6th February 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

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SATURDAY, 6 FEBRUARY, 2016

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Shocking entries in 2016 budget Colleges to give N154m subsidy to govt agencies

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Buhari sends leave letter from London

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Osinbajo is acting President

ADEWALE AYUBA Fuji music opens doors for me in the Western world pgs 2 & 30

I’m ready for CCT trial —Saraki

As Supreme Court rules

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Kogi Assembly crisis pg7 deepens Obasanjo prostrates Lawyer accused of killing husband docked, remanded in prison Untold story of the tragic marriage for Ooni pg4

Relations of a 38-year-old man, Lowo Oyediran Ajanaku, who was allegedly stabbed to death in Ibadan by his wife, Yewande, with sympathisers on the premises of the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Iyaganku, Ibadan, after the commencement of the trial of the accused, on Friday. PHOTO: YEMI FUNSO-OKE.

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2 entertainment

HY did y o u choose to be a fuji musician? I give glory to God because no one directed me to this path. I just met myself singing fuji music. I started music about 43 years ago when I was just seven years old. The kind of music that was played during that era was juju, apala or fuji. It was very rare for you to hear foreign brand of music during that period and based on that I decided to sing fuji music. Even when you travelled out of the country you still stuck to fuji music… You don’t blame God for putting you in a particular nation. I am neither from America nor England, I am 100 percent Nigerian. The music that was reigning while I was growing up was indigenous music so it is only natural for me to toe that same path. What people may not know is that my music opened doors for me in the Western world. I get more shows there because they cannot do the type of music we do. For me to do hip-hop or R ‘n’ B when my name is Ayuba would be ridiculous, I don’t even have a foreign accent. When people talk about hip-hop, you know the roots are from America, same way, when people talk about reggae, the roots are from Jamaica. All these nations have different music that belong to them. When I was in America, I kept singing fuji music to promote my culture. Music comes with feeling and what makes music is not the language but the rhythm. We should be proud of who we are. See Fela Anikulapo Kuti, even in death he is still great. Americans are going Continues on pg30

Fuji music opens doors for me in the Western world

—Adewale Ayuba

Adewale Ayuba is one of Nigeria’s most popular fuji artistes. In this interview with journalists, he speaks on his life as a musician. JOAN OMIONAWELE brings the excerpts

For me to do hip-hop or R ‘n’ B when my name is Ayuba would be ridiculous, I don’t even have a foreign accent.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

6 February, 2016

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OCIAL media has been flooded with various reactions on who to blame since the news of how an Ibadan lawyer, Yewande Oyediran, allegedly brutally stabbed her husband,

38-year-old, Lowo Oyediran Ajanaku, to death broke on Tuesday. Lowo was allegedly stabbed after a domestic dispute at their home in Akobo Estate, Ibadan. Angela Agoawike, a

SOCIAL

senior journalist, wrote on Facebook “I do not know what a husband would do to his wife that would cause her to pick a knife and slit the man’s throat as he sleeps. This murder is nothing but premedi-

Ogun

OF THE

with Doyin Adeoye

m:08038000394 e:doyinadeoye@yahoo.com t:@doyinadeoye

Mixed reactions trail husband killing tated and irrespective of her connections, I hope the law will be allowed to take its cause.” “What a world we live in, how can a wife stab her husband to death without remembering the marriage vows and the love they both once shared?” Mercy William wrote on Facebook . Relindis Okafor Chisom also wrote on Facebook “Have you ever heard of the word ‘separation’ when it comes to marriage? Why didn’t she leave the man since she couldn’t stand the beatings?” “I’m shocked that some people are trying to justify this evil act. Nobody has the right to take another person’s life. Walk away. Love and marriage is not by force,” Amara Ibe-iykeOgbonna wrote. Onyinye Faith Aruma wrote “Everybody is now asking why she didn’t walk away. This same set of people would have treated her like a piece of garbage and even tried making her to feel guilty if she had done so.”

PHOTO OFTHE WEEK

N a weeklong celebration, Ogun State over the week celebrated its 40th anniversary, with a lot of glamour and funfare. Trending over social media, the state indigenes as well as well-wishers felicitated with the governor over his numerous achievements as he commissions 40 projects across the state. With the #OGUN@40, @Hayzed0101 said on twitter: “Ogun State is one of the most successful states in Nigeria. I’m happy to pick my wife from Ogun State. Lol! Longlive Ogun! Longlive 9ja! Reuben Abati through his twitter handle, @abati1990 said “#OgunStateAt40. Created on February 3, 1976. #Happy Anniversary. #Omo Ogun, ise ya.” Eric Morayo Ogunsakin on his facebook wall, wrote “Happy anniversary to all my friends from Ogunstate. #Ekuodun#

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Padlocked bread

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6 February, 2016

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Buhari sends leave letter from London Osinbajo becomes Acting President Leon Usigbe - Abuja

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari who is in London on an official engagement announced on Friday that he had begun a short vacation from February 5 that will terminate on February 10, 2016. According to a terse statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Friday, Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the president for the period the president would be away. The Presidency had earlier

announced that President Buhari would return to the country at the weekend. The statement from Adesina said in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, Buhari has dispatched a formal notice of his vacation to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution reads: “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is other-

wise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such functions shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.” There was no indication in Adesina’s statement where President Buhari would be spending the vacation. An unconfirmed report had emerged in the last few days that he could be taking time out to attend to his health. Buhari left Abuja on Tuesday for an official visit to France and Britain. While in Strasbourg, France

on Wednesday, he addressed a special session of the European Union Parliament attended by members of the executive and legislative arms of the Union.

On Thursday, he was in London at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference where he called on the global community

Obasanjo prostrates for Ooni in Ife, backs his bridge-building moves among obas Oluwole Ige - Osogbo FORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday paid a visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja 11), in his palace at Oduduwa House, where he prostrated for the monarch. He specifically commended

Oba Ogunwusi for paying visits to some prominent Yoruba obas as a veritable means of strengthening the unity and healthy relationship among the traditional institutions. It will be recalled that the Ooni has been visiting Yoruba monarchs as a way of ensuring unity. He has visited the Alaafin

Face your trial at conduct tribunal, Supreme Court tells Saraki Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by Senate President Olubukola Abubakar Saraki, challenging his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over allegation of false declaration of assets. The seven-panel of justices of the apex court, headed by Justice Walter Onnoghen, said the tribunal has quasi criminal jurisdiction to ensure public probity and accountability of public office holders. The court, while resolving the six issues raised by Saraki against him, held that it was legal for the tribunal to assume jurisdiction over the trial of the Senate President, charged with false asset declaration, without one of its members. Justice Onnoghen held that, “Having resolved issues one to five against the appellant, I see no need to consider issue six because such a consideration will serve no useful purpose. “In fact, issue six has already been resolved in substance against the appellant during my consideration of issue two. “In conclusion, I find no merit in the appeal which is accordingly dismissed. The judgment of the lower court delivered on the 30th day of October 2015, dismissing the appeal of the appellant against the ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal of 18th September, 2015 is hereby affirmed,” Justice Onnoghen held. Consequently, the Senate President will have to face his trial at the tribunal, which had been adjourned indefinitely pending the outcome of Saraki’s appeal at the apex court Saraki’s appeal was against the October 30, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja

which dismissed an earlier appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him for alleged false declaration of assets. Saraki was arraigned before the tribunal on September 22 last year on a 13-count charge after much resistance from the Senate President, prompting the tribunal to issue a bench warrant for his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and challenged the power of the CCT to try him, the composition of the tribunal and the legality of the charge, which he said was not endorsed by the Attorney general of the Federation (AGF). In its judgement on October 30, a three-man panel of the appellate court, in a split decision of two to one, held that Saraki’s appeal lacked merit. Justices Moore Adumein (presiding) and Mohammed Mustapha resolved the six issues raised in the appeal in favour of the respondents, including the CCT, while Justice Joseph Ekanem dissented on one issue, which was whether an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice was competent to endorse a charge in the absence of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). While Justices Adumein (who read the lead judgement) and Mustapha dismissed the appeal, Justice Ekanem, in his dissenting judgment upheld the appeal, discharged and quashed the Senate President’s trial before the CCT. Justice Adumein, in the lead judgement, rejected all arguments by Saraki, including his contention that the CCT, being an inferior body to the Federal High Court, ought not to have proceeded with his trial despite an order by the court. He held that Saraki’s complaint about not being personally served with the

charge “was of no moment having appeared and taken his plea before the tribunal.” On whether two of the CCT three members formed a quorum, Justice Adumein, though noted that there was “lacuna” in the laws, held that the Interpretation Act provides that a member of the tribunal and its chairman could validly sit and conduct proceedings. “Having resolved all the issues against the appellant, I hold that the appeal lacks merit and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Adumein said. Justice Ekanem, who dissented on a single issue, held that the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation had made the charge to become defective. He was of the view that the failure by M. S. Hassan (who endorsed the charge) to indicate who authorised him to file the charge, in his letter to the tribunal seeking leave to file the case, rendered the charge incompetent. While arguing his client’s appeal before the Supreme Court on December 3, Saraki’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), who said six

issues were formulated for the court’s determination, argued that the CCT was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction over his client’s trial because it was not properly constituted. He argued that by the provision of Paragraph 15(1) of the 5th Schedule to the Constitution, the CCT could only legally conduct its affairs where the chairman sits with two members. He said it was only the chairman and a member that sat in the trial of his client. Daudu also argued that the CCT was not a court with the capacity to exercise criminal jurisdiction. He contended that having not been a court created under section 6 of the Constitution, it lacked the power to exercise the inherent jurisdiction of superior courts. He urged the court to allow his client’s appeal and grant all his prayers. Lawyer to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the majority decision of the Court of Appeal, to the effect that Saraki’s trial before the CCT, with two judges sitting out of three, was in

order. He argued that Paragraph 5(1) of the 5th Schedule to the Constitution only relates to the composition of CCT, but that the Constitution was silent on the number of members that constitute its quorum. He said where such lacuna exits, it was for the court to recourse to the Interpretation Act for help. He said under the Interpretation Act, two members of a three-man tribunal formed quorum and could legitimately conduct business. Jacobs also argued that the CCT, being a body with limited criminal jurisdiction could apply ACJA 2015 in its proceedings. He contended that since the tribunal had applied the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) and Criminal procedure Code (CPC) for its proceedings before the introduction of the ACJA, the new law, which replaces the CPC and CPA automatically, becomes an applicable law in the proceedings before the CCT. Jacobs argued that any officer in the office of the AGF could validly initiate proceedings before the CCT where there is no AGF in office.

CCT: I will be vindicated in court —Saraki Taiwo Adisa - Abuja SENATE President Bukola Saraki said on Friday that he was ready to face trial over alleged false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in line with the ruling of the Supreme Court. Saraki, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that he was sure of being vindicated at the trial. He also insisted that the whole issue surrounding the trial by the CCT was not before the Supreme Court, adding that the court only

to give greater support to countries whose populace are suffering humanitarian crises caused by terrorism and civil strife.

ruled on some preliminary objections. The statement reads: “After listening to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the appeal he filed to challenge the process of arraigning him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki hereby states as follows : “He expresses disappointment over the judgement of the apex court in the country on the six grounds of his appeal “He, however, will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial

matter are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial. “The Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper. “Dr. Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the beginning of the case. He assures everyone that at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served.”

of Oyo and the Awujale of Ijebuland. Speaking during his visit to the Ooni’s palace on Friday, where he was received by prominent traditional rulers in Ile-Ife, Obasanjo, in a dramatic move, stepped in with other prominent personalities in his Yoruba regalia and prostrated for the Ooni as a sign of respect. While some of those present during the visit were jolted by his postration, other applauded and hailed the former president. The former president explained that the unity move by the Ooni was important for the progress of Yorubaland, just as he urged the Ooni not to relent in his move to ensure unity, adding that Ife remained the source of Yorubaland. Obasanjo stated: “I commend the role of the Ooni in ensuring peace in Yorubaland. Continue what you are doing, especially your unity course. I am happy with the move taken so far. It is only a sign of honour for the Ooni to visit anyone. That does not stop Ile-Ife from its position in the history of Yorubaland.” Responding, Oba Ogunwusi expressed his appreciation to the former president for his visit, just as he described him as an international figure who holds germane position among the leaders of the country. Obasanjo had earlier paid a visit to the newly installed Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Ilufemiloye Telu I, at his palace, where he emphasised the need for the Yoruba to embrace unity in promoting the interest of the race. Obasanjo, who was billed to attend the presentation of staff of office to Oba Adewale on January 16, but could not attend the event, in his brief remarks, attributed his absence to a trip he made outside the country. He, however, lauded the Iwo monarch for the warm reception accorded former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who represented him at the ceremony, saying he was impressed by the development. Accompanied during his visit to the Oluwo by Chief Oyewole Fasawe, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi and Chief Rasheed Gbadamonsi, among others, Obasanjo promised to continue to support efforts aimed at promoting the unity of the country.

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6 February, 2016

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My brother used my account to siphon N72m from NIMASA —Witness Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos

Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), flanked by the Deputy Minister, Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Matti Anttonen (left) and Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Ambassador Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, during a courtesy visit to the governor by a delegation from Finland, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Friday.

Ibadan lawyer accused of murdering husband docked, remanded in prison By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

HE police on Friday arraigned 28-yearold Yewande Oyediran, a lawyer with the Oyo State Ministry of Justice on a one count charge of unlawfully causing the death of her 38-year-old husband, Oyelowo Oyediran before the Oyo State Magistrates Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan Yewande was arraigned before Magistrate Kehinde Durosaro, in a suit marked MI/153c/2016 and tagged Commissioner of Police Vs Oyediran Yewande and the charge was signed by the Officer in Charge of Legal/ Prosecution in the Oyo State command of the police, DSP (Barr) Fawole Funke. The single charge read, “That you Yewande Oyediran ‘F’, on the 2nd day of February 2016, at about 6.10am at No 30, Abidi Odan, Akobo Area Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District, did unlawfully cause the death of one Oyelowo Oyediran ‘M’ aged 38 years by stabbing him with knife on the neck which later resulted in his death thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State.” The lead defense councel, Mr. Seun Abimbola, made a verbal application that the court should remand Yewande in police custody but Magistrate Durosaro refused the application. Abimbola further stated that he would make the application legal by writing to the court on the said issue but Magistrate Durosaro ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear such applications. The court gave a standdown for some minutes and the magistrate came back to give the court ruling. She remanded Yewande at the Agodi Prisons and adjourned the matter till February 16, 2016

for mention. The case, however, had a lot of dramatic moments as journalists that covered the event had a running battle with some of Yewande’s colleagues and prison warders, led by A.A. Aborode, who continually threatened that they would destroy the camera of journalists that were trying to take Yewande’s pictures. Also, the family of the deceased almost went physical with some of Yewande’s friends and colleagues. There were torrents of curses, people rushing at each other amid pleas for peace to reign. Some of the accused’s friends rained curses on journalists, alleging that they were responsible for her prosecution on the social media as, according to them, the press had already found her guilty without the benefit of a fair hearing. After almost two hours, the battle came to an end when it was discovered that rather than using the expected prison Black Maria lorry to take her to prison, she had been smuggled out of the court in a private car. This caused further allegations and noise by the deceased family members who expressed dissatisfaction that

after committing a crime, Yewande was being given preferential treatment. They were vehement in their fears that the case will not be judiciously prosecuted. Throughout the court sitting and the fracas, Yewande’s siblings and other family members that were in court were silent as they continued to weep. Earlier, some of her colleagues that spoke with Saturday Tribune had expressed their surprise at the incident, adding that it was shocking because the Yewande they knew could not stand crime in any form and would not condone any form of unruly behaviour, adding that she was not known to be a violent person. “I am surprised at what happened to her now, the person I have always known to discourage crime, to fight against crime has now been involved in a crime and a crime that we can describe as the highest in magnitude which has the punishment that is known to law. Honestly, I am surprised. I am short of words,” Adeleke Bakare, a lawyer said. “It is quite unfortunate that she found herself in this situ-

ation. This young lady who is accused of murder is somebody that has a high regard for the process of law. What could have led her into this act, I do not know but you see as an attorney there is really little I can say about this case now because whatever I say will amount to subjudice because the matter is right in the court of law. I don’t want to give an opinion that will affect the case, either advertently or inadvertently. “But basically what I can say is that she’s somebody that has good character, very disciplined. So I don’t know what could have led her to this, is it spiritual, is it emotional trauma? But strictly speaking, I was taken aback when I heard she was involved, she was the last person I would have thought could have taken laws into her own hands but by and large, this is going to be a test for the judiciary, it is going to be a test for the Nigerian Bar Association as a whole because members of the public are watching to see where the pendulum of justice will swing but for now, she is innocent until proven guilty because we don’t have the character of evidence in this matter for or against,” another lawyer said.

Mimiko announces backyard farming policy for Ondo residents THE Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has declared his government’s intention to encourage household in the state to undertake subsistence agriculture through backyard farming as a way of diversifying their income sources. Speaking with stakeholders in the agricultural sector in his office on Friday, the governor said the pervading fiscal climate in the nation is, no doubt, a wake-up call for the state and every household to diversify their income sources.

He said at the state level, emphasis is being placed on stimulating the real sector to perform better than before, adding that government wishes to encourage every household to, at least, undertake subsistence agriculture through backyard farming, including animal husbandry. At the meeting which was held as part of activities marking the seventh anniversary of his government and the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state, the governor said as an im-

petus to willing households, government shall provide sensitisation workshops, sundry motivations and support as incentives. He submitted that it is envisaged that the combined effort of everyone will aggregate to ease off pressure and dependence on state fund for livelihood. At this critical time in the history of our nation, he said, the onus is on all and sundry, especially those in leadership positions to lead by example towards repositioning the economy.

A witness, Mr Emeka Emelano has explained how his brother used his account to obtain funds from Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Emenalo, who said this on Friday before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, maintained that his company was used as a channel to obtain about N72 million from NIMASA. The witness, who introduced himself as sole proprietor of O2 services Plus Nig. Ltd, made the statement at the resumed trial of Patrick Akpobolokemi who is the immediate past Director General of NIMASA. Akpobolokemi was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside six others, on a 22-count charge bordering on allegations of conversion and theft to the tune of N2.6 billion. Other accused charged are Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan – and three companies, namely Blockz and Stonz Ltd, Kenzo Logistics Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistic Ltd. They are being tried before Justice Ibrahim Buba, where they had all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. Emelano is the fifth witness for the prosecution. In his evidence in chief conducted by the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness told the court that his company specialises in agro-allied services and gets remuneration for its services through its bank accounts. He told the court that sometime in 2015, his younger brother, one Uche Emelano sought to use his company to elicit a contract from NIMASA. He said that his brother had informed him that the contract would be got through the instrumentality of the third accused (Nwakuche). According to the witness, his brother instructed him to transfer any money paid to his company’s account as would be directed as soon as he was alerted. He told the court that as soon as he began to receive bank alerts, he informed his brother, who in turn informed the third accused. Emelano told the court that on June 18, 2015 he received an alert for N14.2 million and a further alert of N21 million, on March 15, 2015 he received an alert for N21 million and on May 4, 2015 he received an alert for N16 million. He said that he was thereafter instructed to transfer the monies to bank accounts with beneficiaries named as Blocks and Stonez Ltd and Governor Juan. He informed the court that his company did not execute any contract for NIMASA to have necessitated payment of the various funds. The witness added that he was also unaware of the nature of the contract for which his brother utilised his company’s account to obtain money from NIMASA. “I did not benefit anything from these monies paid, I only requested that the sum of N300,000 be left in the account to offset bank transfer charges,” Emenalo maintained. However, under cross-examination by counsel for the third accused, Mr Lanre Olayinka, the witness stressed that he did not enjoy any benefit from the sums paid into his account. Olayinka then tendered a statement of account before the witness, and drew his attention to a cheque issued in his name for the sum of N100,000. Olayinka then posed this question, “Mr Emelano, you claimed you did not benefit from the monies paid into your account, but from the document before you, on March 6, 2015 you issued a cheque in your name for the sum of N100,000. “If the money left in your account is for bank charges as you claimed, how come you issued a cheque for the amount in your name? What was the purpose of the money?” At this, the witness responded, “I took transport na.” Following his response, there was an uproar of laughter in the courtroom. Justice Ibrahim Buba thereafter informed parties that time had already been far spent. He consequently, adjourned the case till February 16 for continuation of cross-examination of the witness. In the 22-count charge, the accused were alleged to have converted to their use, a total of N2.6 billion between December 23, 2013 and May 28, 2015. The offences were said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (1), 15 (3), and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2012.

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6 February, 2016

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Police invite Jigawa PDP chairman Adamu Amadu -Dutse

From left, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Chief Adebayo Aremu and the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, during Chief Obasanjo’s visit to the Oluwo in his palace, at Iwo, Osun State, on Friday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

N150bn libel: Tinubu, Dokpesi opt for settlement Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin -Lagos

HE national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and the chairman of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, on Friday opted for an out-of-court settlement in a libel suit. Tinubu agreed to accept Dokpesi’s apology as settlement for the libellous documentary, “Lion of Burdillion” aired on Africa Independent Television (AIT). Tinubu had instituted the N150 billion suit before an Ikeja High Court against DAAR Communications Plc, owners of AIT, for airing the documentary. In the suit, Tinubu alleged that the documentary, which started airing on March 1, 2015, was libellous and aimed at tarnishing his image. At Friday’s proceedings, counsel for Dokpesi, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) informed the court of his client’s wish to embrace alternative dispute resolution.

“My lord, we have come to court today to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Every war that is fought is always settled amicably on a roundtable. “Both parties have expressed their desire to settle amicably based on the terms of settlement which my honourable lord has been furnished with. “We reached the agreement to enable both parties to continue with the good

relationship that they have always had. We have driven the devil away with a spiritual ‘Koboko’, Ozekhome told the court. Tinubu’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) also informed the court of his client’s willingness to settle out of court, “I align myself with the submissions and sentiments of my learned friend. I can also confirm that the terms of settlement which were drawn

Benue Commission of Inquiry: 52 persons, 10 corporate bodies to refund N152bn Johnson Babajide -Makurdi FIFTY-TWO persons and ten corporate bodies from the immediate past administration in Benue State have been asked to refund over N152billion as a result of mismanagement. This was contained in the report of the judicial commission of Inquiry submitted to Governor Samuel Ortom by the chairman of the commission, Justice Elizabeth Ikporjime, on

Friday. According to the report, the first group, Justice Ikporijime said: “The 52 individuals and 10 corporate bodies should refund the sum of N107,609,321,106.00 (one hundred and seven billion, six hundred and nine million, three hundred and twenty one thousand, one hundred and six naira).” She further stressed that, “it has also recommended for deeper investigation

AGF urges N/Assembly to enact laws to strengthen TSA, others THE Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to enact laws that would strengthen the public financial management reforms such as Treasury Single Account (TSA), IPPIS, IPSAS and GIFMIS being implemented by his office. He made this appeal while receiving the Senate Committee members on Public Account when they visited the Office of

up on the 29th of January have been accepted by both parties,” Olanipekun said. “I also want to appreciate my Lord for her patience all through the duration of the suit. I also appreciate the claimant who magnanimously agreed to settle out of court,” Olanipekun said. Consequently, Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe adopted the terms of settlement and acknowledged that it has been filed before the court.

the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) as part of their mandate in ensuring accountability, transparency and valuefor-money in the management of public accounts of the federation. Idris, while responding to some issues raised by the members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee noted that the (OAGF) Office of the Accountant General of the federation is facing myriad challenges, while stressing that the of-

fice has also recorded a lot of successes. Some of the challenges enumerated included non-compliance of the agencies with the provisions of Fiscal Responsibility act requiring the payment of 80 per cent of the operating surplus to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). Idris, therefore, called on the committee members to use their good offices to enact laws that would help to resolve the problems.

and possible refund of a further N44,721,553,467.70 (forty-four billion, seven hundred and twenty-one million, five hundred and fifty-three thousand, four hundred and sixty seven, seventy kobo. The commission further stated in its report that within eight years in review, over one trillion naira accrued to the state while over N219 billion was misappropriated. Justice Ikporjime further said that out of the total revenue accrued to the state, only 15 per cent thereof was allocated to capital expenditure, while 85 per cent went for recurrent expenditure but regretted that the little amount allocated for capital expenditure was characterised by lack of diligence in contract awards, contract inflation, abandonment of projects after collecting payments as well as payments for job not done. Governor Ortom had constituted the commission of inquiry to investigate funds accrued, received and its utilisation between 2007 and 2015.

FOLLOWING a formal complaint by the Jigawa State government against the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jigawa State, Alhaji Salisu Mamuda, the Jigawa State Police Command has issued an invitation letter to the chairman of the party. Confirming the invitation to Saturday Tribune in Dutse, the state capital, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Abdu Jinjiri in a telephone interview said, “yes, there is a complaint against the PDP chairman and the police had to invite him.” The police spokesperson added: “I saw the invitation letter, I don’t know whether it has been delivered and if he (the PDP chairman) has honoured the invitation or not”. Saturday Tribune’s findings revealed that the PDP chairman recently accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) led state government of spending over N400 million when welcoming defectors from the PDP into the APC in the state.

Daniel remains one of Ogun’s best governors in 40 years —Paseda By Dare Adekanmbi THE governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State in the 2015 governorship election, Chief Rotimi Paseda, has described a former governor of the state, Chief Gbenga Daniel, as one of the best governors of the state since its creation in 1976. Paseda, who spoke against the background of the 40th anniversary of the state at the New Year meeting of Imole Group in Ijebu-Itele, said the state would have been catapulted to the desired height in developmental strides if Daniel’s blueprint for the state had been followed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. The governorship hopeful counselled Governor Amosun to de-personalise governance in the state and prioritise people-oriented projects. Paseda, who is contesting in the governorship race in 2019, promised to implement Daniel’s blueprint on assumption of office and change the face of politics and governance in the state.

Lagos inaugurates mobile court for traffic offenders Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin -Lagos THE Lagos State government on Friday inaugurated five mobile court buses for road traffic offenders. Speaking at the commissioning, the Lagos State Attorney General, Mr Kazeem Adeniji and the Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, warned against flouting traffic laws. Justice Atilade, who observed that most traffic offenders often evade the consequences of their misdeeds, warned that it would no longer be business as usual for them. “Let it be made known to all that the era of recklessness and impunity on

our public roads and highways are gone. “Those who chose to make life difficult for other people, especially on our roads, should have a re-think, as they would henceforth be held accountable for their misdeeds,” she said.

RETRACTION

PUBLIC NOTICE ON DAODU RULING HOUSE We hereby retract the public notice in our 15th October, 2015 publication regarding DAODU RULING HOUSE OYAN in ODO-OTIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OSUN STATE, entirely. Management.

news

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

SSANU suspends strike THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has suspended its one month old industrial action and directed its members to return to work on Monday. National President of the association, Mr Samson Ugwoke, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos of the developments on telephone on Friday. Ugwoke said that the resolution to suspend the strike was taken after the association met with officials of the Ministry of Labour and other concerned stakeholders on Feb. 2. “We had a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 2 with the Ministry of Labour and other concerned stakeholders. “At that meeting, it was resolved that we suspend the action and call our members back to work. “We want to give room for Labour and other people involved to sit over the matter. “We shall be going back to work on Monday, based on the outcome of the meeting.”

The children of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I: From left, Princess Bose Lana Omotosho; former Commissioner for Information, Oyo State, Prince Gbade Lana; Princess Yemi Sowunmi; Prince Kayode Lana and Princess Yinka Lana, during the Juma’at service for Oba Odulana, at the Oja’ba Central Mosque, Oja’ba, Ibadan, on Friday. PHOTO: D. ‘TOYIN.

Oba Odulana, a man of peace —Chief Imam of Ibadanland By Tunde Ogunesan

THE Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh AbdulGaniy Abubakri Agbotomokekere on Friday extolled the virtues of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I, describing him as a peace lover and peace maker during his reign. Sheikh Agbotomokekere disclosed this during a special prayer for the late oba immediately after the weekly Jumat service at the Central Mosque, Oja’ba, Ibadan. The jumat service kickstarted the burial rites for the late traditional ruler who joined his ancestors on January 19. The Islamic cleric said “Oba Odulana was a peace maker, peace lover and this was evident during his reign. Ibadan was peaceful as he practically dem-

onstrated his position in peace, this feat cannot be underestimated.” “Today, we are very proud of his legacy. No doubt he will be fondly remembered for these attributes. Allah was very good to him, having risen through the ladder of success in his lifetime,” Sheikh Agbotomokekere said. The children and family

members of the late oba were led to the Jumat service by a former Commissioner for Information, Prince Gbade Lana, while Alhaji Lekan Alli represented the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Also, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dawood Makanjuola, the Osi Balogun of Ibadan, High Chief

Kogi Assembly crisis deepens Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja THE Kogi State House of Assembly may be in for another round of leadership crisis as the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has directed its members not to be part of any arrangement that will change the leadership of the house. The PDP, which has ma-

jority of the members of the house also said status quo should be maintained with the incumbent Speaker, Momoh Jimoh and others retained in their positions. Saturday Tribune gathered that the PDP lawmakers were on Thursday summoned to the national secretariat of the party where they held a meeting with members

NLC blasts Okorocha over shooting of medical doctor Soji-Eze Fagbemi - Abuja THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described as unlawful, immoral and betrayal of the principles of democracy the use of the armed police and militia against law-abiding workers by the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. Reacting to the shooting of a medical doctor by an armed policeman during a peaceful protest by members of the Nigerian Medical Association in Owerri, the NLC said the action of Governor Okorocha should be rebuked by all. In a statement titled: “Stop Torturing Workers,”

Dr Olufemi Olaifa represented the Olubadanin-Council while the President General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) Chief Wole Akinwande, former President Chief Bayo Oyero and a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Kehinde Subair were also present on the occasion.

the NLC said the shooting of a medical doctor represented a big minus for the police force and a rising degree of intolerance for alternative view point by the government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha. “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress condemn this bestial and despicable act in its entirety. Even in wars without rules, medical doctors and other health workers enjoy the singular distinction of protection and preservation by combatants on either side. “For the police to therefore fire live ammunition at peacefully-protesting

doctors who were asking for their legitimate rights runs counter to any known rule of engagement,” the NLC said in the statement signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba. The NLC president, however, pointed out that the shooting of the medical doctor who is lying critically ill, is not an isolated case but part of a growing terror culture instituted by Governor Okorocha. He said: “In the past two weeks alone, his armed militia had beaten a medical doctor at Uboma Hospital to a state of coma as well as brutalising several others.”

of the National Working Committee, led by the acting national chairman, Uche Secondus. The meeting, according to sources, was held following an alleged move by the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to replace Momoh with a lawmaker from his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The proposed change in the leadership was predicated on the need to balance the first three posts among the three senatorial districts of the state since the new governor and the Speaker are from the same local government area in the Central Senatorial district of the state. Bello had early in the week met with the members of the House, where the issue of leadership was discussed and he was said to have expressed his preference for the member representing Lokoja 1 state constituency, Umar Imam. Worried by the alleged concession of some of the PDP lawmakers, the national leadership was said to have told them to return to Lokoja and occupy the posts they were holding before the coming of Bello as governor.

RTEAN congratulates Ajimobi over Supreme Court verdict By Segun Adebayo ROAD Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Oyo State chapter, has congratulated the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi on his victory at the Supreme Court, which affirmed him winner of the April 23, 2015 governorship election. A release signed by its chairman, Prince Kehinde Adeyemo, a copy of which was made available to Saturday Tribune on Friday, described Ajimobi’s victory across the courts as the will of God established by the good people of the state, adding that now that there is no more distraction, the governor can hit the ground running. Speaking further, Prince Adeyemo appealed to the people of the state to continue to live in peace despite the economic hardship that is taking its toll on every sector of the economy, saying that the anti-corruption of war of President Muhammadu Buhari and the governor’s decision to diversify the economy will bring positive returns to the people of the state.

news

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Fire guts two departments in Ambrose Alli University Banji Aluko - Benin City

From left, Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Director of Highways South-West, Mr Adetokunbo Sogbesan; Director, Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr James Akanni and the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, during the visit of the Federal Government Committee on Reimbursement of Federal Highways Project to States, in Ibadan on Friday. Photo: NAN.

War against corruption gaining momentum in Nigeria —Ekpo Nta

HE chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barrister Ekpo Nta, says the war against corruption has started gaining momentum as more Nigerians are enlisting in it. Nta attributed the healthy development to the anti-corruption disposition of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that the president had been leading by example. He said this while featuring in a current affairs news programme, Issues of the moment, on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) as he expressed delight that the anti-corruption war was already heading in the right direction in Nigeria. The ICPC boss said even

the international community had started reckoning with the anti-corruption drive of the Nigerian government. He said the seriousness with which the war was being fought in Nigeria had been eliciting responses from countries which he

stressed have promised to offer assistance to Nigeria in the fight against corruption. He said the fight against corruption had also started generating interest from the grass roots in Nigeria as even local communities were willingly reporting

Jigawa govt dismisses 3 LG bosses for misuse of N340million Adamu Amadu - Dutse THE Jigawa State House of Assembly, on Friday, approved the dismissal of chairmen of three local government councils from office after being confirmed guilty of misappropriating public fund to the tune of over N340 million. This was contained in the State Assembly Investigating Committee reports made available to news-

men in the state. Those removed from office are the chairmen of Birniwa, Jahun and Gumel local government councils — Alhaji Muhammad Bundai Bura, Alhaji Musa Garba Harbo and Alhaji Ala Gumel respectively. Presenting its reports to the assembly on the financial misconduct in the three local government councils, the committee on public account re-

We can defeat Boko Haram —Military Chris Agbambu -Abuja THE Defence Headquarters, on Friday, said that the Boko Haram insurgency is within the ambit of what the Nigerian Armed Forces can handle. It dismissed a report credited to military high command on the contrary as purely and unreservedly misleading. In a statement, the Defence Headquarters said the story which claimed that Service Chiefs decried inadequate equipment and non release of 2015 military votes as the reason for continued insurgency is scurrilous and calculated to diminish the armed forces.

indigenes they suspect as living above their means. He recalled that hitherto, the indigenes of some communities had been hostile to law enforcement operatives and anti-corruption agencies including the ICPC when they want to make arrests.

“The story is false and far from what happened when the service chiefs visited the leadership of the senate,” the statement noted. It read: “For avoidance of doubt, the visit of the military leadership to the Senate president was purely a closed-door meeting aimed at intimating the Senate about the level of successes recorded in the onslaught against Boko Haram and to assure the National Assembly and all Nigerians that the military is winning and will soon see the end of this menace called Boko Haram. “Consequently, the newspaper captions are inappropriate and misleading designed to further con-

fuse the general public about the situation in the North East.” CORRECTION OF NAME Ityohule Sylvester was wrongly written as Ityghule Sylvester, the correct spelling of my name is ITYOHULE SYLVESTER henceforth.

vealed that the chairman of Birniwa LG misappropriated the sum of over N72 million; that of Gumel LG misappropriated over N129 million, while that of Jahu LG misappropriated over N140 million. The committee, under the chairmanship of Ahmed Mohammed Garba, who is also the Deputy Speaker, revealed that before the adaption for the removal of the affected chairmen, the state assembly had earlier suspended the chairmen sometime in June last year for failure to comply with provision of local government appropriation law. The committee’s recommendation, which has been adopted by the assembly, stated that, “The chairmen of Birniwa, Jahun and Gumel local government councils should be removed from office by this honourable House to serve as deterrent to others as well as ensure efficient and effective management of public funds. “That the honourable House should direct the executive to prosecute the three local government chairmen and recover the amount.”

THE departments of Civil Engineering and Philosophy in the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, were on Thursday night gutted by fire that destroyed vital documents and property worth millions of naira. The fire razed the buildings and destroyed property such as computer sets, televisions, air conditioners, ceiling fans, office cabinets, refrigerators, office chairs and tables, amongst others. The cause of the fire is still unknown but there are suspicions of arson as the office of the examination officer of the Civil Engineering, containing students’ results, examination scripts and records were completely burnt. A staff member of the university said he saw an alleged arsonist pouring liquid substance suspected to be fuel on an air conditioner before striking a match, after which he allegedly ran away. While the Department of Philosophy was completely razed, the fire was curtailed at the Civil Engineering Department through a combined effort of the Dean of Students Affairs, the Chief Security Officer of the university and members of the students’ union government. There were also reports of looting, as some students took advantage of the situation to steal valuable property, including generator sets, plasma television, computer UPS, laptops and others. Spokesperson for the institution, Chris Adamaigbo, was not available for comments due to a strike called by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) chapter of the university.

Meetings of statutory organs of PDP hold next week—NWC Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe-Abuja THE National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has scheduled meetings of all its statutory organs for next week as part of efforts to resolve all pending issues paramount to the repositioning the party ahead of the 2019 elections. This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday. According to the schedule approved by the NWC, “the meeting of the national caucus of the party has been slated for 9 February, 2016 at 7:00p.m. It will be followed by the meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) on the morning of 10 February. The National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet at 2:00p.m. on 10 February.” “The meetings are in furtherance of internal discussions on very crucial issues within the party as well as ways to reposition it for the challenges ahead,” the statement added.

Moret produces youngster playwright By Kehinde Adio THE Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Aderonke Makanjuola, has eulogised Miss Eniola Olaniyan for her outstanding achievement in the world of book publishing. She described the author as a promising and industrious student who has laid a legacy worthy of emulation by her contemporaries in the federation. Mrs Makanjuola praised Miss Olaniyan, a student of Moret Comprehensive College, Ibadan, at the official launching of her book - The adventures of the three gifted fairies – on Wednesday. According to Mrs Makanjuola, Miss Olaniyan’s book would be an eyeopener and motivation to her colleagues at various levels in both public and private secondary schools in the state. While advising Nigerian youths to shun all forms of vices and cultivate the reading culture habit, she enjoined the author not to relent in her effort, but to work hard to become another Nobel laureate in the nearest future.

Reception for Oke Ogun lawmakers holds today A civic reception in honour of Oke Ogun lawmakers at the Oyo State Assembly and the National Assembly will take place today by 12noon at Iseyin City Town Hall. The occasion organised by the Scout Association of Nigeria, Oke Ogun Scout Division, is chaired by Chief Tejubiyi Ishola and would feature Dr Wale Okediran, former member, House of Representatives, Abuja, as guest lecturer.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

newsmaker Tope Aluko: What becomes of a gadfly activist? By Sam Nwaoko

HE man Temitope Aluko has created a special space for himself in the extant discussions of Nigerians in and outside the country. Until recently, he was neither seen nor heard by many in his native Ekiti State, with scores of people wondering what had become of his initial quibbles against his erstwhile friend and political ally, Governor Ayodele Fayose and their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But last Sunday, he literally climbed out of his whimper to deliver a shout that has obviously shot him into the consciousness of even the most politically aloof in the country. The Iyin-Ekiti born politician has not even stopped being a topic among a category of students in the state, years after he left the then University of Ado Ekiti (UNAD) where he became so popular. Until he left the university, Dr Tope Aluko was a man the people could not forget. Before the recent drama that finally put the name of TKO on the bigger picture, he had been in a running battle with Governor Ayodele Fayose over the leadership of the PDP in the state. He and some other members of the party’s state executive council chose to kick against the emergence of a man they referred to as “Fayose’s crony”, Chief Idowu Faleye, as the acting chairman of the party in the state. He complained to the media that he was not satisfied with the way the party was being run and decided to kick, thereby engineering the ‘coup’ which removed Faleye as the chairman of the party. But soon after, Faleye, obviously with the backing of another political strong man who is the governor of the state, fought back. During the brickbats, Aluko told of how they were being starved of funds as executive members of the party in the state. He even went as far as telling that some amount of money was in the party’s accounts, which he said should have been used to settle their allowances and save them from suffering. In the ensuing brickbats, Faleye was suspended while Aluko was also suspended. But it went way beyond that as the matter was taken to the national executive of the party, which eventually announced that Aluko had been expelled. But before the

expulsion, some of those with whom Aluko worked within the party had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and hinted that Aluko and some others were still coming to the APC to join them. But he vehemently denied that he was leaving the PDP and explained that he would remain in the party, no matter what, because “it is a party we laboured to build.” But last Sunday, Dr Aluko, who was the secretary of PDP in Ekiti State when the governorship election was held, and who was an insider in the plans and execution of the election, went to the media to tell of how they had committed a coup rather than contest an election. He had told the world via the media that they received money from former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to fund the election and that the had used soldiers and sundry security outfits to hound their opponents in the election out of contention. Interestingly, he absolved the umpire and organ that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting the election, which is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of any blame in the alleged heist. Thus, following the confessions of Dr Aluko on the television, the resonance of a governorship election conducted in Ekiti State on Saturday, June 21, 2014 has remained deafening. To many observers of the man said to be in his mid-fifties, the end of this new venture is as unclear as its timing. Since Tope Aluko does not want to remain a quibler in the party he struggled to build, his shout about its atrocities, it is believed would rather hasten its death, to say the least. Some have contended that the dear doctor had acted like the proverbial cricket in his self-confession of a crime, with nothing to show that he was on a witness protection system. It is held in certain climes that the cricket, in a bid to make its chirping sound, which is its identity, grinds its powerful hind legs against its partly unfurled wings. The hind legs of the cricket has pikes, which some describe as combs. While in the process of grinding the legs to produce the chirp, the cricket often, albeit inadvertently, tears its belly, and thereby

commits suicide without actually thinking about it. However, while some are seen to be hailing Aluko for deciding to speak out on the alleged electoral fraud, others, especially those who witnessed the election in the state and more especially the Ekiti citizenry, are still wondering if he was discussing the same election they participated in. The opinions about Aluko are as varied as we have personal thoughts. Some have said he should be arrested and prosecuted. Even the Ekiti State Attorney General has gone to court to get an order to compel the commissioner of police to arrest and prosecute him. But the APC in the state has risen in his defence and warned that his arrest would signal anarchy in the state as, according to Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, the spokesperson for the APC in the state, his arrest would amount to persecution. The question among the people of the state therefore is “whose interest is Aluko serving?” Not a few believe that the man has decided to stay in the PDP, fight the party’s authorities to submission and work against them when the it matters most. Others think Aluko has only set off a measure that could serve as a ring around the long-haboured animosity of the people he is said to be working for to rubbish the election as much as possible and bring down the party. All these are however still in the realm of conjecture. On the political scene, where he and all known politicians fight for their interest, the outcome of his ‘confessions’ are being awaited. Fayose, the direct object of his verbal attacks said of the Aluko tirade that it would not fetch him any reasonable favours from those he is working for. The truth in this contention is to be seen.

newsfeature

interview

womanaffair

Untold story of lawyer who stabbed husband to death

What APC still wants with Fayose’s election despite S/Court verdict —Segun Oni

No woman can maintain balance between home and career —Bello, Consultant

Pp22,27

Pp38&39

Dematologist, OAUTHC

Pp38&39

feature

He is disabled, yet he owns a school and has many workers P41

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

No woman can maintain balance between home and career Hamidah Bello is a consultant dermatologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ibadan. In this interview with TAIBA ALIMI, she speaks on her experience as a mother, wife and a professional.

t is believed that women are more comfortable studying art courses, what spurred your interest in science? It may be true because if I look at my set there were more male students than female, although I don’t know the reason for this. I didn’t really have any special interest in science. I think then once you were noted as a brilliant student you just gravitate towards science or sub-science courses like engineering, medicine and the like. My father wanted me to study Medicine and since I didn’t have any dislike for it, I just went ahead. I graduated from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 2004 and I recently finished my residency training in dermatology and venereology at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife.

What motivated your interest in dermatology? Well, I think I developed interest in dermatology out of curiosity. Being able to recognise skin lesions and saying with some certainty that this is the diagnosis is very interesting to me. Also in dermatology when you give particular treatment, the effects are clear and obvious for all to see. It is a specialty that not so many people are into because they feel differentiating skin diseases might be difficult but when you are trained in it, everything looks easy and this makes you feel good. What are the common skin diseases people are exposed to? In our environment infectious dermatitis are common. Fungal infections are common, especially in children. People who bleach usually come up with fungal infection because bleaching would have suppressed the skin immune system. In children, bacterial infection such as impetigo is common while acne is the most common adolescent skin disease. Everyone has acne at a stage in their lives. There are so many other diseases like atopic dermatitis which has been found to be increasing in our environment, mainly from adopting a Western diet or life style, and possibly increased air pollution. Also, sexually transmitted diseases manifest in a variety of ways on the skin, for example we have perineal warts which appear as lumpy flesh or big pimple. What advice will you give a person

who desires a glowing skin? To the dermatologist, all skin colours are good as there is no skin complexion that is better than the other. The most important thing is how to maintain your skin. My first advice is that you avoid using products which are not doctor-prescribed. Wash the body regularly with any mild soap. Now we prefer PH-based cleansers, which are the ideal for washing. Then moisturise adequately. These are the two primary things you can do to make your skin look good. There are various types of moisturisers in the market, once you use a good product to cleanse and moisturise, you will have a glowing and healthy skin. Washing should not be done all the time while the use of medicated soap all the time is discouraged. Again, you do not have to wash with soap all the time. The practice of washing the face to remove oil, covering exposed parts of the body as much as possible, especially when outside or using sunscreens should be imbibed while it is ideal to present skin issues early to a dermatologist. How easy is it combining your activities at work with your role as a wife and mother? Personally, I do not believe that one can combine both together and claim to score a 100 per cent. There would always be a loophole somewhere but every woman should try to create time for her family and work. When you are not giving your children in particular total attention, it shows. Balancing the home and career is difficult because taking care of the children and nurturing life is a top job in itself while managing some other things alongside the home is also not an easy task as you may be losing something immeasurable. The ideal thing is for a woman to stay back at home and take care of the kids till they can be on their own. But I also know that this is Nigeria and the prevailing circumstances might make this impracticable. I make sure I devote time for my children whenever I am at home. I ensure my evenings are free, so when they get back from school I readily give them the full attention. My husband and I have been able to develop a synergy which has helped me a lot because his job is less demanding and he has more time. Who is your spouse? He is Bello Kolawole Abdulwaheed.

What do you love most about your spouse? I love the fact that my spouse compliments me, gives me strength where I am weak and I hope he could say that of me too. I am often forgetful, I am the kind of person that does things at the last minute, but my husband is always on point. If you give him a task he does it in a remarkable way. He is also very organised.

cause you are from different backgrounds. You should learn to make excuses for each other, blend and compliment each other. There is also the need to be patient because it takes time to understand a person. In marriage communication is key because if you do not say it the other person would not know. Although, sometimes you get angry, you should learn to make up in order to avoid a strain in your relationship.

How old is your marriage? I got a proposal from my husband in my final year in school and we got married on December 17, 2004 which makes it a little above 11 years.

What does relaxation mean to you? Relaxation to me is lying down and reading a book. I love books a lot and I have authored some books and published about two. I learnt almost everything I know from books. I also love watching films.

From your experience what makes a happy home? When I finished from the medical school in 2004, I started residency training in 2008. In-between, I did my housemanship and one year national youth service. I worked at a private hospital before going for residency. So I have been away for the past seven years and it was even worse when I was a junior resident because I had to do calls and there were weekends I had to be away so my husband was really on the ground. So I think a loving, supporting partner is really essential and without it, a woman cannot really achieve much. Although she might be making success in her career, a gap would be left in her home leading to imbalances in every aspect of her family life. I believe making out time for family is important for a woman. When my husband and I got married, we had no job. He did not know he would get a teaching appointment so it wasn’t that I intentionally chose someone that would be a secondary school teacher. I therefore believe prayer is very important. One should always pray for the right person that would fit her. You should try and understand your spouse be-

How do you keep fit? I do exercise every morning. Actually, I am trying to lose some weight and reduce my belly fat. So sometimes I don’t go in my car, I rather stroll. Can you tell us what your favourite attire is? I love gowns that fit but are free, although most times I am in skirt and blouse. Do you have a beauty routine? I have a good skin though I have acne, but this is clearing. What I do is to make sure I wash my face four times with mild soap. Whenever I do ablution, it also helps me. Once I have acne, I use some lotions which I apply at night while I don’t use foundation or powder. What is your advice to people who bleach? They should stop bleaching because the black man’s skin is beautiful. Rather than bleach, they should take lots of fruits and vegetables with water.

6 February, 2016

BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink

Spot fake

honey with these easy steps

By Blessing Ekum

t’s a known fact that honey is one of the world’s superfood. With its tremendous health, healing and beauty benefits, it has increasingly become common in most homes. However, in recent times, there has been a rise in the incidence of adulterated honey.

Adulterated, impure, artificial or fake honey simply implies that the honey has glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, sugar syrup, invert sugar, flour, starch, or any other similar product. This is as against pure, natural, organic honey which is sourced from the floral nectar gathered, processed, and stored in the comb by honey bees. The problem with adulterated honey is that it’s

Saturday Tribune

an issue for those who are trying to cut out processed sugar from their diet. Alhaja Hauwa Adebayo, a beekeeper and honey producer said, “Ideally, the honey’s content is expected to be labeled on the bottle, but this doesn’t always happen and even when it does, it is not usually a guarantee that the honey is indeed pure. Also, when it comes to honey, prices are not always a good indication of quality.” How then can you spot adulterated honey? She said, “unfortunately, you cannot distinguish pure from impure honey by just looking at it. Over the years, there have been different kinds of tests that can be used to identify adulterated honey. Though most of these tests work, the fact is that adulterators have gotten smarter. For instance, it is known that pure honey usually has particles of the bee in it, but adulterators fake the honey and then pour particles in it to deceive the consuming public. But there are still some other tests that can be done. If the honey passes through most of the tests, then it can be considered safe to say it’s pure.” Expiry date and crystallisation There is usually the question of expiration and also crystallisation. It is assumed that when honey crystallizes, then it’s fake or has reached its expiry date. Prince Falade, CEO, Kingsway Quality Foods Ltd, said no matter how long you keep pure honey, it doesn’t expire. He adds that pure honey may crystallise over time, but that doesn’t mean it is fake. Gold or brown The colour of the honey is not foolproof of its purity. The floral source and pollen

content determines the colour of the honey. So, some can come out gold in colour while others would be darker in colour. However, irrespective of the colour, they possess the same medicinal value. Thick or watery Alhaja Adebayo said, “it is usually believed that pure honey is thicker in consistency than adulterated ones. But it’s not necessarily so. Honey’s thickness depends on the level of moisture at the time of harvesting. The more the moisture, the lighter the honey will be in consistency and vice versa. However, pure honey is denser and would sink when added to water rather than dissolve immediately.” Don’t trust ants Mrs Helen Ajala, a professional beekeeper said, “pure honey attracts ants. Honey is sweet and around everything sweet, ants would gather. In fact, even the beehives are sometimes threatened by ants that are attracted to the sweetness. Adulterated honey contains artificial sweeteners which would also attract ants. So, ants are not a sure test. It is wrongly believed that pure honey won’t attract ants, so some people add insect-repelling chemicals to pure honey and sell while others add these chemicals to adulterated honey. This is not safe for human consumption and is in fact not true that pure honey would repel ants.” Consistency with results Honey has numerous benefits, so if you make use of a brand and reap the benefits of honey, you can be sure it’s pure and can maintain loyalties with them. For instance, honey has been shown by research to act as a cough suppressant. Its thick consistency coats the throat while the sweet taste is believed to trigger nerve endings that protect the throat from incessant coughing. Also, it can be used as treatment for wounds and burns as it disinfects wounds and sores from bacteria and speeds up healing without leaving major scars. When a brand consistently produces these results, you can be sure it’s pure and maintain loyalties.

6 February, 2016

08055001741 (sms only)

conversewithyemisi What is wrong with me?

Dear Yemisi, How do I explain my relationship with ladies? The last relationship I had was in 2012, about four years ago and that was the last one I had. She left me because I was not ready to meet her demand, which is sex basically. Ever since, it has been practically difficult to get another lady. One of my problems is not being able to talk to them or express my feelings. Secondly, even when I try to talk to them, I go blank. And thirdly, they always say no. I really don’t know what is wrong with me. I am scared. What do I do ma? Victor. Dear Victor, You must first overcome your fear for you to make the best of any relationship you decide to go into. What you must urgently do is to first forget and forgive your past affair so as to move on. Once you take life as it comes by claiming responsibility for your actions and inactions, then you are on the path to recovery. I know you don’t go blank with your friends and family members because there is no perceived threat to your interaction with them, then you have to overcome fear when next you open up a discussion with any lady of your choice. Talking to a lady might demand you being more relaxed than talking to friends or family mem-

bers. You must equally improve your conversation skills and always have something to talk about, not just talking for its sake. If it involves making some research on topical issues, please, go ahead , you can’t just be an ignorant. Arm yourself with facts on issues. Victor, this is the time to be confident by being yourself. Alluding to the fact that you felt that you ended your affair with your girlfriend four years ago because of your failure to accede to her request should not now make you to change your decision to avoid premarital sex, though you did not tell me why you avoided having sex with her. This is the time to stay by your words and actions. You must work on your interpersonal relationship with people around you, especially if you are the type who has problem in starting a conversation with even a man or woman, as findings have shown that guys who are naturally good with women always tend to be with all. From now on, talk with more people. If you work in an office, make a conscious effort to speak to more people, even it is just asking them about their well-being or about the state of the nation. Try to elicit good emotions, memories and feeling from people and not the negative ones. Create mutual rapport with people. You can

My girlfriend is unpredictable

yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

do this by attending your colleagues’ functions/ events, clubs, meetings or societies where you have shared interests with others. This will facilitate your walking up to a girl who you know nothing about. At such gathering, you have something else to focus on which invariably takes the pressure off you and, therefore, your mind is less likely to go blank. Speaking to someone at this neutral place is so easy and effortless. Victor, that you failed in your first outing is not final, build on your self-esteem and be prepared for the challenges ahead. There can never be a success story without challenges. You must stop being nervous. When you succeed in getting the love of your life, share your feelings with her without reservation, express your thoughts and feelings wholeheartedly. From the start, always consult your partner for advice. Seeking her opinion indicates that you respect her. It means you look to her for guidance, and it strengthens her understanding of her role in your life. Learn also to vent your feelings to each other. If your partner is obviously nervous, upset, worried, or concerned about something, ask her to vent and share her feelings with you. Let your partner know that you are there to listen to what she has to say.

Dear Yemisi, have a girlfriend who I have been monitoring for some time. I have been noticing that whenever we are together (one or two days at most) either at my place in school or I visit her at her father’s house, she becomes angry easily. If we, however, interact on the phone, the scenario is different, as she does not display any form of anger or untoward attitude. This could go on for one or two months. Suddenly, she would change and become something else, after realising the effect of her misconduct. Most times, she would later call, pleading with me and we would continue from there until recently, when I felt I had to review my affair with her. Since I love her, I thought her predicament might be spiritual. This is why I am writing to ask if you think both of us can spend the rest of our lives together. If you are of the opinion that I should continue to cope with her rash behaviour, I will call her for settlement and if not, I won’t call her, because I have tried my best. She is still battling to pass her O’level, which also gives me worries. Dear Yemisi, should I go on with the relationship? Please, I need your intervention. 070*****4**. Dear Anonymous, You were too vague in putting your feelings across to me because you did not expatiate on the untoward attitude of your girlfriend. Though you might have seen some things that have suggested to you that the lady is under spiritual attack, you did not mention it. All I can volunteer through this medium is that you should take time to review the affair with the lady and what you have benefitted from the association till date before you go ahead with whatever decision you arrive at. You are the one at the receiving end and I cannot insist that you continue to manage the unpredictability of your lover. I want you to be sincere with yourself by being objective. If the relationship will not be in the best interest of both parties, kindly call it quit before it is too late. You gain nothing by pretending that all is well. You will bear the brunt of your decision. Though you have mentioned that her state of mind at times might have been induced by some forces you cannot explain, what did you do to assist her? Her state might be influenced by inferiority complex as you have claimed that she is still struggling to pass her O’level examination. Please, be forthright with her and let her go and see a psy-

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For Him Adeniji, 54, based in Ibadan, divorced, needs a woman aged between 30 and 50 for a relationship. Call 08089614678. Akinbade, 47, businessman, needs a wife, aged between 28 and 40 for a relationship. Call 08186879316. Oladayo, 29, dark-complexioned, tall, photographer, student, needs a mature lady aged between 23 and 32, for a relationship. Call 07016234268. Taiwo Akinwale, engineer, based in Ibadan, needs a working class Nigerian lady from Yoruba land aged between 25 and 32. Call 08154347444.

For Her Oluwatoyin, 32, graduate, single parent, wants a humble, caring, loving and Godfearing man for an affair. Call 08033632417. Princess, 27, tall, fair, pretty, graduate, wants a God-fearing guy, gainfully employed aged between 30 and 48 who will love and take care of me. Call 09030609250. chologist if her case requires such. If this is the only thing that you can do to assist her, please go ahead as this will be on record that you have saved humanity, even if you do not become husband and wife, who knows whether you are in her life for a moment like this. She might not know what she is going through. I am sure that by the time she sees an expert, she would be able to open up on issues she cannot tell you. You need to act fast before she loses her mind completely. I wish you the very best.

Lola, 29, tall, dark-skinned, God-fearing, needs a serious man aged between 38 and 55 for a relationship. Call 08108367799. Bola, 32, Abuja-based, needs a caring, responsible and employed man for a serious relationship. Call 08168247081.

6 February, 2016

intimacy

Saturday Tribune

With Bosede Ola-Samuel 08112658560 bosedeola_samuel@yahoo.com

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

Why your woman doesn’t orgasm

t’s been suggested that one in every four women will have problems reaching orgasm at some stage in their life, and 25 to 35 per cent may have never experienced orgasm before. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty reaching orgasm during intercourse. In fact, an estimated 70 per cent of women don’t ever have penetrative orgasms. For many women, the problem is inability to reach orgasm during penetration but not with other forms of stimulation. Such women may find that changing their sexual position will help. The common man-on-top position rarely provides adequate clitoral stimulation to trigger orgasm, but some women find that if they are on top, then orgasm is easier. However, for some couples, the way their bodies fit together means that it won’t ever be possible without some extra stimulation from a finger.

For the woman

If you can’t reach orgasm during any form of stimulation, particularly if you have never achieved orgasm, then the first thing you need to do is work out what’s causing the problem. Medical reasons There are very few medical reasons why a woman can’t reach orgasm but if you have a diagnosed neurological, vascular or hormone problem, then check with your doctor. The problem could be a side effect of medication and very occasionally pelvic surgery can cause nerve damage and loss of sensation. Inadequate stimulation The most common physical cause is a lack of adequate stimulation. Most women need direct clitoral stimulation in order to achieve orgasm. The second most common factor is tiredness or general illness. Our bodies need to be in general good health in order to enjoy sex. Psychological causes Many women experience a range of psychological problems that make orgasm elusive. The most common is known as “spectatoring.” When an orgasm seems to be taking forever, many women detach from what’s happening

and become orgasm watchers. Anxiety increases and rather than enjoying the moment, they get increasingly impatient with themselves. Stress Another thing that affects female orgasm is stress. If she is stressed and thinks of problems, sex will not work. Relationship problems are also a major contributor to sexual dissatisfaction. If there is unresolved tension with your partner, then your physical relationship will inevitably suffer. Sexual makeup of women Not understanding the sexual makeup of women can also be a hindrance to female orgasm. Men need to know that women are not as men are. Men are immediately stimulated by sight but women are not. They need more time; they need the right atmosphere - some romance; sometimes soft music can help. To get her to desire you and want to have sex, you have to court her, so that she feels like an attractive woman, and not like a service provider. Men can often make up a quarrel by making love, but women need to feel that the relationship is good first, in order to feel desire. She needs to get in the right mood. Her man can be helpful and give her a lot of care and appreciation.

A woman who has never had an orgasm may be able to learn this by practice. Her chances of succeeding are higher if she has a partner who is responsive to her needs.

Distraction Some women find they are easily distracted from what’s going on, worrying about things to be done or worrying about how their body looks to their partner. Negative sexual messages from the past can leave a woman feeling uncomfortable about being sexually aroused or fearful of losing control. The truth is, most women will not achieve orgasm through an ordinary genital sexual intercourse. And men often are tired after their orgasm. Because of this, it may be best to ensure that the woman has an orgasm before the man. She will still be excited afterwards, and will enjoy his orgasm.

A word to men

Making love is a slow process for a woman and you may have to start many hours in advance, by providing fondness and attention. Women need much longer foreplay than men. Start by whispering sweet words in her ear and fondling her all over her body, but not in the genital area. Be sensitive all the time to what she likes and what she wants to hear. Do not fondle the genital area until she is ready (use lubricating gel, which you can buy in a drug store). You need to have patience. She may not get an orgasm until after 20 minutes or more. And sometimes it will not work, even if you do everything right. You need to love her anyway. When orgasm is not forthcoming: Women can enjoy sex even if they do not get an orgasm. They enjoy the nearness and intimacy, the fondling and the feeling of love and desire. A request from the man that she must have an orgasm can be a problem for the woman. In spite of this, her husband should try to learn to satisfy her. A woman who has never had an orgasm may be able to learn this by practice. Her chances of succeeding are higher if she has a partner who is responsive to her needs. In response to my readers’ request, I have packaged some of my previous articles into a book with the title: ENJOYING GREAT SEX LIFE. You can call me on 08112658560 for the book.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Temper control

STORY

Get Inspired

NCE upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!” As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!” Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough

as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!). Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment. “As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.” Well, many weeks passed. Finally one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone. At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces

the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.” A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it. If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships. www.academictips.org

1. It’s been around for millions of years, but it’s no more than a month old. What is it? 2. What goes up and down without moving? 3. What goes up white and comes down yellow? 4. What grows up while growing down? 5. What has no beginning, end or middle and touches every continent? 6. You answer me, although I never ask you questions. What am I?

ANSWERS

JUMBLED WORDS

Riddles

1. The moon. 2. Stairs. 3. An egg.

Puzzle

Show your parents you care DEAR children, there are ways you can make your parents happy aside doing well in your studies. One of such ways is to help do important things at home such as running errands. Moreover, whether you are a boy or girl, try and stay with your mother in the kitchen each time she prepares meals and you are

How many faces can you see on the tree?

not busy reading your books. This brings more closeness between and your mum.

While you are with your parents, ask questions, it shows you can confide in them.

4. A goose. 5. The ocean. 6. A telephone.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

health&fitness

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

Eat these to shed weight, lower risk of breast cancer, lung disease

NE saying goes “every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.” As far as health is concerned, there could be nothing truer than that. This is why nutritional and medical experts have in recent times raised an urgent call for a review and change of foods and drinks consumed which have been linked to the increase in certain diseases, including cancers, which were before now rare. According to Professor Fatimah Abdulkareem, a professor of Anatomic Pathology, cancers are the second common cause of death in developed countries and among the three leading causes of death in developing countries with breast cancer being the commonest cancer among women. Recently, experts came out to say high fibre intake when young may lower women’s breast cancer risk. This conclusion was published in the journal Pediatrics where researchers said high intake of fibre-rich foods in adolescence and early adulthood could reduce women’s risk for breast cancer. According to the lead author who is also a visiting scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, United States of America, Maryam Farvid, most previous studies assessing the link between fibre intake and breast cancer risk have been “non-significant.” She notes that none of these studies have looked at diet during adolescence and young adulthood - a period that appears to be closely associated with breast cancer risk factors. To address this research gap, the team analysed data of 90,534 women who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study II. Information about food intake was gathered through a dietary questionnaire completed in 1991 - when the women were aged 27-44 - and every four years thereafter.

In 1998, the women completed another questionnaire asking them about their food intake in high school. Farvid and her colleagues analysed the women’s fibre intake using the dietary data, and they also assessed breast cancer incidence among the women. The results showed that compared with women who had low fiber intake in early adulthood, those who had high fiber intake were found to be at 12-19 per cent lower overall breast cancer risk. High fibre intake during adolescence was associated with an overall 16 per cent lower risk of breast cancer and a 24 per cent lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Additionally, the team found that the more fibre consumed in early adulthood, the lower the breast cancer risk; every additional 10g of fibre consumed each day - the equivalent to one apple and two slices of whole wheat bread - was linked to a 13 per cent lower breast cancer risk. Fibre that came from fruits and vegetables was associated with the strongest reduction in breast cancer risk. While the team is unclear exactly why a fibre-rich diet appears to lower the risk of breast cancer, they hypothesize that high-fibre foods may help to reduce high oestrogen levels in the blood which has been linked as a major risk factor for the disease. Based on their findings, the team suggested that young women may want to think about increasing their fibre intake in order to help reduce their risk of breast cancer. Experts further say from many other studies, it is known that breast tissue is particularly influenced by carcinogens and anti-carcinogens during childhood and adolescence. They add that there is now evidence that what we feed our children during this period of life is also an important factor in future cancer risk. A high-fibre diet may not only reduce breast cancer risk.

A study recently reported by Medical News Today suggests that a diet rich in fibre may lower the likelihood of lung disease. The research published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society demonstrated that a diet high in fibre might reduce the chance of developing lung disease. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (a type of lung disease) is the third biggest killer on a global scale. A recent study was carried out at the University of Nebraska Medical Center by Corrine Hanson with the aim of determining if a high dietary intake of fibre would also make a positive difference to lung health. The team adjusted for factors including socioeconomic status, smoking, weight, demographic and health factors before beginning the analysis. The results from the study inferred that sticking to a high-fibre diet benefits the lungs. Another previous study found a relationship between higher fibre intake and a lower risk of COPD; another still demonstrated that higher fiber consumption was associated with a 40-50 per cent reduction in respiratory-related deaths. In the area of weight loss, fibre has long been known to help us maintain a healthy weight by keeping one feeling fuller for longer and regularising bowel movements. It also lowers cholesterol and can reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. High-fibre foods include vegetables, fruits and grains. Examples are oats; corn; beans; seeds and nuts such as coconut, cashew, groundnuts and especially almond nuts; some fruits such as the pulp of apples, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, pears, bananas; some vegetables such as carrots, cabbages; roots such as sweet potatoes, onions; wheat (in bread or as flour). Additional information from medicalnewstoday

16 healthandfitness

6 February, 2016

Boils on my vagina FOR some years now, I have been experiencing multiple boils on my vagina just in the midst of my pubic hair. Sometimes, I have about three at the same time. They are usually painless and just averagely big. I have been having it for so long that it has become a part of me. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want this anymore. What can I do please? Ajibike (by SMS) Apart from an underlying infection, multiple boils can also be caused by poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Since your

Dr. Wale Okediran waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

My reddish eye colour I have a reddish eye colour from birth. It gets more coloured or dim whenever I drink anything alcoholic even if little. Can any medication work for such? Chuks (by SMS) complaint has been on for a long time, I will advise that you see a medical doctor who will order for some laboratory tests such as blood culture and

fasting blood sugar in order to determine the cause of your ailment. From this, the appropriate treatment will be instituted.

My son bedwetts at 15

Reddish eye from birth could likely be due to an allergy (Allergic Conjunctivitis). If this is the case, anti-allergic eye drops which can be purchased across the counter can be effective. However, there

No menses at age 35

MY 15-year-old son who is currently in secondary school still bed-wets. His mother and I are very worried. Please what should we do? Cletus (by SMS) I agree with you that bed-wetting at age 15 can be very embarrassing. There are several ways of solving this problem but it is better to try the simple approaches first. The first approach is for your son to stop taking any kind of liquid any time after 7pm. You should also make sure that he urinates before going to bed at night. This way, the bladder will be

Saturday Tribune

almost empty at bedtime. In addition, you can set an alarm to wake him up around midnight to urinate again. When carried out diligently, his bedwetting will soon stop. However, if these methods do not help, then you will need to see a doctor for a detailed medical examination.

I am a 35-year-old spinster. Although I am not on any family planning pills, I noticed that my menses became irregular a few months ago and totally ceased about six months ago. I have not had sex for a while and so, cannot be pregnant. Kindly advise me. Grace (by SMS) An average of almost one in 10 women will experience premature menopause before the age of 40. Also known as premature ovarian failure, the condition occurs when a woman

suddenly stops ovulating, tragically leading to infertility. However in your case, it will be useful for you to see a gynaecologist who will thoroughly examine me before reaching a diagnosis. Even if a diagnosis of premature menopause is eventually made, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, keeping cool and avoiding spicy foods and smoking, are recommended ways to manage the symptoms. If there are no contraindications, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the treatment of choice by many doctors.

could be other underlying medical causes. The

How do I stop masturbating? MASTURBATION is gradually taking over my life. Right now, I experience quick ejaculation any time I have sex. What should I do to stop the act? Ahmed (by SMS) It has been confirmed that long term masturbation can lead to premature ejaculation because your mind is already tuned to having a quick ejaculation through masturbation which is a one-man act. Unfortunately, sexual intercourse is between two people and it is very important for both partners to be satisfied during the act. Having been used to masturbation, it will take a strong will power to stop the act. In addition, you should engage in a

HE rate at which people come down with kidney diseases this day is alarming and calls for urgent attention of everyone. While many other organs such as brain, liver and heart are one each, because of the enormous work expected of kidney, God in His infinite mercy, made it two. Kidneys filter the waste products in the body and pass them out in urine. Also kidneys perform other endocrine functions by secreting hormone like erythropoietin that helps in formation of blood cells and many other more. Hypertension on the other hand is on the rampage attacking old and young, the rich and the poor with rapidly increasing prevalence. Hypertension, if not controlled, damages the eyes, the brain and heart and kidney. The focus today is on the unholy alliance between hypertension and kidney. Talking about hypertension and the kidney is like a two-edged sword because hypertension can damage the kidney and chronic kidney disease from other causes can lead to secondary hypertension. If the secondary hypertension is not well managed, it can further damage the kidney making a vicious cycle. When hypertension attacks the renal systems, the two kidneys are affected at the same time and same rate of declining functions. As bad as cancer of the kidney can be, it does not always attack the two kidneys at the same time. If one kidney is removed because of cancer, the remaining normal kidney continues to function and sustain life. How does high blood pressure damage my kidney? 1.Hypertension makes your heart work harder against force of resistance and, overtime, can damage blood vessels throughout the body through arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The walls of normal blood vessels have a layer of smooth muscle and elastic tissue that makes them flexible and able to dilate and constrict as blood flow through them. These functions are lost when there is arteriosclerosis and when it involves the vessels that supply the kidneys, its function of wastes removal is impaired and fluid and waste products are retained leading to swelling of body and legs (edema). 2. The nephron (filtering apparatus) which is smaller in number among blacks compared with whites gets damaged

best way to know the difference is to see an eye specialist for a detailed investigation. Meanwhile, since you have confirmed that alcohol usually worsens your case, it will be good to stop taking alcohol.

healthy lifestyle by engaging in sports and staying away from pornographic literature and films in order to avoid unconsciously sexually stimulating yourself. In the meantime, you could delay your ejaculation through the use of condoms which will reduce your sensitivity and lengthen the ejaculatory period.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

Hypertension and the kidney

by hypertension. At the point of filtration (glomerulus), membrane becomes sclerosed (thickened) leading to leakages of large molecule substances like protein which should not ordinarily pass through the membrane and then found in urine (proteinuria). Check your urine regularly for frothiness (foaming like soap), this may be a sign of protein in your urine. If there is protein in the urine, consult your kidney expert for immediate treatment. If the damage is not checked by controlling the blood pressure, it can lead to chronic kidney disease and eventual kidney failure. People with kidney failure must either receive a kidney transplant or go on dialysis (using a special machine to function as kidney). This may be too expensive in the long run. In the United States, hypertension causes 25,000 new cases of kidney failure every year. The story can only be higher in black Africans, Nigeria inclusive, because they have six folds higher risk of hypertensive kidney failure. Do not be disturbed, there is a way out, just read along.

How can chronic kidney disease (CKD) make my blood pressure rise? Chronic kidney diseases from other causes like diabetes mellitus, chronic glomerulonephritis (inflammation of filter) and polycystic kidney diseases can lead to hypertension. Studies show that as kidney functions worsen the likelihood that a patient will have hypertension increases. Regardless of the circumstances, hypertension is present in approximately 80 percent of people with chronic kidney disease. Several factors can explain how

chronic kidney diseases result in hypertension. Salt and water retention: A diseased kidney cannot effectively excrete the excess body fluid in the body leading to salt and water retention and subsequent accumulation of fluid in the blood which make heart work harder and the blood pressure increases. Sympathetic over drive: Failing kidney appears to trigger increased activities of sympathetic nervous system, causing something like an adrenergic surge. This hormone is used in emergency situation or under stress like sudden fret accompanying appearance of a lion. This state keeps your body unnecessarily at alert and heart responds by preparing to supply blood and nutrients at a persistently faster rate which eventually lead to high blood pressure. Kidney failure leads to anaemia because erythropoietin (blood forming hormone) is not produced. The treatment of this condition using synthetic erythropoietin may lead to hypertension, depending on the resultant rise in blood count. Hormonal mechanisms also play an important role in the link between kidney and hypertension, primarily through renin-angiotensin system. In response to chronic damage and scaring of kidney, these hormones are released which in turn contribute to hypertension by stimulating salt retention as well as constriction of blood vessels. This undesirable condition can be controlled by the use of drugs that blocks the pathway in this mechanism. Consult your physician for further details. For how, to prevent high blood pressure from damaging my kidneys, join us next week.

6 February, 2016

mediascope — Ayeni Adekunle, Chief Executive Officer, Black House Media (BHM)

Mr. Ayeni Adekunle combines publishing with public relations practice. In this interview with AKIN ADEWAKUN, the Chief Executive Officer of Black House Media ( BHM), one of the fastest growing public relations outfits in the country, believes that if well harnessed, PR practice in Nigeria still has what it takes to set agenda on the global scene, despite the encumbrances in its way. Excerpts:

OU were making waves in entertainment journalism before your sudden decision to dump this and go into public relations, what would you say informed this deci-

Since taking that decision, how has it been? On the 7th of November this year, our agency, BHM, will be ten, and I will say ten years down the line, we are very fortunate. We have an opportunity to do what we love doing and get paid for it. We have an opportunity to understand the traditional ways of things, in terms of theory and practice. We are fortunate to understand how things should be done. We are also fortunate to understand the new way of thinking, what we call digital and disruptive technology. So we are one of the few organisations around that can speak to 50 to 70 year-old people and at the same time converse with juveniles, the 13-14 year-old people. So we’ve had a jolly ride. The usual issues will be there. The issues that come with the market that we operate in, the issue of infrastructure, the issue of human capital, the issue of compensation from clients, the issue of access to funding, the normal issue that is not peculiar to BHM, or that is not peculiar to marketing communication industry. So I don’t like to look at those issues. I like to look at the fact that in 2006 and 2007, I could not even afford a dining table in my house. So I bought a small table, and that was where my desktop computer was, that was where I started my business from. I was just the only staff, my wife had a 9am to 5pm job and it was her salary I was using to keep body and soul together. Today we work for at least three multi-nationals. Today, we are doing campaign in London, Kenya and all that and we have moved from that one-man agency, the agency now boasts of over 50 staff. So if you look at it from where one was coming from, you will say that we’ve tried. But if we look at it

WITH AKIN ADEWAKUN akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk 0805 468 3584

these are the issues. There is flight of talents. We don’t have an industry, we don’t have a business, there are four agencies that should have been put together as one. So we said, PR as we know it is dead. We checked the social media, all the people using the social media well, there is no single PR agency there. Meanwhile social media should be an aspect of PR. Why should my client budget N200million for me on PR and not experiential and not advertising and not digital marketing, when we can not even speak the language? Nigeria’s population is dominated by young people, the first time in our history that we have this huge number of young people. For the first time in the history of man, there is an invention that everybody uses the mobile phone. So technology is disrupting how we live, and it looks like our industry has been left behind. We told ourselves that PR, the way we know it, is dead, we need to re-think PR, We need to sit down and ask ourselves what are the problems? Which of the problems did we contribute? Which one did the client contribute? Which of the problems did the market contribute? Which one did the government contribute? So that when we honestly look at the issue, we can now be looking for ways to solve those problems. If we begin to fool ourselves and say we want to maintain the status quo, we are afraid of what might happen. So the campaign was meant to draw awareness, that is, get attention. That was why we did that campaign after all the researches that we did. We spoke to the people in Port Harcourt, in Lagos, Abuja, Germany, England and we used data. So it wasn’t Ayeni of BHM that said PR is dead.

If well harnessed, PR industry in Nigeria will set agenda for global practice

sion? I came across public relations when I was a journalist, though I still consider myself a journalist. When I was on the entertainment beat, I realised that compensation was nothing to write home about, and I didn’t want to live on handout, after all I went to school. So PR was, for me, an escape route from doing the things I would rather not do. I wouldn’t say I was daring, because most people see me as daring, they see me as taking a giant step, a rare one at that, by leaving journalism, but the fact is I never had a choice. For me, it wasn’t that I was leaving something very fruitful, promising and rewarding. I left something that was taking all my time, and was not providing adequate resources. I left it to go and start something I could use the skill I had acquired working in the media, something that could provide the rare kind of resources. So PR, for me, was a necessity. So there is no bravery at all. It’s survival. It’s the fear of poverty, the fear of being stranded, the fear of being reduced to a beggar; since my take home pay was not enough to take me home. Fortunately, I worked around people who could provide me with the right kind of resources, and we didn’t start as BHM as we have it today, because I was on the entertainment beat then, when we started all we were doing was PR for entertainers.

Saturday Tribune

from where we are and where we ought to be, because we see ourselves as a global agency, we look at our contemporaries in Europe and America, we see the work they are doing, what they are billing, we see the ideas that they have, we think, we can match them, if not even surpass them. So if you look at it from where we ought to be, within the global industry, then we have a lot of work to do, because it’s not an excuse to get to say oh, you know we are from Nigeria, what we face now is how do we become seen as that global organisation that started in Nigeria. You once ran a PR is Dead Campaign, designed to stir up controversies in the nation’s PR space, would you say the desired objectives of the campaign were realised? In 2014, we in this agency asked ourselves the question: what is the total revenue of PR business in Nigeria? We compared this with South Africa, we compared this with Kenya, with Japan, America, England and we concluded that the total revenue for PR business in Nigeria was not even up to what we wanted to earn in a year. So the challenge was what we could do to make the ecosystem bigger. How can PR industry do better and earn more? If not, it won’t be worth our time because if the whole industry is making N10 and our own dream is to make N25 per year, but the value of the industry is just N10, then it doesn’t make any sense. So we thought what were the problems, and we realised that there was a clear disconnect between the theory and practice of the profession. Secondly, there is a clear frustration within the realm of what the client expects from us and what we bring to the table. There is a clear problem with funding. You saw when CBN passed the rule that to start a bank in Nigeria, you must have N25billion. So the agencies are all one-man businesses that would not survive for three months if they don’t have business. So we told ourselves so

I like to look at the fact that in 2006 and 2007, I could not even afford a dining table in my house. So I bought a small table, and that was where my desktop computer was, that was where I started my business from.

While trying to collate the data, only 19 out of the PR agencies that we have in Nigeria responded to your questionnaire, what does that say about the industry and the attitude of PR practitioners to the profession itself? Well, it is not out of place, because people normally resist change. You see even if you are suffering, you will be managing. You are used to managing. You don’t want to rock the boat. We think it’s extremely successful that we got 19 agencies responding. In fact, when PRCAN (Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria) did its own survey two years ago, it got only 17 agencies. So think about it, PRCAN is the umbrella association and they only got 17 agencies. So people will naturally resist change. A lot of people actually do not believe there is anything wrong with PR, either because they are doing well in their own corner. Sometimes you can make $200million and say ‘wao, look at us, we are making $200million, unbelievable and then you think you have arrived. Whereas if you have information, it is possible for you to make $5billion on the same project. So if you don’t think you can make $5billion and you make $200million, you will think you have arrived. So we didn’t expect everybody to jump on the bus immediately. Where do you see PR in Nigeria in the next five years? I want to see PR in a position where we set the agenda for the global PR industry, I’ve seen the numbers, I’ve seen the figures , I’ve followed the trend, if Nigeria population will continue to grow from all the forecasts that we have seen, our economy would perform the miracle that it would perform with the number that we have, with the kind of brands that are coming here. I see the PR industry in Nigeria, if well harnessed, setting the agenda for global practice. I see us going across the continent. You see us have affiliations with agencies from South Africa and we are happy, my dream is for local agencies to go and buy agencies in America, in China, in Japan, in Amsterdam. And this is tied to the fate of Nigeria. Nigeria needs to do well. Our economy needs to do well. Nigerian brands need to do well. We potentially can take over the world, if we put our house in order. But one key component of that potential success is PR. The country needs to understand how to use PR. If they turn to us really, do we have an answer. The government, the politicians, brands will turn to PR to help them tell great stories, but if they do, can we truly tell the kind of story that will make the whole world see Nigeria as the place to be. But we need to use our medicine. We need to upgrade our skill, we need to expand our dream and vision so that when we are making $200million, we won’t think we’ve done the impossible. But what happens to the local businesses here is that we often set the bar so low so that it seems that we have succeeded already and then we don’t know that there are other opportunities we could have leveraged on to further enlarge our horizon.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

She has been poisoning my food since 2008 —Husband It’s a lie, he’s hypertensive, diabetic —Wife

She has no regard for me, husband tells court AN Igando customary court in Lagos, Lagos State, has dissolved the 22-year-old marriage between one Samson Atunwa and his wife, Comfort, over irreconcilable differences. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the divorce hearing into the marriage blessed with three children began in October last year. Atunwa had accused his wife of instigating his tenants against him. He also accused her of frequent fighting and lack of respect for him and members of his family. “My tenants don’t respect me because she discusses my issues with them and they don’t pay rent as and when due. “She has no respect for me, she has no regards for my fam-

ily and I can no longer tolerate this,” Samson said. Comfort, however, denied all the allegations by her estranged husband. She said: “I have never discussed him with his tenants; why would I do that when he feeds me and the children and also takes care of the children from the money realised from rents. “I have always shown him respect but I guess my respect is not good enough for him; I am as tired as he is of the marriage.” President of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, pronounced the marriage dissolved. Omilola ordered the plaintiff to pay N15, 000 monthly for the upkeep of the children.’

She must write an undertaking to be of good behaviour —Husband I’ll be committed to my husband and children —Wife

He abandoned me despite 5 months pregnancy —Wife

I’m not happy reading my divorce story She moved out of my house without my consent—Husband in newspaper, woman tells court A housewife, Binta Kasima, has pleaded with a Mararaba she thinks I have neglected her, I still love my wife,” he said. parents-in-law, along with his parents for a possible reconHe, however, begged the court not to grant his wife’s ap- ciliation. 1 Area Court, Aso Pada, Nasarawa State, to dissolve ‘Go home and make your marriage work’ Grade Musa adjourned the case till February 19 for report of sether marriage with Yahaya Abdullahi for allegedly neglecting plication for divorce, saying he was still in love with her. A petitioner during the week walked into the Agboyi/Ketu customary court in Lagos State to complain to the staff for letting her divorce case appear in the media. Mrs Ethel Amagala, whose children earlier waded in to tell the court to discontinue the case between their parents said that the husband was very angry when he read their divorce case in the newspapers. The court however told Mrs Amagala that whatever happens in the court is public knowledge and the court cannot stop journalists from doing their job. She was told to go home and make her marriage work. The Agboyi/Ketu Customary court had earlier discontinued the divorce case between 53 years old Mrs Amagala and her husband, Mr Emmanuel Amagala. According to her, the kids urged her to discontinue the case as it was causing an embarrassment to the family and that they would find a way to bring peace to the family. Mrs Amagala had on the 12 November 2015 asked for a divorce from her husband because he had taken in another wife. She told the court that she was seeking divorce on the grounds of abandonment, infidelity, lack of love and threat to life and her husband constantly telling her that she was old.

Perhaps I don’t respect him enough —Wife

Stories by Ayomide Owonibi with Agency Reports

middle-aged man, Prince Agina, has told an Igando customary court in Lagos State that his wife, Obianuju, has been poisoning his meals since 2008. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the union, which was consummated on December 24, 2006, in Anambra State, has been blessed with three children. Obianuju was also accused of frequent fighting and infidelity by her husband. “Since 2008, I have noticed that my food was being laced with poison, which has resulted in my deteriorating health; as I am standing here, I’m sick. “Usually, I travel a lot. On one occasion when I returned home, I noticed that the centre table in our home had broken and when I asked my daughter how it happened, she told me that one uncle broke it. “This means my wife brings other men into our matrimonial home whenever I travel because my daughter knows all her uncles. “She goes out at will without my permission, she does not listen to me as her husband and I don’t love her anymore,” Agina said. However, the respondent denied all the allegations levelled against her by her estranged husband. “My husband has diabetes and hypertension and he keeps eating those foods that the doctor warned him to desist from. “Please tell me why he won’t be sick always? “I stayed with him at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for four months looking after him but he did not listen to the doctor’s advice. “So, how has his disobedience become my fault? “He married me a virgin; so why will I start sleeping around now, why will I bring men into the house where my children are staying with me. “He abandoned me and the children for four years when he travelled to Angola and he wasn’t sending money from there for our upkeep. “My family members took care of me and my children throughout the period,’’ she said. President of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, referred the couple to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) office for possible settlement. Omilola said the couple should appear before the ADR members on February 25, while he adjourned the case till March 7 for further hearing.

Saturday Tribune

her. Binta, a resident of Masaka Area, accused Abdullahi of neglecting her with five months pregnancy. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the petitioner told the court that the marriage was contracted in 2014 according to Islamic laws. She said that she decided to pack out of her matrimonial home because her husband did not take care of her despite her condition. “My husband refuses to give me food or money for medications regarding the pregnancy, rather he would shout at me and call me a prostitute. “I want this court to dissolve this marriage because this man has been so unfair to me and has neglected his responsibilities,” Binta said. Abdullahi denied the allegations, saying he did not want a divorce. He said his wife moved out of their matrimonial home without notice or his consent and all efforts to make her come back were unsuccessful. “Things have not been working out good for me that is why

The judge, Owuna Musa, directed Abdullahi to visit his

tlement or judgement.

He’s a drunkard who beats me in public —Wife I only beat her once over her infidelity —Husband A 38-year old woman, Deborah Akeju, has asked an Agboyi Ketu customary court in Lagos State to dissolve her 17 year-old marriage to her allegedly drunk husband who often beats her. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Deborah, who resides at 68, Salawe Street, Ketu, Lagos, told the court that her husband, Ayotunde Akeju, was a drunk who never cared for his family. “He beats me up in public, causing me several body injuries; I don’t love him anymore,” Deborah told the court. The petitioner said that she moved out of Ayotunde’s house in 2014 after her husband threatened to kill her.

Deborah pleaded that the court should dissolve the estranged union, saying she could no longer tolerate Ayotunde’s conduct. The respondent, Ayotunde, a spare parts seller, denied the allegations. He told the court that he never threatened to kill his wife, but admitted beating her once over infidelity. Ayotunde also urged the court to dissolve the union which has produced four children The petitioner, however, pleaded for the custody of their last three children. President of the court, Mr O. T Williams, adjourned the case till February 16 for a review of facts of the matter.

THE families of Mr Tijani Akinlaja and Mrs Abosede Tijani have waded into a previous divorce suit and asked an Agboyi/Ketu customary court in Lagos State to discontinue the suit. They told the court that they had resolved the matter between the couple. Tijani however asked the court to make his wife write an undertaking to state that she would never be promiscuous and would stay at home to take care of him and the children instead of running off with friends to parties. Abosede promised that she would be committed to her husband and obey all his instructions and she apologised in tears for having offended him 76-year-old Akinlaja had earlier approached the Agboyi/Ketu Customary Court to dissolve his 26-year-old marriage to his 46-year-old wife, Abosede, for gross promiscuity. He said that his wife had become the master of the house who went to parties or anywhere she wanted to go at will without telling him. He alleged that she sometimes went for days leaving the four children at home with him. “The most annoying thing is that she goes to parties with men wearing the same clothes and people who see them would think that they are husband and wife,” he said.

He added that his wife did not hide her infidelity that everyone around the area knew of it and he had become a laughing stock. “When she goes out she comes back very late in the night,” he added. He told the court that there was an instance when she told him carelessly that she was going to Ijebu-Ode as if she was going to the bus-stop after telling her not to go she still went ahead and travelled to Ijebu-Ode. “This was the last I could take, so I decided it is better I free her so that she can do whatever she likes and I can have my peace,” he had told the court. Akinlaja said he married her at in Osun State and the dowry paid had since been returned and he was in court to legally break the marriage. Abosede pleaded with her husband to forgive her. She told the court that she had gone to the elders and to their Imam to plead on her behalf and each time they went to him, he told them that everything would be resolved. “ I am surprised that he still brought the matter to court, I have pleaded and pleaded I don’t have anywhere to go to,” she said. After listening to the couple, the President of the court, O.T Williams told the husband to go and think a little bit more on the issue.

I’ve known no peace since we got married —Wife She always packed out each time we had misunderstandings —Husband A 28-year-old housewife, Esther Famakinwa, has urged an Agege Customary Court in Lagos State, to dissolve her marriage over alleged assault and lack of care of their child by her husband. According to the News Agency of Nigeira (NAN), she said the four years marriage to Rotimi Famakinwa had known no peace because he always beat her at the slightest opportunity. “The last time he assaulted me, I was rushed to the hospital. It was so severe, I had to move out of the house,” she said. Esther urged the court to dissolve the marriage and award her custody of their child but her husband should be responsible for the child’s upkeep.

In his reaction, the respondent, Rotimi, 28, denied all the allegations, saying he had never beaten her. He alleged that whenever they had misunderstanding, she always packed out of the house to her parent’s place. “Instead of the parents to resolve whatever differences we have they always took sides with their daughter,” he alleged. Rotimi, however, urged the court to dissolve the marriage but asked his wife to return the Certificate of Occupancy to his landed property. “She can have the custody of our child,” he said. President of the court, Mr P.A. Williams, adjourned the case to March 7 for judgement. He warned that both parties should maintain the peace and be law abiding.

6 February, 2016

voxpop

Saturday Tribune

With Kate Ani

08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

What would you do if your husband impregnates another woman? Divergent reactions have greeted the shocking story of a woman who allegedly killed her husband for having a child out of wedlock. Against this backdrop, KATE ANI attempts to situate the action of the woman by asking a couple of women what they would do if faced with such an ‘indiscretion’ on the part of their husbands. Chizaram Nkonye would not abandon my marriage over some sidekick and her kid, especially if I have children with my husband. Why should my children be without their father? They are the legitimate ones. However, I would forever use his mistake as a leverage to get what I want from him.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. At that point, my dear, anything can happen.

Kikelomo Jaiyesimi I think it depends on the woman. Personally, I just wouldn’t have the heart to forgive him but if we were 40 plus years into the marriage and then he had a fling with another woman that resulted in pregnancy, I would consider staying. I wouldn’t want to throw away the life that we have built together. Provided he dosen’t bring the woman and her child into my home, I won’t leave him. Bridget Olaniyan I would burn all his properties and leave the marriage for good. It is one thing to cheat and ask for forgiveness, because guys do that all the time, but to get someone else pregnant?! That is a very serious issue. If it was the other way round, the man would do even worse to the woman before walking away from the marriage.

Dupe

Dupe Soyombo Of course, the first reaction would be shock, disappointment, betrayal. After that, is to divorce him, take my children with me and start life afresh. I would make sure that my children got to know their stepbrother of stepsister, as the case may be, if not for anything but to avoid them meeting and getting married in the future.

Amaka Okafor To be honest, it is very easy to say ‘I would leave the marriage,’ but the truth is you never know what you are going to do until you find yourself in that situa-

Amaka

tion. Some women know that their men cheat but they stay with them anyway. I don’t pray for such to happen to me, so I wouldn’t know what my reaction or decision would be.

Kikelomo

Tayo Ogunleye If he could cheat so much that he would have a child outside marriage, imagine what else he might have AIDS, gonorrhea, etc. Then, that would be an end to that marriage. Christiana Afolabi It is easier said than done, what my reaction would be. A man impregnating another woman out of marriage is the utmost form of disrespect. I heard about the story of a woman that stabbed her husband to death because he impregnated another woman. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. At that point, my dear, anything can happen. Subomi Obe I would forgive him but I would divorce him. I won’t waste any seconds thinking how much I hate him. So, I would choose to forgive him but spending the rest of my life with him is capital NO!

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, co-ordinator, South West, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. T. O. Jaiyeola; Executive Secretary/ CEO, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. Hassan Bello and the Kwara State governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, during a courtesy visit to Governor Ahmed at the Government House, Ilorin, recently.

From left, the celebrant’s daughter, Oyindamola, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba; the celebrant, Chief (Mrs) Abiodun Ayoka Ogundimu, , her husband, Chief Lekan Ogundimu and her son, Adeoye Ogundimu, during the 50th birthday anniversary of Mrs Ogundimu in Oke-Ona Egba, recently.

interview

From left, Senior Officer, Lagos State Fire Service, Mrs. Fanuga Shabi; Chief Operating Officer, Oando Marketing Plc, Mrs. Olaposi Williams; dealer, Oando, Alausa Secretariat Service Station, Mrs Oluwunmi Ajakaiye and the Head, Sales, Oando Marketing PLC, Mr Babafemi Olabiyi, at the reopening of the upgraded Oando retail station in Lagos, recently.

Dan Malikin Acida, Alhaji Umar Abubakar (rigtht), representing the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Olubadan-designate, High Chief Saliu Adetunji and the Sarkin Sada, Sardaunan Yamma, Alhaji (Dr) Malam Haruna Maiyasin, who led the delegates to congratulate the Olubadan-designate at his Popoyemoja residence, in Ibadan.

The Vice-President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko (right) presenting a plaque to the representative of the Honourable Minister of Science and Deputy Director, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Anyanwu Anselem, at the sustainable conversations thought leadership series, sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria in Abuja, on Thursday.

Amnesty programme has been bastardised —Niger Delta traditional ruler

nigeria’s most informative newspaper

7 FEBRUARY, 2016

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glamour

life&living

My greatest asset is… Ijeoma Richards

Abandoned Nigeria’s colonies! Where are these colonies? Who lives there? Find out tomorrow in Sunday Tribune. razzmatazz From left, Osundare Damilare (Asiri Comedy); Mr Nicholas Ajayi; president of New Nigeria Forum, Mr Olawoyin Olasunkanmi; president of Youth Arise for Change, Mr Omolaja Kolawole; Pastor Olatunji Olalekan and Mr Oladokun Damilola, during the 13th youth empowerment summit tagged “Delivery Time” at the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, recently.

How I took 9ice’s apology —Ruggedman thepolity

From left, Principal, Moret Comprehensive College, Ibadan, Mrs Bukola Olaniyan; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Oyo State, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola; Miss Eniola Olaniyan, a senior student of the college; the proprietress of the school, Chief (Mrs) Modupe Adeleke and the Director, First Veritas Publishers, Mr Gbenro Adegbola, at the launching of a book “Adventures of the three gifted fairies, “ authored by Miss Olaniyan.

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For bookings, contact ’Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

6 February, 2016

ivorced of the brashness and you-cango-jump-inside-the-Nile that have defined his public engagements, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo seems to have a lot to contribute to the literature of public discourse or, if you like, literature and public discourse. His chivalrous relationship with literature is seen in his oftflirtatious embrace of the epistolary form of writing pioneered by Mariama Bah, late Senegalese writer, known for his letter So Long a Letter, a feministic lamentation of societal disdain for women. Since Obasanjo left government as military ruler in 1979, the Egba-born General has flirted Ba in his quest to engage in public discourse and ventilate his anger and worries about the running of the country. From the letter to ex-President Shehu Shagari, Ibrahim Babangida, (where he demanded that his Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), should have a human face) Goodluck Jonathan and the most recent epistolary to the National Assembly, Obasanjo is apparently in love with Ba. In his letter to the Nigerian parliament, Obasanjo verbalised the worries of many Nigerians about the legislators’ unrepresentativeness, their fiscal vermin mentality “which detracts from ‘distinguishness’ and ‘honourability’ because it (their budget) is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary.” When he received pillories from these toads of war of the Senate (apology to Eddie Iroh), especially the rascally comment from Dino Melaye, that same folk whose infantile display of his automobiles on the social media has courted the label of a money-miss-road, replying his adversaries seems to be beyond Obasanjo’s ken. His practice over the years is to place the letters in the public sphere, apology to Michel Foucault and wear the garment of the deaf to subsequent cacophony of artillery riposte. The 36 state governors became the recipients of the artillery fire diatribes of this Infantry officer at the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) conference on Monday. He berated them for putting on the garb of despots and emperors, with their tyrannical fangs piercing the nooks and crannies of a society they were elected

Saturday Tribune

Saturday With

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

Interrogating Obasanjo and his governor despots to uplift. “Leaders who call for sacrifice from the citizenry cannot be living in obscene opulence… Nigeria is a country where some governors have become sole administrators, acting like emperors. These governors have rendered public institutions irrelevant and useless.” He also alleged that in the 774 local governments, there is arrested development as “some governors have hijacked the resources of the local governments and this has crippled (the) development.” In his periodic epistolary as public discourse which has spanned about 40 years now, Obasanjo has scant friends and multiple countrymen who disdain his interventions. Even after leaving the venue of the Ibadan conference, though it was acknowledged that he spoke the minds of the generality of the people, his aberrational persona as a “strongman in a democracy” was torn into shreds by scholars there gathered. At one of the plenary, Professor Pat Utomi stated that he and Dr. Ayo Teriba, in 1998 were in Obasanjo’s bedroom to articulate the urgent need for and layout of reinvigorating the railway services to ape the Chinese 19,000 kilometres (11,806 miles) high-speed rail (HSR), the longest HSR network in the world. Throughout his eight years in office, railways was the least of Obasanjo’s concerns. But the purport of Obasanjo’s most recent intervention should not be lost on us all. Most people who are privy to the caricature of governance at the state and local governments would weep for Nigeria today. In our very before, as one poet said, states have become common empty shells run aground by a combination of a wobbling economy and institutionalised pilferage by governors we purportedly elected. Hiding under the shroud of pittances from the federation account, governors have turned Kamuzu Bandas of their states, inflicting pains and sorrow on their people and looting the tills with mindless severity. When their state constituents complain, they hoist the alibi of paucity of funds, yet their

kingly lifestyles, as well as those of their wives, children and cronies have not dropped a jot. Indeed, as retired professor of economics, Odejide said at the conference, almost two-thirds of the states have been driven into bankruptcy, and I add that this is due to a combination of the pristine greed of the governors and their brutish wickedness against their people. Even though it bruises their ego that they are mere sole administrators, being unable to pay salaries and as such seldom able to administer their workers, governors are comforted by the fact that the current state of the states affords them the opportunity to loot massively without societal awareness. In some of the states, there have been no commissioners, no special advisers, no Secretary to Government in about a year and development is at Ground Zero. They hide under the veil of paucity of funds whereas the governors breakfast in Lisbon, lunch in Paris and have dinner in Alaska. Yet the states are broke. In the thick of all these, let us single out Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State for mention as an oasis in this mind-boggling desert. He has received encomia from his people and Nigerians as a whole for his infrastructural revolution in the state as showcased in his 40 projects to mark the anniversary of the state’s 40 years of creation. Ondo has also done its, even though questions are asked about the quantum of harvests showcased. We the people are the major drawbacks to equitable governance in the states. As the irrepressible Fela said, “my people sef dem fear too much.” The governors loot us blind because we fail to do the needful – organised resistance.

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6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

interview

HAT was your relationship with the deceased? Honestly, I don’t know how to describe myself; I was like a father to him.

How did you feel when you learned of his alleged killing? I felt devastated, confounded. I could not imagine that Lowo, with whom I spoke five days before that fateful day, could have life snuffed out of him in his prime. Lowo was everything to the family. He was the bridge between the old and the young. He unified everybody in the family. He was a comforter to everybody. I sponsored his university education. I never knew that I was never going to see Lowo again. He always said that ‘I know we don’t have money in our family, but daddy, if God spares my life, I would put smile on the face of everybody.’ He was struggling. He attended Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, from where he moved to France to continue his post-graduate programme. Since 2006, he only came back to Nigeria in 2012. His wedding was on 8 February and 9 February, 2013. We sponsored the ceremonies. If there was a comedian in the family, it was Lowo. He had a high sense of humour. We were jolted when we were informed that Lowo had been stabbed to death by his wife. When we got to the police station at Akobo, there was pandemonium. There was wailing. All the family members had converged on the police station. From there, we moved to the house with the landlord and policemen. The landlord did not mince words in his statement that it was Yewande that slaughtered him. He disclosed that in her first attempt to kill Lowo, she only succeeded in stabbing him in the armpit and on the back. He was rushed to the hospital. After he was treated, they went back home and the landlord tried to settle their dispute. They did not go to bed until about 3.00 in the morning. The landlord said he even advised Lowo to sleep in his apartment but he said there was no need for that since the quarrel had been settled. The landlord said some minutes past 6.00 a.m., there was a cry for help from Lowo’s flat and people rushed out only to find that he had been stabbed, again, in the neck by his wife when he was sleeping. Lowo managed to take a few steps afterwards and slumped just as he got outside. If he was not asleep, it would not have been possible for his wife to overpower him. The wife had previously boasted to the woman that took her husband to the hospital after the first attack that what she did was just a tip of the iceberg. The woman said she was oblivious of the seriousness of her statement because all she was concerned about at the time was to save Lowo’s life, otherwise she would have recorded her statement. The police had invited the woman to give her statement concerning the incident. The doctor who treated Lowo had also been invited by the police. This is a clear case of murder. The knife that she used to stab Lowo was found in the pool of his blood. It is in the picture. The only thing that is giving us concern is that we cannot find his cell phone. The world is a global village and it would be easy to get his last conversation on the phone through the GSM network provider. His death is a colossal loss to us. We had to take our aged mother to Ife under the pretext that she was going to see her doctor so that she would not know what had happened. For the fact that Lowo spoke with her about four days earlier, she could not suspect that he had died. Lowo’s death is like a conspiracy, a grand design to just snuff the life out of him. If you look at the picture of the first and second attempts, you will know what I am talking about. They were married for about three years, but Lowo had a girlfriend in France and along the line, she got pregnant for him and bore him a male child about a year ago. But, Lowo’s wife stumbled on that information and that was the genesis of the crisis. Since then, there had been angry disputes between them. I was aware that Yewande’s family invited them and settled the matter. Her parents told her to accept what had happened because there was nothing she could do about it. Perhaps she had a plan unknown to Lowo. I remember that Lowo confided in me that Yewande told him that he should not let our family know about his girlfriend who had had a child for him back in France.

Saturday Tribune

The news is all over the world. Somebody just called me from Canada about it. Justice must not be subverted. I asked Yewande’s father how he would feel if it was his daughter that was killed. What they would be planning now is how to defend Yewande in court. We cannot find Lowo’s international passports. They have packed everything, both his Nigerian and French passports. The documents of his company, we could not find them. His business partner in Sweden, whom we called, said all the original documents were with Lowo in Nigeria. He said that he only had the photocopies. Lowo’s death has created a big vacuum in our family that will be difficult to fill. He was just 38 years old, cut down in his prime.

I couldn’t go to their house ‘cos of her —Abisola, Lowo’s niece

How would d e s c r i b e Lowo’s death? I would describe it as disaster. It was not expected at all. The morning of the incident, I woke up in tears even without knowing that something terrible had happened. I went into my dad’s room and asked if he slept well. I told my mum about the tears in my eyes and the dream I had. So, we decided to pray. But my father’s brother called us about five times. My mum asked dad to answer the call, so he picked up the phone and said, ‘Deji, I will call you back. We are praying.’ But Uncle Deji asked my dad not to hang up the phone. He said Uncle Lowo had been killed. After they got married, Yewande chased everybody away. I couldn’t go to their house because of her. When the incident happened and we got to the police station, Lowo’s corpse was not there and Yewande was not there. We learnt that she was in the hospital, receiving treatment. Their landlord told us that when she first stabbed him, she threatened that ‘I will kill you today.’ The killing was absurd.

In-laws of lawyer accused of stabbing husband to death open up •How tragic marriage was arranged In these interviews, elder brother to Mr Lowo Oyediran, who was allegedly murdered by his wife in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, at the Akobo area, Mr Adewale Adelani Oyediran, Abisola and Bunmi, his (Adelani’s) daughter and wife, respectively, share their views with OLUWOLE IGE on the matter. Excerpts:

What is the situation now? We are worried about the desperation of Yewande’s parents. Her father is a retired permanent secretary. Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja was the chairman of Lowo’s wedding ceremony. Besides, Yewande works as a counsel in the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, at the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP). If an incident of this nature happens, it is her office that treats it and makes recom-

mendations for trial. Before this incident, was there any time that you settled a quarrel between the couple? Honestly, there was never a time that we settled a dispute for them. The only thing we noticed was that on their wedding day, she was brought here so that they could pour water on her legs. They wanted to get water from a bowl but she refused. So, we had to get bottled water and then

the wife of the Olufi of Gbongan poured the water on her feet. That was the last time we saw Yewande. There was not even a phone call from her. Before the wedding, when Lowo complained, I said it was not by force; that we should call off the wedding if necessary. All along, whenever they fought, Lowo would say that her father was a very good man. With the way they are acting, we hope that the Ministry of Justice where Yewande works will not pervert the course of justice in this matter. We are not ready to tinker with anything

I helped her marry him, now she’s killed him –Bunmi Oyediran, sister-inlaw

but let justice be done. Do you know how they met? They met the way every other man and woman would meet. Coincidentally, Yewande’s younger sister is also married to somebody from Gbongan. They are in America. Now, somebody in France did not want to marry a French national. He preferred a Nigerian who was educated and reliable and within five months, they met. It was my wife who bankrolled the journey of Yewande to Dubai, where they met. What does the family want now? We want justice and fairness. We want justice to take its full course so that the matter will not be swept under the carpet.

You facilitated Yewande’s visit to Lowo, how? I bought the air ticket for Yewande to meet Lowo in Dubai. Now, she has killed him. If you called Lowo and he was with his wife, he would say ‘I will call you back.’ He had so much fear for his wife. If his wife was not around, he would call and say that we should come and play with him. Since the day of her wedding, Yewande never stepped into this house. Her father even called me one day after the wedding, cursing me that I did not put clothes in her wedding box. My husband trained Lowo after he left secondary school. Lowo was everything to me. He understood me and knew everything about me. If I was angry, they would call Lowo to talk to me. They have taken him away from me. I cannot see Lowo again! Yewande’s father was begging me yesterday. For what, after the deed has been done? When I was pregnant with my youngest child, I never knew. Lowo encouraged me to take a medical test, which confirmed the pregnancy. This was because I was already over 40 years when I got pregnant. Lowo said I should come to France and relax because of my age.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

views.com Nigeria’s 2016 budget continues use of secretive ‘security votes’ By Shannon K. O’Neil

N a post originally published on African Arguments, CFR International Affairs Fellow, Matthew Page, explains that despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s anticorruption progress, the government’s new budget includes allocations for opaque funds that often go missing. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, the fight against corruption in Nigeria has unquestionably turned a corner. Shortly after taking office in May, he vowed to “plug revenue leakages,” made sweeping changes in the notoriously corrupt Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and took steps to tighten control over public spending. He gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) free rein to pursue former officials, several of whom have been arrested. However, despite these advances, Buhari’s 2016 budget raises awkward questions. According to official details just released by the Nigerian government’s Budget Office, the 2016 budget contains over thirty so-called “security votes.” In theory, security votes are catch-all line items inser-

ted in the budget to give recipients the flexibility to cover ad hoc security expenditures. But in practice, they are opaque slush funds that officials have long used to embezzle state funds or redirect them for political purposes. Security votes are distinct from the type of extra-budgetary defense spending that may have been misdirected or stolen by the previous government, but they resemble them insofar as they are spent with scant legislative oversight or outside scrutiny. In light of his record and rhetoric, Buhari’s decision to use security votes raises doubts about whether his anticorruption strategy is comprehensive enough to put Nigeria back on track. Thinly-Veiled Theft A relic of military rule, security votes were used to siphon public funds during Nigeria’s Second Republic from 1979 to 1983. In fact, when the military overthrew the government and Buhari became a military head of state in 1983, he arrested former officials and investigated fellow military officers for embezzling security funds. Max Siollun suggests that these actions contributed to

Ibrahim Babangida’s decision to topple Buhari in 1985. And under Babangida and later Sani Abacha, the use of security votes as a tool for self-enrichment was perfected and institutionalized. Following Nigeria’s 1999 return to civilian rule, soldiers-turned-civilian officials such as President Olusegun Obasanjo and former National Security Adviser Aliyu Mohammed Gusau ensured that security votes survived. Although it makes sense that a few select military and intelligence expenditures should remain classified even in a democracy, the widespread use of security votes by federal, state, and even local officials is anathema to norms of transparency and accountability. Yet top politicians have long turned a blind eye to the practice or even attempted to excuse it. As one now-opposition party heavyweight recently griped: “Why are we probing security votes now? You see, security votes to my understanding can be used for native doctors, it can be used to hire Alphas [soothsayers] and it can be used for churches to pray for the country. It can be used for even sponsoring things.” Courtesy: cfr.org

Bringing agriculture to the rescue By Femi Babatunde AS at the last check, the global price for crude oil had tumbled from the over $100 few months ago to an all time low of $28 per barrel. This dwindle has in more ways than one caused heartaches for many a developing economy, whose economic livewire is tied to accruable revenue from oil. Being one of such economies, Nigeria is now faced with the dire challenge of surviving the tumultuous onslaught on her already ailing economy with the future looking quite dour, if nothing drastic is done to cushion the effect. Already, the Federal Government is being put to task to seek alternative means of financing the economy. How well the government wriggles its way out of this would give us an inkling into the preparedness of this government. I really hope and pray we are not disappointed. It is interesting to note that the overall monthly earning from oil, in the case of Nigeria, is now put at a paltry sum of N369 billion as of last November, a sharp drop from its peak of 1.2 trillion in 2012. Put together, this figure translates to about one quarter of what was being shared as the distributable pool four years ago! Of course, you do not need to look too further to see the effect on the various states of the federation, as virtually all of them, except for very few states like Lagos, now struggle to meet up with their statutory obligation to even pay workers and to fix their overhead cost that keeps government running decently. Even for the states that struggle to pay, not much is being seen in terms of core development of infrastructures with several abandoned projects scattered all over, with contractors being owed heavily. Now, if this is so in many states of the federation, what would you think is happening to our local government areas, the third tier of government? Your guess is as good as mine! It is indeed a terrible situation for the country. Anybody acknowledging anything less than this is only a clown who must be pitied. However, what I even find more disconcerting is that the woes we have found ourselves in are definitely avoidable, particularly if the much touted option of diversifying the economy by past successive administrations had actually been done and not just merely talked about. To be sure, our problem is not espousing lofty ideas; the real problem is finding leaders who are sufficiently strong-willed and focused to give life to such ideas by walking the talk. Nigeria has long been acknowledged as a nation with immense potentials. Not only in terms of its enormous population of nearly 170 million people, making it the seventh largest in the world and the most populous black nation, but also in terms of the many natural resources, which are yet to be largely developed as wholly and vibrant alternative streams of national revenue. Ours is an apt description of the biblical character who is in honour but oblivious of it.

Take our potential in agriculture, for instance; why hasn’t Nigeria become a major food hub for the continent and even globally? The truth is that the assortment of climatic conditions unique to Nigeria, coupled with the richness of our soil types and water sources and the high population density, which though provide enormous potentials for crop, animal, fish, and tree production, have not been sufficiently explored for the greater good of the nation. If a major investment and focus had for about two decades consistently been channeled into the agricultural sector as we began to experience under the erstwhile administration of Dr Akinwumi Adesina as the minister of agriculture, now President of the African Development Bank, Nigeria definitely would have long been placed on the pedestal of greatness as we see in Malaysia and other vibrant emerging economies of the world. Like it has been severally canvassed, the Malaysian experience deserves to be understudied by Nigeria. Agriculture is an important backbone of the Malaysian economy that produces agricultural produce in sufficient quantities, for both domestic consumption and as the earner of foreign exchange. Aside providing jobs for several of its teeming population, the sector provides major employment for the people, especially from the rural areas with 23% of the total export earnings coming through agriculture. Even though agriculture equally absorbs as much as about seventy percent of the workforce in Nigeria, the painful discovery is that these are largely illiterate subsistent farmers in the rural areas whose labours are bereft of mechanisation. Hence, what ordinarily could have turned out as an advantage for us is not. This is be-

cause rather than see agriculture as a business capable of permanently changing our national fortunes, we only see it as a way of life, or at best, a social service that must be done purely for its sake. Adesina, the AfDB chief, alluded to this recently. This is what other nations like Malaysia know that we have refused heeding to. While I eagerly await the new minister of agriculture’s road map for the industry, I must commend the Osun State government for the current efforts being made to give life to the agriculture sector in Osun. Of a truth, Osun State is one of the states that have been badly hit by the declining petro dollar, with salaries of workers not regularly paid, the sincerity of the Spartan governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, notwithstanding. However, rather than accept ‘fate’ and despair like many other governors are doing, Osun State is now ensuring that the agriculture sector is being rallied to salvage the uninspiring situation. Hence, the governor, working with investors and foreign partners, now pursues coordinated investment in agriculture which would in turn transform the state into a major agriculture hub for the south-western states. Taking advantage of its gargantuan agrarian potential hinged on the available of expansive arable land and most enabling climatic condition, the state is harnessing its potential. It appears that all hands are on deck to inspire and sustain an impending revolution in agriculture. I am indeed impressed that the state, through its flagship programme, Osun Rural Agriculture Enterprise (OREAP), is now trying to woo its teeming youth into agriculture by facilitating an agriculture academy where youths are not only empowered with requisite modern skills in both plant and livestock farming, but also supported with funds through cooperative societies. How far this succeeds is something we should observe keenly. Even though the Osun model is still far from being perfect, we must salute Governor Aregbesola’s sagacity and encourage other states governors to begin to think along this same direction. No longer can we afford to treat the nation’s agricultural sector as a mere social service sector as we’ve done in the past. This sector of the economy must never again be starved with requisite funding and best practices and input. It is too costly. We must now look deeper into the sector and inject fresh ideas that can usher in urgent turnaround. The new minister of agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, must show us what is possible with determination and diligent pursuit of progressive revolution. The ‘change’ mantra upon which the Buhari-led administration rode on to power must now be practically expressed in agriculture urgently, at least. To this end, valuable lessons should not only be drawn from success stories of more developed economies of the world, but also, local examples of states that have realised that the only way to make the future more prosperous is to go ‘green’ and mobilise the citizens to toe the same path. Babatunde sent in this piece from Osogbo.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

style

Hot new trend: The book clutch

O you want to look studious yet, sophisticated by walking with a book in hand? Don’t worry, clutches inspired by classic book covers have made a loud presence on the fashion scene. This stylish clutch that doubles as a book gives you the appeal that you are smart, sexy and as well stylish. British luxury designer, Kate Spade, is the founder of this statement hand accessory. While some fashionistas are calling it “librarian chic” or “beauties with brains” this trend might be exactly what you are looking for, if you are craving for a more enlightened yet fashionable way of dressing.

Saturday Tribune

With Kate Ani 08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

Look like a starlet in a bralet

ONCE upon a time, clothing that showed too much of your skin was a taboo. Even showing the slightest bit of your bra strap came across as completely tacky and distasteful. Since then, style has evolved and crop tops became the new trend, and from that trend something new has emerged: the bralet. The day when underwear was only meant to be seen inside the bedroom is long gone. Bralets is spaghetti strapped cropped top. This new trend, if dressed stylishly, is meant to be elegant and feminine. For those of you who want to show a little skin but aren’t yet 100 per cent confident or sure of this new trend, try wearing a bralet with a pair of high top pant or skirt.

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-it-yourself

Button broche

6 February, 2016

outofthisworld

Saturday Tribune WITH FEMI OSINUSI

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

The weird people who ran for US presidency

HEY were seen as weird, ‘crazy’ and in some cases, stupid but yet, they attempted to become the president of the most powerful country in the

world!

Well, don’t think Donald Trump, one of the aspirants for the presidency this year, is a quirk going by the way he is going about his campaign, there were actually people who came out to do worse things so as to run for

the presidency with ideas, policies and programmes that were seen as crazy. Below are some of the weirdest US presidential aspirants in history as recorded by oddee. com.

The Satanic Vampire that ran for US president in 2008 JONATHON “The Impaler” Sharkey is a self-proclaimed satanist, “sanguinary vampire,” Hecate Witch and professional boxer as well as wrestler (under the name Rocky “Hurricane” Flash) and perennial candidate for public office. He filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president of the United States twice as an Independent candidate (in 2004 and in 2008) and for Congress in at least three states -- his home State of New Jersey (1999-2000, Republican), Indiana (Reform Party, 2000) and Florida (200102, Republican). In 2006, he ran for governor of Minnesota. The Vampires, Witches, and Pagans Party was founded by Sharkey in

2005. It is officially recognised by United States Federal Election Committee, although there is little evidence of any membership or activity other than two persons. The party advocates protection of the religious beliefs and political advancment of individuals identifying themselves as vampires, witches, pagans, demons, Satanists, Wiccans, and those professing similar lifestyles and religious views.

The musician who picked a prisoner on death row as his running mate MUSICIAN, Jello Biafra and the rest of his music group, Dead Kennedys, joined the San Francisco punk scene in 1978. Biafra first ran against Dianne Feinstein for mayor of San Francisco in 1979 on a platform that included banning cars from city limits, making police run for reelection in the neighbourhoods they patrolled and establishing a “Board of Bribery” in an attempt

to set standard public rates. He came fourth out of ten. In 2000, Biafra was drafted for the Green Party presidential primary. He chose a death row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal (an American activist convicted and sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner) as his running mate. The party later selected Ralph Nader as the presidential candidate with 295 of the 319 delegate votes. Biafra received only 10 votes.

This comedian ran for US presidency The candidate who promised free petrol for everyone if elected five times before dying in 1997 IN 1980, Eagles guitar player, Good.” He threw his hat in WITH his thin, triangular face, comedian Pat Paulsen first came to US national prominence on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which ran from 1967 to 1969. Paulsen’s deadpan parodies of clueless or haughty authority figures couldn’t have found a better home. During the comedy hour’s run, Paulsen (with the help of the Smothers Brothers) launched the show’s longest and most elaborate performance-art skit—he ran for president. His persona remained the same, but he was now the official candidate of the STAG (Straight Talking American Government) party. Paulsen supposedly refused to put his actual name on ballots, so we

Joe Walsh, announced his candidacy despite being only 33 years old at the time (the president must be at least 35 based on the US Constitution.) Walsh garnered pretty significant media attention with his “Free Gas (petrol) For Everyone” platform. He promised to change the national anthem from “The Star-Spangled Banner” to his hit song “Life’s Been

don’t know how many votes he actually received. (The official government breakdown for the 1968 election only lists the number of write-ins per state, not by candidate.) He ran every four years, right up to 1996, before dying the following year at age 69 in Tijuana, where he’d been in search of alternative treatments for colon and brain cancer.

the ring a second time in 1992 but ran as Vice President with Reverend Goat Carson under the slogan “We Want Our Money Back!” In 2012, Walsh said he was finally considering a serious bid for political office. “I think I would run for Congress. The root of the problem is that Congress is so dysfunctional, and we’re dead in the water until they get to work and pass some new legislation to change things.”

The drag queen who ran for US president two times A drag queen (a man who used to dress like a woman), Joan Jett Blakk (aka Terence Smith), is a Detroit-born Chicago performer who caused a stir in the early 1990s by running both for Mayor of Chicago and president of the United States. She ran under the slogan “Lick Bush in ‘92!” and she also ran for president in 1996 with the slogan “Lick Slick Willie in ‘96!” In each of these campaigns, Smith ran on the Queer Nation Party ticket. As a presidential candidate, Blakk wasn’t entirely without substance. Early in her campaign, she was

an outspoken critic of America’s staggering healthcare crisis saying, “The US is the only industrialized nation without a national health care policy. That’s a joke.” Although her outlandish style and eagerness to throw herself into mainstream political campaigns raised eyebrows, it brought attention to queer issues, even if more conservative gay circles thought Queer Nation too militant and “in your face.”

The candidate who promised every American a horse VERMIN Supreme has been described as a ‘satirist,’ ‘anarchist’ and/or ‘performance artist.’ He campaigned as a Democrat in 2012 and is doing so again in 2016. He hopes to fight our “moral

and oral decay” by promising a free pony (horse) to every American if elected. Supreme calls himself a ‘friendly fascist.’ In 2012, he reportedly challenged Texas Congressman, Ron Paul, to

take on President Obama in a ‘panty-wrestling match to decide it all.’ It’s too soon to tell what he’s got up his sleeve for 2016, but he has already embarked on a tour of 20

cities to build support for his campaign. He is currently seeking to qualify for matching funds from the Federal Election Commission.

businessextra

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Edited by Sulaimon Olanrewaju

lanresulaiman123@gmail.com 0805 500 1708

Sometime last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is responsible for protecting investors from any form of fraudulent act, delisted some Capital Market Operators (CMOs) over acts that constituted unethical practice in the Nigerian equities market. KEHINDE AKINSEINDE-JAYEOBA looks into this and reports on how a potential investor can avoid falling prey of being defrauded of his investment in stocks of listed companies.

AST year, the regulatory body of the Nigerian capital market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), put the fear of sanction and reprisal into the minds of capital market operators, especially those who are fond of unethical practices and have swindled investors, as the body decided to suspend BGL Group Plc from all capital market operations. BGL is one of the top investment banks operating in the market, with Mr Albert Okumagba as Group Managing Director. Okumagba is also the president of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the professional body for all stockbrokers in Nigeria. SEC did not only suspend BGL from operating in the market but also ordered the Managing Director of the company, Okumagba, to cease to be a registered Sponsored Individual with the commission following the withdrawal of the registration of BGL Plc as a capital market operator. The decision to suspend BGL was taken after the commission’s Executive Management Committee considered the report of a detailed investigation into the various complaints received from investors against subsidiaries of BGL Group. Operators in the capital market were highly apprehensive, especially those with records of unethical practices, as they did not expect the suspension of BGL given its position in the market. “I can tell you that operators who have shady records are trying to rectify them before SEC’s hammer falls on them. With what has happened to BGL and Okumagba, it is obvious that the cleansing in the market has begun and everyone is trying to be very cautious because if Okumagba, who is CIS president, could be suspended, nobody can escape. The only solution is to remain clean,” a stockbroker said. SEC’s action, according to a leader of a shareholders association, has encouraged investors to dig up past cases against stockbroking firms that were not thoroughly treated by the commission. “We can see that SEC can now bite and this is highly encouraging because many of us lost significant part of investments to dubious market operators. While we complained in some of the cases, we did not receive any good result because of the shabby way they were handled by the commission. With what has happened, we will have to bring up some of those cases against such operators,” he said. While digging out old cases of misrepresentation by the brokers might be acknowledged by the regulatory body and might lead to investigating such market operators, this would not bring back the investments that had been lost in the process of shady dealings by the operator. For the most part, the Securities and Exchange Commission do a fairly good job regulating and policing the brokerage community, as one of its primary aims is to protect investors. However, the best way to avoid deceitful brokers is to do your homework. Although, the most thorough background check of the firm, broker or planner does not always prevent investors from falling prey to fraudulence, but having a better knowledge of your investment would go a long way in protecting you. One of the acts of fraudulent brokers to be wary of is churning. According to Investopedia, churning means the excessive trading by a broker in a client’s account largely to generate commissions. Churning is an illegal and unethical practice that violates SEC rules and securities laws. While there is no quantitative measure for churning, frequent buying and selling of securities that do little to meet the client’s investment objectives may be construed as evidence of churning. A warning sign of churning may be an unusual increase in transactions without any gains in a portfolio’s value. Since churning can only occur if

How to protect yourself from fraudulent stockbrokers the broker has discretionary authority over the client’s account, the way to avoid this is for the client to always maintain full control over the account by being up to date on the portfolio profile. While putting interest in your investment profile, the names on the investment account should be particularly taken note. If your financial adviser adjoins his name alongside yours on the title of your investment account, this grants him unrestricted authority to use the funds at his discretion. Ensure all statements you receive from the custodian have only your name appearing on the account. In such case, a report to SEC wouldn’t be out of place as this contravenes the code of ethics and it’s a violation of the SEC’s Code and Practice Standards, whereby any violation warrants disciplinary action such as potential revocation for the certificate holder. Stockbrokers can also be found guilty of embezzling. Care should be taken if your financial adviser insists you play a minimal role in your investments and let him deal with the “burden” of your account, since it is his job. This might be a ploy to obtain from you a power of attorney to act on your behalf for decisions involving your investments. This opens up great risk for the safety of your assets since your financial adviser is then able to legally trade upon your securities and move the return or the security itself into any account he chooses. To avoid this from happening, do not grant power of attorney to your adviser. If you must, however, stipulate in a power of attorney agreement that

We can see that SEC can now bite and this is highly encouraging because many of us lost significant part of investments to dubious market operators... However, the best way to avoid deceitful brokers is to do your homework... having a better knowledge of your investment would go a long way of protecting you.

upon granting power of attorney, your financial adviser is only permitted to trade your securities without notifying you but never permitted to draw upon returns or move assets from their original accounts. According to a stockbroker, Charles Fakrogha, the Chief Executive Officer of Foresight Securities, this had been the unethical practice of some brokers where they buy and sell shares from their client’s portfolio without seeking permission from the owner. When the stockbroker is involved in transactions that are not suitable to the profile of the investor, this could be a pointer to being on alert. Unsuitable transactions are a general term for investments made in a manner that is not consistent with the client’s circumstances and/or investment objectives. Your broker is duty-bound to know your financial needs and constraints thus making investment recommendations accordingly. Placing an investor with low risk tolerance on a high-risk investments constitutes inappropriate transaction. Also, when financial advisers place a high concentration of your money into one stock or security and place investors requiring easy access to funds in illiquid investments, these are pointers to be on red alert. It is, however, important for all investors, regardless of their financial backgrounds, to maintain focus on their accounts. This does not mean that you need to review your account every day, but you should check in regularly to stay on top of what’s happening. If this is done along with a thorough examination of broker’s investment proposals, you should avoid most types of broker fraud, as the fraudulent broker tap into investors who had little interest or knowledge of its investment. When any act of fraud is detected and duly reported, the capital market regulator, SEC is however ready to take the case up as the Director-General, Mounir Gwarzo, has vowed zero tolerance for any form of market infraction. “One of the things I did when I came in was to restructure our investigation and enforcement mechanism, moved some people so that we strengthen that department. We have said over and over again to all staff members that they should have zero tolerance for infractions. In terms of reviewing investor complaints, we have agreed that our turnaround time should be as fast possible. And whenever we find out that an operator has done something wrong, we are able to quickly invite that operator, give that operator a fair hearing and facilitate smooth resolution of the matter. We will also give the operator the opportunity to remedy the situation. Once the operator is unable to remedy the situation, we now take the necessary action. Our resolve in terms of zero tolerance to infractions is still intact,” Gwarzo said.

6 February, 2016

ntertainment News

Society Gist

Di’ja’s heart

Saturday Tribune

with oan

Omionawele

jistwtjoan@yahoo.com Twitter:@joanbajojo 08054682201

Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

newtray2002@yahoo.com 08052271251

Celebrity Interviews

charity —P33

Today’s young artistes are lucky —KSA —P33

New-look Ibadan thrills actress Omeili

—P33

I neither drink nor smoke, but I love being with women —Junior Oscar

—P32

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

If you are not a womaniser or engage in ventures that are not gainful you will have time to sleep. You cannot work round the clock. When I finish from my office I go to the studio and after my studio session I head home. How do you cope with the women who flock around you? It takes two to tango. Though women still flock around me, I try to respect myself. I have never heard of an artiste that a lady raped except you put yourself in a compromising situation. It all starts from compliments; when someone says you look fine, say ‘thank you’ and keep moving, you don’t begin to raise topics of conversation after the compliment. Nigerian ladies know that I am a faithful man. What kind of man are you off stage? I am a very homely man. I take my children to school virtually every morning and whenever my wife is too busy I go to pick them. I am only involved with my home and my band. I cook occasionally at home and as the last born of my family I am very skilled in the kitchen. I am a mummy’s boy so I observed whenever my mother cooked in the kitchen. There is hardly any Nigerian meal I cannot cook, particularly Ijebu food.

‘Nigerian ladies know I’m a faithful man’ Continues from pg2

to different places in the world to promote Fela on Broadway. They were able to do so because his music is original. I am proud to be original with my music. That is why you cannot see a hip-hop or R ‘n’ B singer being nominated for Grammy Award. They see it as a borrowed music form. See the likes of King Sunny Ade whom they have nominated twice, same with Femi Kuti who has been nominated about four times. Some people do music to make money while others do so to promote their cultural heritage. You are a very energetic performer, where do you get the strength from? You don’t need to drink or smoke before you can showcase the talent that God gave to you. The minute you need to smoke before performing then you should not see it as a talent anymore because you cannot do without the substance. I started dancing when I did Bobo. Before Bobo I had five albums and three videos but I was not dancing then and I was not focused. I was just doing fuji till my friends began to tease me in school that I was doing useless music. They did not embrace my genre of music because they believed that it was for Muslims and it was too sluggish for students to dance to. I decided to rebrand. Bobo was a project. I wanted to appeal to fans that cannot speak Yoruba so I decided to infuse English language into the lyrics of my songs. I also wanted to appeal to the students so I decided to make my beat funkier and that is how Bobo came about. Immediately we released Bobo it was a hit. People that could not speak Yoruba could relate to my songs. I became Mr. Johnson. They wanted us to do the video and I knew that people would be interested in learning the dance to the song so I began to practise. I got myself a full length mirror then I would play the music and begin to dance in front of the mirror. Then there was nothing like choreographers that we could pay to learn to dance so I taught myself. I would call my family members together and I would begin to practise in front of them. Didn’t people laugh at you when you started dancing? Of course a lot of people laughed at me and saw me as a jester but I kept dancing and inventing moves as it came to my sub-consciousness. I believe that it was God that gave me the divine inspiration. What was the reaction of your parents and family when you decided to delve into music at a tender age? It is like someone playing football about 40 years ago, if

you see your child going to the field for practise you would scold the child and think he is a rascal. It was the same with me. Even my mother abused me with the bonsue style of music that I sang. Whenever she sent me on an errand, she would say, ‘ma lo ma bobo bonsue,’ which meant that I should not be sluggish with the errand. She would say I should be focused and not play around instead of going on the errand. Later in life when I had my band I named it Bonsue. It was my mother that inspired the name. Dancing that much drains a lot of energy, how do you rest to regain lost strength? I only drink water; I don’t take alcohol or smoke. In fact, that was one of the items in the contract I signed with my parents before they could allow me to become a musician. So you signed a contract with your parents before they allowed you delve into music? Yes I did. I am the last born in my family. They did not want me to be a singer because they felt that I would be going for shows and I could easily be influenced by my peers and be tempted to smoke or I could have multiple wives so they brought up the idea of an agreement. They said that they would allow me sing if I adhered to the rules of the contract and I agreed to their terms and conditions. I was in primary school then and part of the guidelines was that I am not allowed to drink alcohol, smoke and I must not marry more than one wife. I thank God that I agreed to their terms. Did the agreement have any impact in your life? Yes it did. Back then, whenever I saw my peer smoke I could not indulge in it because I would get scared that my parents would ‘revoke my licence to sing’. As a young boy there was peer pressure but I could not give in to them because of my agreement with my parents. I thank God that my parents drafted that contract. What have you been up to recently? I am currently working on an album and I am also working on a project which aims to digitalise fuji music. The essence of that is to make fuji music suit the current trends in the world. In the past, we recorded a song that could play for as long as 17 minutes but now I want us to change that to tracks. You could have about 13 tracks in an album. Also, I want fuji music to be played in disco halls and clubs. I had to build studio for the project because I do not know how long it is going to take me to achieve this dream. Now I have a digital and analogue studio. Unlike before, we relied mostly on analogue studios. The purpose is to make our sound better and appeal to disc jockeys so that they can play fuji music in clubs. How often do you have time to rest?

How true is the news that you converted from Islam to Christianity? I have never openly practised any religion before. Nobody knew which religion I practised in my house. I felt that as I grow older I need my God the more so I began to go to church. I was born into a Muslim home but nobody has seen me in a mosque praying. Some people just believe that because my name is Ayuba and I sing s i that automatically makes me a Muslim. I went to Hajj but I went there for me to be closer to God but it has nothing to do with religion. I embrace my Christianity. I am a Christian and that is the religion I practise in my home. My religion should not be the focus but rather the heights I am taking Bonsue fuji. You often say that immediately you met your wife you knew she was the one you would get married to. What did you see in her? I would say it was more of a divine intervention. I was at the school cafeteria with my friends and we saw a lady walking toward us. I didn’t know her ethnic background but something just told me she was my woman. How was the wooing process? I did not woo her. She came to us as I told my friend that is my wife. He just laughed but to my surprise the lady came to us to ask if we were Nigerians. We said yes and she said that they were trying to form an association for Nigerian students in our school. That is how it started. We got to the room where other Nigerians were gathered, we introduced ourselves and from there I asked where she lived. The beautiful young lady said that she lived in Queens and where I stayed was not too far from her so I decided to take her to and fro school because I had a car and she didn’t. Something led to something and we became lovers. Did any of your siblings marry outside the Yoruba race? No. And your parents did not object to your choice of wife? Because I had listened to my parents and I signed the contract they drafted for me years back, they believed that I made the right decision and they backed off. So your contract with them was what made them permit you to marry your wife? Yes that was the reason. They believed that I have tried. Weren’t your female fans upset that you married someone who is not Yoruba? They queried me and were making remarks like, ‘how can you marry a girl that is not Yoruba, are there no beautiful women in Yoruba land?’ My first son is married to a Liberian while my daughter who recently got married tied the knot with a man from Kwara. It does not matter where you find your love. Let’s just give God the glory. How have you been able to keep the home front for over 26 years? I give glory to God and my wife because she is our mother in that house. She is a full time housewife and she has been taking care of me and the kids. With the help of God she has been able to take care of the family so that I would be able to focus on my music career.

32 entertainment

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

I neither drink nor smoke, but I love

being with

women —Junior Oscar

Junior Oscar popularly known as Milli Nasir, a budding rapper and singer, was signed to MI’s Chocolate City Records in January 2015. As the latest signee of the famous musical group, Milli likes to call himself ‘the best one’. He, however, has been doing music since 2010 after battling his aversion for the superficial life of the industry. In this Interview, Milli, who would rather not talk about his personal life, tells NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA about his perception of the entertainment industry.

OW would like to describe your kind of music? I do hip-hop music. I rap and I sing. So, I’m a rapper that knows how to sing.

Tell us how your journey into the music industry began. First of all, I hated music. I hated singing. I hated rapping or anything that had to do with music. It wasn’t fun. It was boring. I didn’t want anybody to see me rapping or see me singing, but unfortunately people started encouraging me to do it. Now, I don’t regret it. I got signed into Chocolate City in 2015, the last person to be signed on the label. Apparently, I am the best one. Between rapping and singing which budded first? Well, I started singing, then I started rapping. Then, I discovered I could do both very well. I do both conveniently. Since you didn’t like music at first, what would you have become? I would have been a doctor. I probably would have just been in school now. Why were you averse to the music industry? I wasn’t comfortable about people knowing about your life, about everything you are doing, they know how you live. And I’m more of a private guy. So, when everything happened, I had to adjust. Does it mean you don’t like fame? Yeah, I like the idea of fame, not music. I love the craft. I don’t appreciate too much of what comes with it. How did your love for music begin? I made a song one time, which got my mum excited and because she got excited I then said, ‘Okay, let me just do this, that’s all.’ When you say “just do this,” what do you mean? Because my momma liked it, I decided to go the whole hog, I mean I produce it and all. That’s what I meant. And I wanted to just do only that one song. What is the name of the song? It’s now titled Unlooking. Since you got signed, have you been enjoying the industry? Yeah. I just hope I don’t regret it like I said. I hope I don’t regret it because this city is zany. It changes people. People start to pretend, people start to lie, people start to act like people they are not, people start to forget family, they forget

people they grew up with, and they start to forget their friends. They start to look for new crowds, they join the Instagram life, and they want to drive the coolest car, be with the prettiest women. If I have any advice for any upcoming artistes, it will be, “Don’t do these,” that’s all.

anybody for granted. At Chocolate City, we have a lot of work to do. There is Mavins Records. There is YBNL. There is a bunch of other great labels. The only way we can make it is to fight to the death. That’s how I see it. So I have to prove myself daily.

Does it mean you started doing music because your mum liked it? Yeah. Like I said my mum got excited that I could sing, so that’s probably why I am here. “Momma, I do this for you”.

You talked about not losing your head to the glitz in the industry, how do you intend to stay grounded? I think the more I surround myself with my family, the more I talk to my mother every day, the more I can call my father, the more I see my father during the weekends, the more I see my friends, I don’t think I can change. My manager is a friend I grew up with. He won’t make me change. I need somebody to always tell me the truth. Right now all these big artistes are often lied to. I remember sometime, M.I told me that anytime he made a song, he would play it to different people. And their reaction would be something like, ‘Yes, it’s amazing.’ Even when a song is terrible, people will still say it’s amazing because they feel that you are big so they can’t afford to tell you what you don’t wanna hear. But the people that tell you the truth are the people you should respect and keep close.

What do you really dislike about the industry? It’s the lifestyle. Most of the things they talk and sing about they don’t have. Some people say the truth but they are not so many. The ones that do, I respect them, but almost everybody lies, even during interviews. I may be lying to you now and you wouldn’t even know. What would you rather have artistes do differently or understand? I would rather have an industry that sees life more realistically. Artistes have to understand that there is life after this. You are not gonna be high forever. I am not going to be rapping forever. I’m not going to be singing forever, but I just pray they remember me forever. I just pray I still remember you. We have got to raise a family. We have got to have children. We have got to take care of our children. We have got to make family proud. And above all we have got to leave a legacy not based on lies. The truth is, if you get too deep into the music and you’re not man enough, you may be carried away by this lifestyle. However, I always say, you can never be hot all your life in the music industry. As you get older, you realise that you aren’t as hot as we were when you started. Therefore, to get this type of privilege to do music for me, means a lot. So I cannot disrespect anybody. I cannot let the hype get into my head. I know that’s how people are, people start ignoring people. They start ignoring phone calls. I’ve seen a lot of these things happen. But once you know that you are not going to be high forever, you’ve got to have some humility. How do you intend to grow your distinct brand in a multitalented industry like Nigeria’s? Continuous improvement, brother. The truth is that there is Koker and there is Dice in Chocolate City. These are two different artistes. I’m not like Koker. I’m not like Dice. I’m not like anybody in this industry. What they do once, I might have to do it twice to prove right. I have to go the extra mile. I have to figure out that they are my brothers, but I have to be better than my brothers. I’m trying to blow up more than my brothers, but they are still my brothers. It’s like you have a family, but you are still trying to be the one that still comes out tops. So I see everybody as a competition. I don’t take

It’s common to drink and smoke in the industry, which is your vice? I don’t do any of them. Since my childhood till now I have never smoked or taken a drink. And I won’t do any of these because I promised my family. You mean you promised your parents and you intend to keep it? Yes, I told my father by myself. My dad does all this stuff. My dad is a distributor for Hennessy in Nigeria. I see alcohol every day. When I bring friends to my house they take all the drinks at the bar. I have never taken a drop. I’ve been around people that smoke. I’ve been around people that drink but nobody can influence me. You can never influence me. You cannot make me do what I don’t wanna do. I cannot forget who I am, no matter how big I turn out. What are the things you like? I like the idea of tattoos. I like the idea of going around with women. I like the idea of living a flashy life. But this doesn’t mean I do them because they are just ideas to me. It’s a perception for me. I’ll rather do what I want to do. You have a number of don’ts. Why do prefer to wear earrings? For me, there is not more or less sacred in wearing earrings. I think this is the only vice that is comfortable by me. My earrings would drive me to shoot somebody tomorrow. I’m not gonna rob nobody because of them. The earrings don’t make me less good than somebody that goes to church every day.

33 entertainment Style-Plus performs without Tunde at Butterscotch evening

ESTRANGED music group, Style Plus, has made a return to the music scene with a nostalgic performance at the recently held Butterscotch evening at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, however, without a key member of the group, Tunde Akinsanmi. The absence of Akinsanmi, who exited the group about three years ago for what he called personal reasons, was very conspicuous on stage as the now two-man band (Shifi and Zeal) had a year’s labour trying to fill the gap, lip syncing Akinsanmi’s verses and even venturing an embarrassing performance of the hit single, “Four Years”. While the audience winced now and then, Shifi and Zeal continued to dish out all-time hits such as ‘Runaway’, ‘Olufunmi’ and ‘Call my Name’ with the enthusiasm that failed to salvage what was a complete torture. In the end the new Styl-Plus succeeded in engaging the audience in squirms of nostalgic recitations, a feat that would later score the Styl Plus crew as a group that has made an indelible mark in the history of Nigerian music. Meanwhile, the night witnessed classic performances from evergreen songstress, Omawunmi; the exciting Sir Shina Peters; gospel singer, Nikki Laoye and America’s Brian McKnight, the 16-time Grammy award nominee.

Chocolate City, EbonyLife TV launch new reality show FOREMOST Nigerian music label, Chocolate City Music, in partnership with urban lifestyle channel, EbonyLife TV has announced plans to stage a reality TV show tagged ‘Chocolate City Unsigned’ this year. The show which will be spearheaded by Chocolate City and EbonyLife TV is aimed at discovering young musical talents in the country. The reality show was announced at a press conference held at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos on Thursday. The historic event had in attendance the Executive Chairman and CEO of EbonyLife TV, Mo Abudu; President of Chocolate City Group, Audu Makori; CEO of Chocolate City, Jude Abaga (M.I), Victoria Kimani and many others.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Sunny Ade charges young artistes on enduring legacy Stories By Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

UJU music legend King Sunny Ade has charged young artistes to record songs that will last for decades. The musician, who clocks 70 this year, also wants artistes to project the image of Nigeria and her culture instead of promoting vulgarity and nudity. The veteran musician who has stayed relevant for more than four decades made the charge in an interview with a popular magazine during the week. “I want young artistes of today to know that they are lucky,” he said. “In those days, no family wanted or allowed their children to do music. Today family members introduce their children to big artistes to put them through. Moreover, we don’t have many schools

of music in Nigeria, yet we are still progressing. “What I want them to do is to give a sense of belonging to the culture of Nigeria and Africa and sense of belonging to music of black people where they have their roots. “Nowadays, we see more of vulgar lyrics. It happened in those days but it was corrected. All they need to do is to do what the ears will hear and eyes will see that in 20 years, they will not be ashamed or regret anything. Nowadays, you see artistes go naked, dancers dance naked on stage and there is nothing one can do since the younger ones embrace it and fans love it. It’s not in the African or Nigerian culture.” Sunny Ade, while reacting to the problems in the industry, called for close monitoring as there are no direct answers. “We all need to sit down and look inward to identify

the problems. We need to check and re-check what the problems are. The only thing I can see clearly is piracy and we lack com-

panies that can take care of the works of musicians. In Africa today, Nigerian music is leading. Our own music is really coming up.

If you listen to fuji, juju or any other traditional music, no matter how foreign, we make use of less English,” says King Sunny Ade.

Di’Ja to assist handicapped woman NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD physically challenged Rahma Haruna based in Kano will be receiving assistance from Mavin Records songstress, Di’Ja. To trace Rahma, the Globrand ambassador, who saw online the photo of the teenager being carried around by her brother in a plastic bowl without arms or limbs, made inquiries about her whereabouts. The singer who had a quiet traditional marriage in December in Kaduna, her hometown, took to her Instagram handle to advance her search. She wrote, “Please DM me if u know how to contact this beautiful soul. (SERIOUS INFORMATION please in the name of God). Says she is 19 years old and no she wasn’t born like this. She fell as a child. Her spirit alone shows strength and contentment. I am filled with gratitude, joy and love everyday because I am grateful. You should too...Allahu Akbar”. During the week the ‘Awww’ singer finally got

to meet Rahma and her family in Ladin Makole in Kano. The pictures posted on her Instagram page on Wednesday showed Dija, the young

lady with some men, probably her family members. Di’ja, based on her comment on Twitter, appeared to be full of empathy for Rahma’s condition.

Actress Kiki Omeili gushes over new-look Ibadan NOLLYWOOD ebony beauty, Nkiruka Omeili, popularly known as Kiki Omeili, has been full of admiration at the level of development going on in Ibadan, Oyo State. The actress, presenter and doctor, who travelled to the ancient city for the shoot of a newly released movie, ‘Couple of Days’, told Saturday Tribune at the private screening of the movie in FilmHouse Cinema, Surulere, Lagos during the week that she was surprised at the new look of Ibadan. The ‘Lekki Wives’ actress didn’t mince words as she attributed the high level of development in the Oyo State capital to the good governance of the present administration. Speaking with a dint of reminiscence she said: “Ibadan is actually a city I

am familiar with. I spent a whole year in Ibadan before. I did my housemanship in Ibadan at UCH [University of College Hospital, Ibadan] as a medical student. Back when I did my housemanship, there was almost nothing there. That was in 2007.”

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Abike Dabiri

back to first love

Motunde Folawiyo savours joy of motherhood ANOTHER socialite caught in the web of celebrating parenthood is Motunde, daughter of late industrialist, Chief Wahab Folawiyo,. The young woman was said to have given birth to a set of twins recently in an American hospital. Those in the know said Motunde had for a long time been waiting on the Lord for fruits of the womb, a prayer that got answered and set her friends and family members on a path of celebration.

AGOS politician, Abike DabiriErewa, is back to the profession that gave her fame and opened the door of influence for her. The former lawmaker, who was a vital tool in the campaign that ushered in President Muhammadu Buhari, has gone

into publishing. Dabiri, who had a stint as a broadcaster with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) now publishes a magazine that aims to celebrate Nigerians in the diaspora. The magazine, Diaspora Quarterly, is targeted at celebrating Nigerians abroad that are doing great in their various countries of sojourn. Dabiri-Erewa is not a novice in society journalism and she is counting on her experience to put her magazine to the fore despite the current financial challenges being experienced in the media industry. The woman who chooses hardwork as her credo is set to be part of a much bigger identity and soar with her new publication.

Jide Owoeye’s other passion THE chairman, Governing Council of the Lead City University, Professor Jide Owoeye, is not a man only devoted to books and academics; he has a passion that beats the imagination of his friends and admirers. The academic’s passion is in the game of polo, an interest he never ceases to express his love for. The just-concluded Ibadan Polo tournament ignited the love the academic had for the game as he was one of the major sponsors of the elaborate sporting event, where one of his children, Konyin, is a top player and the captain of the Polo Club. Professor Owoeye did not miss any of the matches as he became the number one fan of the Lead City group that sat by the sidelines cheering and encouraging the team which eventually won the prestigious Ibadan Cup.

Shareefah Andu launches new collection Femi Fani-Kayode’s joyful tunes FORMER Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, is a happy man at the moment. The reason for the politician’s happiness is not far-fetched as the news broke a few days ago about the new addition into the politician’s family. The politician recently welcomed the birth of a new son and since then he has been telling all those who care to know the good news. The man is said to have five daughters from his previous marriage and his dalliance with a former beauty queen, Precious Chikwendu, produced his first son.

THE recent launch of Princess Aisha Turban by Arabel boss, Shareefah Andu, was a gathering of the finest and most fashionable women in Nigeria. The event, which was held at the Westwood Hotel, Ikoyi, had the wife of the Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs Oluranti Adebule, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Funmi Tejuosho and a lot of other stylish women in attendance. Arabel, which started in 1998, is the brainchild of Shareefah Andu, an ex-banker, who has made her business as the biggest seller of islamic wears. Arabel in Nigeria boasts of the biggest clientele in Islamic fashion and accessories.

6 February, 2016

The South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga | 08111813056

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Why we must return to the Awolowo era — Oba Falade

Oba Peter Afolabi Falade, the Obaloja of Oloje-Ekiti, spoke with SAM NWAOKO on reasons the country is not getting it right economically and the need to re-direct its focus. Excerpts:

The community LOJE-EKITI is a community in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The name, Oloje was arrived at after it was unanimously agreed by the people that the former name: Orunpe (which literally means ‘heaven is far’) be changed. The age grades in the town were instrumental to the new name, which took its roots from the annual festival of the people. The festival is known as “Oje”, which also took its name from the Oje River. The early people of the then Orunpe vehemently opposed Christianity, a religion introduced to the people by a man known as Pa Meduna. We were told that the people would not allow Pa Meduna to sleep because of what he came with, because they believed that he was invading the town with a strange religion. On the second day of his arrival with Christianity, a meeting was called and there, Chief Ajayi Omotosho, the Edemarun calmed the people. As an Ifa priest, Chief Edemarun told the people that the religion brought by Meduna would be an enduring one and would help the people. There’s one ruling house in Oloje. The house is known as Olusun, from Ilaro quarters. The community was at Apole and was led by Oba Erinle of Ilaro compound. He was assisted by chiefs known as “Iwarafa Mefa.” Oba Ogun Ole reigned and was succeeded by Oba Falayi, who was my grandfather. It was Oba Falayi that championed the cause of the community’s movement to where we are now and succeeded in moving the community to our present location in 1940. The name change was also effected during the reign of my grandfather. Development has brought many communities in the same axis with Oloje closer. Oloje used to be far from her neighbours such as Itaji and Ayede until physical development that has reduced the distance between them. I was traditionally enthroned as the Obaloja of Oloje-Ekiti on Saturday, August 30, 2008 while the governor then, Chief Segun Oni presented the staff of office to me on Saturday, September 27, 2008. I took over the reins of our community after the demise of Oba Samuel Olagoke Ogunbgami, who began his reign in 1976.

Vision for Oloje I envision an Oloje that would be an ideal home for all of us as indigenes as well as for our visitors. Physical development takes time but we are doing our bit to ensure this takes place. We are growing but nothing good comes easy. As of today, we don’t have a transformer. Oloje is the only town in Oye LGA that hasn’t got its own transformer. We share one with Itaji and that one is even old because it’s been in use more than 20 years. We are still working on our town hall project. It has reached an advanced stage but paucity of funds has literally stalled work there. We would like the

In Israel which is mostly desert, they have agricultural products throughout the year but here, with so much arable land, crops are seasonal. We need to look inwards and change our orientation. state government, sons and daughters of the community and our friends to help us in completiting the project. One that is also dear to me is our community primary school. Erosion is disturbing our community primary, Ojewumi Community Primary School. We need help there and we would appreciate if the government could urgently fence the school because pedestrians trespass at will there. What South West needs When South West was Western Region, our identity was cocoa. So, we must return to the type of agriculture that gave us that enviable identity. For example, in Ekiti State, we have fertile land that doesn’t need so much fertilizer. In Israel which is mostly desert, they have agricultural products throughout the year but here, with so much arable land, crops are seasonal. We need to look inwards and change our orientation. I suggest that we compel each of the Local Councils in the South West to return to the farms. In Ekiti South West Local Government Area for example, they are noted for the cultivation of plantains and banana. In Emure and Ise/Orun, they have lots of cocoa. So, we can build on these competences and thereby regain our true economic strength. We cannot now continue to depend on what comes from the Fedsral Government. That should actually be an addition to what we have. I think we should make the farms attractive as we had them in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Then, it was fun to be in the plantations and camps. There were schools and homes in them, for the workers and their children. When we consciously plan to revive agriculture and truly devote resources to making the best out of it, we will surely reap the gains of agriculture.

6 February, 2016

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata

FUNOLOGY

POLITICO

Prayer requests A businessman needed ten million dollars for an important business transaction. He went to a prayer mountain to pray for the money. He knelt and started praying next to a man who was praying and shouting very loudly for just ten thousand naira he needed to pay an urgent debt. This man’s praying style was seriously disturbing the businessman, so the businessman quickly took out his wallet and pressed the ten thousand naira into the other man’s hand. Overjoyed, the man got up and left the mountain, believing it was God that did it miraculously. The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed: “And now, Lord, can I have your full, undivided attention?”

Th e tur ke y

Segeluulu stopped at a local church to talk to the pastor. He told the man of God: “Pastor, I stole a turkey this morning on my way home from school.” The pastor told him “That was a terrible thing to do.” Segeluulu replied, “Yes, I know that now, do you want it?” The pastor replied “No, take it back and give it to the man that you stole it from, that’s when God will be happy with you.” Segeluulu replied “I tried to give it back but he refused it.” The pastor told him “In that case you keep the turkey.” Segeluulu thanked the pastor and went his way. When the pastor got home later that day he discovered that his turkey had been stolen!

Pakurumo crooner in second babymama drama

politics&policy

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune With Saheed Salawu

0811 695 4643

yinkadejavu@yahoo.com

Shock finds in Nigeria’s 2016 budget

President Muhammadu Buhari, on December 22, 2015, presented Nigeria’s biggest budget in 16 years to the National Assembly. Some shock finds, indicative of business as usual appeared to have found their ways into the budget document. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, undertakes a review of the budget document.

ENATORS and members of the House of Representatives showed excitement on December 22, 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari visited the House of Representatives chamber for a joint sitting of the National Assembly for the presentation the N6.08 trillion 2016 budget estimates. The lawmakers had decided to make a show of the event, which had become a routine since 1999 until former President Goodluck Jonathan shunned the joint sitting and decided to send the budget through his then Minister of Finance, in 2013 and 2014. The senators and the members of the lower chamber waved the national flag as Buhari walked into the chamber through the presidential route. His presentation was punctuated with claps. Outside the chamber, the euphoria of a first budget presentation by the erstwhile opposition party continued to dominate proceedings as senators and House of Representatives members expressed the belief that the budget would bring change to the land. But it won’t be long before the budget document would run into foul weather. The lawmakers departed Abuja for the end of the year recess in December. By the first week of January, news had circulated that the executive was contemplating withdrawing the budget document. There were denials but it turned out that the rumour of budget withdrawal had some iota of truth. The executive was said to have been alarmed by reports that indicated bogus allocations to the presidency and other subheads in “The Budget of Change.” Attempts to effect a change in the document behind the scene had landed the government in bad weather as the Senate raised the alarm that the budget was missing. Even while the National Assembly decided to “move on” and continue work on the “budget copy document submitted by Mr President,” it was obvious that the Villa had had its image badly affected. Whether Buhari sanctioned the changes quietly made to the budget was no longer in contention when he wrote a letter dated January 15, 2016 to adopt the changes earlier made secretly. But the “missing budget” saga turned out to be a tip of the iceberg as the document came under further scrutiny. There were enough shock finds that would make the budget almost unworkable by the National Assembly. There were undue repetitions of subheads, figures and allocations. It just appeared that the drafters of the document merely adopted the existing templates and judged figures as they wished. The first signal that all might not be well with the budget emanated on the first allotted day for the debate on its general principles. While senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) struggled to project the virtues of the budget, those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) identified errors as the debate deepened. Abia’s three-time senator and former Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, described the budget as a “change in the wrong direction” and queried what he called bogus allocations to the Presidential Villa. According to him, the government that claims to be running austerity budget is moving domestic spending in the Presidential Villa from N580 million in 2015 to N1.7 billion “We know what is going on in the global economy. This budget is predicated on an oil benchmark of $38 per barrel and I can now say that with oil being $28 today, this budget is dead on arrival. This budget is, indeed, unique, the first budget that has ever been sent out to the public of Nigeria and after the budget presentation, the finance minister has never come to explain the details of the budget as it is normally done. “It is a budget of change. I agree. But it is a change in the wrong direction because if it is based on zero budgeting requiring all expenses to be fully justified. A budget that increases spending up to 30 per cent based solely on borrowing, in what way is it justified? That is the question we want to ask the people who brought this budget as change. “This budget has moved the 2015 budget from N4.45 trillion to N6 trillion and we felt that moving it on zero-based budgeting should actually show how it is done. Of course, we get nothing; all we get is that we are going to borrow,”

The agency has the same figures for three different subheads. The council plans to spend N334,630 on telephone charges, N334,630 on water rates and N334,630 on satellite broadcasting access charges.

Abaribe said on the floor of the Senate. The lawmaker said that the decision to increase domestic spending within Aso Rock Villa from N580 million to N1.7 billion could not be defended. “We were told that in the revised budget, there was an adjustment due to error. We agree but what has happened is that the money, up to N7 billion, was moved from buying vehicles to being spent in offices,” he added. He told his colleagues further that the Villa was going to curiously spend N3.9 billion for the renovation of the Villa, which was only renovated in May 2015. “They are going to renovate the Villa with N3.9 billion. What else do you want to renovate there (in the Villa) that Nigerians will see in the year 2016?” the lawmaker asked. One shock find in the budget, which runs across the allocations in the presidency is the subhead honorarium and sitting allowances. Under the Presidency State House Headquarters, the subhead has an initial N69, 396,805 as allocation. Under the State House, Vice President, operations, the same allocation has N9, 813,643. But in the section that summarises the entire allocations for the State House, the sum of N307,644,034 (N307.6 million) was allotted to that subhead. The same State House is to spend the sum of N115.8 million on wildlife conservation,

added to another N4.1 million to be spent on rehabilitation of mini zoo at the State House Annex, Lagos. More shock finds were made in the allocation to the Mass Literacy Council under the Ministry of Education. The agency has the same figures for three different subheads. The council plans to spend N334,630 on telephone charges, N334,630 on water rates and N334,630 on satellite broadcasting access charges. A similar situation obtains in Nomadic Education Commission which plans to spend exactly the same amount on different subheads. While it plans to spend the sum of N1,602,490 on plant/generator fuel cost, it will also spend N1,602,490 on another subhead - motor vehicle fuel cost. The Ministry of Education appears to account for many of the duplications as evident in the proposed allocation to Federal Government College, Buni-Yadi, Yobe State. The proposed expenditures see the same figure of N677,575 repeated for 10 items. It would be curious how the same expenditure could go exactly for the various subheads, which are in different sectors. The details, as shown in the budget under the FGC BuniYadi, indicate that the sum of N677,575 was allocated for the Maintenance of Motor Vehicle/Transport Equipment; Maintenance of Office Furniture (N677,575), Maintenance of Office Building/Residential Quarters (N677,575), Maintenance of office/IT Equipment (N 677,575), Maintenance of Plants/Generators (N677,575), Training-General (N677,575), Local Training (N677,575), Motor Vehicle Fuel Cost (N677,575), Other Transport Equipment Fuel Cost (N677,575) and Plant/Generator Fuel Cost (N677,575). The school also has an unclear subhead named Subsidy to Government-owned Companies and Parastatals at the sum of N 58,894,305. The same strange coincidences were noticed in the budget of the Federal Government College, Garki, Abuja, where the sum of N400,237 was stated against 14 items. The budget shows that the school is voting the sum of N400,237 for Maintenance of Motor Vehicle/Transport Equipment; the same N400,237 would take care of Maintenance of office furniture; Maintenance of office Building/Residential Quarters, N400,237; Maintenance of Office/IT Equipments, N400,237; Maintenance of Plants/ Generators, N400,237; Training General, N400,237; Local Training, N400,237; Security Services, N400,237; Cleaning and Fumigation services, N400,237; Other Transport Equipment Fuel Cost, N400,237; Plant/Generator Fuel Cost, N400,237; Welfare packages, N400,237 and Publicity and Advertisements and Sporting activities, N400,237 Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos State, also shares in the strange finds in the budget. The school was allotted the sum of N350,362 for the purchase of books, the same amount earmarked for other subheads like Newspapers, Magazines and Periodicals and Printing of Non-security Documents; while the subhead entitled Subsidies to Government-owned companies and Parastatals is to gulp N94,967,549. One shock find that is generating furore is the allocation of the sum of N44 million for perimeter fencing of the school. That project, as contained in the budget, is to actually gulp N44, 728,001. But the school is already fenced and has a gate. Another N40 million is allocated to the school under the subhead, Construction/ Provision of Public Schools. On Monday, the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education uncovered an excess of N10 billion allocated as part of personnel costs of the Ministry of Education. The Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, expressed shocked as he was confronted with the details when the ministry appeared before the Senate Committee for Budget Defence. Senate Chief Whip, Senator Shola Adeyeye, asked the ministry to explain how the personnel budget for parastatals under the ministry jumped from N88,199,311,758 in 2015 to N98, 181,570,237 in the 2016 budget proposals. The minister, who was unable to provide answer to the question, referred the matter to the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Folasade Yemi-Esan. The permanent secretary used technicalities to explain the issue but the lawmakers refused to be carried away by her recourse to technicalities.

38 interview

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

What APC still wants with Fayose’s election despite S/Court’s verdict —Segun Oni A former governor of Ekiti State and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Segun Oni, speaks with KATE ANI on sundry national issues.

OUR party is less than a year in power and there are already reports of plans by some APC leaders in the South to form another party, how true is that? I am not aware of such plans and I don’t think the reports are true. You see, people, especially those who found themselves in the wrong system, would always wish that the system that is right does not survive. So, it is a wishful thinking. I don’t think any leaders are coming together to form another party. If you are a leader and you are in the APC, why would you need an alternative? We have already captured power. Even if there are bits and pieces that we might not be too happy about, it is better to cope within the system than to go to another party. I am sure that the people who would be willing to subscribe to another party are in the PDP, whose party is down and out, not our own leaders. Don’t you see some hitherto strong leaders of the PDP who defected to the APC as a threat to the party as Chief Bisi Akande has predicted? No. Why would defection be a threat to us? When our ranks are swelling, it should be a plus for us and we are happy that people are coming. It is defection against us that will pose a threat to us and the defections so far are all in our direction. There is no threat and we welcome them and we are still welcoming more people. We are already a very strong party but we can still be stronger. The APC has appeared opposed to any unfavorable election results. The only APC governor to have congratulated the candidate of another party was Dr Kayode Fayemi but who later backtracked. Does this mean that your party does not trust the electoral process? Let me ask you a question, who has done that on the other side? Which governor on the other side has ever congratulated a winner not from his party? Don’t let us take things in the absolute, we are Nigerians and we know how bad elections can be. If we are not congratulating, it may mean that we have doubts. Even in the case of Dr Fayemi, he congratulated the winner on behalf of all of us and we supported him wholeheartedly. That is the gentleman in him but it does not mean that we don’t have reservations. Even that morning when he congratulated Governor Ayodele Fayose, we had our reservations, just as he did, too, but that was the decent way to go and we were proud of him. But now, we are seeing revelations which show that we ought not to have even accepted the election results, not to talk of congratulating him. The facts that are coming into the open are not strange to us. The security agencies had been incensed against our people and if there was any resistance, there would have been bloodshed. We prevented the blood of our people from being spattered all over the place and we believed that Dr Fayemi had given a commendable leadership in that aspect. But Dr Fayemi later backtracked, went to court and failed… He didn’t backtrack. Knowing all that we knew, it could have been criminal of us to keep quiet. If we had kept quiet, maybe these revelations wouldn’t have come out and we would have done great injustice to the democratic process and future of democracy in Nigeria. It is not a matter of backtracking but taking a step at a time. Why has your party refused to congratulate the River State governor, Nyesom Wike, on his win at the Supreme Court? As the late Justice [Chukwudifu] Oputa said, the Supreme Court is final not because it is infallible, but it is infallible because it is final. So, that judgement is infallible because it is final but we, as mortals, have very grave reservations concerning the ruling. And what are the reservations? I am not a lawyer but we have grave reservations. We saw the conduct of the election but the ruling is final and we have accepted it in good faith. Whatever that will happen in Rivers State is going to be the discretion of our governorship candidate there but whether he congratulates Governor Wike or not, it does not remove the fact that people saw part of what happened during that election live on television. Of course, we have got to the endpoint,

which is the Supreme Court, which is infallible and final, hence our acceptation. Let us leave it like that. Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was inaugurated without a deputy. Some constitutional lawyers have termed such an inauguration unconstitutional, what is your opinion on that? Let the lawyers battle it among themselves. Democracy is also a game for lawyers to practise their acts and their knowledge of the constitution. Let us see how the judges

I told him I was at home and he said I should leave the house because they were coming to arrest me very soon. I told him off, saying that if I should die in my house, I would regard it as a peaceful death but before then, there would be a massive bloodshed. I meant it and I was ready to end it that night.

will interpret the pleadings of the lawyers. When the judges come out with their decision, as a party that surrenders to the rule of law, we will take whatever comes from the judiciary as the gospel. Has your party initiated any process for the possible replacement of James Faleke as Bello’s deputy? I am not talking about that now. ‘Join APC and be saved’ is now a popular phrase on the street, which is used to ventilate the claim by a section of the society that the president is fighting a one-sided war against corruption… Let me ask you, who are the people that are presiding over the looting of the treasury? Are they the people in government or out of government? They say some corrupt elements are in government and the EFCC, not being independent of the government, can’t go after them… Look, I don’t want us to be diversionary. I want the press to help Nigerians. If they know any Nigerians that are corrupt and whom we are shielding because they joined the APC, they should mention them. Some allude to a former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi… Have they brought anything up? Nobody stops anybody from going to the court of law to swear to affidavit. It is not Continues pg39

39 interview

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘I dare anyone to prove that corrupt elements are in Buhari’s govt’ attack President Buhari at will. If he has done anything wrong, let him face up to it.

Continued from pg38

just about making an allegation, because when you make an allegation that you cannot back up with an affidavit, it will just be a lame talk. Allegations have been made against me many times in the past by faceless people who couldn’t make an affidavit and when EFCC investigated me, they saw that it was not true. So, people make all sorts of allegations and say that because some people are protected, they will not be investigated. Anybody who is bold enough to swear to an affidavit with his photograph and name and address and state his issues, those are the ones we should take seriously. I am not making any case for Rotimi Amaechi but people opposed to him have been in power in that state for about six months now. If since that time, there has not been anybody bold enough to swear to an affidavit and claim that this is what Amaechi did, it is not likely that the allegations against him are true.

Were you surprised that he visited and extended hand of fellowship to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, after their history of not getting along? I am not surprised. He can do more tomorrow. It is all part of a struggle for survival. And when people are accident-prone, they also must be survival-prone. So, you think there was more to his visit to the Osun State governor than peace and reconciliation? He said he wanted Yoruba unity. I don’t know the type of unity he wants among the Yoruba that it is now him who has to champion it.

But Governor Wike had accused Amaechi of wasting the state’s resources and hosting Professor Wole Soyinka to a dinner with N82 million? Can the governor swear to the attorney-general with an affidavit that he saw this as an index of corruption? Let us face it; we are politicians, if there is a reception for Soyinka, what is wrong in spending such amount of money to host him? Soyinka also helped to promote the face of the state.

But he said that the Ooni and the Alaafin encouraged him to do so… Did they give the job to him to do? Would the traditional rulers be looking for an ambassador of peace within the South-West and it would be him? Or he has taken it upon himself to do that? Let us face the reality; we all take everything as jokes. Why would he be the ambassador of peace now, is it on the basis of his reputation, his charisma, ability or perceived competence and dignity? If he decided to go and visit Governor Aregbesola, he is not running an errand for the Yoruba race but for himself.

Are you saying that Amaechi is justified to host Soyinka with N600 million, while the salaries of workers in the state were not paid at that time? If he was hosting Professor Soyinka and drew the attention of the international community to Rivers State and made the state the book capital of the world, the first of its kind in this part of the world, there is nothing wrong with it. If you are trying to showcase yourself to other parts of the world, it must cost something and today, it is on record that Rivers State is the book capital of the world. I don’t know when we are going to have another book capital of the world in this part of the country. If anybody expects that it would just drop from the sky, I don’t think we are being realistic. They may call it ‘the Soyinka reception’ but I think it is more than that. It was a reception that put Rivers State on the world map for the world to see and for the literary world to appreciate. The Supreme Court has already given a decision on Ekiti State governorship election but it seems the APC is not yet done with the election? We haven’t said we are not done with the election. The Supreme Court is final. But if we have further evidence, I don’t think the system will also prevent us from presenting those evidence, but let us leave all that. Let me say this, because I understand some people are saying that it is an afterthought. It is not. Let me tell you, the world has not heard from many of us because we don’t want to sound like losers who are just ranting. The night before the election, for example, there was an attempt to arrest me in my house for no offence. One of the security agents who had worked with me in government called me and said, ‘oga (boss), where are you?’ I told him I was at home and he said I should leave the house because they were coming to arrest me very soon. I told him off, saying that if I should die in my house, I would regard it as a peaceful death but before then, there would be a massive bloodshed. I meant it and I was ready to end it that night, if that was what it takes to make a very serious point that they can’t just go about picking up people like peanuts. Of course, they did not come eventually. I understood they said that coming to Ifaki might be too bloody. So, we cannot be talking and seem like we are ranting. What happened in Ektiti that day was unimaginable. It had never happened in the history of elections in Nigeria. The president set up a military tribunal on Ekiti and Osun elections which were not conducted under him. The court only mentioned Ekiti, why was Osun left out? I don’t know, I don’t know… but I understood that there were no complaints about the military in Osun but there was in Ekiti. Nigerians should sit through and digest the contents of whatever information that has come to the open now. An APC chieftain, Temitope Aluko, a former PDP chieftain like you, claimed that Governor Ayodele Fayose and former President Jonathan rigged the Ekiti election, what really is your party after in Ekiti? Of course, the election was rigged. You could see it in various ways. You know that there are so many things that we cannot explain but we had to keep quiet because

Whatever battle I fought in the past, I fought it relentlessly because I believed in those battles. But those ones are now in the past. I don’t look backwards and we are now friends. when you lose, if you talk, people would say ‘yes, what else do you expect him to say?’ We had our own suspicions but we kept quiet because we didn’t want to be branded as aggrieved losers. Most Nigerians saw it as an attempt by the APC to deal with Governor Fayose because he is the only PDP man that has remained vocal about his disapproval of President Buhari’s administration? There are also some other PDP governors who are even smarter than him. If they are not talking at the level and rate at which he is talking, then something must be happening. And I must tell you, Ayodele Fayose also wanted to prepare a ground, in case there would be problems, so that there would be a ground for references. He wants to create an alibi for ‘victimisation,’ which is why he is doing what he is doing. Most of the things that Fayose does and says are what you can’t expect a governor to do or say but he wants to be seen as somebody who can

Until 2014, it would have sounded incredible that you would join the then ACN. Dr Kayode Fayemi, who was the governor then, rubbished your policies. You were humiliated during the Ayo Salami saga. Why did you eventually dump the PDP and pitch tent with the people that called you election rigger? I made it very clear that in the quest to make Nigeria better, I must be able to identify the better alternative in any circumstances. I don’t mind flying an aircraft with an insane person but the moment I am told that the insane man is going to be the pilot of the aircraft, before he enters the cockpit, I will disembark. There are people I don’t want to see as leading me, people that I can’t point to my children as their role models. Any sane person looking at Dr Kayode Fayemi and Governor Fayose will be able to say very clearly who they prefer as their leader. I chose Dr Kayode Fayemi and I have no regrets and will choose him 10 times over. But the duo of Dr Fayemi and Senator Bola Tinubu frustrated you out of office, what is your relationship with them now? I battled everybody but I don’t see any battle beyond its conclusion. A politician must not look backwards too much, but forward because it is forward that development is. Whatever battle I fought in the past, I fought it relentlessly because I believed in those battles. But those ones are now in the past. I don’t look backwards and we are now friends. I find myself very comfortable in their company. Let me tell you, I don’t have any personal grouse against Governor Fayose. If he did not want to be governor of Ekiti State, our relationship would have been as good as it should be. But I will always say this: I cannot accept him as the image of the Ekiti person. I cannot show him to my children as a role model. It was alleged that you collected N200 million to join the APC… From whom? From the leaders of the party… N200 million? Am I that cheap? I am not a rich man but by all means, N200 million cannot swing me in any political direction.

feature

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Lagos’ Freedom Park of oddities, arts and magic

Mr Ermias, Ethiopian

Amaka Nwachukwu (left) and Samuel Osaze Naza Okoli - Lagos

T was a typical evening at Freedom Park in Lagos: a stage, a live band, and a fairly large audience. People sat in the large triangular space between the stage and the bar, drinking, eating, talking, and listening to music. Some danced occasionally. It was well past six pm, and visitors were arriving in groups, for what promised to be a great night. A popular dance group – Crown Troupe of Africa – was on stage, rehearsing. It would, later in the evening, become a full-scale performance. Around 8 pm, when the merrymaking had reached its peak, shouts of “Ask her!” “Ask her!” “Ask her!” suddenly rent the air. A young man, Samuel Osaze, had announced to the gathering that he had a question to ask his girlfriend. “Will you marry me?” he asked, kneeling. “Yes,” she answered. This was greeted with wild jubilation from the audience; it was like a scene in a movie. Osaze would later tell Saturday Tribune that he had sought the cooperation of a number of people at the Park earlier that evening. “I came in here with my friend and his wife, and then my girl,” he said. “I just went around and told some guys… I told the DJ, and they all agreed to help me. I am well known here; I come here all the time. Before I came on stage, a young RB musician came here and rendered a song ‘Will you marry me.’ I believe that song was meant to set the mood. It was after the song that DJ Bola Brown called me on stage, and told the crowd I wanted to perform a poem, and insisted I must come with somebody, so I pulled my girl along, even when she didn’t want to. I rendered my poem ‘Beyond the Face’. After the performance, I quoted lines from Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel, from the episode involving Sidi and Olakunle. The audience was ecstatic. And then I knelt and asked her the big question.” His fiancé, Amaka Nwachukwu, was visibly excited: “At first I didn’t even understand what was going on; it took some seconds for it to actually sink in. I thought I was going to role-play for him when he was called out to recite his poem. It was a big surprise; I didn’t expect it. I didn’t know he was that creative.”

Godson Azubuike

Taiye Kolawole Headquarters of the arts Freedom Park is a place of stories. Some say it is the birthplace of the arts in Nigeria. Others say it is central shrine for all categories of artists in the country – the headquarters for all practitioners in the creative industry. Whatever the case, it is the power of history (or stories) that most pervades the atmosphere at Freedom Park. “Freedom Park Lagos, born out of the ruins of Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prisons, was reconstructed to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the Nigerian people,” the information on the Park’s website reads. It is said that during Her Majesty’s reign, many of Nigeria’s founding fathers and activists were incarcerated at this location. The cell units are still preserved; a museum on the premises houses some of the relics of that period – including the shackles and torture instruments. Every aspect of the Nigerian history is represented one way or another at the Park. There are the statutes of Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe standing together, in front of a large carving of the Nigerian map. In the garden, a sculpture entitled “Abeni Alaso Ofi” tells

Some say it is the birthplace of the arts in Nigeria. Others say it is central shrine for all categories of artists in the country – the headquarters for all practitioners in the creative industry. Whatever the case, it is the power of history (or stories) that most pervades the atmosphere at Freedom Park.

the story of an ancient fabric design among the Yoruba. Another shows a man blowing the long trumpet “Kakaki” associated with royalty in most parts of the North. Another sculpture, “Drummer”, tells the story of war dances in parts of the East. “This place hosts more than ten festivals every year,” said Samuel Osaze. “Here, I have attended Veggie Festival, Black Heritage Festival, I-Represent International Documentary Film Festival, Sekere Festival, Lagos International Poetry Festival, Lagos Jazz Festival, Afropolitan Vibes, Felabration, Reggae Festival, and so on. “The greatest event here every month when everywhere is practically shut down is Afropolitan Vibes, hosted by Ade Bantu. It comes up every last Friday in the month. The whole of this place is jam-packed. You see black people, white people, Indians, all kinds of people.” Another poet, Taiye Kolawole told Saturday Tribune that the park represents “fun”. “To me, this is a place to catch some fun,” he said. “If you are a literary enthusiast, you love it more for many of the arts programmes that go on here every month, or every year. But what I find disappointing most times is that whenever there is poetry recitation, the audience are rather very passive; most times they don’t respond at all. But when it is a music show, they all come alive.” Other events listed on the Park’s website are Lagos Book and Arts Festival (LABAF) and Kalakuta Fashion and Arts Show. Arts and advocacy Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is himself an important part of Freedom Park. Kongi’s Harvest Gallery houses Soyinka’s works and other things associated with him. Even more intriguing, he has an office at the park. A couple of weeks ago, the performance artist, Jelili Atiku was arrested and detained, after he was accused of “public disturbance” during an outdoor performance at Ejigbo. It was at Freedom Park that his friends and associates gathered to initiate a campaign for his release and acquittal. Also recently, after the demolition of Artists’ Village at the National Theatre, Iganmu, artists led by Soyinka, again gathered at Freedom Park to condemn the action. When towards the end of 2015, it emerged that the Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina had suffered a stroke, writers and other artists, as well as art organisations, converged on the Park to launch a fundraiser. “…and magic” Ermias is visiting Lagos from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Even though his primary destination is the German Cultural Centre, Goethe-Institut, at Lagos City Hall, he finds time to visit the Park. Godson Azubuike, Head of Language Department at Goethe, is his guide. “I like it here,” said Ermias. “It is full of history and magic.”

feature

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

He is disabled, yet owns a school and employs 20 workers Naza Okoli – Lagos

HE security man at Hope Fountain School for the Deaf, Ijaye, Ojokoro, Lagos, is a young man. His name is Adewale, and he is Deaf. Whenever a visitor pushes open the grey-coloured gate, Adewale leads them to the reception. Here he produces a short form where the visitor enters their name and the purpose of their visit, and then waits as Adewale takes it upstairs to the principal’s office. Adewale is one of the six employees of the school who are profoundly deaf; the other five are classroom teachers, each of whom possesses a National Certificate in Education (NCE). The founder and administrator of the school, Mr Tony Nwokolo, is also Deaf. He shares his spacious office with Mrs Ebere Chukwuemeka who is his assistant and principal of the school. He is a busy man; only the day before, he received in his office a Managing Director of a bank and interviewed a number of applicants. Nwokolo was not born with any disability; he became Deaf at the age of ten after an illness. With careful attention and patience, one can understand many of the sounds he makes. Nevertheless, his assistant, who communicates to him through sign language, serves as his interpreter whenever he entertains visitors. “I attended primary school at Sapele in Delta State and later at Ibadan School for the Deaf at Ijokodo, Oyo State,” he said. “I proceeded to Ijokodo High School, Ibadan. I did GCE in SSI and I passed in all the subjects. That did a lot to boost my confidence, and I knew I could do anything. Also while in that school, I took part in an essay competition, and came first in Oyo State. I later represented Oyo State at the national level; we were two from Oyo. I was the only Deaf person at the competition. I learned that there was no door I could not open. I was encouraged to move forward, to try the unknown. After my secondary school I got two offers of admission – one was to study Microbiology at the University of Ibadan, and the other was General Art at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH). I chose YABATECH because I wanted something technical. Even then, my lecturers thought I could not cope. In fact, they told me they would keep me on trial for just one semester. But I shocked them with my performance at the end of that semester. I graduated with an HND in 1999, and I was among the best 10 in my class.” “Rugged” When Nwokolo completed his National Youth Service Corps programme in 2000, his parents who lived in Sapele asked him to return home. “I told them I would not,” he said. “I told them that I wanted to achieve something here in Lagos. I was determined. I am naturally rugged.” He paused, and shifted his seat. “I am rugged,” he said again. He pronounced “rugged” with a lot of force. He did this several times, as if words could never express just how rugged he was. He continued: “If I make up my mind to do something, I always do it. But there were no jobs. I began to help out in my church at Gowon Estate, Egbeda, doing evangelism. In 2004, I started this school. I invested about N300,000. I got support from family and friends, and I had my own savings. I also got support from the parents of the children who came here. It was not easy, of course. In this area, there was no school for the Deaf; the only such school in Lagos at the time was at Surulere. And many Deaf students found it difficult to move from this part all the way to Surulere. Today, there are a number of such schools spread across the state. But we woke them up. We are second only to government-owned Wesley College for the Deaf, Surulere; we are the largest private school for the Deaf in Lagos State.” Nwokolo was visibly excited. His entire body resonated with every sound and every physical motion and gesticulation. Between the discussions, he fetched several photo

Mr Tony Nwokolo

I did GCE in SSI and I passed in all the subjects. That did a lot to boost my confidence, and I knew I could do anything. Also while in that school, I took part in an essay competition, and came first in Oyo State. I later represented Oyo State at the national level; we were two from Oyo.

albums, and pointed out the many achievements of his school. There was a photo of him with the wife of former governor of Lagos State, Mrs Abimbola Fashola. “I had just been presented with an award,” he explained. “It was in December 2014, on the International Day for the Disabled. It was given in recognition of the impact we have made in the area of special education.” Next, he fetched souvenirs from his self-sponsored trip in 2014 to the United States “It was for a course in special education,” he said. “It was organised by Gallaudet University, Washington DC. I met a lot of people who are Deaf like me. They were surprised to learn that I own a school. It was a big deal.” Why I married a Deaf woman Nwokolo’s wife, like him, is Deaf. One of the pictures in his album shows the couple with their son who appears to be no more than five years old. “Yes, my wife is Deaf,” he said. “It is the trend globally. When a man is Deaf and he is married to a Deaf woman, it fosters trust and mutual understanding. It creates harmony. But if the man marries someone who can hear and talk, there will be suspicion. If she answered a phone call, the husband would have no idea who she was talking to because

he could not hear them. That’s why I married a Deaf woman. But it is not just about that, there must be love as well. Of course, being Deaf and being married to a Deaf person doesn’t mean your children would be Deaf. They would be able to speak and hear.” Hope… like fountain The school’s main block is a storey building. On the ground floor is a classroom for children who, besides Deafness, also have additional impairment. There is a section for the junior primary classes also on the ground floor. One arm of the upper floor is the senior secondary school, while the other is for the senior primary classes. The junior secondary school operates from a makeshift structure outside the main building, constructed with wood. A school bus that bears the name of the school is parked proudly at the centre of the compound. “Once there were about 130 students here,” Nwokolo said. “Now they are 93. Many of our students have gone to university after completing their senior school certificate exams here. That is what gives me joy above everything.” Any time a visitor steps into a classroom, the students or pupils rose to their feet, stretched out their arms, bowed, before waving both arms and smiling. That is their own way of saying “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.” It is such a beautiful sight to behold.

6 February, 2016

motoring

Volkswagen to introduce all-new 1.5-litre engines

OLKSWAGEN will roll out a new line-up of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines over the next couple of years, replacing the existing 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre motors with 1.5-litre units across the range. The new, more efficient engines are designed to comply with even stricter emissions regulations, according to Auto Express, is due to be introduced in 2020. The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol will replace the turbocharged 1.4 TSI that’s used in cars like the

VW Golf and Skoda Octavia; it will make its first appearance in the facelifted version of the Mk7 Golf, due before the end of this year. The diesel replaces the VW Group’s venerable 1.6 motor although its introduction will be phased in around a year after the petrol’s. It will make its debut in the facelifted Audi A3, but close to the end of that car’s life, in late 2017. It is unlikely to appear in the Mk7 Golf; it’ll be phased into the Mk8 instead.

“The installation of the engine in cars like the Golf and A3 is very straightforward,” said a high-level VW source. “The engines are all new but their dimensions are very similar to what we currently use, so they can slot into existing cars or facelifts.” The Golf Mk8 won’t appear until 2018 but along with the new 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines, we can also expect the hatchback to shed between 35kg and 70kg of weight while at the same time being lower and wider than the outgoing model.

Tata forced to rename Zica due to links to Zika virus

TATA Motors has said the Zica name will now be abolished and replaced, due to its unfortunate similarity with Zika virus. Tata said its Zica which is short for “zippy car,” despite the car

marketing campaign featuring Argentinian football star Lionel Messi, it will change the name for image sake. Recently officially unveiled at the New Delhi Auto Expo, the

unfortunate similarity to the Zika virus, suspected of causing microcephaly or abnormally small heads and brain damage in babies, left the carmaker in a unenviable position of having to evaluate the possibility of re-branding. In its statement, Tata, the carmaker which also owns Jaguar Land Rover, confirmed it will be changing the name of the model, despite the adverting push. “Empathising with the hardships being caused by the recent ‘Zika’ virus outbreak across many countries, Tata Motors, as a socially responsible company, has decided to re-brand the car. “The new car is backed by Tata Motors’ ‘Made of Great’ campaign, with the motto, ‘What drives us from within is what makes us great.’’

Saturday Tribune

With Seyi Gesinde seyigesinde@yahoo.com 08116954632

More than half of motorists can’t change car wheel, study finds NEW research has discovered that more than half of drivers in the United Kingdom can’t fit a spare wheel if their car has a puncture. The study, carried out to see what percentage of the nation’s motorists can carry out ‘basic’ maintenance tasks on their cars, found that 55 per cent said they’d not have a clue what to do with a jack and a locking nut. But a review of the new car market, according to Mail Online Motoring shows that knowing how to change a wheel is becoming less of a necessity, as just 42.5 per cent of models now come with a spare as standard. A survey carried out by Leasing Options of 1,000 drivers asked if they were savvy enough to

carry out simple tasks on their car, from opening the bonnet to checking the oil and brake fluid. Of the all the drivers quizzed from a number of the nation’s major cities, including Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, London and Newcastle, just 45 per cent said they could replace a wheel on their own. However, with fewer and fewer cars being sold with full-size or smaller space-saver spare wheels,changing a wheel will soon become a redundant skill altogether. CAP Automotive, specialists in car valuations, conducted a review of all the new cars currently on sale, finding 57.5 per cent of all showroom vehicles come with a puncture repair kit in the boot instead of a spare.

newsfeature

6 February, 2016

SaturdayTribune

Rescued Nigerian girl longs for Boko Haram ‘husband’ Al-Jazeera in this piece tells the story of a Boko Haram victim who wants to go back to the terrorist who impregnated her.

Boko Haram fighters have kidnapped hundreds of girls over the past few years. PHOTO: ALAMBA.

REED by soldiers, Zara, 16, says she would rather be with the Boko Haram fighter who abducted and impregnated her. Almost a year after she was rescued from Boko Haram captivity by the Nigerian Army, Zara John, 16, is still in love with one of the fighters who abducted her. She was delighted to discover that she was pregnant with his child following a urine and blood test carried out by a doctor in the refugee camp to which she was taken after her rescue. “I wanted to give birth to my child so that I could have someone to replace his father, since I cannot reconnect with him again,” said Zara, one of hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram during a sevenyear insurgency in northeast Nigeria. But any decision over the baby was taken out of her hands. Her father drowned during flooding in 2010 so her uncles intervened. Some were adamant that they did not want Boko Haram offspring in their family and insisted on an abortion. Others felt that the child should not be blamed for its father’s crimes. In the end, the majority carried the vote and Zara was allowed to keep her child, a son she named Usman who is now seven months old. “Everybody in the family has embraced the child,” Zara said in a telephone interview, asking that her location remain undisclosed. “My uncle just bought him tins of Cerelac (instant cereal) and milk.” Zara was 14 years old when Boko Haram members fighting to establish an Islamic state raided her village of Izge, in northeast Nigeria, in February 2014. They razed homes in the village, slaughtered men and loaded women, girls and children on to trucks. Two of Zara’s brothers were out of town when the assailants struck in on villages, as well as suicide bombings, on places of worship or markets. Zara’s mother fell off one of the overloaded trucks but tried to chase after the vehicle that was ferrying away her only daughter and her four-year-old son, but was unable

to keep up as it drove 22kilometers to Bita. At the time, Bita and other surrounding towns near the Sambisa forest were in Boko Haram control. “As soon as we arrived, they told us that we were now their slaves,” Zara recalled. Her days were spent doing chores and learning the tenets of her new religion, Islam, until two months later when she was given away in marriage to Ali, a Boko Haram commander, and moved from a shared house to his accommodation. “After I became a commander’s wife, I had freedom. I slept any time I wanted, I woke up any time I wanted,” she said.

“He bought me food and clothes and gave me everything that a woman needs from a man.” She added that he also gave her a mobile phone with his number in it, and tattooed his name on her stomach to mark her as a Boko Haram wife. Ali assured her that the fight would soon be over and they would return to his hometown of Baga, where he intended his new wife to join his fishing business. He told her that he abandoned his trade and joined Boko Haram after his father and elder brother, both fishermen like himself, were killed by Nigerian soldiers. In a June 2015 report based on years of re-

search and analysis, Amnesty International said that the Nigerian army was guilty of gross human rights abuse and extrajudicial killings of civilians in parts of northeast Nigeria, calling for an investigation into war crimes. Ali was not at home when the Nigerian army stormed Bita in March 2015 and rescued Zara and scores of other women, taking them to a refugee camp in Yola in northeast Nigeria. The raid came as international scrutiny on Nigeria increased after the high-profile abduction of 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in northern Nigeria in April 2014, which caused outrage internationally and sparked the global campaign #bringbackourgirls. The girls are yet to be found. But Zara and Ali stayed in touch by phone until Nigerian soldiers realised some of the girls in the camp were still in touch with their abductors, seized their phones, and moved them to another camp until they were reunited with their families. Zara now lives with her extended family and son in a town far away from Izge. Her male relatives took control of her life again, with requests for interviews fielded by them and all of her movements monitored by her family. But asked her opinion, she said that she would rather be with her Boko Haram “husband”. “If I had my way, I would retrieve the phone number he gave me,” she said, regretting not committing his number to memory. But Zara is realistic and knows the possibility of being reunited with Ali is slim. Instead she wants to return to school when Usman stops breast-feeding, and maybe then run her own business. “I want to do a business that is suitable for a woman, something that will not take me out of the house,” she said. A version of this story originally appeared on the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Electricity tariff increase: FG moves to stop Monday’s protest rally by organised labour Soji-Eze Fagbemi -Abuja THE Federal Government has moved swiftly to stop the planned protest rally and the picketing of Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) as well as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission

(NERC) by the organised labour on Monday, over the recent electricity tariff increase. A statement signed by the Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Prince Samuel Olowookere, said the Minister of Labour and Em-

ployment, Senator Chris Ngige has summoned emergency conciliatory meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Electricity Distribution Companies, as well the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, to “nip in the

bud, threat of industrial action by the organised labour.” According to Olowookere, the Minister of Labour and Employment has scheduled a conciliatory meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Electricity Distribution Companies next week

to resolve the matter. But the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and TUC. President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, while at a meeting on Friday reiterated that the protest rally would hold as planned despite the minister’s late intervention.

Timber Market fire: Wike approves N200m intervention fund Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

RIVERS State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had approved the release of N200 million to assist traders affected by an inferno that ravaged the Timber Market in Mile Three, Port Harcourt, the state capital. The governor gave the approval on Friday, saying the fund would help the affected traders to rebuild their stores and businesses. The fire incident occurred in the night of January 28, 2016. Wike, who led top government officials to inspect the

extent of damage at the timber market, sympathised with all those who lost their wares to the inferno. Hesaidthathisadministration would always stand by the people by taking the necessary steps to encourage businesses to thrive in the state. “I am here to sympathise with you over the unfortunate fire incident that ravaged portions of this market. This is a sad development which has affected the sources of income of many of you. “This administration will always ensure that it

caters for the welfare of all residents of the state. “I have approved the sum of N200 million as an intervention fund to assist

victims of this unfortunate incident”, he said. The governor directed the state Commissioner for Special Duties 2, Mr

Emeka Onowu, to liaise with the leadership of the market to ensure the proper use of the fund for the revival of the market.

Nigeria seeks cheap loans from international agencies —finance minister OIL producer Nigeria wants to tap financing at “concessionary rates” as low as 1.5 percent from international agencies to fund infrastructure projects before returning to the eurobond market, its finance, Kemi Adeosun, said on Friday. “The government was

seeking the lowest cost funds and was therefore consulting with the multilateral agencies, which offered concessional rates of interest as low as 1.5 per cent, before looking at the commercial Eurobond Market,” Adeosun said in a statement, but gave

no details. According to her, Nigeria wanted to restructure existing short-term debt and align the government’s investment plans with its budget, adding that projects undertaken would have to generate revenues to repay the loans.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Abia Warriors dismiss $700,000 Chikatara transfer fee

BIA Warriors, a Glo Premier League side has refuted media reports that CHAN 2016 revelation, Chisom Chikatara’s move to Wydad Athletic Club Casablanca of Morocco was $700,000. The club legal consultants, Johhny Ogbah, who spoke on behalf of the Umuahiabased side said “The truth is that Chisom Chikatara is now a player of WAC Morocco. All parties have agreed and signed the necessary documents, but the figure being quoted is not correct. “It is important that journalists verify stories before rushing to publish it. I read the story and there was no single quote from an official of either clubs, or the player or his intermediary. I wonder where the journalists got the figures they are brandishing from. “Our national dailies too should be careful to verify stories they see on websites before publishing them. A simple phone call may have given the true picture of the

whole scenario but nobody did so, they just rushed and published without verifying. This is very bad.” Asked to reveal the exact figure, Ogbah said it would be unethical for him to do so. “As is the practice in other climes, if you must report a figure, confirm it. If you do not confirm it, then report is as an undisclosed fee as it is the business of both clubs involved to choose to disclose the fee to the press if they wanted, otherwise they are not bound by any law to do so,” Ogbah said. In his reaction, Abia Warriors chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama said the striker has already signed the dotted lines to join Wydad Casablanca, adding that he was now updating his documents at the Moroccan embassy to enable him to join his new club as soon as possible.

Salami (left) tries to outwit an opponent.

Finland move: Salami rubbishes Wolves’ claim NIGERIA international, Gbolahan Salami has said that his last Glo Premier League club in Nigeria, Warri Wolves do not hold ownership of his playing rights. The former Enyimba and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) striker, was during the week named among the players registered by Kuopion Palloseura of Finland after he agreed to a year deal with them. Salami, however, denied

that he had valid contract with Wolves, just as he urged the Warri-based side to show proof of their declaration. The Lagos State-born striker claimed that the officials of Warri Wolves contacted him to feature for them in the CAF Champions League game against Sao Tome and Principe’s Sporting Praia Cruz next weekend, a request which he said will only be accepted on conditions. “Most of the players who

left the club were not paid the match bonuses that were recently paid. Is that fair? So if they didn’t pay me match bonuses, how come they say I am still their player when

I played on loan with them last season? Even the loan fee they have not paid up. “Meanwhile they have been pleading with me to play for them in the Champions

League, but I have told them that if they want me to play for them then they must pay the money they owe me. I have told them to talk to my manager,” Salami told supersport.com. Salami finished last season as leading scorer in the Nigerian top-flight with 17 goals as Wolves finished second on the table behind Enyimba.

Ibenegbu completes Enyimba move ATTACKING midfielder, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu on Thursday successfully completed his switch to the Glo Premier League champions Enyimba. The Super Eagles midfielder was offered a two-year contract deal at the People’s Elephant. The former Heartland player helped Warri Wolves finish second on the log behind Enyimba in the past season. Ibenegbu said he is excited at moving to Enyimba and promised to add value to the side’s quest for

laurels on the domestic and continental fronts. “I have successfully completed my move to Enyimba for a two-year deal so I hope to join them at Uyo on Saturday as they prepare for the CAF Champions League clash against Ugandan side Vipers. “ I was registered for the CAF Champions League campaign and that’s a huge plus for me. “The package is satisfactory; that’s why I appended my signature on the contract documents. “I will give Enyimba 100 per cent

of my time just as I have done at past clubs to ensure the club succeeds on the continent and in the domestic league. “I will miss the relationship with Wolves players and supporters, but that’s life. There is always time to move on, which is what I have just done,” the former El-Kanemi Warriors player told supersport. com. Ibenegbu was a key player in the Super Eagles’ futile campaign at the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kigali, Rwanda.

Ibenegbu

Glo Premier League standard excites Dikko CHAIRMAN of the League Management Company (LMC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko has said that the Glo Premier League has made huge progress. In his speech during the LMC’s Annual General Meeting in Uyo on Friday, Dikko expressed happiness at the steady progress of the elite division since taking over in January 2015, and insisted the LMC would remain focused on raising the standards of the Nigerian football league. “We are all witnesses to the progress we have made so far in the league. The football fans love what we are doing. That was achieved by the innovation of the LMC,” Dikko said. “We saw the bets of football played last season. The home must-win syndrome wasn’t applicable last season. We have seen a huge progress from the league. “I congratulate the media and stakeholders for their efforts. We also put interest in capacity development. The administrators and media went for seminars and were well equipped. “For the first time, we were in the world league forum and as pioneer members. We took all decisions collectively, worked hand in hand with the club owners and carried the clubs along. “Everyone moved in the same direction. Last season, we were able to show that this league has the potential. Going forward for the new season, we are looking at consolidating the successes of last season. The biggest challenge we had last season was the issue of salaries. “We need to work together for a better Nigerian league. I must commend the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their support. “I also want to commend the club owners, board of directors and all those involved in the development of the game. I want us to build a league we can be proud of,” Dikko stated.

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune With

outofplay

Dipo Ogunsola 081 169 54 641

Ibra meets his match

Keane (right) and wife

Keane trips wife at Lakers’ game

OBBIE Keane is enjoying the offseason in California and took in some basketball with his wife Claudine. The Keanes were spotted by The Sun courtside at Staples Centre to watch Los Angeles Lakers take on Charlotte Hornets last Sunday. The former Tottenham and Liverpool striker married the Miss Ireland winner in 2008 and the pair still seem to be enjoying the celebrity lifestyle in America. Keane, now 35, joined Galaxy in 2011 and has been clinical since arriving in the MLS, scoring 73 times in 108 appearances and winning the MLS cup three times.

Things didn’t go as planned for Keane and his team-mates last season though, with the LA side be-

ing knocked out by Seattle in the first playoff round after finishing fifth in the Western Conference.

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic appeared to have finally met his match after starring alongside France rugby great Sebastian Chabal during a charity concert in Paris. The imposing athletes took to the stage to perform a boxing skit as part of the Les Enfoires show, which translates as ‘The B**tards’ - the name given to singers and performers in the annual charity event for the Restaurants du Cœur. The PSG talisman was so impressed with his supporting actor that he shared an Instagram picture of the pair, accompanied by the caption: ‘Legend! I thought I was the only beast in France...’ The retired France flanker also took to social media to share a picture of the two with a message thanking Ibrahimovic for the fight and requesting a re-match.

Ibrahimovic (left) and Chabal

A champion’s promise kept ANGELIQUE Kerber took the unusual step of celebrating her Australian Open win by taking a dip in Melbourne’s Yarra river last Sunday. The German. after beating Serena Williams in the final, made good on a bet after promising she would follow in the footsteps of Jim Courier - winner of the Australian Open in 1992 and 1993 - by taking a swim in the river if she won in Melbourne. Sportsmail reports that Kerber was born in Bremen to a German mother and Polish father. She is now based in Poland in the small town of Puszczykowo - which has a population of 10,000 - where her grandparents own a tennis centre named after her - Centrum Tenisowe Angie.

Borthwick-Jackson

Jackson’s humble beginning HE’S emerged as a rising star in the Manchester United first-team squad this season but it appears Cameron Borthwick-Jackson isn’t living the Premier League lifestyle just yet. The 18-year-old was spotted by Daily Mail arriving to the club’s Aon Training Complex last Monday in a relatively modest Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Limited Edition 3dr. The teenage talent’s £14,000 motor was in stark contrast to the array of supercars that also arrived at the Red Devils’

training base. United captain Wayne Rooney was one of those present in Carrington

on Monday as he drove his £100,000 BMW i8 to training. Memphis Depay was also seen at the Aon Training C o m -

plex as he arrived in his £250,000 Black Rolls Royce Wraith. Michael Carrick, Ashley Young and Daley Blind were among the other stars at training last Monday.

Kerber

Injured Bale derives pleasure from UFC

Bale (right)

GARETH Bale has been gaining inspiration in his battle against injury by watching UFC star Anderson Silva’s greatest hits. The Real Madrid forward, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury, posted a picture of him-

self on Instagram watching ‘The Spider’ with a friend and said he would be watching UFC London next month. And despite British fighter Michael Bisping taking on the Brazilian at the O2 Arena the Welsh

winger has made his allegiances clear ahead of the clash. “Now time for a chilled evening watching @ufcfightpass!! Looking forward to watching @spiderandersonsilva at #UFCLondon,” Bale wrote.

sport

6 February, 2016

Saturday Tribune

CHAN 2016:

Can Mali break Nations Cup jinx? T By Ganiyu Salman

HE fourth African Nations Championship (CHAN 2016) which began on January 16 in Rwanda will come to a climax tomorrow when the Leopards of DR Congo take on the Eagles of Mali in the final billed for the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali. Pre-tournament favourites such as the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia and the Super Eagles of Nigeria failed to make it to the last four. Nigeria even failed to scale through the group stage following a 0-1 loss to the Syli Nationale of Guinea in its last group game where a draw would have secured them a quarter-final ticket. The Sunday Oliseh-piloted side had begun the tournament a good note with a 4-1 spanking of the Menas of Niger Republic, while it settled for a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in the second game. Oliseh while defending the seemingly unimpressive performance of the Super Eagles said his team was grossly underfunded. Oliseh, a former Nigeria captain stated that he had to spend $4,000 to feed the Eagles while on a training tour of South Africa ahead of CHAN 2016. However, the tournament in Rwanda has lived up to its billings with the discovery of a number of emerging stars from the continent which have the prospect of painting the Europe red in the nearest future. Despite the ouster of Nigeria, the Eagles produced another goal merchant, Chisom Chikatara, which could become a potent force to reckon with in no time among the foreign-based strikers. The Abia Warriors player who came on a substitute in the opener against Niger Republic bagged a hat-trick, while he also scored Nigeria’s goal against Tunisia to finish the tournament with four goals. Following his exploits in the tournament, Chikatara has become the toast of local and foreign teams especially on the continent.

Nigeria’s goal merchant, Chisom Chikatara.

No sooner after he scored a hat-trick at CHAN 2016 than Kano Pillars claimed the lanky forward has agreed to play for them in the 2016 Glo Premier League season which kicks off later this month, while Abia Warriors through his chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama said he will give Chikatara a car and N750,000 monthly salary to meet the package promised by Pillars. Chikatara, who emerged one of the leading scorers last season in the Glo Premier League with 13 goals, has since landed in Morocco, where he will play for Wydad Casablanca in a deal kept in secrecy after the Umuahia-based side denied that the transfer fee involved was not $700,000 as reported in the meCheick Ibrahim Comara of Ivory Coast challenged by Abdoulaye Diarra of Mali during their semi-final clash at the ongoing CHAN. The final holds tomorrow in Kigali. dia. Nigeria also discovered goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who possesses after getting assurances from the FERWAFA president, the qualities to give England-based Carl Ikeme a run for Vincent Nzamwita and I am glad to note that everything his money, among others. from security, transport, hotels were well organised CHAN 2016 also saw the electrifying performances and it indeed added value to the competition. The great from Guinea’s Ibrahima Sory Sankhon, who scored the performance by Rwanda Amavubi was the icing on the goal which sent Nigeria packing; Congolese striker, Me- cake. To be sincere Rwanda has elevated CHAN to the shack Elia who was one of the players who scored in same level as AFCON and it has been a wonderful expetheir first two games at the tournament, Cote d’Ivoire’s rience each day of the competition,” the former Zambia Yves Bissouma and Tunsian Ahmed Akachi, among oth- captain told supersport.com. ers. Kalusha, a former African Player of the Year stated CHAN debutants, Syli Nationale despite not playing in that “The competition has become massive and has the final wormed the hearts of many soccer fans with grown substantially from when we started the competitheir football fluidity, as the coach of DR Congo, Florent tion in 2009. Then some people were skeptical as we can Ibenge even described the Guinean team as the ‘Brazil see CHAN has blossomed in the right direction as teams of Africa’. have come with their best players to the tournament addGuinea coach, Mohamed Kanfory Bangoura was ing even more bite. equally excited by the performance of his wards after “The level of competition is growing with each edition getting to the semi-final. and with many players being promoted to the senior na“I came with very young players, but we have proved tional teams and some moving abroad. Even the number that we were worthy opponents as big teams who were of scouts and clubs seeking their services has also imfavourites fell in the group stages. proved drastically.” “I am satisfied with our performance because our Kalusha, who doubles as the CAF executive committee aim was to go past the group stages, but we did so well member noted that CHAN 2016 has proved that there is and reached the semi-finals, playing some very tough no minnow in African football any longer. games,” Bangoura declared. “Teams have realised you cannot take any game lightly Interestingly, Mali’s only appearance in the final of the because there is an emergence of new teams and new talNations Cup was in 1972 when it lost also to Congo 3-2 ent that has helped improve the competition. This means in the AFCON tournament staged in Cameroons, thus that teams considered “small” can now compete effectively the Malians will attempt to break the jinx tomorrow as with the super powers of African football as leagues across they never won either the CHAN or AFCON title before. Africa have all become very strong,” said Kalusha who DR Congo will be going for its second CHAN title captained Zambia to the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of having won the maiden edition held in Cote d’Ivoire in Nations and chairman of ZFF when Zambia won the 2012 2009 with a 2-0 victory over Ghana’s Black Stars. AFCON at the expense of Cote d’Ivoire. The president of Zambia Football Federation (ZFF), As football fans await the CHAN 2016 final tomorrow Kalusha Bwalya, is impressed with the superb organisa- to be handled by South African referee, Daniel Bennett, tion of the biennial championship in Rwanda. the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire face the Syli Nationale of “The organisation of CHAN 2016 has been top notch Guinea in the third place match.

47 sport

6 February, 2016

SaturdayTribune

Man City job not a distraction— Guardiola

AYERN Munich boss, Pep Guardiola says his move to Manchester City will not distract him this season. Guardiola, 45, has agreed a three-year deal to replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Premier League side in the summer. In six full seasons, ex-Barcelona coach Guardiola has won 19 trophies including six league and two European Cup titles. “Why would it be difficult? I am like a woman, I can multi-task and control both situations. I have a big talent for

this,” said Guardiola. Guardiola reportedly rejected a new contract with the Bundesliga champions last year and announced last December he would be leaving the club. Bayern is still chasing a league, cup and Champions League treble and could meet City in the latter stages of the European competition. “I cannot say something every week about it,” said Guardiola. “It is another four months and for me it is not a problem. Newspapers can continue

attacking and I will continue doing my job. “Coaches get little respect these days. It is everywhere like that. In Madrid, Barcelona, Germany, England. “There are respectable papers here that have not asked me a single question on football in these three years. “But that comes with the job. I do not understand it but I can live with it.”

Aguero wins EPL award, succeeds Ighalo MANCHESTER City’s Sergio Aguero has been named the Barclays Player of the Month for January. He succeeds Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo, who won the December 2015 edition. The latest win for Aguero completes a hat trick of

awards having previously won the prestigious prize in October 2013 and November 2014. Aguero enjoyed a good run in January starting the year with a towering headed goal against Watford, which gave City a 2-1 win in the process.

Though the Argentine couldn’t find the net in the 0-0 draw with Everton, he scored twice in the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace and also assisted team-mate David Silva to score. The following Saturday Sergio again bagged two goals in the 2-2 draw away to

West Ham. His goal against Norwich in the FA Cup and header against Everton in the Capital One Cup don’t count towards the award, but underline what a fantastic month Kun had. Aguero thus takes over from Nigerian striker Ighalo who won the December edition after also registering an awesome display for the Hornets in the period under review.

Guardiola.

Lukaku doubtful for Stoke clash

Aguero celebrates after scoring. Inset is the EPL award he won for the month of January.

Kompany returns from injury

Kompany.

NIGERIAN youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho and teammates welcomed Manchester City captain, Vincent Kompany back to training following a calf injury. The 29-year-old has only played nine minutes of Premier League football since early November 2015 following an injury plagued season so far. Club boss Manuel Pellegrini last month expressed

fears that his side could be without their skipper until the “last parts” of the campaign, but more recently suggested that a return was likely to happen sooner. Kompany has now stepped up his recovery by returning to training, and Pellegrini is expected to give more information on the situation in his pre-match press conference before today’s fixture against Leicester City.

EVERTON manager, Roberto Martinez has downplayed concerns about Romelu Lukaku’s fitness ahead of today’s English Premier League clash with Stoke City. The former Chelsea forward, Lukaku, who has 15 goals in the kitty this season, was substituted at halftime in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Newcastle United, and the manager hopes he will be fit for today’s game. “He (Lukaku) looked a lot freer yesterday afternoon. He looked back to being himself. I think, after the game he found it difficult to walk without pain. We were a little worried but there was no damage,” the Spaniard said. Martinez stated that small margins between the teams in the middle of the Premier League table mean every point carries an “extra significance”.

Everton, lying 12th, could go as high as seventh to move into contention for a European place or drop as low as 14th and risk getting dragged into the relegation dogfight. “We are looking at the small

margins between the teams on the table, from now till the end of the season, every point is going to have an extra significance, especially when you play teams in and around you,” Martinez told reporters on Friday.

Lukaku.

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Blatter

Onazi (left) battles for the ball possession with Paul Pogba.

Blatter will attend Feb 16 appeal hearing —Spokesman SUSPENDED FIFA president, Sepp Blatter will attend his February 16 appeal hearing against an eight-year ban from football, his spokesman confirmed on Friday. Blatter’s appeal will be heard by FIFA’s appeals commission just 10 days before the extraordinary congress in Zurich on February 26 when a vote will be held to appoint a new president of the world football’s governing body. Blatter’s hearing is scheduled 24 hours after that of fallen UEFA president Michel Platini, who is also appealing against his eightyear suspension. Asked by AFP whether Blatter, 79, would attend the hearing in person, spokesman Klaus Stoehlker responded: “I confirm.” Both Blatter and Platini were banned for eight years on December 21, 2015, over a two million Swiss franc ($2 million/1.8 million euro) payment that Blatter authorised for Platini in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. FIFA’s ethics committee said it would appeal against the sentence saying it is too lenient.

I’m glad to stay put at Lazio —Onazi N IGERIAN international, Ogenyi Onazi insists he is happy to stay at Lazio of Italy despite interest from several European teams. Onazi has scored three goals in 67 appearances for the Serie A outfit since his move from My People FC in

2012. Everton, Werder Bremen and Swansea were some of the teams reports claimed to be eyeing the services of Onazi, but with the transfer window over, he is now focused on helping Stefano Pioli’s men perform well in the Italian topflight. “I’m glad I stayed here at

Lazio,” Onazi told lalaziosiamonoi.it. “The important thing for me is to play because football is my life. We have moved away [from Europa League] but we are positive and we believe. “Now we try to win and get more points [in the Serie A]. Now that the transfer win-

Arsenal needs to spend extra TV money to buy players —Wenger ARSENAL boss, Arsene Wenger believes extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices. In excess of £8billion will come into the league from new broadcast deals. But Wenger says clubs will need that additional cash to meet the rising cost of transfer fees and player wages. “What will happen is the prices of the players will go up and you will need this supplement of money coming in to buy new players,” Wenger whose men face Bournemouth tomorrow in an away fixture said. “I believe the pressure

on spending the money will become bigger and you cannot necessarily distribute the money to other people.” Wenger said the vast amount of money now being spent on players in China was evidence the Premier League could fall behind if it does not continue to bring in new talent. The veteran tactician stated that the new trend of spending in the Far East could be a concern and drive up the cost of players across the globe. He added the first £100m transfer will soon be “easy to reach”. Gareth Bale’s £85m move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in September 2013 remains the record.

dow is closed, we have to work for the championship.” The Biancazzurri in the Italian topflight bowed 0-2 at home to Napoli on Wednesday, and the midfielder felt his team lost to Maurizio Sarri’s side because they failed to play as a team, while promising a better outing against Genoa today. “We had studied the movements of Callejon and Insigne, but we were unable to apply during [the game]. “If you do not [mount

pressure on your opponent], they attack you. If you don’t score, you lose confidence. “Today goes well, tomorrow it goes wrong, and that’s football: the important thing is to stay focused for upcoming games, and keep in mind the lessons. “Against Genoa, we are positive; we keep in mind our goals. We have already lost too many points, this knowledge will help us win the game,” the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner stated.

CAF backs Salman for FIFA presidency

Wenger

CONFEDERATION of African Football (CAF) has announced that Africa will back Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain for his FIFA presidency following an executive committee meeting that was held on Friday at Kigali Serena Hotel. Africa, which is the biggest voting bloc with 54 of the total 209 votes, has emerged as a key battle ground for FIFA candidates, with all the candidates heading to the Rwandan capital where CAF executive committee members are attending the ongoing CHAN 2016.

CAF first vice president, Suketu Patel told supersport.com that, “The CAF executive committee decided that they will give full support to Sheikh Salman to his candidacy for FIFA presidency.” CAF’s decision to support Sheikh Salman was expected after it signed a memorandum of understanding last month. This does not however mean that all African countries will vote for Sheikh Salman who also has the full support of the Asian Football Confederation where he is president.

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