6th November 2016

NO 2,071

SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER, 2016

SPECIAL TREAT

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Nigerian Tribune

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Polity The

Corruption is growing under Buhari

Nigeria:

Still in search of credible elections

5 &2 4 s2 pg

—Balarabe Musa

Pic 1

N200

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Anyaoku, Saraki, others pay tributes to Pa Olaniwun Ajayi pg3

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Ereke Day:

Awolowo Dosumu sues for peace over Alakenne stool pg4 Ebenezer Obey hails Adenuga over Ghana’s highest pgs18&31 honour

Pic 1: President Muhammadu Buhari (second right) with the celebrant, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar (second left); Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (left) and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, during a Durbar to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the installation of Abubakar as the Sultan, on Saturday.

Pic 2: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (holding a staff) and others riding horses during the Durbar. PHOTO: NAN AND STATE HOUSE.

Tragic weekend

pg43

pg43 10-yr-old imprisoned by dad in Ibadan

Again, pastor, 4 others kidnapped in Ekiti pg41

•Boko Haram kills colonel, 4 soldiers 16 stowaways heading •13 persons die in boat, tanker accidents for US arrested in Lagos

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6 November, 2016

40TH ANNUAL EREKE DAY CELEBRATION

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (middle); Chairman 40th Annual Ereke Day celebration (third left), Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; wife of the vice-president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo and other guests, cutting the cake to mark Ereke Day at Obafemi Awolowo Square, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, on Saturday.

From left, Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu; Yeye Olubukola Odumosu and President, Ikenne Development Association, Otunba Olusola Odumosu.

From left, Mrs Olaoluwa Adubifa; Pa Adedapo Onafowokan and Mr Olumide Sofowora.

Sunday Tribune PHOTOS: D’TOYIN

From right, Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran; co-chairman, ANN Plc, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Princess Bisi Sangodoyin and Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo.

From right, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran; Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu and Yeye Olubukola Odumosu.

Chief Adekunle Sofola (left) and Otunba Adesina Adeleke.

From left, Mr Dipo Orepitan; Mr Ariyo Adebayo and Major-General Joseph Soboiki (retd).

From left, Oba Odunayo Solarin; Honourable Fatai Rotimi Akinsanya and Elder Tayo Fadipe.

Members of the New Era Club, Ikenne.

From left, Chief Bola Doherty; Alhaja Mutiat Gbadamosi and Mrs Tokunbo Ogundipe.

olaniwunajayi(1925-2016) Olaniwun Ajayi, a true believer in democratic Nigeria —Anyaoku 3

F

ORMER SecretaryGeneral of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has mourned the passage of a foremost chieftain of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi.

Anyaoku, in a tribute made available to Sunday Tribune, said: “Sir Olaniwun Ajayi’s death represents a loss in the ranks of the original and consistent loyalists to the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political philosophy and leadership principles in Nigeria.”

Describing Ajayi as a true believer in a democratic Nigeria whose unity is built on the recognition of the reality of its diverse component ethnic groups,” Anyaoku praised that the deceased’s long standing dedication to Afenifere and active role in NADECO, which made a seminal contribution to the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

“The articulation of his views in his book, Nigeria, Africa’s Failed Asset, published in 2009, is a confirmation of his patriotism and faith in the future of a suitably structured and governed Nigeria.

“I received the news of the death of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi with shock, because only five days ago, we were together at Ikenne at a meeting of the Selection Committee of the Awolowo Leadership Award, which I chair and of which he was an ardent member. He, as usual, had contributed eloquently to our deliberations and shown no sign whatever of an impending end to his

6 November, 2016

sojourn on earth.

“I express my deepest sympathy to his family,

and to the people of Ogun State and indeed of Nigeria, for the loss of an illus-

trious principled national political actor whose life must remain a source of

FORMER governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has described the death of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi as an immense loss not only to the Yoruba race, but also the entire country.

This was contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo and made available to newsmen in Ibadan, on Saturday.

He noted that the demise of the astute politician at a time when the Yoruba race needed the sagacity of his leadership “is most unfortunate,” adding that Sir Olaniwun lived his life for the greatness of the Yoruba race and a better Nigeria The former governor also stressed that Pa Ajayi gave his all to the emancipation of the Yoruba cause through his tireless contri-

that the late Afenifere chieftain, however, returned to the fray, providing guidance and words of wisdom during the 2015 elections and after.

“He fought the good fight, he ran the race and he was faithful to the end,” Prof.

Akinyemi said, even as he prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased the deserved peaceful rest.

Olaniwun Ajayi as a sad loss of one of the surviving nationalists “whose counsel is needed at this point to solidify the nation’s democracy.”

Saraki, in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, lauded the late Ajayi for his immense contributions to the stability and sociopolitical development of the country.

According to him, “Nigeria is blessed to have had the like of the late elder statesman and passionate

Awoist as one of its leading political elite. It is really sad that we have again lost a progressive and a leader of repute who spent the most productive part of his earthly life working for the common good.”

Saraki commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased, Afenifere, the government and people of Ogun State, the entire Yoruba race and the country in general, over the death of Pa Ajayi, while praying God to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.

His death evokes concern at shrinking number of original Nigerian nationalists —Prof Akinyemi Bola Badmus -Lagos FORMER Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, on Saturday, joined other Nigerians to mourn the passing of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi.

He said his death, beside evoking a feeling of gratitude to God for the gift of longevity he gave the deceased who died at age 91, also evoked concern, regret and sadness at the shrinking number of original nationalists Nigeria had once boasted of.

Akinyemi, in a statement

made available to Sunday Tribune in Lagos, said: “The death of Papa Olaniwun Ajayi at the ripe old age of 91 evokes mixed reactions from one and all.

“That he lived to a grand old age evokes a feeling of gratitude to God for the gift of longevity. But the death also evokes concern and regret and sadness at the shrinking number of original nationalists who were active participants in the early life of this nation.

“They were either active participants or/and eye witness to monumental events that shaped the political landscape of this

nation. And in this age of make-believe historians, their narratives were the most valuable. And now, their rank has diminished by the death of Papa Ajayi,” Akinyemi said.

Akinyemi recalled that Sir Olaniwun was an active participant at the 2014 National Conference till his health made it impossible for him to carry on, noting

Saraki mourns Ayodele Adesanmi -Abuja SENATE President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has described the demise of Sir

butions to the progress and sustenance of Afenifere.

He said that “Pa Ajayi

is one of the few left who are sold out to the Awoist school of thought and did

all he could to keep the Awo political philosophy alive.”

His death, a colossal loss to the church —Methodist Prelate

By Rita Okonoboh THE Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Most Reverend S.C.K. Uche, has described Pa Olaniwun Ajayi as a very committed Methodist Christian, saying his death was a colossal loss to the church.

The prelate, while speaking with Sunday Tribune, said: “He was a philanthropist and a generous supporter of the church. He helped the church in no small way with regard to infrastructural development. In fact, he is known for building a church in his homeland, that is, the Methodist Church, Isara. He built so many structures for the church and in Sagamu including where we train our ministers.

“His death is a colossal loss to the MCN and I am deeply pained by his departure. He is a rare gem and a leader of note.

He is a man of many parts. I enjoin his family and the MCN

to bear the loss with Christian fortitude, aware of the fact that one day it will be our turn. We resign everything to God in total surrender,” Prelate Uche stated.

A good man, forthright leader is gone, says Fayemi THE Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has mourned the death of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, who passed on at the age of 91, on Friday, describing him as a forthright leader with a very rare generous spirit.

Fayemi said the death of Sir Olaniwun came to him as a surprise, because the late Afenifere leader was full of life during their recent meeting, in spite of his old age.

The minister, in a condolence message signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode, described the late Chief Ajayi as a distinguished leader, nationalist, foremost Awoist and a thoroughbred professional who brought a unique touch of excellence to whatever he did.

Recalling his relationship with the late leader, whom he described as a man of wisdom and leader with a huge sense of history, Dr Fayemi said every encounter with the late Chief Ajayi revealed his good nature as well as passion for the unity of the Yoruba in particular and Nigeria’s greatness in general.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo (left) and the eldest son of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Ola, during Chief Adebanjo’s condolence visit to the family, at Isara Remo, Ogun State, on Saturday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

His death, immense loss to Yoruba race, Nigeria —Ladoja

By Dare Adekanmbi

inspiration to our youth.

May his soul rest in peace.”

Sunday Tribune

Olaniwun Ajayi, a patriot, nationalist, says Olusola Oke Hakeem Gbadamosi - Akure THE gubernatorial candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, has described Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, as a patriot and nationalist par excellence, saying “with his passage, another of our bright stars has been dimmed.”

Chief Oke, in a condolence message issued by the chairman of his campaign organisation’s me-

dia and publicity committee, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi,

noted that the late Ajayi, who he described as one

A rare advocate of Yoruba unity has fallen —Gani Adams THE national coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Gani Adams, has described Sir Olaniwun Ajayi as a rare advocate of Yoruba unity, lamenting the exit of the nationalist.

Adams, who stated this on Saturday, said: “Baba Olaniwun is a prodigy of immeasurable value both

to the Yoruba race and the stability of Nigeria as a nation. He was a man who has a cosmopolitan outlook of Nigerian politics in relation to the unity of the Yoruba within a true federalist state.”

He further described Ajayi’s death as an irreplaceable loss to the nation.

of the last titans of the Awolowo ideals, “was a patriot whose progressivism was never tainted till he breathed his last.”

The statement reads in part, “Chief Olaniwun Ajayi was an epitome of steadfastness whose titanic fight and support for the struggle for the emancipation of the Yoruba race was unparalleled. He was a nationalist, a pan-Africanist and a democrat of no mean repute.”

news Awolowo Dosumu sues for peace over Alakenne stool

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OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

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HE co-chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Dr. (Mrs) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, has sued for peace among indigenes of Ikenne-Remo in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State over the Alakenne stool.

Dr Awolowo Dosumu said this in her address as the chairman of the grand finale of the 40th Ereke Day celebrations held on Saturday at the Obafemi Awolowo Square, Ikenne.

This is just as VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at the same event revealed that Ikenne Remo would soon become an industrial hub.

Dr Awolowo Dosumu, in her speech at the annual event, explained that the conflict surrounding the Alakenne stool in the last 30 years required understanding from all and sundry.

The former Ambassador to The Netherlands noted that all issues surrounding the stool must be resolved in the overall development of the town.

“It would be disingenuous of me to end these brief remarks without mentioning the conflict that has ravaged our community for well over 30 years. I refer to the issue of the dispute over the Alakene stool.

“This is neither the time nor place to launch into a narrative about the issues in contention. The goal of resolving conflict is not victory or defeat. It is about

6 November, 2016

reaching understanding and letting go of our need to be right.

“I pray that the peace process that has already begun will take us forward into the phase of compromise and consensus-building and that peace will reign, once again in our beloved town.”

She commended the sense of commitment of sons and daughters of the town towards its development.

Dr Awolowo Dosumu described the annual celebration as a rallying point and unifying force, saying it was an example of the wisdom inherent in the concept of institution-building as a strategy for enduring community service and devel-

opment.

President of Ikenne Development Association (IDA), Chief Olusola Odumosu, said his administration would establish projects that would have positive impact on the community.

Odumosu, however, expressed the displeasure of the entire community over the relocation of Obafemi Awolowo College of Basic Medical Sciences to Sagamu.

He noted that the action by the Governing Council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago -Iwoye, was unacceptable to the community.

He called for the support

of indigenes of the town towards the completion of the Ereke Civic Centre and other projects that would be beneficial to the people.

Father of the day, Dr. Babatunde Onafowokan, told the gathering that the whole essence of the celebration was towards the development of the town.

Onafowokan said that a world-class health care facility would be established soon in the town.

In attendance at the celebration were the chairman of ANN Plc, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran; Chief (Mrs) Bola Doherty, Princess Adebisi Sangodoyin; representative of the Chairman, Dangote Group,

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Sunday Esan; Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN), Chief Kunle Sofola, Mr. Olumide Sofowora (SAN), among others.

Osinbajo, in his brief remarks, said that the town would witness tremendous growth in years to come.

Osinbajo, accompanied by his wife, Dolapo, explained that industries have continued to spring up in the town and solicited the support of sons and daughters to take the town to greatness.

He added that the town had a great history having produced the like of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and several other eminent indigenes, who have distin-

guished themselves in various callings.

“This town is great and it will continue to be greater.

Already, we are beginning to see signs of greatness.

All we are trying to do is to bring industries to Ikenne and I believe that before the end of the year, we will have recorded successes.

“We have a bag training centre here in Ikenne and we are able to export them.

I am looking forward to the cooperation of all to be united to bring this town to the path of greatness.

“We must try to maximise any advantage and opportunity. We have a great history. It is from here that we have the icon, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.”

Highlight of the celebration was the presentation of a brand new car to the winner of the 2016 Miss Ereke Day celebrations, Miss Zainab Agbenla.

EFCC: Abati released on bail Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

From left, Deputy governor of Osun State, Chief Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence; Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat; parents of the bride, Alhaji and Alhaja Kabiru Gbadamosi; Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and his wife, Bolanle, during the wedding ceremony of Aregbesola’s son, on Saturday, in Abuja.

16 stowaways arrested inside ship heading for US FIFTEEN Nigerians and a Liberian were, on Friday evening, arrested while attempting to leave the country as stowaways inside a United States-bound ship.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Saturday, the Search and Rescue personnel of NIMASA in conjunction with officers and men of the Nigerian Navy apprehended the 16 stowaways on the US-bound vessel, MV Colombia River.

The arrest, which was effected on Friday November 4, 2016 at the Lagos fairway bouy, according to the statement, was sequel to a distress signal sent to the Regional Search and Rescue Coordination Centre based in NIMASA which in turn alerted the Nigerian Navy.

It was gathered that the Navy immediately sent its vessel, NNS Karaduwa, to

Sunday Tribune

the location of MV Colombia River where the 16 stowaways were apprehended and one of them sustained an injury on the shoulder while attempting to escape.

The injured stowaway was immediately taken away by the NIMASA Search and Rescue team on its vessel,

NIMASA Benue, to the agency’s Search and Rescue Base Clinic for treatment while the others were taken away by the Navy for profiling and were subsequent handed over to security agencies for further investigation.

According to the statement issued by Hajia Lami

Tumaka, Head, Corporate Communications, of the agency, “the crew of the Hong Kong-flagged vessel had originally thought that they were under attack by armed pirates but preliminary investigation showed that the persons on board the vessel were only intrud-

ers who hid in the vessel to leave the shores of Nigeria in search of greener pastures in the United States.

“The stowaways who also included one Liberian national are in custody and will be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further action.”

3 days to US poll: Clinton leads Trump with 4 points DEMOCRATIC Party candidate, Hillary Clinton has a narrow four-point edge over Republican Donald Trump in spite of a tightening race heading into the final weekend of a campaign.

Likely voters currently break 47 per cent for Clinton and 43 per cent for Trump with three in 10 likely voters saying they had already cast their ballots, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll.

Clinton’s lead, however, is still within the range of

sampling error and similar to Clinton’s 47-44 margin in the previous four-day wave but the largest numerical gap between candidates in the past week of daily tracking.

Similarly, Clinton continues to show weaknesses in the closing days as she trails Trump by five points on the question of which candidate is more honest and trustworthy, and she no longer holds a significant lead among those who have already voted nationwide.

Among those who have not

voted yet, Trump supporters are more likely to say they are following the contest “very closely,” suggesting they may turn out at higher rates.

Clinton benefits from big advantages with many of the groups that fueled Obama’s two elections.

African American likely voters support Clinton by 86 to six per cent over Trump, behind Obama’s 93 to six margin in the 2012 exit poll.

Latinos favour Clinton by 71 to 23 per cent, similar to

a 67-19 per cent margin in Washington Post-Univision News Poll of Latino voters whereas Obama had 71 to 27 margin in 2012.

While the overall gender gap in Clinton’s and Trump’s support is similar to past elections, the divide is particularly stark among younger voters in the latest poll.

Among likely female voters younger than 40, Clinton leads by 59 to 31 per cent over Trump, compared with a 41 to 38 per cent split among younger men.

FORMER presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, regained his freedom on Saturday as he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Abati, who was the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been with the anti-corruption commission since Monday, October 21, over allegation that he benefited from the arms funds scam involving the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd).

He was said to have collected N50 million from Dasuki.

According to Sunday Tribune investigations, Abati reportedly told his interrogators that the money was spent on the media.

EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed Abati’s release to Sunday Tribune, saying that, “It is true; he has been released.”

The commission had penultimate Thursday offered the former presidential aide bail on the conditions that he should drop his international passport with the commission and also present a civil servant on not lesser than Grade 17 as a surety.

As of the time of filing this report, it was not clear on what terms he was released.

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6 November, 2016 PHOTOS: ALOLADE GANIYU

CONDOLENCE VISIT TO SIR OLANIWUN AJAYI’S RESIDENCE AT ISARA REMO, OGUN STATE

Sunday Tribune

FOR THE RECORD

Building institutions for community service and development

By Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu

From left, eldest son of the late Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Ola Ajayi; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Dr Dara Odubogun (nee Ajayi); Mr Foluso Phillips and Dr Kanyin Ajayi, during the condolence visit of Amosun to the family, in Isara-Remo, Ogun State, on Saturday.

From left, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi; General Alani Akinrinade (retd) and former governor of Osun State, Chief Adebisi Akande.

From left, nephew of the deceased, Mr Adebari Ajayi; Ola Ajayi; Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti and Chief Olu Falae.

From left, Bishop of Methodist, Ibadan, Oyo State, Stephen Kehinde; Honourable Pekun Awobona and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

From left, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe; Mrs Mopelola Ajayi and Dr Kanyin Ajayi.

Protocols ET me first of all express my sincere appreciation to the executive council of Ikenne Development Association, under the able leadership of Otunba Sola Odumosu, for the singular honour of inviting me to chair this significant landmark - the grand finale of the 40th Ereke Day Celebrations.

On a personal note, it is truly gratifying for me to be part of these celebrations, having participated, as a member of the Ikenne Progressive Ladies’ Club, at the 1st Ereke Day in 1976 and annually thereafter for many years.

I am very happy to note that the spirit of community that informed the inauguration of the Ikenne Development Association (IDA) is still very much in evidence and has survived the vagaries of time and circumstances.

I am particularly delighted that the IDA continues to be a powerful rallying point and unifying force for all Ikenne sons and daughters to this day. It is a fine example of the wisdom inherent in the concept of institution building as a strategy for enduring community service and development.

At their best, such institutions have the potential for being participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive. I wish to urge the executive of IDA to continue to exhibit all these noble characteristics even more than hitherto.

In addition, I urge them, and of course their successors, not only to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making at all times, but also to be always responsive to the present and future needs of the Ikenne community.

In this regard, as development inevitably inches closer towards Ikenne, by virtue of her proximity to Lagos, and juicy offers of business partnerships begin to flow to the community, permit me to advise that negotiations take the interests of ‘the voiceless’ into serious consideration, and that every effort is made to ensure that those who represent the town at such negotiating tables have the legitimate right to do so, for the sake of posterity.

I trust that the ‘Ikenne instinct’, so admirably extolled by her most illustrious son, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, will be evident in all transactions.

It would be disingenuous of me to end these brief remarks without mentioning the conflict that has ravaged our community for well over 30 years. I refer to the issue of the dispute over the Alakenne stool.

This is neither the time nor place to launch into a narrative about the issues in contention. In any case, in the words of an anonymous quote, ‘when you talk you are only repeating what you already know...’

Furthermore, the goal of resolving

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I trust that the ‘Ikenne instinct’, so admirably extolled by her most illustrious son, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, will be evident in all transactions. conflict is not victory or defeat. It is about reaching understanding and letting go of our need to be right. And why would anyone even consider letting go, you might ask? The answer is, for many reasons, but a few will suffice: •Because the confrontation will continue to create new, unresolved conflicts or agitation and lead to the breakdown of the social fabric of the community and complete chaos.

•Because resentment will continue to grow, creating despondency, distrust and low morale within the community.

•Because groups will become more polarized and the perpetuation of ill feelings will lead to continued deterioration, stalemate and stagnation within the community.

President Bill Clinton’s account of late President Nelson Mandela’s reply to his question about how he (President Mandela) felt towards his jailers upon his release after 27 years’ incarceration goes partly as follows: ‘…I said, ‘Weren’t you really angry all over again?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I was angry. And I was a little afraid. After all I’ve not been free in so long. ‘But’, he said, ‘when I felt that anger well up inside of me I realized that if I hated them after I got outside that gate then they would still have me.’ And he smiled and said, ‘I wanted to be free so I let it go.’

Permit me to end these remarks with one more quote, ‘Every conflict we face in life is rich with positive and negative potential. It can be a source of inspiration, enlightenment, learning, transformation and growth – or (a source of) rage, fear, shame, entrapment and resistance. The choice is not up to (your) opponents but to (you)…’

I pray that the peace process that has already begun will take us forward into the phase of compromise and consensusbuilding and that peace will reign, once again, in our beloved town.

I congratulate the leadership and members of IDA, and, indeed, the entire Ikenne community, for a very successful celebration. I pray that we shall celebrate many more, in peace and harmony. I thank you all for your attention.

Being chairman’s remarks at the grand finale of the 40th Ereke Day celebrations, held at Obafemi Awolowo Square, Ikenne-Remo, on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

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6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

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tribute

6 November, 2016

The bell may toll anytime...

—Olaniwun Ajayi

By Dare Adekanmbi

H

ARVESTED in the early hours of Friday aged 91, frontline Afenifere leader, nationalist, legal icon and Knight of John Wesley, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi saw death coming and prepared for it. He had a foreboding that the death’s icy hands would come for him sooner and thus operated with the Latin philosophy, carpe diem (seize the day). A sense of urgency, almost like never before, had descended on him in the last few months. Whenever and wherever opportunity presented itself, he spoke like a newly inspired prophet on a theme he and his coevals had thoroughly and extensively discussed and mobilised people towards achieving: Yoruba unity.

The jeremiad of the nonagenarian, who was Commissioner for Education and later Health in the defunct Western state between 1972 and 1974, particularly on the state of affairs in the Yoruba over the last couple of decades had been: “What will I tell Chief [Obafemi] Awolowo when I meet him? During the Western Region government, he had envisioned where the Yoruba nation would be 50 years from then. What excuse will those of us who witnessed the 50 years give to him on the state of disunity in the Yoruba nation and the lot of the Yoruba in national political life?”

For the first time in decades, hitherto feuding eminent Yoruba leaders had gathered under a common roof to discuss the plight of the Yoruba nation in the context of the Nigerian Project, among other issues. The centripetal event was the 50th remembrance lecture for Adekunle Fajuyi held in Ibadan in July 2016.

During the meeting, it was gathered that Sir Ajayi summoned Mr Dele Alake, one of the lieutenants of Senator Bola Tinubu and former Lagos State commissioner who was the compere for the event, and told Alake he wanted to visit Tinubu. Alake was said to have replied that Tinubu would rather come and see him than for him to stress an elder statesman to come to his house. But the legal icon was said to have replied, “No. If I wait for him to come and see me, it will not be as fast as I want

our meeting to be. I am 91; [Chief Reuben] Fasoranti is 90; and [Chief Ayo] Adebanjo is 88. The bell may toll anytime.”

Since a majority of the governors in the South-West region are in the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and are deemed to have been largely installed by the former Lagos governor, the choice of Tinubu, to the Afenifere leaders, was most appropriate. The meeting was fixed and he met with Tinubu and the governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode. Sir Ajayi discussed the need to forge an enduring unityamong Yoruba sons and daughters, irrespective of political or religious affiliations and particularly the political elite, in the interest of the advancement of the people. A further meeting with all the South-West governors was mooted at that meeting.

For Sir Ajayi, the meeting was taking too long to summon and he became worried.

He therefore called the Publicity Secretary of the Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, on Tuesday, to see him quickly. Odumakin said, “I was in Ibadan that day when he called and said he wanted to see me. I went to him and spent about three hours with him. He was worried that, after the meeting held with Tinubu, not much has happened regarding the one we scheduled to hold with the South-West governors.

“I called Alake and Papa Ajayi spoke with him, saying, “…Strategy, e yara a [act fast] asiko nlo, asiko nlo, asiko

There is a committee set up to go round the Yorubaland and come back to report to him. He provided the bus and the driver to take members of the committee around.

nlo [time is far spent]. He said this three times. Before then, Alake had told me that Tinubu wanted to return Sir Ajayi’s visit.

“There is a committee set up to go round the Yorubaland and come back to report to him. He provided the bus and the driver to take members of the committee around.

All that will have to be put on hold now.

It is unfortunate that we lost Papa at this time. We never knew he was bidding us farewell indirectly when he was saying asiko nlo,” Odumakin said.

Ardent campaigner for true federalism, restructuring The Isara Remo-born elder statesman lived for ideals that he and his peers inherited from the sage, Chief Awolowo, by crusading an equitable Nigeria, a country where life will be abundant for the citizenry; a country where, from the South to the North, the light of qualitative education will illuminate the dark corridors and bring liberty to the bound; and not a country where arrangements are skewed in favour of a segment to the disadvantage of others.

Consistently, he had called for a return to regional arrangement as guaranteed by the 1963 Constitution, to enable regions develop at their own pace. But towards the later part of his life, he had said “Our problems started from not being constructed properly as a federal country. I agree that corruption must go. There is no country in the world where you don’t have corruption, not even in England or the United States. As far back as 1944, they still bribed people for votes in Scotland.

The magnitude of corruption in Nigeria is beyond measure. Our basis as a country, our foundation is not proper. Nigeria was built on quicksand and that is why the country may collapse.

“Although we now cannot go back to say states should be created as we wanted in the 50’s, we now have six geo-political zones. So, let us give teeth to those zones.

If we do that, there will be peaceful coexistence. When we had the three regions in the 50’s we were making progress. But now we are not making progress. The constitution that was forced down on us

Sunday Tribune

makes the president an Emperor.

“If you go to the 1963 Constitution by which we became a Republic, you will find out that the functions of the Federal Government in that constitution were about 60 in number. But go to the 1978 and 1999 Constitutions, the functions have been increased to nearly 70 if not more because it is they who are in charge.

“The principle of federalism is that there should be no government that will be so strong as to control the other parts of the federation. They should be coordinates, that is to say, each of them having its own function. The president dictates to the governors. He shouldn’t because he has no control over the governors. Every governor is under the control of each state House of Assembly. But the president dictates to them. Of course, the governors have to be dictated to because their hands are not clean; their hands are as unclean as their minds.

Report of 2014 confab as solution To address the problems and ensure the country is founded on a solid base and in accordance with geometrical realities, the frontline leader counseled on the adoption and implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 national confab.“The recommendations are absolutely relevant.

The National Assembly should accept the conclusions of confab and as true and honest patriots give institutional effect to the recommendations,” he had said.

Encounter with the Awolowo family Pa Olaniwun Ajayi, 91, lived for service to humanity and the campaign for a just and equitable Nigeria. He came in contact with Chief Awolowo at a relatively tender age of 21, precisely in 1946, while he was at Wesley College in Ibadan, through one of his friends who lived at a Boys’ quarters in the Awolowo residence at Oke Bola.

“With the passage of time, I was getting to know the Awolowos. Then of course the acquaintance then started to grow and grow till the Acton Group came into being in 1951 and I joined in 1952. At that time, I had left Wesley College and was teaching at Sagamu and I was secretary to various organisations-the Wesley Guild, quarterly meeting of the church and the Boys Brigade.

“So, as the secretary of Wesley Guild, occasionally I would be asked to invite Papa Awolowo to come and lecture us. So, these things made me closer to Chief Awolowo,” he had said.

Sir Ajayi, an author He qualified as a Chartered Secretary in 1959 and later enrolled for a degree in Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science, following which he was called to the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1962. In November of the same year, he founded his law firm, Olaniwun Ajayi & Co (now Olaniwun Ajayi LP). One of the leading law firms in the country.

Sir Ajayi has authored of six books between 2005 and 2015. The books are: This House of Oduduwa Must not Fall (2005); Lady Adunola Ajayi in Retrospect (2008); Nigeria: Africa’s Failed Asset (2009); Lest We Forget (A Memoir) 2011; Isara: Afotamodi, My Jerusalem (2011) and Nigeria: Political Power Imbalance-The bane and change down of Nigeria’s progress and development (2015).

In his expansive living room stands on grand piano which he lamented he could not play, however hard he tried to learn it. He however compensated for that with the purchase of a big organ for the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Isara Remo and paid the organist’s salary and the cost of his accommodation.

8

specialtreat

Recession: Breed dogs, make cool money

By Segun Adebayo

D

OGS are sometimes referred to as man’s best friend and it has been said that every household should own a dog. But has anyone ever told you that you can make a fortune from breeding dogs? If you are one of those undecided about when and how to venture into dog breeding business, then this is the time to start because you are just a few steps away from hitting your goldmine.

While many people have continued to mull over how to feed their families and fulfill certain financial obligations, especially in the current state of the economy, one of the quickest ways to rise above the murky waters of financial backwardness could be dog breeding business.

For N25, 000 or less for a female puppy, one can start the business of breeding dogs and in less than one year, that same puppy would have grown into a full

dog that can start producing its own puppies.

If well fed, a female German Shepherd or Rotweiler could give birth to not less than eight puppies at a time. A puppy, according to market survey could sell for as high as N35, 000 or more depending on the breed.

The demand for different kinds of breeds is on the high side and very little is known to the average Nigerian about this trade. But those who have been in the trade professionally will say that it’s surely a very highearning business.

There are different breeds and types of dogs, all varying in size, body shape and personality. Whatever breed one decides to keep, it is usually a great fun and immensely rewarding. Regardless of the type of dogs one wants to breed for sale, there is surely a market for it.

Buying and selling dogs could be challenging when one considers the stress and attention that it requires, especially when they are

less than four weeks old but the gains far outweigh the pains.

“Since you have decided to breed dogs, you should be willing to handle the mating and birthing of your dogs, which can be cumbersome and somewhat irritating,” said Sola Adeoye, a dog consultant.

He added that “The popularity of the breed, its availability, size of the puppy (Caucasians, Rottweiler and Bull Mastiffs), and colour will determine the price of the puppy. All you need is to raise the capital to start.

Once you have done that, you can rest assured that there is a market waiting for your puppies out there.”

“With N30,000, one could get a female Caucasian puppy while a Rottweiler puppy is usually sold between N40, 000 to N50,000. What you need to do is to make sure the dogs are well fed and are given proper care. If I can buy a puppy for N35, 000, take care of it till it gets to a point where it would start producing puppies and you

6 November, 2016

are lucky your dog gives birth to eight puppies, you can only imagine how much you would have realised at the end of the day after selling eight puppies at N50, 000 per one. It could even increase, depending on the sex of the dog,” he said.

dogs. But one must bear in mind that the way pet dogs are handled and trained is quite different from the way security dogs are trained.

Also, the type of dogs one breeds should be determined by one’s environment and market demand.

Steps to consider when starting the business There are a few steps to consider when starting the business but the number one thing is to have passion for rearing dogs. In fact, if one does not love dogs, the business might seem to be a challenge to you and if perhaps you love dogs so much, then you might also find it difficult to sell your dogs because of the emotional bond between you and the dogs.

Research the market for chosen breed As a starter, one needs to study the market for that breed. How much is it in the market? Who is purchasing it? How popular and important is it compared to other breeds?. Who are your customers? Who are your competitors? How resistant are your breeds to diseases and climate conditions in one’s area? Can one’s chosen breed be sourced locally or would you have to import them? These are examples of some of the questions one must find answers to.

Decide what type of dogs you want to breed Dogs have a wide variety of roles, duties and significance to man. But it will be difficult to satisfy all the niches within the dog business. One can either choose to breed pet dogs or security

Create space in your home for your pups Based on the breed you would be buying, one should be able to create space to

Sunday Tribune

accommodate at least two dogs at the beginning and if possible, a space for a puppy nursery. One must also make plans ahead because puppies are definitely going to grow into full-fledged dogs.

The health benefit of breeding dogs According to Tope Adigun, a vet doctor, apart from breeding dogs to make money, dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than non-pet owners.

Even for those people who do become clinically depressed, having a pet to take care of can help them out of a depressive episode.

Doctor Adigun added that apart from the monetary gains of breeding dogs, keeping them, in some cases, can be more effective than medication.

“Since taking care of a dog requires a routine and forces one to stay at least a little active. The interaction with and love received from a dog an also help people stay positive,” he said.

Ondo PDP: Sheriff has abandoned reconciliation move —Makarfi Muhammad Sabiu -Kaduna THE Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has said that the party would resist any plan to impose any candidate on the PDP in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election.

Makarfi, who spoke in Kaduna State, on Saturday, said that the unfolding scenario as a result of the crisis that emerged from the dispute over Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) approval of the candidature of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate for the governorship election was an indication that Senator Ali Modu Sherriff has

abandoned the reconciliation move in the party.

He accused Sherriff of playing to an alleged grand design by the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), to win the election, saying that his caretaker committee would continue to deploy legal and political means to ensure the victory of the rightful PDP candidate in the state.

Makarfi, who spoke on how Senator Sheriff had frustrated the peace and reconciliation moves in the PDP, said that the opposition party would reorganise itself as a formidable force to be reckoned with in the country within the next six months in order to salvage the nation from the hands of APC. Expressing dismay at the action of INEC in the

preparation for the election, he said: “I don’t know what pressurised INEC to come out with the decision it took”, pointing out that “what I read is that they acted on the orders of a court of law and not on the basis of what they believe was right as a body authorised to know the true status of political parties and the true status of the pri-

MODU Sheriff-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to have lost grip of the North Eastern part of the country, as concerned party stakeholders in the region have urged his faction to withdraw all pending suits and recognise the National Caretaker Committee led by former Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Ahmed Markafi.

The stakeholders, in a communiqué issued at the

end of their meeting held at Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi State, on Saturday, and signed by the conveners, former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna and former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, said this was to pave way for peace.

“We hereby resolve and call on Senator Sheriff to withdraw all pending litigation and recognise the National Caretaker Committee in order to pave way for the party to have an all-inclusive national con-

that matter. So, if a court of law gives INEC some orders that INEC, for whatever reason felt compelled at that time to comply with. It is unfortunate, that no even such court of law in the first instance should give such an order.

“They are ignoring all the other laws relating to regulations and how candidates should emerge. Be

that as it may, it has been our principles not to personalise issues because our judicial system provides for appeal process and we have appealed.

“And we have absolute confidence that the appellate court should be able before the election date, determines the legitimate candidate of the PDP,” he said.

How I fought corrupt influences as minister —el-Rufai Muhammad Sabiu -Kaduna GOVERNOR Nasir elRufai of Kaduna State has revealed that as a former minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he met with stiff opposition from corrupt influences against his attempt to the change of status quo and modus

N/East PDP stakeholders ask Sheriff to withdraw all suits Isaac Shobayo - Jos

maries conducted for the nomination of candidates.

“I want you to recall that we gave INEC relevant notices as stipulated by law, they observed our primaries and they took our nomination. It was reported that the other side did primaries at midnight in Ibadan, Oyo State.

It was not covered by INEC or any authority for

vention that will usher in a new leadership.”

The stakeholders resolved to strengthen consultations at all levels of the party towards finding workable solutions to dispute prevailing and also deepen zonal action.

It was also resolved that the concerned stakeholders would engage other zones towards repositioning the party as a viable opposition platform. They noted that this was necessary for the overall development and progress of

operandi of public service institutions in Abuja. el-Rufai stated this on Saturday at the book launch of his late foster father, Malam Yahaya Hamza’s biography held in Kaduna.

The governor, in his speech entitled ‘Tribute to a father, protector and

democracy.

The communiqué also agreed to set up committees towards actualisation of all resolutions reached, including central working committee, contact and mobilisation and strategy committee.

Those in attendance were former Taraba deputy governor, Umar Garba, Senator Grace Bent, Senator Abdull Ningi, Professor Ahmed Rufai, former Bauchi deputy governor, Abdul Malik Mahmoud, among others.

teacher’ said that with a sound education and the good moral upbringing he got from his extended family: “I was able to cross any obstacle thrown at me.”

According to him: “From Baba, we learnt to work hard and serve with integrity and purpose. He taught us the true meaning of love. Till this day, I consider all of his biological children my own dear siblings.

“With these virtues instilled in me during my childhood, I grew up to become a focused young man. I carried on what I had learnt, to my years of serving the nation as the Minister of the FCT. “When I became the minister, I was determined to change the status quo and modus operandi of our public service institutions.

Of course, my vision for revolutionising the way public service was run was met with stiff opposition from corrupt influences”

el-Rufai said: “I was eight years old when I lost my biological father. Losing my father at such a tender age could have steered the course of my life in the wrong direction, but this was not so in my case. I come from a close-knit extended family so, I wasn’t allowed to feel the void of losing a protector and provider as I was immediately placed in the loving home of my uncle Alhaji Hamza Gidado; Mallam Yahaya Hamza’s own father.

After living with Mallam Yahaya’s father for a few years, I eventually moved in with Mallam Yahaya as I developed a strong bond with his son.

“According to biology, we are cousins because our fathers were brothers.

However, those of you that witnessed the close relationship between me and the late Yahaya Hamza will testify that it was more of a father and son relationship,” he said.

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feature

Kidnapping BUSINESS: When will the hangman get his first convict?

States are responding to menace of kidnapping, but no one has been sentenced to death

When the spate of kidnapping in the country began to reach a crescendo some years back, states across the country began to respond by enacting laws stipulating death penalty. JUDE OSSAI, BANJI ALUKO, CHUKWUMA OPARAOCHA and ANTHONY UBONG report that despite the laws and death penalties for kidnappers in some states with crime rate increasing nobody has paid the supreme price.

T

HEY have no respect for age, social status, or gender. In fact, the higher the calibre of the victims, the more attractive they are to the kidnap gangs because they fetch higher ransoms.

Kidnappers, for several years have held the nation by the jugular, kidnapping whoever they would. Sometimes, they collect ransoms and still go ahead to kill their victims.

In recent times, victims of kidnapping across the country include such high profile personalities like former Finance Minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae; Mrs Margaret Emefiele, wife of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Mrs Adebimpe Ogunlumade, Permanent Secretary of Osun State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planniing; her driver, Oladapo Ajani, and a director from the ministry, Tajudeen Badejoko.

Others are one Pastor Bajomo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Isawo, Ikorodu; mother of football coach, Samson Siasia, Madam Beauty Siasia; a

third republic senator, Patrick Ani; regeant of Akungba Akoko, Princess Toyin Omosowon; Mrs. Mabel Kamene Titi Okonjo, mother of Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Professor James Adiche, father of popular Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie.

Even traditional rulers have not been spared as Lagos traditional ruler, Oniba of Ibaland, Oba Yushau Oseni tasted the bitter pills of the kidnappers. A priest, Rev. Father John Adeyi was killed in cold blood by his abductors despite collecting a ransom of N2 million, before dumping his body in a bush at Odoba village in Otukpo area of Benue State.

Sledge-hammer response As the kidnap saga began to constitute an embarrassment some state governments began to respond by way of promulgating laws to combat the problem with a view to nipping it in the bud.

Miffed by the alarming rate of kidnapping in Lagos

State, lawmakers in the state have begun making moves to deal with the situation by formulating a law that seeks death penalty for kidnappers in the state. If the move eventually sees the light of the day, Lagos would join states like Edo, Ogun and Anambra which have imposed death sentence on kidnappers.

The move is contained in a private member bill sponsored by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, which stipulates that “any person, who kidnaps, abducts, details or captures or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her will, commits an offence, and liable on conviction to death sentence.”

The bill, which is entitled ‘A bill for a law to provide for the prohibition of the act of kidnapping and for other connected purposes,’ recently went through a public hearing Continues pg 12

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6 November, 2016

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life&living Genetically modified maize, others;

how safe are these foods?

Tade Makinde and Collins Nnabuife

P

ROBABLY very few Nigerians have ever heard of the word GMO. It is not unlikely that food would be the last thing on their minds. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism; it is any organism whose genetic material has been altered, using genetic engineering techniques as it applies to food generally.

Mutilated foods as some call it, though alien to Africans who love natural foods, have now been accepted globally.

With land being rapidly taken up by humans, factories and other activities, agriculture is taking a hit, in which domestic and global food production are being affected. Hence, farmers have widely adopted GMO technology to improve food production by increasing yields and durability in crop farming and animal husbandry.

To underscore this practice, the Director of Biochemistry Centre, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Dr. Adewale Obadina, in a recent seminar, emphasised the importance of the new genetic engineering technique, as capable of guaranteeing food security for Africa in the 21st century.

According to him, “Food and Agricultural Organisation has predicted that by 2050, we would need to feed a world population of 9.1 billion people and this requires raising

food production by approximately 70 per cent globally. To address the issue of food production, many farmers have resorted to GMOs in crop production.”

Between 1996 and 2013, the total surface area of land cultivated with GM crops increased from 4.2 million acres to 432 million acres. 10 per cent of the world’s croplands were planted with GM crops reportedly in 2010. In the United States, by 2014, 94 per cent of the planted area of soybeans, 96 per cent of cotton and 93 per cent of corn, were genetically modified varieties.

In recent years, GM crops expanded rapidly in developing countries. In 2013, about 18 million farmers grew 54 per cent of worldwide GM crops in developing countries.

The first transgenic (genetically modified) animal was pro-

“There is nothing magical about GMOs. We breed crops. It is just a new way of breeding crops

duced by injecting DNA into mouse embryos, then implanting the embryos in female mice. Mice, in the early 1980s, are the first transgenic models of human disease, including the first carcinoma caused by a transgene, but the process of genetically engineering animals is a slow, tedious, and expensive process. Rabbits, sheep, and pigs, have also been genetically modified. Transgenic plants have, however, been engineered for scientific research to create new colours in plants, and to create different crops.

Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified, using genetic engineering techniques. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, or environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, or resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. But there have been a lot of anti-GMO campaigns questioning the edibility of the products with some people arguing that it may have an adverse effect on the environment and humans in the future as this new technique comes with its controversies.

Recently, attention was drawn to the technology when the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) issued Continues pg 11

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6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘1 billion people eat GMO foods daily and they don’t fall sick’

Dr Ebegba

Dr Adourhamane

Continues pg 10

a warning to superstores to withdraw any food that contains GMO in it. The NBMA, which is the regulatory agency for biotechnology in the country said that before any GMO product is circulated in the Nigerian market, it has to be certified as safe for human consumption and the environment by the agency.

The Director-General of NBMA, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, admitted that GMO in Nigeria is still new and people should not express fear over it. He added that the National Biosafety Management Agency will ensure that nothing will be allowed into the nation’s environment for consumption without being confirmed safe.

“There has been a lot of fear being created, but which need not be at all because before GMOs are allowed, risk assessment is carried out and so far, none have been found to have any hazardous materials in them.

“The World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation have also not found anything substantially different from the GMOs and their conventional counterparts,” he said.

According to Mr Richard Ajayi, a Lagosbased agriculture consultant, GMO food consumables are easy to identify. “In Nigeria, these are easily recognised by their shiny appearances that laymen would mistake for rubber and home decoration items. Many of the apples, brocollis, avocado pears, corns and so on, as found in many mega stores scattered across the country, are genetically modified.”

Speaking further on the importance of GMOs, Dr Ebegba emphasised that “Generally, the term modified organisms applies to all genetically modified materials both living and non-living. Modern biotechnology is a scientific tool, it is a means whereby genes, that is material of inheritance of any particular character you want exhibited in another organism is being moved into another so that the organism will have the ability to behave in that manner.

“For example, there is this genetically modified maize that is pest resistant. This gene was taken from a particular bacterium

that has been in the soil for over three years among plants, even when you eat raw garden eggs, you are eating the bacteria. It has been confirmed not to have adverse effect either on human or the environment. It has always been there for so many years. So, scientists were able to discover that it has a particular material called gene that can kill insect. That gene was moved from that bacteria and was incorporated into some maize that now have the ability to resist insects so that is called BT maize and that maize becomes genetically modified.”

Also, the West African Head of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Dr Issoufou Adourhamane, speaking with Sunday Tribune on the fear over GMOs said there was no need for unnecessary caution as GMO crops are like other crops in the country.

“There is nothing magical about GMOs, it is just like any other crop; it is just a new way of breeding crops. GMOs are like, for example, I want to plant cowpea, but it does not have resistance to a particular pest, but yam has resistance to that pest. I can take the resistance gene from yam and put it into cowpea and it works. So it doesn’t create problems,” he said corroborating Dr Ebegba’s view.

At a popular retail outlet in Ring Road, Ibadan, Sunday Tribune noticed that only very few customers patronised the vegetables and fruits department for the one hour our reporter stayed there. A customer who came around when an attendant was talking to Sunday Tribune joined in the conversation.

According to him:”My wife has warned me that I should stop buying modified vegetables after she was told by a doctor that what is being used to preserve them (fruits and vegetables) has proven to be dangerous to insects and even animals. She said insects cannot eat into them like they do natural products, so what is likely to happen to human beings if, in future, we are wrong about the benefits.”

The lady attendant said though she was not aware of the recent government warning about GMO, she assured the worried customer that “we are not doing anything

illegal.” As several customers continued to pick GMO products from the shelves, not minding whether they were about to expire or not, the attendants at the mega shop said the products that had the ‘green-whitegreen mark were produced in Nigeria, while those without the identification tag were brought in from South Africa, Kenya and Botswana.

Laying to rest the health issues raised about GMOs, Dr Adourhamane of the AATF said before GMO crops are released, they undergo at least five to ten tests to ensure they are safe for human consumption adding that to feed the growing world population GMOs must be applied to modern agriculture.

“We do it for every variety even if it is not GMO because some crops contain a lot of toxins like tomato, potatoes, cassava. Natural crops may be more toxic than GMOs. But people should not be afraid. More than one billion people eat GMOs around the world daily and they have never fallen sick. We have been altering genes since we started planting crops. The process of Agriculture is to alter genes. Except we want agriculture research to stop, then we can stop altering genes, but if it must continue, we will continue altering genes,” he said.

In order to help Nigerians identify what they are buying at the stores, Dr Ebegba of the NBMA was of the opinion that there should be identification tags on the products on the shelves. “Stores that sell the GMO products should always indicate it on the

My wife was told by a doctor that what is being used to preserve them has been proven to be dangerous

products, so that Nigerians will know what they are buying. “The public should not misunderstand the statement from the agency.

What the agency said was that those Genetically Modified Organisms that were not approved by the agency would not be allowed in the Nigerian market or the environment. ”The idea of people saying that NBMA is shutting down any superstore, (and again they started mentioning the names of superstores), but we didn’t mention the name of any superstore. Nobody is shutting down any superstore, all we are saying is let them comply and if they don’t comply, there are provisions on the act which we said we will apply,” he said.

He added that NBMA’s investigation of some mega shops over the importation of GMOs into the country was to further confirm that the GMOs in the stores are not the bad ones because “from where they are coming from, they may have been safe for those countries, but we have to do what we need to do to ensure that Nigerians are safe.”

He also said that during the meeting with operators of superstores in the country, the agency asked them to withdraw the products until a proper test was carried out by the agency to ensure that they are safe for human consumption.“The meeting we had with superstores was just to tell them that there have been a lot of public concern that there are some GMOs in superstores and we have carried out a survey and we have evidence to show that there are suspects (sic) in those stores. Why we call them suspects is that we are still going to confirm.

Another issue raised by critics of GMOs is that the seeds of GMO crops cannot be replanted or that some in fact are seedless, adding that during the farming season, the farmer will need to buy new GMO seeds to plant, which may cause Nigeria to depend on other countries for seeds.

However, Mr Ajayi, the agric consultant, debunked the statement, assuring that biochemistry could help solve food problems more than it has been imagined. “Biotechnology is useful to man particularly in the areas of genetics and forensic analysis to determine the cause of death of plants and animals. If well applied, we won’t be at the mercy of any farmer for seedlings.”

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6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘I will sign death warrants of convicted kidnappers’

Kidnappers of Chief Olu Falae Continued from pg 9 involving major stakeholders in Lagos.

Attempt to kidnap was also criminalised under the bill and it was suggested that such a person would be committed to life imprisonment.

The bill also kicks against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person under section 4, and this attracts seven years imprisonment.

Furthermore, the bill provides that any person, who knowingly or willfully allows or permits his premises, building or a place belonging or occupied to which he has control of, to be used for the purposes of keeping a person kidnapped is guilty of an offence under the law and liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of 14 years without an option of fine.

‘I will sign death warrant’ But while Lagos is seeking to formulate a law that will decisively take care of kidnapping, Edo State already has a law in place. While signing a bill seeking to pass death sentence on kidnappers in Edo State in October 2013, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said, “as reluctant as one would want to be in matters of life and death, I am convinced that the overriding public interest now dictates that we invoke the maximum penalty available in our law to all those involved in the act of kidnapping.

Anyone sentenced and convicted, I will sign the death warrant.”

Declaring that the penalty applies to all stages of kidnapping, Governor Oshiomhole reiterated that whether the victim dies in captivity, in the process of being kidnapped, or while being rescued, the penalty remains the same.

Many residents of Edo State reportedly expressed joy at the proclamation of the law as the state had hitherto witnessed some high-profile kidnapping such as those of a magistrate; a famous transporter, Chief Osamede Adun, lecturers of tertiary institutions in the state, clerics and students. However, those who had thought that the law would end kidnapping in Edo State were wrong.

Not long after the passage of the law,

human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, was kidnapped as well as several others who were not high-profile personalities.

It is now three years since the bill was passed into law. It is also three years since many have been waiting to see the first person to face execution for crimes relating to kidnapping.

According to a Benin based legal practitioner, Mr Olayiwola Afolabi, some kidnap suspects found guilty in Edo State have been condemned to death but the cases were under appeal.

“Many people have been condemned to death for kidnapping. They have appealed and it will reach the Supreme Court. Until the Supreme Court okays it (the sentence), the case will lingers on.”

The same legal encumbrance may have prevented the second leg of the Antikidnapping Law--demolishing of houses where victims of kidnapping were held.

Sunday Tribune investigations show that no house used by kidnap suspects has been pulled down three years after the passage of the law.

Many residents, however, feel that kidnapping has reduced in the state with the promulgation of the law. One of such persons is a journalist and public affairs commentator, Osehobo Ofure.

“To the extent that the law has been en-

We have had enough laws in our statute books that provide for various degrees of punishment for various offences. I think the real challenge is about law enforcement

Cross River State has also signed into law the act prohibiting kidnapping in the state and is set to punish kidnappers, their sponsors, accomplices, including pretenders who want to extort money from others. Excerpts from the law states: The Cross River State House of Assembly enacts as follows 1. (1) A person who takes another person, abducts or by any other means of assault, instilling fear, or tricks, takes another person with intent to demand ransom or compel another to do anything against his or her will commits an offence of kidnapping.

(2) Kidnapping or Abduction includes the unlawful removal or exportation of a person from any place where he or she is, to another place where he or she is found, or the unlawful confinement of a person in any place without his consent with any of the following intentions or purposes – (i) to hold for ransom or reward; (ii) as a shield or hostage; (iii) acted, kidnapto facilitate the comping has been mission of a felony; (iv) checked in Edo to inflict bodily injury State because of on or terrorize the victim the death penor another; (v) to interalty. Before the fere with the performance coming of the law, Governor Adams Oshiomhole , of any governmental, politicases of kidnapping Edo State cal or private function; (vi) to were quite high. Everyinterfere with the person’s business body will agree that there or the business of another; or(vii) other has been a drastic reduction acts that may be injurious to a person or today.

“In that law, government promised to organization.

2. Any person who contravenes Section demolish houses used by kidnappers, but we are yet to see that or hear of such cases. 1 of this Law – (a) where the life of the person kidI think there is a snag there. Otherwise, I can confidently say that incidence of kid- napped, abducted or seized is lost in the napping in Edo has truly reduced. There process is liable on conviction to death by is no law that can completely obliterate hanging without an option of fine; or (b) where the life of the person kidany crime. There is a law against embezzlement of public fund in Nigeria. Has it napped, abducted or seized is not lost in stopped corruption in this country?” he the process is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life without an option of said.

A civil servant, Flora Hosu, also shared fine.

3. A person who attempts to kidnap or the same opinion, pointing out that kidnapping, at a point in time, was reported abduct commits an offence and is liable on a daily basis in Edo State, adding that on conviction to 20 years imprisonment “while the problem is still there, one must without an option of fine.

4. (1) A person who aids or abets anadmit that kidnapping has dropped in Edo. I believe by the time somebody is other to kidnap or abduct under this Law actually committed to death for kidnap- commits an offence and is liable on conping, it will indeed send a sting message viction to life imprisonment without an to would-be kidnappers that death awaits option of fine.

Unfortunately, till date, none of those them if found guilty.”

Other states in the country have also in- who had been convicted of kidnapping troduced laws banning kidnapping. One in these states have been punished with of them is Rivers State which did so in the death penalty. In fact, it is very clear 2015. The law, Rivers State Kidnap (Pro- that even before now, state governors had hibition) Amendment Law, 2015; accord- been reluctant to sign death warrants and ing to the governor, Nyesome Wike, states the death penalty for kidnapping has now that, criminals convicted for kidnapping become an albatross for state governors to and those acting as accessories to kidnap- carry out.

Governor Oshiomhole, while signing ping will forfeit their assets, funds and the law in 2013, was reported to have said: proceeds from kidnap.

Enugu State whose anti-kidnapping “We have had enough laws in our statute law punishes kidnappers, including their books that provide for various degrees of collaborators under section 315 (2) of the punishment for various offences. I think Criminal Code. Cap. 30, Vol. 11, Laws of the real challenge is about law enforceEnugu State of Nigeria, 2004 as amended ment and dealing with the problem of impunity. Laws will be worthless if we do not in 2009.

The 2009 amendment states that kid- have the capacity to apprehend, interronapping is now punishable with death in gate, persecute and interrogate criminals and invoke the full weight of the law.”

Enugu State.

13 Continued from

A

6 November, 2016 last week

FTER launching the free primary education programme in the morning twenty-five years ago, I also did a radio broadcast to the people of the Western Region, on the night of the same day. I concluded the broadcast with the following words: ... The opportunity which the Government of this 0Region offers to all of us in the way of education of our children is far-reaching. I appeal to all of you to seize this opportunity in real earnest, I do not at all minimize the problems that are bound to confront us as we proceed with the execution of all our educational schemes, But if all of you will co-operate, in a spirit of, willing-ness and loyalty, with the Government, the task of tackling and solving any problems that may arise, will, God being our helper, be considerably lightened, This appeal which was made twenty-five years ago inures today for each of our five States, and for any State in the Federation which may wish to embark on the Scheme of free education at all levels.

As the Scheme unfolds and progresses, difficulties of various kinds will be encountered. There will be administrative, executive and financial difficulties, among others. But the knottiest of them all is the financial difficulty.

Even, this, like the other two can and ought to be tackled vigorously and solved, The country has enough manpower and financial resources to cope with its social and economic problems including in particular the introduction of free education at all levels. But of course it all depends on what we regard as national priorities, and on how our resources are husbanded and deployed for the greatest good of all our people without any discrimination whatsoever.

In this connection, it is imperative that all the relevant arguments should be mustered and directed with unrelenting and unabating persistence, at the “densely-compacted intellect” of the Federal Government to the end that it may awaken to the very urgent need for promoting the immediate introduction of free education at all levels, free health care, integrated rural development, and full employment of our human resources throughout the country.

There is one and only one primary and over-riding objective which all the twenty Governments in our Federation, and all the leaders in the country must recognise: it is the full development and full employment of every

Awo’s thoughts PATH TO NIGERIAN GREATNESS

On the campaign trail Innovations and progress in former Western Nigeria

Nigerian citizen, This objective, to the exclusion of any other, deserves to be given first priority in all our national endeavours. Any policy or programme which relegates this objective to the second place is sure to come to grief, and to fail woefully in its bid to advance our economic development, and to promote social justice and political stability.

No one in his senses has ever denied and can ever deny that man is the sole dynamic in nature. He is the innovator in any economy and at any stage of human advancement. He is the producer of all raw materials and secondary goods; he is the distributor, exchanger and final consumer of everything that is ever produced. In all of these activities, he alone has the capacity to make or mar: nothing else on earth has. Man, is ordained to have dominion and be monarch over the earth. The vagaries of nature and the acts of God which now and again affect him adversely, do so because of his lack of sufficient knowledge to eliminate such causes when he ascertains them or to cope successfully with their effects.

The point in controversy as far as some people are concerned is whether man’s development should have or should not have priority over the development of natural resources into raw materials and then into secondary goods for man’s final consumption.

Sunday Tribune

In this regard, there is a feudalist-capitalist veil which has, for centuries, and until recently, obscured the prime importance of the developed man in economic development process, in any kind of development process, for that matter. The Japanese were the first to peep seriously behind the veil; and the U.S.S.R was the first to tear the veil asunder; and both of them have thus revealed that the prime mover, the prime dynamic of all development or advancement - be it economic, social or political - is the developed man. Accordingly, they have both given the prime of place to the development - that is, the education and health - of everyone of their respective citizens.

Look in whichever direction you like, and you will see for yourselves that in the long saga of man’s multifarious adventures, nothing worthwhile has been initiated and achieved without the motivating impulse and sustaining direction of the man of education, science, and technology. From the earliest days of man, and centuries before the establishment of institutions for formal education or health care, we see the slave-owner and feudalist, in all parts of the world, taking great pains to develop his offsprings, while he sedulously forbids similar facility for his slaves and serfs.

The early capitalists also took after the feudalists whom they had displaced. They made sure that their own children were sufficiently developed to take over from them, and that the working classes and their descendants remained as mentally underdeveloped as was compatible with the functions and operations they were called upon to perform.

Some of us do speak glibly, indeed thoughtlessly, of the industrial revolution in Britain as being the precursor of Britain’s rapid economic development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

But such people carelessly overlook the fact that, without the men of education, science and technology, like Richard Arkwright, James Hargreaves, Revd Edmund Cartwright, James Watt, and a multitude of others, the Industrial Revolution could not have taken place. Some of the main characteristics of the Revolution can be mentioned as proof of this assertion. These are: 1.) the discovery and utilisation of new energy sources; 2.) the invention and fabrication of new machines and other mechanical devices; 3.) and the invention and development of faster forms of transportation and communication.

To be continued

AFRICAN NEWSPAPERS OF NIGERIA PLC Founders: CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO GCFR, SAN (1909 - 1987)

Chief (Dr) H.I.D Awolowo CON (1915 - 2015)

Chairman Rev. (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran Co-Chairman Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Edward Dickson Controller (Business Development) Fola Oke

Ibadan Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08077227269; 08034135733 Lagos Office (Advert Hot Lines): 08055333067; 08033013177

Abuja Office: Suites G2. 05-07, PEB04 Plaza, Plot 2027, Dalaba Street, Beside NAPTIP Headquarters, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja Advert Hot Lines: 08033199716; 08078891797

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Contact: sundaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com or call:08050498483

14

voxpop

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Who will you choose: The one that

loves you or the one you love?

Choosing a life partner is an important decision. DEOLU ADEMUYIWA and FAUSAT NASIR ask people who they would choose between partners whom they love but do not love them or the ones who love them but they don’t love in return.

OWOYEMI OLUSHOLA There is no way I will marry somebody that does not love me. The person I will marry must be 99 per cent in love with me and I will love her 85 per cent. If my love for her is too much, there will be a problem. I will not marry her if she does not love me.

BAKARE OLANIPEKU The best option for me is to marry the lady that loves me because of my future. She will always be there to care and support me, unlike the one that I do not love.

FERDINAND EKPO In this situation, I do not know what to choose. But I will definitely marry the person that loves me in return.

CHIDOZIE AMAAECHI I will rather go for someone I love and who loves me in return. As for me, even if she is the only lady available for me to marry, I will rather be single rather than marry someone that I do not love and who does not love me.

KENEDY OWUSU This is a serious question. I cannot marry the person that does not love me and that I do not love either. I will rather marry someone that I love. That is the best choice for me.

OLUSHOLA GOLD The marriage can never work.

It is a little bit complicated.

As a natural man, you have to reason. If a man and a woman do not love each other, I do not think they should get married.

Even the Bible states clearly that husband should love their wives and wives should be submissive to their husbands. The purpose of marriage is for couple to love each other.

ANUOLUWA DAMMY I will choose the person that loves me but who I don’t love because I can still develop emotional feelings for him with time.

MUYIWA TEMITAYO I can marry the person I love as a man. There is the tendency that I might develop an interest for her. Things might work out and she would know what I like and what I dislike. I am currently in a relationship and I do not love my partner, but she really loves me and I believe that things will work out later.

BOSE ADEBIMPE I will go for the person that I love but who does not love me because he will later love me when I convince him. I know he will love me for sure.

OLUWASEGUN OKE I will go for someone that loves me because gradually, I will develop an interest for her and the relationship will definitely work.

A D J A H ADJAH That question is very dicey. Well, if I go for either, it will culminate in a disastrous problem. I can’t ever choose any of the two.

CHIOMA AKPA I will remain single because there is no point in getting married to the person that I do not love. It will end in a divorce and I will not be happy with that.

BABATUNDE BADMUS I cannot marry either, I will rather remain single. Marriage is not easy. Even if I marry someone I love and who loves me in return, it will not be easy talkless of marrying someone that does not love me and who I do not love.

ADEOLA JAYIEOBA I will go for the person that loves me but who I don’t love because with time, I will develop love for him. If I go for the person that I love but who does not love me, that will be a big problem for me.

OLAJIDE PELUMI I will marry the person that loves me but who I don’t love because if I go for the person that I love but who does not love me, I am not sure if he will ever love me.

PRINCE DAYO I will marry the person that I don’t love but who loves me because I may still see some thing I will like about her. But I can quit anytime if am tired of the marriage.

If I marry the person that I love but who does not love me. I will be the loser because she may leave me. That means I am in bondage.

BABATUNDE HASSAN I can’t marry the person that I do not love.

I cannot know whether she loves me or not.

She might be pretending.

15

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

I’ve not seen what I want in any man —Linda Ikeji

Linda Ikeji needs no further introduction as her popular blog in her name is a toast to many people. In this interview granted during the launch of Linda Ikeji Media in Lagos State, she speaks on her controversial life, among other issues.

SEYI SOKOYA brings Excerpts:

H

ow will you describe your journey from a hustling model to a popular blogger?

It has been definitely amazing; I didn’t expect to be here today, because I didn’t have an idea that this kind of business really exists when I started hustling. Much later, the first thing I came across on social media was blogging before twitter or Instagram and the rest. To be honest, the last thing that came to my mind when I started my blog in November 26, 2006 was that it was going to change my life as much as it could and a platform for me to be creative because I love to write. It is really amazing for me because it is not something I envisioned to become a reality in last five years.

I am extremely grateful to God for the divine help because there are many bloggers out there, but I found grace to have come this far and how it has transformed my life for good. Though I still have regret not making headway in modeling, I have always been a hustler I went for several modeling competitions and beauty pageants. I went for Miss Nigeria in 2003 and that was one of my worst days because I already made it to top 10. I felt so bad because I had already planned my life around it and the project I would do with it if I won without knowing that God had better plans for me.

Continues on pg16

I’ve stopped smoking Marijuana —Runtwon

I was scared of returing to acting — RMD

Now that Iyanya has joined Mavins...

16

6 November, 2016

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

people that have in-depth knowledge of stories. Sometimes I have to change some things when I go through comments.

There are people who actually experienced it and have full detail of what actually happened. I also learnt the importance to verify stories or quote the source I got the stories from so as not to lose trust and credibility, especially for those that rely on our news judgments.

Continues from pg15

Blogging was not popular when you started in 2006. What really attracted you to it then?

As I said earlier, I didn’t know that anything was called blogging because I never heard of it. Then, I was already becoming a little popular in some quarters with modeling which made Bella Naija and a friend in the United Kingdom wrote about me. I guess Nigeria in diaspora were familiar with (my work). She sent me the link to the story and I felt ‘what is it?’ when it is not a magazine or newspaper. I went online to read and that was my first encounter with blogging or to do anything of such online except checking my emails. I am bold to say it anywhere that Bella Naija was the first person to write about me and I was amazed with the comments.

I would say that it was a beautiful experience for me. I went there the next day to read more comments and other stories. I kept visiting the site for about four months and through that I discovered other blogs. I enjoyed the whole experience because writing and sharing stories and experiences had always been my passion because I have always wanted to be a journalist. At a point, I felt that I can start my own blog which I did and this is where we are today.

Do you feel loved or hated from the feedback you get?

I would say that it is a combination of both; I get a lot of hate and love, but I try as much as possible to hold on to the love because I know that the hate is coming from a different place. Initially, I wonder why people who have not seen or met me would make comments about me, but I have grown a thick skin that I don’t get offended with negative comments about me. I understand why Wizkid or Olamide are lashing out at me because I wrote something about them. I understand that the place where some negative comments are coming from, but it is not my fault, especially when reporting a situation or people’s experiences, especially when they are frustrated. But I want people to also understand that I have been through frustrations too.

At what point did you discover the turnaround in the blogging business?

The secret is that when you are passionate about something just ensure to put your all in it. Immediately I started blogging in 2006, I was passionate about it and very consistent till 2010 and it didn’t occur to me that I have built a very big followership in that line and brands were watching. I have already had thousands of people following me as of 2010, which impressed me but I didn’t know that it could translate to money. I found it very strange when I was paid. I didn’t even know that others were charging then. I later got an advert rate and thing started to forming shape.

You must have experienced many challenges as a successful blogger. Could you recall your worst day ever in this business?

I have had a lot of challenges as a blogger, but I have not allowed that to kill my passion because this has always been my dream while growing up and, above all, I have found fortune in it. The worst challenge I can remember was on September 19, 2010; on my 30th birthday. I was broke, angry and frustrated owning to the fact that I have been blogging for very long time and was still struggling and borrowing money. I was really depressed and angry with myself. Despite all complaints and cries I still open my laptop to do my thing, not knowing that was where God was leading me to and after my 30th birthday, my life turned around for good.

Linda Ikeji have become a household name through negative and positive and even controversial news you have published in recent times, especially with artistes, could you share your relationship with them, mostly with Wizkid?

I don’t want to talk about Wizkid. To be honest, I have a cordial relationship with a lot of entertainers. In fact, I keep good relationship with a few of them until recently that I was careless with the stories I wrote and apart from him, I have not had any big issue in the last few years. The only person that threatened was he, but it doesn’t scare me because I do more good for them than bad and some of them acknowledged the fact that I have been able to help them through my platform. But the negativity that comes with blogging is fine because it comes in a mixed reaction. I have been doing this for 10 years and if by now I am not used to system or the backlash, I think I should get out of it. This is one of reason I don’t want to be necessarily friendly with celebrities because it will be so hard to write about them. See, I would have been in the hiding if I choose to write negative things about people. I make more money writing positive stories than the negative ones that will, at the end of the day, come with petitions.

Would you accept the claim that you are the richest blogger in Nigeria?

Yes. The feedback I get from many clients also confirmed that. In all modesty, I make more money than other regular bloggers because 98 per cent prefers me compared to

‘I still regret not winning Miss Nigeria’ others. Statistics of the online appraisals also give a clue to this.

What have you learnt so far in terms of news reporting?

It has thought me to be really careful and professional in reporting because as much as you know, there are some

I don’t want to talk about Wizkid. To be honest, I have a cordial relationship with a lot of entertainers. In fact, I keep good relationship with a few of them until recently that I was careless with the stories I wrote

10 years after, you are transforming from a blogger to full media personnel, don’t you think you would be distracted?

The truth is that I have been blogging for 10 years and I am bored, so, it came as a result to the fact that I wanted to do something else. I am 36 and this is the time I have the energy to engage in a lot of things as well as diversify. At present, I have about 30 staff and I have delegated responsibilities. I am blessed, surrounded with dedicated and creative people. I have refused to limit myself in a particular box; this could be one of the reasons I hardly get six hours of sleep. What brought about Linda Ikeji Social (LIS) was the fact that I want people to have a different experience on social media because people engage a lot on social media platforms and I have created a medium that is encompassing. With LIS one can fuse news reporting and network socially; there are a lot of benefits on the platform.

I believe we all have a responsibility to share things we witness that we feel could bring about change in our society. We will now buy stories inasmuch as it is exclusive and authentic.

Meanwhile, it will not clash with my regular blog.

Could you shed more light on what really influenced the video you posted recently online revealing some personal things about yourself?

That was on my last birthday and I was thinking that I wish I had known that I am married. Unknown to many people, it has always been my wish to marry not earlier, but now.

Though I am getting quite a lot of proposals from men, the the claim that men run away when you are successful is a lie. This is when they chase you the more, but unfortunately I have not seen what I am looking for in a man.

To be honest, it is not that men are scarce, but the type of man that we women are looking for is scarce. I want a man that I can look up to: a person that can inspire and motivate me, someone who has success in his own career and a person I can learn from. No, I cannot marry a poor guy. He doesn’t have to be rich but he must be successful in his own way and I have not come across the person.

My standard was extremely high when I was 30 and I was so focused on my work and very ambitious. I decided not to focus on concentrate on marriage because I felt it will draw me back until recently I told myself that ‘Linda, you are 36 and you are very close to 40; what are you doing about it?’. Now, the three things that I will what in a man are: successful, good man, who has to be very supportive, but if he tries to stifle me I am out and lastly, you know some men are too troublesome, especially those that like to eat groceries well.

Why do you choose to be controversial?

I don’t need to be told that I am seen as a controversial person and I don’t have any problem with that. The truth is that I don’t go out of my way to look for controversy. I think that I am being misunderstood. Now there is Linda the blogger and Linda as a person. Personally, I would not have paid attention to something if I was not a blogger because I don’t care. But as a blogger, I have to pay attention to gossips. I want people to have a clear understanding of me as the blogger and a woman.

17

razzmattazz

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Seyi Ajo speaks on new album, ‘Unstoppable Glory’

By Segun Adebayo GOSPEL singer and music producer, Seyi Ajo, has concluded plans to launch his second studio album.

Ajo, who started his music career in 2002 as a producer, was the brains behind the albums of a number of gospel singers such as Lanre Teriba, King Rocker, Dare Melody, among others.

While speaking with R on his latest project, Ajo, who is a sibling to the Ajogbajesu twins, insisted that releasing his second studio album would be a dream come true, adding that he had waited four years to do a proper research on what next to do with his music career before bringing the dream to life.

The seven-track album, according to Ajo, featured the Adegbodu twins and Femi Solar and would be launched November 13 at Ozbek Plaza,

Based Civic Centre, Iyana Church,Ibadan, Oyo State.

Born into a family of musicians, the light-skinned singer said his album preaches patience, perseverance and love.

“I have delayed the album till today because I want to give my fans the best. Over the years, I have produced songs for Lanre Teriba, King Rocker, Dare Melody and a host of others, but the responses I have been receiving from those who have listened to the songs I have produced have been very positive.

“People have called me to release my secondf album and that’s why I have been working on this new album, which would be launched next week Sunday,” he said.

From right: Associate Editor, Saturday Tribune, Mr Wole Efunnuga; presenting a copy of the 1949 edition of Nigerian Tribune to the Chairman, Impact Business Radio, Mr Owolabi Oladeji. With them are Mr Wole Erinfolami of the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and the Dean, Business School, Alhaji Abiola Alli during a courtesy visit to the Tribune House, on Friday. PHOTO: PETER OYEBANJI

IBR honours Awolowo Nov 25

By Seyi Sokoya

T

HE management of the Nigeria’s first business radio station, Im-

pact Business Radio, led by its founder and president, Mr Owolabi Oladejo, has revealed plans to honour the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He would be honoured with a posthumous award as the “Yoruba Legend, South West Visioner”, among other people that would be rewarded for

Mike Ezuronye set to release first movie

By Segun Adebayo FRONTLINE actor, Mike Ezuronye, is adding another feather to his cap as he has concluded works on his debut movie as executive producer.

The movie, which is entitled, Bro Jekwu, has been described as ‘ambitious comedy’ and was largely shot in Kenya.

Bro Jekwu is the story of a village champion who is for-

tunate to make it to Kenya on the bill of his cousin.

His encounter with people of the underworld and two beautiful ladies led to series of comic events that added twists and bends to the plot, making it one of the funniest movies from Nollywood in recent times.

Ezuronye, who played the role of Brother Jekwu with larger than life image and

When Governor Ahmed celebrated with Baba Latin

By Seyi Sokoya NOLLYWOOD celebrated actor cum producer, Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Baba Latin, could not have asked for more birthday celebration last week in Ilorin, Kwara State, when he celebrated his birthday among his colleagues and friends with kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, joining the celebration.

Though his birthday coincidentally fell to the week of TAMPAM convention in Ilorin, which made the celebration a sort of carnival as his colleagues including the president of the association, Dele Odule, FashLanso, Madam Saje, Ebun Oloyede-Olaiya, Dimeji Ijaduade, Ronke Oshodi– oke, Odunlade Adekola, among others were all on hands to celebrate with the

comedian in the presence of the governor “It is a pleasure to have my birthday celebrated among my colleagues and friends and what more can I ask for, celebrating with Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed is not every year you get to cel-

ebrate your birthday in such a way. I give God the glory; I also appreciate and thank my friends and colleagues who spared their time to celebrate with me. Also my fans who sent me birthday wishes and greetings, I appreciate them all,” Latin said.

earth-shaking English pronounciation, caught the attention of Kenyan police, beautiful ladies and an exceptional grandma who want a piece of the action.

Brother Jekwu stars actors from Nigeria and Kenya.

Popular Kenya celebrities such as Hundah Munroe, Juliet Ocheng, Sabina Stadler, Catherine Kamau, Derick Assetto while the Nigerian contingent included Mike Ezuronye, Klint Da Drunk, Funny Bone, Nedu (Sister Nkechi), Wofai Fada, Funny Bone, and Angela Okorie.

their positive impact to the growth of South West and Nigeria at large. All these are part of the activities to make this year’s “Isede 2016” event slated to commence from November 18 to 25.

According to Oladejo, who led a team on a courtesy visit to the African Newspaper of Nigeria, Plc, publishers of Tribune titles, the award on Awolowo came from the popular vote of people, especially in Oyo State.

He said further that the event with is jointly organised by the organisation and the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is ready to partner with Tribune for business and economic growth in the state and beyond.

“The event will hold at the Premier Hotel and will also feature trade exhibitions and symposiums in four areas including fashion, agriculture, construction and technology.

“We will also reward people who have made impact in the South-West at the grand finale in November 25 and the awards are in six categories including education, youth empowerment, peace and unity and economy.”

In his response, the representative of the management, the Associate Editor, Saturday Tribune, Mr Wole Efunnuga, acknowledged the intention of IBR to celebrate the sage.

He assured them that the company would give them the necessary support.

Globacom has made all Nigerians proud —National Judicial Institute STUDENTS of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) have commended Globacom for its innovation and infrastructural development which have helped to move Nigeria light years ahead in the areas of business, interpersonal relationships and judicial processes.

Speaking on behalf of the students during an educational excursion to Globacom by some Judges under the aegis of the NJI, his Lordship, Hon Justice Chinwe Iyizoba, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, said that Globacom has made all Nigerians proud for being able to grow an indigenous telecommunications firm that is competing favourably with other global telecoms networks.

“Globacom is doing well,” she said. Apparently excited by the level of investment in the customer care department of the company, she noted that the company has contributed immensely to the socio-economic growth of the Nigerian economy.

“Having toured your customer care facilities we can now appreciate what Globacom go through to ensure its customers are satisfied.

We encourage the company to continue to sustain its service level to retain its customers. We are impressed,” she concluded.

The visit of the judges was facilitated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as part of the NCC/ NJI workshop For Judges on telecoms issues.

The trip to Globacom is to help the judges appreciate the importance of telecommunications as a crucial national infrastructure.

The judges were accompanied by officials of the NCC. Receiving the visiting judges, Executive Director of Globacom, Mr. Adewale Sangowawa, said that Globacom recognises the enormous contributions of the bench to the development and preservation of Nigeria as a nation, especially the part they are playing in guiding the young democracy. He said efforts of Nigerian judges have helped to engender peace and harmony by helping to resolve constitutional and political differences.

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Sunday Tribune

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Segun Adebayo tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

Seyi Sokoya seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08075166585

After 8-year break, I was scared of returning to acting —RMD How will Mavin Records manage Iyanya’s arrival?

By Segun Adebayo It is now official. Kukere master, Iyanya, is now a member of the Mavin Record label. His decision to team up with Don Jazzy’s record label was made public on Monday following a statement released by the artiste.

The statement read in part “It’s official, I’m now a Mavin and we’ve dropped the first single and there’s more coming. Everything is official, it’s not a production deal or anything.

I’m part of the label, so I look forward to more hits and I look forward to more achievements.

“We needed the Iyanya brand to work with somebody who understands the music industry and can help me fulfill that dream. Making sure that I get my music right is the most important thing.”

The news of Iyanya’s movement came as a shock to many observers of happenings in the music industry.

It was not the typical deal that many would have anticipated. In fact, nobody saw it coming. He may be walking into Mavin with his shoulders high but it is not going to be an easy ride for him.

While the deal may seem a perfect one for Iyanya at a time when he needed a ‘quick fix’ for his music career that appears to have taken a dip in the last few years, one may be tempted to ask how Mavin, under the leadership of Don Jazzy, would manage to cope with Iyanya’s fame without altering the seemingly perfect arrangement inside the star-studded Mavin family.

With Tiwa Savage, Dr Sid, D’Prince, Korede Bello, Reekado Banks and Di’ja on the label, Iyanya may need more than his Kukere dance steps and six-pack figure to flourish in a team that has become synonymous with success for the past four years, the latest being Savage’s new interna-

tional deal with Jay Z’s Rock Nation.

For Don Jazzy, handling the business and music sides of Iyanya as the latter had clarified in his statement, should not be a difficult task, especially when one considers the rapid transformation of hitherto unknown trio of Korede Bello, Reekardo Banks and Di’ja, who were signed to the label about three years ago. Their lives have not remained the same since they joined what they usually referred to as the ‘winning team’.

Reekado Banks released his first album, Spotlight under the label about two months ago, while Korede Bello and Di’ja are reportedly working on theirs as well. Not much has been heard about D’prince, who incidentally is a sibling to Don Jazzy and he may further be pushed down the pecking order with the arrival of Iyanya. Tiwa Savage and Dr Sid are rated as the biggest artistes on the label but now that Iyanya has joined, that arrangement may change.

Iyanya is not entirely new to success. He has tied down a few endorsement deals over the years and has managed to stay on top of his game with a number of hit tracks.

Songs like, Kukere, Mr Oreo, Lekwaku, Applaudise among others have cemented his place as one artiste who knows when to give his fans what they want. On top of that, his deal with telecommunications giant, MTN was said to have been renewed about three months ago because he remains one of the products of the MTN Project Fame whose influence in the music industry has to continued push the MTN brand among youths in Africa.

Now that he has joined Mavins, all eyes are on Don Jazzy and his label as many would want to know the details of the deal Iyanya signed and how Don Jazzy was able to convince him to join the label.

rns u t e r g n o s y r Har ases e l e r , a i r e g i to N Bacana Upon his return to Nigeria from the United States (US), Five Star Music act, Harrysong, has released a new song, Bacana, to the delight of his fans.

The Reggaebluess crooner was one of Nigerian stars who performed at the just concluded One Africa Music Fest, where he shared the same stage with Sisqo and a some of African superstars.

Harrysong, who won AFRIMMA awards with his rave-making single, ReggaeBlues featured label mate, Kcee and others.

Speaking with R on his new single, Harrysong said his US tour has opened his eyes to see the business side of music, which he would put to good use now that he has returned to the country. “Bacana’ is a catchy tune with the trademark Harrysong groove,”he said.

The Gala ambassador described his US tour experience as an amazing experience.

“I am back in the country and the only way I could appreciate my fans is to drop another song, Bacana.

I feel proud of what we have set before us as a team.

Right now, things are taking the proper shape that we want. The tour has exposed me to new innovations that could help the Harrysong brand. So, let’s keep hoping for the best as we move on this music journey,” he said.

On why he was yet to drop his much talked about album, Harrysong said he was only taking his time to study the market before releasing the album. “The album is ready, but we are trying to observe a few things out there, once that is sorted out, we will hit the ground running.”

By Segun Adebayo

A

fter taking a long break from the entertainment industry, Richard Mofe-Damijo returned recently to his first love-acting.

It may seem as if he never left the scene, but the veteran actor who served in the cabinet of former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, maintained that he had his fears when he wanted to make his comeback.

In a statement released to R during the week, RMD, who has featured in more than five blockbuster movies in the last few months said contrary to widely held opinion about his smooth return to acting, the 55-year-old thespian disclosed that he was scared and had fears to return to his dreams.

“I was scared and worried. I had doubts about how to get back to work and what to do,” he said.

RMD said he had to go back to God in humility and sincerity before returning to his dreams.

“Let’s take sometime to revisit the you are too old to go for your dreams myth. Yes, it’s a myth and if anyone tries to convince you otherwise, tell them to take good look at me. I left the scene(my dreams) for eight years. Eight years in the entertainment industry is a life time. I call it eight years of being away from my dreams,”he said.

Speaking on how he’s coping with the rigours of the work, RMD added that”the thing you call swag, sex appeal, charisma is the glory of God. It is by His special grace that at 55 rapidly going on 56. I am blessed to live my dreams in health and sound mind.

Today, I encourage you to conquer your fears, worries, doubts,

7th edition of Emufest2016 ends today

By Seyi Sokoya The grand finale of this year’s music festival tagged Emufest2016 will hold today as various folktales artistes and lovers of the genre of music will

converge on the EniObanke centre at Isaac John, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The festival, which is the seventh edition commenced on November 4 and 5 at Quantum, Cultural Centre Garden,

Obey lauds Adenuga over Ghana’s award

By Seyi Sokoya Following the award conferred on the Chairman of Globacom Limited, Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr. by Ghana president, John Mahama, music icon, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, has congratulated the business mogul, noting that the recognition is a worthy honour and a confirmation that he is competent in transforming not only Nigeria, but Africa and the entire globe.

Obey told R that the award reflected the commitment of Adenuga to the growth and development of telecommunication across Africa by providing employment to many youths in sports, culture, entertainment, among others.

He said that, “The highest national award tagged: ‘The Companion of the Star Ghana (CSG),’ is a testament that Dr Adenuga is a proud nationalist, philanthropist and a prudent businessman. I am confident that this recognition will enhance his desire to do greater things for Nigeria and Africa at large. Nigerians are proud of him. Personally, I am delighted to see Ghana appreciate him with the prestigious award towards his contributions to the growth of economy.

“As an artiste, I am one of the beneficiaries of his good works and I am happy that this is happening in our time.

I pray that God will continue to keep him and grant him long life to achieve all his aspirations and accomplish all

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his good plans geared towards lifting Africa to a greater level in the entire world,” he added.

Obey, who also described Dr Adenuga as a man who is always thinking of the progress of Nigeria, empowering Africans and also creating communication-made-easy environment for Africans, charged other well-meaning Nigerians and Africans to take a cue from Adenuga’s vision to collectively transform and make West Africa a place of pride.

Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Alliance Francaise, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State respectively, as the brains behind the event, Segun Akinolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia and his Roots Renaissance Band, among other artistes, thrilled fans.

Beatuful Nubia noted that the event is unique, especially with the fact that it is aimed at celebrating and keeping alive the root music.

He also revealed that the event would feature the launch of his latest album entitled: “Iwa”.

I’ve quit smoking marijuana —Runtown

By Segun Adebayo It has been said many times that some Nigerian music stars are alleged to be heavy smokers.

While some of them have owned up to the claim, others have denied it.

On Friday, Douglas Jack Agu, better known by his stagename, Runtown, let the cat out of the bag when he confirmed that he had, indeed, been a smoker but vowed to quit on same day.

The singer, on Friday, took to his twitter handle with a post that suggested he might have been a smoker. His short message on twitter read “04/11/16 The day I quit smoking marijuana.”

The revelation from Runtown on twitter pitched him against some of his fans immediately while others simply wished him well. Some of his fans even asked him to make good his vow to quit smoking marijuana.

Runtown reportedly used the opportunity of a new month to make a new vow. However, some people believe that he used the controversial revelation to draw attention to his new song, Mad Over You, which he incidentally released on Friday.

No sooner had the Gallardo crooner revealed that he’s going to stop smoking marijuana, than his fans started rooting for him with some of them asking him to make good his vow by staying away from Marijuana. Others simply thanked God on his behalf and urged him to move close to God. Asked it if is true that marijuana gave him inspiration to perform, Runtown said it never did.

He added that “Don’t worry about the people that are never happy for you,they probably aren’t happy for themselves either,Keep shining.”

Nosey Parker ...with Lalacious

Actor in attempted suicide saga The olofofos are here again, they are out in town with this tale about this popular Yoruba actor. They said if not for God’s intervention, the actor would by now be in the mortuary cold dead.

Well, we were not there sha, but the olofofos said that the popular actor, whose one of his names has the shortened form of immediate past oga patapata of Lagos’s surname, actually got fed up and attempted to end it all.

He could however not achieve his aim because of the intervention of some people who came to visit him when he was trying to kill himself.

The story olofofos told us is that the ‘gentle’ actor was so fed up with the situation of things that he even posted suicide notes on one of his social media pages. But before he could carry out his deeds, some of his friends who read what he posted had to rush to his home to stop him from killing himself.

Well, the actor has however come out to deny that he wanted to kill himself, saying what he posted was just a way to ‘amuse himself.’

Olofofos said he told his friends that he posted those suicide messages in order to tell his fans that he is currently a ‘worried man.’

Actress in bleaching palaver She is a beautiful actress, no doubt about that. She is very popular in the English version of Nollywood. She got married to an Oyinbo man but the wedding ended in a messy divorce recently. She is from one of the oyel states where the oga patapata and his second calabash are professors.

The lady was in the radar of the Olofofos recently when she was seen at a ceremony in Ambode state. Of course, she is also living in the same Ambode state.

Olofofos said they were shocked to see her with Coca Cola body while her legs have turned to Fanta, indicating that she has started bleaching.

According to our usual reliable source, the lady, whose first name is the same as that of the wife of Mama Charlie’s grandson, wore a short dress to an occasion and her exposed legs revealed that they are far lighter than her entire body.

This made Olofofos who saw her at the event to conclude that she has decided to tamper with her natural dark skin.

Actress’s daughter pregnant She is one of the actresses in the Yoruba version of Nollywood but not many people know her because she is not a regular face in movies, but she has featured in a few ones anyway.

The actress had a child when she just finished her secondary school education. She had the child for a spare parts seller who is from one of the Nzogbu Nzogbu states. The girl, according to Olofofos, is now about 17 years.

But that is not the news. The gist Olofofos are telling Nosey Parker is that the actress’s daughter, just like her mother who got pregnant in secondary school, has also ‘got belle` as a secondary school student.

In fact, we were told the actress was not aware that her daughter was on a nine-month course until the ‘belle’ reached an advanced stage. What even made the whole thing worse was that the young guy the daughter claimed ate her yam has denied vehemently, putting the actress and her daughter in a quandary.

You still want to know the name of this actress? Do you remember the musician called Bigiano? Her stage name sounds very similar to that name.

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Polity The

6 November, 2016

MAN IN THE NEWS

Oyegun’s ruffian billows’

—p23

Nigeria

Sunday Tribune

On the Lord’s Day

Nigeria: A forest of thousand demons

—p29

Still in search of credible elections

As the debate rages on the committee headed by former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, to recommend the kind of constitutional and electoral reforms that need to be carried out in the country, KUNLE ODEREMI writes on the efforts, pains and anguish of major stakeholders in the Nigerian project at re-tooling the existing federal structure over the years.

I

N its chequered history as a federation, Nigeria has had no fewer than eight constitutions. The beginning of constitution making dates back to

January 1, 1914, when the Northern and Southern protectorates and the Lagos Colony were administered separately. The next one was the Clifford Constitution

Why Nigeria is in trouble —Balarabe Musa

—pp24,25

in 1922, which introduced the elective principle and heralded party formation, eight years after the amalgamation of the Protectorates of Nigeria.

Next was the Richard Constitution of 1946, which was a product of sustained agitation continues on pg 20

The reforms Nigeria needs —Oyebode —p22

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thepolity

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Nnamani Committee

The challenges of electoral reforms Questions flooded the airwaves following the announcement of the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Committee on Electoral and Constitutional reforms. Is it another job for the boys or step in the right direction? What unanswered questions are there for the committee to address in view of the much-talked about Uwais Committee report on Electoral Reforms of 2008? What avenues are left for electoral reforms? Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, dwells on the trajectory of electoral reforms and the issues this time?

T

HE news came like a bolt from the blue in October as the Federal Government announced the composition of an Electoral and Constitution Reforms Committee headed by a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.

Coming months after the National Assembly had inaugurated its constitution amendment committees and on the heels of several calls for the implementation of the national conference report of 2014, not a few criticised the decision to inaugurate another committee on the subject of electoral reforms. Some criticised the decision as one too superfluous and possibly a job to keep the president’s camp less restive.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Attorney-General of the Federation,

and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Salihu Isah, indicated that the Federal Government had concluded plans to inaugurate a “Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee.”

The statement indicated that the committee was set up to reform the electoral process, adding that the 24-member committee would be chaired by the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, while Dr. Mamman Lawal of Bayero University, Kano, would act as secretary.

The statement read in part: “The committee is expected to review electoral environment, laws and experiences from recent elections conducted in Nigeria and make recommendations to strengthen and achieve the conduct of free and fair elections

Buhari in Nigeria.”

While inaugurating the committee in October, Malami said that he was undertaking the assignment on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari who, he said, had affirmed a desire to deepen the country’s democracy and entrench the culture of an

The burden of Nnamani and his men continued from pg 19 by nationalists who felt Nigerians ought to be the ones to determine the destiny of their country and people. It was followed by the McPherson Constitution in 1951, which granted legislative authority on specific matters to the three regional houses. The Littleton Constitution of 1954 introduced the principle of separation of power in government, while revenue allocation to regions was on the basis of derivation.

The evolution of constitutionalism in the country peaked with the Independence Constitution in 1960. The document was based on the report of the 1958 Constitution Conference held before independence, in with the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and many other nationalists playing the leading role. But the constitution later gave way for the 1963 Republican Constitution, which sadly, was later discarded by the military after the 1966 putsch.

As the journey to restore civil rule was resuscitated almost nine years after the setback, the authorities initiated moves to draft a new constitution for the country, hence the 1979 Constitution.

The government set up a 49-member Constitution Drafting Committee, with a renowned legal luminary, late Chief FRA Williams as chairman to kick- start the process of making a new constitution. The report of the committee set up in 1975 was ratified by a Constituent Assembly three years later and it became the legal framework for the 1979 Constitution.

The constitution jettisoned a parliamentary arrangement for the presidential system, which subsists under the current 1999 Constitution, which is considered as a blend of the Abacha-midwived 1998 draft Constitution and the 1979 Constitution, after harmonisation by a Constitution Review Committee under the chairmanship of Justice Niki Tobi.

Interestingly, each of the constitutions operated by the country either in the pre-

Umaru Musa Yar’Adua or post-independence period was a direct response to varying critical political issues, circumstances, events and developments that have shaped the destiny of the country and its ethnic nationalities. But it is important to note that those variegated events that marked the thinking and evolution of constitutionalism in the country included agitation for self-determination (championed by nationalists) and all-inclusive administration.

Issues surrounding the Minorities Question were most poignant, just as they persist today along other factors as the idiosyncrasies of the political elite, whose capacity and ability to manage the euphoria of triumph over foreign domination became suspect and irrational.

Till date, the 1960 Constitution is generally considered as the veritable model for the Nigerian federation because of the coordinate arrangement that subsisted among the federating units. Even the military interregna that subverted the constitution made the document the

cornerstone of their political transition programmes, which included constitutional re-engineering. But, the Nigerian project became a guinea pig for all forms of experiments, which further compounded the obvious structural defects in the federation because of ulterior motive of the military hegemony. Thus, the end product of their transition programme as constitution bore the traits of a unitary arrangement.

Under successive federal administration, except that of late President Umaru Ya”Adua since 1999, huge human and material resources have been committed to reviewing or amending the muchcriticised 1999 Constitution. In 2007, a staggering N1 billion was expended by the joint committee of the National Assembly under the chairmanship of former deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and former deputy Speaker, Honourable Austine Okpara as deputy chairman to retool the constitution. More than 1,000 items were proposed for amendment before the project was aborted by a ploy by the powers that be then to subvert the provision in the constitution that allows a maximum term of two terms of four years for the executive. Through adroit political manoeuvring, the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives under then Senate President, Ken Nnamani and Speaker Aminu Masari, frustrated the intended infraction via a third term agenda.

Similarly, a sum of N1 billion was sunk into another amendment process initiated by the National Assembly, under the leadership of former Senate President, David Mark and then Speaker Dimeji Bankole. Priority was placed on financial autonomy of the legislature both at the state and national, abolition of the Joint Account between the states and the local governments, creation of more states and local governments and the Electoral Act. Though the National Assembly was able to make its report available for the assent of immediate past continues on pg 21

enduring electoral system.

He also decried some recent judicial decisions, which he said gave clear signals that the electoral system needed urgent rejigging, adding that at the end of the day, the committee is expected to come up with possible amendments to the constitution and Electoral Act which would enhance the robustness of the Nigerian system.

He said: “It is important to evaluate our democratic journey thus far with a view to fashioning out a more enduring system that will serve present and future generations…

“Identify and assess international best practices on electoral system relevant to Nigeria’s experience and identify best practices that would impact positively on the quality and credibility of the nation’s electoral process. Review the extent of the implementation of the recommendations of the 2008 Election Reform Commission headed by the Justice Muhammed Uwais and advise on outstanding issues for implementation.”

The terms of reference of the committee, according to him, include to review recent judicial decisions on election petitions as they relate to conflicting judgments and absence of consequential orders; to review of the laws impacting elections in Nigeria, including relevant provision of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010(as amended).

Nnamani, who responded on behalf of his committee, told the Attorney-General that he was confident that President Buhari was intent on enhancing democratic structure in the country. He said: “The issue of inconclusive election in the country affects national election which leads to loss of lives and the best way to handle it is to stop inconclusive election.

“The best way to stop it in advance is to support the government in implementing what will make Nigeria have a non-violence election,’’ he said.

Granted that the leadership recruitment process is germane to the success of democracies and representative government, the question of the right election environment should remain vital at all times. But the question of electoral reforms is almost sounding like a broken record in the polity.

In 2007, following his election which he admitted to be a flawed, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua promised electoral reforms. He subsequently put up an electoral reforms committee headed by the retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammadu Uwais, whose committee presented one of the deepest peeps into the nation’s electoral reform process.

The nation has perpetually been in search of electoral Eldorado. In 2002, the National Assembly passed the 2002 Electoral Act, which governed the 2003 general election.

The amendments effected in that Act were fallouts from the 1999 general election and the rulings of the courts in the aftermath of election tribunal battles. The same process was followed in 2006, when the National Assembly again, relying on findings from the election field in 2003 midwifed the 2006 Electoral Act. That Act guided the 2007 general elections, which the winner, Umaru Yar’Adua himself described as “flawed.”

Between 1999 and 2007, it appeared each election cycle was popping up with new laws.

As the laws appear to address once incident, others tend to crop up. The challenge at the start of this Republic was the duration of election tribunals, which saw some persons continues on pg 21

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thepolity

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Sunday Tribune

The burden of Nnamani and his men in terms of states and local government structure, as well as the proposal for a five or six-year single tenure for president in place of the existing four years of two terms each for the executive as well as the controversial immunity clause in the constitution. Proponents of the proposal said it can create a level-playing field and reduce violence and thuggery because to cross carpeting; aggravated electoral malpractice, abuse and misuse of incumbency powers tend to create crises in the polity.

continued from pg20 President Goodluck Jonathan, the sum of N1 billion, as well as grants from international organisations spent on the exercise for the third time went down the drain.

Nnamani Committee The decision by the Federal Government to empanel the Senator Ken Nnamani Committee has tickled observers to raise a number of posers, such as if the country needs what is perceived as an unwieldy team at this austere time. Others wonder if the committee is necessary, in the first instance, or if it is a move by the authorities to calm some frayed nerves and pave the way for fresh political alliances? Will the committee have the temerity to go into some tempestuous issues, which the power elite considered as settled issues concerning the Nigerian federation?

The cost analysis of the ongoing moves by the National Assembly remains in the realms of conjecture. Neither is the cost implication for the Committee of Electoral and Constitutional Reforms initiated by the federal authorities and headed by Senator Nnamani. But some official sources claimed that the project was part of the campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari on electoral reforms.

However, pro-democracy groups and individuals have contributed immensely to the debate and search by the country to have a widely acceptable constitution and near flawless electoral system without official prompting. Their contributions transcend mere rhetoric, as they have on their own produced models of what they considered should be a People’s Constitution, reflective of the wishes and aspiration of the various ethnic nationalities of the country. Through the contents of the draft, those groups engaged such contentious issues like the power devolution, resource control, Minorities Question, religion, forms and power of government; independent candidacy, INEC autonomy; state electoral body; derivation principle and regional autonomy as granted under the 1963 Constitution.

Retooling a super-structure For example, in its model, the United Action for Democracy (UAD) forwarded to the authorities an eight- chapter document of 100 pages. It proposes three distinct lists of what the functions and duties of the federating units should be.

UAD comprises civil society organisations like Civil Liberties Organisation;Democratic Alternative; Constitution Rights Project; Nigerian Labour Congress; Christian Association of Nigeria; National Association of Nigerian Students, Concerned Professionals; JODER; Catholic Lawyers Association; MOSOP; among others. In the preface to the draft, two lawyers: Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), and Bamidele Aturu, noted, “Constitution ought to be popular because it is a document of the people that is meant to order their lives. This explains the consensus that a constitution of the people must be process-led.

It is indeed amazing how a clique of people among the military and the civilian elite had concocted in the comfort of their hotel and barracks rooms their whims and preferences and actually imposed them on our people.

This overbearing arrogance and paternalism have been the experience of our people from the 1992 Constitution. All the constitutions up to the present 1999 constitution were not subjected to a popular process.”

A majority of stakeholders, including Constitution lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, agree on the need to re-invent Nigeria through constitutional re-engineering. He believes that the animosity among the diverse ethnic groups that make up the federation is because

Uwais of the failure of the Nigerian Constitution to assure to the ethnic nationalities, grouped in zones or regions, equal access to the juicy and powerful office of president. He insists the 1999 Constitution is “defective in not addressing squarely and by affirmative provisions, the issue of rotation of the presidency among the ethnic nationalities grouped in zones or regions.”

There is also the issue of lopsided federation

Party politics and elections‘ The report of the Uwais Committee on Electoral Reform is critical as the Nnamani Committee carries out its assignment, in the light of the controversies trailing recent elections in the country. The action and inaction of INEC have spilt the various political groupings and the actors along partisan lines. In its wisdom in the past, the commission initiated a Code of Conduct among the parties to stem the tide of conflict.

But it is debatable if it has had any serious impact, given the rancourous prevalent after party primary elections. In one of his contributions to political debate on the party politics and elections in the country, the immediate past INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega also took time to bare his mind on the activities of political parties in the country. Though, he identified them (parties) as “very important institutions

in democracy and elections, he expressed concern that they often derailed from their primary function and role. He gave instances where political parties indulged in brazen forgery and other forms of undercut activities in their desperation to get to political office/ power. He recalled, “In fact, it is instructive for some of us to discover that some parties had an arrangement whereby, it at a time of nomination, they did not have what they call ‘good’ candidates, they would line up some candidates on the understanding that as soon as they got ‘good’ candidates, those candidates earlier presented would submit their resignation and changes would be made with INEC. We had a situation whereby the person initially nominated, when a ‘good’ candidate was got, refused to resign and the party sent in forged documents (of voluntary resignation) to make way for the new candidate.”

But, as the committee hits the ground running, while the National Assembly continues with its own process of further amending the 1999 Constitution,majorityoftheotherstakeholders in the Nigerian project are curious about where the journey will eventually lead to. Will the committee have the temerity and guts to go into some ‘tempestuous’ issues, which the power elite and the establishment have consistently considered as settled issues (nogo area) concerning the Nigerian federation?

How far can Nnamani Committee go? continued from pg20 stay in office of governor or even legislators for a whole term, before court verdicts are given. But the late President Yar’Adua did not hide his determination to write the wrongs.

He set up Justice Uwais at the head of the electoral reform panel which completed its job in 2008.

There was national acclaim for the report of that committee both among the political class and the civil society. At a stage, the sing song in the polity was ‘On Uwais Report we stand.’ Perhaps, as a result of his illness, and eventual demise, President Yar’Adua was unable to see through the full implementation of that report. But his government had already reviewed the reports and commenced the process of passing some of the recommendations for passage by the National Assembly.

In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan made the Electoral Reform bills the first set of bills he presented to the National Assembly.

With some modifications, the government took excerpts from the Uwais Report, built them into five bills and forwarded same to the National Assembly. A good number of the bills got consolidated and formed part of the Electoral Act 2010, while some aspects were rejected by the National Assembly.

For instance, the National Assembly rejected aspects of the reform bills which intended to make aides of the president and governors automatic delegates to primaries of political parties.

It was gathered that the Senate, which was first to turn down the proposal, was of the view that governors could use the same clause to knock out a number of Senators and members of the House of Representatives from getting re-elected.

“Our assignment is not just to pass laws that would survive for months. We are passing laws for the good governance of the federation and the generations unborn. So we need to take many things which the executive might overlook into consideration,” a source

Saraki in the senate had said at the time.

Justice Uwais, who spoke in Abuja recently during an electoral reform review session put together by the Policy and legal Advocacy Center (PLAC) noted that the crisis of electoral reforms in the country was traceable to the failure of the government to implement the report of his committee in a holistic manner. He said that the “pick and choose” strategy of government was negatively affecting elections in the country.

He had said: “As we know, the bill that was produced by the National Assembly though reflected on some of the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Committee, but not all of these recommendations were adopted.

As far as the Electoral Reform Committee was concerned, the recommendations were intended to be in tandem with one another.”

The Scenario from 2010 The Uwais Report, the Yar’Adua, former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the Sixth and Seventh National Assemblies and in another breath the judiciary have to share

the credit for the reforms so far witnessed in the electoral process so far.

While some have likened the scenario before 2007 as electoral bazaar sort of, the system has largely changed ever since the electoral reforms reports got submitted to the National Assembly and as they got passed into the 2010 Electoral Act which became law on August 16, 2010 and the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Act, which became law on December 10, 2010. Much of the reform agenda were also incorporated into the 1999 Constitution amendment bill which also sailed through the National Assembly and the entire amendment process in 2010.

Thus, as the lawmakers perfected a number of reforms in the Electoral Act, they equally passed the electoral reform components in the 1999 Constitution, with the amendment coming into effect on January 6, 2011.

Some of the key components of the reforms had seen to the stabilisation of democratic values at the federal and state levels to the effect that acting governors and acting presidents now routinely emerge, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got its statutory financial independence when it got placed on first line charge of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation. During the administration of former President Jonathan, the autonomy granted INEC was also to the effect that most of its procurements were exempted from the Bureaucratic processes of the Bureau of Public Procurement, otherwise known as the Due Process Office. The commission also got wide latitude to conduct elections henceforth while it was given preference to choose between a space of 120 days and 30 days to the election. In effect, the commission can now conduct elections well ahead of scheduled hand over of power if it so wishes.

But so many things were still left undone; there is the question of legal lacunas still widespread. The nation was indeed taken aback when the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the continues on pg 22

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Sunday Tribune

Setting up new electoral reform panel needless —Oyebode Professor Akin Oyebode, a professor of International Law and Jurisprudence and member of the 2014 National Conference, teaches at the University of Lagos. He speaks with BOLA BADMUS on the recently inaugurated Electoral Reform Panel headed by Senator Ken Nnamani, former Senate president and other issues.

at revamping the law? There are so many things I found distasteful about the Electoral Act and even the constitution, which might require amending.

W

HAT is your view on the Committee on Electoral Reform set up by President Muhammadu Buhari and what do you think brought about the setting up of the body?

I think the best person to ask that question is President Buhari himself; why did he think of setting up yet another review commission and this time under the chairmanship of Senator Ken Nnamani, who, as you know, was president of the Senate at a time. I think the whole thing smacks of trying to reinvent the wheel, because we had a Blue Ribbon panel headed by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais, including personalities like Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and also a former chairman of INEC who contributed to refurbishing and reinventing the Electoral Law in Nigeria.

I am sure if you speak to my good friend and former chairman of INEC, Professor Atahiru Jega, he would be in a better position to volunteer an opinion on why yet we have to go through the rigmarole of revamping the Electoral Act in the constitution. So, for me, it is like needless, except there is an agenda that the rest of the public is unaware of.

I don’t see the necessity for the Ken Nnamani committee to revisit an issue, which the country profited from somewhat, even though the provisions of the committee’s reports were not fully implemented. But the fact that a member of that commission, Attahiru Jega, became chairman of INEC, speaks louder than voice. So, if President Buhari just wants to go through the motions, maybe I will say good luck to him, but don’t forget that President Buhari refused to take a look at the recommendations of the National Conference.

I was a member of the Confab and I know the efforts, the labour, the sweat that we put into it. For more than two months, a group of Nigerians; those that were nominated, went through a myriad of problems confronting Nigerians and they brought out a report that contained more than 600 recommendations.

But President Buhari, for reasons best known to him, has refused to even look at those recommendations and extract from them what might be useful, what might be profitable, because of the money expended on running the Confab and all that. So, it’s like going through the motion all over again, which, for me, serves little or no profit.

When you look at the current Electoral Laws that we have in this country, isn’t there a need for a review?

Well, there is no law that is perfect and the exigency of the moment might necessitate or warrant a fresh look at any area of the law. I would be the first to support that. But I am saying that the report of the Uwais panel has

Senator Akanbi not been fully implemented, so why are we unscrambling the egg? I am just curious.

Are we saying that the Ken Nnamani report would not gather dust like previous efforts

How far can Nnamani Committee go? continued from pg 21 Kogi governorship election died in the middle of the election in November last year. The legal tango had been temporarily solved by the Supreme Court but it remains an issue the National Assembly must resolve.

Also, the series of amendments thus far failed to professionalise INEC, ensure electronic voting, even though the card reader system was introduced in the 2015 election cycle, while also failing to set up electoral offences commission.

A major component of Uwais Report is the balkanisation of INEC into smaller professional units that will make for easy conduct of elections. If that is done, an agency, possibly working with the National Population Commission and the National Identity Cards Management Commission would probably be in charge of voter registration, while another agency would prosecute election offenders, something that has remained elusive since 1999.

How far can Nnamani Committee go?

The 24-member Nnamani Committee, according to findings, has been given eight weeks to complete its assignment. Last week, its members were locked in a retreat in Abuja during which they were able to

review the Uwais Report, the electoral reforms component of the 2014 National Conference, the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

It was gathered that the Committee was addressed by constitutional experts and scholar during the retreat, a development a source in the committee said had opened the eyes of its members to widespread outstanding issues left unattended to by the electoral reforms reports on ground so far.

“The committee was given eight weeks to address all issues and turn in a report that would strengthen the nation’s electoral systems. We believe that we would be able to go far within that period and even if we won’t meet up the time frame it would only be an addition of a few days,” a source close to the committee had said adding that so far the committee was not drawing conclusions but analyzing the details affecting the election process so far.

On Wednesday, the Senate tasted perhaps what looked like a foretaste of the electoral reforms process this time. The chamber received a voluminous electoral reforms report from the Committee on INEC and slated the same for deliberation

continues from pg 26

What are they?

For instance, the question of election expenses. The Electoral Act stipulates a certain limit, a certain ceiling, but have you ever heard of any politician being prosecuted for exceeding the limit, for running expenses?

Then the question of registration of parties; why do we want to overregulate ourselves?

Nigeria is a free country, if people want to set up a party to fight for limited purposes, regional, ethnic or local purposes, they should be free to set up their parties. All we can say is that if your party fails to win five per cent of the vote, then it will lose its registration.

But we’ve made INEC so powerful that INEC has almost smoldered politicians with rules and regulations, they have to oversee, monitor, superintend, supervise the party programmes in terms of, for instance, what you call selection of candidates.

Then, the question of the power the INEC has in the order of elections and then the non-use of electronic voting devices. There has been an improvement; Jega brought the permanent voter card and that’s an improvement but the ultimate would be electronic voting. Within 48 hours, we should be able to know the result; then there would be no ballot box snatching, because with electronics, there is nothing to snatch.

There is also the question of the requirement in terms of spread; all sorts of consideration. Look, people should have the right to go to heaven the way they want. I don’t know the type of democracy we are practising, if it is going to be American style of democracy, we must copy the American style well. So that’s why I said there are so many areas that might warrant a review.

Now, there is another area that might be of interest; it is the diaspora element. Nigerians are in different parts of the world, and we have embassies all over the world. We have noticed in many newspapers that many countries’ embassies invite our nationals to come and vote during their own elections and at the Confab, I was on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matter. There was a small delegation of Nigerians in Diaspora and part of what they were crusading for was the right to vote; that they are sending money back home and we are celebrating them, but we don’t give them the right to vote. That is an area that we might have to look at. Let’s extend the franchise to Nigerians who are in the diaspora and who are qualified to vote. This is because you heard Donald Trump saying that certain aliens are on the electoral register and they are going to vote. So we want to check if those Nigerians have not acquired the citizenship of those countries of their residence. If they’ve acquired citizenship of other countries, they might not be entitled to vote. So, their eligibility would have to be looked at, but I think the diaspora taking part in election is an idea which time has come.

There are other areas too. You know if you look at Nigeria, we are a country of many nationalities and the level of development is not uniform and the level of consciousness is also not uniform. I would want to believe that the Yoruba are the most sophisticated, politically speaking in this country and that was why it was possible for Igbo to be elected as lawmakers in Lagos, but also to represent

continues from pg 26

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Sunday Tribune

news

Odigie-Oyegun’s ‘ruffian billows’

By Dare Adekanmbi

I

N William Shakespeare’s historical play, Henry IV, a soliloquy from the eponymous character, King Henry, says something fundamental, something akin to a foreshadowing of the events in Nigeria’s governing All Progressives Congress, especially as they relate to the party’s head honcho, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Naturally, the winds that trouble a leviathan come from outside the ship. But this is not the case with the ruling party. APC is tempestuously buffeted on a high sea by internal winds, making apt the rhetorical question in the soliloquy, “And in the visitation of the winds, who take the ruffian billows by the top, curling their monstrous heads and hanging them…?” Surely, for Odigie-Oyegun, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” as Shakespeare’s King Henry concludes in the monologue.

Recent events in APC have shown its chairman carrying a very big burden, a load big enough to ache the bearer’s head. Already, there is an obvious implosion in the party and frantic efforts are being made to prevent it from becoming an explosion. Since the APC government came on board at the centre, it has been one trouble or the other. The party is yet to come out of some of the crises that engulfed it on arrival at the seat of power.

The first test that gave the party away as one that fits into the mould of the Theory of Salad Bowl, where all the ingredients that constitute the salad are visible, was the leadership of the National Assembly.

APC wanted to lord its preferred leadership on the legislative institution. But the federal lawmakers have artfully mastered how to resist external pressure from the immediate past government.

The PDP had wanted a South-West person to be Speaker of the House of Representatives. The lawmakers, with the support of the then opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its lawmakers and leaders, plotted the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal, now Sokoto State governor.

NASS members, however, took the game a step further with the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the headship of the two chambers. The party’s candidates all lost, leaving the battle line perpetually drawn between the party and leaders of the chambers.

From NASS, the theatre was shifted to Kogi State, where the death of Abubakar Audu, APC’s governorship candidate, left a vacuum that a section of the party from the South believed should automatically be filled by James Faleke who was Audu’s partner on a joint ticket.

But that was not to be. Yahaya Bello, who profited from the situation, had a fierce battle that took him as far as the Supreme Court for him to enjoy the political windfall and respite from the enraged gods of expansionism.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the outcome of the party’s governorship primary in Ondo State. The queerly different elements in the party had backed different aspirants to clinch the ticket.

As it turned out, the segment of the party which draws a humongous weight and nourishment from the Presidency carried the day.

The embers from the fire ignited by the outcome of the primary are still red hot. A national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, in a statement entitled ‘Oyegun’s Ondo Fraud: The Violation of Democracy in APC’, not only called on Odigie-Oyegun to resign but also described the exercise as undemocratic. Specifically, he accused the

Can the Edo State politician and former governor stitch the torn garment? Will the gladiators purge their anger without letting blood?

APC chairman of receiving bribe to ensure the emergence of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate.

Among other things, Tinubu said: “It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira…the party is rapidly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help. The APC…is under critical threat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it…If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation.”

To Odigie-Oyegun, the former Lagos State governor was misadvised in his acerbic comment against him, a comment he described as reckless and unfortunate. “This reckless and baseless corruption allegation levelled against me is unfortunate and an insult to my person and my hard-earned reputation… Nobody has the kind of money that can buy my conscience or make me do injury to an innocent man…approved delegates list was compiled in strict compliance with the party’s constitution…none of the aspirants or the Appeal Committee has submitted to NWC a list of delegates who were not qualified to be included in the delegates list but were listed as delegates or presumed qualified delegates who were not included in the delegates’ list used for the primary.”

Quite often in politics, the scenario of hand of Esau, voice of Jacob plays out. A leader may become a conveyor belt or channel for the transmission of a remote message. Does the fact that Oyegun had to seek clearance from the Presidency before responding to Tinubu’s invective speak volumes?

Depending on what factions they belong, various groups and leaders within the party have naturally been expressing support for and against the feuding leaders. Odigie-Oyegun’s APC is in four-fold and his predecessor, Chief Bisi Akande, has twice raised the alarm of a possible explosion in the party.

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has thrown his weight behind Tinubu’s position and called for adherence to and entrenchment of the principles of rule of law in the party. Atiku emphasised that ingredients such as internal democracy and rule of law are key to the unity and stability of the party. “You cannot break your own rules without creating problems… It was wrong for the APC to have set aside a resolution it had reached aimed at resolving the crisis in our party in Ondo State. It is a recipe for acrimony and division,” he said.

The party’s governors have given Odigie-Oyegun a massive political capital with their affirmation of his leadership and declaration of support for him. In fact, they appear to be ready to “take the ruffian billows by the top” and curled their monstrous heads and hang them. However, the governors’ emphasis on the need to reposition the party and manage the 2015 electoral victory well indicate the party needs more than mere placatory rhetoric.

Odigie-Oyegun is an economist and sure knows that the basic definition of opportunity cost is alternative forgone.

As a retired permanent secretary, he should know that nothing is permanent; only change, the mantra of the administration, is. As a former governor of Edo State, he has experience about the problematic of governing human beings, more so politicians.

Can the Edo State politician and former governor stitch the torn garment? Will the gladiators purge their anger without letting blood? Will the centripetal and the centrifugal forces in APC get to bed again? Like Shakespeare counsels, deep malice makes too deep incision. Will the ‘wrath-kindled’ leaders forget their differences, forgive one another, “conclude and be agreed?’ Can they heal the festering open sore in the party without future reference being made to the mark left after the sore is healed? Is the party, which was elected to solve problems, not distracted from that goal with its seemingly endless problem? Can hungry and angry Nigerians afford to be fed with a political soap opera as food?

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sundayinterview

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Nigeria in problem because leaders put self-interest first —Balarabe Musa Former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, speaks with AYODELE ADESANMI, on the state of the nation.

N

IGERIA celebrated its 56th independence anniversary last month. Do you think the country has reached the expected position in the comity of nations and if not, where are we now?

Though we are a federation, we have not even started in terms of nationhood, national independence and economic stability. What we can say is that we are at the beginning of the beginning and unfortunately, this is in spite of so many advantages that the country possesses. I can say that instead of us being one of the largest, most powerful and prosperous countries in the world today, we are at the bottom of national development. The root of this is that we are bogged down by social, economic and political system that is backward and primitive, based on self-interest first, public interest second. The system has created a political leadership that is also based on self-interest first, public interest second. There is no way any country based on self-interest first and public interest second can progress. Nigeria has to get out of this self-interest toga, because it is well entrenched and a good example is the privatisation and sale of the country’s common wealth. This has led us to have a vulnerable government with a private enterprise.

Our history has shown that this is wrong and that it can only take us nowhere, because all the developments that we have registered, which have lasted, are from 1951 when party politics and healthy competition started. All the leading developmental projects in the country today were created when Nigeria became Nigeria in 1914 or 1960. The ones that are remaining, even in a kind of primary stage, are the ones established based on public interest first and private interest second. Look at the railway system that has been undermined and so many other things.

Does that mean you are against the sale of national assets being proposed in some quarters?

That is what I am talking about; we have now abandoned a lot of the great developmental ideals and projects through privatisation and the sale of national assets, which will reduce governance in Nigeria to irrelevance.

In the beginning, we started on the basis of public interest first and self-interest second and because of that, we did well until 1966 when the army came and reversed the progress. Before 1966, there wasn’t corruption, stealing and criminal waste of resources.

Everybody then knew that you could not steal a kobo of public funds and get away with it; that created a credible leadership. For example, nobody associated the leadership of Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Sardauna (Ahmadu Bello) and even the opposition leader in the North, Aminu Kano, with the stealing of public funds simply because until the army came, it was public interest first and self-interest second. We didn’t have this method of corruption, stealing and criminal waste of resources.

But do you think the system of government we were practising before 1966

would still be relevant now? This question becomes imperative following the call for restructuring and return to regionalism in some quarters.

We were practising regionalism then and, in fact, I am now calling for the return of the system that we had before 1966. I am calling for the return of the regions we had before the army came. Each of the four regions was vibrant and could take care of itself without allocation from the Federal Government. I am calling for a return to the regional system with six regions.

The central government will allocate funds that are available to the regions. But I don’t think it will be necessary to have more than six regions, otherwise they will not be vibrant. The allocations should go to the regions as the unifying factor and each region will be made to create as many states and local governments within it. The resources collected at the centre should be allocated at most 35 per cent to the centre and 65 per cent to the unifying regions; unlike the present arrangement where the Federal Government gets 52 per cent. This should be reversed in favour of the regions, as it will make the regions viable. But there should be one proviso that the centre must be strong enough to unite the country. The centre must be given the responsibility for ensuring unity and also equal economic development of the country; the centre must be given sufficient power to do that. We don’t want a system where the centre will be weak and the regions will be strong. We want the centre to be relatively strong and the regions viable.

So you are in support of restructuring?

Yes, I am in support of restructuring but the unfortunate thing in Nigeria is that every term is misused and given a negative impression. For instance, some of these people who are talking of restructuring today are talking of return to ethnic sovereignty. This is primitive. How can we have ethnic sovereignty in a Nigeria where there are at least 400 ethnic groups? Each of them, of course, has to be sovereign.

Now, how can you unite the country with that situation? There must be justice for everybody, which will make ethnic sovereignty irrelevant.

Some of those clamouring for the restructuring of the country have maintained that the presidential system of government being practised is too expensive. Which other system will you suggest for the country that will not be as resources-consuming as the present system?

We have practised parliamentary system of government before and we are presently practising the presidential system of government.

If we compare the two, I think the presidential system is preferable, because the people elect their leaders directly. The president, unlike the prime minister, is in a position to be decisive with issues. So, the presidential system is preferable, because that was our choice to get the military off our back. We chose to take the American presidential system and did away with the parliamentary system for good reasons and the most important reason was that the presidential system is more capable of

Musa

Even now, we have seen the worst Obasanjo and we have seen the worst of Buhari and if we have to choose between the two, we will choose Buhari. uniting the people and the leadership is decisive. The leadership has the direct support of the people, because the president is directly elected by the people, unlike the prime minister who is elected by his colleagues. So, the presidential system is more capable of uniting the people and the president is more capable of ensuring equal and progressive development of

the country. But the key question is how to spot the right party. In Nigeria, we don’t bother going through what the party stands for and how relevant it is to us and how the party chooses its leadership. Our problem in Nigeria now is money power; particularly, stolen money is the deciding factor in politics and elections. That’s why we have this corrupt political leadership in

every aspect.

Other advocates of restructuring have also stated that the 2014 National Conference convoked by former President Goodluck Jonathan addressed a lot of issues affecting the country and that the implementation of its recommen-

dations would solve a lot of problems, what do you think?

It is good that Buhari dropped the recommendations of the National Conference, because it was useless and was meant to deceive Nigerians so that Jonathan could get his wish to win the election. That confab had no legitimacy at all. In the first place, it was Jonathan’s decision; remember that he was opposed to confab and those calling for it before. But towards the end of his adinistration, he prepared the agenda of the confab and the people who would participate in it. He guided the confab throughout and funded them so that they would do what was required and when the report came, he chose what he wanted out of the report. So, it was useless.

For a confab to be legitimate, it must arrive from the will of the people. It must be a confab of elected representatives of the people at every level, freely elected at every level without government’s guidance. So, we don’t want any implementation of this confab, because it’s useless. There may be one or two amendments that the government or the national assembly can do; let them do the amendments without making any reference to the conference, because any reference to the conference will undermine the morality of everything. If it is a good thing, just go ahead and amend the constitution and implement it straightaway without any reference to the conference.

However, we still need a legitimate national conference, whether you call it sovereign national conference or whatever. We still need it because it must be the will of the people freely deciding what they want for themselves. For instance, we have an issue that should be a subject for a sovereign national conference Nigerians need to decide who plays the leading role in the economy: is it the state or the private sector?

This is an important issue for a national conference. But nobody is talking about it now. It is a fundamental issue. What we are suffering now is the attempt to bring about the leading role of the private sector in the economy; that is what is directly responsible for our suffering.

We need to decide it. Should we have a leading role of the state in the economy to ensure peace, equality, justice and development of the country or do we leave the leading role of the private sector to the survival of the fittest? We need to decide this fundamental issue, which is more important than the original arrangement; it is more important than even deciding between parliamentary system and presidential system. This is an issue that concerns the economy and the lives of the people. We need to decide that at a national conference. Talking about the need to have free, fair and transparent election capable of producing a government at every level with legitimacy, we need to decide that also at the right level.

ment and get away with it. But today, if you are privileged to be president, governor, local government chairman or anybody appointed by them, you can steal any amount of money and get away with it.

You talked about corruption. Are you satisfied with the way the present government is fighting it?

This government talked about anti-corruption crusade, but when you look at it very well, there is nothing but public deceit. Corruption is growing and there is nothing they are doing decisively about it.

The worst part of it is that the most corrupt people are in this government. Corruption started in an organised form in a way that it disabled government. As I told you earlier, in the past, nobody could steal a kobo of govern-

How will you describe the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta and especially the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers?

Basically, what they are saying is that the promise [former President Umaru] Yar’Adua made to them to secure amnesty is not being kept. They are asking government to keep that promise. I don’t think they are after separation.

Even the Biafrans, I doubt they are separatists.

I think they are opposing some political tendencies, in particular the tendencies to marginalise the Igbo, either because of the Civil

Do you subscribe to the view that the 16-year reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) destroyed this country and the description of the party as evil by APC loyalists?

To me, the APC has even turned out to be more evil than the PDP, because the PDP did not practise fascism. But this present administration is really fascist; look at how they dealt with this Islamic movement otherwise known as Shiite, killing people for no reason. Look at what is happening now in the Niger Delta, where so many people were killed. Nobody knows what is happening today. In 2015, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) chose to side with the PDP for strategic reasons. Our reason then was that even though the PDP was incompetent, both in terms of Jonathan or the party, the APC was fascist. We knew the record of President Muhammadu Buhari when he was the military Head of State, how fascist he was and the fascist tendencies have now been proved. The fascist tendency of the present government is now quite clear. They only need a little excuse to go on fascism spree.

Were there specific things you expected President Buhari to do when he assumed the mantle of leadership that he has not done?

First of all, I expected him to be a little better. I didn’t expect him to be too much better, simply because his origin is not class-based and he has not been identified as a true member of the Kaduna Mafia, which has the same arrogance they inherited from the North and by indication, the whole of Nigeria by virtue of the political system created by Sardauna.

I don’t think he was a clear and identified member of the Kaduna Mafia, so I thought he would, at least, be better. The PRP supported Buhari in 2003, 2007 and 2011. But we all said we supported him not because we regarded him as the one Nigeria needed, but as the least risk Nigerians could take in choosing a leader.

We called it the least risk because of the deciding role of money in politics and elections.

Because of that, you can’t identify a suitable leader in Nigeria but we can take risks. So, we took risks with Buhari because of the difficulty of identifying a leader in Nigeria. His record in 1984, in comparison to those who were contesting with him, was better– the Obasanjos and the like. Even now, we have seen the worst Obasanjo and we have seen the worst of Buhari and if we have to choose between the two, we will choose Buhari.

War or any other reason. I don’t think there is any group in Nigeria that is really interested in the separation of Nigeria. All Nigerians are now aware that we are better off as one united country, taking advantage over our 100 years of experience. Nigerians are more interested in a united country. But obviously, they see evidence of injustice and they are opposed to it.

So, if we have a president who is straightforward, honest and experienced, I think within a matter of three to six months, we can see the end of the avengers.

There have been different reactions over the recent raid on the houses of judicial officials, what is your take on the incident?

It’s justified, because the judges are as corrupt as the politicians and the other institutions. Every institution in Nigeria has been corrupted and there is need to clean it up. Don’t make exception of the judges; they are just as corrupt as all other institutions in the country and a cleanup is necessary. The only thing is that you have to do this on the basis of justice and fair play.

The problem of Fulani herdsmen has taken a dangerous dimension, what do you think the government and the people can do?

They are being used for a political purpose. I don’t know how the herdsmen turned into an institution of violence. We have been having problems with herdsmen everywhere, particularly in the North, but not to the extent of mass killings and getting away with them. People are asking whether this herdsmen’s problem is part and parcel of Boko Haram and whether Boko Haram is part and parcel of the war between the classes in this country. It is not just a question of herdsmen being violent. After all, herdsmen have always been in the South just as in the North, though not on a large number.

Have they always been part of violent crimes?

Why all of a sudden? For instance, in Akure, 10 years ago, were the herdsmen a problem? No. Why suddenly are they becoming violent? Let us find out exactly why they are now becoming violent.

Let me tell you this with authority and experience; my cattle are in a place close to an army barracks, which I can say is a military zone.

Yet, some of them were stolen on two occasions and there was nothing we could do. And from my investigation and reports, I feel that this cattle rustling is part and parcel of a criminal upsurge. It may even have an international dimension. From what people are saying and from my assessment, cattle rustling is like the Boko Haram; it’s part of an international criminal organisation. Cattle rustling is now being undertaken to provide meat for soldiers fighting in Nigeria against Boko Haram and also in other countries where there are wars. This allegation becomes realistic because we have proof in some cases of Boko Haram, where helicopters are used to lift meat to somewhere and the meat is taken overseas. For instance, the cattle stolen in Nigeria allegedly find their ways to somewhere in Nigeria where they are slaughtered, refrigerated and sold in dollars in some foreign countries where there are wars, either by either Al-Shabab or some others. I am telling you this because people talk about it.

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Electoral reforms Nigerians must undertake continues from pg 22 Lagos in Abuja; that is the height of political sophistication. How many Yoruba would win election in the East? You know, they are domicile here, they are resident here and they enjoy the benefit of living in Yoruba land. It is something that has to be elevated to the national plane in terms of using residence as the basis of election and not ethnicity; not religion. It is a sort of thing that we don’t want to check in national census. You see, they say let us count Nigerians but don’t identify whether they are Christians or Muslims, Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba; we are afraid of ourselves.

You said INEC has an enormous power, but when it comes to picking a candidate, the court ruled long ago that INEC does not have any say and now there is the Ondo problem, where INEC was asked to witness a primary but ultimately could not certify the candidate produced through that process because of a court order. Don’t you think there is need for an amendment?

Primaries are party affairs. Really, the court should not concern itself with who the party chooses, but the court has held consistently that candidates are party’s affairs, not the individuals. We have that situation in the Rotimi Amaechi case; it went up to the Supreme Court. You know Obasanjo said Amaechi’s case had a K-leg; you saw what happened in Kogi State, where James Faleke who was the running mate to the deceased governorship candidate, was outmatched and outwitted by the powers that be. It seems that we are stuck by what the practice established by the court has been. So it’s too late in the day now to bellyache over decisions in terms of selection of candidates. But I agree with you, maybe we have to take a fresh look at the party primaries as in the selection of candidates. Is it solely a party affair or should the aggrieved go to court and whatever the court decides, there is nothing we can do about it?

Former President Umaru Yar’Adua

came to admit that the election that brought him into office was flawed.

But you said you don’t know why President Buhari had to set up the Ken Nnamani Committee, can it be assumed that he also had issues with the 2015 poll that brought him into office?

As I said earlier, you have to ask him. I am not a spokesperson for Buhari, he must have his reasons for setting up the Ken Nnamani panel to review the Uwais Report. And I have never heard him say that the election that brought him into office was flawed. On the contrary, it was the first time in the history of this country that you have an opposition candidate beating an incumbent president. And Ghanaians have done it in the past and I have always said Ghanaians are politically more developed than Nigerians, but there is always a first time. We did it, Goodluck Jonathan conceded and congratulated the victor and the victor too took everything gallantly, you know, with circumspection and accepted his victory. And you know his inaugural speech did not give the impression that the election was flawed, you know, unlike Yar’Adua.

Yar’Adua believed that certain rough edges of the electoral system needed to be redressed and that was why he set up the Mohammed Uwais Panel.

So that is why I said that except and unless you ask President Buhari the reason for setting up this panel, I can’t say anything on it. This is because we have a panel report as I said, produced by eminent Nigerians; Ken Nnamani is a very eminent Nigerian, GCON and former president of Senate. He is a man that I have great respect for, I interacted with him at the Confab and I knew the man has incredible experience and credentials, but I think he should have been given another job to do.

Which country do you think we should model our Electoral Law after?

It’s difficult for me to say.

You should have a country in mind.

I lived and studied in three different countries; but Nigeria is a unique country because

Oyebode as I said, we have not yet welded ourselves into one nation. You know Chief Obafemi Awolowo used to say way back in 1947 that Nigeria is a geographical expression, that we are not a nation in the sense of the Welsh, the Scot, the Irish or the English. We have, in fact, over 400 ethnic groups. So, we are still trying to cohabit, to live together. There are a lot of inter-ethnic marriages and all that, but we are not yet there.

So, however we want to pretend to the contrary, Nigeria is not yet a nation. So, I think we have to adopt, I don’t want to go into politics of federalism. Chief Awolowo said the only option for us is a federal setup, because of the complexity of the multicultural, multiethnic, multireligious, multi-everything. And it will be a very great country if we can attain unity in diversity. And the strong points of the ethnic groups that comprise Nigeria could be brought together to the advantage of the nation that we are building. That is my view.

If you are going to look at INEC since the conclusion of 2015 general elec-

How far can Nnamani Committee go? continued from pg 22 and passage into law. It would have amounted to the third amendment of Electoral Act 2010, which had been amended in December 2010 and in January 2011 by the National Assembly.

The 2011 amendment was a single clause amendment which reenacted Section 9(5) of the 2010 Act to abridge the time from 60 days to 30 days within which the Independent National Electoral Commission is to stop the registration of voters before any general election.

But the amendment process was stalled over arguments on who should replace a governorship or presidential candidate who dies in the middle of an election as it happened in Kogi State.

Senators were on sharply divided during the debate with some supporting the idea that the supported the idea a runners up at the primaries should take the slot, while others insisted that since the candidate is not complete without his running mate, the running mate should automatically replace a dead candidate.

Chairman INEC Committee, Senator Abubakar Kyari who submitted a report

on “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act No. 6, 2010 and for other related matters, (S.B.231 and S.B.234),” said that the Committee combined the two bills because they cover aspects of the electoral process.

Debates were however deadlocked as he the Senate President introduced Clause 6 of the amendment bill which seeks to amend Section 36 of the Electoral Act by providing for substitution of a dead candidate with the first runner up at primaries. The Senate immediately got divided into two factions; those who supported the position of the committee and those who said no.

The proposed Section 3 reads:” If after the commencement of poll and before the announcement of the final result and declaration of a winner, a nominated candidate dies, the chief National Electoral Commissioner shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, proceed with the election after allowing the political party whose candidate died to substitute the late candidate with the person who scored the next highest number of lawful votes in the primaries, which was won by the deceased candidate, as if the substituted person was the candidate originally nominated by that party.”

The amendment was intended to fill the

lacuna created following the death of Alhaji Abubakar Audu in the process of the last Kogi governorship polls.

But Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who led the group of Senators who argued against the proposal raised constitutional points of order to insist that a candidate cannot be deemed to have fulfilled the law without a running mate and that since the running mate is an integral part of the ticket, he or she should take over the ticket when the principal dies.

Some senators also raised the questions of zoning adding that once a candidate from a particular zone dies, he should be replaced from the same zone.

It became contentious that the Senate had to suspend the passage of the bill till a future date.

Will the committee receive similar accolades as that of Uwais? That is a question left for time to decide. The reality on ground has however prepared a clear space for the committee to excel, if it is so intent on doing so. Luckily for it, the Senate was unable to conclude its amendment of the Electoral Act last Wednesday. That would have made its job a little superfluous as some sources claimed at its inauguration.

Sunday Tribune

tion and against the backdrop of inconclusive polls in some states, which the House of Representatives have insisted they must act on, what would be your assessment?

You took the word from my mouth, INEC has now become an inconclusive arbiter; it is so embarrassing. You know that when Prof.

Jega was in charge, we never had this notion of inconclusive elections. Jega seemed to have wielded a magic wand the way he went about the elections. He is almost like a magician, but the current INEC chairman, who by the way was one of the directors at the Confab, has very good education and all that, but I am not sure he is as politically astute as Jega, that’s my reading.

Then you know for a long time, there was a deficit in terms of composition of national commissioners of INEC. Then there has been a house clearing concerning the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) and so, it is as if we have people who have less experience. I don’t want to say they are inexperienced, compared with those that they replaced. There was no necessity for the house cleaning; we had people like Mike Igini, who was a very effective REC in Cross River State and in Edo State. We ought to have kept some people, although I know some national commissioners in INEC. I remember one of them who presided over the mayhem in one of the states and he is still there. How would you retain somebody who has been compromised, that people have no respect for?

The other thing that strikes me is the attitudinal chemistry of politicians; it’s not in their DNA to accept defeat. In other places, you have exit polls. Once you vote, people are asking you and they can use the result from the exit poll to give the likely outcome of the poll.

You will see in another week (next Tuesday) when the presidential election holds in America, they will make projections. Newspapers such as New York Times and others would endorse a candidate; that’s a mature democracy. We are not yet a mature democracy, so you can’t talk of exit poll, because people call to say the results don’t reflect what happened at the polling booth. When there is skepticism, or there is doubt, or disbelief, which would lead to a bitter rejection of those things, then we have problem on our hands.

So, I will not want to lay the blame entirely at INEC’s corner but the mentality of our people has to change. People should recognise that there is tenure, there is a term. It is not an endless, open-ended tenure. Before you know it, another election would be due and people should know the world will not end tomorrow. You lose today, if you work hard, you might win at the next election. You should have a broad mind. When you’ve lost fair and square, accept that you have lost.

Nigerians have to imbibe largeness of spirit to recognise that it is like a game of musical chair, when you lose today, next time you might win. They need to have a belief in impartiality of the umpire, because if you start saying that INEC has been compromised and is an extended arm of the other party, because I have heard politicians saying that INEC is an extension of APC; then you are asking us to doubt the political process. And once you do that, the opposition will be driven underground.

Then they will take up arms. See what is happening in Burundi; see what has been happening in Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. I think Africa should grow up and recognise that whoever fights and runs away would live to fight another day. That is my genuine advice.

Don’t let us be too hard on INEC but I congratulate Attahiru Jega because he pulled it off; we’ve not found a replica of Attahiru Jega.

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thepolity

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

We’ll get out of recession fast if... —Akanbi

The senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Adesoji Akanbi, speaks with MOSES ALAO on the recent worries expressed by the wife of the president, Hajia Aisha Buhari, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government might have been hijacked by a cabal, the steps Federal Government can take to rebuild the economy.

W

interested investors before it can generate substantial revenue for the government in the long run.

The new development in Ajaokuta Steel is good news and also a positive development towards sustainable growth.

The truth is if government can confront some basic challenges facing this country head-on, we will be out of this recession faster. Imagine how much we spend on the importation of fuel. Nigeria’s refineries must be put in good working condition, because we cannot continue to spend over 50 per cent of our forex-earning mainly from sales of crude oil to import back petroleum byproducts for our local consumption. We are left with very little foreign exchange, which is not adequate to support our manufacturing sector in the areas of machinery parts and raw materials procurement that will enable our industries to operate at maximum capacity. And this is the only way to create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths.

We also need to look inward to generate more revenues by widening our tax nets. In this kind of economy, people should not be overtaxed but there are still spaces where we can improve on our tax revenue. Our Value Added Tax (VAT) has been five per cent since the introduction of VAT for over 23 years and VAT is mainly on luxury goods. It should be reviewed upward.

IFE of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari recently alluded to the fact that only two or three people are controlling President Buhari’s government, leading to fears that the government might have been hijacked by a cabal. What is your take on this and what do you think it portends for the government to deliver on its ‘change’ agenda?

First, I believe Aisha Buhari is very close to her husband; she knows what’s going on within and outside the government. If it is true that the President Buhari’s government has been hijacked, then she is in the best position to know, though the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was on air disclaiming the statement attributed to her.

She also raised issues about President Buhari administration keeping to campaign promises, with the different battles being fought by this government, such as economic recession, insurgency in the North-East, renewed militancy in the Niger-Delta and the anti-corruption fight, how will you say the government has fared?

It’s so obvious that the present administration has achieved a lot in the area of fighting insurgency. Secondly, no previous government has ever taken the bull by the horns in fighting corruption like the present government.

But in the area of the economy, the indices are not palatable; the country is obviously in recession. Although the activities of the previous government and the mismanagement of our resources led us to where we are at the moment, President Buhari’s administration cannot keep on giving such excuses because people that voted for APC and rejected PDP did so because they wanted positive change.

The present government must buck up to improve the standard of living of average Nigerians. A lot of things need to be done to achieve that. A country like ours running a monolithic economy in the face of dwindling oil prices and also losing over a million barrel of oil a day due to bombing and destruction of our oil and gas installations, will surely slip into recession.

In the present circumstance and given the fact that you were one of the senators who opposed the proposed sale of national assets to boost the economy, what do you think President Buhari should do to move the economy out of the doldrums?

It is my humble view and submission that Nigeria can and will still come out stronger and better from this current economic recession without necessarily opting for a cheap idea of selling our national assets. But this can happen if the country can urgently take drastic and sincere steps on some of the untapped resources that are readily available at our disposal.

One, the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, bring all the aggrieved groups in the South-South of the country to the negotiation table whereby all their genuine agitations can be addressed, because Nigeria as a country currently in recession cannot continue to lose millions of barrels of oil daily as a result of their incessant bombings of our oil installations in

Senator Akanbi the region.

Two, in a country where we are spending less than 30 per cent of our income on capital expenditure and more than 70 per cent on recurrent expenditure, getting out of recession will hardly be quick. So, the executive, judiciary and the legislature must be ready to make sacrifice and even governors in various states must be ready to do away with their security votes and if need be, they have to be transparent about it. A country like Ethiopia, as of now, has reached a level where 60 per cent of its income is being spent on capital expenditure and 40 per cent on recurrent expenditure.

This should be the ultimate target of this present administration.

The third step I think government can take is that despite the increase in our debt profile, it is still believed that Nigeria can borrow from the international financial institutions and use it to reflate the economy by quickly taking the advantage of the credibility of President Buhari, which is a good leverage, because some international financial institutions are ready to lend us money for infrastructural development.

Four, the current administration should reduce local borrowing in order not to be in competition with the private sector, because the banks prefer to lend money to the government than the private sector and that will further run down our economy.

Some people advocate made-in-Nigeria goods and agricultural revolution as a way out, saying it is high time Nigeria diversified its economy. What is your view?

I have it on a good authority that in 2015, Nigeria spent N630 billion to import food items and beverages. This shows our taste

for foreign products, which must stop at this point, and all of us have a role to play by patronising made-in-Nigeria goods.

It is worthy of note that the present government has started well in the area of agriculture. But more still needs to be done to encourage our existing farmers and make farming more attractive to young graduates.

And the good news is that we have the ability and capability to feed ourselves at a very reduced cost but the government has to play more roles in the area of providing transportation of farm produce to various markets at low cost. Government should put some palliative measures in place in this area.

However, outright banning of imported food items is not the real solution but this can be best done by placing high tariff on them to discourage importers and consumers. The Nigeria Customs Service has to play its statutory role by manning our borders efficiently so as to prevent the smugglers from getting those banned products to our various markets.

Of a truth, the diversification of Nigeria’s economy should no longer be a slogan as it used to be. Rather, all our energies should be concentrated on how to indeed diversify our economy. We have abundant mineral resources untapped all over the country in commercial quantities and most importantly our laws and policies need to be reviewed to attract foreign investors that will invest in our solid minerals sector in particular. But looking at this year’s budget, I doubt that this present government is serious with the idea of diversification with regard to solid minerals development. The sector received a lean budget. This sector needs huge amount of money to be invested in area of geological survey and all other useful data and information that can always be available for

But some Nigerians have said that the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA) brought the current hardship on Nigerians…

(Cuts in) I disagree. TSA is a good idea and it has helped to curb corruption in the system but the Federal Government has to ensure that much money is not kept idle in the central bank. A situation where large amounts of money are being deposited in Central Bank of Nigeria without making any positive impact on our economy should be reviewed and such money should be used to support our Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to the fullest. Without supporting SME, we will continue to have high rate of unemployment.

I want to also add that the Federal Government should dwell much on infrastructure concessioning, for instance, our four major airports in this country are not generating enough revenue for the government and this can be improved upon through concessioning arrangement. Some of these infrastructure can be upgraded to world-class standard. Instead of embarking on sale of our national assets, the government should embrace the concessioning idea.

It will be recalled that the government promised different palliative packages, how far has it gone in fulfilling this promises?

The palliative measure by the government should take off immediately and all the bureaucracy bottlenecks should be eliminated with immediate effect, so that people can enjoy the benefits the sooner the better. And let me also say that the economic team needs to be proactive. Our monetary and fiscal policies should complement each other and the interest rates should be reviewed further down. A situation whereby the Minister of Finance and CBN governor are contradicting each other will erode the little confidence left in the economy and that will not help our economy to grow.

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6 November, 2016

A

S you read this, outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed will have just 120 days to his 70th birthday and to wave bye, his job as Nigeria’s Fifth Citizen. The crisis on the Bench has coincided with the misfortune of a high turnover of CJNs, relative to any other “serious” and growing democracies. Is this a mere coincidence? If you draw a quick comparison with the United States of America whose Chief Justice, Justice John G. Roberts has out-stayed about seven compatriots in Nigeria, with the possibility of many more CJN since his job is for a lifetime except he defaults in character, one would have a deeper appreciation of the voids we grapple with today in our justice system.

The hollowness can’t be about the quality of minds that have superintended our justice sector as CJNs. With all humility, I have related at different layers of affinity with the last seven, starting with Mohammed Uwais, through Alfa Belgore, Idris Legbo Kutigi, Aloysius Katsina-Alu, Dahiru Musdapher, Aloma Mariam Mukhtar and the incumbent.

They are different in their ways, but the requisite fecundity to lead was never in doubt. But apart from Uwais who got lucky with more than a decade in office, others simply struggled to pack a lot into what wasn’t more than a brief moment when you consider the quantum of time needed to bring about enduring change in the system. Little wonder, Uwais remains a major factor in the system, 10 years after.

Belgore’s case is the most instructive. He was a six-month CJN. Heralded into office squabbling with erstwhile confidant and classmate Uwais, he stepped straight into President Olusegun Obasanjo’s impeachment flavour. His days were more consumed trying to extricate judiciary from the impeachment mess in Plateau, Oyo, Ekiti et al.

Dahiru Musdapher came with huge reform promise. The system was almost stymied by the Katsina-Alu/Ayo Salami imbroglio. Musdapher, the reformer, had just about two years.

His hastily put-together Uwais-panel report was birthed in controversy. The report, its reformative potential and huge promises are sepulchered in a vague shelf grave today.

It is easy for the public to blow Mukhtar’s achievements to high heavens. But ask system persons for the cost of those laudable achievements, particularly in the area of judicial discipline. She didn’t build a strong institution. She made herself the institution. The question is, is a strong CJN preferable to a strong judiciary? But an iron hand doesn’t always build. It strikes fear for a while, then its pain becomes bearable. That is always the point of deviance. Aloma’s two IT happened twice within a week. First, it was the request for the $29.96billion foreign loans sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senate rejected the request on the ground that the executive failed to attach to it the details of how the loans will be deployed after it is accessed.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was almost dumbfounded after asking for a voice vote on the matter with the legislators voting that the offer be turned down. He called for a repeat of the exercise and, when the result was the same, had to align with the wish of the majority of senators and ruled that the request be returned to the sender. That was on Tuesday last week.

Then on Thursday, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, raised the issue of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which contains the parameters for the 2017 budget, being empty. Expressing his exasperation, Ndume said, “If you look at this document that they call MTEF, it is empty; it is empty and it doesn’t contain anything. If you have nothing, how do you consider something?”

The impression these two scenarios create is that there is knowledge gap in the executive. Were it not so, how would the executive have sent to the National Assembly a document as critical as the request for foreign loans meant to bridge the nation’s infrastructure deficit without attaching the required documentation? For crying out loud, this is the highest level of governance in this country! What explanation does anybody want to advance for allowing such a lapse? In the same vein, what excuse does anybody have for sending an ‘empty MTEF’ to the Senate for consideration, especially when this forms the foundation for the 2017 budget?

These are the issues that constitute a clog to the country’s progress. If the MTEF is not ready in November, how will the budget be ready in December? How can we hope to avert the situation we had in the current year of the budget being passed in June, which has resulted in a mere 11 per cent execution of the budget in less than two months to year end?

Now that the Senate has returned the executive’s request for $30billion foreign loan, the immediate effect is that the speed the government wants to record with addressing in-

0811 695 4647

olanreade@yahoo.com

CJN: Racing against time

hands as CJN were cast in unbendable iron.

For the unassuming Mahmud, the Taraba-born soldierturned-jurist moment on the job is brief too but has had to grapple with an unprecedented challenge.

Thursday night, Mahmud did appear like a tumble, by leading the National Judicial Council (NJC) to officially stop judges under corruption probe from performing judicial duties. From the immediate reactions, interpretative reading of the open-ended not-easily decodable statement from Soji Oye, council’s spokesperson and perceivable short and longterm implications, it could be seen that genuine fixing of the

With Sulaimon Olanrewaju 08055001708

lanresulaimon@yahoo.com

Subjecting Buhari to opprobrium

frastructure deficit in the country has suffered a setback because precious time will be wasted as the executive has to go back to the drawing board to get the documents that it should have attached to its letter ab initio.

This is quite unfortunate because in the life of a coun-

Sunday Tribune

nation’s broken system won’t be about Mahmud’s seeming weakness, plot to side-step Walter Onnoghen as next CJN, DSS raid or Buhari buster. These are mere symptoms and quick fixes.

The justice system is long broken and crashing on the head of a few judges and senior administrative officers won’t deliver the desired repair mileage. The immediate future doesn’t look promising too. The system requires both leadership and structural stability. If the succession-by-seniority which the Buhari administration has failed to dismantle despite concerted efforts, is sustained, then the next three occupants of the CJN seat won’t also enjoy relative timing to go an appreciable hog.

Despite the uncertainty, Onnoghen as CJN-designate is expected to assume leadership on November 11 and lead for just four years. Next-in-line Tanko Mohammed also has about three year. Judiciary must become a strong institution to endure and relative stability is needed at the leadership level to consolidate on desired reforms, considering the reluctance of successors to carry on with predecessors’ agenda, even when institutionalised.

The first step is to review the retirement age of juridical officers, particularly at the Supreme Court. With modern gadgets and good health, an average judge of the apex court should be able to last 80 years. Justice Oguntade left the apex court in 2010. Now at 76, he is going abroad to serve as an ambassador. Uwais left in 2006, he is being chairing all chair-able committees with lots of vigour at 80. While a suggestion by Musdapher that CJN job should be for a lifetime won’t be desirable yet in our clime, judges with right appointment timing to become CJN, should come in as young as possible to ensure durability even if the 70 is retained as retirement age. A CJN at 55, should be a class act after 15 years of unbroken experience. Political and judicial leadership in the North was credited with fashioning a deliberate apex court promotion arrangement that consolidated its grip on the judiciary after early Southern dominance which was due to late entry of Northerner elements. Every zone is understandably scheming now and reading the it-is-ourturn script. Fine, nothing outrageous about it being political. It is also ideologically-partisan in America. But let all zones bring their young and bright, who won’t be too old when others are serving out their terms. With the current structure, there is hardly any magic that can bring any enduring reforms. Until then, let every other occupants fill the buckets with their much. try like Nigeria where dependence on government is quite high, every wasted day is thousands of lives lost, millions of people impoverished, millions of hopes dashed, agony multiplied and sorrow increased. But regrettably, this fact is lost on those who lead us. They approach affairs of state as if they have eternity to discharge their duties. Our leaders need to come to the understanding that their actions and inactions shape the destinies of people. So, those who have been saddled with leadership responsibilities should understand that not only does their tardiness slow down projects and programmes of government, it actually destroys lives.

The flip flop that has characterised the management of state affairs is unbecoming of the executive. This is suggestive of its unpreparedness for the serious task of leading the country out of its current challenging economic situation.

Those who were saddled with the responsibility of sending these documents to the National Assembly should have known the process and the requirements. It is the shoddy handling of very sensitive issues that results in the avoidable executive-legislature spats. These constant disagreements by these two critical arms of government adversely impact on the country and its people.

The most unfortunate part of this is that the whole situation rubs off negatively on the President. The sloppiness of presidential aides has subjected the President to public opprobrium. To the opposition, it is the President that has bungled the process. To the hungry, hurting and angry Nigerians, it is the President that has slowed down the process.

But is the President the one who is supposed to attach documents to his letters to the National Assembly? Is he the one who is supposed to give a detailed MTEF document to the legislators?

Perhaps those who have been suggesting that the President should take a look at his aides and their fitness for the assigned roles are not too far from the point. The undeniable fact is that the leader is only as strong and competent as his lieutenants. A leader’s aides make or mar him. If a leader has good intentions and his lieutenants consistently botch these, the leader is held in derision because in the final analysis, it was the leader who was given the mandate, not his aides.

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6 November, 2016

on the

Sunday Tribune

With Bolanle Bolawole turnpot@gmail.com 07052631058

lord’sday Nigeria: A forest of thousand demons

H “

AVE they released your brother, Reuben Abati?” “As at this time of speaking (Friday, 4th November), not to the best of my knowledge.”

“That is serious. Don’t you think he must be having a very serious case; perhaps, running into billions of dollars?” “Haba! How much is the whole ONSA bazaar?

Just a little over two billion U. S. dollars!” “Why, then, is he still languishing in the EFCC – or is it DSS – gulag?”

“EFCC; they said he was yet to meet his administrative bail conditions” “Are they IMF? Why should bail conditions be made so stringent?” “It is politics. For some, the conditions are relaxed; for others, the noose is maliciously made tight.” “But there is supposed to be a level playing field?”

“Say that to the Marines! A hallmark of Buhari is that he thumbs his long nose at level playing field, due process and rule of law” “But this is a democracy and the president himself did say he is a converted democrat.” “Convoluted democrat is more like it; but the bail issue is one area where I blame Abati as the architect of his own misfortune.” “How do you mean?

Is he no longer your brother?” “Truth be told all the same; when others were going into government to eat and drink like a horse, he went there speaking ‘turenchi’ and writing big, big grammar. See where it has landed him.” “I see! The man must be feeling really miserable.” “Not yet; his real problem will begin when his other colleagues perfect their bail conditions and he is left in solitary confinement.” “Are there some others with him?” “Sure; three ex-ministers, but one of them is said to have almost perfected his own bail conditions.” “How come that some are able to perfect but others are not?” “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.” “But they were all members of the same Federal Executive Council?” “That is where it ends. Some went in there shinning their eyes while others went there to count bridges.” “What a pity! He has to be helped. I have two books I will love to loan him if you can undertake to take them to him.” “I cannot promise but I will try.” “The books are Dusan Hamsik’s ‘Writers against rulers’ and ‘Psychological Survival’ by Stanley Cohen and Laurie Taylor. We must not allow them break his will.”

“I understand the detainees are all in high spirit. They were visited recently by some VIPs.” “I am happy to hear that. But which judge imposes stringent bail conditions on his fellow men?” “Are you in this country and still don’t know what is happening to the Bench?” “Honestly, no one can follow all the newsbreak in this country of ours. Only you journalists can, because it is your job.” “But you sure heard the so-called ‘sting operation’ of the DSS against some judges.” “Yes, I do. What is the latest on it?” “There is no latest. On such issues, the more you look, the less you see.” “That is what troubles me about this country. You can’t really put your finger firmly on any issue.” “It is in the nature of things here. The judges in soup today are said to be those who smiled to the bank under Jonathan.” “So it is pay-back time for them?” “Something like that; Gen. Mamman Vatsa said life is full of ups and downs while fortune or misfortune is turn by turn.”

“So this is the time for some judges who were not smiling before to smile?” “Absolutely! Can’t you see the ‘Oluwole’ judgments some judges are churning out while the same DSS looks away?” “Someone said the Judiciary is divided into PDP and APC. You have PDP judges and you have APC judges?” “May that not be so!” “When PDP lands in APC courts, they are done for!” “When APC landed in PDP courts in the past, what happened? Change has berthed.”

“But PDP was somehow mild; they allowed a semblance of neutrality.” “That is the difference between their two leaders. One over-reached himself to act like a democrat and was timid while the order stands ram-rod and is audacious” “But come to think of it, if judges are corrupt, who corrupted them?” “Politicians, of course, acting directly and also in cahoots with fat-cat lawyers.” “Didn’t the law

say both the takers and givers of bribe are guilty?” “The law is an ass; again, who will bell the cat when those who perpetrate the corruption are the same people acting as accusers and prosecutors?” “The judiciary appears intimidated and forlorn already.” “They have been abandoned. Even their own members have turned on them.” “That way, I perceive trouble. Once the judiciary is crest-fallen, all is lost.” “They should stand up and fight. They owe themselves that...” “They owe the society no less. If they won’t do it for their own cause; they have to do it for us. It is only if they stand firm that your brother can regain his freedom and retain his fire.”

“But I have missed Abati’s elucidation and incisive write-ups for weeks now. His piece on the spiritual forces stalking the throne of power in Nigeria was especially controversial.” “I heard of it. Do you believe in such superstition?” “Of course I do; they are not superstitions but a fact of our existential condition. There are ‘ogbonge’ witches and wizards stalking the land; there are also wicked ‘abikus’ that have refused to go away.” “Really? I used to think these were mere tales told by the moonlight.” “Not really. Some of the ‘abikus’ came into the open recently; and where else but at the Presidential Villa.” “You don’t mean it?” “Yes, at the meeting of the so-called Niger Delta leaders with Buhari, I counted many of the ‘ogbonge’ witches and wizards and unrepentant ‘abikus’; people who have refused to get away from the corridors of power. Did you read Wole Soyinka’s ‘Abiku’ - ‘coming and going these repeated times...? ’” “I remember.” “Those who paraded as

All the ‘Akotiletas’ in the South, who diverted bond money, UBEC funds, workers’ salaries and pensions, workers’ contributory schemes into APC presidential primaries/elections and other elections are walking free.

Jonathan’s political fathers; who held high offices in his government and led his administration astray; those who wined and dined with him; whom you never could have imagined would touch Buhari with a ten-mile long pole – they were all there grinning from ear to ear and filing out for photo-ops with the president.” “I was shocked myself.

People who have been in the corridors of power before I was born: when will they get away?” “They are ‘abiku’ and will never get away. They go and they return.” “I blame Buhari for encouraging such a motley crowd of court jesters” “Except, of course, that Buhari himself is one of them. He is an ‘abiku’” “I don’t understand what you mean” “Buhari himself has been in and out of the corridors of power since God-knows-when. He had been Federal Commissioner; military Head of State, PTF chairman, and now civilian President at seventy-something years of age, when he should have been enjoying his retirement.” “Birds of a feather, you must be saying.” “Exactly!”

“That apart, the petition of the Niger Delta leaders to Buhari is really pathetic. They were begging for a morsel of the pounded yam that actually should belong to them.” “I felt terribly disappointed by their genuflecting and cringing: “We want sweets; we want chocolate, we want pampers.” “Their own son was there six years; he did nothing to redress the marginalization of his own people.” “Trust the North for their understanding of the power game. Buhari promised them nothing. He even said he was not in a hurry to solve the Niger Delta problem.” “Once the black gold is flowing in the right quantum by force or by cajoling, why the hurry?” “To me, the meeting was an anti-climax of sorts. I had thought some speeches that would resonate well would be made and then some documents would be signed.” “Thank God, Femi Fani-Kayode is out of circulation. If not, I shudder to think how he would describe the meeting between the children of Futa-Jallon and those of the Niger Delta.” “Are his own bail conditions as stringent as those of your brother?” “I expect them to even be worse. By my own reckoning; he is the Number Three persona non grata of the Buhari administration.” “And who are the others?” “Sambo Dasuki is Number One; Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti State, is Number Two.” “I understand Fayose’s high rating and Fani-Kayode’s for their acerbic criticism of Buhari, but not Dasuki’s.” “Dasuki reportedly maltreated Buhari while leading the soldiers that arrested the then military Head of State in 1985. Also, you have not appropriately dissected the criticisms of Dasuki

by Northern leaders. His sin is not just that money meant for arms was diverted but also that he is an ‘Akotileta’ of a son.” “What is the meaning of ‘Akotileta’?” “Someone who gives his heritage to others.” “I see. The arms money should have helped the war against Boko Haram in the North-East” “Yes, it is unimaginable that it was a Northerner who presided over its diversion, and much of it to Southerners. It is like treason against one’s own people.”

“Would it have been less offensive if the diverted money were meant for, say, Lagos-Ibadan express road or Ogoni clean-up?” “I should think so. All the ‘Akotiletas’ in the South, who diverted bond money, UBEC funds, workers’ salaries and pensions, workers’ contributory schemes into APC presidential primaries/elections and other elections are walking free. They should be given the same Dasuki treatment in a uniformly fought war against corruption.

Many of them have even bagged mouth-watering appointments.” “But Buhari has said he is not interested in probing election funds...” “That is what he is stealthily doing and cleverly limiting to PDP while turning blind spot to APC’s own campaign funds also procured from the same public treasury” Oro p’esi je!

LAST WORD: Before they bring back toll gates, our rulers should read the Yoruba novel “Agbalowomeri, Baale Jontolo”. They should also study the story of King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10: 1 – 16).

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6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

the

from NASS Should Senate approve Buhari’s $30b loan?

SENATE

By Taiwo Adisa

T

HE Senate, on Tuesday, drew shock waves from across the shores of the Nigeria when it dropped the president’s $30 billion loan request with a resounding ‘nay’ vote.

For a Presidency that rode on a populist acclaim to power, the shock was unimaginable, as it was written on the faces of its operatives that work around the legislative chambers.

The bad news stole in like a thief at the unexpected hour. Just like the Senate dealt a fatal blow on the third term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during the consideration of the constitution amendment bill in the 5th Assembly, it pulled the same string this time.

The question the president of the Senate usually puts to signal the nod to pass a document or bill on for second reading considerations always looks inconsequential and unnecessary. Most of the times, only a few lawmakers would pay attention and you can easily hear few voices responding to the question.

But in legislative circles, that is also a critical stage a bill or document for consideration must pass. Without that, the bill or item dies a natural death, because things happen at a fast pace at that stage such that only the attentive can follow through. Thus, as Senate President Bukola Saraki put the question on whether the request for the loan of about $30 billion be passed through the second reading, the attentive senators who had declared one grouse or the other against the request promptly voted to shoot it down.

Saraki had to put the question twice and he got the same answer. He then ruled and rightly so: “the nays have it.”

But the question before the Senators was much more

As Reps re-probe presidency’s panel on $2 billion arms deal HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel THE controversy that trailed the preliminary investigation into the arms deal carried out under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is still raging. The investigation suggested that about $2.1 billion disbursed for the procurement of arms to fight against insurgency in northern part of the country was not used for the purpose it was meant for.

The 13-member Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) for the investigation involving the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) is yet to submit its full report. Though from the preliminary report of the committee, several individuals and companies were indicted, especially the top echelon of the security agencies.

In what appears that the House of Representatives is not happy with the way the probe panel is carrying out the exercise, the House, on Thursday, resolved to investigate the committees set up by the Presidency and office of the national security adviser in respect of arms procurement.

The House subsequently mandated its committees on National Security and Intelligence and Public procurement to investigate the activities of the committee and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative inputs.

Moving a motion of urgent public importance, Honourable Chris Azubogu said that during the inauguration of the committee on 31th August, 2015 they were mandated to conclude the assignment within 90 days.

According to him, “a similar committee was set up by the office of the National Security Adviser on 19 October, 2015 with a similar mandate and had covered more number of companies has submitted its report on 26 February, 2016, the committee was able to verify more than 300 companies as indicated in the submitted report on 26 January, 2016.”

The lawmaker then noted that the committee after the expiration of the number of days given the committee had requested an extension of two weeks to conclude the assignment which was granted.

Azibogu expressed worry that, up till now, the committee had not submitted its report. This, he said, had led to non-payment to companies that have executed various jobs/projects leading to untold hardship on the

Dogara contractors, vendors and workers.

To this end, the lawmaker said that the committee failed to “adherence to the guidelines on remuneration of non-executive and part-time chairmen, members and directors of Governing Boards of Federal Government parastatals, agencies and commissions,’ urging strict adherence on payment for hotel accommodation for such members and the committee based on the circular should only sit four times in a year.”

He, however, raised alarm that, “Committee members have been accommodated at government’s expense without commensurate result, in line with the Federal Government policy in reducing cost of governance it has to be corrected.”

When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker Yakubu Dogara, it was supported by a majority of members.

Some of the actors indicted by the preliminary report are already in court facing one charge or the other, but what the House seems set out to achieve with the probe is not clear yet. But a pointer to the resolution showed that the House may be planning to ensure that companies with outstanding payment with “genuine” contract get paid for the job done.

Another pointer to the resolution also suggested that the House wants the release of the full report of the committee as it was earlier reported that the interim report was doctored. However, when the committee kick-start its assignment, its direction will be clearer.

than just passing the document for a second reading. It touches on the issues raised in the president’s loan request letter dated 20 October, 2016. Incidentally, there had been a divergence of views on the necessity of the loan bid immediately it was read in the National Assembly. Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) immediately admonished the National Assembly not to pass the request, same as some economists and financial experts.

But officials of the administration including the Debt Management Office (DMO) and others including the Managing Director of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Ikechukwu, have, however, gone on air to defend the loan.

In his loan request, President Muhammadu Buhari had highlighted a loan bid totalling about $30 billion between 2016 and 2018. He said that the loan would ensure the implementation of projects in areas including infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, poverty reduction and social safety nets programmes, among others.

“The total cost of the projects and programmes under the Borrowing (Rolling) Plan is $29.960 billion made up of proposed projects and programmes loan of $11.274 billion, Special National Safety Projects $10.686 billion, Euro Bonds of $4.5 billion and Federal Government Budget Support of $3.5 billion,” the president’s letter read.

It also highlighted a number of special funding and borrowing in respect of the insurgency ravaged North-East area and listed some of the borrowing to include Polio eradication support and routine immunisation project($125 million); Community and Social Development project ($75 million); Nigerian States Health Programme Investment Projects($125 million ); State Education Programme Investment Project($100 million); Nigerian Youth Employment and Social Support Project($100 million) and Fadama III Project($50 million).

Reading through the breakdown of the projects listed above, it should not come as a surprise that the Senate chamber thundered a resounding no.

First, the Senators said they needed details of the borrowing plans; they needed to have insights into what has been spent before and what it was spent on and that they needed all the data necessary. But none of such was made available by the resident.

It should also not come as a surprise that the lawmakers did what they had to do. A peep at the second half of the borrowing plan as contained above would reveal that the government might be pulling the nation towards the debt precipice once again. Going by Nigeria’s experience as far as foreign debts are concerned in recent years, government must think twice before returning to that route.

The military left a $32 billion debt hanging on the civilian administration in 1999 and it took concerted efforts of the Olusegun Obasanjo government to pull Nigeria out of that mess. At a stage, Nigeria was committing more than the size of its national budget on servicing foreign debts.

As things stand, Nigeria currently has a $10 billion debt overhang. The figure is said to be “low” in GDP to debt ratio. But the Buhari proposal, if passed, would take Nigeria’s foreign debt to $40 billion and possibly trigger social dislocations.

It should be understandable if the country is seeking loans for infrastructure development, especially ones that can create jobs and wealth like railways and tolled roads. It is easy to conclude that many of the Senators who shut down the loan request had many questions in their minds. Such questions would include why should Nigeria take foreign loans for State Education Projects, Youth Empowerment and social support, Fadama III and even polio eradication? How many loans were taken in the past to tackle polio eradication? What would be the return on investment from loans taken to fund social support projects without identifiable templates? The questions would continuously ring especially in view of the disclosure last week that the Federal Government had spent about N80 billion out of the N500 billion social security fund in the 216 budget without explanation.

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6 November, 2016

makeover

Sunday Tribune

Photo:w

ww.Inofa shionsty le.com

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 tribunemakeover@gmail.com

est.com Photo:www.pinter

Breaking into high

heels

Photo:ww

w.aliexpre ss.com

Photo:www.stompatwork.com

D

EAR Makeover, I’ll be turning 21 in a few days. A family member has offered to buy me high heels as a gift but I’m worried about wearing them because it would be my first time. Can you offer me some advice for breaking into new heels. Thanks.

Wunmi For many women, especially those for whom high heels are not a familiarity, wearing them for the first time can be tricky. In spite of the many negative reports about high heels, they are also beneficial in the sense that they help you to maintain good posture and balance, they help to exercise your legs and give you a sense of confidence. Even renowned designer, Christian Louboutin, acknowledges the benefits of high heels, stating that: “high heels empower women in a way.”

However, for ‘virgin’ wearers, a few things should come to mind before venturing into public with high heels.

Pick the right pair For someone trying high heels for the first time, there are three main challenges: losing balance, feeling discomfort and developing muscle pull. However, these fears take flight when you have the perfect pair of heels. If you can, ask that you be present when the high heels are bought so

you can get the best for you. It is advisable to try on the shoes before purchase to ensure they fit well. If possible, take a more knowledgeable friend along and don’t hesitate to ask questions, whether from your friend or the sales person. See the picture below for types of high heels. Choosing the right pair goes beyond just knowing your size when it comes to shoes.

Comfort is everything When trying out your high heels, ensure you’re very comfortable, especially if the occasion would not permit taking them off for hours. They can become quite an inconvenience when you’re tired. Since it’s your special day, pick the most comfortable pair of heels. Try wedges or if the heels have to be pointy, platforms pumps with ankle straps that secure tightly are a good choice to begin with. They not

only give you the benefit of extra height, they are more comfortable as they do not strain the legs. When you get better with time, then you can work with stilettos.

Invest in quality No matter how good the deal seems, especially if you cannot personally vouch for the supplier, then it really is too good to be true quality. Ensure you invest in quality high heels, else you risk the three main challenges of a ‘virgin’ high heels wearer mentioned earlier.

As beautiful as the heels may seem on the outside, always do a thorough inspection of the inside and the heel before buying. This rule applies even for wedges. Sometimes, the heels of wedges are padded with soft wood that

may break unexpectedly. As such, you should endeavour to get good value for your money.

Practice! Practice!! Practice!!!

Since it’s your very first time with the spiked companions, give yourself a few days’ practice. It’s not just enough to try them at the store and expect not to feel a little discomfort afterwards. Go beyond the comfort of your rugged or carpeted bedroom and wear the shoes around for a while. Wear them to do household chores, and even outside the house on uneven ground, since you may have to move around a lot. Walking in heels is different from other shoes, especially if the heels are tending towards the slim side.

If you can watch videos of models on the runway in high heels, try to imitate their steps just to have an idea of getting the right posture. When you strut, start with small steps and always balance on your heel first before your toe.

Relax Hard as it may seem for a first time wearer, high heels are one of the best fashion items ever known to ladies. The trick is to stand without slouching and imagine yourself walking along an invisible straight line, with your head held high and your toes pointing forward. Just relax and let your confidence take over. Welcome to the real world of classy women!

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6 November, 2016

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

76: Celebrating love, fortitude, history

Scene from the movie

The movie directed by Izu Ojukwu is a cut above the rest of Nigerian pictures

T

“

HE day you agree to marry a soldier, that’s the day you agree to serve with him,” Aunty Mary (Ada Ofoegbu) tells the new mother, Suzie (Rita Dominic) in a striking line from ‘76’.

Watching the movie during its exclusive screening for journalists and select guests Wednesday last week at Ozone Cinema, Yaba, it is easy to see why the third joint production of Adonis Production (Adonijah Owiriwa) and Princewill’s Trust (Prince Tonye Princewill) was warmly received at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the 60th BFI London Film Festival. It is an excellent, well-made movie that touches on history - the 1976 assassination of General MurtalaMuhammed, betrayal and love.

Most importantly, it gives an insight into the unappreciated lives of soldiers’ wives and acknowledges their fortitude.

Directed by IzuOjukwu - also a producer on the project - the fact that the production team was painstaking and didn’t rush (91 days was spent filming on location in the Army Barracks, Mokola, Ibadan, after the cast had been trained for 21 days by instructors from the Nigerian Defence Academy) all contributes, to this piece of beauty that movie buffs across the country will start enjoying in cinemas as from November 26.

What leads Suzie to Aunty Mary in the first place is the plight of her husband, the dashing but secretive Captain Joseph Dewa (Ramsey Nouah) who wouldn’t disclose anything about his life to his wife. An operative of the Directorate of Military Intelligence previously serving in the office of the head of state, he has just been redeployed back to the barracks.

But unknown to him, a coup plot has been hatched and his close friend, Major Gomos (Chidi Mokeme) has been tasked to enlist him by the ring leader, Colonel Aliu (Pat Nebo) amidst the domestic storm being brewed by his in-laws. Dewa’s union with Suzie, who is heavily pregnant, has not been sanctioned by her parents who don’t like him because he’s from the middle belt while they are Igbo. Suzie’s brother, Ikenna (Nelly Ekwereogu), recipient of Dewa’s generosity also turns out to be a wolf in sheep clothing. He not only tells his sister to dump Dewa, he’s also aware of

the coup plot and enlisted to implicate him.

Having been made aware of the coup plot also involving his neighbor, Captain Jaiye, whose diva wife Eunice (Memry Savanhu) wouldn’t let him enjoy peace in his house with her loud music, Dewa wants no part of it. He tries to alert the authorities but fails.

The coup happens and results in the killing of the head of state (General Murtala Mohammed’s name is not mentioned anywhere in the movie but a black and white video of his assassination is blended into the movie) before it is foiled by loyal troops. Dewa is arrested alongside the main coup plotters and

his pregnant wife is induced into labour by the turn of events.

Aside revisiting the 1976 coup and revealing military trade secrets including how identity cards and registers are important components of coup plotting, ‘76’ is also an enjoyable story of love, betrayal and a celebration of great Nigerian music. In fact, the soundtracks enhance the production. It is a great advertisement for Nigerian evergreen songs including Fela’s ‘Buy Africa’, the late Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson’s ‘Jolly Papa’, Nelly Uchendu’s ‘Love Nwantinti’ , Prince NicoMbarga’s‘Sweet Mother’ and ‘Aki Special’, Victor Olaiya’s ‘Baby Jowo’ and Victor Uwaifo’s ‘GiodoGiodo’ some of which are played on radio while others are performed at night clubs in the movie.

Seeing renowned set designer, Pat Nebo, playing the role of an army colonel and carrying it off well with veteran actor, Lari Williams getting a cameo as a barber was also heartwarming. The intelligent blending of archival audio and video materials with events in the film can only be a plus for the film which, journalists and guests including Senator Ben Murray-Bruce couldn’t help but applaud as the end credits rolled.

Buhari through Omoboriowo’s lens The president’s life and ascendancy to the nation’s highest position is captured in glossy, crisp images by his personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, in a book.

GIVEN President Muhammadu Buhari’s reputation as an ascetic, one was pleasantly surprised to see him not just holding hands with a lady but dancing with her! Yes. Shorn of any footwear and attired in a simple safari, he has a little smile on his lips as he dances at a reception in his honour in Manila, the Phillipines.

The black and white photo taken in 1977 when Buhari was Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner of Petroleum Resources , is one of the several interesting images in the 315-page photography book, ‘Buhari: A New Beginning’ by the President’s personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo.

Omoboriowo tells Buhari’s story from childhood, education, his military years, foray into politics and eventual emergence as a democratically elected president. With a foreword by former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and an introduction by the Vice President, Professor YemiOsinbajo, the expansive book is divided into six parts; ‘The Beginnings’, ‘The Historic Campaign’, ‘Transition’, ‘Moments of Decision’, ‘Statesman’ and ‘The Man, Buhari’.

What most may find fascinating however is the first part where we are shown monochromatic images of the President’s mother and sisters, his days at the Nigerian Military Training College and a photograph of him and his late wife, Safinatu with their four daughters when he was military head of state. Military historians will also find this chapter interesting as it chronicles Buhari’s life as Brigade Commander, Governor of the North Eastern state, Federal Commissioner of Petroleum Resources and head of the military government.

Though the photographs in this section were obviously not taken by Omoboriowo, he has done well to include them for the reader to understand how modesty, discipline and

Book cover integrity have been hallmarks of Buhari’s life from the onset.

There’s an amusing photo on page 78 in the second chapter where we see Buhari kneeling to take the title Ogolagi 1 of Aba from His Royal Majesty, Eze Isaac Ikonne Enyi 1 of Aba. Among the onlookers is Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige with a look that appears to be saying “yes, we have done it!” on his face. As has been well documented, the 2014/2015 campaign was characterized by brinksmanship, color, political rhetoric, brash sloganeering and innovative strategy.

Despite its elaborate marketing strategy, Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had issues selling their candidate in the South-East and South-South which may well account for the happy, contented look on Ngige’s face. A page before that, we see Buhari during a visit to the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Yeye HID Awolowo at the family residence in Ikenne, Ogun State on January 13, 2015. Other striking images in this section include a man riding his specially-decorated APC campaign three-wheeler in Imo State (page 87) and a man with his transistor radio glued to his ears monitoring the

election result, appearing to confirm that the average northern male will not go anywhere without his radio.

Colourful images from Buhari’s inauguration at the Eagle Square on May 29, 2015 are presented in the third chapter but preceding them is the memorable photograph of Buhari receiving the famous telephone call from exPresident Goodluck Jonathan congratulating him for his victory at the March 28, 2015 presidential election (page 105).

The euphoria of inauguration over, the opening image of chapter four, ‘Moments of Change’ is Buhari in a contemplative mood, reflecting on the onerous task before him, especially given the massive changes he and his party had promised. Photos of the President with some of his key men including VP Osinbajo, ministers and state governors are presented here. We see Buhari as a statesman receiving in audience eminent personalities including Pastor Enoch Adeboye, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and General Yakubu Gowon amongst others in the penultimate chapter. His visits to other countries and international organizations as Nigeria’s number diplomat arealso showcased in well composed images.

The last chapter shows Buhari’s simple life.

We see him at work and at play, reading a newspaper, taking a selfie with his children, playing with his grandchildren and inspecting his cows during a visit to his farm in Daura. A photograph of the Presidential Villa (supposedly populated by dark forces according to Dr. Reuben Abati) at night closes the book.

A tree does not a forest make and though Omoboriowodisplays his dexterity as an artist with his crisp composition and exclusive photos, he benefits from the inputs of Buhari’sexperienced media aides, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, who provide the texts in the book. The veteran photographer, Tam Fiofori and Lukman Olaonipekun, who has two similar books of photographs on Fashola also assisted him in telling his boss’ story with these rich images.

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6 November 2016

children’sarena Who is your confidant: Mum or Dad? My confidant is my mummy. I like to discuss with my mummy because of the love I have for her. She too loves to chat with me.

I love to talk to my mummy. She is nice and always available for me anytime. If anything happens to me, she always takes care of it immediately.

OLAWUNMI EMMANUEL BASIC 5 I love to discuss issues with my father because he always listens to me. He buys me clothes including my school uniforms.

MAKINDE GBEMISOLA BASIC 4

I like to speak to my daddy because he is cheerful, and always attentive anytime i want to tell him something. Anytime I do something that is bad, he will beat me for it and later pet me.

JEGEDE DEBORAH BASIC 5 I like to speak to my mummy anytime I have something to discuss because she is loving and cheerful, she buys clothes for me and she also takes me anywhere she goes.

Respondents are students of Blessed Kiddies Nur/Pry School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Quote “No one is perfect –that is why pencils have erasers.”

Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 0807 449 7425

Whales can live up to 200 years

OYEDELE OLAMIDE, BASIC 5

AYISHA ISMAIL BASIC4

Sunday Tribune

•Whales can sing. Whales communicate using vocalised sounds, which vary according to the size of the species.

•Some whales can live up to 200 years. In May 2007, a whale that was caught was found with the head of an

explosive harpoon embedded deep under its neck blubber.

•The Blue whale may be the largest in size but it has nothing when it comes to the size of the right whale’s bulk.

• Whales are afraid to sleep. Unlike most mammals, whales are conscious of their breathing and therefore have to carefully regulate it.

•Their bodies are party spots. When a whale dies, its body falls to the ocean floor which then leads to other animals creating an ecosystem around it.

• Whales are extremely intelligent. Whales have brain cells almost the same as humans, which we use for social conduct or producing emotions or judgments.

•Whales are the largest animals in the evolution of the planet.

•Hippos are the closest relatives of whales. One would think that dolphins and porpoises are closer, but hippos are the closest living relatives of whales.

Famousinvention

Common Sense

Hair clipper

Hair clippers are specialised implements used to cut human hair. They work on the same principle as scissors, but are distinct from razors.

Leo J. Wahl invented the first electric hair clipper. He first designed a handheld massager for his uncle, Dr. Frank Wahl. Frank Wahl opened a manufacturing plant in Sterling, Illinois, United States to produce and sell Leo’s massager.

Leo Wahl took over his uncle’s manufacturing business after Frank left to serve in the Spanish– American War in 1898.

Leo continued to work on his inventions and by 1921, he patented his final design of an invention more than a decade in the making the first electric hair clipper.

Within a year, Wahl Manufacturing had manu-

factured and sold thousands of clippers all over the United States and in 1921 Leo renamed the company the Wahl Clipper Corporation.

Leo J. Wahl died on May 20, 1957 with over 100 patent applications to his name. Wahl Clipper is now an international industry leader in the manufacturing of products for the professional beauty and barbing salon trade, consumer personal care and animal grooming. Wahl products are available in 165 countries around the world.

1 Being an icing on a cake- you have to really try, because it takes a whole lot of courage and self confidence to put everyone in a bottle.

2 Being a round peg in a square hole doesn’t mean you can’t totally fit in, it’s just that the risk is more than the advantage.

3 Barking dog seldom bites, be wise not to put a dog’s tail in a cat’s mouth because the reverse might just be the case.

4 Without a silver spoon doesn’t mean you are dead.

5 You can’t pour from an empty cup, so you have to try and take care of yourself first.

k ild ee h w C e th f o

Kitchen prayer

Bless all that is in this little kitchen, Lord, including every nook and cranny.

Bless me as I clean the sink, scrub the pots, pans, plates and dishes.

May every meal that I cook produce seasoning from above, with tender loving care of course.

But most of all, your love and blessing.

So, my family and myself can enjoy the meal.

Lord, bless this kitchen and all within it.

May they find warmth and cheers herein, as well as tasty funfare.

Thank you God, for answering my prayer.

By Oladokun Precious S.S.1 Marks Comprehensive High School, Ologuneru, Gbopa, Ibadan.

Makinde Ebunoluwa Esther clocked

9

recently

Happy birthday

35

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Rita Okonoboh tribunechurch@gmail.com tribunechurch@yahoo.com 08053789087

tribunechurch

Beyond the pulpit glamour

The evolving roles of women ministers Archbishop Margaret Benson-Idahosa

Following the papal declaration that women Catholic priests may never come to reality, Nigeria’s Anglican stand on women bishops, among other concerns, RITA OKONOBOH examines how women’s roles have changed significantly in the Nigerian clerical setting.

Pastor Folu Adeboye

O

NCE upon a time, women in the ministry had their roles strictly reserved for support purposes.

In some settings, female persons, whether adult or child, were strictly forbidden from the pulpit and were, instead, unconsciously conscripted into being Sunday school teachers, providing marriage counselling advice for younger ladies, making available refreshments for church activities and generally giving assistance where necessary.

Anything as it related to public ministry, involving preaching from the pulpit, was absolutely discouraged. This was the norm for many church settings in Nigeria, exemplified in the early church times, as only very few women are mentioned in the early beginnings of the establishment of Christianity in Nigeria. This practice holds till date.

Fast-forward to centuries later and while much has changed, much is still left to be desired as whether Nigerian female ministers have a chance to become as popular as their Western counterparts, especially in the face of a society that is seemingly patriarchal.

A few days ago, it was reported that Pope Francis declared that women being ordained as priests may be a distant reality. This declaration came in response to a question posed to the Pope while enroute home from Sweden last Tuesday, where the Lutheran Church is headed by a woman.

According to the pope, “the last word was clear and given by John Paul II and this remains.” John Paul was said to have dismissed any insinuations of women being ordained as priests in his 2004 “Apostolic Letter,” which reported reads in part: “the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women

Bishop Peace Okonkwo

Pastor Helen Oritsejafor

and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all church’s faithful.”

For the Nigerian Catholic lady, such statements may not have real effect as women’s roles are clearly defined. Same goes for other orthodox churches with huge presence in Nigeria, such as the Anglican Communion, Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), among others. Even among members of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), the TEKAN/ ECWA and even the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, there are certain rules guiding women participation in the ministry, in spite of changes on a global scale.

However, in spite of these seeming regulations, it would be stating the obvious that women have evolved when it comes to their role in the ministry, with some not even becoming more popular than men in the pulpit, but even going further to found/run full churches successfully.

Tracing the history of when women were first ordained as ministers, Kati Niemelä in her study entitled “Female Clergy as Agents of Religious Change?” noted that “The first women were ordained to ministry as early as in the middle of the 19th century. The denominations which were acting as pioneers in ordaining women into the ministry already before the 20th century include many different denomi-

Pastor Abiola Omobude

nations with a liberal orientation. The first ordinations of women took place in 1853 in the Congregationalist Church, in 1863 in the Universalists denomination, in 1865 in the Salvation Army and in 1866 in the Methodist Protestant Church.

Subsequently, the ordination of women has become accepted in most Protestant churches.”

Challenges of women ministers Women, by virtue of their nature, are different from their male counterparts in the ministry. As Niemela puts it, “Women are not so clearly attached to traditional dogma, they read the Bible less, but pray more than male clergy. Their attitude towards church work is also more open to society. They consider it important that the church is active in helping people and promoting equality, justice and rights of the minorities and not just proclaiming its message by talk.”

Beyond marriage counselling and other assistant duties, for women to hear the calling to the pulpit, there are many challenges.

Archbishop Margaret Benson-Idahosa of the Church of God Mission International, in an interview with a national newspaper, while highlighting the challenges she had faced in the ministry, especially regarding her position as Africa’s first female archbishop, had stated that, “men and women were created by God. God gave both of them

Recession is temporary, things will get better soon, Adeboye counsels Christians

‘Believers today are no longer bothered that Jesus is coming back’

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Pastor Faith Oyedepo authority – not the man alone – to go and dominate and multiply. You can multiply by the Word of God or biologically. It is religion and tradition that relegated the woman. The mind of God is that men and women work together amicably. Before God, there is no difference, but traditionally, we have difference. If a man can fulfill the gift in him from the foundation, why can’t a woman as well?

God has called the man and the woman. So, God is not mad at the man preaching and the woman also preaching. If God gives you a vision, He will bring people around to provide for the vision.

“Whatever anyone says, I commit to God because He put me in this position. When my husband died, I had my own agenda.

The ministry was not in my agenda. So, when I was put in this position, I cried to God about how timid I was and how male dominated the world was, but God did not answer until I had made up my mind. He said to me: ‘Margaret, I’m not moved by tears or your needs, but by faith. If your faith says yes, I God will not say no.’ I therefore began building my faith. One day, He spoke to me again, saying, ‘If I made the appointment, I will release in you the ability to perform and excel.’ That he has actually done all this while. If you look at the Church of God Mission, you’ll find that I’m not the Continues on pg38

Soon, our members who ran to pentecostal churches will come back — Bishop Ogundipe

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6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews

Recession is temporary, things will get better soon —Adeboye Celestine Ihejirika - Umuahia

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HE 2016 Edition Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Abia Province III ended with a charge by the RCCG General Overseer, Pastor E.A

Adeboye, telling Christians not to lose hope as Nigeria’s economic situation will get better soon.

Speaking during the

convention/thanksgiving service for church building project, Adeboye said Christians shouldn’t be distracted by the economic

recession, assuring that the situation was a temporary one.

Pastor Adeboye, who spoke through the Pastor-

in-charge of the province, Pastor Tosin Olaniyan, appreciated members of Abia province III for total commitment and urged them

Christians must challenge their spirituality positively —CAC cleric THE District Superintendent of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Monatan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pastor S.O. Gbuyiro, has called on Christians to challenge their spirituality positively, stating that such actions would help to deepen their faith.

The cleric stated this at the seventh anniversary and thanksgiving service of the CAC, Oke-Agbara, Monatan, held last Sunday, with the theme, “Discipleship: The Hope of the 21st Century Church.”

According to Gbuyiro, “this seventh anniversary is meant to challenge our spiritual level, that is, the depth and height in which we operate as militant Christians waiting for Christ’s return. So, it becomes expedient for us to aim and passionately pursue spiritual lifting so as to soar as higher as eagles.”

Gbuyiro, who noted that the seventh anniversary was also an opportunity to embrace God’s blessings, promises and miracles as promised in the scriptures, stated that “seven is a great number of spiritual perfection.”

Ministering at the event included Pastor Kehinde Oladayiye; Pastor Moses Ojuolape; Pastor A.O. Adeyemi; Pastor Tosin Akinwumi; Evangelist (Mrs) O.A. Fasuyi; Evangelist Emmanuel Oludare; Evangelist Taiwo Bolaji; Evangelist Samson Olowore; Pastor S.A. Adams, Prophet M.O. Olowere, among others.

From left, Monatan District Superintendent, Pastor S.O. Gbuyiro; Prophet M.O. Olowere and Superintendent, Oke-Imole District Coordinating Council, all of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), during the seventh anniversary and thanksgiving service of CAC, Oke-Agbara, Monatan.

Stop frivolous spending during recession, Oyedepo, others warn Nigerians BISHOP David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church and Mrs Folorunso Alakija, Founder, Rose of Sharon Foundation, have advised Nigerians against frivolous spending to overcome the current economic challenges.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that they gave this advice on Friday at the annual Excellence in Leadership Conference (ELC), tagged: “Maximise Your Influence,’’ organised by Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos.

Oyedepo said many issues of poverty and inadequate resources confronting the nation, with the attendant problems facing the masses, were due to poor management and wastage.

“Many Nigerians do not budget for the airtime they consume per month but rather pay as they go.

“We have so many issues

with our youths of today, ranging from unemployment, underemployment and the efforts at setting up new businesses but there is the militating problem of wasteful spending.

“In 2015, it was reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank that Nigerians spent up to N447 billion on recharge cards monthly, which was even more than what is spent on food.

“The same thing applies to those who run small businesses; it is not for you to start living large from your small business but you should seek to grow it and expand further,’’ Oyedepo stated.

Another cleric, Pastor Agu Irukwu, Senior Pastor, Jesus House for all Nations, London, advised Nigeria to learn from other countries that had gone through recession.

Irukwu stressed the need

for the nation to deal with ethnic and religious issues affecting development, adding that government should share its vision with Nigerians by empowering them.

He also urged religious organisations to contribute their quota to the nation’s growth by being the practical examples of what they preached.

Also speaking, Alakija advised Nigerians to brace up to the challenges of real greatness, adding that most Nigerians were paying for the misdeeds of the past leaders.

The philanthropist said that those who wronged the nation in the past should be made to pay for their atrocities.

not to relent.

Speaking on the convention which had as its theme, “Men Arise and Shine,” Pastor Olaniyan noted the RCCG Abia province embarked on a fourday convention to draw men closer to God and remind them of the need to channel all problems to God through prayers.

He said another area the convention emphasised was bringing couples together and praying for the substance of families and the nation, as according to him, every obstacle against the people of God shall pave way for progress.

While appreciated members of the church for contributions, especially on the ongoing project building of Abia province, the cleric, in an interaction with TribuneChurch, stated that the church also used the convention to honour four members who had identified and contributed to ensure the province never lacked in terms of needs.

At the service, Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr Leye Oyebade, admonished members of RCCG to use the 2016 convention to draw Christians, especially men, back to the service of God. He also urged them to use the convention programme to better their lot in term of spiritual needs and commended Pastor Olaniyan and other faithful in the church for this year’s men’s fellowship convention.

Why pastors always disagree —MAC corps

By Taiwo Olanrewaju and Bolatito Abolade THE International Officers of the Missions for Africa Chaplaincy Corps (MAC Corps), an interdenominational paramilitary Christian organisation, has urged Nigerian pastors to emulate Christ and operate in love.

In their messages to Nigerian pastors, Chaplain General Thomas Living-

stone Ambeck, the organisation’s African Commandant and pastor of Evangel Christian Centre International, Ghana, said: “love is one good thing deserves another. “We need one another. Do all to find me and I will do all to find you,” he added.

Chaplain Paul Monday Chom, the Commandant General for Nigeria, however, explained that what caused pastors to disagree

most times was that they do not realise they are working for God. The retired airforce officer said: “If I know that it is the work of my father you are doing, I don’t have to go against it. I should support you because we are doing the same work.

When it comes to temptation, the devil does not care about spirituality, so, no Christian is free from temptation.”

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6 November, 2016

Soon, our members who ran to pentecostal churches will come back —Right Reverend Ogundipe Right Reverend Nathaniel Oladejo Ogundipe, Bishop of Ifo Anglican Diocese, Ogun State, shares his thoughts with RITA OKONOBOH on his experiences in the ministry and what Nigeria can do to become better. Excerpts:

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Ifo diocese is an offshoot of Egba diocese, which is home to St. Peter’s Cathedral, Ake, Ogun State, which incidentally, is the first church in Nigeria. How would you describe your dicese’s relationship with other churches in Egba diocese?

It’s not only Ifo that was created from Egba diocese. We also have Yewa created in 1990, then Egba West which was created same year as Ifo diocese. The relationship has been very cordial and we have enjoyed tremendous support from all the dioceses.

We have been enjoying mutual relationship.

How would you describe your over four-year experience as a bishop?

We give thanks to God because I believe it has been God all over. The experience so far is encouraging. You move round, meet with people and the critical aspect of it has been taking care of the workers.

It is always a problem, especially for missionary dioceses like ours when it comes to payment of their stipends. That has been what has been the challenge. In spite of that, I thank God for the experiences so far.

So, why did you decide to join the ministry? Was it through parental influence or you discovered it was something you liked?

I believe it is a call because initially I wanted to become a lawyer and I tried all efforts but it just didn’t work out. Four times I wrote JAMB examinations but it didn’t work out. I was a member of the choir, bible society and other such church

‘These are the signs of the end.” I listened to a programme in radio recently of a man who described himself as a pastor. He owed a caretaker some rent. Each time the caretaker came around, he would meet the pastor praying with others and so would leave.

However, the declared one day that enough was enough and as he was trying to forcefully eject the pastor from the apartment, he found on the chair in the room a skeleton, which was assumed to be that of the pastor’s dead brother. The skeleton was said to have been there for over a year. I have concluded that the time will come when those who ran away from orthodox churches will come back because they would know at the end of the day that we preached the right message.

Some of these self acclaimed pastors are out to make money and fame for themselves.

So, having more churches today does not mean we have become more spiritual.

You celebrated recently the diocesan 2016 harvest with the theme, ‘Harvest of God’s Goodness and Mercy.’ When you consider Nigeria’s current economic situation, do you think there is anything to be thankful for?

Looking back to the history of our nation, you will agree with me that it has been God. With all that has happened in recent years – insurgency, religious tension, calls for disintegration – and yet God has kept us as one nation, we need to give thanks. In spite of all the hardship in the land, the state of insecurity and corruption, Nigeria remains standing, we need to acknowledge God for His grace which has kept us. We need to thank God. What we enjoy today is God’s mercy and goodness. Man is nothing but for God’s grace. That’s why we need to thank Him.

OW did you find yourself in the ministry?

I believe it is by God’s grace that I’m in the ministry. I’ve been in the ministry for close to 35 years now. I started as an agent, later I gained admission to Vinning College of Theology, Akure, Ondo State and was ordained by the late Bishop Titus Ilori Akintayo.

I served under him. I also served under Bishop Matthew Owadayo. I also served under Bishop Afolabi Popoola when he was Provost of St. Peter Cathedral, Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State. I also served under the retired Archbishop of Lagos Province, Most Reverend Adebayo Dada Akinde before I became bishop of Ifo diocese.

Thirtyfive years you have been in the ministry. Would you say you have any regrets?

God has not allowed that to happen.

When I was serving as an agent, and then gained admission to Vinning College of Theology, an old woman came to visit and brought me a box of matches with the old 50 kobo note inside the box of matches and she prayed for me. I believe sincerely that God answered that prayer because since I’ve been in the ministry, I have never for once had cause for regrets. And I want to confirm to you that God has not allowed me to lack anything. If I need anything today, God will provide. So, I can say today that I have no regrets.

Sunday Tribune

organisations. By divine providence, after I finished my HSC at the then old Oyo State College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife, a brother came to me and asked if I would want to become a priest but I told him I wasn’t interested in the least. It wasn’t until God ministered to me that I came into the ministry. So, I believe it was a divine call.

Very recently, you dedicated a church. More churches are springing up in Nigeria and even orthodox

churches are opening more parishes.

Yet, it would seem that immorality is on the rise. What do you think the church is not doing right?

Well, let me remind you that the church is not the physical building but the human beings who make up the church. The building is a place where we can gather under one roof to worship God. The heart of man is the temple of God. Having more churches and yet, immorality and other vices seem to be increasing now is the fulfilment of one of Christ’s last words on earth when He said:

The time will come when those who ran away from orthodox churches will come back because they would know at the end of the day that we preached the right message. Some of these self acclaimed pastors are out to make money and fame for themselves. So, having more churches today, does not mean we have become more spiritual

What is your message to Nigerians, leaders and church?

My message to our leaders is that they should know that God has placed them in the positions they occupy not to feed on the masses but to feed them. Some of them see their positions as opportunities to amass wealth, forgetting that one day, they will leave this place with nothing. John 1:21 says, ‘naked I came into the world and naked will I go back.’ They brought nothing into the world and they will go with nothing. So, they should use their positions not to terrorise the underprivileged but to care for the people. I was surprised to hear that it was discovered recently that one person had over N500 million, not counting other hard currency, and millions are suffering.

There is so much wealth in the nation which is enough to feed everybody but it is only in the hands of a few. So, people in leadership positions need to change their orientation and know that one day, they will leave these things behind. That is the futility of life. There is a philosophy that states that the less materialistic we are, the probability we have of making heaven.

Christians should continue to pray for Nigeria. Let us as people of God run away from sin. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

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Believers today are no longer bothered that Jesus is coming back —Apostle Tokede Apostle David Tunji Tokede is the presiding pastor of Churchill City Chapel International. In this interview by OLAIDE SOKOYA, he speaks on his growing up and how he got born-again at a tender age.

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HAT was growing up like?

My dad was a primary school teacher and my mum was a petty trader. They gave me quality education. In the course of that, I came in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 13. I gave my life to Jesus at the Deeper Life Bible Church. I can say I had very good upbringing, morally and spiritually.

You gave your life to Christ at a very tender age. What are some challenges you have faced in the course of being in the ministry?

I can only say I couldn’t join my peers as a teenager. I grew up to find out that such lifestyle embraced all kinds of immoralities. However, even at such age, I had to bear the cross. I concentrated on studying the word of God and this distanced me from my peers who embraced such lifestyle and I was constantly the subject of ridicule.

However, I was able to discipline myself in spite of the persecution.

How exactly did you receive your calling?

I received my calling directly from the Lord Jesus Christ as the same time I gave my life to Jesus. I didn’t know who Jesus was then, but when a cleric, Pastor Kunle, was preaching and talking about heaven and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, I answered the altar call because I wanted to be raptured. After that, the same night I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I had this dream in which I saw the Lord introduce Himself to me as His new friend. He said: ‘I am the Lord Jesus Christ,’ and he showed me the cross to which He was nailed. He also told me that his blood had cleansed me from all my sins.

He said I would preach the gospel and that I would work for him. That experience kept recurring in my memory, until the mani-

festation of the prophecy and I became a servant of the Lord. The Lord has been so faithful in his standing by me.

How would you compare Christianity when you were growing up with what obtains in present times?

Well, we first believed it was sincerity; it was so sincere with the gospel and with the Lord and we were eager to obey the word of God to the letter. We kept ourselves from worldly things. However, in this time, things are different. The whole thing has been adulterated. The present gospel was not the gospel we received those days. People easily compromise now and are not so zealous and dedicated to the things of the Lord. People find things for themselves and not the things of the

kingdom. When we first believed, we expected rapture to take place any day, and so, we confessed our sins and asked God for forgiveness every day. We also kept ourselves away from sins. But today, believers are not even afraid of the second coming of the Lord even when we preach and remind them of the coming. It is as if it will never happen and that is what the world is now.

And what do you think caused that?

This time, things are different.

The whole thing has been adulterated. The present gospel was not the gospel we received those days

Sunday Tribune

It is just the word of God that is being fulfilled and even I wouldn’t say the word of God per se. The devil knows judgment is at hand because judgment has been reserved till the end. So, the devil himself does not want to go to hell alone. He wants to drag as many humans to hell as possible.

What is your take on Nigeria’s present economic situation?

I believe the change that the present government is advocating will take time.

From the onset, the government has been trying to make change and I will say people don’t respond positively to change anywhere. They prefer to stick to their old ways. However, if this government had not introduced change into this economy, Nigeria would have ceased to exist.

This government is just trying to save the country from collapsing. In a short time, there will be dramatic turnaround.

My advice to the government is that they should try to understand much of what the masses are going through because those who are at the top may not be able to access the masses properly and effectively. There must be a forum whereby the government would have the opportunity to listen to the masses because the people put them there. The people should be their primary objective. Government should also introduce workable policies that will tackle hunger and joblessness. If the government wants to be sincere and appreciate the masses, they should work on those two things.

You are running seven Wednesdays on the prayer mountain of solution tagged “Financial Flames Wednesday.” What prompted the theme of the programme?

The Lord told me that this period of economic recession, He wants to intervene in the situation of his people, especially the children of God. Nigeria is going to experience divine visitation that will turn around and ease the financial tension of His people. That is why the Lord gave me that message, “the financial flame.” There will be a revolution in the financial status of the people of God, beginning from the church, and it will affect the whole nation.

What has been your greatest testimony in the ministry?

I thank God; He has been so faithful since I have been in the ministry for 15 years. The Lord has been confirming His word by signs and wonders with the power of the Holy Ghost in action. God has delivered so many people; performed different wonders and we also have many parishes in and outside Nigeria within the pace of that period. The Lord actually confirmed to me that He, indeed, called me.

‘If God can use the man, why not the woman?’

Continued from

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best preacher. There are some that are firebrands and whose sermons could make the heaven kiss the earth. But God has been gracious to me.”

‘If God can use the man, why not the woman?’

In the opinion of Bishop Isaac Idahosa of God First Ministries International, “the truth is that there are no female Holy Spirits. The same Holy Spirit in a man is what exists in a woman. If God can use the man, why not the woman?”

‘A woman can become GO of RCCG, if God wills’ Pastor Oladele Abiodun Balogun, the Pastor-in-Charge of Region 21 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Covenant Sanctuary, Oyo State, had in an interview with TribuneChurch stated that

the scripture wasn’t against women performing their responsibilities in the church.

According to him, “in the RCCG, women are in all the positions available. We could even say we need more women. We have female pastors in charge of regions, provinces, zones and areas. However, on the issue of female G.O., God determines that. If that is in God’s plan, it will come to pass. In the RCCG, we have only got two General Overseers so far – the founder and the present G.O. The church is just starting. There is no need to be in a hurry.”

‘Even as a minister, a woman must be submissive to her husband’ Family minister and consultant, and President of Family Booster Ministries, Lagos State and College of Marital Success, Pastor Bisi Adewale, in his advice to women ministers, stated that “when talking about women in ministry, we have situations where God genuinely called them.

If God truly called them, by their fruits, we will know. There are examples of women who God has used to win so many souls.

When I told my family that God called me into family ministry, they were against it, but now God is proving Himself. If God has called the woman, let her fulfil her ministry. However, she should be submissive to her husband.”

Noting the benefits of women in active ministry, Niemela goes further to state that “Clergywomen put more emphasis on those tasks that can be regarded as ―performance while many of the men think that the church should concentrate mainly on function. Women‘s approach to work can be seen as typically liberal. This can also be seen as a way for the church to maintain an active role in a broad field in society and even become more active.

In this sense, the attitude towards church work among clergywomen can also activate de-privatisation on the church.”

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livingword

dawnofanewera with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa

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

Bishop of Ibadan Anglican Diocese

Understanding the Divine Nature in the Word!

ACCORDING to scriptures, God personifies supernatural and unlimited breakthroughs, and so does His Word. This is because everything that God is, His Word is also. That why the Bible says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made (John 1:1-3).

For instance, when God engaged the Word at creation, the Bible records that the earth, which was without form, took shape instantly. Furthermore, the introductory scripture states that God is His Word and without the Word, the world as we know it would not exist. This helps to understand that there are breakthrough power genes embedded in the Word (Genesis 1:1-3).

It is also important to know that acting on a Word from God is what makes us breakthrough personalities. For instance, in an account of scripture, we saw how Peter had toiled all night and caught nothing. However, when he acted on the Word he received from Jesus, he encountered a net-breaking and boat-sinking dimension of breakthrough. This means that God’s Word is the principal instrument for commanding breakthroughs in all situations and circumstances (Genesis 1:1-3, 12:1-3;

Being recession-proof (2) LAST time we began talking about the use of time in recession. We saw that we all have a box of twenty four hours handed to us every day and what will determine what the day will turn out to be will be dependent on how we use our time. We must be careful not to squander our time away especially in meaningless discussion on the effect of the recession. There is so much time wasted especially on the social media where people just puff out their frustrations and anger which is simply a waste of time.

We must not engage in fruitless discourse that provides no benefit. Times like this we must be careful to guard our time jealously.

Unnecessary display of anger is not a virtue.

“Watches are so named as a reminder — if you don’t watch carefully what you do with your time; it will slip away from you.” Terri Guillemets We must embrace time and love it by doing what is right with it.

“Time, the cradle of hope.... Wisdom walks before it, opportunity with it, and repentance behind it: he that has made it his friend will have little to fear from his enemies, but he that has made it his enemy will have little to hope from his friends.” Charles Caleb Colton In recession we cannot change some things but we can make the best of it. We cannot change the shortage and scarcity but we can rise above it. We cannot change the slow rate of production but we can still survive. We must use this time to develop ourselves and equip ourselves to handle the times we have found ourselves. We must give time to go to school, learn online, get training and apply ourselves on what ought to be done to make our lives more useful.

This is the time to work on our talents and skills. Talents are like seeds – they must be planted, nurtured and harvested and all this is the function of the discipline of the right application of time. “...You can do something extraordinary, and something that a lot of people can’t do.

Sunday Tribune

Isaiah 60:1-3, 8, 22; Luke 5:1-7).

Furthermore, we understand from scriptures that God’s nature is domicile in His Word. As it is written: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).

“Exceeding great and precious promises” in the above scripture, connotes God’s Word. In other words, God’s Word is a carrier of God’s nature, thus, whatever gives way to God, must do same to His Word (Psalms 114:1-8; 97:1-5).

Are you born again? This means, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? If you haven’t, you can do so as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

For further reading, please get my books: Satan Get Lost, Winning Prayer, The Blood Triumph, The Force of Freedom, Walking in Dominion, Possessing your Possession, Towards Mental Exploits, Ruling your world and Born to Win.

Your Life Counts

The Church: A called-out people WE thank God for His protection and His manifold blessings in our lives. Little by little, year 2016 is rolling away. God has been faithful over our lives. And another Sunday presents us with one more opportunity to give thanks to God for His love and kindness.

Year 2016 started with myriad challenges for the Nigerian masses. Government alerted us that things may become tougher; and they have been! Many state governments could not pay salaries. The Naira became weaker. Prices are on a steep rise. Power supply is on a sharp descent. In just few weeks of the new year, many things have gone wrong with the already deplorable quality of life of the man on the street. However, through it all, our nation has enjoyed relative peace, and we must be thankful for that.

While giving thanks, however,we must pay attention to the lessons that recent events throw at us as Christians. That demand is for us to re-appraise our role in this nation, and in the world at large.

Whether as people who make things happen, or as people who are at the receiving end of what is happening, there are unique roles for the Christian to play. People often try to be diplomatic about it; but the fact remains that the Christian is a different species. We are not made to be like the rest of the world; and we cannot afford to be like the rest of the world. We have a unique place in the scheme of things.

Christians are called out people of God.

Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesian Christians, said, Ephesians 5:6-8 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: In other words, when a person follows Jesus, there is a “forsaking” that goes with it. We saw that displayed in his interactions with those who became his disciples during his incarnation.

He called them out of their earthly occupations.

He called some out of their families and friends.

He called them out of their carnal, sinful behaviours.

He called them out of their earthly ambitions.

He took away the things they craved as human beings with flesh and blood running in their veins, and he said unto them: Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

To be continued next week

theapostolicmessage

by Tunde Jaiyebo 0803 406 2013

And if you have the opportunity to work on your gifts, it seems like a crime not to.

I mean, it’s just weakness to quit because something becomes too hard...” Morgan Matson In times like this there are so many problems and people with answers will have an edge so we must use our time to become answers to specific questions in life. Life only pays us if we use what we have to solve problems. Treasure is the reward for using our time to help other people. When a man is said to have experience, ideally it simply means he has spent time to develop and work on his ability, skill and talent to the point that he is more proficient than a newly qualified person. Whether inborn or acquired, talents have to be worked on, polished and intelligently utilized through the wise application of time.

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Stephen King The basic treasure we get in life is money which in turn is used to acquire other treasures (houses, cars etc). We must spend quality time to in developing our talent to make it of great demand by people. This is the key to getting treasure from our talents.

We need to take a critical look at how we are utilizing our time and ensure we have the right attitude to be afloat in these hard times. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz For enquiries/comments please send email to charismokola@yahoo. com

By Pastor (Dr) G.O. Olutola JP. President, The Apostolic Church Nigeria and LAWNA Territorial Chairman 08023063070, 08034013593; E-mail: chairman@taclawna.org

The Lord shall remove your reproach Continued from last week Christ was with God in creation, because He is the word of God. “All things were made by him; and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). Thus He could speak authoritatively concerning the genesis of the plight of the man, and of course any man!.

A problem known to Christ is not just half - solved, it is fully solved. He was the power with which things were created; so where there is a need for amendment, you can trust him to exercise the same power to re – create. He can and shall replace your ashes with beauty, because He know what you are undergoing.

“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me (Micah 7:8) God is in the business of perfecting His people beyond reproach, no matter what has brought it upon them: whether sin, their carelessness, unbelief disobedience, satan inflicted or just an act of God’s sovereignty. He did that for the Israelites as they were entering the Promised Land.

The Lord God acted swiftly He removed their reproach saying in Joshua 5:9; “this day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. The Lord shall remove your reproach. No matter what the enemy may be saying; know that the Lord’s will is not their will.

I declare that the Lord shall remove all the reproaches in our country in the

mighty name of Jesus. That singular step

by God laid the ground for the Israelites to possess their possession. It cleansed them totally to allow for the Captain of the Lord’s battle to lead them to victory in all their battles. They were able to pull down the wall of Jericho without any physical weapon. They defeated kings and land of kings; giants fell before them.

The law of the Lord is for everything to work perfect in the life of His children. You are to be for His praise and show forth his glory. Anything that works to the contrary is against His law. You can talk to God like the Psalmist did: “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law”.

(Psalm 119:126).

His law must be made perfect. Reproach does not work in accordance with His law, rather it is voiding it. That is why Christ made himself manifest to perfect that which is yours – your businesses that is going down, your marital issues, your barrenness, your disability and your poor health. He is able to change your situation so “that the works of God should be made manifest”.

You must accept that He is the power that created you and can thus recreate you into the perfect will of God. He loves you, and is here to do wonders in your life.

All what He requests of you is to believe in him, receive him into your life as your Lord and saviour; And you will be saved.

Your reproach shall be no more in Jesus Name.

Concluded

40

6 November, 2016

language&style Of life, live and leave

S

AMPLE 1: “Tiwa was one of those dedicated girls at Berkeley,” reveals another source. “She put aside distractions and concentrated on her dreams. All she did was leave and breathe music.”(Tiwa Savage Undressed…The Sunday Sun, May 8, 2016) I draw readers’ attention to the verb leave which occurs in the following context: “All she did was leave and breathe music.” That the word leave occurs together with breathe tells us immediately that the former is a wrongly selected lexeme. To breathe is to live and to live is to breathe. In other words I see no logical connection between the verb breathe and the verb leave. The appropriate verb is live.

Like many other Nigerian users of English, the reporter has a problem accurately distinguishing between the vowels that make the difference between these verbs: live and leave. The one is a short vowel; the other is a long one.

Let’s note, however, that in a sense the choice of the lexeme leave does not belong to the reporter. The choice was made by a ‘source’. Furthermore, the source did not commit his words to writing:He made verbal emissions which the reporter represented graphically, in writing. One of the words so represented is leave.

Even if the ‘source’ had mispronounced the verb live, presenting it as leave, the reporter is supposed to know better and represent it properly (as live) in writing.

To correct this error, we need to have a picture of all the words and forms that are likely to confuse users in a second language context like ours. Now read the following sentences: 1) We now live in a rapidly changing world. 2) Those who live in northern Canada will tell you that the region can be extremely cold. 3) Some people live under the illusion that they will live forever. 4)Is it true that some human beings live in the forest even in the 21st century? 5) Mosquitoes breed and live in unhygeinic conditions.

6) Fishes live in water; animals live in the forest. 7) We do not live to eat; we eat to live. 8) Those who live in poverty are no less human than those who live in affluence. 9) Good Christians live by the principles of Christ. 10) People who live in the desert are used to intense heat all the year round.

The form live as used in those sentences is the basic, everyday form of the verb. The everyday tense also uses the form lives when the third person singular number is the subject. Read the following sentences: 1) The Nigerian president lives in Abuja. 2) The traditional ruler lives in luxury. 3) A big snake lives in that cave. 4)She lives with her children in the UK. 5) The young boy lives by begging. 6) She lives with her family on the outskirts of the town. 7) The man lives with HIV. 8) He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. 8) The notorious politician who stole a lot of public funds now lives in luxury somewhere in Europe. 9) The preacher who lives by what he preaches is likely to be respected by his followers. 10) Christ died, was buried, rose from the dead and lives forever.

The continuous or progressive form is living: 1) We are all living for God. 2) Nobody should forget that we are living in the 21st century. 3) The NGO is to assist those who are living in extreme conditions. 4) The boy and the girl are already living together as husband and wife. 5) The fertilizers are meant for farmers who are actually living on their farms. 6) People who are living with HIV should not be stigmatized. 6) Africans are living under the illusion that they will easily catch up with the developed world in the area of technology. 7) People who are living on politics can never do any other job. 8) She was already living with another man when her husband attempted to recon-

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

cile with her.

Interestingly, the form living is also used as an adjective. The following sentences illustrate that usage: 1) All living things, including human beings, were created by God. 2) A musician, she is one of the living legends of our time. 3) Bacteria are living organisms that cannot be seen with our naked eyes. 4) There are people whose living conditions are horrible. 5) These healthy children are aliving proof that deadly diseases have virtually disappeared from Africa.

The past tense and the past participle forms of the verb coincide in lived: 1) I have lived all my life in Lagos. 2) The early man lived centuries ago. 3) The family once lived in the US. 4) For years, they lived in extreme poverty. 5) I lived with my grandmother for about ten years. 6) The young man had lived a reckless life in Lagos.

There is another adjective/adverb form which is identical at the level of spelling to the basic form of the verb—live. This is just accidental and the usage or context will indicate the difference. Besides, the two words are pronounced differently. Please read the following sentences: 1) Please be careful; that live wire is too close to the fridge. 2) A huge stock of live ammunition was seized by the police. 3) There are many live snakes in the zoo.

4) Football fans could listen to live commentary on the historic match at 4pm tomorrow. 5) The activities of the president in the UK will be broadcast live.

Now we come to the word life, the noun form of the verb live. Please read the following sentences: 1) No life can survive under that severe temperature. 2) The Bible says the life of the flesh is in the blood. 3) Life is too precious to be handled with levity. 4) The foetus has its own life. 5)There is indeed life after death. 6) Theologians recognize a distinction between biological life and spiritual life. 7) Nobody has a right to take another person’s life. 8) It is the duty of every responsible government to protect life and property. 9) Life, they say, begins at forty.

The plural form of life is lives, a form that is similar to the third person singular form of the verb considered earlier but pronounced differently. Let’s read the following sentences: 1) Thousands of lives were lost during the civil war. 2) Lives of citizens were in danger. 3) The children’s lives are precious to us.

Next we illustrate the usage of the verb leave, meaning to move from one place to another. Please read the following sentences: 1) Buhari will leave Abuja for Israel next week. 2) Buhari is leaving Abuja for Israel next week. 3) Buhari leaves Abuja for Israel next week. 4) Buhari left Abuja for Cairo last week.

As can be seen, the past tense of leave is left. The following sentences offer us the opportunity to compare some of the forms we have learnt so far: 1) He is leaving Ibadan tomorrow. 2) He will be living in Ibadan as from tomorrow. 3) Jonathan leaves Abuja tomorrow. 4) Jonathan lives in Abuja. 5)Jonathan will leave Abuja tomorrow. 6) Jonathan will live in Abuja as from tomorrow. 7) Jonathan left Lagos for Abuja. 8) Jonathan lived in Lagos.

Now leaf/leaves: 1) One green leaf fell from a mighty tree.

2) Give me one cheque leaf. 3) The trees shed their leaves during dry season. 4) He tore two leaves from the book. 5) Green leaves are a sign of a healthy tree. 6) Vital food supplements are obtained from leaves and roots. 7) The leaves of the tree provide a shade for travellers.

Those forms have to do with trees or plants. The singular form is leaf and the plural form is leaves.By extension, these forms are used for parts of books. Sentences (2) and (4) illustrate this fact.

That the word leave occurs together with breathe tells us immediately that the former is a wrongly selected lexeme. To breathe is to live and to live is to breathe. In other words I see no logical connection between the verb breathe and the verb leave.

The appropriate verb is live

Sunday Tribune

g

rammar lesson

Words that begin with ‘X’ xanthan: a polysaccharide xanthate: a chemical compound xanthene: a chemical compound Xanthian: from Xanthus xanthic: yellowish xanthin: a yellow colouring matter xanthine: a biochemical compound xanthoma: a yellow patch on the skin xebec: a sailing ship xeme: a fork-tailed gull xenia: gifts to a guest or guests xenial: relating to hospitality xenogamy: type of flower fertilisation xenolith: piece of rock brought in from another area xenology: the study of alien biology xenon: a gaseous chemical element xenotime: a yellowish-brown mineral xeric: very dry xeroma: abnormal dryness of a body part xerox: to photocopy Xhosa: a South African people or their language xi: a Greek letter Xiang: a dialect of Chinese xiphoid: sword-shaped Xmas: Christmas xoanon: a wooden image of a god xography: a photographic process xu: a Vietnamese unit of money xylan: a compound found in wood xylary: of or relating to xylem xylem: plant tissue xylene: a liquid hydrocarbon xylite: a volatile liquid xylitol: a chemical substance xylose: a plant sugar xyrid: a sedge-like herb xyster: a surgical instrument xyston: an ancient Greek spear xystus: an ancient Greek portico Source: oxforddictionaries.com

41 news

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Omisore bags PhD in PPP FORMER deputy governor of Osun State and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2014 governorship election in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is set to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public-Private Partnership on Saturday.

Omisore, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, will be part of the graduation ceremony of the International School of Management, Paris, France, scheduled to hold on 12 November.

A correspondence from the institution’s Administrative Assistant, Janani Siva, a copy of which was obtained by Sunday Tribune, stated that Omisore, a civil engineer with many years of experience, began the course in 2012 and successfully completed the programme, first of its kind in any institution.

From left, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, at the traditional engagement ceremony between Sidikat Adetoun, the daughter of the Awujale and Olanrewaju Oladiran on Saturday.

Buhari tasks traditional rulers on religious harmony, sustainable devt Clement Idoko, Abuja

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has tasked traditional rulers across the country to continue to work for peace, religious harmony and sustainable development of the nation.

Speaking at the inauguration of 500 housing units at Kalambaina Housing Estate, Sokoto State, on SSaturday, President Buhari regretted that the kind of peaceful coexistence experienced in the 60s, 70s and early part of the 80s among different ethnic and religious groups has waned.

He said: “It is an indisputable fact that in the 60s, 70s and even in the early part of the 80s, Nigeria was reputed for peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic and religious groups; the culture of discipline and patriotism was also highly safeguarded.

“Commitment to national development by all key players in governance was also visible. However, the situation, as we all know, has unfortunately changed,” he

said.

Buhari said the inauguration of the housing units which coincided with the 10th anniversary of the installation of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, was not simply held for merriment but to provide opportunity for sober reflection.

He said events associated with the anniversary and, importantly, the relevance

of value of the caliphate system must be the base for a progressive and self-reliant nation where, every citizen, irrespective of creed or tribal affiliation, was given opportunity for self-actualisation.

“In this regard, the Sultan and our highly esteemed royal fathers, our traditional institutions and indeed all patriotic citizens of this country have to continue

Again, Pastor, 4 others kidnapped in Ekiti

As INEC secretary regains freedom Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti NO fewer than five persons, including a man said to be a pastor, have been kidnapped in Ise-Ekiti, in Ise/ Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State by gunmen.

Sources said the pastor, identified simply as Ojo, and his driver, and the three others were abducted in the wee hours of Saturday, at a location on the Ise-Emure road.

Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Ekiti

State Police command, Mr Alberto Adeyemi, said he was not aware if a cleric was among the victims, but said two of the abducted persons had been freed while his men were on the trail of the abductors and their victims.

Adeyemi charged the citizenry to support the police with “useful information to help the police in the fight against crime and also help by reporting strange faces and movements around them.

The incident came barely

Speak out against INEC injustice in Ondo, group urges right activists THE Coalition for Stable Democracy (CSD) has expressed concern over what it called the “suspicious silence” of the pro-democracy movement and right groups on the controversial reversal of the candidature of Mr Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Ondo governorship elections.

The group said it had become necessary for all lovers of democracy to speak out against the injustice allegedly meted out by the Inde-

to work for peace, religious harmony and sustainable development of our country,” he said.

He commended the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, for completion of projects started by the previous administration of Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, saying this was a demonstration of humility and a fulfilment of promises to the people.

pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Mr Jegede by replacing his name with that of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim.

In a statement by its national secretary, Abdulahi Sanni, issued in Kaduna, the group said all men of good conscience must speak in condemnation of the act, especially considering the allegations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was behind the Ondo PDP crisis.

“Today, it is Ondo state,

no one is sure of where next it would happen. How can a judge allow the same law firm who stood in for a plaintiff to turn around to represent defendant in the same case on the same matter, without consideration for legal ethics? And that ruling is being purported as the basis for INEC decision, even against the legal opinion of its Senior Advocates?

“We reckon that this is a travesty that must be condemned,” the statement read.

48 hours after the administrative secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State, Dr Muslim Omoleke, was abducted and released.

INEC in Ekiti State thanked the police and other security agencies for the prompt release of the kidnapped administrative secretary of the commission.

Speaking on behalf of the commission, the Public Relations Officer of INEC in Ekiti State, Taiwo Gbadegesin, said the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, led the operation to track down the kidnappers.

He said: “the Osun CP was wonderful just as his Ekiti counterpart. They did a yeoman job in the quest to secure his release. We thank them immensely and we commend them for a job well done.”

Gbadegesin added that “the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Etop John James, was also closely following the operation through his constant telephone calls and other measures that ensured that the synergy of the operation was smooth and successful.”

Stop politicising urban renewal projects, Fayose tells critics Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said the demolition of structures for the execution of some urban renewal projects in Ado Ekiti should not be seen as act of wickedness.

He has therefore called on his critics to stop playing politics with the issue, while appealing to the people concerned to see it as sacrifices for the overall development of the state.

He said this in Ado-Ekiti when the executive members of the Ado Progressive Union (APU) paid him a courtesy call.

In a statement on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor was quoted as saying that urban renewal was “seen globally as a means of revitalising and providing modern social amenities.”

Fayose, who said he was humbled by the decision of APU to consider him for an award of excellence, said he would not relent in his efforts at taking the state to greater heights.

Earlier, the National President of APU, Chief Obafemi Ojo, said the team came to appreciate the governor for the great job he was doing in Ado-Ekiti and Ekiti State in general.

We are closing in on bombers of Ekiti Police station —Police Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti THE police in Ekiti State have announced that they are closing in on the bombers of the divisional headquarters in IdoEkiti, headquarters of Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state on October 14, 2016.

Speaking on the extent of investigation into the crime, on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, who said though none of the perpetrators of the nefarious act had been apprehended, assured that they would be arrested soon.

Adeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said investigations had “reached advanced stage and that we have been able to gather enough clues as to the whereabouts of the criminal gang.”

He, however, denied that arms and ammunition were carted away during the operation, saying “those arms had already been taken to the headquarters in Ado Ekiti during a mop-up operation ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Etop James.”

Lagos bans LAGBUS from Ikorodu Road corridor from Monday Bola Badmus - Lagos LAGOS State government said it had banned LAGBUS (red buses) from plying the BRT (blue buses) corridor on Ikorodu road with effect from Monday.

Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi, made this known on Friday while addressing newsmen, saying the step was also being taken ahead of plans to introduce Intelligent Traffic System along the BRT corridor in the state.

Elegushi said consequently, all LAGBUS buses would no longer be allowed to load or drop passengers along the BRT corridor, pointing out that it was part of steps taken to relocate all other franchises from the use of the corridor.

While saying that information as to the new routes had earlier been conveyed to stakeholders at a parley, the commissioner, however, assured that the state government had concluded arrangement to allocate new routes to the operators of LAGBUS franchise.

42

news

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Benue places N5m ransom on Gana, most wanted criminal in the state Johnson Babajide - Makurdi BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom, has said that the state executive council would give N5 million to whoever provides useful information that will lead to the arrest of the state’s most wanted criminal, Mr Terwase Akwaza, a.ka. Gana.

The governor disclosed this while inaugurating state, local government, district and ward security committees set up to enhance peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

Ortom said that Gana had been involved in various crimes in the state, adding that security report had shown that Gana and his gang had been involved in abduction, killing, robbery, cattle rustling, among other crimes, which has pitched herdsmen with farmers in some parts of the state’.

Governor Ortom said Gana was granted amnesty, after which he was given the job of collecting revenue for the state government, but he decided to become a terrorist.

Oyo CNPP warns Buhari against borrowing From right, former governor of Oyo State and national leader of Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, during a visit of the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to Ladoja in Ibadan, Oyo State, recently. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE

3,000 horsemen hold durbar, as Buhari, OBJ others honour Sultan

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, was among those at a grand Durbar held to mark the 10th coronation anniversary of Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that no fewer than 3,000 horse riders, drawn from across Nigeria, participated in the durbar, held at the Sultan’s palace in Sokoto.

Prominent Nigerians at the event included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, serving and former governors, among others.

In his remark, Governor Aminu Tambuwal said the Durbar was organised to celebrate the Sultan, whom he described as an astute leader, peacemaker and bridge builder.

On the leadership of President Buhari, the governor said he had restored hope to

the nation through his fight against corruption and insecurity.

Tambuwal noted that the Buhari administration had tamed insurgency, while efforts were on to solve the problems of militancy, cattle rustling and other security challenges.

The governor expressed optimism that Buhari would reinvigorate the economy and set the nation on the

path of growth and development.

In his response, the Sultan emphasised his belief in a united and indivisible Nigeria, and urged all Nigerians to come together and work for sustainable peace and unity in the country.

According to the monarch, Nigerians should be more pious and patriotic to ensure a more prosperous country.

CAN rejects court judgment freeing suspected killers of 74-year-old in Kano MuhammadSabiu-Kaduna

THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 19 Northern states and Abuja, has lamented the recent judgment in which the five suspects, accused of killing one Mrs Bridget Agbahime in Kano State, were discharged.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of CAN, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, disclosed this in Kaduna

State on Saturday.

He said the judgment had brought the judiciary into serious attack, stressing that more needed to be done to ensure the judiciary discharged its duty credibly.

Hayab called on the Attorney General of the Federation to, as a matter of urgency, call the Kano State Attorney General to order to ensure that justice was done in the case.

Avengers hail N/Delta leaders’ meeting with Buhari EbenezerAdurokiya-Warri FIVE days after members of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) presented a 16-point demand to President Mohammadu Buhari in Abuja, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has expressed satisfaction at the development, but requested the immediate reopening of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko.

NDA, however, described all the demands as the minimum in the face of what the region actually needed, hav-

Abubakar said: “There must also be equity and social justice, as without them there will be no development.”

Earlier, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, who is the chairman of the main organizing committee, said the durbar was to celebrate the invaluable contributions of the Sultan to national development.

ing been neglected and ravished for donkey years.

“Some issues need affirmative actions. The immediate take-off of academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) Okerenkoko, for the 2016/17 sessions, withdrawal of all occupational security agencies and agents in the Niger Delta,” the group stated.

Admonishing President Buhari to seek good managers, the group declared that Buhari needed people of the region more than they needed him.

“The Nigerian state genuinely needs the cooperation of our people to sustain the flow of crude oil and gas in our land to quench her appetite of developing other sections of the country without regards to the Niger Delta, the people and the environment,” it averred.

Spokesperson on NDA, Mudoch Agbinibo, in a statement posted in the group’s website on Saturday, praised the Chief Edwin Clark-led PANDEF for the minimal demands.

“Having gone through the case diary, the Attorney General of Kano State evaluated the facts in accordance with sections 130 and 150 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The legal advice presented to the court, dated June 24, states that there is no case to answer as the suspects are all innocent.

“This action can only encourage people to take laws into their hands since evil is seen to be unpunished. Many other groups will be tempted to harm, or kill, innocent citizens under every false guise since they can buy their freedom from the courts,” he said.

Reverend Hayab said that CAN would not relent until justice was seen to have been done.

He urged Christians and the general public to remain calm, assuring that all avenues would be explored to ensure that justice was done.

The five suspects are Zubairu Abubakar, Musa Abdullahi, Dauda Ahmed, Abdullahi Abubakar and Abdulmumeen Mustafa.

By Dare Adekanmbi

THE Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Oyo State, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to borrow money as such move would further deepen the country’s poverty level.

This was contained in a release signed by its newly elected chairman, Alhaji Yinka Olona, and secretary, Mike Folorunso, and available to Sunday Tribune.

The CNPP had, on October 24, elected new executives in the state and also reiterated its commitment to participating in the Oyo State local government election scheduled to take place on February 11, 2017.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should not do anything to return the nation to debt trap. Government should not borrow money capable of further deepening poverty and mortgaging the future of the people,” the statement read in part.

While promising to defend the interests of all members and ensure that democratic principles and rule of law are strictly followed, the CNPP also called on the Federal Government to make efforts to address the current food crisis and pay workers salaries when due.

Police nab suspected killer of NYSC member in Kaduna Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

THE Police Command in Kaduna State on Saturday said it had arrested the suspected murderer of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in the state.

The command’s Public Relation Officer, ASP Aliyu Usman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the kingpin was arrested on Wednesday.

Usman said the suspect, Adamu Jibrin, 22, had made useful statement to the police on the offence.

“We recovered six loaded cartridges, two knives, two cutlasses, a double-barreled gun and one Samsung phone, in his room at Unguwar Yero Area in Kaduna,” Usman said.

The late NYSC member, Lawal Kontagora, was killed on October 17. Two suspects were arrested on October 20.

According to him, the kingpin is still under investigation, but the two other suspects have already been charged to court.

Convention

THE seventh edition of Abiye Convention 2016, tagged: “Great Mercy” will commence tomorrow and end on Friday, November 11. It will hold at the C.A.C Ori-Oke Baba Abiye, Ede, Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo Expressway, Iwoye Junction, Alaasan, Egbedore Local Government Area, Osun State.

The convention will be graced by Pastor Akinosun, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, Reverend Gideon Adeyeye, Prophet Paul Millar, Pastor J. Adelakun, Evangelist Dr. Bola Are and Evangelist Tope Alabi.

Prophet Timothy Funso Akande and Prophetess Adejoke Adeoti Akande are the host.

43

news

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Black weekend: Colonel, 4 soldiers, 14 Boko Haram terrorists die in attack Another Chibok girl carrying 10-month-old boy rescued Chris Agbambu with Agency Report

S

USPECTED Boko Haram terrorists attacked 119 Battalion, Nigerian Army location at Malam Fatori in northern Borno, on Friday, killing one Lieutenant Colonel and four other soldiers.

Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday that the troops fought gallantly, repelled the attack and killed 14 Boko Haram terrorists.

Usman gave the name of the officer that was killed in action as Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali, the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion.

He said four other soldiers, who sustained various degrees of injury during the encounter, also died afterwards.

Usman, however, said that the troops recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), seven AK-47 rifles and a large

quantity of ammunition.

In another development, troops deployed at Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno, for Operation Lafiya Dole, on Saturday,

rescued one of the kidnapped Chibok girls.

Usman said the girl was discovered while the troops were screening some escapees from Boko

Haram terrorists’ hideout in Sambisa forest at about 6.00 a.m.

Usman, who gave the name of the rescued girl as Maryam Ali Maiyanga,

said the girl and her son had been handed over to the Borno State government.

“She was discovered to be carrying a 10-month-

13 die in boat accident, tanker fire in Niger Adelowo Oladipo -Minna

The rescued Chibok girl and her 10-month-old son.

Soldiers storm Delta community, arrest residents Ebenezer Adurokiya -Warri RENEWED conflict is mounting in Gbaramatu kingdom of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State as troops, on Saturday, allegedly invaded Okpele Ama/ Tebujor communities in the kingdom.

Soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, who allegedly carried out the invasion, were said to have arrested two persons for yet-to-be established reasons.

Names of the suspects were given as Moses Bebenimibo, who was said to be travelling on river to Oporoza and one Kpaghan Marvellous, a student of Gbaraun Grammar School Oporoza.

It will be recalled that 10 pupils from Oporoza, the headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, were arrested in May during a similar military invasion.

It could not be ascertained whether the arrest was in connection with the bombing of newly repaired Trans-Forcados Export line at Batan community, barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with Pan Niger Delta Forum to ensure peace in the region.

Aggrieved members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta

old son named Ali. “It is imperative to state that troops have been working round the clock to clear remnants of Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hibernating and also rescue all persons held hostages by terrorists,” he said.

(MEND), through their spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was done to register disapproval for the Abuja meeting.

A source from Oporoza said that the invasion by soldiers had troubled the relative peace earlier enjoyed in the kingdom with tension reportedly mounting among residents of the kingdom.

Acting Secretary General of Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godspower

Gbenekama, while confirming the incident, said that he was briefing the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom on the outcome of the Abuja parley in his palace when residents raised the alarm that soldiers had invaded the communities.

He said that after the meeting with President Buhari, they were mandated to relay the outcome of the meeting to all the communities in the Niger Delta.

According to the IbeBenemowei of Gbaramatu

Kingdom, such development, which is coming shortly after a successful meeting with the Federal Government could scuttle the peace process.

He appealed to the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to come to the aid of the communities so as to stop the incessant arrest, intimidation and brutality of residents.

“We are also using this medium to tell our president to call the military to order.

“We cannot at this time

when we are looking for solutions to the problems of the Niger Delta be shopping for crisis,” he said.

He also appealed to Gbaramatu people, Ijaws, and all Niger Deltans to keep the peace in the face of all provocations.

Commanding officer of Sector 1, Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Col Alhassan Grema, did not respond to calls put across to his mobile line neither did he respond to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

...We will resist invasion, militants dare FG Ebenezer Adurokiya -Warri AGGRIEVED members of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), on Saturday, dared Federal Government on what they called a declaration of war on the Niger Delta and await the response.

The group, in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, warned against the militarisation of the region.

It threatened to carry out a “full resistance,” saying the people of the region are no cowards.

The group, which has claimed responsibility for the bombing of a number of oil and gas facilities especially in the upland parts of Delta State in re-

cent time, vowed to bring down the total daily oil output to below 500,000 through what it described as an “approaching tsunami.”

“However, we want to dare the Federal Government to attempt or fully carry out its military action

against our people and see the response that will follow.

“We understand the message even beyond the uttered words and the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is saying we are ready for his worst.

“As a matter of fact, what

the Avengers did to the oil industry will be nothing to compare with the grandplan already set by our Central Command.

“We shall bring Nigeria’s daily output quota to below 500,000. Just be ready for the approaching Tsunami,” the group threatened.

Oyo police rescue 10-yr-old girl locked up by father

By Tunde Ogunesan A 10-year-old girl, Precious John, who was locked up in a room for three days without food by her father, who is now at large, has been rescued by policemen from the Challenge Police Station in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The rescue move, according to the Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police

Command, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu, was made possible on Saturday following a tip-off from neighbours.

Ajisebutu further disclosed that “on receipt of the report, the police responded swiftly and visited the house at Ajeigbe area, Ring Road, Ibadan and rescued the girl.

Ajisebutu further revealed that “on arrival at the scene, it was discov-

ered that three padlocks were used to lock the room.

The locks had to be broken by the police before the girl could be rescued.

“The victim was immediately taken to the station, fed and later taken to police clinic for medical attention. The case is currently under investigation, even as efforts are being intensified to apprehend the fleeing father,” he said.

NO fewer than seven persons including four ladies and three children drowned when the boat in which they were travelling capsised on River Gbako in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday.

Sunday Tribune gathered that six people also died when a fuel-laden tanker caused multiple accidents in Mokwa town, Mokwa Local Government Area of the state on Friday.

The capsised boat was carrying 10 passengers , all females, from Balsa community, who were headed for a farm across the river to trash rice when the accident happened at about 11:00 a.m on Saturday.

Three of them, according to officials of the state emergency agency, were rescued by divers.

The owner of the farm, one Yabagi, lost a wife, a daughter and granddaughter in the incident.

Gbako River borders Katcha and Lavun local government areas of the state.

The Director General of the state’s Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Mallam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, who confirmed the incident, said local current was always strong in the morning, especially when moving against the tide, which resulted in accident this same time of the year.

Similarly, in the fire incident, according to a witnesses, two petrol tankers were travelling together but that the driver of the one at the back lost control due to a failed brake.

It was said to have hit the one in front, which veered off the road and rammed against the wall of a guest house in the town.

The source, who spoke to Sunday Tribune said the tanker also hit another one parked by the side of the road, which resulted in an explosion.

The incident was also said to have left many with various degrees of injuries, with two of them currently in critical condition.

Mallam Inga, who confirmed the incident, said 12 shops along the road were burnt.

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interview

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

How I will govern Edo State —Obaseki Edo State governor-elect, Mr Godwin Obaseki, who will be sworn in on 12 November, 2016 as Adams Oshiomhole’s successor, speaks on how members of his cabinet and other appointees will emerge and his relationship with his boss, Oshiomhole, among others. Excerpts:

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HE new Oba of Benin has admonished you on several occasions to ensure you follow the footsteps of Governor Oshiomhole, how do you intend to do that and how loyal will you be to the traditional institution?

Of course, I have to be loyal because I need the institution more than Oshiomhole in terms of my developmental plans.

In the past when they would come to government house, I will go to them and seek their advice. My goal is to bring in investments and these investments has to be located in their domain. I have to design a relationship so that they would help me create the environment, the stability and the security required for those investments. So, my relationship with them will not only be cordial but symbiotic. It is not going to be a formality they are going to be in active part, because of the respect I have for them and the role they would play in stabilising the polity.

But there is this fear that you may not be as generous as Oshiomhole in your dealings with people?

The truth is that Oshiomhole was able to afford it because oil prices were high.

If oil prices go back up and I get the revenue, I will, but right now, it is not the situation we find ourselves. We have to be more prudent but we are hoping that once the revenue picks up and the economy is more buoyant, I have to take care of them.

They are my employers. Right now, when we are struggling to pay salaries and keep government running, it will be imprudent to go and borrow to distribute. But hopefully, it will not last too long and certainly if the economy is as good as when Oshiomhole started, I will give as much. But honestly I will do my best to satisfy our people. I don’t think there is anything to fear.

You said you will not accommodate opposition members into your cabinet; are you still going to stick to that decision?

Yes. First, we don’t have a government of national unity; we won fair and square in an election. The people spoke and it was very clear the choice they wanted.

My agenda is very straightforward and different from that of the opposition. My party is very rich with people with ideas and even from the federal level down. We have an agenda, a very progressive agenda to run and I don’t see how the PDP people will fit into my government. I will come up with programmes that will benefit all and they will be glad I emerged as governor rather than their own candidate.

How are you going to relate with PDP leaders like Anenih, Igbinedion and others?

As far as I am concerned, from the polls, it was shown that they were rejected so I expect and hope they have read the hand writing on the wall and they will gracefully retire from politics. I heard one of them is retiring on his book launch and on that day he would declared that he is retiring from politics. They have offered everything they can in this democratic dispensation. So they should retire gracefully. I think they should allow the younger ones to take over.

Yes, I am very optimistic, because we didn’t get that number from the air. There are specific activities of social transaction that we are looking at, which we will begin to unveil when we get into the office. As I said, we are fortunate that even at the federal level there is also concern and resources are being put in to ensure that government create enabling environment for businesses to thrive. The bulk of this job as I said are going to come from agriculture, mining and government is going to very active identifying the opportunities. It is hoped that nothing will change too drastically from where we are today but that things can only improve.

Obaseki

What will be your focus in the three senatorial districts?

The first thing is that we will conclude all existing projects. We will not have any abandoned project. I mean that is the hallmark of continuity, but the focus is now more on economic empowerment. So, for each locality we have identified the key economic drivers and our programme as a government will be to create an enabling environment in terms of security, infrastructure, and manpower to support those economic activities in each of the senatorial districts. For instance, in Edo North, thanks to the limestone that is in Okpella axis, we will leverage on that to increase access to mining and agricultural opportunities. We have identified a few, which we believe can be started up by the first quarter of next year, ditto in Central; there are people waiting to see the shape of the new government before they bring their investments in specific transaction we have identified. Those ones will be supported.

In the South, the story will not be different. The buzz word today is agro-business and as you will see even from my inauguration, we are making sure that will be the starting point by inviting a lot of potential investors to Edo. On Gelegele seaport As we speak, proposals are being considered and once I am sworn in, we are going to set up a team to look at what has been done and what is required to attract the necessary investment. We believe that we may not have to wait on the Federal Government. Once we can establish its liability, we can get the private investment to support it.

Why do you think governors al-

ways fight with their predecessors?

Maybe because they are core politicians that want to create an empire. We want to create a political empire but the good thing about Oshiomhole and myself is that we are not classic politicians. We have come in to take on some specific assignments, which are more germane. For me, my goal is not to build a political empire, I would rather build an economic empire for the benefit of my people. I just want to focus on more governance than politics. If you look at it, we are one team that came into government and we are still working together as one. We have got to share a common passion for the state and that is the key driver and giving the way we have worked for the last eight years, I don’t see what will radically change today that will make us to be at each other’s neck.

I will love politics to be played at Iyamho, because Oshiomhole is our leader and that will give me enough space and time to work. That would be ideal, because one of the drawbacks of my predecessor was the need to build a party and stabilise the politics, he had to spend a lot more time on the politics. He could have accomplished more if he had more time to deal with issues of governance. If I am fortunate enough to have people who can help me spend more time managing the politics so that I can drive development, that would be ideal.

That is why you need a party and a strong party structure where a party leader spend more time in helping to manage the politics. While as the governor who is supposed to the Chief Executive Officer implements the policies of the party, I spend time settling quarrels at ward levels, I will not have time to pursue issues of governance.

What will become of your campaign promise of creating 200,000 jobs?

People are afraid, you may increase taxes in Edo. We should distinguish between taxation and extortion, because what people are complaining about is extortion and the way people try to get levies and fines from them. That must stop and that would stop. There are only a 160,000 people in Edo State today who pay taxes the government receives. What we need to do is to expand the base so that more people pay something and make the process fairer, because right now it is not fair. Only 160, 000 carry the burden of the entire state.

You will find out that you don’t need to increase the amount of tax people pay but just make sure that more people who are eligible pay so that more people carry the burden of our development.

What do you hope to achieve in your first 100 days?

I have a four-year term so I am not going to benchmark myself on a traditional benchmark. There are certain short term milestones which we need to achieve whether in 50 or 120 days or 180 days, we will determine how realistic it is to accomplish those short term goals and then look at the million and longer term work. My goal is not to be desperate to play to the gallery and make the noise I feel people want to hear. For me, the important thing is to create something that is enduring, I am not going to white wash because I am so anxious to see things accomplished in a 100 days and therefore create white wash and phantom projects.

There are rumours that you want to appoint people from Lagos into your cabinet and abandon those who worked for the party?

I don’t have any such plans. I have been here for the last eight years and I have worked with people and I believe we have very good quality manpower. Certainly I am not going to bring non-Edo people so even if they are going to come from Lagos, they are going to be Edo people.

However, the emphasis is on good quality people who are representatives of where they come from in the state. So I will be working very closely with all the political leaders in the state in determining who we select or appoint. I will consult extensively with them but whoever we appoint must be people who the political leaders are comfortable with whether they come from here or outside. Political leaders will determine who I will appoint. I am serving them and I must be loyal to all Edo people.

45

news

6 November, 2016

2016 Lagos International Trade Fair

FG commends LCCI on trade fair Says fair encourages entrepreneurial spirit Stories By Akin Adewakun and Qudus Kasali- Lagos

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HE Federal Government of Nigeria has commended the efforts of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) towards encouraging entrepreneurial spirit, through the introduction of the annual trade exhibition, the Lagos International Trade Fair.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah expressed this in Lagos, on Saturday, during his official visit to Tafawa Balewa Square, one of the venues of the fair.

The minister added that the trade fair had, over the years, been able to add value to the nation’s business community, while at the same time transforming the country from being that of a job seeker to job producer “The entrepreneurial activities of the international

trade fair would most definitely transform Nigerians from being job seekers to job providers and greatly reduce the unemployment base of the country,” he argued.

He said that the solid relationship between the government and the private sector is timely and would consequently turn around the economy of the country.

“I believe as we engage in a solid relationship with the private sector, such as this, the economy of the country will soon witness a positive turn around,” he said.

The minister disclosed that Nigerians would soon begin to reap the positive impact of the Memorandum of Understanding, recently signed between Nigeria and Singapore.

From Left, Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Mr Sola Oyetayo; Minister Of Industry, Trade & Investment, Okechukwu Enenalamah; Deputy President, LCCI, Mr Babatunde Ruwase and Director-General, Mr Muda Yusuf, during the minister’s visit to the ongoing 2016 Lagos International Trade Fair, in Lagos, on Saturday.

Lagos Trade fair: Banks target 500,000 visitors, fete customers Chima Nwokoji- Lagos

AT the ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair expected to attract over 500,000 visitors, Deposit Money Banks especially FirstBank Nigeria is offering Customers a Bouquet of financial products.

This is in keeping with the tradition of stimulating the economy and encouraging bi-lateral trade relations between Nigeria and its trading partners.

In a bid to celebrate its customers, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (First-

Bank) said it has deployed cutting-edge technology to present to customers a bouquet of its products at the 2016 Lagos International Trade Fair.

The trade fair which commenced from November 4 to 13, 2015, is expected to attract over 500,000 visitors from within and outside Nigeria including businessmen, investors, customers and representatives of Nigeria’s important trading houses and those seeking joint-venture partnerships.

This year’s edition entitled: “Positioning the

Dangote to showcase new products at fair DANGOTE Group has stated that the ongoing trade fair, would, as usual, afford the Group the opportunity to showcase new products in its portfolio.

A statement from the Corporate Communications Unit of the Group, said the fair had become a veritable venue for introduction of new products , noting that customers to the pavilion at the fair will have the opportunity of buying products of the group at reduced prices.

“Dangote Flour is offering customers a wide range of

products at discounted prices. Buyers are going away with several gifts as reward for purchasing Dangote Flour products. Products at the stand include-Dangote Noodles, flour for baking, wheat meals, spaghetti and macaroni.

“Dangote Group is of the view that the trade fair is coming at an appropriate time, close to the last month in the year. This affords traders and dealers the opportunity to buy and stock their shops while end users buy for yuletide,” the statement read.

Nigerian economy for diversification and sustainable growth” was formally declared open on Friday, November 4, 2016 by 10am at the main arena, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

According to the Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mrs Folake Ani-Mumuney, “FirstBank remains committed to promoting trade and development in the nation and would continue to promote sustainable industrialisation of the Nigerian economy and the global economy at large’.

During the ten-day fair, the bank’s broad clientele and prospective ones will benefit from FirstBank’s famous financial advisory services, on-line-real-time banking, internet banking, Automated Teller Machine (ATM), cards products, consumer finance products and Western Union/MoneyGram services she said.

Female customers would also have an opportunity to have the advantage of on-the spot engagement and introduction to FirstGEM, the FirstBank new lifestyle solution offering for women. Over the years, the bank has broadened its product and services offer-

ings to include agricultural finance, bills discounting, equipment leasing and mortgage finance.

The fair which is staged yearly with the support and co-operation of the federal and the state governments covers all aspects of business and economic activities in Nigeria. It offers a unique exposition for manufacturers, suppliers,

buyers and users of a wide range of goods and services as well as opportunities for investment and trade promotion.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank), a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, is one of the largest corporate and retail banking financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa).

Sunday Tribune

Participants pray for fair weather WHAT seems a major concern for stakeholders at this year’s fair is the unpredictability of the weather.

While many are hoping that the event would be rains-free, so as to enhance the smooth running of activities at the venue, others are, however of the belief that weather would not pose a challenge to the fair.

“What we are praying for this year is good weather.

Rains could be a challenge, we just hope it doesn’t mess things up this year,” argued one of the organisers, who would not want his name in print.

“We always had this program in November, and weather had never, at any time, been a challenge.

While we hope for good weather, we are also of the belief that there is no way this would pose a set-back to the event, even if we experience such,” argued Silas, a shoe seller at the Fair.

This year's trade fair, more organised —StarTimes THE Head of Public Relations, Star Times, Israel Bolaji has described this year's edition of the Fair as more organised.

According to him, unlike the past editions, the stands are well positioned for all brands to showcase their offerings.

Bolaji said the brand is targeting more customers during the ten-day event.

"I think this year's profit for Star Times would be on the high side. Last year's profit was about 30 per cent increase, but we are targeting about 80 per cent this year.

Tight security as trade fair enters second day THERE was a huge security presence at the Tafawa Balewa Square, one of the three venues of this year’s trade fair as the exhibition entered the second day on Saturday.

Besides the gun-wielding policemen, manning the

major entrance and exit gates of the venue, men of the Nigerian Army and other law enforcement agents were seen inside the sprawling complex, keeping their eagle eyes on happenings at the event.

As a way of ensuring free flow of traffic at the venue, men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) were also on ground to control and ease movement of vehicles around the area.

Why we chose this year’s theme —LCCI President THE President of LCCI, Dr Nike Akande, said that the theme: Positioning of the Nigerian Economy For Diversification and Sustainable Growth, was chosen to underscore the critical importance of economic diversification and the need to create an enabling environment to attract new investments and grow existing ones.

“The non-oil economy is generally more inclusive

and integrated. It is also more growth-oriented and characterised by high economic linkages, more stable and above all sustainable,” she stated.

She revealed that the pressing and overriding challenge in the country’s diversification efforts is to fix the impediments to productivity and competitiveness in the economy.

“If we tackle these constraints we would encour-

age domestic investment, attract foreign capital and facilitate the realisation of the economic potential in the Nigerian economy” Dr Akande said that the evidence of innovation, ingenuity, resilience and doggedness of Nigerian entrepreneurs abound at the trade fair, while expressing the LCCI’s determination to succeed even in the face of economic recession.

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6 November, 2016

SUNDAY

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Wale Emosu tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08111813054

2016 Federation Cup final: Nasarawa, Ifeanyi

Ubah players, officials talk tough

Today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nasarawa United and FC IfeanyiUbah are set for a titanic battle to claim this year’s Federation Cup. Tribunesport’s OLAWALE OLANIYAN speaks with the gladiators who are set to make history should they win the oldest soccer competition in the land formerly known as the Challenge Cup. players, the coaches and other officials are ready to make history on Sunday in Lagos.

Coach Kabiru Suleiman, can he lead Nasarawa United to glory today?

IfeanyiUbah player, Tope Orelope HERE is nothing stopping us from beating Nasarawa United in the final; they are beatable. I know they have good players who are up to the task but I believe we have a good team that can stop them. We are going to make the people of Anambra State proud by winning the Federation Cup for the first time for the state. It’s very painful to me that I will not be able to play the match because I am Cup-tied having started with Shooting Stars Sports Club this season before I joined this team mid-season. I am so optimistic that we will win the Cup for our proprietor, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah.

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Ifeanyi Ubah player, Onyekachi Bright We are fully prepared for our first ever final of the Federation Cup. As you can see, we are still working towards perfection and we are in high spirits ahead of the match. We are going to perfect everything the coaching crew has taught us and show it in Lagos. We are ready to score as many goals and surely, the Cup will be ours in Jesus name.

Ifeanyi Ubah’s Team Manager, Samuel Nwogu We are working very hard and that is why we came here [Ibadan] for closed camping at the Lead City University. I believe we have everything at our disposal to carry the day and anything short of victory is like passing out without a good result.

The best thing to do for our financier, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, is to win the trophy for him because he has invested so much in the club and we are happy that is why we have a good games village with a lot of facilities that make the place conducive. This is a man that does not owe us a kobo and the only thing we can do to pay him back is to win the trophy for him on Sunday in Lagos and make the people of Anambra and our

The trophy at stake fans happy.

Nasarawa United chairman, Issac Danladi I have absolute confidence in my team.

This set of players would make history by winning the trophy for the state for the first time. I know that it will not be an easy ride against our opponents, but I believe our players are battle-ready for any obstacle in

Mitko Dobrev the final. The players are well-prepared for the final and are focused having realised the importance attached to the Federation Cup and for the fact that the state has not won the trophy before now.

The same zeal we used which earned us victory over Enyimba in the semi-final in Ibadan is what we are going to demonstrate again in Lagos against IfeanyiUbah. The

Nasarawa United coach, Kabir Dogo This is the final of all finals as we are ready to play the game of our live. We need the trophy so much to celebrate the creation of the state and I will be very happy to win the title for this great team. We came here [Ibadan] to prepare adequately for the final and the moral support we’ve received so far has been very encouraging. I am from Kwara State but Ibadan is also my home because their fans really supported us against Enyimba and that is one of the reasons why we moved our camp down to Ibadan ahead of the final.

With our present squad, I believe we will go places. From the first day, I knew we are blessed with a team that can wrest the title and thank God that we are playing in the Federation Cup final. I’m optimistic that we will be crowned as champions on Sunday, God willing.

Will good old days return? Nwosu asks FORMER Super Eagles coach, Henry Nwosu (MON), has said there are no more traditional teams in the Federation Cup with newcomers, FC IfeanyiUbah and Nasarawa United, scheduled to clash in the final of this year’s edition today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Nwosu said the dearth of established teams in the oldest game in the land is partly responsible for the apathy and steady decline of the annual football competition.

“Of course, I’m not surprised we have debutants as finalists in the 2016 Federation Cup competition.

“Over the years there is no clear picture of who the champions will be among the competing sides.

“The cause is predictable because we no longer have established and traditional teams in the land.

“Aside from Enyimba you can hardly point at another team you can describe to as a traditional team. That’s why today any team can win the Cup competition.

“And the negative impact is there staring us in the face as we head to play the 2016 Cup final.

“Of course, there is nothing on the ground to tell an ardent or unsuspecting follower of the game that the final is coming up on Sunday.”

The Imo State-born ex-international who

missed winning the then Challenge Cup in 1984 when he played for the defunct NNB FC of Benin which lost 0-1 to another defunct side, Leventis United, recalled the good old days of the competition which started as the Governor’s Cup in 1945.

“In the good old days, the build-up to the final was electrifying and on match day the stands were always filled to capacity.

“Fans almost passed the night to secure a seat while others had to be at the stadium be-

fore noon to be guaranteed of seats.

“Fans came from all the corners of the country to watch the final but today the aura and glamour has vanished.

“The absence of talented players in the domestic scene has not helped the poor situation. Then there were tens of idolised and talented stars who fans looked up to but today we barely have half-baked players with no interest in the game,” the former Golden Eaglets coach told supersport.com.

Women: Rivers Angels seek 7th title SIX-time women’s Federation Cup champions, Rivers Angels face an uphill task today in the final of this year’s competition as they confront their southern neighbours, Bayelsa Queens in Lagos.

The match holds also at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos from 1pm ahead of the men’s final between Nasarawa United and FC IfeanyiUbah.

Rivers Angels had a tough road to the final overcoming strong opponents and they were also responsible for ousting defending champions Sunshine Queens in the quarter-final.

The Port Harcourt ladies who were knocked out of the competition by Confluence Queens in the quarter-final stage last season started

their quest for the trophy from the round of 32 when they defeated FC Robo Queens in Benin 3-2.

Rivers Angels then walked over Capital City Doves and then silenced defending champions Sunshine Queens 2-1 in the quarterfinals.

Osinachi Ohale’s set piece goal against Nasarawa Amazons helped the Rivers ladies to book a showdown with last year’s finalists, Bayelsa Queens, which pipped Delta Queens 4-3 via penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Rivers Angels, under the tutelage of former Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon, have never lost in any cup final till date.

47 sport

6 November, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Izu Joseph: NANPF petitions Senate, NFF, Dalung, others

Diego Costa, during a goal-mouth scramble against Everton. He scored his side’s third goal on Saturday.

PHOTO: DAILYMAIL.

Chelsea go goal-crazy, hammer Everton 5-0

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HELSEA on Saturday cruised to the top of the Premier League with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge, thanks to two goals from Eden Hazard with Marcos Alonso, Diego Costa and Pedro also on target.

Not since winning the 2014-15 title have Chelsea led the top flight, but they took advantage of Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough earlier on Saturday to do so, though Arsenal or Liverpool could displace them by winning their respective matches today.

Antonio Conte’s team, unchanged for the fourth straight league match, ran riot and punished visiting manager, Ronald Koeman for his decision to switch to a three-man defence.

That surprise tactical change came despite Everton having ended a run of five games in all competitions without a win at home to West Ham last time out.

Hazard opened the scoring in the 18th minute, converting for the fourth successive league game for the first time in his career, before Marcos Alonso opened his Chelsea account with his maiden goal for the club just 70 seconds later.

The hosts continued to dominate as Costa fired home three minutes before the interval.

Hazard struck a sensational second 11 minutes into the second half before Pedro added a goal to his two assists, rounding off a phenomenal display of attacking football that extends

Chelsea’s unbeaten run at home against Everton to 22 matches.

There were fireworks at Stamford Bridge ahead of kick-off and sparks soon flew on the pitch when Seamus Coleman’s lunge on Costa went unpunished by referee Robert Madley.

Chelsea applied all the early pressure and made the breakthrough when Hazard stepped inside from the left and curled an excellent finish past Maarten Stekelenburg, returning from a foot injury in place of Joel Robles.

Within two minutes Conte’s team doubled their advantage, Alonso scoring through a gap in Stekelenburg’s legs after arriving to meet Pedro’s square pass from the right-hand side of the box.

THE National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers (NANPF) has petitioned the Senate, Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung as well as the Chief of Defence Staff over the death of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) defender, Izu Joseph.

Izu, was reportedly shot dead last month in Okarki, Rivers State while holidaying in his country home and NANPF wants the unwarranted killing probed by the authorities.

In a statement by NANPF’s general secretary, Comrade Austin Popo, it also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria to unravel the circumstances leading to the death of the former Bayelsa United player.

“NANPF can authoritatively confirm that the union has written to the Chief of defence staff, the Minister of Sports, Senate and House (of Representatives) committees on Sports, the Nigeria Football Federation and the Trade Union Congress demanding an independent inquiry into the unwarranted killing of one of its members, the late Izu Joseph who was until his death on Sunday, October 16, a professional player with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan,” read the statement.

Anichebe scores as Sunderland grab season’s first EPL win

By Ganiyu Salman SUNDERLAND on Saturday pipped Bournemouth 2-1 for their first win of the season in the English Premier League, as Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe emerged the hero of the match with a goal and assist.

Anichebe equalised for the visitors in the 34th minute to emerge the third player to have scored for Sunderland this season af-

ter Jermain Defoe and Patrick van Aanholt.

Dan Gosling had scored the opener for The Cherries in the 11th minute off Adam Smith’s cross from close range.

The former Everton striker, Anichebe after collecting a pass from Jermain Defoe had held on to the ball before he released a six-yard thunderous shot past the Bournemouth keeper, Artur Boruc.

Mathieu Deplagne (right) during the match.

The Black Cats finished the last half with 10 men as Steven Pienaar was sent off in the 59th minute.

The David Moyes men broke the season’s winless run in the 74th minute as Defoe neatly converted the penalty kick awarded to his side after Anichebe again was brought down in the box by Adam Smith.

Anichebe, Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medallist, was adjudged the Man of the Match after a close contest with tireless Duncan Watmore.

“We did this for the manager, over the last few weeks we have not done him justice,” Anichebe said after the match adding “For all the work the manager has done, this one was for him.

Meanwhile, an elated Sunderland manager, Moy-

es has heaped plaudits on the former West Brom forward.

“Anichebe was terrific today. He has an awful lot going for him and his allround performance was terrific. He got an injury early on - he thought he

broke his rib,” Moyes told BBC Sport.

On the second yellow card shown to Pienaar, the manager said: “At the time I thought there was nothing in the tackle, I thought he got the ball, but now I can see why it can be given.”

The late Izu Joseph

Montpellier player begs for missing tooth on pitch MONTPELLIER defender, Mathieu Deplagne appealed for help after losing a tooth on the pitch during his side’s 3-1 victory over Marseille.

Deplagne, 25, was hurt late in Friday’s Ligue 1 game and was substituted.

After the match, he was joined by some of Montpellier’s backroom staff to search for the missing tooth but their efforts were in vain.

“Mathieu lost a tooth and we went to look for it, but we couldn’t find it,” Montpellier boss, Frederic Hantz said.

Algeria international, Ryad Boudebouz scored twice to give Montpellier a 2-0 lead at half-time.

An own goal by keeper Laurent Pionnier reduced the deficit before Steve Mounie sealed the points for the hosts.

Montpellier moved to 12th on the table, level on points with 10th-placed Marseille, who have won once in five Ligue 1 games.

Marseille’s team included winger Florian Thauvin, who is on loan from Newcastle United, and on-loan Tottenham forward Clinton N’Jie.

SIDELINES NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

6 NOVEMBER, 2016

NO 2,071

www.tribune.com.ng

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A judge of the Court of Appeal has advised the Peoples Democratic party to put its house in order. The admonition would not have mattered, but for the sake of Nigeria, as democracy can only thrive where there is freedom of human enterprise and competition. In other words, for Nigeria to survive, the PDP and other parties must be built on solid structures for the general well-being of the polity.

Murray rules tennis world

EPL RESULTS Man City 1 Middlesbrough 1 Burnley 3 C/Palace 2 West Ham 1 Stoke City 1 Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2 Chelsea 5 Everton 0 POOLS: 8, 10, 13, 14, 17, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 49.

TODAY’S MATCHES: 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 23, 35, 36, 39, 43, 47.

TODAY’S EPL MATCHES Arsenal vs Tottenham 1:00pm Liverpool vs Watford 3:15pm Hull City vs Southampton 3:15pm Swansea vs Man United 4:00pm Leicester vs West Brom 5:30pm

Nigeria player, Victor Anichebe, being congratulated by his Sunderland FC mates after scoring his first goal for the club, on Saturday.

PHOTO:DAILY MAIL

Federation Cup final :

Dayofdecisionfor IfeanyiUbah,NasarawaUnited

By Ganiyu Salman

T

HE two sides playing in today’s final of the Federation Cup, FC IfeanyiUbah and Nasarawa United may not be crowd pulling sides, but the game will serve as another opportunity for an indigenous coach to prove a point once more.

Billed for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nasarawa United will file out under a local coach, Kabir Suleiman Dogo, while FC IfeanyiUbah will be tutored by Bulgarian Mitko Dobrev, who is being assisted by another foreigner, Brazilian Rahael Everton.

Dogo led the Solid Miners to the CAF Confederation Cup early this year before they lost in the second round after finishing among the best three

teams last season.

Aside the trophy at stake, the eventual winners will also go home with the ticket to represent Nigeria in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup competition.

In the just-concluded Nigeria Professional Football League season, Nasarawa finished 10th on the table, but proved bookmakers wrong by getting to the final of the Federation Cup, otherwise known as the Challenge Cup, at the expense of two-time African champions, Enyimba FC of Aba. On the other hand, the Anambra Warriors became a rejuvenated side this season posting superlative results but could only finish fourth on the log. However, their qualification for the final of the Federation Cup has equally revived their hope of playing in the continental championship next year.

pressway, Oshodi and other parts of Lagos State,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

ANDY Murray will become the first British singles player to be world number one since computerised rankings began in 1973.

The Scot, 29, needed to reach the final of the Paris Masters to replace Novak Djokovic - and did so when Milos Raonic pulled out before their semi-final.

Murray has reached 11 finals in his past 12 events, and has won 73 matches in the year, a personal record.

He will be officially confirmed as world number one tomorrow (Monday).

Djokovic has topped the rankings for 122 weeks, and completed his career Grand Slam by beating Murray in the French Open final in June.

But Murray has since won his second Wimbledon and Olympic titles.

He will play John Isner in today’s Paris Masters final, after the American beat Marin Cilic 6-4 6-3 in the first semi-final.

Cilic had beaten Djokovic, 29, in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Murray

Mazembe set to clinch Confederation Cup title

The trophy at stake.

Dogo, perhaps, is playing against Dobrev, a coach who understands Nigerian football very well having coached Heartland FC for two seasons as well as Ghana’s Accra Hearts of Oak before his move to IfeanyiUbah, formerly Gabros United.

Meanwhile, the financier of the Nnewi-based side, Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, has made an arrangemenent

for free transportation of their fans to the stadium today.

“We will provide transportation for interested football enthusiasts to the stadium for free.

“There will be buses at strategic points for fans residing in Okokomaiko, Badagry, Iyana Iba, Volks and environs, as well as Trade fair complex along the Lagos-Badagry Ex-

LEADING scorer and captain Rainford Kalaba could be a key figure when the Democratic Republic of Congo club TP Mazembe aim to win their first African Confederation Cup title today.

Mazembe are favourites going into the finale in Lubumbashi after forcing a 1-1 draw at Mouloudia Bejaia of Algeria last weekend in the first leg of the final.

Victory will make Mazembe the second most successful club in African competitions with 10 triumphs, behind Egypt’s Al Ahly who boast 19 titles.

Bejaia, promoted to top-

flight Algerian football only three years ago, are African debutants and are hoping to become the first Algerian winners of Africa’s secondtier club competition.

Kalaba has been in outstanding form at the 20,000-capacity Stade TP Mazembe in the heart of the southern Congolese mining region with five goals from three African outings.

He bagged braces against Medeama of Ghana and Young Africans of Tanzania and scored the goal that earned Mazembe a 1-0 win over Bejaia at the group stage.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: sundaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR : SINA OLADEINDE. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 6/11/2016