years now.

What lessons has marriage taught you?

What’s your view on couple sharing the same room?

That is the ideal thing. When you marry as a Christian you are to share everything. I will not recommend separate room for couples, it is dangerous. The Bible says that Adam and Eve were together, they were naked and they were not ashamed of each other. When you share the same room everything about you is open. When you sleep in separate rooms, so many things can go wrong. There is that possibility of things coming in between such a relationship. Even on health grounds, it is not advisable. The disadvantages of sharing separate rooms are just too many while the advantages of sharing a room are enormous. I recommend that as Christian couples you don’t share separate rooms even on health grounds.

What have you been doing to retain the spark in your relationship?

God is the one who keeps the home and He has also given us some recommendations. What I do is that I go through my Bible and practise what is there. Number one, I’m the type that prays a lot and I will recommend it to every woman. Pray for your husband every time and God will always put your love in his heart always, I also ensure I give him the best of food. My husband chooses whatever he wants to eat. If you do that for a man, he’s not going to eat outside.

Again, I try to appear relatively young by dressing well and making my hair neat. Despite my tight schedule, I clean our bathroom every morning and also lay our bed. If your room is neat, your man will not want to stay outside. Even if he wants to ease himself, he will prefer to do it at home.

Also, there is no sex denial. As a Christian, there should be no sex denial. Like I said we look into the scripture to see what the Bible teaches us.

What is your best attire?

It depends on the occasion. For office, I like dresses and jackets. I wear these also to church because I wear hats. For social events, I’m a Yoruba woman so I wear my lace and aso oke.

11

Saturday Tribune

5 December, 2015

food&drink

BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

Plantain moin moin (ukpo ogede) Take moin moin to another level with overripe plantain. This dish is not only tasty but nutritious You will need: 2 overripe pieces of plantain 1 cup plantain flour I teaspoon ground crayfish 1 small onion Pepper and salt to taste Palm oil Moin moin leaves To prepare: Pour plantain flour in bowl, add water to get a smooth, medium consistency.

Peel overripe plantain and add to plantain flour mix.

Blend with onions, pepper and crayfish.

Empty into bowl and add salt and a little palm oil.

Wrap in leaves as you would moin moin or use aluminium tins if you prefer.

Steam for about 25 minutes.

Serve with pap, oats, custard.

Sumptuous treats from rotten plantain What do you do when you have a bunch of black, squishy and mouldy plantain? Throw it away? If it were some other foods, you probably and rightfully might do that but with plantain, the possibilities of making something delicious out of it are endless. Whether deep-fried, shallow-fried or steamed, you are sure to have a mouth watering experience if you get the recipe just right. Plantains are one of those foods that are so versatile that whether unripe, ripe or overripe, they are a source of healthy, sumptuous dishes. BLESSING EKUM shares why you shouldn’t throw away that almost rotten plantain just yet.

For each of these recipes, you can experiment by adding nutmeg, cinnamon, crayfish or any condiment of choice.

Spicy plantain balls You will need: 3 overripe pieces of plantain 3 tablespoon flour 2 Scotch bonnet pepper (rodo) 1 small onion Salt to taste Ginger Vegetable oil To prepare: Peel plantain and mash with spatula.

Blend pepper and onions, add to mashed plantain.

Add flour and salt.

Heat vegetable oil, scoop plantain mix and deep fry till golden brown.

Enjoy with cold drink.

Plantain pancakes

You will need: 2 overripe pieces of plantain 2 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 eggs 3 tablespoon evaporated milk Salt and pepper to taste Vegetable oil To prepare: Peel and mash plantain to paste.

Add sifted flour, baking powder, milk, whisked eggs and a little water to give a smooth and medium consistency.

Mix and ensure little or no lumps remain.

Heat pan and add a little oil enough to grease.

Scoop pancake batter and fry on medium heat.

Flip and fry other side.

Serve and enjoy.

12

5 December, 2015

yemiaofolaji@yahoo.com

08078891815 (sms only)

I want to end it all!

Dear Yemisi, am a 28-year-old lady. I got married to the man who I felt was the man who I could lean on after several failed attempts to settle down.

I have been jilted severally by men and when the man I eventually settled down with surfaced, I wasted no time in ensuring that we legalised our coming together. I am a graduate and I have just finished the mandatory one year service to fatherland.

I formalised my meeting with this man at a mini society wedding ceremony. To be honest with you, our courtship was for just six months and in the process of demonstrating our affection for each other, I got pregnant. Two months ago, when the marriage was four months old, I delivered a bouncing baby girl.

Since we have been married, I have never had any cause to question my meeting with my husband who I felt was dodsend to put smiles on my face until three weeks ago when I thought all was well that my hopes were dashed.

The man I married is from a broken home, but I am used to the guy’s mum who has accepted me as her daughter.

But I assumed that I knew them all in that family, but I was mistaken. My man’s family is a family of all male children (five in number).

The children are divided as two out of them preferred their father to their mother. Not to bore you with unnecessary details, my husband’s immediate younger brother who lives abroad arrived in Nigeria. Unknown to me, he happens to be one of my former boyfriends who actually deflowered me.

Before he left for the UK, we were quite inseparable and only God knows how many times I went through abortions. In spite of our closeness while the relationship lasted, this guy didn’t tell me of his desire to travel out when he did.

In the long run, my husband told me that we would be hosting his Londoner brother and he asked me to stock the house with foodstuffs, varieties of meat, fruits and vegetables just to ensure that we gave him the best treat since his visit would be the first since he left Nigeria five years ago.

His arrival on our premises was the climax when I felt the ground should open and swallow me, as our guest turned out to be my ex runaway lover. Immediately he stepped into our apartment, I felt uncomfortable and did not know what to do as I was jittery.

There was nothing to suggest that my husband was my ex boyfriend’s elder brother because he was not around for the wedding and I never came across his photographs in any of my husband’s family photographs.

This guest of ours did not waste time after this encounter as he quickly asked for audience with his brother on why he needed to see their father without further delay.

Before leaving, he put a call through to their father who instructed him to tell his brother to send me packing without further delay.

Before I could pull my thoughts together, my husband, in a jiffy, picked all he could leaving with an instruction to pack all I could in six hours before he would come back to throw the baby out of his apartment.

Immediately he left, I ran to his mother to explain what had befallen me, only for her too to tell me that I should not lay any claim to her son as my husband again. Here is a woman who was hitherto my ally!

From her place I left for my mother’s place who asked me to go back to where I was coming from. It took the intervention of her neighbours who pleaded with her to allow me in so as to explain myself. My mum said that it was good that I had learnt my lesson the hard way as she was once counselled me not to marry my supposed husband for reasons best known to her.

Dear Yemisi, since the day I was shown the way out, I have not been happy, neither have I been myself as I cry

Saturday Tribune

For him

Ademola, Abuja-based businessman, needs a lady for a relationship. Call 07065789706.

I

Lekan, 52, civil servant, based in Lagos, needs a Godfearing lady aged between 27 and 50 for a relationship.

Call 08169149384.

Tolulope, 33, single, research analyst in Ile-Ife, Osun State, would love to meet with a responsible lady to settle down with. Contact bbm 2844DCFF/ 08062229008.

Ganiyu Ishola, widower based in Lagos, 54, painter by profession from Ogun State, needs a God fearing woman for a relationship. Call 08122930612.

Sola, 45, educated, self employed, from Ogun State, widowed with two boys, needs a lady aged between 30 and 45 for an affair. Contact 08034206054.

Ifeanyi, a businessman, based in Lagos, wants a Godfearing woman between ages of 35 and 40 for a relationship. Call 08038609577.

For her Ayodele, 49, 5.6 feet tall, attractive, Yoruba, accountant, needs a comfortable elderly man aged 60 or above for a relationship. Contact 08072314678.

every day and night.

Ma, what do you think I can do to get out of this problem that I have found myself in? I am thinking of ending it all with life because I always ask myself ‘where do I start?’

I want to believe the prompt counsel of your readers and yours will save the situation.

Simi.

Dear readers, Simi is on the verge of ending it all. Do you think she should cut short her life because of her decision? Kindly send your life saving counsel to yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com or 08055001741.

Bimpe, 27, postgraduate student, humble, homely, God-fearing, needs a reliable, responsible man for marriage. Call 08067335446.

Mutiyat, Lagos based, self employed, wants a mature and God-fearing man for a relationship. Call 08124952059.

Lola, 29, tall, dark-complexioned, Christian, needs a responsible man aged between 38 and 50 from any tribe for a serious relationship. Call 08037207760.

Esther, 26, final year student, humble, reliable, seeks a mature, God-fearing man aged between 35 and 52 for marriage. Contact 08163761857.

How do I tell her I’m in love?

Dear Yemisi, I am a boy of 20 years. I met a girl at a restaurant and I like her; to be truthful ma, I fell in love with her, but I am shy to tell her, please, ma, could you tell me what to do?

Hint me on what to tell her at my first approach and how to make her know that I love her at first sight.

Please ma, I need the reply soonest.

Anonymous, 08******51*.

Dear Anonymous, To tell someone you like her could be hard because you don't know if she's going to reject you and you wouldn’t want to lose your brief friendship as you have just met her at a restaurant. I want you to have it in mind that even if she doesn't return your feelings, there is no good reason why you cannot continue to be friends.

There is nothing too hard in expressing your feelings to a lady you are attracted to, all you need to ask yourself is how you will handle the

situation if she is not interested in you.

Are you going to recoil into your shell feeling dejected, hurt or embarrassed? Will your action unsettle her? My dear, what you need most is the ability to remain strong, confident and let her know that you have feelings for her.

You have to hit the nail on the head by spilling the beans once and for all, try not to get nervous and say too much. Listen to what she has to say.

She might give a sharp and quick response like "But I doubt if I feel the same way.” This response of hers is not to suggest that she is rejecting your offer of friendship, but the possibility of a romantic relationship.

If you are bold enough, you are not likely to feel devastated if she doesn't feel the same way as you. Chances are, you're going to fall for a lot of people who don't return the affection. Life is all about being wanted and rejected. Have you ever thought

of a situation where you make friends who are mad about you that you have never returned that affection?

Then again, there's always the possibility she feels the same way about you. In striking the cord, find the right time and place and tell her your mind burying your timidity.

When you admit that you love her, she might come to realise that she feels the same way.

By taking the chance and telling her you love her, you are showing her you can be vulnerable and demonstrating to her that you are willing to take risks and show your true self. As you open up, it frees her to be open too.

People fall in love and out of love.

I'm not sure it's something we can control. You may not be able to control your feelings, but you can control your actions.

If you truly love her, I suggest you take the risk and tell her so. Loving somebody is a risk that is usually worth taking.

13 interview

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Biafra: Violence won’t help anyone —Alaba International Market leader

Engineer Paul Chijioke Okenwa is the President-General of Alaba International Market, Lagos, and Chairman of Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria at Alaba. In this interview with NAZA OKOLI, he speaks about the knotty issue of piracy at Alaba and the ongoing agitation in the South-East and South-South for the independence of Biafra.

Y

OU are the President-General of Alaba International Market. What does this position entail?

Well, apart from being the President-General, I am the Chairman of the Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN) and I am the President of Alaba International Amalgamated Traders Association or what we simply call the Council of Sections. This involves all the markets that make up Alaba International Market. That is the way we operate here. For example, I am the Chairman of the Electrical Section; but we have other sections like Electronics, Fancy and Furniture, Industrial Section, Olojo Drive, IMA Section, and so many of them.

So as the Council of Sections, we meet from time to time to deliberate on the welfare of all the traders at Alaba International, as well as the way forward for the Market generally. As you may have heard, Alaba International Market is the largest electrical and electronics market in the whole of Africa.

There was a face-off, a couple of months ago, between traders at the Fancy and Furniture Section and the Iyaloja of Lagos, Chief (Mrs) Folasade Tinubu-Ojo. The traders said their section was sealed off in the middle of the night after they failed to honour an invitation extended to them by the Iyaloja. Has this now been resolved?

Well, they never had any problem with Iyaloja. There was an internal crisis – a crisis of leadership. You know, every section has its own constitution that guides it; and they are all registered associations. Unfortunately one of the parties ran to Iyaloja. And Iyaloja decided to intervene.

But the intervention did not go the way it was supposed to go. I believe that was the root of the disagreement. Iyaloja did not say she had any problem with Fancy and Furniture.

She was only trying to mediate in the case. She wanted to make peace, but the way she went about it did not go down well with the market institution. But I believe that the matter has now been resolved, because we all wish for peace, and Lagos is our State.

But I am told she is the “Iyaloja-General of Nigeria”: the woman in charge of all the markets in Nigeria. Doesn’t this market come under her supervision?

Well, everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion.

But what I know is that there is freedom of association.

Even in this section – the Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria –we cannot force every trader here to belong to the association. But that doesn’t imply that if you are not a member of the association you will have the temerity to molest people at the market. We are all law-abiding people; there is freedom of association. I have heard that “Iyaloja” in the Yoruba Language means the “mother of the market”. We all come from the womb of a mother. So Iyaloja is our mother. Even if she is a one-year-old, she is our mother, because by the law of nature, a one-year-old girl will grow up to become a mother. But I still believe there is freedom of association.

Biafra is a major issue now in the South-East and parts of the South-South. And most of the traders here are from the South-East. What are your thoughts concerning the current agitation for the independence of Biafra?

What I can say is that traders at Alaba are Nigerians.

We are all Nigerians. What I believe is that in any system of government, if there is agitation, the people concerned should be listened to. You give them audience to know where they are going. So you can call them to order not by violence but by dialogue.

Yet the agitators have raised a number of issues.

For example, they say they are marginalised by the government of President Buhari.

insubordination?

There shouldn’t be any problem with that. It is misinformation. The Igbo are developers. It is not disputable.

Wherever you see an Igbo man, you have seen a developer; you have seen a workaholic; an indefatigable man that works day and night to make sure that he is at the top; and the little he has, he enjoys. Why should the host of the Igbo believe that Eze-Igbo means there are two kings in one community? It doesn’t mean that at all. When you hear Eze-Igbo, it is not Eze-Yoruba or Eze-Hausa. There is a popular saying among the Igbo which translates to “the Igbo have no King” or “the Igbo do not recognise any King”.

They work on their own: it is you and your money for your pocket. The only time an Igbo man would see you as his King is when he is eating from your pocket. So our hosts should not see it as a threat. It means “king of the Igbo”; that is the leader of the Igbo community. In fact you may even find up to five different Eze-Igbo in one community.

Nigeria is a very large country. In terms of population, I won’t say we are over-populated, because we are not the most populous country in the world. But there are too many ethnic groups in Nigeria. So for the agitators, I will say they should calm down, push their concerns, and wait for the response of the government, because I still maintain that we are one Nigeria. It is not proper to have government within a government. And no matter how we might be marginalised, the Igbo are destined to succeed. We are the Israel of our time. Let’s seek the face of God. The Bible says that “by strength shall no man prevail”. God knows our worth; God knows our needs. At His own appointed time, He will give it to us. Bloody agitation will not solve the problem. Whatever might be their reasons for the agitation, they should know that we are major stakeholders in this nation. The President is on the seat. I believe he is not the president only for the North; neither is he president only for the South. We on the floor are here to make noise so that we will be heard. I believe the president has his own plans; so maybe while we feel marginalised in a particular aspect, he will look for other ways to make things right.

Now let’s talk about “Eze Igbo” or “Eze Ndigbo” that we see outside Igbo land. Is it really necessary for Igbo communities outside Igbo land to have their own traditional rulers? Aren’t the host communities justified in viewing it as an act of

There is a popular saying among the Igbo which translates to “the Igbo have no King” or “the Igbo do not recognise any King”. They work on their own: it is you and your money for your pocket. The only time an Igbo man would see you as his King is when he is eating from your pocket.

But isn’t there something the Igbo people can do to change this impression that their hosts have about them – something they can do to make others comfortable around them?

No, it is the host that should study the Igbo person, and see from the sincerity of their heart that they do not have anything against them. The Igbo have their Eze because they have to gather from time to time to deliberate on matters that affect them; and during such meetings if there is anybody who has deviated from the law of the land, they caution him or even fine him. So, there is a reason for those things.

Alaba is now almost synonymous with piracy.

Movie makers, artistes, and other entertainment practitioners have always maintained that piracy is the major problem that their industry faces. And Alaba is said to be where most of these products are pirated.

The NCC (Nigerian Copyright Commission) should try to do their job. Everybody is trying to survive. I know that the Section concerned is fighting it, but no matter how much they fight it, the illegal business has continued to thrive.

So I think it is the responsibility of the NCC. They should work together with the union to make sure that they fish out the culprits.

But the problem is a lot more complex than that.

It is almost impossible to find an original DVD anywhere in Nigeria.

So let us all be praying over it, and to hope that everything would get better someday, because if it is complex, then what are we going to do about it? What is the way out? Do you know? The way out is better Nigeria. Provide jobs for everybody, so that we would all be occupied. Then there would be no need for anybody to try to reap where they did not sow, because that is how I see piracy. But it may be that the pirates are actually people who have not seen anything meaningful to do, people who are unemployed, people who have no hope. It is the job of the government to fight piracy. That is why we have a government commission in charge of that. What I can tell you is this: at Alaba, we do not support piracy.

A lot of traders at Alaba import goods from different parts of the world. But many of these products they import can be manufactured here in Nigeria

by Nigerians. When will it finally become possible for us to produce most of the things we consume?

One major factor is steady power supply. Power outage is the reason why there is a lot of importation. Even our Chinese partners in Nigeria, we see them open a factory today, and the next thing we hear is that it is closed. It is because of power. So if the government can do its own part, then indigenous production would be encouraged to a greater percentage, and it would provide more jobs for our graduates and other school leavers.

14

Saturday Tribune

5 December, 2015

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Compiled By OMOTAYO FABUSUA

4 3 2

5

6

Which do you prefer:

7

8

Foreign or native attire?

Respondents are pupils of Whiz-Kids International Schools (Montessori), Iwo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

2. Darasimi Felix, 6yrs old, Step 2 I like foreign wears because they are usually fine. I like wearing them to church, I wear clothes every day, and I like wearing foreign wears to birthday party because it makes me do whatever we are asked to do. I want my parents to buy me a foreign dress this Christmas to so as to wear it to church for thanksgiving service in the New Year.

ABC FOR PARENTS

God. A - Always entrust the children to B - Bring them to school early.

C - Challenge them to high ideas.

D - Delight in their achievements. ce.

E - Exalt the Lord in their presen F - Frown at evil.

G - Give them love.

H - Hear out their problems.

I - Ignore not their childish fears.

J – Joyfully accept their apologies.

K - Keep their secrets. .

L - Live a good example before them M- Make them your friends. stions N - Never ignore their endless que tors O - Open your home to their visi ays.

P - Pray for them by name and alw ituality. spir r Q - Quicken your interest in thei R - Remember their needs. n.

S - Show them the way of salvatio T - Teach them to work hard. ng.

U - Understand they are still you V - Verify their statements. y.

W - Wean them from bad compan X – Expect them to obey. .

Y - Yearn for God’s best for them ways. ical Z - Zealously guide them in bibl

By Iretioluwa F. attah

Riddles

3. Chiamaka Justice, 11yrs old, Pry 5 I prefer foreign attire because it makes me do things easily such as dancing in church, birthday party, school dancing competition, etc. I would like my parents to buy me more of it. I wear it to occasions, school and church. I like wearing trousers, with tops, skirt and gowns. Whenever I come back from school I wear foreign dress. I don’t like native wears because they do not suit me like foreign attires. I only wear native dress once in a while.

4. Ifeoluwa Francis, 8 yrs old, Step 3 I like to wear foreign dress because it is always beautiful. When I see a new style I like it when I wear it. I will like to wear it to my friend birthday party because I don’t see people wearing native attire to birthday parties. I will like my mum to buy me a foreign attire for Christmas. My mum helps me to tie my headgear. Sometimes, I tie gele myself but not ofi, my mummy commented that I tried. But I still don’t feel comfortable with it because it is too stressful.

5. Alebiosu Ridollah , 7 yrs, step 3 I like foreign attire because I can easily wear it out, I also prefer my parents buy me one for this coming Christmas.

6. Olakanmi Ajidahun, 9yrs old, Pry 4 I like foreign wears because they make me beautiful and they are good for church, I like wearing them to birthday party, wedding, ceremony and burial. I would like my mum to buy me this type this coming Christmas.

I will like to wear it throughout my vacation in school.

I like wearing it for an outing whenever I want to go out. I like trousers, gowns, tops and skirts. I don’t wear it every day but almost every day I wear it to school, at home, to church and parties. The reason I do not like

9 native dress is that it doesn’t fit me but I wear it once a while.

I only have one skirt and blouse and one iro and buba.

7. Oluwakorede Peace, 7 yrs old, step 3 I like to wear native attire because it fits my body when I tie my gele with it, I look more beautiful I like wearing it to parties. I want my parents to buy me a native dress this Christmas, I mean lace material. I usually wear it every weekend I like iro and buba with head tie since when I was 5 years old I have been wearing native attire I just like it naturally; nobody forces me to wear it.

8. Faridat Tijani, 6 yrs old, Step 1 I like native attire because it makes me looks big I like it because my tailor has always been getting me good styles which people appreciate whenever they see it on me. I wear native attire every weekend, to church, parties like wedding, burial ceremony, birthday. My mum made me to like native. There was a day I placed a cap on my head and people liked it. This makes me like native attire more.

9. Damilare Adeosun Daniel, 5 yrs old, step 1 I like foreign dress more because it is fine. I wear it to church and parties. I want my parents to buy more of it for me.

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By Ta

1. Name nine letter-word that can be spelt from right to left and left to right?

2. I am something, I don’t have legs and hands, when I’m poured out, I usually dig a hole. What am I? 3. I am something, I have a stream inside me. What am I? 4. I am something, in the morning I have four legs, in the afternoon, two legs and in the evening I have three legs, What am I?

Alimi

Answers

1. REDIVIDER 2. URINE 3. COCONUT 4. HUMAN BEINGS

1. Mayowa Ajidahun, 6yrs old, Step 2 I like wearing native because it looks good on me whenever I wear it, I like wearing native to party like birthday, wedding, I wear native every Friday and Saturday. I would like my mum to buy a native wear for me. Whenever she gets me the clothes, the style I will like to wear is skirt and blouse with head tie. I could remember a time I wore iro and buba to church, my mum’s friend passed a positive comment.

1

Hurray!

Jemimah

AJUWON

1

clocked recently.

Many happy returns.

15

5 December, 2015

health&fitness

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

Also, when we exercise, the body releases chemicals known as endorphins that reduce the perception of pain. Simple activities such as walking, dancing, swimming can achieve this.

Are you in pain?

Do these!

By Blessing Ekum

F

EW things can be as discomfiting as a headache.

The constant pound or throb can make one go from calm to irritable and can sometimes, disrupt one’s activities.

Headaches have been described as the most common kind of pain and could be a tension, cluster, sinus headache or migraine. These are the more common kinds of headaches and are termed primary headaches. Though they are mostly benign and could sometimes be a symptom of an illness, there are some other kinds of headaches that indicate a debilitating disorder. As is usually advised, if there is no end to the headache after three days of taking pain killers, consult your doctor.

But while most people immediately reach for some pain relievers, it has been discovered that by making lifestyle changes and learning ways to relax, headaches can be relieved and even prevented. As prevention is better and cheaper than cure, there are some factors one can consider in a bid to nipping a headache in the bud.

Slow down It is a no-brainer that stress is a major source of headaches, especially tension headaches. Also, stress disrupts sleep patterns and lack or inadequate sleep can also lead to headaches. The key is slowing down and making it a priority to relax.

See an ophthalmologist Sometimes, that pound or throb in your head could be as a result of an underlying eye problem. Research has shown that eye strains cause headaches. When the eye is strained as a result of long-sightedness, short-sightedness, computer vision syndrome or any other eye defect, headaches occur. Before you make a habit of swallowing those pain killers, you might want to check with an ophthalmologist

first.

Drink lots and lots of water Dehydration can also cause headaches. Since our body composition is about 65 per cent water, it is important that we keep hydrated to maintain adequate fluid levels.

As medical experts have suggested, we should not wait till we are thirsty before we drink water. Dr. Adetokunbo Ajala, a medical practitioner advises that, “we should drink water to prevent dehydration and it is recommended that an average of 2.5 litres of water should be taken.”

Exercise Exercise is one of the keys to good health and interestingly, it plays a role in combating headaches. According to Dr. Wole Adeniji of Canaan Medical Centre, Lagos State, “when you exercise, the circulatory system stands to benefit more. The heart pumps better and blood flow increases to every part of the body including the head. And this can relieve headaches.”

Also, when we exercise, the body releases chemicals known as endorphins that reduce the perception of pain.

Simple activities such as walking, dancing, swimming can achieve this.

Do not over use pain relievers Some people have gotten so used to self-medicating with pain relievers for every kind of pain that it has become an addiction. But medical findings have shown that over using pain relievers could be counterproductive and cause worse headaches. In a research entitled: Neurology in Africa, carried out by Dr. William Howlett, Analgesic Overuse Headache was described as one of the causes of chronic daily headaches. According to him, this headache lasts longer than four hours a day and persists for at least 15 days every month for at least 3 months and they occur mostly as a result of prolonged use of analgesics including simple analgesics, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

(NSAIDs), opiates, ergotamine and triptans. Those who suffer this kind of headache typically complain of daily throbbing bilateral headaches which are only transiently and incompletely relieved by increasing doses of medications.

Eat healthy It is often said that we are what we eat. Dr. Adeniji advises that “it is important to eat at lots of fruits, especially those that are rich in fibre so as to prevent constipation, as constipation causes headaches too. Also, eat nutritious meals to prevent a drop in blood sugar level. When the blood sugar level is low, it can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue and so forth. Once a person’s hormonal system functions properly and the person eats healthy meals, the blood sugar level would be stable and this can forestall headaches that arise from low blood sugar.”

Stay in a cool environment With the heat wave currently sweeping around the globe, the likely fall outs would include heat exhaustion and heat strokes. In a study published in the medical journal Neurology, a spike in temperature may be enough to trigger a headache and give rise to a visit to the hospital. The researchers found that for every 5-degrees-Celsius increase in temperature, the risk of a hospital-related headache visit went up 7.5 per cent in the next 24-hour period. And a drop in barometric air pressure, which tends to happen before it rains, was also linked to a greater risk of headaches in the next 48 to 72 hours.

Another study published in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on The Impact of Weather Conditions on Migraine Headache in NorthEastern Nigeria showed that weather changes especially during harmattan and heat period triggered migraine attacks and they were significantly higher than during rainy season.

It added that the higher humidity and harmattan winds normally experienced during dry period may be responsible for an increase in positive ions or gases in the air triggering migraines. You may not be able to control the weather, but you can protect yourself from headaches that arise from heat and other weather conditions by staying in a cooler environment.

16

healthandfitness

5 December, 2015

I have headache and chest pain I have constant headache and leftsided chest pain.

I feel light sometimes as if I don’t have enough blood in my system. I also get weak easily.

Please, kindly prescribe any medicine that I can use.

I am a 19-year-old lady. Thank you.

Ibukun (by SMS) Your complaints are indicative of the likelihood of a high blood pres-

sure and anaemia, among other ailments that may require urgent medical attention.

In addition, if you are sexually active, it will be necessary to also carry out a pregnancy test on you. Therefore, instead of prescribing drugs for you, what you need is to see a doctor for a full medical examination which will include blood tests.

Dr. Wale Okediran

Can I get pregnant at 50?

I am a 50 year old widow who recently remarried. Although I have two grown children for my late husband, I am desirous of getting pregnant again. Although I still see my menstrual periods, they are irregular going off sometimes for one or two months. I need your kind advice.

Constipation is usually common in elderly and non-active individuals.

Therefore, apart from Liquid Paraffin, there are some other things that you need to do to avoid getting constipated. One of these is to

MY son is seven years old and he has Grand mal epilepsy. He has been on Epanutin for five years with no attack. Because of this, his doctor wants him to stop the medication but I am not comfortable with the idea as I fear a recurrence.

Please advise me.

Nkechi (by SMS)

increase your daily intake of roughages such as fruits and vegetables. You will also need to drink more water (about eight ‘pure water’ sachets in a day. Regular exercises as long walks will also aid the movement of your intestines and prevent constipation.

There are many different types of epilepsy, some of which are age-dependent but some that will need medication for life. Your son’s epilepsy seems to be age-dependent and so the doctor’s suggestion of stopping the medication after five years of being seizure free. In view of this, I think the chance of a recurrence is low

Margaret (by SMS) Actually, most women who get pregnant at age 50 do so with the help of in vitro fertilisation. And given that the average age for menopause is 51, older moms typically use donor eggs of younger women in order to conceive. The truth of the matter is that getting pregnant grows increasingly more difficult with age. A number of factors conspire to make both conception and a healthy pregnancy harder for older women. Namely, as you near perimenopause, ovulation becomes irregular, making conception more difficult. Secondly, whereas men are constantly produc-

ing new sperm, women are born with all the eggs they will ever produce. By the time four decades have passed, those eggs have aged, increasing the chance of chromosomal abnormalities. In addition, older women are at increased risk for a host of medical issues and complications throughout pregnancy, including high blood pressure and gestational diabetes while the risk of giving birth to a baby with Down’s Syndrome is significantly higher. From the above, it does not appear to me that the risks of getting pregnant at your age is worth the trouble, especially since you already have two grown-up children.

My father’s recurrent hernia

and the risk of stopping the medication is worth taking.

However in taking this decision, it is best done gradually, reducing the dose over a period of several weeks or months.

MY father, a 70 year old farmer, had a hernia operation about five years ago. Unfortunately, just last month, he complained that the hernia is back on the same side. We took him to the hospital and the doctor wants to repeat the surgery but I am worried if he is not too old for surgery.

Hammed (by SMS) Your father is definitely not too old for surgery when

T

HE common saying among the Yoruba is that “Everyone has the garment of death,” which means we will all die one day, but we do not know when and how. In the bible it is stated that man has appointment with death, after which there is judgement.

Death is inevitable but in the plan of God for man, untimely or premature death was not there at creation. The news of sudden cardiac death in the country is becoming disturbing to say the least. The usual saying is ‘death after a brief illness.’ The question is how brief was the illness or was the death preventable at the time it occurred? We will try and answer these questions in next series in this coulmn.

What is sudden Cardiac Death?

Sudden Cardiac Death (CSD) is natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms. In other words, sudden death occurs when the heart stops beating and breathing ceases abruptly or unexpectedly. As earlier treated in this column, heart is the strongest muscular organ in the body and with each heart beat blood is pumped into all parts of the body.

In SCD, this function is suddenly lost and there is impaired blood flow and oxygen to the brain and the heart itself as well as other vital organs in the body. Sudden cardiac death may or may not occur in pre-existing heart disease. It may be the first presenting symptom. For clarity, the following terms are defined as they relate to sudden cardiac death.

Death is defined as irreversible cessation of all biological functions in the body.

Cardiac Arrest is abrupt cessation of cardiac pump function, which may be reversible but will lead to death in the absence of prompt intervention. It is very rare for it to reverse spontaneously.

Heart Attack occurs when an area of the heart muscle is deprived of blood flow and oxygen for a prolonged period, usually more than 20 to 30 minutes and the muscle begins to die. This is usually the result of severe narrowing or complete blockage of a diseased coronary artery or plaque rupture or erosion with secondary thrombus formation.

How frequent?

Worldwide, the prevalence of SCD varies from one country to another. It largely depends on the prevalence of coronary

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

Why are am I constipated? My son is epileptic I am a 59 year old man. I started taking Liquid Paraffin (2 tablespoons every night) as recommended on the bottle’s label about five months ago because of my stooling problem. It worked until some weeks ago and I no longer get the desired result. I even go many days now without stooling. What went wrong and what can I do now?

Michael (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

done by competent hands.

However, before the surgery, it is important for the attending doctor to check for any factors that may lead to recurrence of the hernia in your father. These include, but not limited to, chronic cough and difficulty during urination. It will also be advisable for your father to stop farming in order to avoid putting too much pressure on the operation site.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

Sudden cardiac death!!! heart disease (CHD) in each country. In the United States of America, with high incidence of CHD, the rate of SCD is estimated as being between 300,000 to 350,000 annually.

In fact, more than 50% of patients with CHD present with sudden cardiac death.

The spate of sudden death among Nigerians these days is a pointer to rising prevalence of coronary heart disease. Unfortunately, due to sociocultural and religious belief most deaths are not fully investigated and this gives room for a lot of speculations. in the circle of cardiovascular diseases, except in massive hemorrhagic stroke, coronary artery disease will still explain most of the sudden deaths in hotel rooms, in rowdy sessions in the houses of assemblies or anywhere else.

What are the causes of sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest?

There are cardiac and non-cardiac causes of sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease still ranks first among the cardiac causes of SCD. Age, heredity, gender, and race are non-negligible factors in the event of SCD or cardiac arrest.

Age There are two ages of peak incidence of sudden death: between birth and 6 months of age (the sudden infant death syndrome as a result of severe congenital heart anomalies) and between 45 and 75 years of age. The incidence of sudden death caused by coronary heart diseases increase is a factor of advance in age. Ageing is inevitable, agreed, but death should not catch us unawares. The progression of coronary artery disease can be slowed down by changing our lifestyles and eat healthy diets.

Heredity Hereditary pattern has been identified for some less common causes of SCD. The collation of “syndromes” may be above the expectation in this column but it suffices to state them even if only to mention few. The function of the heart is engineered by the electrical impulses and mechanical forces that are well coordinated by genetic makeup. In the event of any genetic defect these forces work in disarray detrimental to the owner of the heart.

Examples are congenital Long QT interval syndrome (Occurring as delay or prolongation of conduction time in the electrical impulses of the heart, leading to abnormal rhythm of the heart). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy among others is a disproportionate enlargement of heart muscle consequent upon which there is abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia) or blockage of blood flow to brain and the heart during exertion. The patient may die on the field of play. I advise you consult your doctors once you have palpitations or fast heart beating, especially at rest or on mild exercise.

Gender The sudden cardiac death syndrome has a large predilection towards males compared with female during the adult and early middle age years because of the protection females enjoy from coronary atherosclerosis before menopause. Inferences from several studies have demonstrated four to sevenfold excesses of SCD among males, compared with females prior to the 65 year old and beyond age groups. However, disturbing is the fact that all the risk factors that can cause sudden death are becoming prominent among women.

17

5 December, 2015

mediascope

Advertisers prefer experiential marketing because it is quantifiable — Kayode Olagesin, MD, Towncriers

Would you say from then till now those issues that prompted you and others to float the association are no longer there?

The issues are things that have been institutionalised. If most of the major multinationals say they will only pay after the jobs are executed and they will only pay after a certain period, those are business terms that our members have agreed to, you can not come one day and say it is going to change. The issue of having anybody just setting up an agency and say he is running an experiential agency without putting proper structure in place is not something that will change almost immediately. But what we have done so far is that our engagement with ADVAN and some of our key clients is resulting in situation where those clients are now demanding, even as part of the pitch process when they want to call people for business to confirm whether they have membership of EXMAN. We have developed the Code, to also guide our members in terms of how they are expected to perform. In our engagement with clients, we’ve made the issue of payment terms something that has now been brought to their attention. The engagement continues, and we hope

WITH AKIN ADEWAKUN

akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk 08054683584

the right background to say you want to run an experiential marketing agency. So those are the basic criteria that we have. So when a member applies our membership committee would vet the application and go and do a site inspection to see the agency, to see the people and see that the way the people are, they are in a position to provide services professionally to the clients. Those who don’t meet up with those minimum criteria would be given another opportunity to put their house in order. So between when we started and now, we have about 40 member agencies forming the association. We started with 25 members. So that is one side. Now when you come into the fold, the issue now is that what is allowing the proliferation of agencies and people going in there and then when they go out there, they are the ones who are creating the problems of standards, they are the ones who are agreeing to terms that are not sustainable. So we are saying that the major clients, the major multinationals that we have in the country, have a duty to also set good example, by insisting on EXMAN certified experiential marketing agencies.

We are saying that if we say this person is a member agency of EXMAN, then it means that certain criteria that we have set, they have been able to meet up with that. And we have also developed a Code of Conduct, which most of our members have subscribed to. And having subscribed to that Code, you know the minimum in terms of standard that you can expect from them. And so, that is why we believe that engaging the client is the next level, since clients are already making that request to know if that agency belongs to the association when sending their briefs out for a pitch.

The next level is the force of law. The APCON proclamation which is now law makes provision for different industry groups of agencies to practice, they have to register with APCON, under auspices of their professional groupings. And once we are able to formalize our relationship with APCON, we will be able enjoy the backing of the force of law. Right now, we are talking to clients and saying that please, deal with agencies that are registered. By the time we conclude that process, that helps us to say that those who are not members of EXMAN, but practising experiential marketing are doing this illegally, it puts the force of law behind what we are saying.

In this interview with AKIN ADEWAKUN, the Managing Director of Towncriers, an experiential marketing company and the first President of the Experiential Marketing Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Mr. Kayode Olagesin talks about the exploits of experiential marketing in Nigeria, while adducing reasons for its increasing deployment by the nation’s brands today.

AS a founding president of the Experiential Marketing Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), what would you say informed the decision to form the association then?

Let me do a little bit of a reverse. Cosse is a parent company to Towncriers, in terms of the Group. I would say if you are talking about what we call experiential today, I would say Cosse is the first company that was really doing experiential marketing in Nigeria. But we veered off from that back to the mainstream advertising and I was there until 2011, when I now moved to Towncriers which is our experiential subsidiary. The interesting thing that I observed when I came back into the beat here, experiential environment, was that a lot of things had changed completely from what they used to be in the past. For instance, we used to collect advanced payments, sometimes almost 100 per cent advanced payments for projects and we would then implement on clients’ behalf.

And here was I coming in into the industry again, after many years, and now seeing a situation that clients don’t even pay a kobo as advanced payment, they would expect the agency to go and source the money. They just issue you a Purchase Order. So you source for the money to prosecute the project from start to finish. Then when you are done, you will now do the invoicing for the job and wait for 15 to 30 to 45 days and in some clients, it’s even 60 days, before you can collect the money. So when I learnt that some other people within the sector were planning to float an association, I recognized the need to be a part of it, though not with the intention of being the president. But the more that I saw the discussions at that early stage going, the more I felt one should just throw his hat in the ring because it was about laying proper foundation for the association. It is a different ball game if you don’t have any structure on the ground, that is a constitution that will ensure that the objectives you want to achieve are achieved. So those foundational challenges that I saw, I felt I was in a position to be able to provide the kind of mature leadership that was required at the time. And, to a large extent, I would say that the major challenges that we have as a fledging organization, we were able to deal with successfully.

Saturday Tribune

that as we progress, we find a situation where some of those engagement terms that are inimical to the progress of our members are addressed. So it won’t just happen in one day.

EXMAN is just two years old, we are still a toddler, but what we’ve achieved in these few years of our existence is a lot. We have recognitions and we are collaborating a lot more with other sectoral bodies, particularly ADVAN, we have a good relationship that we are formalising with APCON, and when we sort out that of APCON, the part of having the force of law to back up the real fencing of our profession will be further strengthened, because then we can really engage more with the clients, with the view to insisting that they should not do business with anybody who is not a registered member of EXMAN, because that is the body that represents the interest of agencies that are providing experiential marketing services professionally.

Besides talking to clients, what are you doing to bring to your fold those that do experiential marketing illegally?

There are two ways, the first one is that we have set up a standard, and the membership of EXMAN is open to any agency out there. What we have done is to say that these are the minimum criteria that you must have for you to be registered as a member of EXMAN. You must have a limited liability company, you must have a physical address that we can visit and inspect, you must have departmental functions in there, that is clients services functions, operations functions, finance and admin and functions, which means that you already have certain structures in place for that. The MD must have the requisite experience within the space, so must have

As we are entering into 2016 and people are uncertain about the fate of the nation’s economy, with people projecting it might be a tough year

What is the public response to experiential marketing like?

Fantastic. Though the nomenclature is new, but the profession itself is not something new. Cosse (Communication Support Services) started out with experiential marketing, and it was from Cosse that Towncriers came out. The story of Cosse is the story of coming in to the market and making a bold impact in terms of the kind of things that were being done, from content, to event, to activations, and from that time till now, what we have seen is the phenomenal growth of the experiential side of marketing communication industry.

It’s difficult to say right now in value terms, but I would say more and more clients are putting a lot more of their resources on experiential marketing because whatever you spend on experiential marketing can be quantified. You can see the result. It is measurable, it is scalable, if offers you direct contact with your consumers, you get the feedback from them. You can immerse them in your brands. It is two-way communication. It delivers beyond engagement, it delivers an experience. So advertisers have seen the benefits in it.

Those who are seeing the benefits the competitors are reaping from experiential marketing are coming on board. As we are entering into 2016 and people are uncertain about the fate of the nation’s economy, with people projecting it might be a tough year, every advertiser wants greater value for their spend, any money that they spend, they want to see what is bringing back, so I see a lot of clients cutting down on their above the line spend, and putting more of their resources on BTL. I suspect that a total of ad budgets for next year, across clients might shrink. But even at that, I believe that the experiential industry might actually grow.

But why this sudden attraction in experiential marketing?

It is not a sudden attraction, but it is something that has grown over time. Let me tell you some of the things that we (Towncriers we have done since the beginning of the year and we discovered that in 2015 it is only in Yobe that we have not done anything this year. Before, we used to think we didn’t even do any activity in the North Eastern states, but we did.

And in terms of the number of people that we deployed, we deployed casual staff of over 12,000 people in the course of those projects. In those projects that we have done, in any particular location that we have done, where there are some targets that were supposed to be met, we can quantify it and say on this project, we are able to physically engage with 300,000 or 400,00 consumers.

18

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

I became a prostitute ’cos he refused to give me money —Wife She has no time for the children because of her promiscuity —Husband

A

housewife, Mrs Eniola Ogbonna has told a customary court 2 in Osogbo, Osun State, that the failure of her husband, Mr Hanni Ogbonna to give her money has made her to take to prostitution.

She said there was no other means for her to survive other than to become a harlot so that she can raise money to feed and maintain herself.

Eniola, who pleaded with the court not to dissolve her marriage to Hanni, who was seeking a divorce said, “it is true that I flirt around, but the plaintiff showed me the way.

“About eight years ago, I lost my job but my husband was not been giving me money, so I became a harlot. The plaintiff was always discriminating between me and the senior wife in the provision of money for our children.

Whenever we had a quarrel, he was always beating me.

Even with all these, I do not want a divorce because of my children.”

Responding, the plaintiff, Hanni said: “We have been married for 12 years and we have four children. My wife has become an adulterous person. She has no time for the children because of her promiscuity. I have prevailed on her to change her attitude, but she refused. All these are giving me unrest. That is why I have come to seek divorce.”

Delivering his judgement, the president of court, Chief Popoola Bolarinwa declared that, “the plaintiff has insisted on divorce and rejected the appeal by the court to make reconciliation. The defendant is an unrepentant prostitute, who is not willing to change. We hereby dissolve the marriage.”

31

He raped my cousin in our home,wife tells court It’s a mistake, I’m sorry —Husband A 31-year-old trader, Oluwaseyi Ajofoyibo, has accused her husband, Kamoru Ajofoyibo,33, before an Igando customary court in Lagos State of allegedly raping her cousin in their matrimonial home.

Oluwaseyi also told the court that her husband was in the habit of beating and blackmailing her at the slightest provocation.

Oluwaseyi and her two children have since moved out of her matrimonial home to Badagry.

“My cousin came to my matrimonial home, asking me to help her appeal to her mother over a misunderstanding; I left the house for a night.

“When I returned, my cousin told my neighbours that my husband tried to molest her in our matrimonial bed.

“When she was probed further, she confessed that he succeeded in raping her.

“As a result of his action, I told him I was going to visit my parents in Badagry, but I packed my belongings and left with my sons.

“I rebuffed several attempts by our families for me to return to my matrimonial home.

“He then came and forcefully took away one of our sons.

I want my son back, that’s why I brought him to the court.

StoriesbyOluwoleIge,AyomideOwonibi,EbenezerAdurokiya, Opeyemi Oladipupo with Agency Reports

We were not legally married. He refused to pay my dowry,” Oluwaseyi said.

Her husband, Kamoru, who resides at Osunba Street, Igando, a suburb of Lagos, did not deny raping his wife’s cousin nor forcefully taking the couple’s seven-year-old son.

“We were not having any misunderstanding. She said she wanted to visit her family in Badagry and I gave her N30,000.

“She said she would spend two weeks, but two weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.

“Our families called a meeting, she refused to talk, and she was not moved with the tears from her mother’s eyes. “ I relocated my son to my brother’s place in Badagry because I need to be seeing him regularly.

“I know I have made some mistakes and I’m sorry,’’ the 33 year-old-trader said.

President of the court, Mr A. L. Omilola, in his ruling, told the couple to come for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) on December 16.

Omilola adjourned the case till January 16, 2016 for further hearing.

She’s a liar, I can’t trust her any more —Husband

I am fed up —Wife

A middle aged trader, Collins Nduka, has pleaded with an Ojo Customary Court in Lagos State to dissolve his threeyear-old marriage over threats to his life and property.

Collins told the court that his wife, Sefinat Nduka, has lost her credibility as a wife, adding that he no longer has trust in her fidelity to him as her husband.

“My wife has turned into a complete liar, she is not faithful to the marriage because she has other relationships apart from me, she has turned violent; I no longer love her.

“The most painful aspect is that she has carried all the property in my house to an unknown place.

“As if this is not enough, she has emptied my shop that I stocked with over N750, 000 goods,” he said.

According to him, the marriage which has not produced

He drinks a lot, that’s why he’s looking older than his age —Wife Let the court grant her wishes —Husband

A Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada, Nasarawa State, has dissolved the 29-year-old marriage between a nurse, Laraba Thomas and her husband, Ali Thomas, over his drunkenness.

Granting Laraba’s wishes, the presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, said all efforts by the court and family members to reconcile both parties had failed as she insisted on the divorce.

Maga said: “From today, you cease to be husband and wife; this court will rest further deliberations and declare free divorce to both parties.”

The petitioner, a resident of Calvary Road, Aso Mararaba, said she wanted a divorce because her husband was looking older than his age due to high intake of alcohol.

She said both of them had been living separately for the past four-and-half years because of her dislike for the quantity of alcohol consumed by her husband.

She added that, “my husband drinks a lot, in fact, too much; that is why he is looking older than his age.

“My Lord, I want an end to this marriage because I am no longer interested and I do not love him anymore.”

The nurse told the court that the marriage was contracted in 1986 and had produced four children.

The respondent, however, did not object to the plea of his wife.

“I have nothing to say on her claims since it is her desire to have a divorce; I pray the court to grant her whatever pleases her because I have nothing against her.

“We have children with grandchildren; we are supposed to be planning our retirement and how to enjoy together.

“I am not young anymore to be fighting over divorce; I am living and waiting for the day God will call me home to Him,” the husband said.

Saturday Tribune

He’s depriving my children of motherly love —Wife

I will make amends —Husband

I can only agree to a divorce if she restores aborted 4-month pregnancy —Husband

I lost my teeth through his incessant beatings —Wife A husband identified as Amusa Simiyu, has said he would only agree to a divorce suit filed by his wife, Mrs Basirat Simiyu, before a customary court 2 in Osogbo, Osun State, if she could restore a four-month-old pregnancy she aborted.

He listed other conditions her wife must fulfill to include payment of his stolen money, provision of his lost motorcycle and resuscitation of his dead child.

According to Amusa, “we met three years ago and she had a child for me, who is already dead. She has not been living with me for the past four months. But, she recently sent for me, but when we met, she started to abuse me that I was only taking care of my senior wife.”

He continued, “while she was abusing me, she fell down on the high heel shoe she was wearing and lost some teeth. I can only agree to a divorce if she meets all the four conditions I

have earlier stated.”

Responding, the wife, Basirat Simiyu, who is the plaintiff said, “we have no proper marriage. We had a child who has since died. I left his house after the death of the child. He beat me mercilessly after leaving his house such that I lost my teeth. He wanted another child from me, but the way he was going about it by beating me was bad.”

Delivering the ruling, the president of the court, Chief Popoola Bolarinwa declared that there was no marriage at all between the parties. The couple met and copulated and they had a child who had died. Defendant’s behaviour in court does not portray him as a responsible person based on four bizarre conditions he gave for agreeing to a divorce.

“The court thereby orders the separation of the parties since there was no marriage,” he added.

A Grade ‘C’ customary court in Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State has dissolved the four-year-old marriage between a building material dealer, Mrs. Amidat Lukman and her husband, Mr. Adeleke Lukman on the grounds that he rejected her kids.

Amidat filed a divorce suit accusing her husband of depriving her kids of motherly love, having born a son for him.

“He was informed that I had kids before he married me and he promised to take care of me and my children.

“He sent my kids out of the house because I refused to inform my ex husband to sign an agreement with him that he owns all the children.

“He replied me reluctantly whenever I want to visit the kids. The day I slept over with my kids he thought I was with their father so he changed his attitude towards me.

“I do not want this marriage anymore. I want to take care of my children,” Amidat told the court Responding to Amidat’s allegation, Mr. Adeleke Lukman, who was absent during the sitting said in the first hearing that he promised to make amends on all the allegations his wife has raised against him.

President of the court, Chief Amusa Makinde, in his ruling dissolved the marriage and requested the bailiff to inform the husband to pay three thousand naira as the child’s feeding allowance. He then implored the plaintiff not to go to him but come to the court every month for it in order to maintain peace.

any issue is under threat, adding that several people from his family and the church they attend intervened but his wife would not listen.

He, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and also pleaded with the wife to return his property so that he could continue with his normal life.

The respondent, however, debunked her husband’s claims, saying that she never touched nor took his property away, but that it was her husband that failed in keeping the secrets in the family.

When asked by the court what efforts she made after her husband served her a letter of divorce, she said she did nothing.

“When my husband brought the letter from the court, I did not do anything because I am fed up with the marriage, moreover, I don’t even know the address of his people,” she said.

President of the court, Mr Hakeem Oyekan, advised the couple to go back and consult the family members and themselves for possible settlement.

“It is not the desire of the court to dissolve any marriage except in extreme cases, especially as this is your first appearance,” he said.

He also cautioned the parties not to be violent with each other and adjourned the case till February 3, 2016 for further hearing.

Man docked for stealing motorbike A 28-year-old man, Sunday Ode, was on Thursday arraigned in an Ota magistrates’ court, Ogun State, for allegedly stealing a Bajaj motorcycle valued at N130,000.

Ode, of no fixed address, is being tried on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing. The prosecutor, Sergeant Rosemary Samson, told the court that the accused and others still at large, committed the offences on November 22 at about 2.00p.m. at No.10 Omole Estate, by Singer Bus Stop, Ota, Ogun.

Samson said that the accused stole a motorcycle valued at N130,000 belonging to one John Okwuadi.

She said that the accused was apprehended when he was

robbing Okwuadi.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 29, Vol. 1 Revised Law of Ogun State, 2006.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate, Miss Temitope Adebutu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adebutu said that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, own landed property within the magisterial district and provide one year tax clearance payment.

The case was adjourned till December 7 for hearing.

19

5 December, 2015

voxpop

Saturday Tribune With Kate Ani 08071080888

anikate92@yahoo.com

For you, which comes first:

Family or career?

A happy family is an invaluable prize for marriage while a successful career brings stability and comfort to the home. RICHARD FAKUNLE asks Nigerians which they will accord priority between career and family.

Jagun Adebowale Y job comes first because that is where I get money to cater for our needs as the head of the family. I doubt if a man would ever be called a man if he does not provide for his family.

M

Oluwakayode Folarin I can leave my career if the career is taking too much of my time from my family. There is a Yoruba saying that goes thus “eniyan laso mi”. I don’t think there is any issue in leaving your career for your family; it takes real and true love for your wife and kids for you to do that.

Rosemary Ogedengbe Well, this kind of question leaves one at a crossroads because a career is very essential in one’s life, so also is the family. But in every sphere of life, I think the family should come first. I am a career woman and I do so in order to help and support my husband in taking care of my family financially. However, if it is necessary, I am willing to resign from my career to focus more on my husband and children.

Bevlin Kolawole I cannot leave my career for my family because these days, things are hard and I wouldn’t want to be a liability to my husband. A man shouldn’t be the only one shouldering the financial burden of the family; wives too should lend a helping hand. If a woman leaves her career for the sake of her family, she would not only be an extra baggage to her husband, one day, her husband would mock her for not contributing to the family’s upkeep.

Akinpelu

Olaiya

Fakunle

Kolawole

Seun Olaiya Yes, I can leave my career for family. The family should always come first. It is not a dilemma because family should be the essential factor of one’s life.

than careers in terms of bond; if you lose your job, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a better one. But when a family collapses because of your career, it would be very difficult to revive. When a family is well instituted, a job could easily be secured. We met career on this earth and will definitely leave it on this same earth but family still continues.

Odedele O. O. Family ties are stronger

Foluke Agbolahan Family should come first be-

Oluwakemi

Adebowale

fore career because a career without a family is nothing.

A career cannot bring you happiness and joy as much as a family can.

Adegbenle Oluwakemi I cannot leave my career for my family, if I give up on my career and my husband faces problems financially, how would we survive?

Abandoning career to focus on family is just a flimsy excuse that most women give; they are just giving way to

Foluke

Ogedengbe

laziness in disguise of attention. I graduated from school two years ago and when I couldn’t secure a white-collar job, I became a tailor. I make bold to say that I manage my career and family pretty well. As a result of this, I don’t have to wait on my husband before I take care of my personal needs.

Niyi Akinpelu If I should leave my career for my wife and children,

Olatunji

Odedele

how would I provide for my family? At the end of the day, my wife would be complaining that I am not man enough to fend for the family. It is only my career earnings that I use to care for my family’s survival.

Olamide Iyanda I would choose my career because it is through this same career that I would finance my children’s education and also establish my wife into any business of her choice.

Folarin

Tomi Olatunji Though family is the number one essential thing, yet career is also an important factor because in the world of today, it is not advisable for a woman to be without having what she is doing to support herself. A woman should not be jobless thinking her husband will cater for her and her kids.

This would go a long way in promoting the family’s welfare.

Funmilola Fakunle Talking from experience, I was once a career woman, I was so overwhelmed by my job demands and it diverted attention from my family.

This almost ruined my marriage. I had to resign to focus all my attention on my husband and children. Children need proper attention from their parents, especially from their mothers. This would go in a proper way of promoting good relationship in the family.

20

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

21

5 December, 2015

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has tumbled down greatly in social estimation in the last few months. Were Nigeria a statistically efficient country, his poor score would have shown very vividly in opinion surveys.

By my conservative estimation, the acclamation that he rode with into power which I reckon oscillated between 65 to 75 per cent, by now, must have nosedived to about 28 to 35 per cent. It is so bad that ingenious abuse is daily manufactured to describe his perceived governmental inactions.

Even Buhari’s avid supporters are becoming biblical Lot’s wife, turning apostates, without let. Having stomached the disappointments in silence for months, some of them are coming out to express disavowals with a government that seems to be hyper slow at delivering on its promises.

No one is unmindful of the fact that his feeds into the usual Roman audience mentality of many societies. People’s passion switches so glibly from praise to dispraise in the twinkling of an eye. The man they venerated so much just a while ago is honored with diatribes that would make him unworthy of any man’s praise a while later. But this shouldn’t really matter to any leader with focus and direction to change society for real. Concrete change comes with a price and indeed, while the boos are ongoing, some serious, largely unappreciated and unseen off-theveil works in the smithy may be ongoing.

The bulk of societal grouse with the Buhari presidency is the president’s frequent travels. Almost in the twinkling of an eye, his media aide announces that he was mid-air again on the way to an international meet. At a count, some say he has embarked on such saturnalia twenty times since being given the mantel of office, his last at the time of writing this piece being to South Africa. The argument of those against these shuttles is that it is akin to playing Nero while Rome burns. With daily bombardments of Nigeria by the artillery of existential woes which conscientious and efficient leadership could have abated, mid-air governance of Nigeria should be the least desirable of all indices that Buhari would fall in love with, the people reckon.

It is left to be desired if Turkey President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would shuttle the length and breadth of the world to meet world leaders at this period of his country’s problems. Turkey, you will recall, is under Russian radar for mowing down the latter’s jet in its air space a few weeks ago. Nigeria’s existential problem is as grave as Turkey’s and as such the analogy; abating the nuisance of the woes

Saturday Tribune

Saturday With

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

Buhari’s irritating travels and other stories

seems secondary on Buhari’s radar compared with the urge to best the eagle in daily embrace of the cloud. One of his hecklers on the social media, ex Punch journalist Churchill Umoren, had harangued him during the week as a visiting global president who had just come to pay Nigeria a visit and would soon jet out in a minute!

Rather than being compromised by jaundiced expectations to the contrary, this writer has subjected the president’s apparent frequent travels to some methodical rigor of analysis.

Could the president have averted the frequent journeys and meetings round the globe in six months? Couldn’t he have delegated some of those travels? Were there penalties that the country would have incurred at the president’s absence?

Does the president weigh the glitz and contentment in his global visibility far more than staying at home and raising this Nigerian Lazarus from the dead? Or, as some of his adversaries reckon, is this globetrot an emotional fulfillment and conquest-feeling over some of his traducers in the military who thought that with his overthrow in 1985, they had permanently consigned him to Hades?

This writer confesses his naivety of international diplomacy, especially the infringements that may accrue at a president’s dithering in global meets attendance. However, global real politik also dictates that when the leader of an ailing nation like Nigeria focuses on domestic matters in a

resolute way as expected of Buhari, his colleagues on the global scene would respect him more and willingly express intention to bail him out than when he is a familiar face at global board room meetings, suggestive of home work indolence.

One other subject of harangue of the president is the tumbling down socio-economy of Nigeria. The lot of the people is not improving at all, six months after he took office. Yes, it would be naïve to expect that the Nigerian tome of problems which he inherited a while ago should have caved in suggestively by now, but the most alarming is that there is no visible concerted effort at abating it. To worsen the take, the hill of corruption which Nigerians felt that he would heave down immediately he comes into office is still seeking to best Kilimanjaro at the moment. Even in his clueless best, seldom did fuel scarcity nuisance elasticise this long under Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, no matter the rationalisation of the problem, yet under Buhari, not only does nobody have an idea of when the nonsense would cease, buying petrol at frighteningly high costs seems to have become a norm in Nigeria. Yet, our president doesn’t seem to be aware or bothered.

The other social manifestation that bothers Nigerians is their president’s perceived selectiveness in abating the nuisance of corruption. Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been in the fryer for weeks now. Even though recent revelations about alleged fleece in the arms deal totalling $2.1 billion have rationalised Dasuki’s long stay in the oven, the focus of the glow on him, in spite of judicial pronouncements, seems to confirm allegations that the president’s major physiological albatross is his unusual crave for vendetta.

As I have said earlier, patriots can only hope that all these manifestations veil a midnight burning of the candles to bail Nigeria out of her doldrums, in which case the president’s apparent inactions would not matter. If not, our hopes may have just been wasted again.

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

interview Those seeking to lead Yoruba are greedy, self-centred —Gbonigi Retired Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, in this interview by HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, rates the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari since coming to power and speaks on issues affecting the Yoruba race. Excerpts:

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HAT is your assessment of President Buhari’s administration so far?

President Buhari, as a human being, has been doing well. Due to suffering and poverty, the majority of Nigerians had expected him to use some magic wand or perform miracles to bring about change, especially because of his political party’s ‘change’ mantra. Change is not so easy to come by. You have to plan it and work for it. And it comes gradually; it doesn’t come just like that - like a miracle. So, the president has been trying. I watch carefully as I pray for him and this country.

I had been praying before he was elected. I asked God to be with whoever would be elected as president because this period in the history of Nigeria is critical. I have been praying for him since he was elected. I have been mentioning his name in my prayers, asking the Holy Spirit, who is the source of knowledge, wisdom, understanding, insight and power, to use him to bring blessings to Nigeria, because there is so much suffering in this country. A large number of Nigerians are living in abject poverty. I have been watching his activities within and outside the country and honestly, I feel that he has been trying.

Let me mention one or two things: first, his war against terrorism by Boko Haram and other forms of insecurity.

As soon as he was sworn in, he went to visit neighbouring countries like Chad, Niger Republic, Cameroon and Benin Republic to discuss with the leaders of these countries,

asking them for cooperation on fighting terrorism. He also met with the military leaders and ordered them to put an end to Boko Haram’s satanic work in the country and the military has been working to this end.

Also, the president has been trying to lead by example. He decided to reduce his salary and allowances and his deputy, Professor [Yemi] Osinbajo, followed in his footsteps. I hope and pray that others will emulate the two of them. I am looking forward to seeing ministers, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives and other political office holders cut their salaries, too, in the light of the country’s dwindling revenue, particularly from oil, which we have depended so much on.

We have depended on oil too much and we should give priority to other aspects of the economy that will not dry up like oil. Oil will dry up, it doesn’t matter how long. Although it has not dried up, the money being made from it is not coming as before. We no longer pump oil as we used to and even what we pump does not sell like before. We are now selling at $40 per barrel and there had been times we were selling above $100 per barrel. You can see the difference.

This is one if the reasons many state governments are not able to pay workers.

T rule of law is tied to justice. The late President [Umaru] Yar’Adua emphasised this throughout the short time he was there and his deputy then, the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan, also emphasised rule of law and practised it. Any judgement delivered by any court in this

country, the Federal Government, during their time, always abided by it. We thank God President Buhari is following this example. He has also shown self-discipline. He demonstrated this by saying he would be petroleum minister. He wants to use his experience to inject discipline and sanity

If I, Emmanuel Gbonigi, am looking for blessings for myself alone and I am selfish, greedy, self-centred and I don’t care for the needs of the people around me, even if it has been possible for me to achieve much for myself, the suffering of the people around me will not allow me to enjoy my wealth because it is contrary to the will of God.

into the ministry and ensure that oil revenues go into the treasury and not to some private pockets. Connected to that is what he called the Treasury Single Account. In the past, Federal Government’s funds were deposited in different accounts and that gave room for terrible frauds. Individuals were putting billions of Naira in their pockets, enriching themselves and impoverishing the country. Monies that ought to come into the Federation Account and used to take care of the needs of the people, individuals kept in their pockets. When Buhari came to power, he said his administration was going to operate TSA to stop indiscipline and prevent people from stealing Nigeria’s money and keeping it in foreign accounts while the rest of the population lives in poverty.

I think I have said enough to show that he is trying. I am not saying he cannot do better, but he has led us for only about six months and for him to do all this within the period, he has tried. He has shown a strong desire to fight corruption by strengthening organisations established to fight graft to bring people who have stolen our money to justice.

We thank God for what he [the president] has been able to do.

But the president has been accused of hypocrisy for appointing perceived corrupt individuals into his cabinet. What do you make of this accusation?

Well, you said people who are perceived to be corrupt.

Even the Senate President has been dragged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. So, if there is enough evidence against any of the men Buhari appointed as ministers, I am sure that the president will not say they should not be investigated or arrested.

Do you think the president has put round pegs in round holes with the portfolios he gave his ministers?

I don’t know many of these ministers but the president knows them. He must have investigated their backgrounds and based their choice on what they had done in the past.

For instance, he gave [what passes for] three ministries to one person. He must have done that because he felt this man could do it based on his track record, especially when he was Lagos State governor. The president must believe he will be able to do well in those three important sectors - works, power and housing. I am sure the president knows he can handle the ministry. I am convinced that the man he gave the ministry to, Babatunde Fashola, worked hard as governor of Lagos State. What we need today in Nigeria are people who can do their jobs well and reduce poverty in our land.

Do you think agriculture has the potential to restore the country’s economy to the path of recovery?

Yes. Agriculture is very important and we should make it the foundation and cornerstone of our economy. Agriculture should be given priority attention and I believe that if we work hard in that area, it will bail us out. It will be bring more money into our coffers than oil. Look at the United States of America, they have oil but never depend on it.

For instance, the state of Texas has oil but their economy is based on agriculture. Did you know that America emphasises agriculture to the extent that they particularly assist poultry farmers to produce more birds than Americans need? They give birds to foreign countries to help the poor and once they have nowhere else to send the birds to, they bury them and make them into manure and pay the farmers what they would have earned. This is to encourage the farmers to continue to produce.

So, we must lay emphasis on production rather than consumption. Look at the textile industry, the majority of people focus on clothes that we wear and not on production and selling to other parts of the world. It is beginning to happen because things that we produce in Nigeria are now being asked for by other countries. They are importing from Nigeria. Agriculture, industry and mining will help, but let us give agriculture priority and it will help our economy within a short period. It will revolutionise our economy and we will rejoice because there will be foods so much that we will sell to other countries and make our farmers rich. The govern-

ment should make farming more attractive to our young ones.

How do you think the government can make farming attractive to young graduates?

The government should provide facilities like roads. They should not wait until they are able to tar roads; we can make roads motorable without tarring them. Conducive environment will encourage youths to embrace agriculture.

The government should connect young farmers with local farmers. That was one of the things Chief [Obafemi] Awolowo did in Elere, a small village between Ibadan [Oyo State] and Abeokuta [Ogun State]. He went there and saw farmers struggling in poverty. He asked them to form themselves into groups of cooperative societies so that the government could help them on their lands. They listened to him and within a few years, they did well and made money from their produce. Awolowo connected them with a bank in Ibadan and the bank was giving them loans at low interest rates and they became comfortable.

I understand that the Ondo State government has also established three agro villages in Ore and Akoko. I understand that the people there are university graduates who have decent buildings to live in and recreational centres. Each of them is said to have been given a portion of land to develop and after their training, they have plans to go into different areas of agriculture and become great farmers who are wealthy and comfortable.

The Yoruba race is believed to be divided and suffering for it. How can the Yoruba people forge a common front and reposition themselves for pivotal roles in the administration of the country?

One of our leaders, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, recently resigned as chairman of Afenifere, one of the leading voices of the Yoruba, because there is so much in-fighting and disunity and we thank God he had the courage to do that. But they appealed to him. I understand that even our governor, Dr [Olusegun] Mimiko, was with some leaders who went to plead with Chief Fasoranti to rescind his decision. He then withdrew his letter of resignation and made them to

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realise that there is strength in unity. There is so much disunity within the Yoruba nation because of selfish interest.

We have been self-centred instead of being people-centred.

Chief Awolowo and Michael Adekunle Ajasin were peoplecentred. Their primary concern was what they could do to alleviate poverty. That was one of the reasons they established farm settlements all over South-West. Chief Fasoranti said he believed in what could be done as a group to help make the Yoruba people have their basic needs met and become comfortable and safe from poverty. There are more organisations who have been working hard for the unity of the Yoruba race. We had a group called Yoruba Parapo in the early 90s and I happened to serve as its chairman for many years.

It was selfishness that killed the group. People were fighting to be Yoruba leader and they, still, are fighting for that now.

Chief Awolowo did not ask to be made Yoruba leader, he only used his gift, charisma and zeal to cater for the welfare of the people. He worked hard for the people and emerged as a natural leader in the process. He did not say ‘make me leader,’ ditto Chief Ajasin.

So, anybody that wants to be Yoruba leader should work hard, faithfully, diligently, honestly and, please take note of this word that I want to use, sacrificially.

A potential leader must be ready to make sacrifices. Quite a number of those who are struggling to be Yoruba leader are not ready to make sacrifices for the good of the people. They don’t want to make sacrifices to help the people. Rather, they want to get from the people.

And we the Yoruba have a term: agbalowomeri... Instead of helping the common man, they are thinking of taking away the little they have from them. That is the reason the Yoruba people are now being sidelined. We are no longer holding the position we used to hold because of selfishness, greed and self-centredness, instead of being people-centred and ready to sacrifice for the sake of all.

We should be self-sacrificing. If you sacrifice for the sake of all, it will be well with all. When the blessings come, you will be one of those who will be rejoicing.

If I, Emmanuel Gbonigi, am looking for blessings for myself alone and I am selfish, greedy, self-centred and I don’t care for the needs of the people around me, even if it has been possible for me to achieve much for myself, the suffering of the people around me will not allow me to enjoy my wealth because it is contrary to the will of God. God says love others as you love yourself, so, I should work for the needs of others as I work for my own needs. That is important.

A former Editor of Daily Times newspaper, Areoye Oyebola, wrote a book entitled: “The Black Man’s Dilemma” and identified poor time management as one of the biggest defects of the African man and this generation. Many other notable Africans have spoken about this, too. What is your take on this?

I quite agree with Chief Oyebola. Many of us do not know how to manage time. We are too relaxed. We lack discipline about managing time. We are lazy and careless about time.

We feel that we can just do what we like. No, God Himself has not shown us that we can use time carelessly. We, Christians, have The Bible and it is the norm for us. From the first chapter of The Bible, we can see how God created the universe and at the end of each day, He looked at what He created and saw that it was good.

So, God shows us in The Bible and I suspect that that will be the same thing in The Qur’an. God is a good manager of time. He does not waste time. We waste a lot of time in this country talking, jesting and playing, when we ought to be serious. Our progenitors did not live like that. Our forebears used to say ‘ti a ba de ibi ise, se la n se. They also said ‘ise l’ogun ise...’ So, they wouldn’t waste time. They would only come under the shade of tree and play ayo and relax after having worked from morning till late afternoon in the farms.

Chief Oyebola was criticised and quite a number of Yoruba people didn’t like it. Well, truth is always bitter. When our Lord Jesus Christ came to the world, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians and Scribes didn’t like Him. Why was it they didn’t like Him? He was telling them the truth about themselves and truth is bitter. So, we better we pay attention to such things that our leaders have told us or have written in books for us and use them for our own good.

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views.com

A vision for a moderate, modern Muslim world

By Yousef Al Otaiba (foreignpolicy.com)

C

REATING an ideology of openness, optimism, and opportunity in the Gulf is a key component to defeating extremism.

In St. Petersburg and Sinai, Bamako and Beirut, Mosul and Paris, the world has been shocked by a murderous month of Islamic extremist violence. With a more sophisticated enemy and the return of radicalized fighters, the Middle East’s terrorism challenge has become a global challenge in a way not seen since the 9/11 attacks.

The Islamic State must be defeated on the field of battle but also in the war of conflicting ideologies. As Muslims, we have the most at stake and must be leaders on both fronts.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we are joined with the international community to bring new energy to the fight against the most destabilizing and dangerous force since fascism. For more than 12 years, from the air and on the ground, the UAE has been combating extremists in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. We continue to aggressively attack extremist support networks — blocking the flow of funds and foreign fighters, contesting extremists online, and devising new counterradicalization strategies.

But success on the battlefield may be the easy part.

We know that to win, we must not only defeat what we are against, but we must also define what we as Muslims and Arabs are for. True victory can only come when the more powerful forces of tolerance and progress prevail over the twisted ideology of the Islamic State and its kind.

Is this even possible in the Middle East? One hundred years after the Sykes-Picot agreement, can the region overcome its history of sectarian and ethnic division?

Is there a new model of and for the Middle East built on hope rather than hate?

In the UAE, we are trying to find out. We are testing a new vision for the region — an alternative, future-oriented ideology. It is a path guided by the true tenets of Islam: respect, inclusion, and peace. It empowers women, embraces diversity, encourages innovation, and welcomes global engagement.

With the world’s attention focused on the aftermath of the Paris attacks, it went largely unnoticed that Amal Al Qubaisi was appointed president of the UAE’s Federal National Council, making her the first woman in the region to lead a national assembly. An architect by profession, she was also the first woman to be a member of the council.

Just weeks earlier, a group of Emirati and expatriate religious, political, and diplomatic leaders celebrated the reopening of the restored St. Andrew’s Church in Abu Dhabi. The Anglican church’s chaplain, the Rev. Canon Andrew Thompson, has said, “In many ways it’s easier being a Christian here than it is back in the United Kingdom.”

Father Bishoy Salib of Abu Dhabi’s Coptic Orthodox Church recently expressed a similar sentiment. “The UAE is an exemplary worldwide model of multi-religion gathering and cooperation. This is the peaceful environment where all regions can grow and meet each other.”

In the same spirit of openness, the Emirati government announced this summer that it is donating the land for the country’s third Hindu temple. These churches and temples — along with many other centers of worship — serve the nearly 8 million expatriates of virtually all faiths and nationalities who live and work together peacefully in the UAE. Also little noticed was the Nov. 21 meeting in Cairo of the Muslim Council of Elders, which strongly condemned the Paris and Mali massacres. The council is an international body of forward-thinking scholars and experts that is giving greater voice to moderate Islam. Established and supported by Emirati leaders, the council is modernizing the way Islam is taught in schools, developing new training programs for imams, and up-

dating Quranic commentaries.

Beyond encouraging religious diversity and tolerance, we are also seeding an ideology of optimism and opportunity. In Washington this week, the UAE will join with NASA in recognizing the UAE Space Agency and its ambitious plans to put a probe on Mars in 2021 — our country’s 50th anniversary. For the UAE, this is the Arab world’s version of President John F. Kennedy’s moon shot — a galvanizing vision for the future that can engage and excite a new generation of Emirati and Arab youth.

Putting a probe on Mars is a vision for the future, but putting people to work is the challenge of today. In the UAE, we are building an economic engine for the entire region, a place where the free flow of goods, services, people, investment, and ideas lifts the entire Middle East and links it to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It is a sustainable post-hydrocarbon economy — driven by innovation, human capital, rule of law, and open trade.

In the UAE, we believe it is possible to be Muslim, moderate, and modern at the same time. We are committed to promoting this ideology of openness, optimism, and opportunity across the region. Arab parents can and should believe that their children’s future can be better than their own. We know it is a vision, but also a realistic and attainable one — no less difficult or less inspiring than launching a man to the moon or a mission to Mars.

Boko Haram resurgence

By John Campbell PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has repeatedly said that the Nigerian security services would destroy Boko Haram by December. Recently, he has walked back from that optimistic prediction. The reality is that Boko Haram of late has been resurgent. Associated Press (AP), reports that Boko Haram destroyed a Nigerian military base at the end of November and occupied the town of Gulak, in Adamawa state. The military fled, leaving local “self-defense fighters” to reoccupy Gulak, which they held until military re-reinforcements arrived.

Separately, a military intelligence officer confirmed that 107 soldiers remain missing about a week after a battle in which Boko Haram also captured and drove away a government T-72 tank. In a third episode, the Xinhua news agency reported on November 30 that an unspecified number of girls were kidnapped from Bam village, in Yobe state. The raiders, presumed to be Boko Haram, sang Arabic choruses and killed at least seven persons. As in other Boko Haram female kidnappings, the perpetrators separated the adolescent and unmar-

ried women from those that were married. The report is not clear as to whether only the younger women were taken away or all of the women.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, Najat Rochdi, is sounding the alarm that Boko Haram is expanding and that there is only “a small window of opportunity to stop it,” as reported by Reuters. He said Boko Haram’s strategy is to demonstrate its power by daily suicide bombings. He went on to say that Boko Haram is destroying Cameroon’s economy and “influencing the young.” On December 1, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed economic sanctions on Mohammed Nur and Mustapha Chad because of their involvement in Boko Haram suicide attacks. Nur is Nigerian, Chad is Chadian.

The Nigerian security forces, assisted by Chadians and South African mercenaries appeared to drive Boko Haram out of the territory it occupied, mostly in Borno State, in a February-March campaign. However, it is questionable whether the Boko Haram withdrawal was the result of military pressure or a change in tactics largely unrelated.

There appear to have been remarkably few casualties from

the fighting, raising questions about whether the Boko Haram withdrawal was largely voluntary. On the other hand, in the past, Boko Haram has withdrawn in the face of government strength, regrouped, and then resumed its operations at an enhanced tempo.

The increasing salience of “self-defense fighters,” as at Gulak, may indicate that fighting entities not under the control of the government are increasing in importance.

That could facilitate the growth of warlords in the future.

The reported recent round of Boko Haram kidnapping of girls is a reminder that more than a year after more than two hundred girls were kidnapped from Chibok, not one has been found, though a handful escaped at the time. Whether intended or not, Rochdi’s comment that Boko Haram was “influencing the young” in Cameroon implies at least some public support. The U.S. Treasury’s economic sanctions are unlikely to have practical consequences as there is no public evidence that Mohammded Nur, Mustapha Chad, or the Boko Haram movement has financial assets in the United States.

Campbell is a former US Ambassador to Nigeria (cfr.org)

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

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outofthisworld

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune WITH FEMI OSINUSI

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

China completes 1,230-foot all-glass suspended bridge

T

HE construction of the world’s longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge has been completed in the Central China’s Hunan Province.

The bridge, located at Tianmenshan National Forest Park, which took about one year to build, is about 984 feet above the ground.

Though it has been completed, according to the People’s Daily Online, it would not be open to the public until May 2016.

The all-glass suspended bridge

Some tourists invited to ‘feel’ the glass bridge

Excited workers on the bridge

Workers putting finishing touches to the construction

Another view of the bridge

Aerial view of the completed bridge

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interview

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

‘I spent 37 yrs in Africa and I saw... beauty, kindness’ Mr Alain Croguennec, the Director of the Alliance Francaise, Ibadan and Centre for French Teaching and Documentation (CFTD) will be retiring soon. In this interview with ADEWALE OSHODI, he speaks on his career, which has taken him to eight countries on the continent, with Nigeria being the last, his experience with the people and different cultures, among others.

W

HEN was the first time you set your foot in Africa, and what brought you?

I first came to Africa in 1978, and the first place I went to is called Biskra, in Algeria. I was then a teacher of the French language at the time. This was a period when French nationals were coming to work in North Africa. Countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, as well as other west and central African countries colonised by France witnessed an influx of French nationals, and it was such a beautiful time exploring other cultures.

You said many French people were travelling to work in Africa, but how did your family react when you told them you were going to work in Africa too?

It wasn’t difficult for me telling them that I was moving to Africa. In fact, my family members were in support of the move. The fact that there were many people coming to Africa at that time also helped. The three north African countries were former French colonies, and they needed French-speaking teachers at that time. That was why everybody was going to these countries. Apart from the fact that there were job opportunities for young French nationals at that time, it also gave many the opportunity to explore other cultures, and one positive thing about experiencing other cultures is that it makes you appreciate yours better.

You worked in different African countries in the course of your career, how do the people of these countries differ from one another?

I worked in eight countries in total; I was in north Africa, west Africa and Madagascar. In Algeria and Morocco, being Muslim countries, the religion plays significant roles in the society. In north Africa, their lifestyles are more or less the same, but the difference may be in the area of economy. You know Algeria is an oil producing country; it has the oil wealth to flaunt, while Morocco survives mainly on tourism. Religion, however, drives these countries. However, west Africa is more diverse. We have a mixture of French-speaking and English-speaking west Africans. While religion also plays significant roles in west Africa, the people do not follow just a religion like in north Africa.

In west Africa, there are Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers. There are also different ethnic groups as well and diverse languages. In a country, it is hard to know the total number of languages spoken there. For people who speak the same language, in most cases, dialects also differ.

In Nigeria, for example, the people of the South West speak the Yoruba language, and they are known as Yoruba people, but dialects differ from state to state. It is so complex to an extent that one can know where somebody comes from by just speaking in a particular dialect, despite the fact that it is still the same Yoruba. This is the same thing in the rest of West Africa, and it fascinates me a lot.

Another thing I appreciate about West Africans is that they are very open-minded and very creative in all areas of the arts. This is no surprise because of the diversity in languages, culture, customs, among others.

This is something you don’t find in north Africa. So I can say I enjoyed my career

•Mr Alain Croguennec. PHOTO: ADEMOLA BAMIGBELU more in west Africa than in north Africa.

Don’t forget I was also in Madagascar, and they have a mixture of African and people of Indian/Malaysian descent. Madagascans are also very accommodating people. They have a beautiful communal lifestyle, which I love so much. The country is also very beautiful; it is an island nation, and there are beaches everywhere. Nature stares visitors in the face in Madagascar.

Nigeria is your last country of assignment before retiring, what is your experience like here, particularly about the people and the food?

In Nigeria, I was privileged to serve as the Director of the Alliance Francaise, and that of the Centre for French Training and Development (CFTD). With the CFTD, I had the opportunity to be in charge of training teachers of French language, while also carrying out cultural activities for the Alliance Francaise. I worked with an excellent and devoted team, and I also met talented artistes — singers, painters, photographers — whom I derived pleasure working with. I stayed in the Yoruba-speaking Nigeria for a long time, and I can say a thing or two about the Yoruba people. Yoruba people are warm, and always ready to welcome strangers.

They have a great sense of hospitality, but regarding the food, they love spicy foods, which I cannot eat for medical and taste

reasons. However, this has not stopped me from appreciating Nigerian meals, and African meals in general. During the annual French Week at the Alliance Francaise, meals from different African countries are prepared; this brings about unity. From Nigerian meals, to Ivorian meals, Togolese, Beninoise, Ghanaian, Cameroonian meals, one can find that some may differ in preparation, but the foodstuffs used are the same.

Cassava and yam are popular among west Africans, and varieties of soups. So, people from one country taste the meals from other countries. It was really a great experience working in west Africa.

But as a Westerner, how did you cope with the way of life of people in the countries you worked in?

That was never a problem for me in any country I ever lived; the secret is that I observed the customs and respect the way of life of people in the countries I lived. When one is sent on an educative and/or cultural mission, one must respect the culture, lifestyle and way of thinking of that country.

Each culture gave me a different way of seeing life and the various conceptions of life, and this was for me a source of enrichment.

The great exposure to people of different cultural backgrounds helped me to better understand myself, and to better understand my own Western background.

When one is sent on an educative and/or cultural mission, one must respect the culture, lifestyle and way of thinking of that country. Each culture gave me a different way of seeing life and the various conceptions of life.

Are you satisfied with the level of the French language on the African continent, since this is what brought you to Africa in the first place?

In French-speaking countries, the level of the French language is very good. There is also a considerable Francophone African literature, but in Ghana and Nigeria, where I worked, the language does not have the same status, since it is a foreign language.

However, in both countries, I am surprised that there is a growing interest among the youth to learn the language; the importance being given to French in the school curriculum is also something I am proud of. What is left now is for the Centre for French Teaching and Documentation (CFTD) to improve the training of teachers by introducing teaching methods based on communicative approach, as well as with games, in order to attract a larger percentage of possible students.

Now, what memories will you be taking with you as you draw a curtain on your career?

I spent a total of 37 years in Africa, and this has given me a lot of memories; I have workrelated memories, personal memories, and I would like to summarise all these in just two words — beauty and kindness. The beauty of the African landscape is stored in my memory, and the kindness of the people I met, whom I became friends with — this is friendship that will transcend years and ages. I also experienced great hospitality in all the countries I worked in; this is what I am going to miss in Europe. I can say I am touched by the African hospitality.

So, would it be bye bye finally to Africa as you are retiring?

After 37 years, I see Africa as home now; I am not going back to France finally, I will be back soon.

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5 December, 2015

ntertainment News

Society Gist

Saturday Tribune

with Joan Omionawele and

Newton-Ray Ukwuoma jistwtjoan@yahoo.com Twitter:@joanbajojo 08059793705

Celebrity Interviews

My friends pressurised me into buying beauty pageant form

—Miss UNILAG

Pg33

Mary J. Blige joins Bet Experience Africa lineup Pg33

Davido says

NYSC is ‘handled’

—Page 33

30

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Continues from pg2

Do you think you can work together again?

For me, nothing is impossible, we will work together again.

Are we expecting any international artiste?

No, I don’t have such plans. Of course you will see other artistes like Psquare, Timaya, Olamide, but you will see Mavins and friends, although it’s a Mavin’s concert Is there any surprise for fans on that day... for instance, we saw a judge jazzy show you were doing on Twitter, can you explain that?

Oh...that was just for fun, but people have started calling me and saying that we should turn it into a TV show, but I was just jonzing on the internet, but if I feel I can stand the camera, why not?

I fit marry and una no go know o.

I don’t know why people think I will ring a bell and announce that I am getting married.

What happened?

Nothing, we are on break now. We do that all the time. I had been dating her for six to seven years and we go on break all the time

If someone aspires to work with you, how can the person go about it?

The person needs to have the talent first, then you need to find me, preferably on the internet, follow me on twitter and if I follow you in return, we chat and you can send me your materials, I will listen, but I would not listen to you if I feel that you may be a trouble maker, because some people can tell you that you have used their track to make a song on your own and start making noise on social media

So when will you tie the knot?

I fit marry and una no go know o. I don’t know why people think I will ring a bell and announce that I am getting married, I am not really that kind of a public person

You are known for your large heart and philantrophy on twitter, don’t you feel you should unveil or set up a foundation to help more people?

I don’t really trust people, I think people just fake it or try to collect money from me, a lot of people have been talking about it, but it’s not a priority for me.

We heard someone slammed you and Iyanya with a law suit, saying his song, Gift, was stolen recently and is it true you offered to pay in order for the case to die down?

Me? Who? I am just hearing that for the first time.

Iyanya sang the song we are talking about, why don’t you go looking for Iyanya, I only featured in the song. I don’t know anything about it The writer of the song claims that he wrote the song ‘Gift’ and Iyanya bought if from him.

No, he can’t really say that. He must have slammed a law suit that resulted in a missed call because I have not gotten any invitation from any lawyers.

When are we seeing albums from your newest Mavin musician, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello and Dija?

If you ask them now, they will tell you that they do not want any collaboration, because the way this industry is, people drop albums and go down.

What is going on with the Prince? He hasn’t released any new song Wow, he has been working, have you heard on your own? Okay, we will release two new songs this week because of you.

What is the secret of your success?

I think it’s just hard work.

Will you ever release an album?

Hmm, for now, I am not releasing any album, maybe if I am given money, I will think about it.

You sound as if you like money a lot...

That’s not the point, I actually don’t. I like money, but it’s not that bad.

Do you charge people for music collaborations?

No, I have never. I am honoured to be on any track you see me feature in.

But do you select people you do collaborations with?

Well, I think I have done collaborations with almost everyone who has asked me.

When will Don Jazzy get married?

I have friends, I don’t have a girlfriend now.

When last were you in a relationship?

One year ago.

‘I may not announce my wedding date’

Why do you avoid media interviews?

Because I do not know how to talk to people, for instance, see how you people have ambushed me, you just caught me now and ambushed me. With all sincerity, I am just an ordinary person trying to promote my artistes to the people.

So, imagine if I am in the forefront stealing the shine off my products, then you won’t feel the good artistes I am trying to promote. Assuming I am a baker selling bread, you are not coming to my bakery to buy the baker but the bread. Most time if we are out there, journalists want to talk to me and leave out some of my artistes. That’s why I mostly decline granting interviews and prefer they talk to the artistes.

Aside music business, what else does Don Jazzy do?

I sell things and invest my money in real estate; I like social media a lot and I like to develop with people who work on the internet too.

You interact with your fans on social media a lot, how do you sieve the people you talk to or even find the time to talk to them Why am I sieving them? If you initiate a nice conversation, we would talk, if you are not worth it, I will move on.

I have met great people online, and who knows, you might just be having a conversation with the emir of Kano, you can never tell.

A walking stick used to be your trademark, but you don’t use it anymore, where is it?

One has to continuously rebrand, it’s not safe to do something over and over again. So the walking stick is at home, I will most likely carry it again during the Mavin’s concert.

When are we getting your first single alone I don’t know about that for now. I have young musicians who need to blow. I am happy bringing up budding acts up for now, I don’t feel the need to lord myself on people. I already feel I am singing too much. My artistes are really growing and until the point I can say I am satisfied, I wouldn’t stop, so once I feel they can stand alone or give me space, then I can do something on myself, I am not a performing artiste.

What do you think will be the fan experience for the Access Bank-sponsored Mavin’s concert?

I just want to connect with my fans and mingle with people who have identified with the Mavins over the years. It will be like a carnival in a beautiful environment where people will be thrilled with different artistes in different points, as well as DJs. It has never been done in Nigeria, so we are hoping for the best Why is it just N500, considering the fact that people will be ready to pay more?

It’s N500 because we want to have a unique, carnival-like show, it would have been free if I had my way because it’s not about money but our fans. We have made security and parking arrangements at Eko Atlantic, because it’s a beautiful place with a capacity which can take over 10,000 people comfortably.

I know there will be lots of concerts this year, but we plan to introduce new ways for our fans to connect with us. This is our first time, there will be mistakes. For this year, we have made provision for emergencies, parking spaces, security and other logistics.

32 entertainment

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

My friends pressurised me into buying beauty pageant form —Miss UNILAG

Onyinye Emeasoba is the winner of the 2015 Miss Unilag pageant. An undergraduate of the University of Lagos studying Marine Biology, Emeasoba, from Anambra State, spoke to NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA and AFAMDI CHIGOZIE MARK about her journey to the throne, among other things.

H

OW did the idea of contesting for the crown come to you?

My friends pushed and encouraged me to go for the competition.

I didn’t know about it at first. They talked me into getting the form and all the way to the screening. When I was given a chance to compete, these same people gingered me till the end. It started when two of my course mates - Ore and Precious - who heard about the competition suggested I try it. They kept mounting pressure on me until I was forced to buy the form. Now, I just thank God that everything came out successfully.

investments on the immed i a t e environment within which our school is located. First, we’ll be embarking on skill acquisition training and workshop for some students of the University of Lagos. The aim is to equip ourselves [including herself and all the students of the university] with basic skills and competencies that will boost their confidence before and after graduation. We’ll also embark on a project on rape. You know, rape is a very devastating experience. I feel that if we don’t speak up, then who will?

After that project, we will be showing love and attention to the communities around the University to Lagos. For example, we have plans to visit schools around Akoka and other orphanages there as well.

Were there haters along the way as well?

Yeah, definitely I had enough, but the most important thing is knowing that you have more friends and fans supporting than haters. So, with the effort of everyone, everything went fine.

Was it your first contest?

No. It wasn’t my first experience. I’ve had enough experience already. So, I think with all those efforts and experiences, I killed this one.

What were the experiences? Were they successful?

A couple of them were, but even the ones that were not successful, I just chalked it up to learning experience. I packaged everything I had learnt for this competition.

Now that you have the crown, what are the attractions?

Well a lot of attractions.

You know, everybody wants to be your friend, even the old friends want to still be closer to you. Then the crown attracts a lot of responsibilities, not just for me, but from the other queens. So, in the end it is all about service. That I am the crowned queen of the University of Lagos means I’ve accepted to serve the school. We have different projects coming up. It’s now left for me to perform.

It started when two of my course mates Ore and Precious, who heard about the competition suggested I try it. They kept mounting pressure on me until I was forced to buy the form.

Who handled your wardrobe for the event?

Oh, okay. My wears for the event were from different brands.

Do you share the perception that a pageant beauty sleeps her way

Are there models you look up to?

Yes. I have a couple of role models, but my own real model is myself.

Why are you your own role model?

I believe that I can only know, trust, understand and control myself. I don’t know all about the many people I admire. I don’t know about their private life; so, while I admire them, I trust and believe myself. I take every opportunity to be some important person in life. I am happy about who I am becoming.

So, I’m my own role model. to the crown?

No. I believe beauty is not just about the package; it’s a blessing from God. So, if you are to embark on any competition, you shouldn’t try to sleep your way through it, because in the end, even when you win, you will not wear the crown with a sense of fulfilment. Secondly, there will be no tangible message to pass on to others. You will be living fake life all through your tenure. It is not worth it.

What projects will you be embarking on during your tenure?

The other queens and I will soon commence our planned projects in school. It’s not just any project. It’s our own

Among other gifts and star prizes you received was a customised Ice Flavour in your name, how does that make you feel?

The first time I heard about Miss Onyinye Ice Cream, I didn’t know how to feel about it. It was crazy and funny and nice and everything put together. I appreciate PizzavilleUnilag. They made it happen. It is a trend and it will continue for other queens after me.

What’s your ultimate aim?

I see myself in the future as a marine biologist. Yes, because eventually, somehow, one will get old, and the whole modelling thing will be of the past. Then I return to my profession.

33 entertainment Bimbo Akintola, Gideon Okeke to host BON Awards 2015

THE organisers of the annual Best of Nollywood Awards (BON Awards) have unveiled popular Nollywood stars, Bimbo Akintola and Gideon Okeke as the hosts for the seventh edition of the Awards holding on December 13 at the ultramodern event and cultural centre THE DOME, sited in the heart of Akure, Ondo State.

The duo will be playing host to a constellation of Nollywood big horns, top government functionaries of the host state and select guests from the corporate world.

The event will also feature some exclusive performances by some highlyacclaimed entertainers and comedians.

Bimbo Akintola made her Nollywood debut in the 1995 blockbuster OWO BLOW and has since grown to become a phenomenon in the industry. Star actor Gideon Okeke came mainstream after his appearance in MNET AFRICA’s daily drama series Tinsel.

He has also carved a niche for himself in the Nigerian movie industry.

5 December, 2015

Davido says NYSC is handled

Stories By Joan Omionawele And Newton Ray-Ukwuoma

D

URING the week, popular American-born Nigerian super star, David Adedeji Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido, spoke about his status in relation to the National Youth Service Corps.

The 23-year old graduate of Music at the Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, refused to be categorical on his taking part in the one year compulsory service for all Nigerian graduates saying it has been “handled.”

The Aye crooner revealed this using his Snapchat account.

He wrote: “People telling me I thought you were serving, I tell them, it is handled (in Oliva Pope’s voice). As an OBO(omo baba olowo) na.”

BRAIN drops new video ‘Recognise’

MAGiKAL Entertainment Network’s top hip-hop act, Brain is not resting on his oars. The very talented rapper who few months ago dropped a remake visual to his hit song, Salute is back with another hot tune and video, Recognise which featured a young, hot and blazing female rapper, Ma’Cherie.

The release of this video is coming ahead of the official release of his first EP titled Hurricane Season which

will be dropping on Tuesday, December 15.

Speaking about this development, the rising star stated: “This year has been full of activities, as I dropped two singles (Gaara and Ileke (Ur’ Body)) and two videos (Gaara and Salute).

And there’s a whole lot of growth in my music.

I’m quite excited about this new video, so also the EP, Hurricane Season”.

Chyn collaborates with Falz the Bahd Guy again UNITED Kingdom born Nigerian rapper, Cheyenne Labesa, with the stage name Chyn, has released a new single titled ‘Big,’ featuring Falz the Bahd Guy. This collaboration is coming after an impressive appearance on Falz’s sleeper hit, ‘Gardonnay Music’ from the just released album, “Stories that Touch’.

Big music touches on the topic of living the highlife, was released to the Nigerian audience on December 2.

The infectious tune is ex-

pected to launch him into the mainstream Nigerian entertainment industry.

The smooth rapper Chyn, who is currently studying

at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, began to attract a following after the release of his first album, Graduate.

Filmhouse Cinema hosts stars at ‘Out of Luck’ movie premiere THE Filmhouse Cinema Apapa last Sunday, hosted a bouquet of celebrities at the premiere of the highly anticipated gangster movie, ‘Out of Luck’. OC Ukeje, Linda Ejiofor, Wole Ojo, Adesua Etomi, and a host of others were among the movie stars who were at the maiden screening of the Chinaza Onuzu written movie.

Positioned to become a significant portrayal of the class struggle and balance in Nigeria’s commercial city, Lagos, ‘Out of Luck’ is another attempt by Nollywood at telling an authentic and issue-based story; a movie that combines the

Saturday Tribune

effects of luxury and gangsterism; polished English and pidgin, Yoruba and Igbo.

Produced by Niyi Akinmolayan and featuring veteran actor, Jide Kosoko, Femi Branch, Tope Tedela, Linda Ejiofor, Wole Ojo, Kunle Remi, Chigurl, Adesua Etomi, Sambasa Nzeribe, OC Ukeje, among others, the movie tells the story of a young lottery operator who rumbles in crises as a result of his love affair with a gangster’s ex.

‘Out of Luck’ is packed with more action scenes, gun shots, cocaine factory scenes and robbery scene than any other re-

cent Nollywood movie, almost foundering the delicate realm of establishing synergy with its Nigerian audience.

“It was important for us to capture the action scenes without being too Hollywood or unauthentic,” Akinmolayan, the movie producer says. “The first challenge of ‘Out of Luck’ was how to make the film appeal to Nigerians.”

Coming from the director of the romantic drama, ‘Falling,’ ‘Out of Luck’ will present a recipe of action spectacles that will endear more film makers to the unchartered territory.

R&B legend, Mary J. Blige joins bet experience Africa line-up GRAMMY multiple awardwinning R&B superstar Mary J. Blige is to perform at the BET Experience Africa at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg on 12 December.

Blige, who last performed in South Africa in 2007, will join Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Tamar Braxton and Young Thug on the same stage as African superstars AKA, Flavour and Diamond Platnumz at what is shaping up to be the lifestyle experience of the year.

A recipient of nine Grammy Awards, Blige is one of few entertainers in history to have eight or more albums to reach multi-platinum status.

In a dazzling career spanning more than 20 years, Mary Jane Blige has released 11 studio albums since and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks. Blige made Time magazine’s ‘Time 100’ list of influential individuals around the world in 2007, and was ranked by Billboard magazine as the most suc-

cessful female R&B artist of the past 25 years. Her 2006 song ‘Be Without You’ was the top R&B song of the 2000s, spending an unparalleled 15 weeks at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while “My Life” is considered among the greatest albums ever recorded according to Rolling Stone, Time and Vibe.

Rolling Stone also has listed her at number 100 on the list of “100 greatest singers of all time” and in 2012, music channel VH1 ranked Blige at number 9 in “The 100 Greatest Women in Music”.

Coming to Africa for the first time in 2015, the BET Experience Africa provides the perfect kick off to the summer season, taking over Johannesburg’s Ticketpro Dome for a non-stop, jampacked entertainment fest, bringing together lovers of urban culture and music.

Wowing visitors all day long, theBET Experience Africa will showcase great food, fashion, music, comedy, sport, sneakers and much, much more.

Hennessy climaxes H250 Concert with Sir Shina Peters’ surprise performance THE 250th anniversary celebration of Hennessy, christened “H250 Concert”, came to a thrilling grand finale last Saturday with the surprise performance from Sir Shina Peters.

The afro juju musician, who balled into the stage dressed in multicoloured T-shirt, black cauldroy pants and a red fez cap, threw the crowd into a frenzy with the pulsating beats from his evergreen hit album, ‘Ace’.

The former headliner of the concert was not included in the list of artistes to

perform, but his surprise appearance on stage which was considered a surprise package, was the highlight of the concert.

Nevertheless, other performing acts at this year’s remarkable celebration themed ‘Crafting the future’ such as Tekno, Kiss Daniel, Adekunle Gold, Praiz, Vector, Burna Boy rendered their hit tracks to the complete enjoyment of the audience.

The concert also showcased production performances, with the spotlight on producers who have made an impression on the Nige-

rian music; Jesse Jagz, Chopstix, Tee-YMix and Sarz reeled out tracks that had given credits to their respective brands.

Ice Prince supporting Chopstix with his track “Aboki” and Naeto C delivering “Tony Montana” in support of Tee-Y Mix. Addressing the excited audience, Brand Manager; Hennessy Nig., Mr. Lere Awokoya, who described the event as ‘a momentous and eventful 250th celebration’, assured of the brand’s desire to improve as well as stay consistent to its consumers.

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5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

New garland for Soji Olagunju The Chief Executive Officer of Hurlag Technology and President of the Excellent Men Exclusive Club, Soji Olagunju has just added another honour to his many honours.

The engineer is set to be conferred with a Fellow of the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and this calls for a celebration among his friends and well-wishers.

Soji, who is a very active member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), is also a philanthropist that has used his position and wealth of knowledge to touch many lives.

Party time for Rafiu Jafojo

T

Bimbola Davis loses mum Otunba Abimbola Davis, the Chief Executive Officer of Capital 3, is bereaved.

The businessman, politician and former director of the Association of Better Nigeria, lost his aged mum, Alhaja Wosilat Apinke Tijani, a few days ago.

The deceased has since been buried according to islamic rites in Ibadan, Oyo State, while the eighth day Fidau is slated for today at the Bimbola Davis Forest Hill Estate, Jericho, Ibadan.

The social circle has already caught the frenzy of what will happen during the 40th fidau of the deceased where the socialite is said to be planning a grand burial ceremony for his mother.

here is time for everything, goes a saying. For octogenarian and former deputy governor of Lagos State, Chief Rafiu Adeyefa Jafojo, it is time to celebrate.

The politician will clock 80 tomorrow and he’s rolling out the drums to celebrate the milestone with friends, families and

Babatunde Olugburo is still celebrating Not long ago, the daughters of the chairman of Quickborn Enterprise, Alhaji Tunde Ologburo, made him proud when they graduated from the University in flying colours. Added to that, the first son of the businessman, Mohammed, a few days ago, took the path of his sisters as he also graduated from the University of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, where he studied Forensic.

His graduation was enough to send his family into another round of celebration and they did that well, choosing a classy restaurant in the United Kingdom for a private celebration.

Tunde Ologburo and his wife, Bola, are strong parents who value sound education and spare no cost to ensure their children excel in any of their endeavours.

Tony Elumelu gets carbon copies Tony Elumelu, former Managing Director of UBA, has a big news to share.

It was with joy that the astute banker broke the news he had kept for some time to some of his friends about the addition into his family.

The news was that his wife, Awele, was delivered of a set of twin boys in a hospital in the United States of America. It is the first time the cou-

associates.

A series of activities like a birthday lecture and traditional festivals have been lined up to mark the birthday, while a Muslim prayer and reception will also take place at the 10 Degree Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos where Kolade Onanuga has been contracted to entertain the guests.

ple will have a male as they already got girls only.

The new arrivals were said to have thrilled the ex UBA chairman, who flew immediately to the United States where he spent some days with his family.

There are words that a private ceremony is likely to take place in Lagos upon the arrival of the mother and the babies.

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5 December, 2015

seniorcitizen

Saturday Tribune With Kate Ani

08071080888

anikate92@yahoo.com

How I resisted moves to ‘overthrow’ my boss, Sir Otedola, as Lagos governor —Ojikutu, ex-dep. gov Former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, in this interview with KATE ANI, talks about her political experience, other aspects of her life and the polity. certificate. As a prefect, the boys nicknamed me ‘SHE,’ after the fictional story of that title, for what they called ‘beauty, brains and brawn,’ while others got all sorts of funny names like Amoeba and Pseudopodia. I proceeded to the University of Lagos, where I obtained a degree in Economics. Soon after, I went to the United States of America and obtained an MBA in Economics from Long Island University, Brooklyn campus.

You come from a rich background, were you spoilt as a little girl?

My parents were simple folks, dignified and, of course, I felt that I came from a family with means. We were driven to school in a Chevrolet car, even though our house was a few miles away. I knew there was affluence but my mum kept it simple and we were well groomed. She moved me to Ekiti State when I was becoming too troublesome. I was always getting into situations she felt were beyond my age. My mum thought I might grow up to become what was referred to in those days as a Lagos girl; that I would not take my education seriously. She realised that I was brilliant and needed an atmosphere to be myself.

But then again, I was a daddy’s girl. My father would not allow me to be disciplined the way my mum would have liked. He referred to me as Orente, his pet name for me.

I always ran into his widely opened arms. He sang for me every morning.

What motivated you to join politics?

My father was a politician somewhat. He wanted the best for people and he decided that politics was the way to go.

He was in the [National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons] NCNC with Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and the like. They were the founding members of that political party. He won the Western House of Representatives election in the former Western State, in 1951, on an independent ticket, because the Action Group was the party in power then. So, I grew up in a political atmosphere.

When I gained admission to the University of Lagos, I was elected vice president of the student union. The campaign was like what obtains on the real political scene. My votes tripled those of my opponent. That was how my exposure to politics started. I started out as a politician by supporting people running for elective offices. When it was time to select a deputy for Sir Michael Otedola, when he was contesting for governor of Lagos State, my name was mentioned. This was because I had garnered sufficient experience in all the places I had worked. I had always worked in public offices that had a lot to do with meeting with a lot of people, like the Lagos State Transport Corporation, Land Use and Allocation office and banks. I was a member of the board of the defunct Savannah Bank. We campaigned and won the election and I made history by becoming the first woman to be elected deputy governor in Nigeria.

W

HO is Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu?

I am a very simple and private person despite being in the limelight. I am very outspoken but at the same time, a very private person. People tend to think I am a snob or proud, but I am just reserved.

I was born in Lagos Island at Mercy Street Children’s Hospital on October 23, 1945. I was born into a royal family. My father was a prince and a lawyer and happened to

be Muslim, while my mum was a Christian. I went to Ereko Methodist Primary School in Lagos Island. It was one of the best elementary schools in Lagos Island in those days.

I later moved to Saint John’s School in Ekiti State, where I finished my primary education. From there, I proceeded to Our Lady of Apostle Secondary School in Ijebu Ode and then to Ilesa Grammar School, which was initially an all boys’ school. I was among the first set of girls that was admitted to the school. There I obtained my senior school

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the ruling party then but you and Sir Michael won on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC). How did you do it?

It [the victory] was because there was a split in the SDP. My party cashed in on the split by teaming up with the aggrieved factions. My votes made a huge difference. But for my votes, Sir Michael would have lost the election. The aggrieved SDP members actually decided to team up with my party because of me. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who was my former boss, vouched for me. He was in detention while we were campaigning.

What did you bring to the table as deputy governor or was it just a cosmetic position?

We constructed the Jubilee Housing. The health and transportation facilities were also good at that time. I worked with Sir Michael in a tough environment because the local governments were not under the NRC but the Continues pg37

36

5 December, 2015

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

Adeeko Olusegun adeeko.olusegun@yahoo.com 0811 695 4638

Just a Laffing Mata

POLITICO

1,000 & 10 naira notes; the journey so far

A worn out N1,000 note and a similarly distressed N10 note arrived at the central bank to be retired.

As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burnt, they struck up a conversation. The N1,000 note reminisced about its travels all over the country: “I’ve had a pretty good life,” it said. “I have been to Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Kano, and Abuja. The finest restaurants in Victoria Island, Kaduna, Abuja and eastern Nigeria; performances at Muson Centre, Glover Hall, Jogor and so on; the hottest nightclubs all over the country, and even a cruise on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”

“Wow!” said the N10 note. “You’ve really had an exciting life!”

“So tell me,” says the N1,000 note, “where have you been throughout your lifetime?”

The N10 note replied: “Oh, I’ve been to all the churches in Nigeria.

The N1,000 note interrupts: “What is a church?”

“It’s a place where believers in Christ Jesus gather to worship God in spirit and in truth.”

“My masters never took me to Church,” lamented the N1,000 note.

So, please, please and please, take N1,000 notes to church. They want to know Jesus too!

FUNOLOGY

N e r ns How to make i g ia happy Three corrupt Nigerian politicians were in a plane.

The first politician said, “I could throw this N1,000 down and make one Nigerian happy.”

The second politician said, “I could throw two N500 notes down and make two Nigerians happy.”

The third politician said, “I could throw down five N200 notes and make five Nigerians happy.”

Then the pilot who was listening to their conversation told his co-pilot, “you know I can throw down the three of them and make millions of Nigerians happy.”

I don’t promote nudity in my videos —Nigerian R & B artiste

5 December, 2015 37 seniorcitizen ‘I was treated badly in detention over Funsho Williams’ earlier was gone.

Continued from pg35

SDP. Only three local governments belonged to the NRC. All the others were SDP. Also, the House of Assembly was wholly SDP except four members. That was a challenge in itself. We had to be on our toes because they were ready to impeach us. They made overtures to me to get rid of my governor but I was resistant. It was not an easy time for us. We were always holding meetings with the opposition to smoothen things and I personally had to deal with the chairmen of local governments. Some of them wanted to have nothing to do with the state government. I also handled the traditional rulers. It was in our time that benefits of traditional rulers were greatly improved and they loved it. In June 1993, Nigeria was boiling and was in need of a lot of charismatic handling. I made statewide broadcasts when the governor was out of the country when June 12 protesters threatened to bomb Lagos and all ministers who had houses in Lagos. We were able to contain the situation and it was appreciated by the military. What we did in Lagos to restore peace was appreciated before the military took over. And when General Abdulsalami Abubakar was about to leave power, my husband and I worked closely with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help actualise his presidential ambition. My husband canvassed for funds but when he [Obasanjo] eventually became president, he distanced himself from us.

You once tried contesting for governorship under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but you were suspended by the party that was being led then by President Olusegun Obasanjo. What happened?

After we left office and General Abdulsalami came in, my party [United Progressives Party] UPP, merged with the PDP and I became a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party. I then decided to run for governor but was suspended because I, alongside some other aspirants, stood against the party’s sudden introduction of ‘no campaign at the grass roots’ policy for incumbent governors. They had automatic tickets but we said they couldn’t have that because the constitution of the PDP said you had to go through the primary. They changed the rules overnight and we got together and challenged the party. We challenged them successfully and they could not hold any primaries. Chief Obasanjo invited us to the Presidential Villa and all the top members of the PDP were present. They appealed to us, the governorship aspirants, to withdraw our case because we had already secured a court injunction against the party. Former President Obasanjo stood for almost 30 minutes appealing to us.

After the meeting, my colleagues said we should go ahead with the case; that there was no way we could lose, which was true. But I told them that Chief Obasanjo was my elder and a Yoruba man, apart from being the president.

I said he had given his word that he would look into our grievances. Then, I left for Lagos. Based on my argument and insistence, Haruna Abubakar and the others went to court and withdrew the case. But to my greatest surprise, within a few hours of withdrawing the case, we heard on the radio that we had all been suspended.

I guess Chief Obasanjo played a fast one on you…

Oh, yes, he did. That is not a good way to play politics and that is part of the foundation of PDP’s problem today. We went to meet Chief Audu Ogbeh, the current Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. He was the chairman of the party then. We told him that what the party did was not fair, but he said the party had made its decision and there was nothing he could do about it.

After your failed attempt in 2002, you ran again in 2007 and this time, you ended up in detention for 18 days, after Funsho Williams was killed…

It was my people that actually bought and submitted my nomination form because I was away in the United States of America when nominations were invited for people who wanted to run for public offices. When I came back to Nigeria, they had already started campaigning for me.

Actually, the day Williams died, some political thugs were attacking one another with cutlasses at a campaign rally. I learnt that the fight started from across the street at Gbagada. I was not at that campaign rally. I was at Ilupeju, at Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s birthday party. The following day, I was on my way to the airport to fly Abuja to attend the Federal Character Commission’s executive council meeting when some policemen walked up to me and said the AIG wanted me and other governorship aspirants at the police station. About 14 PDP governorship aspirants, including Williams, were invited over constant fighting by thugs at campaign rallies. Despite the fact that I had not attended a single campaign but my followers had been attending anyway, I was summoned.

Saturday Tribune

How were you treated in detention?

I understand that it was our chairman (name withheld), who ordered our arrest and detention. When an officer saw me, he said, ‘Your Excellency, you are here?!’ He said he was ordered to put us all in detention. He picked up his phone and informed the person on the other end of the line about me being among those arrested. I could hear our chairman’s voice saying ‘Yes, Excellency or no Excellency, put all of them in detention.’ For one reason or another, some people just don’t like you politically.

Maybe they either see you as a threat. We were treated badly in detention but I thank God for the women that were detained along with me. The women told me that a newspaper, which published the names of those that were detained, was sneaked in but my name was not included.

I called a top person in the presidency and told him about my plight. He was shocked. He asked the Inspector General of Police to release me immediately.

Do you think it was deliberate?

It was definitely deliberate. At least, the officer who recognised me would have expressed concern as to why my name was not listed among those that were detained, which were published in the newspaper. The intention of those who caused us to be detained was to indict us, because once you have been indicted, according to the constitution of the PDP, you cannot run for any political office. I told them I had no hands in Williams’ death and I was released alongside the ladies that helped me. After I was released, I withdrew from the governorship race after much persuasion from my mother and other family members. Our group was later known as the ‘Alagbon 14’ and we became a formidable group that produced Musiliu Obanikoro for the primary, which he won. He, however, lost the election to Babatunde Fashola due to in-fighting in the PDP, not because we didn’t have what it takes to achieve victory. In the PDP, everybody was a leader. It was a party of all comma, no full stop. They pitched people against themselves. PDP would rather cut their nose to spite their face. They would starve you of fund when you need it the most for campaigns. These were people who couldn’t even win their polling booths but they would control campaign finances. How could you win elections in such circumstances?

I picked my phone and called the chairman of the campaign committee, Chief Rasheed Williams, and asked him why there was nobody at the rally ground. He said ‘Your Excellency, rally ke?! What kind of rally? Didn’t you hear about what happened?’ I asked him what had happened. He said Funsho Williams had been killed. I screamed and fainted.

After the meeting with the AIG, Williams came to me and said he had never heard me speak the way I did about what my plans for Lagos were. He said he would like to meet with me after and he shook my hands. The following day was the campaign that I initially didn’t want to attend since I had already planned to travel to Abuja. That morning, a crowd was at my house getting ready for the rally, which was to hold at Lekki. I sent my advance team to the venue to see how the crowd was, as my convoy was ready to move to the venue. A member of the advance team came back and said there was nobody at the rally ground.

I said that was not possible. I picked my phone and called the chairman of the campaign committee, Chief Rasheed Williams, and asked him why there was nobody at the rally ground. He said ‘Your Excellency, rally ke?! What kind of rally? Didn’t you hear about what happened?’ I asked him what had happened. He said Funsho Williams had been killed. I screamed and fainted. I could not imagine that somebody with whom I shook hands less than 24 hours

Lagos has always been an All Progressives Party (APC) state, do you think the PDP really stood a chance during the last election?

Of course, we had all it takes. Lagosians were already tired of the APC before the last election. They wanted a change but the PDP, as usual, did itself in. People were looting money meant for campaigns and that has always been the plague of PDP. As a former number two citizen in my state, I once requested to meet with former President Goodluck Jonathan during the campaign period but I was not allowed to. What I wanted to discuss with Dr Jonathan would probably have helped him but his aide said I should tell him what I wanted to discuss with Jonathan. I went back to my house and I thank God I wasn’t allowed because if I had gone ahead to reveal to him all I knew about the plot against him, maybe assassins would have come to my house. The people who did not allow me to see him termed me a ‘difficult woman.’ Now look at the revelation about money laundering.

Does it bother you that even a fewer women participating in national politics are now soiling their hands with corruption?

That is a shame, because a few examples we have heard of have not really portrayed us in the proper light. Some women are now even more ruthless than men when it comes to corruption, which is very sad. I believe that men who loot public funds do so to cater for their family and women. But when a woman embezzles public funds, what does she want to do with the money? How many shoes are you going to wear? How many cars are you going to ride at a time? It is sad. We are nation builders, we shouldn’t be seen as the ones setting bad examples that what a man can do a woman can do worse!

What is the Nigeria of your dream?

I said during my 70th birthday celebration that I was looking forward to a Nigeria where everything would work.

I am looking forward to a Nigeria where everywhere we go, we would say home is the best as it used to be in our youthful days. In those days, I had sisters who came back to Nigeria to deliver their children. They refused to stay in England and America to deliver their babies. That was the Nigeria I grew up to know. That is the Nigeria I am looking forward to, not a Nigeria whereby our women would hide their pregnancies to go and deliver in America.

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politics&policy

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune With Saheed Salawu 0811 695 4643

yinkadejavu@yahoo.com

Posers as Bayelsa goes to the poll

Seriake Dickson

By Kunle Oderemi

I

N and outside the country, everyone is curious about what happens today in Bayelsa, one of Nigeria’s states that lay the golden egg - crude oil. Nigerians are waiting and, indeed, the world is waiting with a bated breath for the conduct of the governorship election in the state. They are pondering what they have dubbed the make-or-break poll.

Will the poll go the way of the experience of Kogi State, where a similar election was declared inconclusive with the attendant web of constitutional crisis and cacophonies?

Will the core players in the Bayelsa poll play the game according to the rules or will they make innocuous attempts to compromise the law because the end often justifies the means in politics?

Will the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fulfill its promise to conduct a free, fair and credible poll and save the country from the ignominy, scorn and mental torture often associated with electoral contests, no matter the nature and level? Will the Bayelsa poll create another round of crisis so as to create job for the ‘professional’ boys as the crisis festers? Will the critical stakeholders rise above pecuniary interests and expose the usual black sheep (sacred cows) who are ever-daring to turn what ordinarily should be a genuine contest into a hock?

Will all agencies of government with powers of coercion comply with their primary rules of engagement and assignment? Or will they dance to the whims and caprices of the higher authorities without caring a hoot for the dire consequences for the polity nay the country?

The teasers are endless but the real answers may not come until the election is held, the result declared and the certificate of return issued to the officially declared winner. Nigerians are expectant because of the mess that has become of the Kogi experience, where the combatants are holding each other by the jugular and the nation to ransom.

For the purpose of today’s election, Bayelsa has been temporarily locked down by security operatives. A total of 30,000 personnel have formed a security ring around a state with a population of 1,703,358 citizens. An INEC national commissioner, Lawrence Nwuruku, said there was an increase of more than 53,000 registered voters in 1,804 polling units from the register used for the last general election.

Therefore, the 663,639 prospective voters in today’s poll are under security siege through a combined effort of the military, air force, navy, regular police and riot police, as well plain-clothe detectives. In fact, it might be difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle as far as the security for the election is concerned. The top hierarchy of the police has deployed at least 14,000 personnel for the poll to complement the efforts of the Deputy Inspector General of Police and the Assistant Inspector General of Police from Zones 5 and 6, as well as two Commissioners

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman

of Police on ground to supervise the election.

“We are very ready for the state election. We did a similar thing two weeks ago in Kogi State and we have decided to replicate it again here in Bayelsa State,” the InspectorGeneral of Police, Solomon Arase, boasted. The waterway, road, and creek transportation in the 18 local government areas of the state will be paralysed for the duration of the election, just as a retired deputy inspector general of police, Yakubu Muhammad, is leading a 19-man team of monitors to the state for the election.

Bayelsa State has witnessed a series of security challenges over the years, owing to activities of kidnappers and oil thieves with most of the riverside communities categorised as flashpoints. Many of such areas used to be the operational base of Niger Delta militants before the Federal Government came up with the Amnesty programme. The more than 200 former militants that laid down their arms and renounced violence under the programme are currently split across party lines as the leading contenders for the election step out today to try to clinch the coveted crown of governor. Similarly, the ranks of elders and traditional rulers in the state are not closed over the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The election is unique in many respects. The poll is a contest of will for some major political actors. Wherever the pendulum swings could either bolster their relevance and pedigree or tar their integrity and lower their political stature. To others, the election constitutes a battle of the titans with a mind by a few godfathers and sons to prove that they can rise gracefully after a big and mighty fall in the previous political contest earlier in the year.

While the APC will be trying to spread its dragnet to the state to complete the routing out of the PDP from the main power calculus, the latter is faced with the challenge of consolidation in a state it has held sway for 16 unbroken years as the ruling party. What the PDP lacks in federal

While the APC will be trying to spread its dragnet to the state to complete the routing out of the PDP from the main power calculus, the latter is faced with the challenge of consolidation in a state it has held sway for 16 unbroken years as the ruling party.

Timipre Sylva

might, which has become the norm rather than an exception in electoral contests in Nigeria, it has in abundance in the advantage of incumbency as the state governor, Seriake Dickson, was elected on PDP’s platform about four years ago.

Peace accord Part of the frenzied moves initiated by the stakeholders to guarantee a peaceful poll was the signing a peace accord by the 20 candidates for the election. The leading contenders for the governorship seat, Governor Seriake Dickson (PDP) and former Governor Timipre Sylva (APC), declared their commitment to ensuring a peaceful and violence-free election with the signing of a peace accord.

The 18 other candidates and their party chairmen also signed the accord witnessed by INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

“This peace pact is not the idea of INEC or the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it is the initiative of the good people of Bayelsa State, and INEC is only the facilitator. We are not unmindful of the fact that the success of this peace accord depends on the zeal and commitment of the signatories to see it work,” he stated.

In their separate statements, Dickson and Sylva applauded INEC for the initiative and renounced any act of violence.

On the whole, there are other salient factors that may sway voters in a state with the Ijaw as the dominant ethnic group. Some of these include the fact that former President Goodluck Jonathan hails from there. He remains the rallying figure for the PDP and its candidate for the poll and so shares a similar burden with another former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (then the PDP leader) when he was in government from 1999 to 2007.

The PDP equally constitutes another major factor, because it has consistently controlled the state since 1999.

Having emerged on the platform about four years ago, Dickson will be desirous of keeping the ‘integrity’ of the PDP intact as the ruling party in the state for more than 16 years. The governor will be relying on the record of his achievements since he took over the mantle of leadership in the state in his bid to secure another four-year mandate of the electorate.

Nonetheless, the APC remains a formidable force in the election. President Muhammadu Buhari will be more than happy to see his party ‘capture’ the state at the poll in line with the Hurricane Change. Other leaders of the party have indicated that they had laid their hands on the plough and there was no looking back through the mantra of change. And in this instance, the APC has a candidate who has paid his dues as governor of the state in not too distant past and who has declared that he is out on a renewed mission to reposition the state if elected again.

Oloibiri, in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, was the first place where oil was discovered in commercial quantities in 1956. Will it be the first place where INEC will conduct a poll with little or no attendant crisis?

39 interview

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

What we have is power shift, not change to good governance —Rep The member representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency of Ekiti State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Segun Adekola, in this interview with BODE ADEWUMI, bares his mind on many national issues. Excerpts:

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S a new member, how are you finding life in the National Assembly?

I am finding life it easy because I have quickly acclimatised to the running of the House because I have the determination to excel. Although I am new, I have been busy. I had contested for this position four times, so, I was well prepared for the job.

In what ways have you contributed in terms of moving motions?

I have moved many motions and sponsored many bills.

One of the motions I have moved bordered on the unwholesome practice of foreign companies in Nigeria after one Samuel Ogunkoya died in active service due to the negligence of a company in Lagos. The man died due to a faulty machine, which had been reported on several occasions.

We heard that the same machine had killed about five people and the workers kept complaining. I moved a motion that the foreign company be sanctioned because it had little or no regard for Nigerians’ lives. Also, the rate of casualisation of workers is high and this negates Nigeria’s labour law. Imagine someone earning N15,000 for 10 years? They work overtime in poor condition with no leave bonus.

Recently, I moved a motion on the practice by banks which no longer place job advertisements. They employ distraught youths and give them targets to run after big men, using them as baits to deposit money in their banks, knowing the implication of that. They are dehumanising them, sending our females to get billions from nowhere and thereby forcing them into prostitution.

And they are doing this because they know that there are no jobs in the country. So, I raised a motion against that. It is a very bad development in Nigeria. I have moved many other motions.

Governors recently said that they could not afford the N18,000 minimum wage, what is your view about this?

At the beginning of this year when budget was brought to the parliament, it was based on $110-$115 of crude oil per barrel, but all of a sudden, there was an economic recession in the world and the price of crude fell abruptly from $110 per barrel to $40-$45 per barrel. Definitely, there was a great fall in the earnings from crude oil and it made a mess of the budget.

We know ours is mono-economy, where the revenue is only from oil and that is why we are clamouring that the economy should be diversified into other sectors like agriculture and solid minerals. Because we base our economy on oil, now there is a recession in the oil market and allocations to states are falling. As a result, most states cannot even pay workers’ salaries. One unfortunate thing is that most of these states misuse the little allocations coming to them by sponsoring elections or wasting them on godfathers who collect their own allocations from them.

But the truth is that even the N18,000 is not enough for an adult to do anything, even if he is not married, not to talk of somebody who is married with kids. We can only pray God, in His infinite mercies, to fix Nigeria because the way we are, we are just sliding backwards.

Doesn’t it bother you that fuel scarcity has refused to abate?

Having discussed this on so many occasions, I would say subsidy is a fraud. What are they subsidising? A few weeks ago, a supplementary budget was brought to the floor of the House for us to approve and the total budget was N455 billion, out of which N413 billion plus is for subsidy, which is unimaginable. I am of the opinion that they should cancel the subsidy and face reality. The money is enough to engage to create meaningful employments for the youth and feed the nation.

The price of crude has crashed and we don’t have any need

to face any scarcity again. If the price of crude has fallen, definitely, there must be a corresponding fall in the price of the refined product but excuses are still being made that we are still subsidising with the same amount, which is a fraud, because the moment there is a fall in the price of crude, there must fall in the price of the refined product.

This is one of the odds we need to correct in Nigeria.

There are so many loopholes through which funds are being siphoned. Now what comes to states may be very

I am of the opinion that they should cancel the subsidy and face reality.

The money is enough to engage to create meaningful employments for the youth and feed the nation.

small because there are lots of frauds going on.

How would you rate the current government?

I cannot rate anything now because we have not seen any change as the exchange rate is astronomical and we were promised that within three weeks, the dollar would exchange for one Naira. We were also told that insurgency would be a thing of the past in a few months; that they had the magic wand to quell it. But now, they [the insurgents] are even more dangerous than before. Where are the magic wand and the change for God’s sake?

Before, they were able to pay salaries to workers in states but now, they cannot pay. Bailout was not even extended to many states, which shows the kind of policy in play. So, what meaningful change have we seen? When we talk of change, I believe it should not be from good governance to bad governance. We, southerners, did not realise that it was change in power rotation from South to the North and not from bad governance to good governance. [Former President Goodluck] Jonathan performed more creditably than five presidents put together in Nigeria. He did well in so many sectors of the economy. It is so unfortunate that we all keyed in to their word.

40 interview

5 December, 2015

Saturday Tribune

In Delta, you are called governor’s enemy when they want to run you down —Deputy Speaker At 35 years, Hon Friday Osanebi, the Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly is one of the youngest legislators in the country. Of late he has been entangled in a web of accusations and confrontation by some youths from his constituency over myriad of issues. In this interview with newsmen in Asaba, Osanebi also spoke on the recent retreat in the United States of America by the state lawmakers. ALPHONSUS AGBORH brings excerpts:

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S the pioneer president of the Ndokwa youth association why do you think some Ndokwa youths are turning against you?

They are trying to drag themselves down, not me. You see when a man begins to make progress, you must definitely have enemies even within your own people. When you have a position and you don’t have anybody criticising you, that means you are not doing well and you are not leading. Ordinarily we don’t have any problem in Ndokwa nation as claimed by the so-called youth leaders in Ndokwa nation. What you are seeing today in newspapers, Facebook and all those things are just some sort of people trying to make money through all sorts of ways. What do I mean by this? Thank God you acknowledge that Ndokwa national youth movement is the only youth group in Ndokwa nation then. But as I speak to you now, there are over 39 groups calling themselves all sorts of names.

As much as I know that you have freedom of association, you have time to call anything you want to call yourself, don’t run anybody down because you want to make something for yourself.

Why are they also calling for your recall from the House?

The man that says he wants to recall me, let him go to the newspaper and publish his voter card. For you to recall you have to have a voter’s card. I am one member whose victory has come even before election, so I wonder why youths from Ndokwa West and Ukwani should start making noise that they want to recall a member representing Ndokwa East. That is petty jealousy. I have one advice for them, I started like this but I never ran anybody down to make it.

Whatever I am today, I’m from the youth world; I led the Ndokwa youths, I was the vice-president of the South South youth and I knew what I did, I’m creative. I told them that for you to achieve anything in life, you must be creative. The country we are today is one that you cannot predict what happens tomorrow and the only way you can be useful to the society is that you must be creative.

I’m not threatened by whatever thing they do, all I know is that when you are on the right track, continue doing what you are doing. People are watching what you are doing.

For you to know what is really going on, something beneficial wanted to come down to the local government, and the governor asked how to go about it. I then said for it to get to the grass roots, it must not be business as usual. So we insisted that the money that comes to Ndokwa land, nay Ndokwa east which is my constituency and that it should be given to communities through their leaders, I come from a community, Beneku, one community, you cannot claim two communities. For me not to run into issue with anybody, I opted to deal with the community youth. That is just the problem. So the group that feels that when these things get to the grassroots. A particular spokesman of theirs was even in the meeting. The only thing I know he did was to say, ‘Oga let us share the money into two, let’s give some to community and give some to the national, I said sorry, you will not have anything. And to make him have a sense of belonging, I nominated him as a member of the security committee.

Some of them are saying you have not moved a motion in the house, how true is this?.

I have always said that I am just one person in the midst of 47,000 people in Ndokwa nation. Being a lawmaker does not mean I am the most intelligent person. If you love me so much, give me ideas. If you don’t believe in what I am doing, challenge me. Next election is 2019 and by God’s grace, I will always win election in any place in Ndokwa nation.

Some are saying you don’t have a constituency office in the Ndokwa nation, is it also true, and that since 2011, you have not done any constituency project?

First, there are three local governments in Ndokwa nation, if there is any office that is bigger than mine, let them prosecute me. And if there is any office in the history of Delta State that is bigger than

as a member of the House?

I was the pioneer sponsor of the anti-kidnapping bill. You see, House of assembly is a very ‘tricky’ place, you have to keep your house in order first. The first time when we came, I came with three bills but they didn’t see the light of day. You see, Delta state is governed by a lot of laws.

I moved the motion on the issue of Ibabo and its environs, and immediately the governor sprang into action.

The last time some persons brought the issue that I have not moved a motion and asked me to call on the governor to do erosion control in Onya along the River Niger.

I know the financial state of the state, so calling on the governor means I am foolish. There are certain things you don’t do. I know the situation of things, paying salaries is a problem, how can I now move a motion of urgent public importance calling on the governor to do erosion control there.

You see, in as much as I know that we all are legislators and our duties are to make laws for the good and betterment of the people of Delta State, it must not come from me, it should come from the people.

One thing I have noticed in Delta politics is that, when they want to bring you down, they accuse you that you are a problem for the governor.

mine, let them prosecute me. In terms of constituency projects, I challenge any ward that will tell me they have not seen constituency projects. We have ten wards in Ndokwa East. Constituency project is supposed to be three. Three in three years, that means nine but I did ten. The way I did the additional one, nobody knows but I challenge any ward in Ndokwa East to come and tell me they have not seen my constituency projects, they should come and speak out. There is no ward I have not done project, there is no ward I have not empowered, there is no ward I don’t have Personal Assistants that I am paying, there is no ward that I don’t have more than ten people that are on my payroll.

This is your fifth year in the House of Assembly, can you tell us some of the motions you have moved

A particular spokesman of theirs was even in the meeting. The only thing I know he did was to say, ‘Oga let us share the money into two, let’s give some to community and give some to the national, I said sorry, you will not have anything. And to make him have a sense of belonging, I nominated him as a member of the security committee.

Have you heard that you are being referred to as a godfather of sort in Ndokwa East who allegedly collects money monthly from each chairman that has ruled that place and that as a matter of fact, it is because the current chairman has issues with you over money and that informs why there is crisis in the council.

First, there is no crisis in Ndokwa East Local Government.

I have not seen the chairman and I don’t believe the chairman can say he has given me one naira or that we have had a meeting to make sure we discuss anything money. I don’t know what goes to the local government and I don’t want to know. I have my business in Asaba, she has her thing in the local government. All I pray for is let there be peace in my local government. You see, there are a lot of things, when you keep quiet, people take advantage of it. I know my position; I know what I want to do. She would tell you the truth that I have never asked her for one pin. I am a successful businessman, even before I came into politics.

So what is responsible for the sad relationship between you and your local government Chairman?

You see all these are politics. The chairman was the director of women in my campaign organisation. and when she told me that she wanted to run, I said I didn’t have any problem with that and I would never take side but she took offence. Till today, she believes I never supported her even when I nearly died in the process of the election. You see in politics, there are lots of things but you don’t need to open up to say all that is going on.

But in all, it is the hand of God that works. Any time she sees me she calls me ‘my leader’ but I tell her it is God that leads. I don’t know what she thinks about me, but as far as I am concerned, I don’t have any issue with her. There was a time a motion was moved against her, I know the role I played to save her and in making peace.

As the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, people accuse lawmakers from the state of going abroad to waste money, can you tell us your reaction about the complaints surrounding the trip?

It is our statutory right for us to go for programme/training to move the state forward. We have a legislator governor that knows everything about it so getting money from the governor, you must definitely convince him. It was not easy for us to get the approval and what we spent is even more than what was expended.

Even when you do the right thing, people will want to criticise you. It was not Delta but a lot of states have gone abroad. It is only Delta State that is always in the news in the negative way.

Lagos state legislators have travelled overseas, same goes for Abia, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states . What Delta spent is not even up to half of what other people have spent.