6th August 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 1,163

SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

N150

N23 BILLION CAMPAIGN FUNDS

More PDP bigwigs in trouble EFCC quizzes 3 leaders per state May grill guber candidates too

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North moves against S/West, saves Dogara

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Police stop budget padding probe

Omotola returns after pg25 4 years

Weekend Lagos

Says ‘I’ll shock with my next project’

Lagos nightclubs where recession is shamed and drinks sell for N350,000 per bottle Lagos Wonder:

President Muhammadu Buhari presenting Eminent Fellow of the Defence College award to General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the graduation ceremony of the College’s Course 24 at the National Defence College, Abuja, on Friday.

How mothers rent babies Improvement as WAEC releases out for N800 per day 2016 May/June SSCE results pg5 pgs19,20,21 &22

3 soldiers, 7 civilians killed in Niger clash

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

And that was how I started on Tinsel from 2009 to 2014. I left officially in 2015. It was when I was on that series that the producer and directors of ‘The Meeting’ saw me and invited me to come for auditioning. So my feature in Tinsel brought about auditioning for ‘The Meeting’ and Nollywood.

e l p o e p f o t o l A do not know that s b o c a J i m e F — y h s m ’ I Oluwafemisola ‘Femi’ Jacobs is one Nollywood actor who has consistently impressed audiences. Born in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Femi is mostly known for his role in ‘Taxi Driver’, though he has been part of exciting productions like ‘Tinsel’, ‘The Meeting’, ‘Heaven’s Hell’, ‘The Visit’ and ‘This Thing Called Marriage’. Femi, who is a behind the curtain singer, in this interview by NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA and some other journalists speaks about his career and passion.

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Entrance into Nollywood N 2006, I first acted in a movie called ‘Choices’.

The movie was produced by the drama group of my church. I was in the choir, but they got me to act the lead. I don’t know how they got that impression that I could. The movie was directed by Don Pedro Obasi. It was contracted so it was a standard movie. It had myself, Desmond Elliot and a couple of budding actors in my church.

It was a good experience. It was my first time in front of the camera and I am very grateful that I had that experience.

People say I’m have a dramatic personality, that even when I am not talking that I give an expressive face; maybe that was why I got casted.

However, Don Pedro was so gracious with words. He kept saying, “Femi, you got this thing going for you”. So, I did that ‘thing’ well. Again, in 2008 my church decided to branch into TV series as well. They produced a TV series called Tango, shown on Kingdom Africa TV. I was also

part of it. It was when we were on that that the director, Solomon Macaulay, said to me, “I think you should give acting a lot of attention.” So he wanted me to go to ‘Tinsel’ audition. I was like, “Leave me alone. I am too busy”. Eventually I managed to go. After the audition I was picked.

Quite a number of people feel I am unapproachable and arrogant. I am extremely shy but these things I act I have to put it on and do what I have to do.

The choir and music I have been singing since I was a kid. I, however, started in my home church Rhema Chapel. Getting into my choir was quite dramatic. It started one day that we came for singles special at Fountain of Life Church and Pastor Bimbo asked for people who could sing. I raised up my hand and they asked us to come the following day for interview. Back then, I was running a laundry business and I had deliveries to make so I didn’t make the rehearsal early. When I got there later, they had already finished. A chap called James Bunor, whom I knew from my former church, said we could see Pastor Bimbo at her office. So we went upstairs.

When we eventually saw her, she asked me to sing for her.

I sang. She said to sing another song and I did. She then got up and took me to Pastor Taiwo’s office. When we got there, she said, ‘darling, you need to hear this guy sing’ and there were some people there and I began to sing.

When I’d finished singing, Pastor Taiwo said, ‘He sounds good’ and she said ‘good ke? He is very good’ and so she took me downstairs, called the musicians back and they rehearsed with me. After the rehearsal, I sang at that single’s special on Saturday and after I finished she said I should come and sing the same song on Monday for the singles fellowship.

Body of work I have a new single called ‘Orunsi ‘(Heaven Is Opened).

It’s already out. I have doing music in the sideline, but in terms of releasing digital commercial work, I’m just going back to it. The last time, I released a song was in 2004. In 2010, I did a number of songs but did not release them because the musical atmosphere at that time needed a lot of time and attention. Nollywood was also calling at that time. So it was not something I could give a lot of time to, but now I think am in a stage in Nollywood where I can decide when I want to go on set or not. That is why I want to release my work.

Career decision I think I have been lucky in so many ways, the chief of it is the fact that I ended growing up alone. Although my parents are alive, I left them when I was eight years old and I lived with my uncle. My uncle tried his best to put me through school, but he had his hands full. He had four other kids. It turned out that I was left alone. That gave me something to think about. Since I didn’t have anybody to drive a course into my head, I had the freedom to choose.

That freedom came with responsibilities. I studied hard, read, researched and listened to my own self. Secondly, I discovered the spiritual side of me early enough and I cultivated it. I was like 13 or 14 years old when I gave my life to God. It really gave me some focus. I’m not perfect but it gave me some depth and discipline.

Mass Communication It was basically to aid all of these things that I have already talked about. I like the speaking and writing. I have a Master’s in Communication Business. I wanted to go into print production. I wanted to own a magazine. (Imagine!)

Well, you know, in Nigeria schools combine every aspect of the media in Mass Communication. You have Advertising, Marketing, Journalism and Media wrapped in one course. And there would never be a time you are allowed to specialise, even PR is included. But that’s unlike the developed market of the world. I wanted to study abroad.

I still went to IBS to Study Marketing Management. I was sponsored by the bank I worked for. We worked with the branch management decision. There was a time I had no choice. There was a time I had to go VI to work and at 4 o’ clock I would run to Tinsel at Ojota to film and then go back to work. But the truth was that acting made me feel good, it made me feel powerful, strong, it made me feel like I was making a difference; so, I decided to give it my full attention. It, however, took me away from the media, from marketing consultancy.

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6 August, 2016

North moves against South West, saves Dogara

Saturday Tribune

•Police stop budget padding probe •I don’t know what budget padding is —Dogara •Speaker meets Buhari, says he won’t resign Chris Agbambu – Abuja and Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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HERE are serious indications that certain influential northern elders and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have waded into the war of budget padding between House of Representatives, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Abdulmumni Jibrin.

The move is to checkmate the possible emergence of the next House Speaker from the South West, it was learnt on Friday.

Informed police sources revealed to Saturday Tribune in Abuja on Friday that following the development, the police have been asked to halt further investigations into the matter.

The reliable sources said that an agreement was forced between the two warring parties by the North after leaders from that region discovered that removing the Speaker might create an opportunity for the SouthWest to clinch the office.

The APC had initially zoned the speakership to the South West but Dogara defied the party defeating Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who was the official candidate.

It was learnt that the North reasoned that while Jibrin and Dogara fought dirty, the zone might find it

difficult to install another person from that region as the Speaker given the present perceived lopsidedness in key government positions in favour of the North.

Following this development, the two warring factions have been directed to sheathe their swords as an amicable solution would be found to resolve the matter,” the source said.

The source disclosed that the APC northern elders have since embarked on series of meetings between Dogara and Jibrin on different platforms, to find out how the matter could be resolved.

Consequently police investigators have halted all invitations sent out to the Speaker and the principal officers of the House.

One of the police sources told Saturday Tribune on Friday: “You can see what is happening in the past 48 hours, and we have discovered that they want to settle the matter politically,” adding that there had been directives to “stand down” the matter.

The APC had on Thursday ordered the embattled former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin, to stop further comments on the allegation of budget padding levelled against the Speaker.

The order was given by the APC Deputy National

Chairman(North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu, after series of meetings held over the matter with the National Working Committee.

Meanwhile, Dogara has denied knowledge of budget padding, an act he has been accused of by Jibrin.

Speaking after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday, he also said he had no reason to resign from his post as being demanded in some quarters.

A reticent Dogara was asked by State House correspondents about his mission in the Villa and the below exchange ensued: What informed your visit on a Friday?

I can’t come and see my President? Do I need any reason to come and see my President. It’s a private visit.

Was the issue of alleged budget padding discussed?

What is budget padding?

The language emanated from your chambers.

I don’t know, educate me. I am a lawyer and the speaker and I have never heard of the word ‘padding’.

What does ‘padding’ mean?

Your former chairman chairman of appropria-

tion is saying you padded the budget.

Ask him. He who alleges must prove. That’s the law in Nigeria

rules and we will follow the rules

Are you not going to defend yourself?

Am I before a court?

Over this allegation.

What is the allegation?

There are people saying you should reconvene the House before the September resumption time and step aside for thorough investigations.

We have rules and regulations. This is not a mock institution. We operate by

THE Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has said that the Federal Government is determined to curb wastage in its expenditures to combat the recent fall in the country’s revenue.

Adeosun, who was represented by Mrs Patience Oniha, made the statement at a lecture titled, “Efficiency Unit” during the Guild of Editors Conference on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She said although the government had in the past attempted several strategies to end loopholes in government expenditures, it was yet to achieve set goals.

Adeosun said that it was imperative to engage more stringent measures to curb wast-

As EFCC quizzes 3 leaders per state

MORE chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are to be interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the N23 billion allegedly made available by former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, for the reelection bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Alison-Madueke was said to have raised the sum of $115million (about N23.29billion), out of which some oil barons reportedly contributed about $88.35 million for the purpose of the last general election.

The fund was said to have been disbursed to certain individuals, including officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and interest groups across the country through a bank.

The fund was allegedly disbursed ahead of the

presidential election to skew it in favour of the PDP standard-bearer in the election, the then President Jonathan.

An inside source in the anti-graft commission informed Saturday Tribune on Friday that following revelations by a former Minister of Finance, Mrs Esther Nenadi Usman, on how she shared about N1.850 billion to party chieftains from the states in the North-East geopolitical zone, EFCC had decided to invite more party stalwarts to explain their involvement in the scam.

Usman, who was the Director of Finance in the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, was invited to the EFCC zonal office in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, to shed more light on how she shared the slush fund and was said to have told her interrogators that she shared the money on the instructions of Mrs Alison-Madueke to party

stalwarts across the country.

The former minister was said to have revealed that Adamawa State was given N450 million; Bauchi State, got N500 million, Gombe State, N450 million and Taraba State, N450 million.

The source said further that the commission was set to interrogate party chairmen and candidates on their involvement, while intensifying efforts at recovering the fund from those who were mentioned in the scam.

Other chieftains from other zones of the country have also been questioned by the commission.

It was gathered that more PDP leaders will be questioned in the coming days as a source said that no fewer than three PDP chiefs per state have been interrogated already.

“The anti-graft body has interrogated no fewer than three PDP chiefs in each of the states in connection

That you and some members of the leadership padded the budget.

What is ‘padding’? You haven’t told me. Ask Jibrin what is padding. For me, I studied law and I have been in the legislature and all this period, I have never heard of the word ‘padding’ being

Are you worried?

Worried for what? Worried over nothing? Why should I be worried? As far as I am concerned, I am not worried over anything.

Will there be sanctions for Jibrin?

I am not the chairman of ethics committee of the House. So, I wouldn’t know and I don’t know what ‘padding’ means.

FG set to curb wastage —Finance Minister

N23b polls funds: More PDP chieftains in trouble Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

Will you resign?

Resign for what?

an offence under any law.

If I don’t know, you are the media, research the law and let me know.

with the loot. Anyone found culpable will certainly face the music,” the source said.

According to the source, “we are not leaving any stone unturned in our investigations into the election funds made available by Diezani.

You know that investigation has been going on for some time now and anyone mentioned during interrogations will definitely be invited for question with a view to explaining their role in the scandal.

“Any party chieftain and even governorship candidates in the last general election mentioned to have collected money from the slush fund will surely face interrogation,” said the source, who did not want to be named.

Efforts made to reach the Head, Media and Publicity of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, on his mobile phone failed.

A text message sent to him was not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

ages in government spendings so as to effectively manage government ministries, agencies and parastatals.

The minister also said that as part of measures to check loopholes in government spending, the ‘Efficiency Unit’ was created to serve as part of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Adeosun said the unit would enable the Federal Government to manage its scarce resources in the face of the dwindling revenue.

She explained that the Efficiency Unit was saddled with the responsibility of monitoring Federal Government expenditure as it relates to procurement and efficient utilisation of government facilities.

“A weak audit system has in the past hampered effective checks and balances in

government businesses, our administration shall ensure accountability.

“A good example of avoidable wastage was the huge losses by past governments on air travels by top officials/ CEOs of the MDAs; the present administration has put in place measures to cut down on air travels.

“We have also worked out modalities with some airlines on discounts on our travel services.

“The efficiency unit has also recommended the use of debits cards as one of the best methods to check fund diversion by government officials,” she said.

The minister therefore, urged editors to support federal government’s policies to ensure delivery of basic social amenities which will in turn attract investors to the country.

NDLEA arrests Malian, 4 Nigerians with 4,58 kgs of drugs Shola Adekola - Lagos THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Malian and four Nigerians in connection with illegal sales of 4,580 kilogrammes of psychotropic drugs in Kano.

The seized drugs comprising 2,592kgs of codeine cough syrups and 1,988kgs of tramadol were recovered from five secret warehouses located within the Kano metropolis by officers of the Kano State command of the agency.

The state commander of the NDLEA, Mr Hamza Umar, gave the names of the suspects as Ikechukwu Ukwuoma, 34, arrested with 2,010kgs of codeine cough syrups; Nura Ibrahim, 30, caught with 886kgs of tramadol and Zakari Muhammadi, a Malian found with 850kgs of tramadol.

Others are Earnest Asogwa, 34, caught with 582kgs of codeine syrup and Ikenna Osuizugba, 34, found in possession of 252kgs of tramadol.

The arrests and seizures

were made following intelligence report on the activities of the suspects.

“The abuse of psychotropic drugs like codeine cough syrups and tramadol is prevalent among young people and married women in the state. It is common to see iced bottles of codeine cough syrup instead of beverage drinks in a gathering of young people,” Hamza stated.

Ikechukwu Ukwuoma, a secondary school certificate holder, who is married and has three children, is one of the major distributors of codeine cough syrups in the State.

Ikechukwu who hails from Orlu Local Government Area in Imo State, said that he was in the business to make money.

“I began selling codeine cough syrup because of the high profit involved. The drug sells fast and I was only interested in the profit. A bottle of codeine in Kano is twice the price in the east. I did not know how the officers discovered my warehouse where the drugs were kept. I regret my action,” he said.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Massive improvement as WAEC releases May/June 2016 results Naza Okoli - Lagos

From left, Mr Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services Officer, Smile Nigeria watches as Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications presents ‘The Most Innovative Broadband Service Provider of the Year’ award to Mr Godfrey Efeurhobo, Managing Director, Smile Nigeria, at the “2016 Titans of Tech Award”, held in Lagos on Wednesday.

Buhari vows to pacify Niger Delta Directs military to curb herdsmen menace Leon Usigbe - Abuja

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday vowed that his administration would assuage grievances in the Niger Delta by tackling the development issues there.

He has also given orders to the military to deal with the menace posed by marauding herdsmen across the country.

The president spoke as special guest of honour at the graduation ceremony of Course 24 participants of the National Defence College, Abuja.

He expressed delight that the blueprints of training at the college had kept pace with current security environment.

“In this vein, you will be pleased to note that in the last one year, through the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and security services, we have been able to degrade significantly, the capacity of Boko Haram insurgents to wreak havoc on our society.

“Also, on the matter of herdsmen/farmers clashes, I wish to state that this administration will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality, under any guise.

“As such, our security agencies have been mandated to deal with such acts decisively.

“Let me state that this administration has been working assiduously in conjunction with our local and international partners to rebuild damaged communities in the North East part of our country.

“Similarly, we are committed to tackling the issues of underdevelopment and neglect in the Niger Delta area.

“This is a priority we have set before us and we intend to make appreciable gains in correcting the ills of the past in the Niger Delta by assuaging inherent grievances.”

While congratulating the course participants, the president reminded them that their graduation was the beginning of a very challenging journey, saying that they lived in an

era where the pace of transition in research and sociopolitical environment was “so fast that even as I speak, new ideas and concepts are being introduced, established ideas are being redefined and research is opening new fields of learning.”

He added: “Your challenge would be to harness the latest defence and security research as well as extant government policies for the benefit of your services, organisations and indeed your nations.

“For the Nigerian participants, I expect that you would all have made the most of your time on this course and be ready to join the ongoing process to change Nigeria for the better.”

Buhari observed that inter-

national confidence in Nigeria and its future was beginning to return “because of how we are slowly finding ways to solve our problems.”

He said: “The nation is beginning to have faith in the ability of our society’s institutional capacity to tackle our problems. But we must work doubly hard to restore our nation to higher glory.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces have proven to be equal to the task of maintaining our internal and external security.”

The president recalled his election promises to Nigerians on what he observed at the core area affecting the national life that required immediate intervention.

“First, we should seek to secure the country, improve

the economy and fight corruption. As it is, this is our unfinished business from the past and dates back to the creation of our republic, yet to this day, corruption and poverty remain our main national problems.

“As part of efforts to address the problem of corruption, we have set in motion legal processes to recover whatever we can and bring to justice those who betrayed their trust.

“Thus far, we have been able to recover billions of naira from indicted companies and individuals.

“In addition, through the implementation and enforcement of the Treasury Single Account, we have been able to save more for our nation.”

PDP NWC: Why we won’t insist on zoning —Makarfi Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja DESPITE having zoned its national offices to different sections of the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not stop any aspirant who does not agree with the zoning principle from contesting any position of their choice.

The chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, made the declaration, on Friday, in Abuja, while inaugurating the 242-member national convention planning committee of the party as well as its 80-member finance committee.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Udom Emmanuel, are the chairmen of the planning and finance committees, respectively.

The party will be holding its national convention on August 17, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Makarfi’s declaration came on the heels of Chief Raymond Dopkesi’s rejection of the zon-

ing of the office of the national chairman of the party to the South-West zone by southern stakeholders of the party at a meeting in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The media mogul from the South-South, who has been touring the country to garner support for his chairmanship ambition, insists on contesting the post since it has been zoned to the south.

Makarfi stated that although the party stakeholders had, on their own, rezoned the positions meant for their zones to specific geopolitical zones, whoever was not satisfied with the arrangement could go ahead and contest their preferred position.

He said even though the zoning of the posts was in the party’s interest, the PDP would not want to exclude anyone.

“I recall when we last met here to inaugurate the zoning committee, I mentioned on behalf of the caretaker committee that the convention would be an allinclusive one and that offices to be contested for would be open to all and sundry.

“That doesn’t mean people cannot come together to zone

offices.

“If zoning does not favour you and you still think that you have the best chance of winning, the political landscape is there, it’s up to you to campaign across the country to get enough delegates to win.

“Zoning doesn’t mean you have been excluded. Zoning is meeting of the minds and it is for every aspirant to assess by himself or herself whether he or she has the capacity to garner more support than a collection of people that come together to have a common position.

“So, I don’t want people to have the impression that they have been excluded from the process. After all, in democracy, minority will have their say and majority will have their way.

“But in PDP, even when minority have their say and majority have their way, we have the culture of coming together to be one family so that both minority and majority work together for the good of PDP,” the party boss said.

He also said the party must conduct an open and transparent convention.

THE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Friday, released the 2016 May/June results with the analysis showing a remarkable improvement from the previous years.

The Head of the National Office (HNO), Mr Olu Adenipekun, addressing journalists at the council’s national office at Yaba, Lagos, said a total of 1, 552, 758 candidates registered for the examination.

“Out of this figure,1,544, 234, candidates, consisting 825,650 male, representing 53.5 percent and 718, 585 female, representing 46.5 percent sat the examination,” Adenipekun said.

According to him, 1, 393, 907 candidates (representing 90.26 percent) have their results “fully released,” while 158,718 candidates (representing 9.74 percent) have some of their results “still being processed due to some errors, mainly traceable to the candidates and schools in the course of registration or writing the examination.”

The HNO said further that a total of 1,014,573 candidates (representing 65.70 percent) obtained six credits and above; 1,167,484 candidates, (representing 75.60 percent) obtained five credits and above; while 1, 282, 204 candidates, representing 83.03 percent obtained credit in four subjects.

“In addition, 1,370,049 candidates, representing 88.72 percent obtained credit and above in three subjects, while 1,438,679 candidates, representing 93.16 percent, obtained credit and above in two subjects.

“However, a total of 878,040 candidates, representing 52.97 percent, obtained credit in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics,” he said.

Speaking on the improvement recorded in this year’s result, Adenipekun recalled that 31.28 percent and 38.68 percent obtained credit in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

He attributed this year’s improvement to a “combination of factors” and commended the efforts of schools, candidates, examiners and WAEC staff.

He, however, disclosed that a total of 137, 295 results had been withheld “in connection with various cases of examination malpractice.”

He said candidates who sat for the examination would be able to view details of their results on the council’s website “within the next 24 hours.”

I have no personal problem with Amaechi —Wike Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State said on Friday that he has no personal problem with his predecessor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi.

Wike disclosed this at the 12 All Nigeria Editors Conference holding in Port Harcourt.

However, Wike explained that he and the Minister of Transportation differed politically because they belonged to different parties.

“There is nothing personal. We differ politically because we belong to different political politics.

“We want peace in the state and it is my desire to ensure that the state is peaceful,” he said.

Wike also said that former president Goodluck Jonathan did something special to ensure peace in the country by conceding defeat during the 2015 general election.

“Jonathan should be commended for this single act. People should emulate this move to ensure peace in the country,” the governor said.

According to Wike, Amaechi was his boss as governor and they had good times serving the state.

“We should make sacrifices for peace. The state must move on. We only differ politically and that should not be to the level that will destroy the state,” he said.

Wike also stressed the need for peace and unity in the country, urging Nigerians not to compromise that stand.

Meanwhile, the governor said that the media has the potential to be the most powerful force to deepen democracy in Nigeria.

He, however, underlined the need for media practitioners to commit themselves to the standards of the profession so that they could attain their full potential as advocates of human rights, justice and good governance.

“My judgment is that most of you are doing very well by practising your profession with the public good at the foreground,” Wike said.

He lamented what he called the deprivation of the state of its constitutional right to effective representation at the National Assembly and therefore, appealed to the media to be objective in their coverage and reportage of events and stand with the people of the state in their quest for free and fair re-run elections.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

NCC donates digital classrooms to UCH

By Sade Oguntola and Olawale Olaniyan

From left, Etisalat Customer and Media Practitioner, Mfon Uyeh; Director, Brand and Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Daniel, co-founder, Roothub Colab Centre, Tony Onuk; another customer, Jessica Okpob and her husband, Engineer Ukeme Okpob, during the Etisalat Customer Forum held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently.

Osun police command hunts for extortionists in police uniform Oluwole Ige - Osogbo

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SUN State Police command has asked the public to report any policeman extorting money from innocent young men in the state under the guise of hunting for fraudsters known as yahoo boys.

It was gathered that some men in police uniform have in recent days been moving around Osogbo, the state capital, in patrol vans extorting money from students and other young men while accusing them of looking like yahoo boys.

One of the victims told newsmen in Osogbo on Fri-

day of his scary encounter with the supposed policemen who, he said, threatened him and demanded money from him.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ajibade Egbeleye said the command was not aware of such an incident but appealed to members of the public to provide necessary information on the identities of the culprits.

“I am not aware. What I would say is that people should watch out for any van with policemen engaging in such activity and get the vehicle number or the division details written on such police van and report to the police

authorities for necessary action,” he said.

Yemi, one of the victims of indiscriminate arrest, told Saturday Tribune on Friday that he was arrested on Tuesday at Orisunbare area of the state capital by some policemen in a Hilux van, who accused him of cybercrime.

“I was at Orisunbare market on Tuesday when some policemen inside a van beckoned on me. I obliged, then they asked for my name and the name of the institution I attend and I simply gave them the details,” stated Yemi.

“They demanded for my identity card, which I said

INEC arbitrary on Certificate of Return —Omirin Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti A former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of “creating confusion in the system by arbitrarily issuing Certificate of Returns (CoR) after the verdict of the High Court over election disputes.”

Omirin, who was the Speaker of the fourth Assembly in the state under Kayode Fayemi-led government, said INEC ought to have waited until all election disputes were resolved by either the appellate or Supreme court before issuing CoR to whoever was declared winner through judicial pronouncement.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Friday, Omirin said INEC issuance of Certificate of Returns to Mr Uche Ogah through the verdict of the Federal High Court declaring him the rightful Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the 2015 poll in Abia States, was rather preposterous and arbitrary.

Omirin said he expected the commission to have waited until Governor Okezie Ikpeazu exhausted

all judicial options up to the Apex Court before taking such hasty step, saying that, action is creating more tension and confusion in Abia.

“The same thing is happening in Ekiti State House of Assembly, one Toyin Obayemi was contesting the fielding of Hon Musa Arogundade for Ado constituency 1 during the 2015 polls. Obayemi approached the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti and the court

granted his prayers that he remained the PDP candidate and that he should be sworn-in immediately.

“Almost immediately, Hon Arogundade went on appeal and rather than for INEC to await the verdict of the higher courts, they issued Certificate of Return tor Obayemi.

“In my own opinion, the Speaker of Assembly was right by not performing the swearing in for Obayemi.”

was not with me at that point in time. The policemen were four. Three of them were armed. When I said I did not have my ID card with me, I could see the delight in the face of the one who drove the van. They ordered me to enter the van and I complied.

“They searched me and collected my two phones.

They went through the messages on my phones. Their leader opened the gallery on my phone and saw some white people’s pictures and said I was doing dating and I must be a yahoo boy. I denied being involved in cybercrime. I told them that I worked for a blog and I am not a yahoo boy. I explained that the white people’s pictures they saw were models and I have written about their clothes in the blog that I work for.

“They drove off towards Ilesa garage and stopped a young boy, who was on commercial motorcycle and ordered him to enter their vehicle. They spotted a tattoo on his hand and said he must be a cultist. They later drove and stopped at a joint where they asked me to settle them and I said I didn’t have money. After a while, I was released,” Yemi explained.

FG should address aviation fuel scarcity —Airline operators Shola Adekola - Lagos THE Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the Federal Government to address urgently the recent acute shortage of Jet Fuel in the country.

Chairman of AON, Captain Nogie Meggison made the call following consistent unavailability of the product leading to delays or cancellation of flights.

The airlines said they were forced to cry out because “it continues to put us in a difficult situation to go an extra mile to fulfill our obligations to our customers in spite of the inconveniences that go with it. However, we are at the mercy of the oil marketers and many

times our hands are tied such that we are left with no other option but to cancel flights.”

Meggison noted that with the shortage of Jet A-1, the marketers have been increasing the price consistently to an unbearable point, saying: “Till April this year, I bought Jet A1 fuel for N105 a litre. About a month ago, the price jumped to N145.

Two weeks later it rose to about N200 a litre. Today the price has skyrocketed above N200 a litre. This has greatly increased our operational cost.

“For instance, considering that the cost of fuel accounts for about 40% of the operational cost of most

airlines, the colossal rise in price of the product by over 100% has equally increased the operational cost astronomically. In the light of this, our feasibility studies and financial projections are greatly threatened thereby putting the airlines in a dangerous and difficult financial position.

“In spite of all this, we can’t increase ticket prices in order not to discourage our customers that have been seriously stretched due to the economic hard time facing them and their disposable income seriously reduced or erased.

“For most of them now the alternative means of travel is going by road; our major competitor.”

NIGERIAN Communications Commission (NCC) has boosted the training and provision of medical services at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan with the donation of N300, 000 worth of digital classrooms.

The project was facilitated by Honourable Saheed Akinade Fijabi, the lawmaker representing Ibadan North-West/ Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Speaking at the commissioning of the classrooms on Friday, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Professor Temitope Alonge lauded the initiative of the federal lawmaker, which he said was to make the hospital computer savvy.

The initiative of NCC’s initiative to computerise eight teaching hospitals across the country, Professor Alonge said, would “allow the privilege of teaching medical students in clinic and resident doctors’ procedures without them being physically present.”

Alonge, who conducted journalists round the classrooms located in five different locations in the hospital, explained that the facility would also enhance training of medical students without disturbing the patients as well as deepen the computer training and awareness of the members of staff in statistics and data collation.

The CMD further explained that through the linkage of the hospital with seven other institutions across the country as a result of the NCC intervention, the trainees in other institutions could simultaneously benefit from whatever lesson being given in Ibadan.

“Similarly, we can also hook up to any of the centres whenever they are engaging in any activity we observe they have comparative advantage, ask questions and interact to also boost our knowledge,” Prof. Alonge added.

In his short remarks, Hon. Fijabi said the gesture was his own little way of contributing to the development of UCH, Ibadan and Nigeria.

He jocularly added, “if this is padding, we will continue to pad for our people to derive benefit from our representation.

We will continue to engage in activities that will bring growth and development to our people and the society at large”.

PDP’s unity is my priority —Adeniran As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for its August 17 national convention, a leading national chairmanship aspirant, Professor Tunde Adeniran has said that his major mission was to forge unity among the various groups within the party.

He said that he had the requisite qualification to achieve that goal given the mutual respect he enjoyed across the membership of the party, including its current and past leaders.

Speaking through his media aide, Yemi Akinbode, the former Minister of Education said it was because of the bridges he had built across all the party’s divides that eminent citizens of the country from parts of the country had backed his candidacy.

“I am a friend of all leaders and followers. I don’t have enemies. The truth is that when they have nothing to say, my warm relationships with eminent Nigerians become the story.”

Professor Adeniran also hinted of a strong move by PDP leaders in the South West to unite and collectively demand that the national chairmanship be formally zoned to the region.

According to him, the South West party leaders “want the zoning committee meeting in Port Harcourt to bear in mind that equity and justice demand nothing less than a South West national chairmanship of the PDP.” He said the other zones in the South should concede the national chairmanship to the South West, being the only zone yet to lead the party, adding that many party leaders in the South East had already backed the South West for the position. The South East had in the past thrown up several national Chairmen for the party.

Aide seeks continued support for Amosun

MEMBERS of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East Senatorial District have been urged to remain firm in their support for Governor Ibikunle Amosun for being consistent in his avowed mission to rebuild the state through infrastructural projects now dotting the landscape of Ogun Sate.

The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Kolapo Osunsanya, made the appeal at a forum held recently at Ijebu Ode to appreciate party faithful in Ijebu Ode, Ijebu North-East and Odogbolu local government areas of the state.

Osunsanya equally advised the APC members to eschew politics of bitterness and remain united for the continued progress of the party and the development of the state as a whole.

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Illegal diversion of explosives: Minister recalls federal mines officers

From left, Dr (Mrs) Felicia Oduntan, Principal of the Lord’s School; Professor Dapo Asaju, Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and the chairman of the occasion, Mrs Comfort Akinfenwa, Diocesan President, Ibadan and Right Reverend Oduntan Olugbenga Olukemi, Proprietor of the school, during the 6th valedictory service of Lord’s School and 19th graduation/prizegiving ceremonies of Lord’s School, at the schools’ sports arena, Idi-Igba, Ilora, Oyo State, recently. PHOTO: D. ‘TOYIN.

3 soldiers, 7 civilians killed in Niger clash

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HE Nigerian Army said on Friday that three soldiers and seven civilians died in a clash between soldiers and some residents of Kpaidna community in Niger State.

Major Njideka Agwu, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, Niger State.

Agwu said that the incident occurred at 2.00 a.m. on Friday in the community located in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

“The 31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Minna, was on a joint operation with the Nigeria Air Force Quick Response Group in the area when we were attacked by the villagers.

“We were on a cordon and search operation in the village because we got intelligence report that there were caches of arms and ammunition in the area.

“During the operation, three soldiers and seven civilians lost their lives, while 57 villagers were arrested by the joint operation,” she said.

Agwu said that arms and ammunition were discovered during the operation which was still ongoing.

“Trouble started when some of the villagers denied the military access to their houses to enable soldiers to search for arms and ammunition believed to be stockpiled there.

“During the clash, six operation vehicles belonging to the army were destroyed by the villagers; four were set ablaze while two were vandalised,” she said.

Agwu enjoined law abiding citizens in the area to go about their normal busi-

NSE market capitalisation loses N112bn THE Nigerian equity market on Friday ended on a negative note with the market capitalisation dropping

by N112 billion due to huge losses by some highly-capitalised stocks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the market capitalisation which opened at N9.531 trillion shed N112 billion or 1.17 per cent, to close at N9.419 trillion.

PDP chairmanship: Bode George’s aspiration receives boost As George, Dokpesi pick PDP chairmanship forms From Bola Badmus, Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji AHEAD of the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming up on August 17, former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George’s ambition to become the PDP’s chairman received a boost on Friday as bigwigs in the Lagos Mainland endorsed him, saying victory for George at the convention would translate to victory for PDP in 2019 presidential election.

The party chieftains, including former member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Tajudeen Agoro, who is also vice chairman, PDP Lagos State Central; Alhaji Akande Al-

nesses as the operation was to safeguard lives and property.

She urged members of the public with useful information that would lead to the recovery of arms and ammunition in the area to report to the nearest security agency.

DSP Bala Elkanah, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed the incident which he described as “purely military matter.”

imi, the party chairman for Lagos Mainland, Mr. Jide Bob-Taylor, among others gave the backing at a stakeholders parley.

Speaking at the event, which took place at the party’s office, Agoro described George as somebody who had climbed through the ladder, saying nobody had his kind of political experience and should, therefore, be allowed to occupy the PDP chairmanship position at its coming national convention.

Recalling the first major success that the party had in Lagos in the last general election and the clinching of five Alliance for Democracy (AD) states in the South West in 2003 which had the input of George, Agoro said if the PDP was

prepared to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) and take over power in 2019, it should go for George who had the experience.

Meanwhile, Chief Bode George and media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi on Friday picked nomination forms to contest the office of the national chairman of the PDP. George was personally at the temporary national secretariat of the party in Abuja to pick the form while Dokpesi’s son, Raymond Dokpesi Jr. picked the form on his behalf.

Speaking afterwards, George said former members of the party who left for the All Progressives Congress (APC) are mere tenants who are already on their way back to the PDP.

Also, the All-Share Index dipped 325.48 points or 1.17 per cent to close at 27,425.86, compared with the 27,751.34 achieved on Thursday.

NAN reported that the market indices lost 2.09 per cent week-on-week.

Market analysts attributed the market development to a reflection of the general weakness in the economy.

They said that the market most of the week traded on a bearish zone, with a strong weak volume on Friday.

It was reported that Seplat led the losers’ chart with a loss of N12.76, to close at N242.60 per share.

7-Up came second with N6.15 to close at N120.20, while Dangote Cement dipped N3 to close at N180 per share.

Nigerian Breweries dropped N1.97 and Con Oil lost N1.26 to close at N23.96 per share.

Conversely, Total topped the gainers’ table with a gain of N19.42, to close at N242.02 per share.

Mobil followed having gained N8.50 to close at N178.60 and Flour Mill garnered N1.98 to close at N21.98 per share.

THE Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has ordered the immediate recall of all federal mines officers in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. The minister, who gave the directive on Friday, said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, that the development became necessary as part of measures to strengthen the institutional capacity of the ministry to cooperate with the security agencies in ensuring the security of lives and property in the country, as well as safety of the environment.

The development came barely 24 hours after the ministry blacklisted and withdrew the explosives licences of a Koko, Delta State-based company for the illegal diversion of explosives.

Accordingly, all the affected officers are to report to the headquarters of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Abuja for further directives on their next assignments. Letters to this effect have been dispatched to the state and zonal offices of the ministry nationwide.

Dr. Fayemi said the ministry will not leave any stone unturned in the bid to reposition the sector for effective service delivery, and to actualise the economic diversification and job creation goals of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Why FG deploys military in South-West —Adams Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos NATIONAL coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has directed members of the group to wake up and challenge those who are terrorising Yorubaland.

He also attributed the deployment of soldiers to troubled parts of Yorubaland by the Federal Government to a particular spiritual appeasement.

The OPlC chief gave the order while speaking during the 2016 edition of the annual Ifa festival, which took place in Abule Ado area of Amuwo Odofin in Lagos State.

Adams described the invasion of the South-West by milliitants as a slap on the Yorubas and expressed the commitment and determination of the OPC to put an end to it.

He claimed that the different local government commanders of the group had some weeks before the deployment of the soldiers made some offerings.

Adams also stated that the group agreed to do something spiritual against the physical attacks from the militants during a national coordinating council meeting of the group, which took place in Akute area of the state.

The OPC chief said, “I told the cordinators to make some sacrificial offerings in all their local governments and by the next meeting over 75 per cent of them had done the offering.”

He added that it was not up to a week after that when the president deployed the military in the place.

PDP zones national chairmanship to South-West Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt LEADERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South, on Thursday night, formally zoned the national chairmanship position of the party to the South-West geopolitical zone.

This followed a meeting of the party’s leadership held at the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, late Thursday evening and attended by present and past governors, National Assembly members and former ministers elected on the platform of the party.

Also zoned to the South-West, were the positions of the national treasurer and deputy national publicity secretary of the party, while the South-South got the first deputy national chairman, national legal adviser, deputy national women leader and deputy national auditor.

In the same vein, the South-East got the following positions: National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader and Deputy National Financial Secretary.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said despite the zoning of the positions, any party member willing to contest any position was free to do so and advised party members from the South-South to respect the zoning formula.

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Babcock University High School, commissions 3 projects

By Kehinde Adio

From left, Chairman, Babcock University Schools Managment Board Professor Luke Onuoha; Principal, Babcock University High School, Ilishan Remo, Dr Bolanle Adebawojo, The President/Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo, Chairman, Parents Teachers Association, Mr Akin Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa and others during the 12st graduation cereemony of the School and commissioning of N133million projects, held recently.

IGP deploys 510 policemen to tackle kidnapping Chris Agbambu - Abuja

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he acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of 510 riot policemen on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in a renewed operation against kidnappers and other hoodlums.

The operation was backed with 40 patrol vehicles and armoured carriers, which were deployed in dark spots and vulnerable points along the road.

Disclosing this while speaking during the inauguration of Operation Maximum Safety in Abuja on Friday, the police boss tasked the policemen to curb all forms of crime and criminality around the area and provide security for travelers and residents of surrounding communities.

Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operation, Habila Joshak, Idris stated

that criminals would not be allowed to take over any part of the country.

He said that the government was worried about the insecurity along the highway and decided to deploy the security personnel to ensure security of lives and properties.

The police boss called on the community leaders, residents and youths to support the police with information that will enable them deliver

on its mandate.

He disclosed that the operatives were selected from different Mobile Police Force units for the special operation.

The IGP assured the policemen that their welfare would be taken care of, adding that the Kaduna State government had offered to pay their allowances and to fuel their patrol vehicles.

He said, “we would regu-

Free food scheme: Ondo exceeds 100,000 target Arrangements have begun in earnest for the kick off of the second round of free food distribution in the Ondo state government initiated palliative (Eto Igbe-Ayo) programme , even as beneficiaries in the first round exceeded the targeted 100,000 women.

The free food distribution programme which started from Ikare in Akoko North East local government area

in the first round, moved to Ose and Owo, all in the north senatorial district. It later moved to the south senatorial district and ended last night with beneficiaries in Akure south and Ondo West local governments areas of the central senatorial District.

Briefing newsmen on the development in Akure on Friday, the state’s Commissioner for Information,

Glo beat other operators to top position in new internet subscribers acquisition in June LEADING telecommunications company, Globacom, has again beaten other operators to the top position in the area of acquisition of new internet subscribers in the month of June.

This emerged from the latest figures released by the industry regulator for the month of June.

According to the figures, Globacom closed the month of June with a total of 26,628,065 internet subscribers up from 26,355,391 in May. This showed that the operator added a total of 272,674 new subscribers during the month.

The figure represents a

larly review the template for providing security from time to time to smoke out the criminals. We are not going to spare or think twice about anyone who raises his gun to fire at innocent citizens, we would not allow that hand to come down.

“I say this with all sense of purpose, but we cannot achieve this without the support of the community leaders, the people and the youth.”

quantum leap from the total number of subscribers gained between April and May. Glo recorded 49,124 new subscribers in April.

The closest operator to Globacom is Airtel, which recorded a total of 17,325,423 subscribers in June, up from 17,280,089 in May. In essence, Airtel added 45,334 new internet subscribers.

On the other hand, Etisalat had a total of 15,253,513 internet subscribers at the end of June, down from the 15,508,024 internet subscribers the operator had in May, effectively lost a total of 254,511 internet subscribers in one

month.

MTN Nigeria on its part recorded a total of 32,974,177 in June, down from the 33,108,786 internet subscribers that the operator had in May. Consequently, MTN lost a total of 134,609 within a month.

In all, the industry gained a total of 318, 008 new internet subscribers, out of which Globacom alone had 272,674 new internet subscribers.

In essence, Globacom is responsible for about 86 percent of the total internet subscriber acquisitions in the industry in the month of June.

Mr Kayode Akinmade said government would soon roll out schedule for the second round of the programme which he said recorded a very successful first round.

He said the fact that government’s initial target of a hundred thousand women in the first round of the exercise was exceeded is an indication of how popular the programme has become.

The palliative which recorded over 5,000 beneficiaries on kick-off day in Ikare is accessed with the state’s branded Smart Card tagged Kaadi Igbeayo.

The commissioner mentioned that residents in the state can still register to obtain their smart card at designated collecting points across the state, the former Cooperative College and the Ondo state Investment Company, Alagbaka, Akure.

At the flag off of the programme where about five thousand women received food items, the state’s governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko had mentioned that the Ikare event was the first phase of the first round of the programme designed to draw beneficiaries from the 18 local government areas of the state.

THE President/ Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Professor Ademola Tayo has led other distinguished scholars and business gurus from education and business circles in the country to the secondary arm of the institution to commission three gigantic projects.

The projects are the N150 million e–library building, donated by the Parent Teacher Association of the school, the N5 million multipurpose court donated by the outgoing students of the school and the N78 million vocational centre, built by the school.

Addressing the audience on the occasion scheduled to mark the 21st graduation ceremony of the high school, Professor Tayo reiterated the focus of the university to ensure that the school is endowed with all the necessary facilities to offer holistic education, academics, entrepreneurship, physical and moral education.

Also speaking at the occasion, the chairman, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school, Mr. Akin Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa, described the high school as a blessing to the Nigerian secondary school education development.

According to him, the college, as a faith-based institution of leaning, has added value to the quality of education development in the country.

Akwa Ibom monarchs hail Buhari over Ekere’s appointment as NDDC MD The nomination of Mr. Nsima Ekere as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by President Muhammadu Buhari has received the support of traditional rulers of the Ibibio, Annang, Oro and Ekid, the four major ethnic groups in Akwa Ibom State.

The Ibibios predominate 14 of the 31 local government areas of the state, followed by the Annang with eight, Oro with five and Ekid with two.

In a goodwill message to President Buhari, Uyio Ikpaisong Ibibio, the supreme council of Ibibio traditional rulers, expressed “deepest appreciation” to the President for Mr. Ekere’s appointment which, according to it, will enable Akwa Ibom State to complete its tenure as the chief executive of the commission and the oil-producing Niger Delta states to witness massive environmental transformation and human capacity development.

In a message signed by Uyio Ikpaisong and Paramount Ruler of Etinan LGA, Edidem Ime Dickson Umoette, the council urged Akwa Ibom people to continue to support President Buhari to enable him to deliver the much-needed democracy dividends to Nigerians and prayed for the success of Mr. Ekere as he takes on his new task.

While also thanking the President for the appointment of Mr. Samuel Frank as the commissioner representing Akwa Ibom on the NDDC Board, it, however, appealed to the President to appoint more Akwa Ibom people into Federal Boards and Commissions in the country.

On its part, the Council of Oro Traditional Rulers (COTR) said they were expressing appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the well-deserved appointment of Obong Nsima Udo Ekere as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Mr. Samuel George Frank as the Commissioner representing Akwa Ibom State in the NDDC Board.”

APC receives new members in Ido LG ABOUT 1,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party were, on Thursday, formally received into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State by the party’s leader in the council area, Alhaji Kamardeen Ajisafe.

The chairman of the caretaker committee of the local government, Honourable Wahab Oladejo, who flanked Alhaji Ajisafe during the reception held in Ido town, commended the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for his purposeful leadership in the state and the party which, according to him, is the reason the ranks of the party has continued to swell.

He admonished politicians in the country to set aside their differences and work with the Federal Government in its crusade to revamp Nigeria’s economy and restore its glory in other areas.

The leader of the defectors, Alhaji Bello Labankadi, in his address, urged politicians in the state to join “the progressive train of the APC” which, he said, had, “against all odds,” taken governance in the state to a higher level.

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244,000 severely malnourished children at risk in North East The Boko Haram insurgency has led to a food crisis the extent of which is only now being uncovered

Child at an out-patients therapeutic feeding centre for severely malnourished children in Katsina, Nigeria. OBINNA ANYADIKE/IRIN).

By Eromo Egbejule (IRIN)

A

FTER his father, a welder from Bama, died in a camp for internally displaced people in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, 17-yearold Dauda began to cater for the two wives and eight other children who had survived him. Aided by the little money donated by one of the locals bringing food to the Dalori camp, home to 18,000 people rendered homeless by the Boko Haram insurgency, he now sells caps to provide two square meals a day for his family.

Not everyone has been that lucky.

The situation in the region, where the insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives since 2009, was grave enough for Médecins Sans Frontières to warn last week that malnourished children were dying in large numbers.

The following day, an insurgent attack led to the suspension of the delivery of vital supplies, compounding the crisis.

Thierry Laurent-Badin, programme director for Action Contre la Faim in Nigeria, estimates that about 244,000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition in areas that used to be a complete no-go due to security restrictions, a figure also announced recently

by UNICEF. “We just got access to areas previously under Boko Haram control and completely inaccessible for the last few years; areas like Monguno, Baga, Kukawa, Gamboru-Ngala, Dikwa, Bama, Gwoza and more,” LaurentBadin told IRIN. One of the biggest problems in the region is malnutrition and children are partic-

ularly vulnerable. For the malnourished, susceptibility to – and death from – other diseases like diarrhoea, and malaria, which is prevalent in the region, is nine times higher. A further two million people remain inaccessible and have no humanitarian assistance whatsoever.

MSF reported that 15 percent children screened by their teams in the region suffered from severe acute malnutrition, which puts their lives at risk. In one town, nearly one child in three is malnourished.

Farms and food stores have been destroyed in the wake of the insurgency and farming is yet to resume in areas cut off by instability, even more so as the fields remain barren. For most families, their breadwinners and farm hands are either missing or have been killed in the crisis.

Continued security threat At one time, Boko Haram had annexed a swathe of land the size of Belgium from the territory of Nigeria and renamed it Islamic State West Africa Province. While joint military operations with Chad, Niger, and Cameroon have led to the reclamation of most of the area and the Nigerian government has repeatedly insisted that it has “technically defeated” the extremists, pockets of violence remain in small towns and villages in the region.

Last week, insurgents ambushed a UN convoy returning from Bama, north of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, injuring two aid workers. It was the first attack of its kind in the region and prompted all UN agencies to halt missions to areas outside the city.

“We are reviewing the security situation,

and, for now, because of our central security system, all UN agencies have suspended trips outside Maiduguri temporarily,” Doune Porter, chief of communications at UNICEF Nigeria, told IRIN. “The attack has serious consequences for us, however our partners remain in Bama and are still delivering assistance.”

The attack had far-reaching consequences on the distribution of food and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of civilians living outside Maiduguri who have been uprooted by the seven years of violence.

Even before the recent travel suspension, only the UN had the capacity to travel to high-risk areas. Some other international aid agencies refused to use armed escorts due to neutrality concerns.

In a statement released after the attacks, UNICEF urged donors and other humanitarian organisations “to scale up the response to the emerging disaster in Borno state”, and pledged to continue to work at full strength in Maiduguri.

Corruption The Nigerian government, which announced a nutritional emergency in Borno State in June, has sent representatives of the National Emergency Management Agency to assess the situation.

But there have long been allegations of rampant misappropriation of resources by government stakeholders.

The tentacles of corruption, a major issue in Nigeria, seem to have spread to the humanitarian sector as well. In May, fights broke out between soldiers and policemen in Maiduguri over trucks of rice and other foodstuffs donated by Africa’s

richest man, Aliko Dangote, when he personally visited the Bakassi and Dalori camps in the city.

A month later, a video showing officials of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency repackaging food items allocated to the IDP camps by NEMA and diverting them for resale went viral on social media.

“A lot of sharing and sorting is done, so not everything gets to the IDPs at the end of the day,” an aid worker told IRIN on condition of anonymity. “Right now in Bakassi camp, IDPs say they are given raw food rations weekly, and left to figure out how they get it cooked, I suppose. The arrangement used to be that NEMA provides staples then SEMA provides firewood and condiments, but SEMA hasn’t been living up to their end. A lot of money has gone down the drain. You need to hear [the] ridiculous amounts they claim to use to get stuff like firewood.”

“It is not reasonable to expect that the government of Nigeria will be able manage it single-handedly, without major support,” said Laurent-Badin, who has called for more funding for the northeast region. “The needs are overwhelming.”

“The 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan for the crisis in northeast Nigeria is only 28 percent funded as of June 2016: the world must deliver on its promises to leave no one behind in this crisis,” he said.

“We urge donors to allow humanitarian actors to re-channel existing funding to these newly accessible areas and to expedite the release of new funding to meet the large-scale humanitarian needs.”

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Saturday Tribune

style

31

08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

with Kate Ani

All hail their stylish Majesties!

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-It-Yourself: Traffic signal Inspired earring

Olugbo of Ugboland THE Olugbo of Ugbo land, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, is one traditional ruler in Nigeria that has redefined ‘style.’ Fondly referred to as the bling-bling king, Oba Akinruntan, who is referred to by Forbes magazine as the wealthiest king in Africa, is unarguably very stylish.

Emir of Kano FORMER governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and now Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II (born Sanusi Lamido Sanusi), is one trendy traditional ruler. With his trademark sunglasses on his stylish royal regalia, he never fails to wow Nigerians with his outlook whenever he graces events.

What you need

Alaafin of Oyo ONE of the popular monarchs in Nigeria, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, is a king with a unique sense of style. With his stylish Yoruba gears that scream royalty and abetiaja cap to match, Oba Adeyemi has proven to be a fine wine that gets better with age.

Steps

Ooni of Ife THE Ooni of Ife, Arole Oodua, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) is no doubt, very stylish.

The young monarch is always the cynosure of eyes and a fashionistas’ delight in his impeccable white regalia.

Oba of Lagos THE Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu ranks high in the style department. He is always looking dapper with his trademark designer sunglasses.

TIGHT coils in three different colors are made.

The size of the coils is marginally increased – as can be seen.

One coil in each color is taken and glued together.

BLACK quilling strip is now quilled like a frame around the coils.

Dein of Agbor Kingdom BENJAMIN Ikechukwu Keagborekuzi I was two years and four months old when he was crowned following the unexpected death of his father.

He is known to be one of the most stylish kings around.

Sultan of Sokoto THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, is a sight to behold whenever he appears in public with his northern royal ensemble.

Olubadan of Ibadanland THE Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Salisu Akanmu Adetunji, with his regalia, even at his advance age make statement with his style game.

Oluwo of Iwo THE Oluwo of Iwo, in Osun State, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, has a stylish demeanour. His appearances at cultural events in distinctive, colourful ensemble are admirable.

Elegushi of Ikateland THE Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elegushi, is the youngest monarch in Lagos State.

This king, with a unique fashion sense, ascended the throne after the demise of his father, Oba Yekini Adeniyi Elegushi, in 2009.

A small loop is quilled and attached at the top.

11

6 August, 2016

P

ULPIT petrel, Ejike Mbaka, priest of the Catholic faith of the Enugu diocese broke his not-too long silence recently.

Delivering what amounted to a homily, but this time not to the restricted audience of his Adoration Ground in Enugu, Mbaka mirrored the frustration and disappointment of the Nigerian people in the Muhammadu Buhari government.

There is massive hunger and misery in the land, Mbaka told the president, urging him to do something urgent about the plight of the people before things turned into calamity for both his government and the people he was elected to govern.

Mbaka has allies in many Nigerians who daily lament the economic stasis that Nigeria currently finds herself in. In homes, on the streets, at fora and in virtually every nook and cranny where discussion of the personal and national economies of Nigerians is held, Nigerians are lamenting their fates in the present day Nigeria. Since it is not a far away hypothesis but a daily experience, he who feels it in the Nigerian people is in a greater position to proffer knowledge of it. Many Nigerians say that in their adult years, they had never faced this level of suffering and economic hardship before. To some, only during the Nigerian civil war did they pass through a harrowing fate similar to this hopelessness superintended over by the Buhari government.

One unifying factor about it is that friends and enemies of the current government are agreed on the sloppy handling of the Nigerian economy that has resulted in this grinding hopelessness. Agreed that the colossal fraud and mismanagement of the economy under the Goodluck Jonathan administration were the precursor of the current unpalatable fate of Nigerians, it is apparent that a more fluid management of the economy by the Buhari government would have reduced the suffering that Nigerians go through today. It is so bad that there are more hopeless people on the streets today than there are those who have hope that their tomorrow would be better under this government.

If Nigeria were a statistical country, we would have been confronted by the acute figure of an intense and widespread despondency in the land.

If you were someone who frequents hospitals, you would be apprised of fellow countrymen, who a few months ago were proud Nigerians fulfilling their existential obligations, falling prey to inability to pay minor medical bills. Many have died in the hospitals for inability to pay these bills and the failure of the hospitals to treat them pro-bono.

Saturday Tribune

Saturday With

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

Mbaka’s homily of hunger

Nigerians have become beggars in their own homes and on the streets, discountenancing the human dignity that used to be their shield before now.

Talking about bareness of dignity in the land. The rate at which tenant-landlord schism has widened today is alarming. While tenants who a short while ago were loyal and responsible tenants, fulfilling their obligations without let, are finding it increasingly difficult to continue on this path, their landlords’ acrimonies have increased, causing clashes and foul disagreements in the process. The rate of depression, suicide, minor violence induced by hopelessness and street brawls is on the increase.

Parents cannot fulfill their obligations to their children.

This has upped the number of teen prostitutes who take to the streets to augment the less-than-enough support from parents. Empathy and supports from home to home and family to family, that were the hub of the collective life lived by Nigerians as Africans have dried up and neighbours watch their neighbours wallow in penury without compulsion to assist, aware that the little they themselves

possess can barely sustain them.

The problem of hunger and misery in the land is metastasizing by the day. The tragedy is that the Buhari government does not seem to have a clue to its abatement. If the economic problem were one that has an expiry, Nigerians, reputed to be one of the most enduring species of nature’s creation, with an ability to endure pangs of dislocation without visible show of strains, would tag along, waiting for the day of redemption. The problem is that the duo of government and the governed are in a bind and do not have a fog of where hope is coming from. To me, this is indeed the real tragedy.

This is why the Mbaka homily is very instructive and relevant. Buhari has done well in combating corruption in the land. He has shown us the maggots that inhabited our midst for almost decades of our existence, and has exhilarated the corps of Nigerians who appear to be titillated by news of scandal. However, that is all there is to it. The government has not allowed the people to transit from this level of scandal excitement into benefitting from the so-called loots recovered from their assailants who a few months ago, were the ‘timber and caliber’ in the country.

Today, a dollar exchanges for N400 and a pound N510. This has had ripple effects on purchases, causing groaning and wailing in Nigerian homes.

What is perhaps the most tragic of it all is that government is not communicating its limitations to the people. The president is hyper taciturn and the people who surround him have been bitten by his taciturnity. This has led to a mythic economy and a financial situation of the country fattened on growing rumours and skepticism by the generality of the people.

This is where Mbaka deserves kudos, even though if you read between the lines of his homilies, his outburst could jolly well be the personal frustration of a political clergy who ‘prophesized’ Buhari’s ascendancy.

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12

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

‘Read, pray and be disciplined’

B

EST Legacy International Secondary School, Awe, recently held its 10th valedictory service.

The guest speaker of the occasion and Rector, Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, Surveyor.

Bello Abubakir, admonished the students to make ‘I will try’ their watchword as this will be their driving force as they climb another ladder in academic pursuit. The valedictory service took place in the newly constructed school hall.

He also laid emphasis on the importance of making right decisions and inculcating discipline in order to achieve set goals.

The graduating and students of the school were also advised to have the right mindset and be mindful of the way they use their time daily because opportunity lost may never be regained.

“There is no excuse for failure, therefore, let your attitude determine your altitude,”Abubakir said. He, however, charged them to be prayerful as much as they read as everything one does in life needs prayer.

The proprietress of the school, Dr (Mrs) O.Y Giwa, in her speech charged the 72 graduating students to remember the children of whom they are after leaving the four walls of the school. She also pleaded with parents not to carelessly ignore their wards to live life as they wish, but to correct them when they are going astray by calling them to order and take good care of them. The teachers were also encouraged not to relent in working hard by investing in the future of the children. She assured them that God will reward them as long as they continue.

The Local Inspector of Education (LIE) for Afijio Local Government Area, Mrs B.C Abio-

Graduating students of Best Legacy International Secondary School, Awe, Oyo State, during the 10th valedictory service of the school, held recently. dun, representing the Ministry of Education, admonished the graduating students to be good ambassadors when they get to

higher institutions. “Best Legacy has given you all you need to soar high.” She wished them success as they attain another level.

Among the events that marked the occasion was commissioning of a concrete board donated to the school by the outgoing head

boy, Olusina Oladeji and his younger sister Sijibomi Oladeji, who is equally the outgoing head girl in the primary school.

‘Everybody should be responsible for job creation’ FORMER national president, Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr Wale Okediran, has said that job creation is a responsibility of both the private and public sectors in the present-day Nigeria, adding that a situation like the 60s and 70s when government provided jobs for graduates is no longer feasible.

He said this in a recent lecture titled “Excelling in the 20th century through professionalism and entrepreneuship” at the 13th valedictory service of Sharon Rose Schools and Colleges, Saki, in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.

Represented by his younger brother, Mr Adetokunbo Okediran, a retired principal, who coincidentally had worked in the town as a vice principal between 1989 and 1990, Dr Okediran charged students to consider job creation as a way out of employ-

ment problems.

While commending the government’s efforts at encouraging youths to venture into agriculture by giving out loans, grants and farm land, Okediran further charged the government to revitalise the traditional farm settlement programme which was made famous by the Obafemi Awolowo government of the old Western Region. In addition to this, he admonished private

schools to desist from examination malpractices which have become a scourge where students are assisted in writing examination for a fee. “Apart from destroying the careers of our youths, examination malpractice is a criminal act which must be discouraged in its entirety,” he said.

The principal of the school, Mrs T.O Oluwasola, in her speech expressed gratitude to God who has been their pillar of support since the school was established and also thanked parents who in spite of unpalatable economy

Proprietor, Sharon Rose Schools and College, Saki, Oyo State, Deacon Sam Oluwasola and the principal of the school, Mrs T.O Oluwasola with the school’s best three overall students — Adelakun Funmilayo Grace, first position (middle); Durojaye Bisoye Aishat, second position (second left) and Akinola Ewajesu Adebola, third position (second right), after being decorated at the 13th valedictory service, held recently.

put their wards’ school fees as their priority.

Mrs Oluwasola charged the graduating students to make use of all the lessons and instructions they have been exposed to in the course of their stay in the school.

“The world is waiting for your manifestation and I’m happy to remind you that you are more than able.” She also encouraged the present students never to relent in their academic pursuit having seen and heard testimonies of their seniors. “It is time to shine, go for the gold,” she said.

About 84 students graduated from the school and among them were three outstanding students who have represented the school in various competitions, both at the local and international levels and have won awards. They are Adelakun Funmilayo Grace, first position; Durojaye Bisoye Aishat, second position and Akinola Ewajesu Adebola, third position.

While showing her gratitude to God after being decorated, Adelakun Funmilayo, in her speech said “Success does, not work like a lottery does, but I bet, you will get the feeling of athletes when they have gold medals hung on their necks at the highly esteemed Olympic games when they are successful. Therefore, you must believe in your ability as a student; be determined, avoid procrastination and develop a reading habit as a nonreader will believe anything, accept anything and worse still, fall for anything.”

The graduating students presented the sum of N84,000 to the school for purchase of a generating set in appreciation of the school.

13

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink

Pepper soup: Sip off the cold!

In the Nigerian society, pepper soup is a local delicacy served in parties and some homes. It is recommended for mothers who have just put to bed, and those who are down with fever as the high medicinal contents have the potency to cure. It is also good for the cold weather because it keeps one warm from the inside. Pepper soup may be served alone or taken with boiled yam, boiled plantain or white rice. TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE looks at the different ways of cooking this local soup.

Catfish pepper soup Ingredients 1 whole catfish (cut and cleansed) 1 teaspoon of pepper soup mix 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 2 stock cubes 2 cups stock or water Utazi or bitter leaf Salt to taste

Method Place cleansed fish in pot, add stock or water.

Put on medium heat Add in pepper soup mix, salt, stock cube, oil and utazi or bitter leaf.

Cover and boil for 10 minutes Serve hot.

Assorted meat pepper soup Ingredients 4oog assorted cow meat cut into pieces 1½ tablespoonfuls ground calabash nutmeg, uda seed, alligator pepper seed and dried ginger root Chilli pepper 2 teaspoon dry basil leaves 1 tablespoon ground crayfish 2 stock cubes Sliced onions Salt to taste

Method Clean and cook assorted meat add salt, stock cubes and onions When meat is done, add ground pepper, ground crayfish, ground pepper soup mix, stir and cover for 15 minutes.

Serve hot

Chicken pepper soup Ingredients 1.5kg whole chicken, cut into serving chunks 2 litres of water or chicken stock 50g chopped fresh scotch bonnet chillies 100g pepper soup spices 1 piece of onion, chopped Chopped saint leaves 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 stock cubes Salt Method Wash chicken, cut into serving chunks and add some water.

Add chopped onion, chillies, stock cubes, crushed garlic and salt and cook.

When it is tender, pepper soup spices and boil for another 10 minutes.

Lace soup with sliced saint leaves Serve hot in soup bowls

14

6 August, 2016

intimacy

Saturday Tribune

With Bosede Ola-Samuel 08112658560 bosedeola_samuel@yahoo.com

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS we ignored, and ask ourselves questions we should have asked before getting married. At this point, best love birds of three years ago can suddenly become covenant enemies, with the marriage platform as the battlefield.

What happens to love in marriage?

Love turns sour in marriage because before marriage, lovers don’t take enough time to understand what their love languages are. That is, they do not understand what makes each partner feel loved. Rather, we assume that the nice looks, the tender care, loving comments, caring acts,

What is your spouse’s love language?

T

HE popular saying “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” is definitely true with reference to what makes people feel loved. While one person may see an act of kindness as an expression of love, to another it may be the attention showered on her, while to someone else, positive comments are what make for love. This is what couples must realise in order to enjoy the best relationship marriage can offer, and to sustain the love that brought them together as couples.

When two people fall in love they become emotionally obsessed with each other. They sleep and wake up thinking of each other, and how wonderful their life will be together forever. They speak poetic words, act lovingly towards each other, overlook one another’s faults easily, bear with one another things that will ordinarily piss them off, and above all, feel there is nothing that can separate them from one another.

Furthermore, they also feel they know each other well enough to be able to handle themselves, or cope with those things that make them look incompatible to those close to us. According to Gary Chapman, in his book, The Five Languages Of Love, “The person who is ‘in love’ has the illusion that his beloved is perfect.

His mother can see the flaws but he can’t. His mother says, ‘Darling, have you considered she has been under psychiatric care for five years?’ But he replies, ‘Oh, mother, give me a break. She’s been out for three months now.’ His friends also can see the flaws, but

are not likely to tell him unless he asks, and chances are he won’t because in his mind she is perfect and what others think doesn’t matter.”

This is what makes many people feel that love is blind.

At this stage of falling in love, caution is thrown to the wind, and we believe everything our love partner says, without questioning it; we ignore every warning signal that all may not be well. But, eventually, marriage opens our eyes. We now realise that falling in love is an illusion whose average life span is very short. According to Dr. Dorothy Tennov, a psychologist, the average lifespan of a romantic obsession is two years, which may last a little longer for a secretive love affair.

Eventually, after marriage, our eyes become opened, and we begin to see the weaknesses of our partner: irritating behaviour, annoying attitude, hurtful mannerism etc. We suddenly remember those warning signals that

and even emotional tearful demonstrations are all what make us feel loved. While all of us need all the above ingredients of love, the one that makes a person feel most loved differs from partner to partner. It is the fact that we don’t know and understand this difference that accounts for the many heartbreaks we see in marriage. For instance, a husband keeps slaving himself out to provide for his home, spending most of his time outside the home. Yet, his wife seems unappreciative of it. To her, slaving himself to provide all she needs is not what makes her feel loved. She prefers that out of his hardworking effort, time is created for a regular time of closeness with her in the house. And this is driving the husband crazy. He just cannot understand why she seems not to appreciate all of his effort, and every attempt by his wife to get him reason with her he sees as a misplaced priority on her part. The problem here is simply not knowing each other’s love languages.

conversewithyemisi

08055001741 (sms only) yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

Re: Do I go back to him?

Dear readers, Last week, one of our readers, Rachael, sent in a letter explaining how her husband of almost five years abandoned her when she was diagnosed with fibroid. She eventually went abroad for treatment, courtesy of her elder brother and is back in the country. However, she is contemplating going back to her husband.

Here are reactions of some readers to her story.

D

EAR Rachael, kindly forget this man. Discuss with your mum and quietly get a job outside your present location and open your heart to receive a fresh love from another responsible man. Also, get close to a genuine pastor that can counsel and pray for you. Olugbenga Aloko, Ilorin, 08064226266.

Rachael, since you have said that you were the one actually in love, you should consider yourself lucky that you have survived all the trials at the hands of a gold digger you mistakenly married. Pray for your real husband.

Biola, Ogun State, 08039598283.

Rachael, Going back to someone who has no feeling for you whatsoever is like gladly signing off one’s existence. You have forced yourself on this man enough. Tunde, Ido, 08065005099.

Rachael, I sincerely feel deeply touched. My advice for you is to give yourself rest of mind.

Have trust in God, surely He shall make you happy. San, Oyo, 08054038757.

Rachael, this man does not love you since he has been concerned about your situation.

Don’t force yourself on him. God will give you a man who will make you smile. Habu, 08105110010.

Rachael, I was sincerely moved with passion as I was imagining what you are going through. You should be grateful to God for sparing your life. Seek the face of God for direction. 08060702586.

Rachael, I read your story and I can feel your pain, but the only solution to this is to run to Jesus, 08170544401.

Rachael, I share your pain and my advice for you is to follow your heart, this man, is not your husband. There is no point wasting time on a forced marriage. Look unto God, be happy and the Lord will bless you with the right man who will give you the love and happiness you desire, Olukemi, 08186536302.

Rachael, you don’t have to stay back; don’t even think of being with such a person in your life. God really loves you and He has saved you from calamity. God will do a new thing in your life. Kindly, forget your past experience. You love him, but he does not.

Going back to such a man is risky. Abodunrin Ogunwole, Osun, 08132862640.

Rachael, look unto God, He will perfect your ways, your acclaimed husband is not yours, your own will come, wait for the Lord, 08129629076.

Rachael, look for a new husband. God bless you. Olu Awoyinfa, 08033081426.

Racheal, I was very touched and bitter by your story because I am a man. My simple advice for you is to forget ever marrying the man in the first place because he is not man enough to be called one... Look up to God and you will surely meet your own man in due course. Don’t think about what the world would say about you living a healthy and happy life with your future family. I wish you all the best. Ayodele, 08035182555.

Rachael, your husband must be sick if all you have sent to Dear Yemisi is the truth.

Stay put in your father’s place till you prayerfully consider your next action. I am praying for you. Segunsam, 08034049173.

Dear Rachael, I am here in Millstone, NJ reading your story. I am terribly saddened by it. Firstly, you came from a polygamous home which is a literal war zone spiritually.

You managed to get education and graduated, but they were waiting for you. Secondly, you were manipulated to marry a man who does not love you, thirdly, you were ma-

nipulated to accept a wrong diagnosis and unnecessary operation and finally brought back home where you began. My counsel is this, forget about your husband in the mean time, find a strong spirit-filled church and give your life to Jesus if you have not. He is the only one who can help you get out of your father’s house that is where your problem is.

Try and get a job somewhere else, perhaps in Lagos. You have a battle ahead of you, but Jesus can help you. Please, run to Him fast.

Donquixote61 Rachael, marriage is meant to be enjoyed and not to be endured. Your so called husband does not love you. Don’t waste your time with him. God will make a way for you.

07067978812.

Rachael, I pray the Lord will open your eyes of understanding. Your so called husband is married to another woman. He does not care about you. Ask God to give you the bone of your bones. Pastor Paul, 08100569850.

Rachael, don’t marry him again. Go and pack your things for the sake of your life. God will give you your own husband.

08038127495.

Rachael, I don’t think this man actually love you. He is after your parents’ wealth.

The earlier you forget about him, the better.

08066472253.

15

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

health&fitness

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

By Blessing Ekum

F

OR most couples on this side of the world, the essence of marriage is mostly for procreation. This might explain why a lot of pressure is put on a newly-wed couple when nine months after walking down the aisle, family and friends are yet to be invited for a christening. Sadly, most times the woman bears the brunt of the strain. While some are lucky to have understanding family members and in-laws, others are not so fortunate and as if the absence of a child is not enough source of worry for the woman, she is further stressed out with ultimatums, accusations and emotional abuse by family members from both sides as well as society.

Sadly, people are quick to erroneously label a couple (most times the woman) as infertile, without understanding what and who may be the cause, at what point to begin to worry and what allowing the woman go through stress does to further complicate matters.

According to an expert at the Trucare Fertility Clinic, Victoria Island, Lagos State, a couple may begin to worry about fertility problems if they have been trying to conceive for over six months. “Infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. This definition is reduced to six months for women over 35 years, those with a history of painful periods, irregular cycles, pelvic inflammatory disease and miscarriages, and couples who know that the male partner has a low sperm count,” he said.

Though most are quick to point the finger at the woman when this is a case of childlessness, Dr Adewale Adejumo says fertility is not primarily a women’s health issue. “For almost half of infertile couples, the cause is related to the male partner (either alone or in addition to a female factor). When a couple have fertility concerns, we recommend that both the male and female partner have full consultations in order to determine the most effective treatment approach.”

Though there have been many sited causes of infertility some of which include age, diet, STDs, environmental factors, drugs, biological/hormonal dysfunctions and even unexplainable reasons, new research findings show that stress can also affect a woman’s ability to conceive. The findings of this research were published in the 2014 online edition of the journal Human Reproduction.

In this study, scientists measured levels of alpha-amylase, an enzyme in saliva that provides a biological indicator of stress.

The researchers discovered that women with high levels of the biomarker were 29 per cent less likely to get pregnant each month than those with low levels. They were also more than twice as likely to be declared infertile.

The team tracked 373 American women, aged 18 to 40, who were free from known fertility problems and had just started trying to conceive. Their progress was followed over a period of 12 months, or until they became pregnant.

Each participant was given one saliva test on enrolment and another after the start of their first recorded menstrual

Why stress is bad for couples trying to

get pregnant

cycle. Measurements of two stress markers, alpha-amylase and cortisol, were taken.

Lead researcher of the study, Dr Courtney Denning-Johnson Lynch, from Ohio State University in the United States of America, said: “This is now the second study in which we have demonstrated that women with high levels of the stress biomarker salivary alpha-amylase have a lower probability of becoming pregnant, compared to women with low levels of this biomarker.

“For the first time, we’ve shown that this effect is potentially clinically meaningful, as it’s associated with a greater than two-fold increased risk of infertility among these women.”

Besides having an adverse effect on the natural method of conception, stress can also impact a woman’s chances of getting pregnant should she decide to go for treatments such as IVF and IUI. “There are a wide range of treatments available for infertility, depending on the cause or causes. These include medication, surgery to correct physical blockages and treatments such as IVF and IUI. “However, the more stressed you are, the more difficult the experience of IVF is likely to be,” Dr Adejumo said.

In addition, anthropologists posit that when a woman is stressed, the brain sends

Besides other daily physical stressors, worrying about the state of infertility can also be a source of mental and emotional stress which would contribute and possibly aggravate the state of infertility. signals to the body to prevent conception.

Though in today’s fast-paced world where stressful situations are a norm and its management is usually poor, it is important that couples looking to get pregnant take things

slow and reduce stress triggers, especially for the women.

Although it may seem easier said than done, the fact remains that poorly managed stressful situations is not healthy and should be cut off. Not only does one live a healthier life when stress is reduced and well-managed, it also improves the quality of the person’s life.

Besides other daily physical stressors, worrying about the state of infertility can also be a source of mental and emotional stress which would contribute and possibly aggravate the state of infertility.

In cases where stressful situations are totally unavoidable, for instance on a job or life in a busy metropolitan city, a change to how you react to stressful situations is recommended. Psychologist, Mr Kayode Adetunji, said, “when faced with an ongoing stressful situation, there is only one thing you have control over - how you react. Getting control of how you react will have a big impact on what happens inside of your body when a stressful situation presents itself. Also, in managing stress, you can develop a practice or habit that helps you to reduce stress. Activities such as exercise, prayer, sleep, reading a book or spending time with loved ones can do the trick.”

16 healthandfitness

Is it safe to get pregnant at 14?

I am a 14-year- old girl.

Kindly let me know the medical advantages and disadvantages of teenage marriage, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Siiifat (by SMS) At 14 years of age, you are still going through some physical and physiological development as such, there are no medical advant-

ages in getting married and getting pregnant at

this age. Rather, there are a lot of potential medical problems if you get pregnant at age 14.

The current trend is to discourage teenage pregnancy and allow the body to be fully mature before subjecting it to the arduous tasks of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

My son’s skin problem commended Augmentin syrup which we used, yet the peeling did not stop.

Please let me know what else we can do to tackle this problem.

Salim (by SMS) MY son’s skin has been peeling since he was eight months old. A doctor re-

Although you did not indicate your son’s current age, peeling of the skin is a sign of some underlying

medical or psychological problems that need to be addressed by a doctor, preferably a skin expert who will properly examine your son and order some important tests for him. My advice, therefore, is to consult a dermatologist at the nearest specialist or teaching hospital to you.

Dr. Wale Okediran

Different factors can cause stomach ulcer. These include, infection, frequent

use of aspirin, ibuprofen, and other anti-inflammatory drugs, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, radiation therapy and stomach cancer. With proper treatment, most peptic ulcers heal. However, you may not heal if you stop taking your medication early or continue to use tobacco and pain relievers during treatment. Some ulcers, called

refractory ulcers, don’t heal with treatment. If your ulcer doesn’t heal with the initial treatment, this can indicate an excessive production of stomach acid, the presence of some untreated infection as well as the presence of another disease, such as stomach cancer or Crohn’s disease. It is, therefore, important for your doctor to examine the inside of

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

16-year-old infection I have been having a whitish discharge from my penis for the past sixteen years despite some treatments. Now it is affecting my sperm. Kindly let me know what to do.

Rufus (by SMS) Sixteen years is too long a time to allow an infection to remain in the body.

It is obvious that whatever kind of treatment you had

was very inadequate and ineffective. At this point, the best thing to do is to

see a doctor who will send a sample of your sperm for laboratory investigations.

The result will confirm the appropriate drugs to use to clear the infection from you and your other sexual contacts.

Masturbating at 19 I am a 19-year-old boy who has been masturbating for some time. I would like to know if this habit will affect

My long-standing stomach ulcer I have been battling stomach ulcer for the past 10 years. Although I have been able to control it with medications and diet, I will like to know if I can have a permanent solution to the problem.

Chiamaka (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

6 August, 2016

your stomach to rule out any of the above diseases through endoscopy. Maintaining a stress free and healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and quitting smoking and other tobacco use will also help you prevent developing a peptic ulcer.

me in future.

Smith (by SMS) Due to some emotional and physiological changes that those in your age bracket go through, it is not unusual for teenagers, especially males to masturbate at one point or the other. However long periods of masturbation especially when it replaces normal sex has always led to some complications in both the emotional and sexual lives of these people.

It is therefore, advisable

for you to stop the habit as soon as possible. Some of the ways to do this is to stop fantasizing about sex and rather, develop a cordial relationship with members of the opposite sex as well as avoiding the consumption of sexually explicit material, whether by print or internet.

Why humans become thirsty during meal —Scientists

By Jonathan Webb Science reporter (BBC News)

S

CIENTISTS have glimpsed activity deep in the mouse brain which can explain why we get thirsty when we eat, and why cold water is more thirst-quenching.

A specific “thirst circuit” was rapidly activated by food and quietened by cooling down the animals’ mouths.

The same brain cells were already known to stimulate drinking, for example when dehydration concentrates the blood.

But the new findings describe a much faster response, which predicts the body’s future demand for water.

The researchers went looking for this type of system because they were puzzled by the fact that drinking behaviour, in humans as well as animals, seems to be regulated very quickly.

Pre-empting demand “There’s this textbook model for homeostatic regulation of thirst, that’s been around for almost 100 years, that’s based on the blood,” said the study’s senior author Zachary Knight, from the University of California, San Francisco.

“There are these neurons in the brain that… generate thirst when the blood becomes too salty or the blood volume falls too low. But lots of aspects of everyday drinking can’t possibly be explained by that homeostatic model because they occur much too quickly.”

Take the “prandial thirst” that comes while we consume a big, salty meal - or the fact that we feel quenched almost as soon as we take a drink.

Thirst, Dr Knight explained, often pre-empts changes in our fluid balance rather than responding to them.

And his team’s experiments, reported in the journal Nature, offer the first explanation for how that anticipation might be generated within the brain.

To unpick the brain activity involved, the researchers monitored neural activity in genetically engineered mice.

Deep in these animals’ brains, a specific type of brain cell - in an area known to regulate thirst - would glow when it was active.

This meant the team could use an optical fibre to record

how busy those neurons were, while the mice were left to eat or drink in various experimental conditions.

Cold power When the animals were thirsty, these brain cells (in a region called the subfornical organ, or SFO) were very active.

As soon as they drank, that activity dropped.

Similarly, the “thirst circuit” lit up when the mice ate much faster than any measurable changes could be detected in their bloodstream.

These SFO neurons were responding directly, it seemed, to the goings-on in the animal’s mouth.

“The activity seems to go up and down very rapidly during eating and drinking, based on signals from the oral cavity,” Dr Knight told the BBC. Perhaps most remarkable was the effect of temperature, he added.

“Colder liquids inhibit these neurons more quickly. In fact, we show that even simply cooling the mouth of a mouse is sufficient to reduce the activity of these thirst neurons - independent of any water consumption.”

The idea that the thirst system is monitoring mouth temperature to the extent that applying a cool metal bar to a mouse’s tongue will light up these SFO neurons - makes a lot of sense, Dr Knight said.

“If you go into the hospital and you can’t swallow, they give you ice chips to suck on, to quench your thirst.

“Temperature seems to be one of the signals that these neurons are listening to.”

Dr Yuki Oka, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology, was not involved in this research but led a previous study on the same population of SFO neurons.

His team discovered that artificially stimulating these thirst neurons caused mice to drink, even if they weren’t thirsty - a finding that Dr Knight and colleagues replicated as part of their work.

Dr Oka said the new observations were very interesting, particularly because they showed how one population of brain cells was combining different types of information.

“The previous view in the field was that [this system] is monitoring... the internal state. But recent studies - including this one - are showing that these sensory neurons in the brain are not just a sensor, they’re an integrating platform for the external stimuli and the internal state.

“This is kind of a new concept, which has also been revealed in neurons that control feeding.”

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6 August, 2016

Divorce

Saturday Tribune

Court & Crime She is lazy, dirty and does not do any house chores —Wife

It’s his endless demand for sex that is always responsible —Husband

He stripped me naked everytime he beat me, woman tells court I’m ready for divorce —Husband Stories Courtesy Agency Report

A

Makurdi Upper Area Court in Benue State has dissolved the eight-year-old marriage between Nelson Ebiem and Nneka over irreconcilable differences and unholy behaviour.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nneka had dragged her husband to court over alleged cruelty, unholy behaviour, threats to life and refusal to collect refund of bride price.

The presiding officer, Ibrahim Mohammed, in his judgement, said that both parties agreed to dissolve the marriage.

“The petitioner sought divorce on the grounds of cruelty, threat to life and refund of bride price.

“Any custom that seeks to remove divorce and refund of bride price from the court is an aberration.

“That custom is an affront to the court created by the constitution and other enabling laws of this country.

“Such custom should not be allowed to exist in this 21st century.

“Such custom must be moderated to be in conformity with the constitution and other laws of this country,” the judge said.

Mohammed, however, ordered the petitioner to refund N20, 000 being the bride price paid on her in 2008 to the court registrar.

Earlier, Nneka had told the court that both of them were incompatible.

The petitioner said that she married her estranged husband under the Native Laws and Customs of Arochukwu people of Abia State.

“I married Nelson in 2008 under the Native Laws and Customs of the Arochukwu people and the marriage has irretrievably broken down.

“I do not want to marry him again because he beats me a lot. He usually

inside

strips me naked.

“He beats me regularly and throws my things out of his house. He has the habit of insulting me publicly, threatens to kill me and disgrace me at will.

“Due to the threats to my life, I travel every month to the village to stay with my husband’s elder brother,” she told the court.

The petitioner prayed the court to dissolve the marriage on grounds of cruelty, unholy behaviour and threats to life.

In his response, Ebiem said that he was ready for the divorce.

He told the court that they had a mutual discussion on the matter.

Ebiem, however, said that it was against the custom and beliefs of the people of Arochukwu to accept refund of bride price outside the community.

He said that the petitioner should pay the bride price to the court or travel to his village to refund the money to his family.

My wife always denied me sex, food after misunderstanding —Husband See pages 18 & 23 Despite his infidelity, I still love him —Wife

A man, Mr Quadri Ayoola, has pleaded with an Igando customary court in Lagos State to dissolve his marriage to his wife, Abimbola, over neglect.

In his testimony, Quadri claimed that his wife of three years was lazy and dirty.

“When we were courting I thought I had found the perfect woman. She would come to my house then and cook and also wash my clothes. When we got married, the story changed.

She would complain and also nag that her pregnancy did not allow her to do house chores.

“It is so bad that I hardly invite people to our apartment anymore. My wife can soak clothes for weeks. She doesn’t sweep and all the house is littered with dirty plates and clothes. My parents have complained. I have also reported her to her family members and they promised me that she would change.

“She only makes an effort once her family members complain. She can go for days without having her bath. She also doesn’t know how to take care of our children. I do most of the house chores and bathe my children,” he complained.

His wife, Abimbola, however, denied all the allegations. She claimed that her husband is just looking for another way to marry another wife.

“My husband has a high sexual appetite. We have sex more that three times almost every night. When I wake up in the morning, I am always tired.

I always manage to rest before he pounces on me again. I have complained to his family members but they insisted that it is my duty to satisfy my husband and also take care of my household.

“I am not ready to divorce my husband as I am still in love with him. I promise to change and put more effort into taking care of my children,” she said.

President of the court, Mr Adegbiyega Omilola, adjourned the matter till September 6 for continuation of trial.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

23

courtandcrime

We got married following a fake prophecy by a fake pastor —Husband

I am still interested in the marriage —Wife Stories by Ayomide OwonibiOdekanyin, Biola Azeez, with Agency reports

AN Agege customary court in Lagos, Lagos State has reconciled a couple, Mr Akinyemi Ilesanmi and his wife, Comfort, whose 10-year-old marriage was on the brink of collapse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Akinyemi, who claimed to be a prophet, had instituted a divorce suit on June 20, on the grounds that there was no love between them and an alleged threat to his life.

He also alleged that his wife was a ‘witch’.

However, the intervention of the court’s president, Mr Philip Williams, and the couple’s families helped to resolve the couple’s differences and reconcile them.

Williams subsequently, urged the couple to give peace a chance in the marriage and be law abiding.

Earlier in his testimony during hearing, the petitioner, who resides at Akute Area of Ogun State, told the court that there was no love in the marriage.

“I have not been at peace since l got married to my wife, she is so quarrelsome.

“I am a prophet of God, but since l married her, she has been disturbing my ministry.

“Whenever l am fasting, she forces me to break it due to her bad attitude. ‘My wife is a devil,’ even those in my neighbourhood call her a witch,” he alleged.

According to him, the marriage which was contracted in 2006 has not produced any child.

“We got married under two weeks of meeting each other following a fake prophet my wife introduced to me while we were courting.

“He prophesied then to me that she was my wife.

“Due to her troublesome ways, l have now developed high blood pressure.

“My lord, I want an end to this marriage because I cannot cope with my wife’s trouble anymore.

“Please, separate us, so that l can have a rest of mind,” the petitioner said.

In her response, Comfort who is the respondent, pleaded for reconciliation.

She, however, denied all the allegations levelled against her by her husband.

“I am still interested in the marriage.

“I want this court to save my marriage because I do not want to marry another husband.

“I still love him,” she told the court.

Whenever I got pregnant, my husband would disappear, wife tells court My wife is troublesome, that was why I left the house —Husband A 40-year-old petrol attendant, Seun Olaleye, has told a Lagos Island customary court that her second child became crippled due to her husband’s negligence.

Seun, a mother of three, whose husband, Gbenga Olaleye, had approached the court for the dissolution of their 16-year-old marriage told the court that her husband would abscond whenever she was pregnant.

She told the court that their marriage was blissful until she was pregnant with their first child and her husband left the house to rent another apartment.

“Whenever I got pregnant, my husband would disappear; he would leave me with no money. Most times, I was going to his parents who could do little because they were aged.

“I have three children for him, two girls and a boy, and once he knew I was pregnant, he would leave the house only to return when the child is about a year or two.

“I needed to undergo surgery to be able to give birth to our second child but my husband refused to help. Eventually, the child was forced out of my womb and it affected him because he was born crippled.

“Our boy, Matthew, is now 11 years old but he cannot do anything on his own.

“The children and I have been evicted from our rented apartment and are now squatting with a friend, while my husband stays in a three bedroom flat at Egbeda with another woman,” she said.

Seun told the court that her husband had never been there for her when she needed him and urged the court to dissolve the marriage.

She, however, pleaded with the court not to allow her husband saddle

her alone with the responsibility of taking care of their children, especially, the boy who needed special attention.

The husband, Gbenga, 43, who did not deny his wife’s allegations, told the court that his wife was troublesome and that was why he left the house.

Gbenga told the court that on several occasions, his wife had come to his place of business to abuse and embarrass him.

“My wife comes to the market where I sell to abuse me; she tells people that I have low sperm count just to disgrace me when she knows that I am the father of her children.

“I am tired of her troubles. I am no longer interested in the marriage,” he said.

President of the court, Mr Awos Awosola, said that women are precious gems that should be appreciated and not maltreated.

Awosola ordered the husband to hand over the keys to the three-bedroom flat he rented for his wife since he could not provide a befitting accommodation for his family.

“You live in a three-bedroom apartment while your wife and kids are homeless, you should be ashamed to call yourself a man,” he said.

He ordered the wife to calculate how much she had been spending as the children’s school fees and upkeep since the husband abandoned them.

“Let the court know how much you have spent and how much it takes to take care of the one with special needs to enable us to determine how much your husband would pay for compensation,” he said.

He urged the two parties to keep the peace and adjourned the case till August 15 for further hearing.

My wife always denied me sex, food after misunderstanding —Husband Despite his infidelity, I still love him —Wife A 42-year-old businesswoman and mother of three, Mrs Olubunmi Balogun, has lost her 13-year-old marriage to her husband, Abiodun Balogun, for denying him sex.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in his judgement, the president of Igando customary court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said the petitioner was adamant despite all mediations from the court and family.

“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, the court has no choice but to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife still claims she loves her husband.

“The court pronounces the marriage between Abiodun Balogun and Oluwabunmi Balogun dissolved, both parties, henceforth, ceases to be husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation,” Omilola ruled.

Earlier, the petitioner, Mr Abiodun Balogun, 51, had filed a suit seeking the dissolution of his 13-year-old marriage to Oluwabunmi for alleged sex starvation.

“Whenever we had misunderstanding, my wife would deny me sex and food and for the past six months now, she has not allowed me to make love to her,” he said.

He said that Oluwabunmi was fond of accusing him of infidelity.

“My wife was always accusing me of dating any woman she saw in my car.

“She once trailed me to a place, stopped my car, dragged out the woman inside my car and gave her the beating of her life.

“She also beat up one of our tenants whom she accused of having an illegal affair with me.

“Because of her behaviour, I ordered her to leave my house and when she refused, I packed out from the house,” he said.

Abiodun, therefore, urged the court to dissolve his marriage, saying that he was sick and tired of the marriage.

He told the court that the love he once had for Olubunmi had faded.

However, the businesswoman said that her husband was a womaniser and was always running after anything in skirt.

“He attempted to rape my teenage housekeeper when I went for a vigil.

“My 12-year-old housekeeper, half-naked, rushed to meet me in the church at about 12 midnight, and told me that my husband wanted to rape her.

“She stayed with me throughout the vigil. The following morning, I took the girl to my husband’s room to re-

peat in his presence what she told me during the vigil.

“The housekeeper said that the petitioner came into her room, snatched her wrapper and attempted to rape her but she escaped and he sent her packing after the confrontation.

“I also caught him and my friend’s younger sister coming out of a hotel,” she said.

The mother of three also alleged that Abiodun was dating a

She is rude and adulterous —Husband

No, I always take permission from him before going anywhere —Wife A 37-year-old man, Mr Kolawole Ademola, has asked an Ado-Ekiti customary court in Ekiti State to dissolve his 10-year-old marriage to his estranged wife, Olanike, on grounds of verbal insults on his person.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the petitioner a father of three, also accused his wife of not taking proper care of their children.

The petitioner also accused his wife of infidelity.

He prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and award him the custody of their first and second children.

In her own response, the respondent denied all the allegations levelled against her.

She denied ever disrespecting her husband.

Olanike also said that she usually obtained permission from her husband before travelling for training programmes.

“He was even the one that gave me money, training equipment and transport fare,” she said.

She, however, asked the court to grant her the custody of their children.

“My lord, I want you to award the custody of my children to me, so that I can take good care of them.

“I don’t want them to live with any other person,” Olanike said.

President of the court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, adjourned the case till September 6 for judgement.

She chases away my clients claiming I’m having affars with them —Husband I only chased away one woman who often stayed too long with him —Wife

AN Igando customary court in Lagos State has intervened and saved a 13-year-old marriage between a cleric, Saliu Oshioyemi and his wife, Esther, over alleged attempt by the wife to kill herself.

President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, successfully resolved the differences between the estranged couple after several adjournments and interventions.

Omilola, while striking out the case, admonished the couple to keep the peace and continue to live in peace and harmony.

“Since the court was able to reconcile the couple through through counselling, I urge both of you to go home and live in peace and love.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the petitioner, Oshioyemi, 55, had approached the court to seek an end to his 13-year-old marriage for alleged attempt by his wife to kill herself.

He forgot us the moment he travelled abroad, wife tells court I received numerous reports of her promiscuity —Husband A trader, Mrs. Omolara Deinde, has dragged her husband before an Agege customary court in Lagos State over irreconcilable differences and family interference.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that according to the complainant, she got married to her husband, Segun over fifteen years ago.

“We married at a very young age and my husband was full of dreams and hopes for the future.

“I was happy to marry him then, even though he had nothing. After the birth of our first child, my husband started misbehaving. All he started talking about was how to travel out of the country. Eventually he travelled and abandoned me and my three children. I had to engage in all sorts of odd jobs to survive. He didn’t bother to call and his family members did not care whether me or my children survived or died. It was my parents that stood by by me and ensure that all our needs were taken care of,” she said.

She further told the court that when her husband eventually returned from America, he did not bother to contact her or make any efforts to see his children.

“When I heard that he had come back, I went to look for him. His mother chased me out of their family house claiming that I was the one that prayed that her son should be deported. My husband sat there and didn’t utter a word while his family members rained insults on me.

“All my husband had to say was that while he was away

single mother parent in their street.

She told the court that her husband packed out of the house the same day the other woman packed out of hers.

“My husband packed out of the house he built to an unknown destination, abandoning me and our children.

“He moved out with a lady he was dating in our street to rent an apartment elsewhere.

“Despite his infidelity, I still love him,” she said.

he heard that I had become promiscuous and that I had children for other men.”

She begged the court to end the marriage adding that she was no longer interested and that she wanted custody of her three children.

“I want this court to end this marriage as I have not benefitted anything from it. I want custody of my children as my husband does not care in anyway about them. He is even denying that he fathered them, despite the fact that they are all splitting images of him,” she said.

The defendant, Segun, however said that he too was also in support of the dissolution of the marriage as his wife had tarnished his image.

“Everything that she has said here today is a lie. I travelled out of this country on her insistence. I was not deported but came back voluntarily having gotten my papers. I also did not deny that my children are not mine. I asked to end the marriage first because I received numerous reports of her promiscuity. I also want the custody of my children because she has negatively influenced them. “ She opened a beer parlour and my eldest daughter works as a bar maid there. She has numerous boyfriends who call her at every odd hour. I intend to take my children and she is just fighting dirty because I don’t intend to take her along.”

President of the court cautioned them to keep the peace and also asked them to bring two members of their family for possible mediation.

“My wife is always threatening to kill herself whenever I do not have money to give her.

“There was a day she called her son and was telling him that she wanted to die, urging him to take care of himself.

“I rushed out and saw that she was about to drink insecticide.

I later gave her the money she requested for because I do not just want to be tagged a murderer,” Oshioyemi said.

Oshioyemi told the court that his wife, Esther, was always in debt.

“She used to secure loans for her business and always asked me to pay. She once brought a bank manager to me so that l could sign a loan document.

“She also went to LAPO Microfinance Bank for a loan without my consent. I was the one that paid the money.

“Of late, she went to my landlord to borrow N27,000, claiming that I was the one who sent her because I was in distress.

“My landlord later asked me for the money after some months and I told him I did not know anything about it.”

He said that his wife used to accuse him of having love affairs with his female clients.

“I am a cleric and these women come for spiritual help but my wife chased them away, claiming that I was having affairs with them.

“I do not have money again because they stopped patronising me,” Oshioyemi said.

He said Esther was troublesome and each time they had misunderstanding, she would hit him first, and tear his clothes.

He added:”I do not have peace again and that led to my present health condition. I am currently having high blood pressure.

“I left the house to lodge in a hotel when my doctor advised me to rest and keep away from her troubles.”

Oshioyemi urged the court to end the marriage because he was no longer interested.

Esther admitted that she used to borrow money, but she only asked her husband to pay whenever she could not pay back.

“Whenever I cannot pay back the loan I obtained, I used to beg my husband to pay on my behalf.”

“I only queried him on a particular client who comes regularly and stays with my husband from morning till night.”

Esther, however, denied attempting to take her life, fight or tear her husband’s clothes.

She urged the court not to grant her husband’s request for the dissolution of the marriage, saying “I am still in love with him.”

19

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Weekend Lagos Editor Lanre Adewole m: 0811 695 4637

e: olanreade@yahoo.com

Lagos Wonder:

How mothers rent babies out for N800 T per day Begging isn’t a new business concern but Lagosians are getting smarter with the age-long commerce. NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA, NAZA OKOLI, AYOMIDE OWONIBI-ODEKANYIN and OPEYEMI OWOASEYE probe into the new art, its trade secrets and legality.

here is a Yoruba wisecrack about bush rat sucking the breasts of its babies when it is grown and unable to fend for itself again.

The saying also holds true for Africans who believe that children must grow to take over the welfare of their parents, after the latter must have spent their energetic age to support the growth physically, professionally and in all other areas, of the former.

The Holy Books also admonish it. Babies must grow to care for their parents for all their efforts.

Another Yoruba wisecrack puts the interchangeable responsibilities as “gba fun Gbada nile, ni gba fun Gbada loko” which translates into (life is give and take).

Lagos nightclubs where recession is shamed and drinks sell for N350,000 per bottle

Nothing should therefore be wrong, including legally, in whatever form with babies helping their parents to make ends meet.

Even the mode of assistance considered illegally; youngsters who help their parents to hawk items to help family finances, has gradually become an acceptable societal norm, especially in the face of crushing economic situations all over the continent, including Nigeria.

Lagos is a mini-Nigeria and whatever is missing in the fabled City of Commerce is possibly not existing elsewhere. Every available means of parent-support by children is expected to be in abundance in the state. But what isn’t elsewhere is now also in abun-

dance there. From acceptable and somewhat illegal child-help, some Lagos parents, particularly mothers, are now stepping into the real realm of criminality to have their children, no, babies, support them financial, even when yet out of diapers and the mothers, still with strength to eke a decent living themselves!

Child begging is a common sight on the streets of Lagos. But the new trend is more like child-support begging, when mothers rent out their babies, including weekolds, atimes, to total strangers, for a day of street begging and for a ridiculous fee of as low as N800 and as high as N1,500!

Continues on pg21

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Weekend Lagos want. The areas where a lot of capital is needed include the interior design and architecture, quality sound systems, well-trained staff and good disc jockeys.

Quilox nightclub is reportedly valued at N1 billion, explaining what it costs to own a nightclub of such standard, while smaller nightclubs in other locations in Lagos, it can start with as low as N3 million.

Running a nightclub is a high-risk and short lifespan business. What is trendy, hip and hot today may be gone in two years and that is why such hangouts as Movida, Club Tower, 11:45, K’s Place, Do It All, Rehab, Nu Grotto and Koko Lounge that once ruled the Lagos nightlife are no more standing.

Lagos nightclubs where recession is shamed and drinks sell for N350,000 per bottle Lagosians give living full expression when camped on the sunny side of life. TUNDE AYANDA reports on the big spending night-lifers of Nigeia’s land of Aquatic spendour.

L

agos does not lag when it comes to grandiose shows. The slogan “Eko for Show” summarises the city’s status as a social hub. While the word outside is ‘crunch,’ brought about by the current economic recession, in Lagos nightclubs, you cannot help but wonder if, indeed, the economic situation really exists in this part of the country. From Ikeja to Oshodi, Maryland, Bariga, Ikorodu, Ketu, Ajegunle, Okota, Apapa, Ikotun, Lekki, Ikorodu, Berger, Abule-Egba, Okota, Festac, Magodo and Ajah, Lagos breathes the nightlife freshness and lives up to its status as a cosmopolitan city where things happen that shape the lifestyle and internal revenue the state generates.

Where to be Lagos has an endless list of nightclubs, lounges, bars and parlours which occupy the Island and Mainland parts of the city.

The Island, comprising areas like Ikoyi, Lekki, Ajah, Banana Island and VGC, is the part of the city mostly inhabited by the rich and sophisticated. The Mainland, which has Ikeja, which is the central part

Saturday Tribune

of Lagos and other areas, is equally home to men and women of means.

De Marquee, D’Place By Papas, Soul Lounge, Cuba Libre Lounge, Escape Nightclub, Quilox, Hacienda, Level 7, Rumours, Crescendo, Swe Bar, Rhapsody and Road-Runner are popular names when it comes to nightclubs in Lagos. They have different weekly activities that attract patrons in their thousands.

What’s in a name?

The name and reputation of a nightclub owner play a big role in the operation and success of their hangout.

Frank Okamigbo is the manager of D’Place By Papas in Lekki. The man about town hints: “Personality attracts sales. You can’t be a club owner or manager when you don’t have your people. You don’t rest on the beauty or location of your club; what you need is solid contacts of spenders who can be your old friends, classmates or colleagues. What makes a club successful is the calibre of patrons you have and the kind of service you provide that can bring them back anytime.”

Balling with a bottle of Ace sold for N150,000 Quilox, on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, owned by socialite, Shina Peller, is regarded as the biggest nightclub in Africa in terms of patronage and revenue. It is the only nightclub where you get to see, for real, people you could only see on the television or read about in newspapers or magazines. Quilox is said to be the favourite hangout of a state governor. He is said to breeze in occasionally to relax after a hard day’s work.

Is there really a hard time?

The typical atmosphere in the nightclubs is such that renders the hard time currently being experienced in the country an exaggerated claim. There is hardly any sign of economic recession when the Lagos nightclubs open. Although some club managers admit that the fun is not the

A standard bottle of Moet & Chandon in a choice nightclub in Lagos starts from N50,000 naira and a bottle of Cristal goes for as much as N350,000, depending on the club’s location and sophistication.

same with some of their patrons either having issues with the government or out of the country, business is still as usual as night-lifers, especially those with deep pockets, remain faithful to their favourite hangouts.

A disputed research in 2015 placed Nigeria in the second position as the world’s biggest champagne consumer after France. If truly the country comes second as far as champagne guzzling around the world is concerned, then Lagos nightclubs must account for 65 percent of the estimated consumption rate of choice drinks, which has been put at N1 billion per year.

While anyone can afford a decent bottle of beer at a regular parlour or bar, most nightclubs in Lagos target a much richer and luxurious market. Drinks in these nightclubs sell 10 times higher than their regular prices.

In the upmarket part of Lagos, nightclubs make a killing from wine and champagne brands like Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon, Cristal and Veuve Clicquot. Prices at nightclubs vary widely. A standard bottle of Moet & Chandon in a choice nightclub in Lagos starts from N50,000 and a bottle of Cristal goes for as much as N350,000, depending on the club’s location and sophistication.

A visit to Quilox nightclub on Victoria Island revealed that the price of a bottle of Cristal goes for N200,000, Dom Perignon, N150,000, Gold Label, N100,000, Moet Rose, N80,000 and Ciroc, 75,000. At the Cubes Lounge, Ogudu, GRA, Lagos, Ciroc sells for N25,000, Moet Rose, 30,000, Gold Label, N40,000, Ace of Spades, N120,000, Dom Perignon, N80,000 and Cristal, N110,000.

And what do clubbers do with these drinks? The big boys among them buy, open and wash their hands and feet with the stuff.

They call it balling!

Cost of running a nightclub While nightclubs can fetch an entrepreneur a lot of money within a short time, it requires a lot of money to start. A lot of investment is required to get a prime location in a part of Lagos that attracts the kind of customers you

Club operations and activities December and January are the special months that club-owners and managers plan towards.

It is the peak season for all the hangouts. They plan ahead of the festive period when revellers inside and outside the country come together to share in the celebration.

Most Lagos hangouts understand the reason to upgrade during this time to meet the standard of their patrons and this has to cover the area of security and public relations. To others that operate strip joints, this is the time to recruit new, young girls into the mix. The cheapest wage of a stripper in a Lagos strip joint is $1000, depending on her nationality, as many Lagos nightclubs favour foreigners who are expert stripteasers with the understanding that they attract more patrons.

Security Nightclub operators who know the ingredients of the business do not overemphasise the importance of security and that is the reason most

hangouts have top police officers, NDLEA officers, other security personnel and even the media on their “complimentary list.”

These sets of people usually enjoy discount in prices of drinks and mostly get free membership of nightclubs based on the obvious understanding of making the clubs safe havens for patrons.

Hangouts that fall short of this practice come under frequent raids by security agencies, which is an unusual situation that threatens the image of a nightclub.

The work of security agents in nightclubs is not limited to providing security; some nightclubs rely on policemen to sort debts that are occasionally incurred by their VIP patrons.

Different strokes for different folks While Lagos nightclubs are a source of blessing to owners and others that profit from the business, some residents see the business as an opposite of what life should be.

For Yejide, a banker and resident of Oke-Ira, Ogba, whose house is close to a nightclub, she hardly sleeps every Friday. The mother of three says that she struggles with the noise from the speakers of the nightclub. She is begging the government to extend the noise pollution law to nightclubs which, she claims, have the option of making their buildings soundproof.

Godwin Anyanwu, who lives in Magodo, Lagos expresses displeasure with building of nightclubs in residential areas. Anyanwu reasons that nightclubs harbour people whose activities make residents uncomfortable.

A lawyer, Femi Awe, doesn’t see the matter from Anyanwu and Yejide’s points of view. He says a nightclub is the only place for him to relax after a hard day’s work, the best place for him to get introduced to important people who eventually become his clients.

How mothers rent babies out for N800 per day Continued from pg19

The Twin Price It is said that when a woman gives birth to twins or triplets, she has brought immense blessing on society. The blessing, it is said, becomes even more copious and far-reaching with the increase in the number of babies. This is why women with twins are looked upon with adoration and kindness. There are, in fact, towns in Lagos where using babies for begging is accepted as a part of a grand culture. Badagry, Epe and Ikorodu are some of the places where women with twin babies are seen dancing around the market premises asking for money.

A woman beggar, who spoke to Saturday Tribune simply identified as Iya Ibeji, said that begging has become a part of her now, though she did not like it at the beginning.

A mother of two sets of twins, she said her foray into the business started after she gave birth to her first set of twins. The woman who hails from Osun State narrated how she carries her twin children around Ikorodu market dancing and singing, while her husband plays the drum.

She said, “It is normal in my family that when anyone gives birth to a set of twins, the woman would have to carry the children to a market place and begin to dance around.The arrest of some members of the syndicate recently by agents of government in the state got Saturday Tribune digging into what turned out to be a huge illegal business of new form of trafficking in which heartless mothers who hire the hapless babies make about N300,000 monthly!

At Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, opposite the BRT Bus Terminal, on the concrete slabs that separate the road from the drainage is a large number of women sitting, several children clustering around them. As vehicles move slowly in the traffic, the children wave at them, and call out for help.

This is not an unusual sight in Lagos, particularly under major bridges.

Most pedestrian bridges in the state, it would seem, have ‘designated’ beggars on and under them. The male beggars (mostly those with disabilities) would sweep and keep the walkways clean in hopes that sympathisers would double their offerings in appreciation of their efforts. In spite of their hard work, however, findings reveal that they do not make as much money as their female counterparts, especially those with children.

Female beggars with children are the most patronised. Sometimes, they lay the babies, mostly twins or triplets, on mats and fan them while they sleep. Other times, they are seen making a show of feeding them. While passers-by make their way up and down the stairs of these bridges, they are often serenaded with loud, “God bless you!” “God bless you”. It is as if God’s blessing is for sale. But most times it works as the black polythene bags that lie in-between these children are never empty.

If you are one with overflowing milk of kindness and always eager to give, don’t at least be taken in by the mother-child begging bond! That hapless child lying helplessly on the mat with flies feeding fat on the mucus cascading from his or her nostrils to the mouth, is out to support a family, even as early in life as eight months old!

At Ojodu Central Market, at the Berger area of Lagos, during the week, an incident further led Saturday Tribune to seeing the evil of this trade. A young girl, who was about four years old, was seen beside the main road, with a small baby strapped to her back. Undeterred by the heavy traffic, she accosted people on their way to work, crying bitterly that she wanted something to eat.

The little girl soon began to cry very loudly, with mucus running down her nose. The baby strapped to her back was asleep. When she was asked where her parents were, she pointed to the back of a shop.

Some angry women followed her there and found her mother taking a nap on a mat she had spread on the floor. She explained that she was tired, and that people gave the child more money because she was young.

She was severely warned to stop the practice, but sadly a few days later, the young girl was back on the street.

Could the four-year-old baby-mother and the weeks-old baby truly be her children and she would expose them to such grave danger of being run over by motorists?

A stakeholder was of the opinion that unless government agencies engage in sweeping arrests of such mother-beggars and compel them to show evidence of their parenthood of the children being exposed to danger, the success of the ongoing campaign against child abuse would be insignificant.

Continues on pg22

21

Eko Akete

Ministry of Lands: You and C of O

It is a cliche that life is a different stroke for different folks. Opinions on government performance at different levels are also on the same pedestal, especially when politics is involved. But there is a near unanimity that the current leadership in Lagos is pulling in the right direction, even if there are complaints here and there.

Such complaints and praises are always the loudest at certain public places. One of such fertile places is the news-stand, especially early in the morning, where in most cases, those tagged free readers gather to discuss passionately about the activities as they touch or shape human lives, based on what the major newspapers have as their major headlines for the day.

You begin to wonder if some people one often sights there are being paid monthly salary to be on standby for long hours to defend their positions whether for or against the government.

You need to listen to them as they argue vigorously and rabidly to the extent of wanting to exchange blows with one another as the argument gets tougher and no one is prepared to yield to the other.

However, you begin to notice less crowd or virtually no crowd around the vendors around noon. So it was around this time during the week that a regular reader, one would suspect, was returning from a government department, but was thoroughly disappointed and fagged out having failed to realise his dream for the day.

As he moved closer to the news-stand and started having a glance at some of the major headlines in the dailies, one could hear him talk aloud, and obviously, it so clearly appeared his mind was not focused on the array of newspapers before him but on something else.

And when the grumbling was becoming too loud and disturbing and was asked what was the problem, he finally let the cat out of the bag, saying his problem had to do with failure to obtain a C of O for a landed property in Apapa since October 2015, in spite of repeated calls and visits to the government agency involved.

According to him, the approval and granting of C of O ordinarily should take six months and now, in this current clime, it has not only taken beyond that, but getting close to 10 months and he was not even certain when the papers would be ready.

He could not even ascertain what the problem was, but his reaction was sour, to suggestion that the delay could have been as a result of the fact that the government was trying to do things right by verifying thoroughly the document before granting final approval, unlike what used to obtain in recent past.

That suggestion even brought more anger in him as he thundered, “What are they doing, what is that new thing that they are doing? Is it not through selling of land and granting of C of O on landed property that Lagos government makes a lot of its IGR?” “Does Ministry of Land have any other business that generates money for it than selling of land and issuing C of O to people? What does it take it to approve C of O for just two plots of land?” he further queried as he left the news-stand in annoyance and crossed the road carelessly to the other side.

But here is another case. If the complainant is complaining of not obtaining his C of O in six months as was the past practice and has been on it for the past 10 months, another applicant, who simply identified himself as Tunde, said he is now a proud owner of his C of O for his landed property, having commenced its processing last February. He got his last Monday. Truly, it is different strokes for different people, especially those who know the “way”.

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6 August, 2016

How mothers rent babies out for N800 per day

Continued from pg21

“In my own case, I did not like it initially, but I have to do it. When I carry the children around, my husband will be with the local drum (agbamole); sometimes he would go out with the talking drum. As I sing, the children dance while my husband is on the drum, and that is how we make our money. I have been doing this job for more than seven years. I have customers who give me money very well. In fact, they tell me that they want to hear me sing. I enjoy the job.”

She believes that her numerous customers seek her out daily because of the blessings attached to giving money to twin babies. Asked if she knew the legal weight of her action, Iya Ibeji, who communicated only in Yoruba, shrugged listlessly and moved on with her children.

The demand of this questionable tradition has become a crime avenue for some unscrupulous mothers as discovered by Saturday Tribune. Fake Iya Ibeji are now even more than the original as twins are allegedly rented out to beggar-mothers who engage in the usual e ta ibeji lore (bless the twins) dance in market places to make money that would be shared among her, the real Iya Ibeji and their go-betweens who are said to be mostly older women.

The fraud is reportedly taken to a level of two different babies from two different mothers but of almost the same age, being hired at a go, to create the twins impression in order to make more money than having just a child for the begging trade.

Renting Babies The use of infants and teens for begging has remained an aspect less considered as heinous. This is perhaps because of the immense sympathy it draws from, and the blessings it is believed to attract to the givers. The multiplicity of women beggars with babies in most towns in Lagos speaks volume of the general acceptance of this menace. However, recent findings have revealed that most of these women use rented babies to seek financial help from unsuspecting passers-by.

The case of Hadiza Umar, a 30-year-old woman arrested during the week with a set of twins she supposedly rented from her sister, Amina, for begging is an eyeopener. Hadiza, who hails from Niger State, was apprehended a week after the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development nabbed two other women later identified as Hadiza Nosiru and Salamotu Salisu. The women from Jigawa State were found begging at Oyingbo area of Lagos with three children they rented from two different mothers.

The ministry, on a rescue operation to evacuate tramps and beggars off the street, told Saturday Tribune that it was not until these women were taken to the Rehabilitation and Training Centre at Majidun, Ikorodu for shelter that it was discovered that the babies weren’t theirs.

Hadiza Umar, who spoke only Hausa, said, through an interpreter, that she was merely three weeks in the business before the law caught up with her. She, how-

ever, revealed that she agreed with the mother of the twins she called Husain and Husena, to remit between N800 and N1000 daily on each child. Hadiza confirmed that she made more than the remittance daily. Her daily income, she said, ranged between N8,000 and N10,000 daily. This is an approximate sum of N300, 000 per month and N3.5 million per annum, while the biological mother received about N30, 000 every month on each child and roughly N360,000 per year – merely 10% of the impersonator’s income.

The twins, whose father is a farmer in Kano State, will be a year old next month. Though Hadiza could not answer many questions put to her due to the language barrier, she disclosed that she operated under the Costain Bridge and lived in Otto, Oyingbo area of Lagos.

Meanwhile, Hadiza Nosiru and Salamotu Salisu, who were arrested earlier in the week with three rented babies also confessed to paying one of the biological mothers later identified as Tawa Aregbesola the sum of N1500 daily for her child.

Mrs. Aregbesola, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, told Saturday Tribune that she had an agreement with one of the impersonating mothers to use her baby for begging between 5pm-7pm daily on the condition that between N1000 and N1500 would be given to her in return.

Aregbesola, a mother of four, stated that she needed the money to pay the bills she incurred after giving birth to the baby, seeing that

she lost her husband not too long ago. She also claimed she did not know her baby was used for begging.

Child Rights Reacting to the menace, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, urged Lagos residents to “stop patronising” street beggars.

“Henceforth we will allow the law to take its full course on anyone caught begging or using children for that purpose. The fact that you have any disability does not make you a beggar potential. The Lagos State government has provided a lot of avenues where people living with disabilities are being catered for. And we have new plans to improve upon what has been done.

We are saying instead let anyone living with disability come to the agency so that we can assist them.

“The Child Rights Law (Section 168) does not permit using any child to beg or as ancillary for begging. Government will no longer tolerate residents who beg for alms. It is rather unfortunate that as we try to evacuate these beggars from the street into social facilities the more they relocate from other states down to Lagos.

“The use of small children for alms seeking should be highly discouraged. What future do we pave for the children when they begin their lives as beggars or learn that they were used as props to seek alms?”

Child trafficking To what extent can this practice be likened to human trafficking?

The Head of Press and Public Relations, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Abuja, Mr Josiah Emerole said NAPTIP would not be able to “situate” the case until it is referred to the agency.

“It is unfortunate,” he said. “The issue of trafficking has to do with deceit, exploitation of the vulnerability of persons. If they use these children for begging it means that they are exploiting these children.

There are basic reasons why people are trafficked or there are basic ways people are exploited in trafficking: some use them for labour, some for prostitution, some for begging, for organ transplant and harvesting, etc. if the authorities will refer the case to NAPTIP, it will help us to investigate the case properly, to help know who owns the children and how these children were taken from their bio-

A Reporter’s Diary

Saturday Tribune

logical parents. Right now, it is only when we have access to the culprits that we can adequately situate where the case belongs.

“Lagos has a properly defined Child Act Law, which also deals with this kind of situation. Lagos State can conveniently deal with this matter. However, if we have these persons in custody we will be able to investigate properly.”

War against giving?

Lagos has always been associated with greed, impatience and meanness. But it is also true that there has always been an abundance of kindness in the city. Kindness is the reason why begging has continued to thrive. Perhaps there is need to change all that?

“We are asking for attitudinal change,” said Akinbile-Yussuf. “We are used to giving N10, N20, N50 to these beggars. Now, we are calling on people to change their attitude of giving because street beggars are not the only ones that need your token. Beggars don’t need this money.

There are people in our society that really need this money.

“We are not against anybody giving offering. We are saying that they should channel it through the right purse. We have social welfare homes, NGOs and the needy around us. We need to identify these places. We have different orphanages in Lagos State. And we are going to make these homes available to the public. We believe that we need to give to the underprivileged but the street beggars are not underprivileged. Some of them are richer than most of us.”

But Lagos residents are also deeply religious. The Reverend Bayo Awala of the Chapel of Christ Our Light, University of Lagos, said help should be given to those who “genuinely” need it.

“The Bible says you should give to the underprivileged,” he said.

“Christians should fulfil their roles in giving to those who genuinely need help and leave the rest to God. God knows how to reward people according to their deeds. Perhaps, what is happening now is God’s way of exposing those who have abused this provision.”

For Sheik Shaykh Ismail Busayry, an Islamic scholar, begging has no place in Islam, and so should be discouraged.

“Begging is a social menace. You don’t need to give a fish to a hungry man; you should teach him how to fish. Islam discourages begging but encourages empowerment. So from the Islamic perspective, begging is wrong.”

When not to emulate the veteran Naza Okoli Some events are “high-profile”... like this media briefing with the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, in her spacious conference room, with many other government officials in attendance.

One of the journalists who sat in the front row was a vibrant, short man. He was actually well known among the rest of the reporters. He had often boasted that he began his career as a journalist long before many of them were born. A bit exaggerated, no doubt, but yes, he’s been around for a long time.

Now, let’s describe his dressing. The trousers: blue, wobbly and oversized. The colour of the

shirt could not easily be determined; perhaps it was the light in the room or the flash from the cameras; whatever the case, the colour seemed to oscillate between yellow, brown, and white (on the one hand), and white, grey and green (on the other hand). Like the trousers, the shirt was extremely large. His tie was pink, loose and unclipped. His shoes would have been black, if they were polished.

When he rose to ask a question, he spoke for such a long time that the moderator had to politely ask him to allow other people to ask their own questions.

Outside the auditorium, he was prancing around, greeting everyone, and shaking hands.

It was past 4 pm already, and a long way home.

But it would be a sin not to say “Hello” to the jolly fellow.

It was a firm handshake and a wide smile. His long tie danced around his neck under the late afternoon wind.

“Ahaa, my young man,” he said, stepping away from the crowd. “You know I’m like a father or an elder brother to you?”

He paused, as if to allow that to sink, and then continued: “You’re wearing jeans and canvas.

They are fine clothes. But don’t you think you should have worn something more official, like my own?”

It is difficult to recall now who first laughed. It was as if it was a huge joke. The laughter continued for a very long time.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Toluwani Olamitoke 08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

H

OW long have you held your post?

Two years and a few weeks.

I assumed office precisely on July 1, 2014.

From your experience, what does it take a woman to be successful in her carrier?

The Bible tells us of a number of things that lead to success: commitment to God, hard work, humility, obedience to God, etc.

When you have a worthwhile relationship with God through Christ and love Him, He guides you on what to do. There should also be a sense of commitment to work.

Some people have the potential but lack good character. Hard work is essential as one must never attempt to cut corners.

The Book of Proverbs chapter 6 verse 6 instructs that we should learn from the ant.

If you study these insects you will realise that they are organised. Organisation and hard work are important tools for success.

So also is humility. To rise in your career, you have to be humble, willing to learn and take correction. You have to be enthusiastic about what you are doing. You bring out your best in this state and influence others positively.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Ogbomoso, but my parents are from Fiditi. I lived in the United States from four years old till I turned nine.

Can you compare parenting while you were growing up with what holds today?

In the past parents disciplined their children more, but now a number of parents don’t really have time for their children.

Parenting is now done in a laissez faire manner by many. While it’s true that we often have tight schedules, I believe we can always find a way round it. I don’t take that which relates to my family with levity because I owe it to them and God. There’s still the remnant, both Christians and Muslims who are committed to bringing up their children in the right way. I remember when we were young, mum would prepare us hot amala and ensure we took it even when we requested for something else. She was particular that we ate a balanced diet. Now we have a lot of ‘fast food parents’ who raise obese children. In the past, parents kept sealed lips on sex education and shut the child up if he or she asked questions in that regard in the past but now more parents enlighten our children on it. Another problem is that of alienation. Many children these days don’t know their culture. They cannot speak or communicate, read or greet properly in their local languages. Some parents are proud of it but I am not. Our culture is our root. In my family, we hold our morning devotion in Yoruba Language and evening devotion in English Language.

Dr (Mrs) Olusola AyoObiremi is a reverend and the Director of Christian Education, Nigerian Baptist Convention. She speaks on her job, the challenges and family life in this interview

by TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE.

‘If you marry just to bear ‘MRS’, your ’ l i a f y a m e g marria

same and articulate that expectation. Some women are angry when their husbands forget their birthdates or some other occasions. Rather than being angry, communicate the details and give reminders. There’s a problem when communication becomes a nag. There’s the need to be more explicit in our communication. If there’s a change in plan communicate it - call your spouse or send him a text message. Don’t jump to conclusions, communicate. Communication should be made plain, open and without any bitterness. Also, communication is misunderstood when there’s lack of trust.

Keep trust by being open and transparent.

From your experience, what time is best for couples to discuss issues?

I will say it depends on the couple.

Likewise, it depends on the issue. It can be private or open. We do different jobs and so time commitments differ. A couple should study each other and come up with their own best time and not be rigid. My husband does something I admire. Because he knows I’m always very busy, whenever he wants to discuss something urgent with me while at work, he calls and asks if the time he’s calling is okay to discuss. I always appreciate it.

In choosing your marriage partner, what were your considerations?

God’s will and the person who will continue to grow in Him and help me also to continue to grow in Christ.

How do you ensure your official activities don’t clash with your responsibilities at home?

If there is going to be a clash I will sit down and ask ‘what’s my priority?’ When family programmes clash with my official duties, I consider my involvement in the programme and prioritise. If I need to be there, I put in extra hours to meet the target on my job. My husband is also involved in the ministry and he is very understanding. Our children are also very understanding and cooperative.

How can a couple guide against communication gap in their relationship?

You prayerfully let the other know when he or she has gone wrong. You don’t pass the message across when you are angry. If you want your spouse to do something, do

Some women marry just to bear the title ‘MRS’, what do you have to say to this?

It’s a wrong motive for getting married and that is why many marriages hit the rocks early. You marry because you want to bless someone’s life, for companionship, mutual

affection, chastity and care and not only for what you can get. Marriage is give and take. It’s important to marry in order to be together to fulfil God’s purpose. Marrying just for love is not enough because people fall in and out of love. You should marry for godly reasons and marry a companion you can pour your life into and vice versa.

What do the activities of your department entail and in what ways have they impacted lives, especially the youth?

We have five divisions. We have the Discipleship Training Ministry; Sunday School, Literacy, Stewardship and Family Life Education divisions. We write, edit, train, equip, teach, empower and mobilise. We produce books annually under the divisions which are a blessing to the different target groups, impacting them to be faithful Christians and patriotic citizens. The books are produced in Yoruba and English languages, and some in Hausa language. Discipleship Training helps youth to be more tolerant, patient and offers the right standard for living and measuring their personal lives. Family Life Education Division covers the whole family. Here, we counsel couples, about-to-weds, parents and even pregnant women - on godly things to expose their babies to when in the womb and after delivery. We have programmes for children and teenagers and these include Sunday worship, Sunday School lessons and Holiday Bible school programmes which are Bible-based, Christ-centred and life-applied.

The lessons invariably influence their choice making. We also reach all members of the family through Family Life magazine.

Activities under Literacy Division include learning reading and writing skills for a mixture of different ages. We believe people are illiterate in whatever they don’t know; so we organise special programmes annu-

ally, referred to as Literacy Mission week.

This year’s emphasis is on information and communication technology and fishery.

Stewardship Education teaches children, youths and adults that all we have is given

by God and He expects us to be useful and prudent in their use. It further teaches Christians to be good stewards of their time, relationships, talents, environment and activities among others. Every age has a Sunday School class where lessons are taught.

The different age groups meet on Sunday to discuss. We have a devotional book and a Sunday School book which doubles as a teacher’s guide and workbook. The key thing is bringing the Bible to everyone. We have writers from all over the country. We edit and pass on what we have done to the Publications Department for more editing and publishing.

What are the challenges of your job?

The main challenge is coping to meet deadlines for publications. We work annually with a deadline and we are expected to meet up. We give writers what to write while we edit content. We sometimes rewrite while professional editors do the grammatical editing before we go to the press. The fact remains that when you are happy with your job, you develop an inner strength to cope with the challenges and keep going.

What does relaxation mean to you?

Taking a break from everyday hustle and bustle. A time to have a change of activity, renew and pick up more vigour. When relaxing, I can watch Christian films, read Christian books, listen to Christian music, take a walk, visit friends or go through my WhatsApp messages. I sometimes bake, have dinner with friends either in their homes or mine or stay alone with my family.

25

6 August, 2016

ntertainment News

Society Gist

Saturday Tribune with Joan Omionawele and

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

Celebrity Interviews

r, e k a m e o h s a I was once aba speaks labourer, Alib

mi, e F i, n e Y , n o s r a e y 19 Seun celebrate Fela

s n r u t e r a l o t o Om s r a e y 4 r e t f a

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klieglight

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘Tinsel’ brought me into Nollywood’

I

Continues from pg2

Entrance into Nollywood N 2006, I first acted in a movie called ‘Choices’.

The movie was produced by the drama group of my church. I was in the choir, but they got me to act the lead. I don’t know how they got that impression that I could. The movie was directed by Don Pedro Obasi. It was contracted so it was a standard movie. It had myself, Desmond Elliot and a couple of budding actors in my church.

It was a good experience. It was my first time in front of the camera and I am very grateful that I had that experience.

People say I’m have a dramatic personality, that even when I am not talking that I give an expressive face; maybe that was why I got casted.

However, Don Pedro was so gracious with words. He kept saying, “Femi, you got this thing going for you”. So, I did that ‘thing’ well. Again, in 2008 my church decided to branch into TV series as well. They produced a TV series called Tango, shown on Kingdom Africa TV. I was also part of it. It was when we were on that that the director, Solomon Macaulay, said to me, “I think you should give acting a lot of attention.” So he wanted me to go to ‘Tinsel’ audition. I was like, “Leave me alone. I am too busy”.

Eventually I managed to go. After the audition I was picked.And that was how I started on Tinsel from 2009 to 2014. I left officially in 2015. It was when I was on that series that the producer and directors of ‘The Meeting’ saw me and invited me to come for auditioning. So my feature in Tinsel brought about auditioning for ‘The Meeting’ and Nollywood.

The choir and music I have been singing since I was a kid. I, however, started in my home church Rhema Chapel. Getting into my choir was quite dramatic. It started one day that we came for singles special at Fountain of Life Church and Pastor Bimbo asked for people who could sing. I raised up my hand and they asked us to come the following day for interview. Back

then, I was running a laundry business and I had deliveries to make so I didn’t make the rehearsal early. When I got there later, they had already finished. A chap called James Bunor, whom I knew from my former church, said we could see Pastor Bimbo at her office. So we went upstairs.

When we eventually saw her, she asked me to sing for her.

I sang. She said to sing another song and I did. She then got up and took me to Pastor Taiwo’s office. When we got there, she said, ‘darling, you need to hear this guy sing’ and there were some people there and I began to sing.

When I’d finished singing, Pastor Taiwo said, ‘He sounds good’ and she said ‘good ke? He is very good’ and so she took me downstairs, called the musicians back and they rehearsed with me. After the rehearsal, I sang at that single’s special on Saturday and after I finished she said I should come and sing the same song on Monday for the singles fellowship.

Body of work I have a new single called ‘Orunsi ‘(Heaven Is Opened).

It’s already out. I have doing music in the sideline, but in terms of releasing digital commercial work, I’m just going back to it. The last time, I released a song was in 2004. In 2010, I did a number of songs but did not release them because the musical atmosphere at that time needed a lot of time and attention. Nollywood was also calling at that time. So it was not something I could give a lot of time to, but now I think am in a stage in Nollywood where I can decide when I want to go on set or not. That is why I want to release my work.

Career decision I think I have been lucky in so many ways, the chief of it is the fact that I ended growing up alone. Although my parents are alive, I left them when I was eight years old and I lived with my uncle. My uncle tried his best to put me through school, but he had his hands full. He had four other kids. It turned out that I was left alone. That gave me something to think about. Since I didn’t have anybody to drive a course into my head, I had the freedom to choose.

My dad’s role in my success WINNER of the first edition of The Voice Nigeria, Arese Emokpae beemed with smiles as she was unveiled as the winner of Mnet’s reality TV show, the voice, Nigeria last weekend, as she was presented with an SUV valued at seven million naira by Africa Magic, as well as a four-day trip to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to Saturday Tribune on her success, she revealed that her father was supportive of her career. She said “I remember saying to myself ‘this is not the end of me being on stage. I thought my dad would be against it and since he wanted me to graduate from school and get a job, but he told me to go for it and that was the moment that I started and then I have been pushing ever since then”.

Also pointing out her greatest challenge on stage, Arese admitted that it was the ability to gain confidence. According to her, “My biggest challenge was confidence, because I'm a very quiet and shy person, I don't really do well, being the centre of attention, while I was doing 'Saro the musical' we sometimes had weeks or months to prepare, but with this, it was different, everyone was out there to judge you, so my major challenge was getting over what people would think or say”.

While thanking the judges and the whole Mnet team, she said, “I feel very grateful and overwhelmed, I want to say thank you to our coaches who literally changed our lives, I have learnt a lot and grown a lot. To be honest, I'm still not sure, there are so many things I want to be able to do with my music, but that's the beauty of being able to work with professionals, so I'll like people to pay attention and they will find out soon enough.”

Also speaking at the press conference, the Director, MNet West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, said: “We are extremely delighted with the success of The Voice Nigeria. It’s the first ever season and we are thrilled with the outcome.

For three months, Nigerians and indeed the rest of the continent were treated to the best entertainment on television with our amazing coaches and contestants putting their best feet forward. Today we celebrate Arese who is undoubtedly a deserving winner and in the same vein thank our sponsors whose support made the show possible.”

Mr. Enitan Denloye, the vice-president, Brands and Advertising for Airtel Nigeria, said: “As Nigeria’s smartphone network, Airtel is always excited to enter partnerships that

—Arese,winner of The Voice Nigeria 1

Arese being presented with an SUV by MNet Director, West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu during the week

My biggest challenge was confidence, because I’m a very quiet and shy person. connect the Nigerian youth to their dreams. The Voice Nigeria presented an amazing opportunity to do this and we were more than excited to come on board as lead sponsors.

The sponsorship of The Voice Nigeria is yet another example of Airtel’s commitment to empowering young, talented Nigerians like Arese, a deserving winner who embodies the spirit of youth, passion, skill and perseverance.”

27 entertainment

After 4 years, Omotola to stage comeback

‘I’m doing a shock project’

L

OVERS of screen diva, Omotola will soon see their favourite actress back on screen after four years off the scene.

The actress, who last featured in a movie entitled ‘Last flight to Abuja’ in 2012, stated that her latest project is a challenging one, which according to her, may make people either love or hate her afterwards.

Omotola tweeted: “So I’m doing a shock project, friends! I always strive to do projects that move the narrative forward at different stages. Mortal ‘Inheritance,’ ‘Blood Sisters,’ ‘ije…’ We’re on to another one. However, with this project you will either love me more or outright begin to hate me… I’m doing something I’ve never done.”

Although she didn’t give further details, fans sent an outpour of ‘welcome back’ messages to the actress.

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

19 years after, Yeni, Femi, Seun, eulogise Fela NINETEEN years after the death of Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, his children, Yeni, Femi and Seun Kuti have taken to social media to eulogise their father.

First son of the legend, Femi Kuti wrote: “19 years since the passing of our father, Fela, we love you and miss you very well.”

“Forever etched in our hearts. Nineteen years ago our Icon father, leader and father of the nation left the world stage. He lives in us forever and continues to guide and protect us. That is why Nigeria didn’t go to war against all predictions.

Rest in peace, Fela. We miss you.” Yeni shared on her Instagram page.

She added: “The powers that be, beat him mercilessly. Fela, they can’t touch you now o!!!! Useless people.” A picture of him in bandages accompanied the message.

Seun Kuti on his own also wrote “19 years a god. 19 years an Orisha. 19 years an

ancestor!! And by the way the Egypt 80 is still kicking ass.”

Prof Johnbull (3): Kanayo O. Kanayo’s petition lands Chiwetalu Agu in trouble ACE Nollywood actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, was in his best elements in the third episode of the new drama series, Professor Johnbull, sponsored by the leading telecommunications company, Globacom.

Kanayo is cast as a garrulous, ex-university lecturer who delights in the use of high-sounding English words in the new social satire that has been making waves among TV viewers, especially in the South-East.

In the third episode, entitled ‘Sorting Things’, which aired on Tuesday at 8:30pm, the professor tackled the interesting issue of inducement of lecturers for high marks by students. The episode presented an opportunity for Kanayo to truly bring the character of the professor to life.

The actor lived up to his billing as an experienced and versatile theatre prac-

titioner, sending viewers rolling with laughter with his carriage, general mien and predilection for tongue-twisters.

For instance, the discovery of the unwholesome practice of inducement of lecturers by students to influence grades shocked the professor so much that he went into a frenzy of high sounding words, actively supported by his daughter, Elizabeth (Queen Nwokoye).

The episode showcased the various means of soliciting and receiving bribes in exchange for high marks in higher institutions, drawing attention to the evil effects of this social ill.

The issue was introduced

by Flash Boy, the “philanderer" (Stephen Odimgba), a student who ‘sorted’ (bribed) his lecturer, Professor Gozie (Chiwetalu Agu), in order to pass his papers.

Also, Caro, (Mercy Johnson-Okojie), Profes-

sor Johnbull's housemaid, ‘sorted’ his private lesson teacher, Jumoke (Bidemi Kosoko) in order to influence her grades. She was eager to impress Professor Johnbull that she was making swift progress with her lessons. It, however, backfired as her teacher reported the deal to the professor.

While admonishing Nigerian students not to bribe lecturers and lecturers not to demand or accept bribes from students, Professor Johnbull said he petitioned the university Senate after he learnt about what Professor Gozie did to Flash Boy and the professor who could still face a stiffer penalty had already been suspended.

The programme is aired on NTA Network, NTA International and Startimes every Tuesday from 8.30pm to 9.00pm, with a repeat broadcast on Friday at the same time.

DJ Cynthia MVP nominated for UK award INTERNATIONAL Afrobeats female DJ based in the UK, Cynthia DJ MVP, who has been spinning and scratching from London to Lagos, is the new face of Nigerian music abroad.

The superstar DJ who is also the current vice president of Nigerians DJ Association in UK, is gearing up to grab the African Pride Awards as the best DJ in UK. Born Cynthia Omolaja, DJ Cynthia started mixing tapes and

'cracking' CD's at the age of 15 and garnered more knowledge under the tutelage of some UK's famous and reputable DJs. Speaking about her talent to Saturday Tribune she said, "I have been mixing tapes since I was young. And I am determined to be the very best in all I do."

Having performed in some popular concerts, shows and clubs in the UK, such as Steambar, Hilton Hotel Paddington,

O2 Indigo, Davido's Show in Hatfield, 2Baba's Europe tour (London, Paris and Italy), Cokobar London, Wizkid's tour at HMV Apollo, Bracket's UK tour London and Manchester, Wande Coal and Ajebutter's show in Hatfield, Lynxx in Hatfield, Duncan Mighty's UK Concert, the fiercely determined diva has indeed carved a niche for herself in the male-dominated industry.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Titi Aboyade Cole takes

Wedding tale trails Bayo Adesola, Bukola Owoyemi

5th Podium awards to London

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HE Chief Executive Officer of Podium International, Titi Aboyade Cole, is set to return to the United Kingdom for the second time for the 5th edition of the Podium awards.

The awards ceremony, which is aimed at honouring individuals who have excelled in their various fields of endeavour, will be held on August 27 at the Best Western Hotel, Hendon Way, London.

The award ceremony, which will attract Africans from all walks of life, will have popular compere, Gbenga Adeyinka who will be joined by London based Brenda David as hosts.

Wives of the Ogun and Oyo

state governors, Mrs Funke Amosun and Mrs Florence Ajimobi are to be honoured with special awards, while the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa and Mrs Olasinmi Odunbaku will also be honoured while there would be select winners in different sectors like law, medicine, business and entertainment.

Titi Aboyade Cole disclosed that the award would mark the 10th anniversary of Podium International and she stated that the first ever BOAC post humous awards will be presented to the families of three late winners- Dr Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, OJB Jezreel and Goldie Harvey.

Victor Tonye, Monalisa Chinda sail to Greece THE Nigerian entertainment industry will shift to Greece on September 1, which is the date picked by star actress, Monalisa Chinda and her husband, Victor Tonye, for their wedding.

Those in the know say that the actress has already adopted a new name- Monalisa Tonye after their traditional wedding in February 2016.

The wedding proper where the couple would sign the dotted lines in the presence of friends, colleagues and family members is said to be an island in Greece where a catholic priest would be on hand to officiate as they exchange their marital vows.

There are whispers of what to expect at the ceremony judging

from the status of the couple and the importance of the ceremony to both of them.

Tunji Olugbodi, Ayeni Adekunle, others, Storm Ibadan for OSMD Top Nigerian Chief Executive Officers and entrepreneurs around the globe have been confirmed to speak at OSMD Network's inaugural youth empowerment summit on August 11.

OSMD Network, a not for profit organisation dedicated to Nigerian youths, is dedicated to the improvement in the quality of life of hardworking and determined young minds across Nigeria.

The event, which will be held at the Conference Hall, Mauve 21, Ibadan, Oyo State, promises to be fulfilling judging by the calibre of speakers who are coming for the summit.

Integrated marketing communications expert, Tunji Olugbodi and business mogul, Ubong King, are the keynote speakers at the event, while entertainer, D'banj and comedian Tee-A are the masters of ceremony of the event award-winning writer and filmmaker, Chris Ihidero will moderate the panel discussion.

Steve Babaeko, Ayeni Adekun- AFTER a meritorious 35 years sole, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, To- journ in government service as a sin Ajibade, Ali Baba and Gbenga seasoned teacher who has mouldAdeyinka will also take part in the ed and shaped the future of many young people in Nigeria, the wife panel's discussions.

The founder, OSMD Network of former lawmaker and chieftain and convener, OSMD Network of the Peoples Democratic Party Youth Empowerment Summit, (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon Fasiu Bisoye Fagade, called the youth Bakenne, Zukurat retired a few the engine rooms of any moving days ago.

It was a gathering filled with and prosperous economy while politicians, government officials, explaining the reason to give them all necessary supports to help friends and well wishers of the them discover their true potential. Bakennes who came from far and

Sukurat Bakenne retires gloriously near to witness the retirement ceremony.

Alhaja Sukurat Bakenne was all smiles as she gave thanks to the almighty Allah while she recounted her experience when she joined the Teaching Commission in 1981.

The woman of means who served in various schools all over Ogun State had contributed immensely to the development of primary education in Ogun State and has won many laurels in recognition of her efforts.

WEDDING tale is trailing Lagos auto dealer, Bayo Adesola and pretty stylist, Buki Owoyemi.

It’s being discussed in hushed voices that the lovers are altarbound and if things work according to plan, the jingles of the bells would soon be heard.

What set the tongues wagging was the 40th birthday party of the boss of Mide Mane Hair some weeks ago.

Those present at the party, which took place at the R and A Hotel and Suites, Ikeja, Lagos have not stopped talking about the party where the rich lover of the celebrant spared no expense as he pampered the guests to a memorable evening of food, exotic drinks and good music.

Not just the birthday party; the lovers set the rumour mill in motion with their attendance at the Global Excellence’s couples nite at The Coliseum, Ikeja, Lagos.

29

6 August, 2016

outofthisworld

Saturday Tribune WITH FEMI OSINUSI

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

The horrible life inmates live in a prison

T

HE life prison inmates live in Manila, the Phillippines, was described by Daily Mail of UK as very appalling due to the constant battle for space inside the Quezon City Prison.

According to report, due to lack of space in the prison which was built to accommodate 800 prisoners, inmates now sleep in open-air basketball court or on the staircase while about 200 inmates are put in a cell built for 20.

In some instances, some inmates used to wait for others to wake up before they could sleep.

In fact, reports said some of the inmates also sleep underneath beds where the affluent and VIP inmates sleep while others who had no option sleep on damp floor in the cells.

Sea of prison inmates inside a cell.

Over 200 are locked up in cell meant for 20.

A prison official locking the overcrowded cell.

Inmates sleeping on the basketball court.

Another set of inmates in an overcrowded cell.

30

6 August, 2016

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata

POLITICO

What happened in 1966 will repeat itself An elderly man boarded a bus at Race Course Bus Stop in Lagos, heading home to Ikeja. In the thick of the rush by commuters to get a space in the bus, this 80-yearold smiled as he struggled in to get a seat. Just as he sat down, he discovered his wallet had been stolen from his back pocket. As the bus moved on, a loud voice was heard from the back of the bus: “Whosoever took my wallet should return it, else what happened in 1966 will repeat itself. He repeated this over and over much louder. ‘It is the 80-year-old man’, one of the passengers explained.

Suddenly, there was dead silence and fear in the bus.

Voices in whispers were heard in the bus asking, ‘what happened in 1966?’ Everyone in the bus started begging that whoever took the man’s purse should return it.

The man that stole the wallet became afraid, he quickly dropped the wallet and kicked it near the old man and in a short while, a fat young lady shouted, pointing underneath the seats, ‘Sir, see the wallet! Great sigh of relief it was with the find. The old man came down at Ikeja and continued his homeward journey. Inquisitive Segeluulu who was on the same bus, and also alighted from the bus at the same bus stop as the man, walked briskly close and asked the old man, ‘Sir, sorry o, but what really happened in 1966?’ The old man replied, ‘Son, in 1966, a similar event occurred and you know what? ...I trekked home!’

FUNOLOGY

Gr a n d pr i ze

Kokomaster’s marriage rumour: Married or not?

A local FM radio station was running a contest, and Segeluulu called in.

Radio presenter: Congratulations on being our first caller; all you have to do is answer the following questions correctly, to win our grand prize.

Segeluulu: That’s fantastic!

Radio presenter: Feel confident? It’s a maths question. Hope you are good at mathematics?

Segeluulu: Well, my parents are both engineers and they have been teaching and practising maths for almost 20 years.

Radio presenter: Okay then, to win our grand prize of two return tickets for an adventurous trip to the great Sambisa forest and an opportunity to meet Shekau and the Chibok girls face to face, what is 2+2?

Segeluulu (quickly replies): Seven!

CANDID SHOT

LIFE FOR RENT... PHOTO: ADEREMI DAVIES

32 thesouth-west

6 August, 2016

The South-West Editor Wole Efunnuga | 08111813056

Saturday Tribune CREW

sari Tunde B9u3530 081275 ndare nga - Ogu Yejide G8b1e16706853 0 unesan Tunde O9g54634 08116

t: r us; contac Got news fo bune@yahoo. ri tt es southw bune@ uthwesttri co.uk or so ail.com gm

Our govt is not doing much in terms of security —Oba of Bariga Oba Gbolahan Timson is the Jagunmolu III of Shomolu/Bariga, Lagos. In this interview by GBENGA OLUMIDE, he speaks on how Bariga came into existence, the sacredness of obaship and sundry issues.

Excerpts:

if truly you rule with fear of God, things will fall in place for you.

B

RIEFLY, how did Bariga come into existence?

Our forefathers came from Ile-Ife in Osun State, as hunters and fish farmers. They migrated from Ife to Isheri-Mole, an area located between Ogun and Lagos states after Ojodu-Berger. And they later migrated to Bariga. When they arrived in Bariga, they set up a hamlet, living among the monkeys and baboons for hundreds of years before the advent of communities. Initially, we had 27 communities, University of Lagos consumed four communities and we have 23 communities left. It was among the remaining 23 that produced the first Oba lmidi Suberu Opeke, Jagunmolu I. He officially became oba in 1959 but was not gazetted until when the late Akintola came into power. He said “the community has been victimised because of us” (referring to the politicians) and he asked what their upmost want from government was. They replied him that they wanted their Obas to be recognised by government.

What are the dos and don’ts of the community?

Like it is in every Yoruba community, the dos and don’ts are similar and almost the same. It is forbidden for you to take the wife of your junior ones, you will be banished from the community. It is forbidden for any member of this community to be involved in stealing, if caught, whether you are sentenced in court or not, your lineage can never get any meaningful position in the community again. If by any act of commission or omission, someone’s life was terminated by you; you will become a stranger in your own community and no one will want to be identified with you again, irrespective of whether you are convicted or not. You don’t whistle in the sunny weather and our religion is multiple, you are not allowed to harass anyone due to his or her religion.

Traditional rulers are regarded as gods, but now some get kidnapped and killed. What is the cause of this?

As beautiful as democratic governments are and democratic dispensation can be, you find out that every good thing has its own side effect. The high-handedness of the military will not allow what is happening now. The sacredness of obaship is not comparable with anyone. Traditional rulers all over the world are the anointed people of God. They are actual representatives of God on earth. They have no tenure to serve. After becoming an oba, nothing higher than it in life again, that is how sacred that position is. But with the recent democratic experience, people’s rights are taken for granted.

This is what is responsible for that. I am not

canvassing for extrajudicial killing, but the swiftness in handling things in the military era is different to what is obtainable now.

You go through a lot of process. Somebody arrested for criminal offence, but under the porous legal system, particularly the criminal justice system, he or she will wriggle out easily only to go and commit further crimes.

They are kidnapping their own traditional rulers. When bad things begin to happen in the community and good people keep silent, outsiders will believe everything is okay. But when it begins to affect the noble ones, the senators, the obas, that is when they will know that bad thing has come to the com-

What gave birth to Boko Haram, NDA, MEND etc is lawlessness. Any nation with no proper legal system, where court orders are not obeyed, cannot thrive.

munity.

In spite of this, some say traditional rulers no longer toe the path of their forebears, a reason all these things are befalling them. What is your position on this?

I disagree with that vehemently because we cannot by any act of commission or omission depart from our ancestors as the custodian of the people’s culture. There are still rules that can be applied to remove an oba, apart from politically motivated actions. When a king commits a crime against his community, there are traditional procedures to go through for his removal and these rules were there to serve as checks and balances before the modern democracy come in. Before you can become an oba, you must have been summoned to the shrine.

And if the same king is summoned again to the shrine after he has become king, all the powers that have been conferred on him will be stripped off.

If an allegation is levelled against a king and the king is unable to defend himself, such a king has two options. He will be asked to be dethroned or asked to join his ancestors in order to allow peace to reign in the community. So, if people are saying that some traditional rulers are distancing themselves from God, I will say it’s true because

Recently, Niger Delta Avengers threatened to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge, most of which are in your domain. What was your reaction then?

Truly, the Third Mainland Bridge is within my domain, we’ve called on the government, both state and federal, though the state government cannot really do much in terms of security, particularly when it concerns interstates matters, but at least we can secure our local environment in our own way. Our government is not really doing much in terms of security. That threat from the NDA is taken for granted. Yesterday, we also learnt that a magistrate was kidnapped in Lagos, an oba was kidnapped a few days ago. Much is yet to be done on the issue of insecurity in the country, because a senator of the Federal Republic or a member of the House of Representatives has not been kidnapped. Also, the children or wife of a sitting governor is yet to be kidnapped. Let the wife of a governor be kidnapped, you will see that stars on the sky will come down to search for her.

Should we have to wait until that happens?

Or wait until we lose a governor’s wife to kidnappers? This is the time all hands should be on deck. We should be more aggressive.

The issue of security must be handled properly, not with kid gloves. When there is no security, nothing will work out, nothing will be achieved. If a government is working, doing everything to boost economy without proper security in place, it amounts to nothing. Government needs to pursue the avengers and their sponsors. These people are not ghosts and they are still among us.

Before they attack a community, they must have been in that community for some time.

It is not possible for them to just barge into an oba’s palace and kidnap him, if there is no conspiracy. They were able to walk into oba’s palace and pick him up because they were armed.

So, all these happened because of nonchalant attitude of government?

The little that has been achieved in the area of political stability and socio-economic balances could be completely eroded if insecurity persists. We shouldn’t concentrate too much energy on socioeconomic development at the expense of security. Security issue should be prioritised; it is when you are alive that you can talk about any other development. We also need to overhaul our criminal justice system. A situation where someone caught red-handed with firearms cannot be prosecuted except an expert’s advice or DPP’s opinion is sought is not enough. Don’t forget, these are people who were caught with firearms and some even fired back at the police before they were arrested.

I am not supporting or canvassing for extrajudicial killing, but as a matter of urgency, such criminals should be taken far from human society. What gave birth to Boko Haram, NDA, MEND, etc is lawlessness. Any nation with no proper legal system, where court orders are not obeyed, cannot thrive.

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6 August, 2016

achievers

Saturday Tribune

With Ronke Sanya (Winner, NMMA Innovative Reporter of the Year 2015) 07036050161 | sanyaaderonke@gmail.com

Foreign Press Association Scholarship comes with great benefits —Jennifer Ehidiamen, awardee

to struggle to achieve what we want. The struggle today can become part of a growth process instead of making it a pool of bitterness and anger. There is no shame in doing what you need to do [the good] in order to get to where you want to get to or need to be. It becomes problematic when we put very little efforts in something and expect big results or wanting to achieve great things in life without working hard for it. That is pure greed and foolishness that this generation must avoid.

Life in Nigeria, or anywhere else for that matter, is like a blank canvas. Each of us has the ability to paint the kind of picture [life] we want. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of blaming others for shortfalls, bad experiences or the bad pictures/outcomes when we attempt something instead of taking responsibility, learn from the mistake, and work harder and smarter to get better results.

But I must acknowledge also that Nigeria is a somewhat hard country, you know. One minute you are working hard, the next it looks like all the demons from hell are building a barrier against your efforts. But still, as young Nigerians, we must not give up because a lot depends on our rising. Keep your family values and relationships in check and don’t stray from the path, take advantage of the high mobile and internet penetration to expand your horizon through e-learning, take advantage of volunteering opportunities to learn by doing, travel outside your community to see other cultures and challenge your norm. Most importantly, let us be that generation of excellence that can contribute to Nigeria’s successful rise above corruption and injustice. Yes, we can!

The fourth estate is a male-dominated profession where only strong and courageous women make it to the top. Jennifer Ehidiamen, a onetime John Hopkins University’s International Reporting Project grant recipient, recently received 2016 Foreign Press Association (FPA) Scholarship Fund award. She tells RONKE SANYA, what makes her tick, in this interview.

W

HY did you embrace journalism and why are you so passionate about rural reportage?

Growing up, I had other ideas of what career I wanted to pursue, law was top on the list. But somehow along the line, I decided to focus on my area of strength, which is writing and communication. Journalism has over the years given me an incredible opportunity to tell human-interest stories for the purpose of inspiring our world and pursuing just cause.

When I first saw a full-page published article that I wrote in 2006 for the Comet newspaper, I was elated. Seeing my work in newsprint stirred up a desire to write more.

So when I got the opportunity to serve as a weekly columnist in one of the national newspapers in Nigeria, I grabbed it with both hands. Having a regular platform to write about issues that I care about throughout my years as an undergraduate kept me on the path and amplified my voice in the industry.

In 2013, I had the opportunity to report on health and global development with a grant from John Hopkins University’s International Reporting Project. I spent one year reporting on Human Immuneodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other health related issues, especially from underserved communities.

During my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nasarawa, I heard about and saw a lot of social issues that never made it to the mainstream media in Nigeria due to its lack of commercial value. But these stories are important. Rural lives and issues matter and should be given adequate coverage as with other stories. In my own way, I try to cover some of these issues when I report.

How does it feel being one of the winners of the 2016 Foreign Press Association (FPA) Scholarship Fund Awards?

It is very exciting, especially because when I entered for the competition I was pursuing a very difficult degree programme that almost made me lose confidence in myself. I can remember when they called me over the phone to inform me that I emerged as one of the winners it took a while to connect to what exactly the lady was talking about. It is one of those competitions one would enter for and just forget about because you know there are hundreds, if not thousands, of intelligent international students from all over the world also putting in an entry. So when I received the congratulatory call, I was pleasantly surprised and thankful to God for showing me favour. Foreign Press Association (FPA) Scholarship comes with good benefits, which I actually need for the new phase of my career.

Reporting rural activities must be quite challenging. Share with us a

memorable experience you had while in the field sourcing for news.

I don’t only report on rural activities from villages but I do have an interest in rural reporting, which was first stirred up in 2006 when I had the opportunity to volunteer with a team of presenters and producers, led by Mr Wika Gofwen at PRTV in Jos. The programme, ‘Rural Watch’, was like a social diary that amplified issues affecting rural communities in Plateau State. These producers travelled into deep villages and communities.

One experience that I will always remember is the trip to a village called ‘Doc Pai’ [not sure about the spelling]. We spent close to three hours just crossing a huge mountain by foot to get to this village and meeting people who were quite content being far away from civilisation and the hustles attached to materialism. This experience is not for the fainthearted.

You have many other honours to

Life in Nigeria, or anywhere else for that matter, is like a blank canvas. Each of us has the ability to paint the kind of picture [life] we want.

your credit, including the 2009 Atlas Service Corps Fellow; Nigerian National Youth Leadership Award, LEAP Africa 2010; 2013 Innovative Young Journalist Award, among others. How fulfilled does this make you feel and how do you keep having a new story to tell?

All these honours are to the glory of God. Sometimes I really don’t feel like I have started at all. It all looks like test-drive for the bigger things to come. So I don’t let this get into my head at all because I am just getting started. I am inspired by many things and many people. So when I do something which God blesses with a good reward, I am inspired to keep pushing for more.

On developing new story ideas, it can develop from a simple gist that I hear in a danfo, which I then do more research on it to find the news value in it. Other times it is just by talking with an expert to get an idea on what the trends are in a particular sector or an issue.

But there are times generating a fresh story idea is just a hard nut to crack. You just have to keep pushing yourself and pitching different ideas until one clicks.

How will you encourage Nigerian youths who believe they can’t make it through and blame the government for their misfortunes?

It is such a time as this that Nigerian youths must press on and not give up. Sometimes we tend to believe that it is a shameful thing

Tell us about your early years.

I was born in Edo State to an amazing family. We [my mum and siblings] moved to Lagos in the 90s. Growing up, I enjoyed the privilege of being called a teacher’s daughter and all the extras that came with the title, such as not paying for PTAs levy or not being punished by other teachers. I saw my mum win a few awards and recognition for being an excellent teacher. From my mother, I learned about the strength of a woman. Now retired, she served in civil service for 35 years.

I have had one or two people stop me on the way or send me messages on Facebook to ask if I am Mrs. Ehidiamen’s daughter. They then go on and on talking about how their lives were impacted positively by her in primary school. It is very inspiring. So, I guess, I unconsciously learned the act of leading by serving from her and of course, being strong and tenacious.

In case any young person is reading this and thinking I grew up in a perfect home, no I did not. I learned early in life not to allow my background keep my back on the ground.

I attended a public primary school in Lagos and a boarding junior secondary school at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Benin City. I later returned to Lagos to complete my senior secondary school at Ikeja High School, one of the most populous public secondary schools in Ikeja back in the 2000s. Joining the press club then helped me integrate well into the system. It was all an interesting experience. I should probably add that knowing the way to church as a child had a positive influence on me too. So, if you ask some of the top influences that shaped my career directly or indirectly, I would say good books, family, church, and a few other people.

34

interview

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

When women become presidents, we’ll have a better world —Joe Okei-Odumakin

Women’s rights activist and president of the rights groups, Women Arise for Change Initiative and Campaign for Democracy, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, in this interview by NAZA OKOLI, speaks of her drive and a number of current national issues.

Y

OU have been involved in campaigns for good governance. How would you assess Nigeria’s democratic journey so far, especially under the current administration?

Well, so far so good but we still have a lot of ground to cover. Good governance still eludes us, as elected leaders are not doing enough in carrying people along as they ought to do. The welfare of the people, which is the essence of government, is not there.

While I may agree that the current administration is new, I strongly feel that more effort is required in alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians who have placed a lot of hopes on the promises of a new order made by the President while seeking the mandate of Nigerians during the polls. The administration also needs to work hard on improving the economy of this country in terms of ensuring that there is food on the table of the average Nigerian.

It’s been more than two years now since the abduction of Chibok girls. You have been a leading voice in the campaign for their rescue but it seems the clamour has died down recently. What is the cause?

The clamour for their release has not died down from me and my organisation. I have continued to campaign for the rescue of the girls through all my platforms, #RescueOurGirlsNow. Every opportunity I have to speak to any government official or top government functionary is an opportunity to renew the call for the rescue of the Chibok girls.

I also do a countdown on my social media pages the very many days the girls have been missing and the need to ensure their return.

Although in the face of myriad of challenges confronting us today, from herdsmen killings to Niger Delta Avengers and the kidnap of people all over the place, attention is being shifted to the very current issues most of the time, and this most times makes the campaign for the rescue of the girls a less attended issue. But we remain committed to the demand for the rescue of the girls.

But some of the girls were said to have returned.

In fact, there are conflicting figures. Why is it so difficult to really to say with accuracy how many of these girls are in captivity and how many have returned?

This is a major issue that has generated a lot of controversy and called into question the sensitivity of the government at all the levels to the plight of other groups of Nigerians that have for over two years been involved in the advocacy for the rescue of the girls. The only evident rescue/return that we have seen as Nigerians was the return of Amina Nkeki in May, 2016. Since then, no other evident rescue has been recorded and more worrisome is the total blackout that followed the sudden appearance of the rescued girl till date.

Is this current government doing enough to secure their release?

The government is trying but more effort should be made by this administration to secure their release. We must give credit to our armed forces for their efforts. As we can see, there is a lot of heat on Boko Haram but this has not resulted in the rescue of the girls. Therefore, I believe that more effort is required.

Your organisation played a prominent role in the reconciliation of Mr Jude Izuakor and his wife Gloria, after Izuakor nearly beat her to death.

Why was it necessary to reunite them after such a horrible experience? Do you think that is ‘justice’ for Gloria?

Well, in Women Arise, we also believe in reconciliation.

tion at all fronts. However, with continued campaign and advocacy, I am sure domestic violence will be reduced.

A federal lawmaker recently threatened to beat up and impregnate a female colleague. This was greeted by protests in Abuja and Lagos by women’s groups. Were these women justified in staging those protests?

Yes, they are justified, because such a threat should not be treated with gloved hands. It is important to react to such issues to let men know that verbal threats are also part of violence against women. Nevertheless, it is imperative to state that women should not also be involved in violence against men because gender-based violence is not an act exclusively perpetrated by men against women.

We believe strongly that after mediation and proper counselling, if the culprit is remorseful, it is good for them to move on. Not all actions on domestic violence (especially spousal violence) should be punitive; some should also be corrective. I believe it is still justice for Gloria because she can move on and still enjoy her relationship with Jude Izuakor.

But many would have recommended a stiffer penalty even if it is just to serve as a deterrent.

Not at all times. At times, wise counsel applies, and such issues are resolved amicably.

Why has domestic violence continued to be an issue in Nigeria in spite of all the campaigns and the awareness and education and technology?

I think it is because there are lots of challenges confronting Nigerians. Poverty, loss of jobs, hard time and frustra-

While I may agree that the current administration is new, I strongly feel that more effort is required in alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians who have placed a lot of hopes on the promises of a new order made by the President while seeking the mandate of Nigerians during the polls.

Those who criticised the protesters wondered why there were no similar protests after a woman evangelist was murdered at Kubwa, Abuja, allegedly by religious extremists.

Well, I think there is the need to exhibit caution on such an issue because it is religious and more sensitive than an assault against either gender. A protest march might not be appropriate in that instance but I know that a lot of women’s groups, including Women Arise, condemned the act. A lot of them issued press statements and made strong comments on their social media platforms when the incident occurred.

Recently, a pastor, Francis Taiwo, starved and kept his nine-year-old son in chains for months.

A Lagos lawyer, in reaction, said pastors should be examined mentally before they are permitted to start their own churches. Do you think this would help?

I think there should be regulatory measures for the operation of churches and any religious platform for that matter. People should not just be allowed to do what they like. I think there should be adequate monitoring and evaluation so as to get early warning signs.

A certain prophet recently remarked that a time would come when women would overthrow men and truly begin to rule the world. He cited the recent emergence of a woman Prime Minister in the United Kingdom and the likelihood of Mrs Hillary Clinton’s victory in the United States. Do you think this really is the destination?

It will definitely be a good development. Men have failed us several times. So, if women emerge as presidents and prime ministers, I am sure there will be welfare governance where the love and joy of the people shall be the essence of government. That, no doubt, is our destination.

You have remained a prominent human rights activist for a very long time. What keeps you going?

The love of the people, the joy and happiness of the underprivileged and my passion for justice on all issues.

It would seem that younger people today do not often bother about activism and advocacy. Do you fear for the future?

Yes, it is really worrisome because younger people’s interests are hinged on making money. However, we have started a mentoring programme to capture younger minds and groom them for activism and advocacy work.

You have always looked young and radiant. Do you want to share the secret?

No secret beyond being truthful, adhering strictly to health advice, a modest and disciplined lifestyle.

35

politics&policy

Ondo 2016: Akoko’s quest to secure APC ticket Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure

T

HE stage appears set for the August 22 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State. As of the last count, no fewer than 50 aspirants from across the three senatorial districts of the state were angling to fly the party’s flag in the November 26 governorship election.

Although the party has ruled out zoning of its ticket to any part of the state, the body language of the leaders, some stakeholders believe, is in favour of Ondo North senatorial District, a situation, political analysts say is responsible for the large number of aspirants from the zone, which comprises Owo/Ose and Akoko axes.

At least 10 aspirants of the Akoko extraction, including a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Victor Olabimtan; Chief Olusegun Abraham, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Moyosola Oladunni, Adefemi, Tunji Abayomi, Foluso Adefemi and Ganny Dauda, have thrown their hats in the ring.

Against this background, APC stakeholders in Akoko are said to be advocating a consensus candidate in order to stand the area in a good stead come August 22. Among the stakeholders calling for the zoning of the governorship ticket to Akoko North senatorial district is the Akoko Elders Assembly, a body representing the interest of the Akoko people in the APC. Noting that the senator representing Ondo North, Ajayi Boroffice, as well as a former governor of the state, the late Adebayo Adefarati, who served between 1999 and 2003, are from Akoko South, the group claims that it behoves Akoko North to produce a worthy consensus aspirant this time. However, some aspirants from the Akoko area are seeing this push as a means of tactically shutting them out of the race.

The Akoko North elders, after consultations with the aspirants, are said to have pruned their number to four, namely Dr Olusegun Abraham (Ikare-Akoko), Tunji Abayomi (OkeAgbe Akoko), Foluso Adefemi (Afin Akoko) and Honourable Gani Dauda (Irun Akoko). These four are deemed to possess the attributes needed to advance the cause of Akoko through

the forthcoming primary.

The chairman of Akoko Elders Assembly, Chief Felix Aiyegbusi, said that the decision to zone the candidacy to Akoko-North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency was based on equity and fairness. “The constituency has not been given the opportunity to take up any public position of responsibility in the past years as compared to the other federal constituency in Akokoland and by extension, the entire Ondo North senatorial district.

“We the APC Akoko Elders Assembly have reached a decision at this stage of the campaign towards the governorship election in Ondo to zone the candidacy to Akoko North West Federal Constituency.

“The decision was made to maintain peace, unity, progress and statesmanship in Akokoland as there is no reason to create confusion among ourselves when we can amicably come together, agree and take a position. The decision is unanimous and we have thrown the challenges back to the Akoko North people and the governorship aspirants that hail from there to further consult within themselves and present one uniform viable candidate of their own and present him to us. That one candidate should be sure of our backing,” Ayegbusi said.

Of the four aspirants, Abraham and Dauda are said to have been favoured for their closeness to the grass roots and the presence of their political structures in every nook and cranny of the state.

6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Abraham, who contested for the ticket of the defunct Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) in the 2012 election but lost to Rotimi Akeredolu, it is said, is poised to give the ticket his best shot this time around and is leaving no stone unturned in this regard.

The politician, in an interview, described his quest as a “godly mission to transform Ondo State from a third world state to a first world state in a manner that our state will not only be prosperous but will also be led with compassion, integrity and love.”

But a source said that despite the fact that Senator Boroffice hails from Akoko South, the elders see him as a strong contender for the race. Boroffice is currently representing the district in the Senate. Some forces are, however, said to be opposed to his candidacy “for failing to keep to a promise during his senatorial campaign that he won’t run for the post of governor come 2016.” The majority of political leaders of Akoko are reportedly given to the view that the lawmaker should be allowed to serve out his term and focus on the development of the northern senatorial district. It was gathered that the leaders had pleaded with him to support another competent Akoko aspirant so that the opportunity would not elude the Akoko people.

But Olabimtan and Boroffice, while reacting on behalf of other aspirants, dissociated themselves from the purported action of the Akoko elders, saying they paid no attention to the purported decision of the elders regarding governorship aspirants as, according to them, “it is against the spirit and constitution of the APC.” They argued that the party’s constitution only recognised two manners in which a candidate could emerge – a primary election by delegates and a consensus of the aspirants.

Political analysts, however, see the steps of the Akoko elders as a way of going into the party’s primary with one voice.

They also note that the move might lead to crisis among the many aspirants from the area as many of them have shown considerable aversion to the consensus arrangement.

With the party’s primary around the corner and an absence of a common front among the stakeholders, political watchers are waiting, with bated breath, to see what becomes of the Akoko push for the governorship ticket.

interview

What politicians must do to deepen democracy —Oduoye Mr Kayode Oduoye, a lawyer and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, who contested for the Boripe/ Odo-Otin/Ifelodun Federal Constituency seat in the 2015 election, speaks to MOSES ALAO on the need to deepen the nation’s democracy and the performance of the All Progressives Congress-led government.

AN attempted military coup was foiled in Turkey by civilians. What do you think is the implication of the Turkey incident for the country?

It stands as a watershed in political developments in Turkey and it also sent signals to the appropriate quarters in the international community. That incident comes with several implications. It is a confirmation that the citizenry of that country have preference for democracy as a system of government and that the people are in support of the government.

It also means that the voice of the people must be recognised and nobody can be coerced through the power of the gun.

But we should look at relevance of that occurrence to Nigeria as a country where democracy is still not properly rooted.

How do we get to the level where the people would rise in defence of a government in a situation devoid of monetary inducement and sponsored protests? What we need to do is to ensure that those in government look after the interests of the governed.

Talking about democracy not being properly rooted, there has been a running battle between the Senate and the Presidency with no end in sight. What do you think this portends for the nation’s democracy?

To me, there is nothing strange about the struggle. The only thing is that Nigerian politicians are not showing good signs of learning the rope when it comes to deepening the nation’s democracy. The originators of the system known as democracy, in their logical reasoning, came up with the idea of three independent arms of government – the legislature, the executive and the judiciary – to bring about checks and balances. There is no democracy without legislature. We all know that under military administrations, the executive and the judiciary are kept intact while the legislature is shut down. Its reopening naturally signals the resumption of democracy.

What is going on between the Presidency and the Senate is fast becoming a case of when two elephants fight – the grass

as achievements? Even the Minister of Finance agreed that the government has achieved nothing by saying we are technically in recession.

And on your question about Osun State, I will not like to be drawn into a needless war of words but you should ask workers in the state when last they got their salary. Also do well to ask artisans and traders how their businesses have been in the last year. The people of Osun State can no longer be deceived by the self-styled progressives who ended up setting the state on the path of backwardness.

Are you saying the government has not achieved anything?

Go to the streets and do a vox pop; the people will be in the best position to answer that question. Sadly, we have left the era of campaigning, we should join hands to build the country and the state and that is why we have been advising the APC government to bury its pride and admit the challenges in the handling of the economy. They should get the right people to move the economy out of the doldrums. It is high time they admitted that they have let the people down. will suffer. It is the ordinary people on the streets that will bear the brunt of this needless battle in the long run. You can see that things are getting worse by the day and some of us who are not detached from the people at the grass-roots level know the kind of pressure we face. People are really suffering and there is the need for the government to do something about it.

What you said about people suffering takes one to the question of opposition politicians’ attempt to rubbish the achievements and efforts of the APC leadership at the federal level and in states like Osun…

What achievements? You refer to the pervasive poverty, the hunger and the palpable fear about the state of the economy

You said something about you staying connected to the people, how do you react to people linking your philanthropic gestures to your political ambition?

People have the tendency of having a wrong impression about the activities of individuals because the political system is largely money-driven. Once you are endowed with kindness towards others, it is part of you. But if you are merely acting or you have a hidden agenda, there is no way the difference won’t be clear. I am a politician and it is natural to have one aspirations. This does not in any way vitiate a good intention.

I have heard a lot of stories about me spending because I have a political ambition or because I have one inherited pool of funds, but I have developed a thick skin to such insinuations. I regard them as irrelevant and distracting.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

views.com

Why Nigeria is drowning in quagmire of poverty

By Bode Olowoporoku

I

T is not the structure of Nigeria that is responsible for the misery in the land. Rather it is the form of government we adopted and the puerile knowledge of our leadership about the process of economic development. The makers of our constitution are mentally and intellectually lazy to research and know the type and form government that is suitable for the historical empirical terrain of Nigeria. As many as you have European and Asian countries, the forms of government they adopted were invented to conform with their respective culture, political terrain and their social and economic circumstances, hence the forms of government vary from one country to the other without being a carbon copy of each other or one another.

Instead of engaging in hard deep research, our constitution makers jumped from carbon copy of 100% British Parliamentary to 100% American Presidential System. Since both are incongruent with our culture, historical evolution and political terrain, our country ran into intractable social, political and economic problems in which we find ourselves today.

The more appropriate constitution we should invent to solve Nigerian problems is executive presidency-cum-prime ministership. The executive president will stand election on nonpartisan self recognizance independent platform. Under the presidency will be all military and civil forces such as the military, police, and the whole of ministry of interior which houses the prisons, also customs, CBN, Attorney General and Solicitor General, EFCC, SSS, Auditor General and all other nonpartisan regulatory departments and commissions will be in the presidency. Also, the vice-president must be President of the Senate. On the other hand, all spending ministries will be under the prime minister who must be a member of the Parliament. Under this form of government power is not absolute and in-built check system is built round all the spending ministries because the

presidency and parliament can call them to account for their deeds. The premier under whose authority the budget of the nation is housed is accountable to the parliament at all times and can be prosecuted and or sacked by the presidency. The question of either the North or South being alienated from power is solved in a simultaneous equation of the North either taking the presidency or the prime minister while the South takes either; no one takes both concurrently. The age-long quarrel of alienation from power is permanently resolved and so another reason for fear and distrust in the present structure of Nigeria is permanently resolved because neither the North nor the South will be able to dominate each other since the President and the Prime Minister will be rotated between the North and the South. The Executive President under this invention has no absolute power neither does the Prime Minister have absolute power.

I recommend for Nigeria this my invented form of government which is a product of intellectual research and global empiricism about world forms of governments. Corruption is the lubrication of the current presidential system we are operating and so the menace of ridiculous and fantastic cor-

Ondo 2016: The case for competence

By Balarabe Akinwunmi POLITICS is in the air again, and in one of the most politically and intellectually enlightened states of the federation.

As is usual, a variety of songs are already in the market place of ideas, some monotonous, some tedious and some arrestingly mellifluous. The aspirants to the Alagbaka Government House, Akure, are legion, particularly in the community of the so-called ‘progressives’ who in just one year have unleashed untold hardship and anger on the land, madly intent on returning the nation to the ignoble days of queuing to get essential commodities, memorably tagged essencos. Remember those essenco days? The days are here again, and we need not go into the dialectics of memory and remembrance---Niyi Osundare’s Fajuyi: The Politics of Remembrance handles that so well---but let us just note that those who called Ondo State people fools only four seasons ago, those who said Ondo people did not need the globally serenaded mega schools that have become every citizen’s delight, those who hired hack writers to demonise dissent and crucify the people’s choice, will return to their base once again, not only empty-handed but politically castrated.

The veil has been lifted from the debilitating ordure of political propaganda, and those who schooled in contested varsities and hire Senior Advocates of Nigeria to defend certificates they never earned will shed bitter tears in Ondo State, the state where the revolutionary and till date unmatched Action Group (AG) was birthed.

The tedious song of uncritical and meaningless ‘CHANGE,’ produced on a daily basis by all sorts of shady characters, is suffocating the songsters themselves, and has furnished the rope with which they must hang themselves. Just ask them how they intend to pay salaries, and they vomit utter banality: “Ondo is rich in human and material resources.” Is Ondo’s resource endowment HOW they intend to pay salaries? How can the intellectually and morally challenged lead the birthplace of authentic progressivism?

Of the monotonous songs, sadly among even those who should know better, the refrain has been zoning, zoning, and once again, zoning. The next governor of Ondo State, so goes a line in the song, must come from Ondo North because only two Ondo helmsmen - Adekunle Ajasin and Adebayo Adefarati - have come from there, and it is time to start afresh. Another line says it must be Ondo South, from where the late Olusegun Agagu came, because it is the powerhouse of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP). Because the zoning advocacy is its own strongest enemy, no one mentions, for instance that, of the old divisions in Ondo State, only Akure division has to date not yet produced the Ondo helmsman. And because aspiration to the Alagbaka House from any quarter is a legitimate enterprise, advocates of zoning conveniently ignore the truism that justification will be found for every predetermined political step. Where there is the will to convict, say the Chinese, there is evidence.

What is more, since 1999, zoning has never been an issue, witness the Agagu (South) versus Adefarati (North) battle won by Adefarati in 1999; the Adefarati (North) versus Agagu (South) battle of 2003 won by Agagu; the Mimiko (Central) versus Agagu (South) battle controversially won by Agagu in 2007 but reversed by the Court of Appeal in 2009, and the Oke (South) and Akeredolu (North) verus Mimiko (Central) battle won by Mimiko in 2012. More fundamentally, at this period of economic paranoia at the centre, a period of sky-rocketing inflation worsened by non-receipt empty pockets, zoning is surely a poor parameter for leading an all-important and strategic state like Ondo where the sons of Oduduwa must stand up to be counted among those who insist on the democratic ethos.

Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, comes into the race for the Alagbaka Government House bearing, not the monotonous tune of zoning and mediocrity, but glad tidings of consolidation of the unimpeachable achievements of the past seven years, achievements that have been recognised by the United Nations, and nationally. What the Ondo people are demanding, over and above any other consideration, is merit. Eyitayo Jegede, if you have listened to him, is a proud purveyor of the Ondo State agenda, uninterested in primordial sentiments lacking any basis in an increasingly globalised world.

Before his appointment as Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the erudite lawyer had been conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) award in 2008, a testimony to his hard work, brilliance and dedication to law practice. And in the seven years that he was in the saddle at the Ondo State Ministry of Justice, the state witnessed tremendous transformation in jurisprudence and arbitration.

If anything, the only High Court within the precincts of a prison to fast-track the prosecution of criminal cases in Nigeria was built under his watch as Ondo State Justice Commissioner.

With that court, the issue of delayed trial and justice that had

ruption will live with us as long as we continue to operate this presidential system.

In other to fast-track the development of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari must adopt systemic economic development models. The fire brigade approach or the long abandoned neo-classical ultra-capitalism models are not suitable for Nigeria, otherwise the path of this nation towards economic revolution will become painfully protracted. A lot of work has been done to invent systemic economic models which can propel Nigeria towards irreversible economic development take-off. President Buhari cannot govern Nigeria in a visionless socioeconomic vacuum. All the president and his handlers should do is to access the models to handle agricultural diversification and small scale industrialisation which are the foremost keys to the future prosperity of the nation.

Once President Buhari can launch Nigeria into positive economic revolution, nobody will be talking of restructuring of Nigeria, more so if the present corrupt presidential system is abolished and replaced with the modified presidential-cum-parliamentary invented system of government enunciated in this paper. The wellbeing of a person is the bedrock of his/her psyche and vision.

Once Nigerians are living comfortably within acceptable fair form of government, only mad people will be talking of restructuring or secessions or confederacy. Nobody will even listen to such mad people. Our president must act now, weapons cannot quell restiveness arising from pains, hunger and agonies of poverty; only good living can quell it. This is the task that President Buhari must address now. Therefore the adoption of economic vision and systemic matrix economic models are inevitable for President Buhari to launch Nigeria on the path of sustainable irreversible positive economic revolution.

Senator Olowoporoku, former commissioner in old Ondo State, also a former minister, sent this piece from Lagos.

undermined Nigeria’s march towards a reliable justice administration system was dealt a mortal blow, and all that remains is for other states across the country to key into the agenda. The new Criminal Justice Administration Law in Ondo State was enacted and signed into law under his watch, an offshoot of his review of the laws of Ondo State for the first time since 1976.

He also ensured the provision of facilities for the establishment of the Court of Appeal, the National Industrial Court and the zonal offices of the Federal Ministry of Justice in the state. One of the few Attorney Generals that will always go to court to defend the interest of his govt, Eyitayo Jegede brought his wealth of experience to bear in the various memorandums of Understanding signed by the Ondo State government and other interest groups. The state had profited immensely from his enterprise, and he stands head and shoulder above others in terms of integrity and demonstrable intelligence, humility and, of course, outreach.

Let us dwell on this last quality for a moment. Appointed a Notary Public by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and a SAN, the highly accomplished lawyer, now with 32 years of practice behind him, worked in the law firm of Murtala Aminu & Co. in Yola, Adamawa State, where he served as chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). After serving for 12 years in the law firm, six as head of chambers, he established his own law firm, Tayo Jegede & Co., in 1996. With offices in Abuja and Yola, the firm thrived and acquired renown. But then his appointment as Chief Law Officer of Ondo State came and he could not resist the urge to serve the people. He has built relationships across the Niger, towering above those aspirants whose experience after their varsity education has never transcended Ondo State. Having built friendships that will no doubt be of help to Ondo State, Jegede possesses unblemished credentials to take it to the next level.

Chairing the Body of Attorney Generals of the Federation, Jegede is a member of the Council of Legal Education and the Body of Benchers. He was a member of the five-man implementation committee saddled with the responsibility of establishing the American University of Nigeria, an American-styled university based in Yola, and served as the pioneer Secretary of its Board of Trustees. As in law, so in education. Jegede is a shining light, and his song a hearer’s delight. No more the swansong of political beggars sprawled in the brimming gutters of fake progressivism, but a song arresting in its beauty and elegance.

Akinwunmi sent this piece from Akure, Ondo state.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Dax wins 5-a-side tourney By olawale olaniyan

D

AX team has won this year’s edition of 5-a-side football competition among the students of Vale College Ibadan.

Dax defeated the two-time winner, Powerpuff 8-3 in the final match of the three day competition which was concluded at the K Centre,

Onireke, Ibadan, last Friday.

The Sailing team beat Lollipops 6-2 to claim the third prize of the tournament which was sponsored by MTN, as well as donations from individuals.

Dax team got N60,000 as prize money for winning the event.

Speaking after the match, one of the initiators of the

German coach linked with Eagles’ job THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), may have settled for a German Coach, Gernot Rohr, to take charge of the Super Eagles five months after the resignation of Sunday Oliseh.

Rohr, 63, is currently working on development programmes for the German Football Association and he is expected to arrive in Nigeria anytime from now to finalise documentation with the NFF. The former coach of Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso is set to be unveiled by the Amaju Pinnick-led board of the federation.

Rohr has already accepted the terms and conditions of the job and is ready to stay in Nigeria and lead the Eagles to the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

A top official of the NFF, who did not want to be named, told Thecable that Rohr is due in the country soon to go through formalities.

Rohr, once coached the likes of Girondins Bordeaux and also has extensive coaching experience on the continent, having coached Etoile du Sahel, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.

tourney, Mayowa Ige said the aim was to engage his colleagues in the area of sports after summer.

“We need to involve my colleagues in the area of football because they always complained of being bored after examinations and I think this is one of the areas we can develop health wise.

“We were determined to stop Powerpuff from claim-

ing this title thrice and thank God we have achieved our aim,” Ige said.

However, Kore Ayoade another initiator of the programme said he was not happy losing the trophy to their opponents.

“We wanted to win the trophy again but in sport, you can’t win everyday. I felt we are the better team, but our opponents maximised their

chances and we paid dearly for our mistakes. I am confident that come December, we will claim our trophy back,” Ayoade said.

Meanwhile, Muyiwa Ige, the father of one of the initiators of the competion said he was very excited by the outcome of the tournament which was injury free.

“We can develop the younger ones through sporting activi-

ties. Football is a team sport, 48 players in eight teams is not an ordinary thing, but they all gave a good account of themselves on the field, but I’m happy that there was no injury throughout the tournament.

“I must give kudos to the sponsor of the tournament, MTN, PUMA among others for their support in the last three edition,” he said.

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Rio 2016 begins

The four-goal hero, Etebo, celebrates one of his goals against Japan.

By Ganiyu Salman

Rio Olympics:

I want gold, not award —Etebo

As Dream Team triumphs in 9-goal thriller

T

HE four goal-hero in the 5-4 victory of the Nigeria U-23 team against Japan, Oghenekaro Etebo has said his target is to help the team win the gold rather than pursuing the highest goal scorer’s award.

Speaking at the post match press conference, Etebo who was given the match ball after the game, said: “Scoring all the goals in this competition and not winning the gold medal would have amounted to a waste of effort and that’s not my target.

Yes, it would be great to see my efforts contributing to the success of the team, but if it will not lead us to the gold, then I don’t want it.”

Etebo further disclosed that the motivating factor in the team is coach Samson Siasia who has played the role of a father to the players even in times when they don’t believe they can do it, and added that the players are motivated to win for him.

Calling on Nigerians to continue to support them, the Portugal based marksman said they were happy to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians who they know were awake all night to watch them play against the Japanese.

Meanwhile, the Dream Team played an interesting first game at the Olympics to earn their first three points in Manaus on Friday.

Despite arriving late for their opening game of the Olympic Games, Nigeria outscored Japan 5-4 in Manaus

courtesy of four goals from Etebo and the strike from Sadiq Umar.

The Nigerians were a late show for the tournament after flight delays meant that Samson Siasia and his team arrived in Amazonia less than seven hours to their first game at the Olympics, 20 years after they struck gold in Atlanta.

Yet, they did not look harried as they dispatched Asian Under 23 champions Japan in a game of nine goals that saw some naive defending early on as the first half ended with five strikes.

Attacker Sadiq, who had a very good game, put the Nigerians in the lead early in the sixth minute when he pounced on a rebound after goalkeeper Masatoshi Kushibiki had blocked a shot from Imoh Ezekiel.

Moments after the restart, Japan won a penalty when Stanley Amuzie’s tackle on Takumi Minamino inside the Nigeria box was deemed too strong.

Shinzo Koroki stepped up to take the spot kick and he slotted the ball past Emmanuel Daniel who dived the wrong way to make it 1-1.

Nigeria would also score immediately after the restart when an Abdulahi Shehu cross found Etebo inside the box, the midfielder escaped his marker to score for his first of the game.

Just as the game got back underway, Japan equalised via Minamino who was set off on a good run by Ryota Oshima who found the Nigeria back line wide open.

Proceedings then eased up as both sides found their defensive discipline with the

frenetic pace of the game.

However, Nigeria would find another opportunity to score late in the first half as Etebo pounced on his own rebound to head into the Japan goal after Umar’s brilliant work inside the box created all manner of trouble for the defenders.

Five minutes into the second half, Umar once again showed his dexterity as he won a penalty after his heel was clipped by a Japanese defender.

Pele unable to light Olympics torch THE presumptive favorite to light the torch at the Opening Ceremony for the

AFCON U-17 qualifier: Emulate Dream Team, Garba psyches up Eaglets NIGERIA’S Golden Eaglets head coach, Manu Garba has enjoined his youngsters to take a cue from the U-23 team’s inspiring 5-4 win over Japan in their opening group B match at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 in the early hours of Friday.

The Eaglets will today face the Junior Menas of Niger Republic in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) U-17 qualifier billed for the National Stadium, Abuja.

The 2013 FIFA World

Cup-winning coach during the team’s last training session on Friday’s morning, tasked the lads to imbibe the never-say-die Nigerian spirit when they take on the Junior Menas today.

“I want to announce to you that our U-23 team early this morning beat Japan 5-4 and this should also inspire us when we play against Niger; the U-23 team showed good spirit and won despite arriving Brazil shortly before the match; we must ensure that we win our own game here

THE 31st Olympic Games began ceremonially on Friday in Rio with Nigeria also among the countries which displayed its flags at the Maracana Stadium, Brazil during the opening ceremonies.

Actions at Rio 2016 had commenced during the week with the host men’s soccer team led by Barcelona star, Neymar settling for a barren draw with South Africa.

Team Nigeria is featuring in eight events at the Games- football (men), basketball, canoeing, table tennis, athletics, weightlifting, boxing and wrestling with 86 athletes.

Table tennis star, Funke Oshonaike, who is attending her sixth Olympic appearance, was made the flag bearer for Team Nigeria during the opening ceremonies, but the official Team Nigeria Captain happens to be John Mikel Obi, as announced by the Minister of Youth Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung.

Dream Team became the first team to put smiles of the faces of Nigerians at the Games following their 5-4 hard fought victory over the Samurai Blues of Japan, in the early hours of Friday in Manaus, a result which placed Nigeria on the ladder of men’s group B soccer table as other group opponents, Sweden and Colombia settled for a 2-2 draw.

However, for the first time since Nigeria made its debut in boxing at the quadrennial Games in 1960, only one boxer, Efe Ajagba, qualified this time and will fight in the superheavyweight class.

Three boxers, including a woman, Edith Agu-Ogoke, it will be recalled, represented Nigeria at the London 2012 Games, but only Edith got to the quarter-final.

Also, reigning Commonwealth Games +75kg champion, Maryam Usman, remains the only weightlifer who will hoist Nigeria’s flag at Rio 2016.

Maryam, who is making her third Olympic appearance, believes she has what it takes to come back with a medal this time.

“The preparation is nothing to talk about; but I am not discouraged, rather I’m taking it up as a challenge to increase the tempo of my training outside the national camp.

“We have been in camp for the past two months training seriously, this will enable me to win a medal this time round and I know that almighty God will support my effort.

“I was in Beijing and London Olympics in 2008 and 2012 respectively, but couldn’t win any medal.

“However, this is another opportunity for me and I must make the difference this time.

“Thank God for exposure at previous Olympics, continental championships and series of trials that has helped me to garner the basic points that earned me this Olympic ticket,” Usman told NAN before the team’s departure.

with as many goals as possible on Saturday,” the former Flying Eagles tactician said.

Meanwhile, Mr Soumou Flavien Serge from Congo Brazzaville will be the referee for today’s game.

He will be on duty alongside compatriots - Bantaba Sabhas Gislain (first assistant), Diawa Triton Franck Audiard (second assistant) and Nkounkou Mvoutou Messie Oved (reserve referee), while the match commissioner is Fred Crentsil, from Ghana.

Rio Olympics is unable to do so. Soccer legend Pele said he’s unable to light the torch because of physical issues.

Pele, 75, scored 77 goals in 91 appearances for the Brazilian national team from 1957-71 and won the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups with the team. His record 541 goals through all competitions is regarded as the world standard.

There also may be an additional factor at play in Pele’s inability to light the torch at the Maracana stadium. Sponsors.

According to Reuters, he told Globo TV earlier in the week that “I have a

contract that I am bound to fulfil,” though he would love to light the torch.

There’s no word if the sponsorship trip has been cancelled because of the same health issues that are preventing him from lighting the torch.

Who could take Pele’s place? Fourth Place Medal offered up some alternatives earlier in the week including basketball player, Oscar Schmidt and Ronaldo, another Brazilian soccer legend.

The Brazilian men’s soccer team left the field to a chorus of boos on Thursday after it opened the Olympics with a 0-0 tie against South Africa.

39

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6 August, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Why I lost shirt to Dosu at Atlanta ’96 Olympics—Babayaro

was an important member of the team. If I had known what I know now, I wouldn’t have acted in such a manner because the gold medal was for all of us. Dosu was, still is and will remain my great friend, brother and we relate very well.

Former goalkeeper Emmanuel Babayaro, one of Nigeria’s heroes at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics, speaks with Goal about how his team stunned the world in the United States of America, what made the team tick and why the country has failed to build on the success two decades on.

The Dream Team clawed back from a two-goal deficit to beat Brazil in the semi-finals. Can you tell us what happened off camera during the game?

At a point when the camera was on me, I was assuring Nigerians that we were going to come back and win. During the halftime break when we were [two] goals down, we were staring at ourselves and I guess it was Taribo West chanting that there was no big deal about Brazil and we have nothing to lose. So in the second half we went into the game with confidence and a fighting spirit. Jo Bonfrere was a masterpiece when it came to substitutions because all the changes he made resulted into a goal.

So each time there was a substitution, we were confident it was going to result into a goal. That was what happened and we won. It was a team of destiny and everyone knew what it takes to represent the country and we were able to work together as a team to achieve a common goal despite our differences.

I

T’s 20 years since the Nigeria U23 team won Africa’s first Olympic football gold. How do you feel being a part of history?

Unarguably, it is one of the defining moments of our career so it remains forever green and the royalty keeps flowing in. We still receive accolades for that feat. You are driving and the policeman stops you, looks at you, remembers you and says you are our Atlanta ‘96 hero. There is a lot of greatness that comes from it because basically, we are being defined by that moment. The likes of Celestine [Babayaro], ‘Jay Jay’ [Okocha] and [Daniel] Amokachi got their best contracts as footballers after the Olympics because they were able to play in the biggest clubs in the world. If you ask us, that is our biggest achievement ever in football.

The team had two home-based professionals in the squad to the Games and you were one of them.

You must be thanking your luck for being among the chosen.

I won my place on merit. Besides, we were coming from a situation where Clemens Westerhof, then Super Eagles coach gave priorities to the home-based players.

You remember that under him, for every starting lineup, you will discover that half of them were home-based talents. Whether home-based or foreign-based, we were given equal opportunities in terms of performances. If you are performing better than your foreign-based colleague, you would be given the spot. I remember vividly that Manga Mohammed almost made the squad ahead of Tijani Babangida but a last minute decision ruled him out. So, having a chance to represent your country was not automatic like it is today, you have to really work hard for it. The team had been in camp for long, we played during the All Africa Games and some of us (home-based players) had made good cases for ourselves even before the foreign professionals came on board. It was just too difficult to push aside the home-based players with many making the trip to the United States before being dropped at the last moment.

So what made the team so thick despite failing to dazzle at the Harare 1995 All Africa Games and a massive underdog going to Atlanta.

Our strength was in continuity because we knew ourselves very well. There was a blend of the Japan ‘93 squad that won the U17 World Cup, Mauritius ‘93 Flying Eagles and Super Eagles, so when we came together, we had already known our strengths and weaknesses and we were able to complement each other. Also, we knew the importance of representing the national team. Unlike other teams, we didn’t rely on an individual player. We

Babayaro

played as a unit and everyone was a potential goal scorer.

Having lost 3-1 to Togo in an international friendly before the start of the competition, I’m sure the team never fancied their chances of even getting to the knock out phase And for our defeat to the Togolese team before we departed for the USA for training, that to me was a crazy moment because we were on break and we had to pick most of the squad on our way to the stadium. People like Jonathan Akpoborie, Kanu and the likes got picked up on the road to come and play the Togo team.

The defeat didn’t mean anything to us because we knew we were not prepared. In the USA where we camped, we perfected our strategies and played some friendly games and never lost any. At the beginning of the Olympics we did not but at a certain point during the competition we felt we can. The hour of reckoning where we believed we could came against Brazil when we lost 1-0 during the group stage.

We felt they were the big names we heard about and saw on television yet, couldn’t do much. We started believing and drew

inspiration from them to beat the likes of Argentina and Mexico to emerge as champions.

You lost your starting role to Dosu Joseph during the championship. Is that your biggest regret?

My only regret at that time was my behaviour because I remembered coach [Johannes] Bonfrere and his assistants coming to apologise to me. I was number one before the start of the Olympics and had an outburst, was mad at the technical crew and even insulted them. Growing up, I discovered that there was a need for me to have stooped in a bid to conquer. Even at that, the coaches gave me the respect of talking to me first, apologise and make me understand their decisions. That showed I

How would you rate the performance of your younger brother, Celestine who was one of the championship’s shining stars?

Atlanta ‘96 was a defining moment in our career and Celestine was no exemption. That was why Chelsea got in touch with him. He was a growing star then, but his exploits brought him to limelight before Chelsea and the likes. He had an excellent tournament and he also scored goals as a defender.

And have you thought of how and why Nigeria failed to build on its 1996 success even as it campaigns in another Olympics two decades later?

That is the shame of our football. The same Brazilians we defeated in the semifinal played in the final of the 1998 World Cup and went ahead to win the 2002 edition. The biggest shame is that the Olympic team did not make it to the 1998 World Cup; it was an entirely different team who qualified us for France. That was where it all began and continued till this moment.

I was number one before the start of the Olympics and had an outburst, was mad at the technical crew and even insulted them.

Babayaro (first left, second row) with members of the Dream Team after their victory in 1996.

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SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST , 2016

Nigeria’s Usman Mohammed competes for the ball with Japan’s Shoya Nakajima during their group B game at the Arena Amazonia, Manaus, Brazil.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES.

Rio Olympics:

Win over Japan, a miracle —Siasia

By Olawale Olaniyan

N

Rio is going to be cool Hosts assure at Olympics 2016 opener amid Brazil tension FRIDAY night’s opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was no shortage of Brazilian samba and showmanship.

An estimated three billion TV viewers around the world watched the three-hour ceremony on Friday night held at the world-famous Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

A total 5,000 volunteers,

500 musicians and 200 professional dancers took part.

“Athens was classical, Beijing was grandiose, London was smart - ours is going to be cool,” said creative director, Fernando Meirelles “The world is very tense and so is Brazil. We are also willing to tell the world to stop attacking our home.

The world is threatened be-

cause of global warming. We are calling for action,” Meirelles continued.

“Smile is the approach the Brazilians have toward life,” said Marco Balich, the executive producer. “Brazil is not a grand nation. They’re saying in this ceremony, we are who we are, with a lot of social problems, a lot of crises in the political system, etc.”

IGERIA U-23 team’s head coach, Samson Siasia has hailed the performance of his players that saw them beat Japan 5-4 in their opening game of the football event of the Rio Olympics barely five hours after arriving in Manaus as a miracle.

He made the remarks at the post match press conference at the Amazonia Stadium, Manaus.

“I just can’t describe what happened today. My boys defied science to win this game; what gave us this game was the mental toughness of the boys. For a team not to train for two days and put up this type of performance is a miracle.

You know that when players are tired they tend to lose focus. That is why we conceded four goals. For now, all I can say is I just want to go and savour this victory with my players,” he said.

On his plan for the next game, coach Siasia said: “We just won a game, we can’t and won’t allow this victory get into our heads. Our target here is to win

the gold and this is just the first step of us achieving that aim. No two games are the same, for me this hurdle is over, when I wake up tomorrow I will then think of my next game.”

Describing the Japanese side as a good side, the former Super Eagles coach added: “The team we defeated is a good side; I respect them for pushing my boys to the limit.”

Siasia refused to speak on the issues that caused him and the team to arrive in Manaus hours before the game, saying the team had put that behind it and was grateful to Delta Airlines for coming to the rescue of the team when they did.

Describing the nine-goal session as a spectacle, the man who coached Nigeria to win the silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics said: “I knew that towards the end of the game my boys were tired and barely managed to hang on. I will not blame any one of them for the goals we conceded. We have put this match behind us. I hope my team sustains this great form and even steps up a gear in our subsequent matches.”

... As Buhari hails Dream Team Leon Usigbe - Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has hailed the Nigerian Olympic football team, Dream Team VI, for their 5-4 victory over the Samurai Blues of Japan, According to a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, he expressed optimism that the victory would ginger the entire Team Nigeria to strive for excellence at Rio 2016.

Buhari hoped that “the victory of Nigeria’s U-23 football team, the ‘Dream Team Six’ over their Japanese opponents in the early hours of this day will serve as an inspiration to the entire contingent of the grand show Nigerians expect from our athletes.

“On behalf of the government and people of our great country, I wish to express my support to our athletes who have arrived in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

“I am particularly delighted by the out-

come of the football match early this morning in which our football team defeated their Japanese counterparts.

“The sweetness of the victory comes from the fact that it came against all odds. Our team overcame several challenges to put up a sterling performance. This is a good beginning.”

Buhari also praised the resilience, hardwork and patriotism that the athletes have put into their preparations.

He added: “I am already aware that you have made personal sacrifices in your journey to the Olympic Games. The motivation comes from strong discipline and the love of the nation.

“As you embark on the search for honours for the nation, I seize this opportunity to assure our Olympians that you have my support and those of all Nigerians.

“Go! Win and return with laurels, I wish you the best.”

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: LASISI OLAGUNJU. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 6/8/2016.