7th November 2015

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

NO 1,124

SATURDAY, 7 NOVEMBER, 2015

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Nigerian Tribune

HID was mother to all —Group pg6

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Nigerian Tribune

N150

We’ll still fulfill promise to pay N5,000 per unemployed —APC pg4

Lagos hawkers may be terrorists pg5

Ambode warns residents

I would hate myself doing white-collar job —’Maka

pgs 3&30

Court dismisses Saraki’s suit to stop trial

pg4

From left, Mr Vik Patel, Regional Executive, Partner Markets, Vodafone; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright and Globacom’s Group Executive Director, Mrs Bella Disu, at the signing of a strategic partnership deal between Globacom and Vodafone, to boost their customers’ telecom experience, in Lagos, on Friday.

Dasuki still under house arrest

Fraudsters ‘arrest’, accuse journalist of killing okada ordered me to withdraw SSS increases presence in his house rider ‘They money from bank for them’ pg8 pg4

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klieglight I would hate myself doing white-collar job —’Maka Afro-soul singer, Nwamaka Sam-Ejehu, tells NEWTON RAY UKWUOMA about her passion, career and music. She also explains why she prefers music to law practice.

Introduction My stage name is ’Maka. My full name is Nwamaka Sam-Ejehu, I’m from Imo State. I’m an afro soul singer.

My genre of music cuts across pure soul, hip-hop and contemporary R&B. I want to be a music legend. I want to remain relevant in 20, 30 years from now.

‘Maka is coming’ campaign I figured that there was no formula to entering the industry. Most times people wait for a hit song to announce them into the industry or before they show their faces and names. But I decided to put my name and face out there first. My name is very unique; my face is very

unique. And I think I have a unique voice. So, I am bringing everything about me into the industry in order to create merchandise for and from the brand.

It is on purpose that I decided to enter the industry the way that I have entered.

Continues pg30

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Court dismisses Saraki’s suit to stop trial Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos

J

USTICE Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Friday struck out a suit by Senate President Olubukola Saraki, seeking to stop his trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for false assets declaration.

The Senate President, who is being tried for false assets declaration at the CCT had tried to stall his trial before now but failed.

The judge, in a short ruling, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Saraki had filed the suit through his lawyer, Mr Ajibola Oluyede, on September 30.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

Other respondents are the Inspector General of Police, Code of Conduct Bureau, Code of Conduct Tribunal and Justice Danladi Umar.

Also joined are Mr Ataedze Adza, Mr Sam Saba, Mr Mohammed Diri and Mr M.S Hassan.

Oluyede had earlier brought an ex parte application before the court, but Justice Buba had ordered that the respondents be put on notice.

The court also raised the issue of jurisdiction and ordered counsel to address the court on whether it had jurisdiction to hear the suit.

When the matter was mentioned on Friday, counsel for Saraki informed the court that all parties to the suit had been respectively served with the court processes.

Buba, however, told counsel to address the court on the issue of jurisdiction.

Addressing the court, Oluyede argued that his client’s right to fair hearing was being threatened by the respondents.

He said that this arose out of a political situation in which they desired him to vacate his office as Senate president.

Justice Buba, in a short observation, warned Oluyede to confine himself to the provision of section 46 (1) of the Constitution as it relates to a state.

Oluyede told the court that other steps taken by the respondents were to draw up charges against Saraki and his wife, and ensure he is convicted at all cost.

He argued that this constituted an infringement on his rights.

He, therefore, submitted that the applicant was at liberty to commence a fundamental rights action anywhere, so far he feels his rights were being infringed upon.

In response, counsel for the respondents, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the applicant’s suit for lack of merit.

According to Jacobs, the applicant’s suit was an attempt to obtain a black market order, adding that it amounted to judicial rascality.

“The applicant’s suit is simply asking my lord to stop the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal which is ongoing in Abuja.

“The applicant’s Originating processes filed in September, do not concern any action taken in Lagos.

“It is clear that the charge against the applicant is before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja” he said According to Jacobs, the applicant had prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the tribunal, but the prayer was refused.

He said that an appeal was also filed at the Court of Appeal seeking similar reliefs, and was also refused.

He, therefore, submitted that the applicant’s suit before the Lagos Federal High Court was an attempt to subvert the cause of justice.

He urged the court to refuse same.

In his ruling Justice Buba held that the issue of jurisdiction was paramount.

“If there is no evidence that

Ex-NSA Dasuki still under house arrest

SSS increases number of operatives in his house

By Saheed Salawu FORMER National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), remained restricted to his John Kadia Street, Asokoro, Abuja residence, on Friday, even as the State Security Service (SSS) increased the number of its operatives there from three to eight.

Apart from operatives at

the residence, there were manned security vehicles stationed on both ends of the street with the agents searching vehicles going in and out of the street.

An aide of the former NSA told Saturday Tribune under anonymity that the number of the operatives was increased to eight at about the time of Jumat

Atiku prays with Buhari in Aso Rock

As president gives directive on short convoys for ministers Leon Usigbe - Abuja FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja Mosque on Friday to observe Juma’at prayers with President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was the former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant’s first open visit to the presidential complex since the inauguration of President Buhari last May. Atiku went straight to the mosque near the president’s office upon arrival at Aso Rock and later observed his prayers together with Buhari inside the mosque.

He exchanged pleasantries with other worshippers in and outside the mosque before leaving the premises soon after.

Meanwhile, the president has notified incoming ministers that they would not be

the infringement or likely infringement cut across more than one state, then the court will not have the vires or jurisdiction to entertain same.

“The filing of further affidavit after the court raised the issue of jurisdiction suo moto, is not only an after thought, but amounts to fishing.

“Accordingly, this court has no hesitation in coming to the inevitable conclusion that from the material placed before this court, the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain this suit.

“Same is hereby struck out,” Buba held.

Saraki had approached the court to declare that his ongoing trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal falls short of the requirement of the African Charter on Human Rights.

He also sought an order, restraining the seventh and eight respondents from continuing with the trial on the basis of the charge.

He wants a declaration that any further invitation, arrest, or prosecution by the respondents on the basis of allegations that have been brought up 12 years after alleged commission, amounts to a breach of his rights.

permitted to drive in long convoy of vehicles.

This indication was given on Friday at the end of the two-day retreat for the ministers-designate by former Anambra State governor, Senator Chris Ngige, while fielding questions from State House correspondents.

The new ministers are also to reduce the number of personal aides when they assume office.

This is in line with the president’s stated intention to run a lean government due to the poor condition of the nation’s economy.

Ngige said the new ministers were therefore not expected to enjoy luxury in office.

He said: “Yes, (it will be) a lean economy because we are going to block areas of leakages.

“Retinue of aides, protocol staff, long convoys of

cars are things that will not fly in this administration.”

He also spoke on how ministers without portfolios would function in the new cabinet, saying “if you have portfolio or if you don’t have portfolio, it is one single Federal Executive Council.

“You bring whatever it is on the table. That is not a problem at all. We have a right to discuss things around the ministries because it is one single cabinet.

“The important thing is that we want to move our people from where they are now, there is abject poverty which concerns about 75 percent of the populace.

“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social moment of the country and that is what we are going to do. That means poverty will reduce.”

service, apparently because it was thought Dasuki might want to go for the service.

“Every vehicle that enters or leaves the street is thoroughly searched. Even the boot is searched to ensure that he does not escape hiding in a car boot.

“The operatives have not entered the main house where the former NSA lives.

They are still at the gate as we speak. They are also at the two ends of the street.

“His lawyers are likely to ask for an extension of the two weeks given him by the Federal High Court to go abroad for his medicals.

This is because a week is almost gone now due to his house arrest.

“On Wednesday, he had got his boarding pass – Lufthansa. He was simply advised not to travel on that day because he got hints that security operatives were waiting for him at the airport.

“Then on Thursday morning, as early as possible, they were in his house and have remained there since,” the aide told Saturday Tribune.

The Department of State Service had said on Thursday that it was after Dasuki because of his failure to appear before an investigative committee on a $2 billion arms transaction by the immediate past administration under which he served as the NSA.

Saturday Tribune

We ’ll still fulfil pledge to pay each unemployed person N5,000 —APC Bola Badmus - Lagos THE All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday, gave the assurance that it will not renege on its campaign promise to pay N5,000 monthly to each of the 25 million most vulnerable Nigerians.

The party said this while also calling on the citizenry to ignore what it called the “mischievous” attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to confuse and mislead them on this issue.

The APC gave the assurance in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The party said although the PDP-led Federal Government “plundered” the nation’s common wealth in its time, it (APC) had devised creative means to not only pay the money but also to fulfil its other campaign promises to Nigerians.

The APC said the non-implementation of the payment policy so far was due to the fact that it was not included in the 2015 budget, which was prepared by the PDP-led administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and because of the need to first block all financial leakages.

“The Buhari administration has been busy putting in place measures that will make it possible to start the implementation of this project. Such measures include the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“We are happy to inform Nigerians that as of the end of September 2015, over 1.4 trillion naira - which hitherto was lying unproductively in various commercial banks has been recovered and paid into the TSA,” the APC said.

The party said that in its usual “jumpy and superficial” approach to issues, the “irresponsible” opposition had already rushed to judgement on the issue without bothering to hear from the APC, which made the promise in the first instance.

“Had the PDP not sacrificed the truth at the altar of political expediency, it would have realised that the APC never at any time indicated it has reneged on its promise to pay 5,000 naira monthly to 25 million most vulnerable Nigerians.

“In our press statement of August 30th, 2015, we still reiterated our plan to redeem our campaign promises, including the social security payment policy, despite the primitive looting of the treasury under the watch of the PDP. “It is, therefore, astonishing that the same PDP, which is becoming more and more infamous for its penchant for peddling half truths and sensationalising every issue, will rush to the press to celebrate the figment of its imagination that the APC will not fulfil its campaign promise regarding the payment,” it said.

The APC said the Buhari administration was also embarking on a massive Infrastructure renewal programme in the areas of roads, rail and power, for which a $2.5 billion infrastructure fund was being put in place.

“Contrary to the disinformation being peddled by the PDP, the Buhari administration is poised to lift millions of Nigerians out of extreme poverty by providing social protection and safety nets with another N2.5 trillion Special Intervention Fund,” the party said.

Why Senate shut down for Saraki’s trial —Na’Allah

THE leadership of the Senate, on Friday, said that it shut down activities on Thursday in solidarity with its president, Bukola Saraki, because of the circumstances surrounding his ongoing assets declaration trial.

Deputy Leader of the Senate, Ibn Na’Allah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the Senate believed that rather than prosecution, Saraki was being persecuted, hence the level of solidarity from the lawmakers.

According to Na’Allah, the majority of the senators believe that the trial of the president of the Senate by the Code of Conduct Tribunal is in no way a prosecution.

“You see, it is a matter of belief and I am going to tell you in very clear language.

“The belief of the eighth Senate and substantial number of the senators is that the trial of the president of the Senate is persecution rather than prosecution.

“If it is persecution, we believe that we have a responsibility to stand by him.

“But if it is prosecution, every senator of the Federal Republic believes and rightly so, that this government must be given all the necessary assistance it requires to fight corruption,” he said.

He argued that Saraki’s trial for alleged offences he committed 13 years ago was more of a political move than a legal or anti-corruption matter.

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Kogi, Bayelsa polls: PDP urges Buhari to caution APC members

Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (second left); Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni; Commander, Lagos State Control and Command Centre, ACP Imokhimi Edgal and the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Mr. Tunji Disu, during the governor’s security patrol across the metropolis, in the wee hours of Monday.

Lagos gov warns against terrorism Says, ‘the next hawker could be a terrorist’

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AGOS State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has warned residents of the state to be wary of terrorists who could disguise as street hawkers.

The governor underlined the need for residents of the state to see the last two months of the year as a period that calls for vigilance and a changed attitude towards issues relating to crime and terrorism.

The governor, on Friday, in Lagos, at an emergency Security Council meeting, which he chaired, urged the people of the state to cooperate with the government at all times, just as he warned them against the dangers of patronising street hawkers.

“The next hawker could be a robber or terrorist. You are now well-advised. If we all cooperate and decide not to buy, gradually and collectively, the hawkers will not come to the highways and streets anymore. Our roads will definitely become safer.

“Our security agencies have been directed to increase their presence on the roads and highways to ensure greater safety. Once again, I am committed to a safer, cleaner and more prosperous Lagos; a Lagos that works for all,” he said.

Ambode told Government House correspondents after the meeting that it had become evident that traffic crimes and robbery are mostly as a result of the menace of okada riders and street hawkers, while recalcitrant commercial buses have become lawless and reckless on the road.

The governor read the Riot Act to commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called okada riders, commercial buses and street hawkers, saying that the state government would no longer tolerate their nefarious activities on the streets and highways which, he said, had caused untold hardship for the people of the state in recent times.

Saturday Tribune

He said the Council made far-reaching decisions at the meeting in line with the commitment of his administration to ensure security of lives and property as well as enforcing of the rule of law.

The governor said that the government would not allow a few notorious elements to cause a breakdown of law and order and upset the peace that the state had enjoyed over the years.

To this end, he said he had directed the full enforcement of the Lagos Road Traffic Laws, especially as it concerns the restriction of okada and tricycle operations.

He reminded that Schedule II of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2012 restricts okada, tricycle (Keke Marwa), carts and wheel barrows on some routes, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, OworonshokiOshodi Expressway, LagosIkorodu Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and Third Mainland Bridge.

Other routes are Eti-Osa/ Lekki–Epe Expressway, Lagos–Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road and EtiOsa/Lekki Coastal Road.

“Any person who fails

to comply with any of the provisions of this section commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction as stipulated in the law.

“Henceforth, all commercial vehicles except Bus Rapid Transport buses must use only the service lanes in accordance with existing traffic laws. All conductors of commercial buses must sit down in their buses and keep the doors closed at all times while in motion. It is against the law for conductors to hang on the bus doors and leave the doors open. Any contravention will be met with severe punitive measures.”

VODAFONE and Globacom Limited on Friday jointly announced a new, non-equity partnership agreement that covers Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

Under the Partner Market agreement, Vodafone and Globacom will work together to boost significantly the experience of consumer and business customers, utilising a wide range of their worldbeating mobile, voice and data products and unrivalled global experience.

Vodafone Partner Markets Chief Executive Stefano Gastaut said: “We are delighted to welcome Globacom to the Vodafone Partner Markets community which now spans 57 countries across six continents. This strategic partnership with Globacom for Nigeria and the Republic of Benin will help deliver enhanced roaming benefits for Globacom’s consumer and multinational corporate customers, including countries where we have an ultra-fast 4G network.

Vodafone will gain from Globacom’s expertise and deep understanding of African markets.”

Globacom’s Group Executive Director, Mrs. Bella Disu, said: “This partnership is unique and far-reaching,

giving corporate and individual subscribers on the Globacom network in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin an edge, particularly in voice and data services.

The partnership is in line with Globacom’s tradition of partnering with global leaders to avail consumers of the best telecommunications services.”

Vodafone, Globacom announce partnership agreement

Flavour features as guest judge on Dance with Peter NABANIA crooner and iconic Glo brand ambassador, Chinedu Okolie, aka Flavour, will be the guest judge in today’s edition of Globacom-sponsored Dance with Peter reality TV show where contestants would benefit from his wealth of experience in showbiz.

Flavour and the judges will assess the 21 dancers left in the show as they re-enact the legendary dance steps of late king of pop, Michael Jackson, from “Billy Jean” to “Wanna be starting something”, “Beat it” and “Bad.” According to Globacom, Flavour will interact with the contestants, share his personal experience in the showbiz world with them and offer tips on how they can become successful entertainers, after the reality show.

On the show today, the regular judges, Peter Okoye, Kaffy and Don Flexx are

expected to have a herculean task choosing from the hugely talented dancers who are resolved to give their very best to win the competition.

The company urged viewers to tune in to Africa Magic Channel 153 on DSTV at 7 p.m. this evening to watch the exciting episode and find out the dancers who will be evicted from the show. Dance with Peter is also broadcast on Africa Independent Television (AIT) at 5 p.m. on Sunday and on MTV Base on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

Globacom said voters stand the chance of winning fantastic prizes including Iphone 5 handsets, Glo internet wifi, modems and Glo recharge cards while voting lines will open after Saturday’s broadcast at 8p.m. and close at 12 midnight on Monday. The public can vote for their preferred contestant by sending his or her code to 55518 at the cost of N50 per SMS.

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against any action that can cause violence during Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.

The call was contained in a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

Metuh said that the PDP was aware that the APC was attempting to create tension in Kogi and Bayelsa states ahead of the elections.

He said “ thugs unleashed on the campaign train of Governor Seriake Dickson on Tuesday was a clear test-run of APC’s machinery to create violence ahead of the Bayelsa December 5 election.

“Intelligence report available to us shows that this brazen attack on Governor Dickson was not spontaneous.

“It is part of a well-hatched plot to create an atmosphere of insecurity in the state, ostensibly to pave the way for their violence-driven rigging strategy.

“The strategy includes the deployment of APC-controlled security forces to frighten and intimidate voters as was the case in the Borno bye-election,” he said.

Metuh said that PDP would resist any attempt to derail the peaceful conduct of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of the nation and a huge beneficiary of the credible election organised by the PDP, to take immediate steps to rein in APC members and their actions.

“Their actions in Bayelsa State are capable of triggering a resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta region,” Metuh said.

He said Bayelsa and Kogi states were clear strongholds of the PDP, adding that no amount of intimidation, threats and use of force would bend the will of the people or detract from their support for PDP candidates.

“Moreover, the people of these states are not in any way ready or willing to accept any results that do not in full measure reflect their wishes and aspirations at the polls,” he said.

In a separate statement, the PDP decried Wednesday’s rejection by APC senators of the N5,000 monthly stipend for unemployed graduates promised by the APC during its campaign.

It stated that the rejection underscored the notion that the APC deceived Nigerians to obtain power.

“Indeed, the unanimity displayed by the APC senators in rejecting the promised N5, 000 monthly welfare package, especially coming after their party and the presidency had made futile efforts to distance themselves from it,” the statement said.

It added that it was also an indication that the APC was “insensitive” to the feelings and aspirations of Nigerians, especially the youth and women who voted for the party.

It stated that from the foregoing, Nigerians should not expect the fulfilment of other promises from the APC. The promises, according to PDP, include monthly allowance to discharged but unemployed members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), free meals and scholarship to school children, free houses and bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar.

Bailout: PDP govs warn CBN against partisanship Leon Usigbe - Abuja GOVERNORS elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have admonished the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) against becoming a tool in the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the release of bailout funds to states that deserve them.

They gave the warning upset that the apex bank has failed to release the bailout fund for Kogi State, while other states mostly of the APC states have received theirs.

In a press statement in Abuja on Friday issued by Earl Osaro Onaiwu, coordinator of the PDP Governors Forum, the state chief executives accused the CBN of having allowed itself to be dictated to by the ruling APC over which states get the bailout fund despite Kogi having fulfilled all the requirements.

The statement urged the CBN to insulate itself from politics and the control of the ruling party if it does not want to create political and financial crises in the country.

It added: “How come almost all APC states that applied for bailout have gotten theirs but states like Kogi that have fulfilled all the requirements have been denied theirs with no explanation from the CBN? “The CBN governor, Mr. [Godwin] Emefiele, has to insulate the apex bank from the shenanigans of politicians to avoid serious political and economic dislocation in the country.

“It is important and urgent that the CBN releases the N50billion bailout due Kogi to ease the suffering of the common people in the state.”

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Kwankwaso denied me entitlements for 4 years —Shekarau Kola Oyelere - Kano

Members of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) special marshals, Kuje branch, controlling traffic at Tipper Garage, during the ‘Drive Safely Into 2016’ campaign at Kuje in Abuja, on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

HID was mother to all —Group

By Joseph Ajayi

A

group of Ogun State indigenes under the aegis of the Ogun State Indigenes Professional Entertainment Forum, on Friday, in Ikenne, described Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo as a mother to all who would be difficult to replace.

The General Secretary of the forum, Mr Kehinde Soaga, who stated this at the Ikenne home of the Awolowos during a condolence visit to the family, said the forum was proud of Mama.

“There can’t be a mother like HID. She was mother to all. In Nigeria’s history, we have not had a mother with heroic values as Mama. So, as Ogun State indigenes, we are proud of Mama and we have come to identify with the family.

“We are also here in appreciation of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was the first person to reckon with in Nigeria. He was a source of inspiration to us. He

championed free education for all and was committed to the greatness of the nation,” Soaga said.

In his message during the early morning service, Reverend Sanmi Fowe of Saint Silas Anglican Church, Ogijo said what is important in life is not the number of

years one spend, but what one would be remembered for after death.

He said Mama HID was being fondly remembered and celebrated today because of what people noticed in her.

“All of us will die and when this happens, what

Ekiti, World Bank to execute $55m water projects EKITI State government and the World Bank are to rehabilitate water projects in the state with the sum of $55 million in the next six years.

The projects will be under the Third Urban Water Sector Reform Project being led by the World Bank.

In a press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi in Ado-Ekiti, on Friday, the World Bank team led by Mr Pier Mantovani, met with Governor Ayodele Fayose in his office over the matter.

In his remarks, Governor

Fayose said the state was ready to do its own side of the bargain by providing the counterpart fund of $5 million, but warned against sidelining the state government in the execution of the project.

The governor said his administration would provide the needed political will to drive the project, and called for adequate sensitisation of the public about the reforms that would accompany the project.

“For any project to succeed you need the commitment and political will of the man at the helm of affairs. When

OAU lecturer dies in office Oluwole Ige - Osogbo THE Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, was on Wednesday thrown into mourning following the mysterious death of a lecturer in the Department of Obsterics, Gynaecology and Perinatology, Professor Solomon Olugbemi Ogunniyi.

The professor reportedly died in his office on the campus.

Ogunniyi, a professor of Obsterics, Gynaecology and Perinatology was said to have been in his office on Wednesday for a long and

will people say about us.

You must surely be remembered for somethingwhether good or evil. Nobody knows where, when and how he would die, so it is important we work to be remembered for good now,” the cleric admonished.

unusual period and had not come out before some of his colleagues decided to check on him.

Saturday Tribune reliably gathered that his colleagues knocked the door to his office several times but Ogunniyi did not respond.

The development compelled his colleagues and other students around to open the door forcefully only to find his lifeless body on his office chair.

It was further gathered that Ogunniyi was confirmed dead at the Obafemi

Awolowo Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC) where he was rushed to.

The tragic discovery caused confusion on the campus as other lecturers and students expressed concern over the death of the father of two.

Oginniyi was a two-term provost, College of Health Sciences and his tenure ended on 31 July, 2013.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju when contacted on Friday confirmed the demise of the lecturer.

that is done, the project is 50 per cent successful. We are going to provide that.

“When the European Union (EU) came about 10 years ago for rural water projects, I was in office then and did what was necessary and the project did not go beyond where I left it. Part of the project, the Ikere Water Scheme, was completed about three weeks ago.

“Iyin-Ekiti is next and we have started meeting with the people of the town.

Projects must not be left in the hands of those who don’t have the commitment. I will support the project and will be with you every second. Generating water is not as important as the people who own the project,” he said.

Mantovani, who said the World Bank would contribute $50 million to the project, commended the governor for his determination to see to the successful execution of the project.

He said apart from Ekiti, two other states, namely Rivers and Bauchi, would also benefit from a similar gesture.

He added that with the zeal shown by Governor Fayose, the project could be completed within four years instead of the anticipated six years.

A former governor of Kano State and immediate past Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that his successor at the state government house, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, deprived him of his pension and gratuity for four years.

Shekarau, when he was governor of the state in 2007, had, ironically, paid Kwankwaso and his deputy, the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, their full entitlements as contained in Kano Pension Act. This is just as the former minister threw his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, noting that it was too early to assess the current administration.

Shekarau, who ruled Kano State for two terms, signed into law, pension and gratuity of former governors, which guaranteed certain leverages for past chief executives.

The former governor, who clocked 60 on Thursday, while responding to a journalist’s question on Friday declared: “Kwankwaso never paid me a dime as enshrined in the Pension Act of 2007.”

The Sardaunan Kano, who admitted that there was political antagonism between him and Kwankwaso, revealed how the latter tried to implicate his administration upon his (Kwankwaso’s) assumption of office in 2011.

Dickson’s commissioner resigns Austin Ebipade - Yenagoa FEW weeks to the governorship election in Bayelsa State, a commissioner in Governor Seriake Dickson’s government has tendered his resignation letter from the government.

The commissioner, Mr Furoebi Akene, resigned his appointment as the Bayelsa Commissioner for Lands and Survey.

Akene, in his resignation letter to the governor, said his decision to pull out of the cabinet was to enable him to attend to pressing personal and family issues.

The former commissioner, a surveyor, expressed gratitude to the governor for giving him the opportunity to serve the state. According to the three-paragraph resignation letter addressed to the governor, dated 5 November 2015, the resignation is with immediate effect.

“I wish to resign my appointment as a commissioner in your Restoration Cabinet of Bayelsa State with effect from today, November 5, 2015,” part of the letter read.

Police lay siege to Port Harcourt over planned protests Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt MOTORISTS and commuters went through harrowing day as Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, experienced serious traffic gridlock on Friday due to the heavy presence of stern-looking policemen on major streets and roads in the metropolis.

Mostly affected were places including the Gateway Church axis of Ada George Road and the Ikoku/Olu Obasanjo Road axis, where more than 25 police vans were seen checking vehicular movements in the early hours of the day.

Particularly at the Ikoku/Olu Obasanjo Road, vehicles were moving at a snail speed as stern-looking policemen were conducting a thorough check on both commercial and private vehicles plying the route.

Investigation revealed that the heavy presence of the police was not unconnected with possible protests by some groups in support of the continuous agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra as well as against the recent nullification of the Rivers State governorship election.

Saturday Tribune gathered, very late on Thursday evening, that, at least, two major rallies would be taking place in Port Harcourt on Friday in respect of the two issues.

Loss of ID card A Nigerian Tribune identity card belonging to Mr. Shola Oladipupo got lost on Friday, November 6, 2015, along Housing Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. If found, it should, please, be returned to any member of staff of Nigerian Tribune in Ado-Ekiti at No.2, Orereowu Street, Oke-Iyimi, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

7

news

Bayelsa: Sylva accused of

blocking release of bailout fund

T

HE Restoration Campaign Organisation of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, as the brains behind the delay in the release of the state’s N1.6 billion bailout fund.

The government had applied for the said fund to pay local government workers who are being owed six months salaries.

While the government had been paying workers in the state civil service till date, the local governments had been in default arising from liquidity crunch which informed the decision of the state government to intervene by applying for the bailout fund.

However, the workers

will now have to wait till next year as it was alleged that Sylva, acting out a political plot to discredit the state government, might have caused the delay in the release of the fund.

The position of the RCO was contained in a statement on Friday by the Director of Publicity, Daniel Jonathan Obuabite, which insisted that political consideration was behind the delay in the release of the funds which it also noted was affecting the welfare of the workers.

“It is on record that the Bayelsa State government has kept faith with the payment of salaries to workers in the state civil service but the same cannot be said in the eight local government areas in the state that are in default. This prompted the request for bailout.

“Unfortunately, while

photo

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015) PHOTOS: D. ‘TOYIN

other states have received their own share of the bailout fund, that of Bayelsa State is being delayed for political reasons,” the statement said.

The RCO observed that the situation in Bayelsa State is also playing out in Kogi State where workers are owed salaries because the government is also denied the bailout fund, a situation it said, had pitched Governor Idris Wada, who is running for re-election, against the workers who have now been forced to go on strike.

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ebipere Ndiomu, has expressed concern over the delay, suspecting foul play and has called on the state government to intervene.

1

APC chieftains accuse opposition, ex-members of meddlesomeness TWO chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, Alhaji Kareem Adebayo and Mr Robert Ogunjimi, have accused some members of opposition parties in the state of interfering in the affairs of the ruling party.

Adebayo and Ogunjimi, who are chairman and secretary, respectively, of the APC in Saki West Local Government Area, said in a statement that the said politicians, especially those who abandoned the APC for Labour Party and Accord, were in the habit of seeking to capitalise on any perceived misunderstanding within the APC to mis-

lead its national leadership with a view to getting undue attention.

“A good example of their opportunistic antics was the attempt to hijack the minor squabble which greeted the nomination of Barrister Adebayo Shittu as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari as they quickly reached out to him (Shittu) with a blueprint that had been prepared to cause schism and polarise our party.

“But unknown to those expired political players, what happened between Barrister Shittu and the leadership of the APC in the state was a mere expression of grievance which yielded the desired results as the

Foundation gives free petrol to 300 commercial buses in Osun Oluwole Ige - Osogbo AGAINST the backdrop of growing fuel scarcity across some states, a group identified as Kayode Oduoye Foundation during the week in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, gave out free petrol to about 300 commercial minibus drivers to cushion the effect of the high cost of the product.

The initiative, which was financed by a businessman and politician, Mr. Kayode Oduoye, gave the commercial bus drivers the opportunity of taking fuel in some designated filing stations within Osogbo.

Many filing stations in the state capital shut their

doors against customers, while a few others that were dispensing sold the products above the official pump price of N87 per litre.

Speaking on the development, some motorists in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ife and Ilesa, accused petroleum marketers of creating artificial scarcity to enable them to record higher profit margin.

But, some petroleum marketers that spoke with the Saturday Tribune attributed the scarcity of the petrol to lack of supply from Ibadan depot, lamenting that it was wrong for the people to accuse them of hoarding the product with the aim of making high profit.

minister-designate has since mended fences with his fellow party men while he now enjoys their full support and cooperation.

“Therefore, those unscrupulous elements in the opposition who seek to go into another war by proxy with the jinx breaker, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, should have a re-think and channel the resources into productive activities because our amiable governor, who is the leader of the APC in the state, is destined to succeed.

“If anyone prides himself a political giant and throws a fight at the people who made him, he should be man enough to lick his wound after the fight when he must have been taught a lesson that an ingrate will always live to regret his actions against his benefactors. It is suffice to say that no turncoat, renegade or opportunist would have a place in the APC again.”

“Meanwhile, we are very much aware of the clandestine moves of a good number of members of the opposition and most former members of our party to either join or rejoin the APC. As much as we have our doors widely open, it should be noted that the APC has constitutional provisions for everything, including party membership and we warn that no individual or group would be welcome into our great party through the back door or in surreptitious manner,” the statement added.

2

3 1. A cross section of Ogigo Archdeaconry with Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran and Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, at the Ikenne home of the Awolowos on Friday.

2. AIG Bala Hassan (Zone 2), Chairman Security Sub-Committee (middle), MajorGeneral Joseph S. Soboiki (right) and CP Olayinka Balogun (retd), in Ikenne on Friday.

3. A cross section of Ogun Indigenes Professional Entertainment Forum with Funke Awolowo.

8 newsfeature

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Held hostage, tortured, accused of killing okada rider

Journalist reveals fraudsters’ new method of extorting money from people has saved you from being apprehended at the scene of the accident; you have escaped. No one knew what the okada man had done that nemesis caught up with him.” He then told three of my accusers to “discuss” (negotiate) with me and let me go.

They took me to a corner at the filling station and demanded for money to give to the man I supposedly hit who they claimed was lying critically ill at the hospital. I told them I only had N4,000 on me. They said it was too small; that I should use an ATM and withdraw more money. They directed me to a bank, which is about a kilometre from the fuel station. I sought permission to lock my vehicle and they let me.

As I stepped out of the fuel station, I walked towards the bank, pretending I was intent on withdrawing money. This enabled me to make telephone calls to my brother and the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Premier FM chapel, Nafiu who, in turn, reached out to my boss, Pastor Dare Olorunfemi. I asked from passers-by where the nearest police station was. Luckily, my boss called that I should tarry a while for him to reach out to the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State police command. My brother also asked me to take a bike to Mr Biggs to avoid the vicinity as he also made efforts to reach the police.

My boss’s efforts did not yield result in time as the PPRO did not pick the numerous calls made to his phone. My boss then told me to go to Testing Ground police station to make a complaint. The attitude of the policeman on the counter was unfriendly. He asked me questions as if I was fabricating a story. At that point, my brother called and asked me to come out and wait for him at Total fuel station opposite the police station. He had already contacted a senior police officer, who came with another officer in mufti. We then proceeded to the MRS fuel station.

By the time we got there, the two officers alighted about 20 metres away and moved to the gate of the petrol station.

But there was none of those guys there again. After about 10 minutes of surveillance, on their instruction, I moved towards my car, hoping one of them would challenge me, but nobody did.

The policemen queried a woman selling bread in front of the petrol station who did not provide any useful information.

T

HE weirdly disturbing experience of a journalist with the Radio Nigeria, Adenitan Akinola Charles, within the Ibadan metropolis in Oyo State, during the week may have brought to the fore, a new trick on the table of criminal-minded persons to extort money from Nigerians. Sunday, November 1, turned out as a fateful day for the victim, who was driving, alone, in his car. He was entangled in a dose of a raw deal which was enough to linger for the rest of his life. He became an easy prey for hoodlums who tried to make easy money off him through a wicked means. His only solace for the time being is the fact that he lives to tell his tale.

Saturday Tribune reached out to the victim and engaged him in a question-and-answer session upon getting wind of his ordeal in order to serve as an eyeopener for other Nigerians in the event they find themselves in similar circumstances. The conversation goes thus: Saturday Tribune: We understand you were recently attacked by some fraudsters in Ibadan. How did it happen?

Victim: On Sunday, 1 November [2015], at about seven o’clock in the evening, I arrived in Ibadan. As I accelerated slowly to keep the pace with other vehicles in the usual Iwo Road gridlock, I was accosted by four young men who dressed like agbero [touts]. My initial thought was that they were beggars as is the trend in the city, but I was mistaken about the persons’ identity. They turned out to be criminals.

Suddenly, I heard them say in rancorous voices that, ‘Iwo were yi! O pa olokada, o wa n sa lo,’ meaning, ‘You madman! You killed an okada rider and tried to escape.’

I became bemused by this allegation. In that moment, I thought to myself that if I had hit a fowl, I would have felt the impact, how much more a motorcycle?

Furiously, I denied this wild allegation. I insisted that there would be impact on my car if truly I hit a motor-

cycle. But the more I argued, the more punches and slaps landed on my face. Suddenly, a lemon-coloured Honda car, whose number plate I could not remember, blocked me. Three men came out of it and joined the assault on me. They said I must follow them to the scene in ‘Egbeda,’ where they alleged I hit ‘the okada.’

My car was forced open and two men entered it. As I screamed for help, other road users who were affected by the ensuing traffic jam did not bother to assist in confronting these criminals.

I was commanded to drive behind the Honda car. But rather than make a U-turn under the Iwo Road Bridge and move towards Gbagi-Egbeda, the Honda veered towards Monatan and I was commanded to follow. At that point, I became apprehensive. What came to my mind was the Soka Forest saga. But my shout for help was ignored by passersby.

I drove behind the car as commanded and we stopped at MRS filling station, formerly TEXACO at Monatan, Ibadan.

Surrounded by about eight well-built men, I was told to come out of my car and move into the workshop basin of the filling station. As I stepped out of my car, I increased my shout for help and screamed ‘please, take me to the police station. This is not a police station!’

As the fear enveloped me, I managed to flee from the filling station. Despite my fractured ankle, I increased my speed and my abductors chased me. None of the people on the street would help me. Eventually, they caught up with me and overpowered me. This time, they punched me even harder and then dragged me on the road back into the filling station.

At the MRS filling station, I was ordered to kneel before a man in his 60s, who acted as the street judge. He asked if truly I hit an okada rider. My response in the negative angered my abductors who beat me repeatedly. When the assault became unbearable, I admitted that I hit an okada. Then, the ‘judge’ delivered his judgement: “God

Saturday Tribune: Why do you think those guys picked on you, you weren’t the only person on that road?

Victim: Well, criminal intents and purposes are only conceived in the minds of criminals. So, it would be difficult for me to know why exactly they picked on me. But a review of the incident would suggest those guys were survivalists who probably thought I looked like a gentleman with money.

Saturday Tribune: Did you meet other victims at the filling station?

Victim: No, I did not meet anyone. Nobody in the filling station also appeared like staff of the station. They all looked like drivers and agbero.

Saturday Tribune: What advice do you have for members of the public, given your experience at the hands of the hoodlums?

Victim: The only advice I have is that they should be vigilant and always try to move in company with people they are familiar with. They should also keep the numbers of anyone they know at any location they find themselves.

There is the need to re-orientate the people on the need to be more concerned about what is happening to their fellow citizens. If they cannot help, they should help draw the attention of the police to such an unusual situation before it is too late to do anything about it. As I was being dragged on the ground, people just watched the drama.

Saturday Tribune: Did the police arrest or question anyone at that filling station?

Victim: Nobody was arrested at the filling station. It was only a woman selling bread and a young man that were found in front of the place.

Saturday Tribune: What work do you do?

Victim: I am a journalist.

9 commentary

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

PHOTO:www.africanquarters.com

Fuel shortage: Back to square one?

By Rita Okonoboh “Hello? Nna Okey...You say wetin?...

For wia? Dem dey sell fuel for Idi Ose...?

Hello? I no dey hear you well o... Idi gini?...”

And the line went dead.

Baba Quadri’s ears pricked. He had slept in his bus parked at home all day yesterday because he had made the grievous mistake of giving the ever nagging Iya Quadri money for school fees, rather than fill his tank. Who knew there would be scarcity anyway? If only he had followed Baba Saviour’s example and waited till at least a week till the end of the term. What did it matter if the teachers were owed?

Things were hard and even the principal had to understand.

Iya Blessing’s eyes twitched. She had been up all night with the baby, swatting away mosquitoes, while her husband and their four other children slept. The light situation seemed to have worsened and Baba Blessing, who had been reliably informed by his fellow okada riders that fuel crisis was in the offing, had refused her entreaties to transfer the little fuel left in his motorcycle to the ‘I better pass my neighbour’ generator her oga at the site where she fried puff puff and akara had ‘dashed’ her. Thus, she was up all night, fighting sleep and battling cockroaches, rats and mosquitoes, which seemed to buzz every time her eyes drooped. Baby wasn’t helping matters as he seemed cranky all night. And to think she had to come up with half of the children’s fees by the weekend from her sales. In her mind,

she apologised briefly to her creator as she cursed all those contributing to the worsening of her situation.

Mr Peters peeped through his bathroom window and rubbed soap off his eyes. Whatever it took, he must follow Daddy Ngozi to find fuel, even if it took apologising to him for smacking his son yesterday. This was the season of external examinations and he must get fuel at all costs for those who came to register; even his computer students and those who visited his cyber cafe once in a while and his generator was expected to run all day.

Maybe he should start billing those who also came to charge phones like Alfa did, he thought to himself. Since the coming of affordable smartphones and cheap data plans, business had not been good, except during exam season. Besides, he would be damned if he could sleep with his wife in darkness again tonight. It was like the gods had conspired to punish him with fuel crisis at a time when they were trying for a baby. They not only needed the comfort of artificial breeze, they needed artificial noise to distract the neighbours.

Yisa’s heart skipped two beats. He was just weeks away from freedom and freezing the meat overnight for his oga to sell the next day was becoming difficult, especially as he had to bribe Tawa with free fuel to use her generator and refrigerator.

He needed to be on his own as soon as possible, not really for that Tawa girl to take him seriously, but to make money for his brother who was preparing to resume at the polytechnic. It would be nice to finally have a graduate in the family.

Alfred paused in his search of his wallet. He was mentally calculating how much it would take him to get to the venue of the interview and also buy fuel for the generator for his viewing centre. It was championship season and according to his estimate, with the fuel crisis, he had just enough to take him there and bring him home halfway, with barely enough left to offer the black marketers who sold at N120 per litre.

How would he explain to the viewers that he had to increase the fees? He shook his head. Even with a Master’s degree, he was worse off than Tawa, the hairstylist, who lived in the room opposite his. He resolved to trek halfway to the venue and save the money for coming back instead. He would be too angry and tired to trek home if he didn’t get this job too. The first time he had been called, one would have sworn there were over 2,000 people there.

If only there was fuel, he would have enough for transport fare and even dinner. Oh, well! Iya Bukky would have to find him credit worthy again. Besides, he was seriously considering joining Baba Blessing in this okada business.

Within minutes, the news had spread and more neighbours had joined the movement. The neighbours shuffled themselves into Baba Quadri’s bus, with Baba Ngozi sharing the front passenger seat with Mr Peters, while Baba Blessing transferred the fuel from his motorcycle to the bus, assisted by Yisa and Alfred.

Meanwhile, Pastor, who lived in the boys’ quarters, shook his head as he remem-

bered the interview he read 15 years ago, November 2000 to be precise, when the then chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Products, Homourable West Idahosa, had rambled on the same unnerving fuel crisis and he thought to himself: “Are we not back to square one?”

According to a report in a July 2015 edition of Vanguard newspaper, the NNPC, in its 2014 Annual Statistical Bulletin, disclosed that 17.4 billion litres of PMS was distributed in the period under review. This translated to an average daily consumption of 47.67 million litres of PMS consumption. Using the 2014 fuel price of N97 per litre, Nigerians would have spent N1.69 trillion on the consumption of 17.4 billion litres of PMS in the period under review, a figure which in the real sense is not even close to reality when one considers the not so few times Nigerians purchased fuel at well over N120 per litre.

To say that the recurring fuel crisis has deadly consequences, in all ramifications, would be stating the obvious. There is not just the danger of fire disasters caused by hoarding fuel in private residences, businesses suffer, billions are lost on a daily basis, people are unnecessarily burdened with the task of wasting productive manpower in the search for fuel, among other terrible ripple effects. It is only hoped that Nigeria, very soon, experiences the miraculous change expected and promised by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, before Nigeria permanently embraces that label, ‘crawling giant of Africa’.

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7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

YewandeZaccheaus and Nike Oshinowo: Inspiringstoriesoftwo womenwhobeat theodds

Achieving success in Nigeria has a different and personal meaning – in a skewed society which assumes a woman is only successful by the amount of help she receives from men, not minding that she might have probably worked very hard and made personal sacrifices to get to where she is. For a married, yet childless woman, it is a different ball game entirely. The belief of many is that she has offered her unborn baby as sacrifice for her success . RUTH OLUROUNBI writes on two women who dared their challenges and became an example for other women.

Y

ewande Zaccheaus Yewande Zaccheaus, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of more than a decade old event planning company, Eventful, has a similar story known to many women trying to have children and yet, holding their heads high as they pursue their personal, yet collective successes.

Zaccheaus, a lawyer and former banker with over 18 years corporate and legal experience prior to establishing Eventful Ltd in 2002, in her book, ‘God’s Waiting Room’, which she published in 2005, documented her struggle with “unexplained secondary infertility.”

Women with fertility issues across the world have been said to have received strength from reading her books (a sequel of three), while some have shared how blessed they were having their children after years of waiting.

Zaccheaus in 1999 after a long wait of nine years had another child in addition to the first. Her challenge propelled her to become an agent of change in a society which scorn women with fertility problems.

As a founding member of Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ), a non-profit organisation concerned with ensuring the

realisation of a level playing field for both genders, particularly in the corporate and business world, she is the forefront in the battle for the advancement of women.

Adenike Oshinowo Adenike Oshinowo, entrepreneur and former Miss Nigeria, in an interview revealed: “I have lived with endometriosis since the age of 13.

I was sent to boarding school in England when I was seven. It was during the first few days in secondary school that I began my menstrual periods. They called the ambulance and I was hospitalised for 10 days because the pain started and wouldn’t stop. I thought I was going to die.”

Endometriosis is a gynaecological disorder in which cells from the

lining of the uterus (endometrium) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity. In layman’s terms, endometriosis is a disease in which the tissue which normally grows inside the uterus grows outside it. Symptoms of endometriosis include excruciating pain (which could be life long, depending on the severity of the condition) and infertility.

To fully appreciate Oshinowo’s condition, Dr Lawal Akeem, a consultant gynaecologist in Lagos was contacted and he said endometriosis is usually a long-lasting (chronic) disease. According to him, when a patient has endometriosis, this means that the type of tissue that lines the patient’s uterus is also growing outside her uterus. The clumps of tissue (called implants) may have grown on her ovaries or fallopian tubes, the outer wall of the uterus, the intestines, or other organs in the belly. In rare cases they spread to areas beyond the belly.

The WebMD explained that with each menstrual cycle, the implants go through the same growing, breaking down, and bleeding that

There are so many things I have never done without my period. When I am very happy my period comes. When I’m depressed, my period is there. I learned to just cope with it.

the uterine lining (endometrium) goes through. This is why endometriosis pain may start as mild discomfort a few days before the menstrual period and then usually is gone by the time the period ends.

But if an implant grows in a sensitive area, it can cause constant pain or pain during certain activities, such as sex, exercise, or bowel movements.

Living with endometriosis for Oshinowo is living through one of the most excruciating pains, over and over again and that means also, no babies.

“Living with endometriosis is a challenge. When you see your doctor, your doctor just tries to treat the symptoms and assumes the pain revolves around your menstrual cycle. But this is not so.

This pain affects every single aspect of your life.

“I, as Nike Oshinowo, have never

had an examination without my period; I have never travelled without my period. There are so many things I have never done without my period. When I am very happy my period comes. When I’m depressed, my period is there. I learned to just cope with it.

“I love the quote that women wear their pain like stilettos. That is what I have been doing.”

Several years of struggles and heartaches later, she did what most Nigerians think scandalous; she had a set of twins with the help of a gestational carrier.

Usually, most women in her situation would either accept their fate, or keep praying for a miracle (not that praying for a miracle is a bad thing), but it’s quite remarkable that one Nigerian woman would beat the odds of having children by being courageous enough to try what her society disdains.

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7 November, 2015

BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink

‘Give

I

What attracted you to catering? have always loved cooking right from a very tender age but what really attracted me to the business was that I discovered that most of the caterers around are more interested in making money and not adding real value to their customers. I have also always had passion for healthy eating culture which is lacking. I want people to have access to delicious and healthy meals wherever and whenever.

You have training in the sciences, how can science be applied to cooking?

People say cooking is an art which is true but it’s also scientific. A lot of cooking involves chemistry and is essentially a series of chemical reactions. Knowing about this kitchen chemistry can help you to understand much more about what’s happening and why your recipes sometimes go wrong.

Complex chemical reactions go on in food all of the time, even if you’re not cooking them. Some of these reactions affect foods. For example, bananas turn brown because a hormone within them triggers the release of ethylene gas (C2H4). This accelerates the ripening processes until the banana becomes overripe.

What’s the most complex food you’ve prepared?

The word ‘complex’ is relative because most of my intercontinental dishes require so much attention, especially the Chinese recipes. Most times, I try to bring a balance between the Chinese taste and our local taste so as to make it more acceptable here in Nigeria.

fried rice

new meaning

with

Oluwatobi Adewuyi is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Errandaz, a food delivery service outfit.

The graduate of Zoology speaks with BLESSING EKUM on how to create a dining experience that tempts not just the palate, but all of the senses.

Saturday Tribune

smoked fish’ Would you describe yourself as a traditional or modern cook?

I am more of the traditional cook. I’d rather make use of leaves to wrap moin moin because one cannot compare the taste of that made with leaf and that made with plastic or nylon.

Are you adventurous in the kitchen?

I am very adventurous. I love trying new recipes and whenever I come up with one, people always love it, though, sometimes I get scared of acceptability. There are also times when I get laughed at initially.

What is foremost on your mind when creating a recipe?

Nutritional value.

Have you created a recipe of bite?

Yes, I have. I was bored of our usual fried rice and I wanted another taste to it. So, I decided to play with the ingredients I had

and it turned out well. It could be eaten with or without a sauce, though I prefer it with my secret sauce. I am still trying to give it a name though.

Can you share the recipe for this?

You will need rice, vegetable oil, smoked catfish, onions, green bell peppers, carrot, ginger, garlic, salt, sweet corn and spring onions.

Parboil rice for a few minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Add onion, bell peppers, diced carrot, ginger and garlic and cook. Stir occasionally for about three to five minutes until fragrant and begins to soften. Add rice and cook. Meanwhile, rinse smoked catfish and pat dry. Soften it a bit in hot water after adding salt. Cut smoked catfish into strips.

Lay catfish strips over rice, cover and continue cooking until rice is tender to the bite.

Garnish with sweet corn and spring onion.

You will definitely love the taste.

What are the top two mistakes we in this part of the world make when

it comes to food?

Poor presentation and lack of creativity.

What’s your current food obsession?

My current food obsession is spaghetti Why this attraction?

It’s so much fun creating recipes from it.

Do you have a favourite ingredient at the moment?

At the moment, I’m loving ginger.

There is so much emphasis on food presentation now, what should one have in mind for a flawless presentation?

The goal is to create a dining experience that tempts all of the senses, not just the palate. Start with brightly-coloured, wellcooked food. Layer the food and play with contrasting colours and textures to increase its visual appeal. Finally, garnish the plate with flavourful herbs or spices to take it to the next level.

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7 November, 2015

08055001741 (sms only)

Saturday Tribune

yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

Help me before this issue destroys my life!

I

Dear Yemisi, am a man of 49. My life has been one long agony for more than a decade.

I will call my ‘Angela’, to protect her identity. We got married when she was 18 and I was 24. We met at a friend’s birthday party. When we shook hands, some magic happened and our handshake lingered unduly. People noted and screamed, saying, “Look, look, at those two!” We never parted since that day.

She had just left teachers’ college and was teaching in a primary school. I was new in town and working for a prestigious organisation. I am from one of the Middle Belt states and the first born of eight siblings from a respected family. I was a star student right from secondary school through university, and even attended the prestigious Princeton University for my postgraduate studies after my first degree from University of Maiduguri. Since I was small boy, girls always swooned at the mere sight of me. I was considered very handsome and my academic brilliance made me a star. After graduation, I got an extremely well paid job for my age – I was just 23. I just had no care in the world, with a fine car and a well-appointed house.

The world was my oyster.

Angela is the last born of her family. She had an ‘accident’ at age 16, when one of the staff in her boarding school put her in the family way. He even decided to marry her, pretending he was a bachelor. Unknown to her, the man had a wife with three children. The union was stillborn from day one. She came back to her parents’ home with her daughter, whom I shall call ‘Amina’.

In spite of Amina, I fell in love with Angela and very soon we became inseparable. Whenever the child was sick, I was quick to pay all the medical bills. Rumours went the rounds that I had a child out of wedlock. I knew I could never propose marriage to her because I was planning to return to the US for my PhD. I really never saw myself marrying a woman with a child from someone else. Each time I thought of it, I was always weighed down by a dark shadow. For years, I had a nightmare of someone coming into my bedroom with a coffin.

From the vantage point of my proud family, an outstanding first son such as me, with a princely heritage, could never condescend to marry a woman with a child. More so, a woman with such low qualification and from a plebeian family background. But Angela became pregnant for me. I was in panic. I agonised over it for months. I angrily took her to the registry and we signed off the dotted lines. I did it out of pity, out of madness. I loved her, but it was not a love that could commit to a lifetime union.

Although the family solved the problem of Amina, my wife’s daughter, by having her taken into custody of her mother’s elder brother, my own family were livid with rage. We got married and moved abroad.

I completed my PhD and Angela completed her degree. I joined the UN and had a wonderful international career. Our two lovely sons arrived one after the other.

One thing I noticed is that my wife’s elder brother, who is now late, used his adoption of Amina to extort money from us as much as he could. Meanwhile, rumours came that Amina was being used as a virtual slave in the home. My wife would weep for days on end. We paid what was extorted from us as Amina’s school fees and that of the four children of her foster-father, my brother-in-law. We were always sending money for one thing or the other. Out of guilt, my wife was just a constant guest of Western Union, sending money to them for one thing or the other.

Meanwhile, my own family remained very bitter. To this day, they would rejoice if I left my wife.

We returned to Nigeria few years ago, Without any warning, Amina came to our home as if on a weekend visit. But the visits became too frequent. Before long, she moved permanently to stay with us. To be honest, I love Amina. She is an intelligent graduate with a degree in Biochemistry.

After national service, she refused to look for work. Instead, without my permission, she joined my wife in the business I set up for her with millions of my own savings.

My wife put her daughter on top of everybody. The staff became bitter and started sabotaging her efforts. The company was soon forced to close down due to sabotage and theft. Amina returned for her Master’s degree programme at ATBU, Bauchi.

All at my own expense.

The problem is that, although our two sons adore her, Amina shows a trace of jealousy towards them. She always wants everything I do for my two sons to be done for her equally. As the only girl in the home, she has become closer to my wife.

My wife showers her with the most expensive designer clothes and fashion accessories, even though she does not work.

Amina is not thinking at all of leaving the nest to go and fend for herself in spite of her clocking 30.

Our two sons have all been studying abroad. We brought the younger one back recently after he had a strange neurological illness. A more outstanding scholar than myself, and a youth of great beauty, he is now, sadly, in a mental home. I once overheard Amina speaking to my wife referring to our sick son as “that your overgrown baby”!

So, Amina and her mother are now virtually in charge of my life and my home.

I explained to my wife a few days ago that I really want Amina to leave and go and start her own life elsewhere, as I am not comfortable looking after a woman of 30.

My wife became sorrowful and depressed.

It was as though someone she loved had died. She feels guilty that she was not there for her daughter during the best of her growing years. Without telling her, I am planning to move to New Zealand to

start a new life for myself. I really want out, as this burden is killing me softly.

Dear Yemisi, you may not understand my predicament, because you are not a man from the kind of background I have neither are you a first born son in our type of traditional African set-up. For me, pride and honour matter more than life itself. I am a broken man devoid of honour. I can never hold my head high with my contemporaries because they laugh at me behind my back. Some of them ask incredulously how my wife could have poisoned me to allow me marry her with a child out of wedlock.

Dear Yemisi, you will not believe it, I left university as a virgin and I have never had a child outside my matrimonial home. My wife is a beautiful and wonderful, kindhearted woman. But our marriage is virtually in ruins. Meanwhile, her daughter sees absolutely nothing wrong anywhere.

As far as she is concerned, I am her father (her own biological father, to whom she never came close, died in a car accident more than 10 years ago). She sees me as her hero and proudly shows me off to her friends as her “Daddy”. She thinks the world of me, I must confess. But she also wants equal treatment with her halfbrothers, my children, and now positioning herself creepily as first in line to my heritage. Strangely, it seems she is ready to forego marriage to make sure she never has to leave our home. My brothers and siblings are extremely bitter about the whole issue. My family has made me an outcast and I just can’t bear it anymore.

I am just recovering from a stroke. I recently developed impotence which I attribute to my current emotional trauma. I don’t have a girlfriend anywhere at pres-

ent. To be transparently honest, I strayed a couple of times, but I did not find any woman clean enough and beautiful enough for me like Angela. We have come a long way. I still love her. But I can’t live with her under the present circumstances.

I have talked about this problem with my wife for years, but she would not understand my view. She feels that if I love her, I should be prepared to take over her liabilities as well. She just refuses to see anything from my own side of the story. She and her daughter are in a desperate bid to re-enact those precious years during which they were lost to each other. Also, I suspect she cannot bear to see her daughter going to live somewhere in a dingy flat in the poor area of town while she and the rest of our family live in our beautiful mansion in the posh part of town.

Under the circumstances, the only solution, as I see it, is to quietly flee abroad and start a new life somewhere else. I will never abandon my wife without caring for her, but I feel totally suffocated and want to leave.

Please, kindly note that not a single word of what I have written here is a joke.

I need suggestions and counselling from you and from your gentle readers, otherwise I perish.

Please, help me before this issue destroys my life completely.

Ibrahim, Jos. Dear Readers, what do you think Ibrahim can do to get out of this family problem that has taken toll on his health among other complications? Kindly send your pieces of advice to 08055001741 or yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com.

13

7 November, 2015

intimacy

Saturday Tribune

With Bosede Ola-Samuel 08112658560 bosedeola_samuel@yahoo.com

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

The most important organ for great sex is.....

I

have always believed in the saying that sex is a thing of the mind. When the mind is not tuned towards sex, it becomes a mirage and a burden trying to have sex, not to talk of enjoying it in marriage. Many times, when sexual fulfilment is not achieved or the beauty of sex, which is embedded in mutual enjoyment of the couple is missing, the factor of the mind, may be responsible. The mind plays a unique role in sexual response or enjoyment. So, a couple that will enjoy great sex in their marriage must work on their minds in order to ensure that they get into the sex mood frequently.

A wife once complained to me that her husband was regularly turning down her sexual advances. And when I say regularly, I mean just that! He was always complaining of being tired. Now, you and I know that there is more than one reason for a man to behave in this manner. The easiest thought that could come readily to one’s is mind is that the husband may be having an affair. So, having had enough outside, he becomes sexually useless when he gets home.

But I came to discover through this case that the problem with that husband was the issue of the mind. He just started building a new business and was driving himself hard to ensure that the business succeeded. So, sex was the last thing on his mind each night as he retired to bed. Even when the wife dressed provocatively for his sexual attention, he was never moved to the point of giving her a great sex treatment.

The best he could give at such moment was a little of “rise and sink” satisfaction to the wife. His mind was not tuned in that direction.

A few days ago, I was engaged in a conversation with a woman on this issue, and her response was that when the mind is not in it, the body will hardly respond. So, the place of the mind in getting a couple into the sex mood cannot be underestimated. Every couple who desires great sex in their marriage must work on their mind to become responsive to sex. When this is achieved, then great sex in the marriage becomes a reality. This is even more necessary for the wife.

To get a man into the mood is a little easier than the woman.

This is because a man can be aroused by beholding the physical sight of a woman or her naked body. But it takes more than the physical sight of a man for a woman’s mind to be tuned for sex. This is why the woman’s response to sexual advances is slower than that of the man, generally speaking.

For a woman to become sexually aroused or experience sexual satisfaction, her mind must be tuned to it. That is

why it is said that the number one sexual organ of a woman is her mind. Plant yourself in her mind, and then she will sexually give herself to you regularly. She must desire it and look forward to it. She must set her mind to it. This is a thing that requires a conscious effort. She must convince herself that sex is not just to satisfy her husband’s cravings so that he will not be tempted to have it with another woman outside, but rather, a gift that God, the originator of sex, has given to husband and wife primarily for the pleasure of both of them.

As long as you believe it is about satisfying your husband, you will always rob yourself of the pleasure of love making.

Remember, the body goes whatever direction the mind goes.

Consciously tune your mind to have sex that you will never forget with your husband today and you will see your body chemistry responding instantaneously, even to your own surprise. And with a mere touch from your man, your body is set aflame.

This is why some people believe that African women are pretenders when it comes to the issue of sex. They will initially do as if they are not interested in having sex but no sooner do they get into the act that they begin to moan in pleasure. But are women truly pretenders? Maybe some women are, but I can’t comprehend why a woman should pretend with her

This is why some people believe that African women are pretenders when it comes to the issue of sex.

They will initially do as if they are not interested in having sex but no sooner do they get into the act that they begin to moan in pleasure.

But are women truly pretenders?

husband. In my opinion, I will say what is responsible for this is not actually pretence, but rather, the fact that her mind was not tuned to it at the time sex was being initiated. But the moment she set her mind at it, his touch did the magic.

It sparked a fire in her and she went aflame.

Putting the mind in the mood for sex also requires both husband and wife working at giving each other peace of mind. This is where the issue of intimate relationship comes into play. A couple that will enjoy a great level of peace of mind must be intimately connected. You cannot be quarrelling always and enjoy a great sex life in your marriage. A man may even be able to do that because of his body make-up.

For a woman, it’s going to be a herculean task to achieve.

It is like taking a fish out of the water and putting it on the bare ground to swim.

When a woman is not happy, the mind is not tuned for sex at all, not to talk of great sex. This is why men are the ones who complain more about sexual response of their wives.

The truth is that many wives are not happily married. They feel battered and unfulfilled for so many reasons. Like one woman asked recently, why is this world like a man’s world?

They call the shot everywhere they go; he is not the one who changes his name at the altar; he determines the company his wife can keep; he is the one who physically batters the wife by reason of his physique; he rules like the lord over her. The situation becomes worsened these days when the wife is also expected to jointly finance the home. And many wives even take the lion’s share of the budget nowadays. Can a wife in such a situation be happy? Can she enjoy great sex life in the marriage?

The point I am making is that peace in the home is a contributory factor to the sex life of a couple. So, every couple should work at ensuring harmony on the home front. Of course, husbands also have issues from their wives that are keeping them restless. And as long as this is persistent beauty of sex cannot be achieved in such marriages.

Every couple also needs to make sure that their conflict resolution mechanism is kept functioning on a regular basis.

Conflict on the home front may not be totally eliminated, but should be drastically reduced. Through tolerance and mutual cooperation, we can minimise the conflict points in the marriage setting. After all, we did not get married with the mind of fighting each other. Love brought us together, and the same love should keep us together. Do I hear you say did love bring us together? The truth is that love is what should bring two people together for marriage. Anything short of this will never make for peace in the marriage.

Without love, tolerance is unachievable because love bears all things, endures all things. And when it is mutual, conflict resolution is made easy.

So if we need more, great sex in our marriages, then let us work at keeping our minds in the right mood. Right atmosphere for peace of mind should be created by each couple to ensure that the right mood for sex is maintained.

In response to my readers’ request, I have packaged some of my previous articles into a book with the title: ENJOYING GREAT SEXLIFE. You can call me on 08112658560 for the book

14

Saturday Tribune

7 November, 2015

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

What do you want the government Respondents are students of Strong Tower College, 7Up, Monatan, Ibadan.

to do about child abuse?

Compiled by Taibat Alimi and Bolaji Ogungbade

I

Oyetade Bolaji, JS2 want the government to provide more public schools to stop children from street hawking. They should also provide job opportunities for parents of those children hawking in order to help the parents to be able to give their children standard moral education. Also, I want the government to pay workers’ salary to reduce poverty as it leads to child abuse. I want the government to arrest children hawking and hand punishment down to the parents.

Odeyemi Ajibola JS2 The government should provide loan facilities for people in order to wipe poverty away, they should provide job opportunities for the jobless who have children. They should pay salary promptly in order to prevent child abuse. In addition, the government should arrest the child being abused and curb their parents for doing things of such to their children. They should provide farm implements or equipment for farmers.

Balogun Ayomikun Barakat, JS1 I want the government to provide good standard school so the children roaming the streets would go to school.

The children caught roaming about should be taken to police station. As for our parents, the government should creat employment opportunities and provide public schools so that parents who do not have enough money would take their children to school. Our parents should advise us on what is right and wrong and teach us how to protect ourselves.

Akintunde Oluwadamilola, SS3 I would like the government to enforce law against child abuse because it is rampant. They can create a law enforcement agency that would be on patrol during the weekdays so any child found roaming about or hawking during school hours should be arrested and the parents should be fined. I believe this can stop child abuse. Also, the government should embark on public enlightenment campaigns in the media by announcing penalties against those caught on the act.

O l u w a l u si Michael, SS3 The ease out children under the age of 18years hawking is rampant in the society as they are out there to eke out a living. Their parents see it as the only means of survival. Also, maltreating of children by their guardians which includes carrying out duties above their age should be tackled. Government should establish an undercover to catch victims and those involved in child abuse to face the law and also establish law against child abuse.

Pay Attention!

By Opeyemi Oladipupo I have learnt that paying attention to things pays. Therefore, pay attention the following: your parent’s advice;

your teachers in class; your environment; your body and corrections. You get better by doing this.

Adegbolu Marvellous SS2 Government should provide job opportunities for parents to enable them to cater for their children instead of sending them to the market to hawk. They should provide agencies all around the society to arrest parents abusing their children whose provide public schools for children their parents cannot afford to send them to private school.

Government should also provide social amenities such as electricity, borehole etc. which would curb poverty among people and enlighten parents about the dangerous effects of child abuse in the society.

Omotara Ajike

ABDULRASAQ

3

clocked recently

Rearrange these Jumbled words

Puzzle

y da rth Bi Get Inspired

Ajani Kanyinsola, SS1 I want the government to provide schools and employment for the poor because if there is no job after school there would still be child abuse.

Free education should be in place as some parents cannot send their children to school. Also, the government should enlighten people on moral education to the children with different programmes. Not only white-collar job, children should learn how to be creative with their hands.

15

7 November, 2015

health&fitness

Baby reaction to pregnancy: Myth or reality?

In an African setting, when a child suddenly turns aggressive, possessive, fitful or sickly, those around the child defend the troublesome kid and conclude ‘The mother is pregnant.’ How reasonably scientific is this belief? OYEYEMI OKUNLADE writes.

O

baloluwa has suddenly taken ill. As the days go by there is no sign of improvement. Rather, there is an alarming rise in his temperature manifesting symptoms of ailments.

“This is very unlike him,” says his mother, her face expressing fear feelings about her son’s health condition.

Obaloluwa’s mother is pregnant with her second baby and could not manage her son’s deteriorating health condition. The best option is heading to the hospital. On getting to the hospital, the boy was treated and subsequently regained his strength. It was not long that same condition took him back to the hospital. At that point, Obaloluwa’s mother’s friends and neighbours told her not to get scared as her son is suffering from pregnancy-related illness. ‘Can this be true?, asked Obaloluwa’s mother.

Mrs Titilayo Olalekan, a mother of one who put to bed about a week ago said that from her experience, a child reacts when his or her mother gets pregnant with another child.

“Reaction varies from child to child irrespective of the age. It is a usual thing that happens to mothers who are pregnant with another baby. Some children react at the early stage of their mothers’ pregnancies, some at the middle while others express theirs towards the time their mother are about to put to bed.”

She said that in her own case, her son started having high temperature and also wanted to be around her at all times. This in a way was a sign that the boy knows a child would come who might shift her mother’s attention from him.

Is there a medical explanation to a child’s sensitivity to his or her mother’s pregnancy? A medical practitioner in Goshen Botakehd Hospital, Jebba, Kwara State, Mrs Ibiniyi Veronica, says “Either it is medically believed or not, whenever a pregnant woman notices her child’s health condition is not okay, she should take him or her to the hospital.

“In spite of being a medical person, I have found myself in such situation you have mentioned. People around me prescribed drugs to me when I was nursing my twins. I did not object their suggestions, but simply thanked them. But instead of using the drugs they suggested to me, I took them to the hospital for treatment and also prayed.”

She, however, advised that when a child falls ill during his or her mother’s pregnancy, the parents should visit the hospital for diagnosis and proper treatment so that their minds will be at rest. “From my experience, people insinuate a lot of things when a child is reacting to his or her mother’s pregnancy.”

Dr Adejumoke Idowu Ayede of the Pediatrics Department, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, says: “When a woman is pregnant and she has a young child, so many things will change. Some of these changes include the fact that her attention to the child may drastically reduce; she may not breastfeed the baby like before and you know young children in particular like attention.

So if the attention drops, of course, they react. This is a baby the mother has been curdling, breastfeeding every time or has been been giving anything he or she wants at any time. Now, the mother is pregnant. So many things will change in the mother. The baby is bound to pick it. Once the baby picks it, he or she will definitely and immediately react. He will recognise that his mother has not been doing what she used to do before. Apart from that, the woman’s general character will also change. She can become very touchy, more tired and some even stop breastfeeding. Some believe that when they are pregnant, they should stop breastfeeding particularly if they have not stopped. There’s no way a child will not generally react to that. So it has psychological and nutritional components.”

But is there something a woman can do to prevent this from happening to a child?

Dr Ayede said: “Let’s start with a child that is still breastfeeding. We encourage the mother to continue to

breastfeed because if she suddenly stops, so many things can happen. The child can become more ill, he may not be able to tolerate food and the risk of infection will be higher because of sudden reduction in the level of immunity.

Then, we have to reassure the mother because she may be

Saturday Tribune Blessing Ekum

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

ignorant. Some even believe that if they give breast milk to that child, it can affect the child. There are so many wrong beliefs. At that point, we have to counsel the mother to feed well because she is feeding three people. She will continue to breastfeed for some time, nurture the baby in her womb and also nurture herself. We need to counsel her on nutrition. We also need to counsel her on rest. Because she is breastfeeding, she may be working, if she is not resting enough, she will become unnecessarily touchy as if it’s the child that asked her to get pregnant. Of course, we also need to counsel the father particularly if there is short duration between the first pregnancy and the second one. It has to be a family-centered affair. But if it’s an older child that is already off breast milk, maybe like a three or four-year-old child who has already started school, the effect will not be much. The only difference will be in the attention which is a natural phenomenon.”

From 40 every man should go for prostate test

Prostate enlargement is on the prowl, taking its toll on the health of the menfolk. The Prostate Research Institute in the United States of America, in a report said that among every six men, two are likely to suffer from the disease which, if not diagnosed early and effectively treated, can degenerate to prostate cancer. Research has also confirmed that in Africa, the rate of prostate enlargement and cancer is relatively high.

Apparently worried by the dangers of the ailment, orthodox medical practitioners have been able to achieve maximum result.

But the Managing Director of Qumas Herbs Nigeria Ltd, a trado-medical expert, Dr. Olasunkanmi Azeez in this piece declares that herbal medicine has a quick remedy for the disease. Azeez, who is the chairman, Herbal Therapy Society of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, stresses that application of special herbal therapy against prostate enlargement and prostate cancer can provide remedy for the ailments.

The sufferer is unable to maintain flow of urine till the end- that is stopping and starting while urinating. Another symptom is dribbling at the end of urination. Other symptoms include frequent pressure to urinate, increased frequency of urination at night, urgent need to urinate, inability to empty the bladder, blood-stained urine, weak urine and urinary tract infection. When symptoms are noticed, it is advisable to avoid condiments and alcoholic beverages. This helps to lessen bladder irritation which may promote infection. It is also important to avoid cold conditions or allow urine to accumulate before passing it.

Prostate enlargement, a killer disease This ailment is common among the male folk and very dangerous to their health because of its complications and effects. It affects the male organ known as prostate gland which produces semen, the male coloured fluid that nourishes and transports sperms during ejaculation. Prostate gland is located beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra that is the tube that drains urine from the bladder.

Whenever it becomes enlarged, the prostate would begin to wield pressure on the urethra and make urination difficult.

This is common among men in their 40s and above when they witness prostate growth. This is when prostate gland enlargement occurs mostly because of the rapid growth of the central portion. The major implication here is that as the tissues in the central area enlarge, they compress the urethra and partly block the flow of urine. Men who have difficulty in urinating most likely have prostate enlargement problem.

Suffice it to say that prostate enlargement is a disease of elderly men. It causes severe pain, anxiety, discomfort and loss of consciousness. It has posed a global challenge to medical experts.

A prostate case not detected early enough can degenerate to prostate cancer. Reports have confirmed that men in their 40s and 50s are dying of prostate problems. Men in this age bracket are expected to go for tests, particularly prostate scan, to confirm their status and go for early intervention if it is confirmed that they are having prostate enlargement challenge.

Prostate cancer Prostate enlargement worsens when the sufferer can no longer empty the bladder and must start using a catheter to draw urine. But the danger of this is that bladder infection is most likely. Prostate enlargement can lead to death, especially if it is left untreated and becomes chronic. At this level, it can degenerate to prostate cancer. Cancer can spread faster in the body system than other infections or viruses. When it gets to this stage, death can occur. But no matter the magnitude of the ailment, herbal medicine has a sure remedy for it.

Management of prostate enlargement Though orthodox medicine has discovered conventional drugs to tackle the ailment, reports have confirmed that herbal remedy is more effective. Qumas Herbs Special Prostate Therapy can effectively help to diminish the size of an enlarged prostate. It dissolves different levels of prostate enlargement. Due to its anti-cancer function, herbal medicine can be used to stop the spread of the cancer cells in other vial tissues and organs of the body. The medicine also has the potential to enhance better night sleep, stop frequency of urination, relieve pains, enhance healthy urinary function and also improve libido.

Causes Diverse causes account for prostate enlargement.

In most cases, doctors find it difficult to diagnose the causes.

But it cannot be unconnected with ageing and changes in the ratio of male hormone testosterone level that stimulates prostate growth. It has been medically established that one of the major causes is hormonal imbalance, especially among men who use drugs to enhance their sexual performance, thereby activating the level of their testosterone hormone beyond the normal level.

Commonly, it is sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and Staph, among others that degenerate into prostate enlargement if they become chronic due to failure to treat them on time. At birth, the prostate is about the size of a pea and during childhood, it grows a bit and at the age of 25, it develops fully. One major danger associated with prostate enlargement is that, a man may wake up in the morning and night and not be able to urinate due to enlargement of the prostate gland which puts pressure on the urethra, making it difficult for urine flow.

Symptoms There are different symptoms of prostate enlargement.

Diagnostic methods These include PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen test) and DRE (Digital Rectal Examination test) which is a simple clinical procedure for detecting prostate enlargement through the use of finger digits.

16

healthandfitness

No more interest in sex I have recently lost all interest in sex and I don’t know why this should happen to me at a relatively young age of 35 years. I believe that I am too young to lose my sex drive. Where did it go and how can I get it back?

Folasade (by SMS) There are so many factors that can make somebody lose his or her sex drive. Apart from the stress of daily living, hormonal imbalance, side effects of medications as well as unmanaged underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes among other ailments can affect

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

My persistent headache

the libido. Some women on birth control pills can also experience this kind of affectation because of the hormones in the pills. It is important for you and your husband to jointly see a doctor for a thorough counselling in

I have a ringing sensation in my left ear which has made life unbearable for me. Although I have applied different kinds of ear drops to the affected ear, the problem has persisted. Your kind advice will be appreciated.

Chijioke (by SMS)

order to also rule out any marital disharmony that may also cause your poor sex drive. A further medical examination and treatment will go a long way in clearing any other causes of your problem.

the ear is the presence of ear wax in your ear. It is

also important for you to check your blood pressure since an elevated Blood Pressure can also cause some form of ringing sensation in the ear.

Once the presence of wax is confirmed in your ear by a doctor, the wax can be removed through the use of an appropriate ear drop or through ear washing.

Can I still have a baby?

I am a 25-year-old spinster. I recently had an operation for the removal of a fallopian tube due to an ectopic pregnancy.

Even though the doctor

Dr. Wale Okediran 08055069356 (sms only)

The ringing sensation in my ear

A very common cause of ringing sensation in

Saturday Tribune

7 November, 2015

confirmed that the other tube was still in good condition, I am still worried if I can still have a baby with just one fallopian tube.

Busayo (by SMS)

Yes, it is definitely possible to have babies with just one fallopian tube, therefore, you have nothing to worry about.

I am a 50-year-old business man. I have been having persistent headache for the past two months.

This is despite the fact that I have seen many doctors who have checked my blood pressure and found it to be normal and given me a lot of drugs. Kindly help me as I don’t know what else to do.

Balarabe (by SMS) Apart from High Blood Pressure, other causes

of persistent headache include psychological stress, eye problems as well as brain tumour. It is important for you to

Can I donate my sperm?

I have been hearing of people donating sperm for the use of infertile couples.

As somebody with very strong sperm, I will like to also donate. Please let me know where I can donate, the conditions for donation as well as how much I will be paid for the donation.

Kalypso( by SMS) Most sperm banks that usually collect donated sperm are situated in teaching hospitals. To the best of my knowledge, sperm donors are not paid any money since the donation

is seen as a form of charity.

However, before you can donate, your sperm must be examined in order to be sure that it is in good condition. Secondly, you must sign a document affirming

E

xactly one week away — November 14 — the attention of the whole world will again focus on the debilitating scourge called diabetes mellitus during the now well-known World Diabetes Day. The theme this year is “Healthy Living and Diabetes”.

Diabetes remains a leading non-communicable disease worldwide. It is indeed a scourge that inflicts untold suffering and death on its harmless victims. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and amputations. A sufferer stands a higher risk of dying from heart and brain attacks. Presently, about 250 million are under the burden of this ‘exterminator unleashed on the human race’. More frightening is the fact that the incidence of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate, such that it is feared that about 350 million people will be affected by the condition in 2025, especially in the developing countries of the world such as ours! No doubt, from what we see daily in our hospitals, Nigeria is experiencing its own share of diabetes explosion.

Diabetes affects both the young and the old, although more adults are affected than younger people. There are different types of diabetes, but most people either have the type 1 or type 2 variety. Type 1 occurs more commonly in children and the young while type 2 afflicts the older people. What has, however, become a source of great concern is the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes in the children and young persons! The reasons for this are not unconnected with the increasing sedentary lifestyle and prevalence of overweight and obesity in our population. These are results of increasing westernisation and urbanisation of our environment. Healthy living comes handy in dealing with this scourge.

Complication of Diabetes What are dreaded most in diabetes are the complications of the condition. Because of diabetes, an able-bodied man can be rendered blind, maimed and useless to fend for himself and his family. Other vital organs of the body

make sure that you are not under any serious form of financial, marital or professional pressure that could be the cause of your headache. In addition, you may need to be referred to a specialist doctor in a teaching or specialist hospital for further examination which may include an eye test, a skull X-ray as well as an EEG (Special tests to check the electrical activities of the brain).

your decision to remain an anonymous donor who will not later turn round in future to look for the recipient of your sperm with the aim of claiming the child as your won.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

Healthy living and diabetes such as the heart, the kidneys can fail because of the condition. Unfortunately for the teeming masses of Nigeria that fall victims of diabetes and its complications, they are expected to pay for their medical bills themselves, unlike other places where government, through robust medical insurance scheme, comes to the rescue of their citizens. It is now common to see relations helplessly watch their loved ones delivered to the throes of death because they cannot afford the medical costs required to treat them. That is why, for diabetes, at whatever level, prevention is better than cure! For those who do not have the disease, they must do everything not to develop it. For those who already have it, they must cooperate with their health care givers not to develop the terrible complications of the disease.

How do we prevent diabetes and its complications?

This is actually the focus of the whole world during the world diabetes day this year. Efforts should be made towards primary prevention where this is possible, and it is, especially in the type 2 variety (type seen mainly in adults).

People should be educated about the danger of indulging in unhealthy eating habits. Candies, soft drinks, snacks, etc must be taken infrequently and with moderation.

Government and private corporations should establish outdoor recreation facilities for physical exercise and other healthy lifestyle. Each employer of labour should establish work place wellness programme where workers and their

family members have access to healthy lifestyles practised.

Ensuring access to basic medical care and subsidising anti-diabetic drugs, especially insulin, are irreducible measures expected of government. With the atmosphere of change on the ground, diabetics will be happy to change in health policy that will make have a better quality of life.

If insulin is given free to persons living with diabetes in some countries and that include some developing nations in Africa, why not Nigeria? As a long-term measure, government should work towards the manufacturing of these drugs locally. Government must realise that the resources it takes to adequately care for sufferers of chronic illnesses like diabetes are beyond the reach of a huge percentage of their citizens. The National Health Insurance Scheme has to be restructured to include chronic diseases rather than exclude them as it is in many places where the scheme appears functional.

The time has come for us to recognise diabetes as a scourge that must be tamed at all cost. We are better off at preventing this merciless exterminator the cost of whose treatment most of our people cannot afford. Nigeria must demonstrate her seriousness about reducing mortality as part of the Millennium Development Goals to which she subscribes.

As I conclude this week, let us realise that government alone cannot stop the scourge; it is a joint task. Play your role! a healthy living by all can kick out diabetes out of our country.

17

7 November, 2015

mediascope

Saturday Tribune With akin adewakun

akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk 08054683584

Nigerian media may become robot-assisted in the next few years —Tunde Akanni

a paltry sum of money that can hardly take her through an academic session in any college in the United States, and this is a girl that all of us agreed is worthy of celebration. So that is the precarious situation which we have found ourselves today. So journalism is not an island, it is just suffering from what other professional practices are also suffering from.

Dr. Tunde Akanni, a media researcher, lecturer and founding member of the School of Communications, Lagos State University (LASU), in this interview with Akin Adewakun bares his mind on the state of the nation’s media industry today, especially the evolution of the industry across the globe, while stressing the need for a retooling by practitioners who still desire to be relevant in that space. ExcerptsYou were once on the Features Desk of the then National Concord under the former chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union Of Jourmalists (NUJ), Mr. Lanre Arogundade, though you’ve settled down for the ‘gown’ now, from your experience then as a very active journalist, how would you compare the newsroom then and the way it is today?

The first conspicuous difference is that of the degeneracy in the respect that colleagues to have for ethical things. In those days we were self-respecting because the company was faithful to the employment terms. Our salaries were paid in good time and each of the desks had a car dedicated to it. The Features Desk I was on then at Concord had a car dedicated to it, and that was in addition to the fact the Features Editor then, Ewaen Linda Osareren, had two personal cars. So she didn’t have any cause to appropriate the car belonging to the desk to herself, because she was paid enough to run her own personal cars. And so the car dedicated to the desk was always available to the rest of us.

When Lanre Arogundade took over, Lanre didn’t have a car, even then he still allowed members of the desk to use the car for official meetings, and like I said salaries were paid regularly, the weekly transportation allowances were paid as and when due, they were never paid in arrears. Every week we knew that our transportation allowances would be paid. So it was possible for us, members of staff of the company, to also initiate monthly and weekly contributions, which could go round from one person to the other in huge amount. In addition to all these was the encouragement for professional development of the staffers. Concord, whenever there were windows for training, would offer to pay for the training of staffers, and for the staffers that won professional fellowship abroad. Their salaries were continued, even as any story that they decided to publish whilst away usually got very good prominence, in addition to accompanying those stories with their photographs. That was the kind of dignity that accompanied our employment in Concord in those days. Besides, each time MKO had time to visit the premises, he would trade banters with staff as if we were his colleagues, his contemporaries. I must not also forget to mention to you that Concord was the only paper then that was giving every member of staff in the editorial department a copy of the day’s newspaper. In some other newspaper companies then, except you were an editor, you would not be entitled to a complimentary copy. During Moslem and Christian festivals, staffers were always entertained, given special meal, you know that media houses don’t go on holidays, once you reported at work, arrangements were always made to serve us special meals. In short, it was one place where you were happy going to work.

Having given this very rosy picture of what life used to be then at Concord, what informed your decision to quit?

I had to move on with my life. Concord was proscribed in 1994 and having served the company diligently, my commitment to the company actually also endeared me to some other organisations that I had the opportunity of serving, courtesy of my being a staff of Concord. So in the course of my duty as a staff, I had reasons to cover events organised by a number of organisations, including the civil rights group, CLO being one of them. And immediately Concord was shut down, CLO, approached me and offered me a job. As a young man, I was having the opportunity to appreciate the new work environment at CLO and because of the excitement of the new workplace, I didn’t feel there

As a founding member of the School of Journalism, Lagos State University, what was the experience of starting from ‘scratch’ like?

Well, we need to commend the initiatives of the founding fathers, because the School of Communications of the Lagos State University is the very first to adopt the McQuail’s pattern of training which accords autonomy to each of those sequences that make up mass communication, ranging from journalism to advertising and radio/tv broadcasting. It is the first of such programmes in Nigeria. But like every Nigerian project, we were challenged by lack of resources, but we remained undaunted. We have insisted that we would pull through, that is why we are still here today.

We’ve managed to fill the communications industry with some graduates who are doing excellently well. Some of our products have also gone for further studies elsewhere and they are doing very well.

was any reason for me to go back, even after this company was opened. Journalism has a very strong pull, I must confess. I felt like going back, I even felt like combining the two jobs, even as Concord might not pay. I remember that my colleague, Femi Adesina, who later took over the Features Desk, did all he could to make sure that I returned to Concord then. Adesina is like a brother to me, and he wanted me back by all means. He took over the features editorship from Lanre Arogundade, but I had started enjoying my new beat at CLO as the Head of Campaign of the nation’s biggest human rights group.

Besides the brain drain that the nation’s media is suffering from today, with you being a very good example, a lot of people still attribute the poor quality of works in the media today to the fact that the town and the gown in the industry are not meeting regularly the way they should, what is your take on this?

Well, it’s not only journalism that is suffering from brain drain. It is a general degeneracy. Things have worsened over time. How much commitment do the young ones of today have to scholarship? There are too many distractions and the most prominent one being the hip hop songs all over town. Almost every young person today wants to be a musician, and the big companies that are making money, the telecom firms are also not helping the situation. Rather than encourage the young ones to be committed to scholarship, all they are doing is to steer them away from scholarship.

You can imagine all of these programmes being organised by these telcos and the huge amount of money committed into those programmes. Look at this young girl from Fiditi in Oyo State, who went as far as Abuja, walked her way through all the mathematical competitions to the national level, and all that we could see as society support for her was

How much commitment do the young ones of today have to scholarship? There are too many distractions and the most prominent one being the hip hop songs all over town.

A lecturer in the Mass Communication department of one of the nation’s universities once said that a huge number of graduates from the department always prefer working elsewhere to working in the media industry on graduation, why is this so?

Working in media houses is becoming increasingly challenging today, especially if you are the lazy one, because you can’t weather the storm. Like I said no section of the society can function like an Island, so if laziness is what is obtained in the society, then you should expect it in the nation’s media industry, because now it is the case of easy money everywhere. Everybody wants easy money, you can imagine all those who fleeced us of billions of dollars the other time in what was described as petroleum scam. They could not have been manually ferrying away all this money, they must have been assisted by their bankers. But up till now, the trial has been inconclusive, besides, all of the bankers that assisted them, none has been arranged. So if our system is such that tolerates corruption and all manners of bribery, you can imagine the level to which we have fallen.

You are a former Director of Nigerian Centre for Free Speech, a lot has been said about free speech and what constitutes a hate and dangerous speech in the media, but where exactly should the media draw the line?

Let me just give you a simple analogy. When you talk about ethics, for instance in journalism practice, how do you recognise the principle of ethics? It is when you look at what you have the right to do, but which you know is morally wrong. If you want me to abuse you, don’t abuse me.

You can define what abuse means.

Where do you see the media industry in Nigeria in the next few years?

It’s going to be more technology-driven. I have just returned from a global online conference, which took place in Los Angeles, USA, courtesy Ford Foundation, which made this possible for me. I happened to be the only African at that conference, and I want to use this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to my sponsors the Ford Foundation because that conference was an eyeopener.

When we were rounding off, the concluding segment of the conference exposed us to the technology that will begin to play out from next year. And one of the signals that we got is that probably from next year, we will begin to get robotassisted journalism, and it was actually demonstrated to us.

Don’t also forget that there is no media house in this country that has started using drones to take pictures. That perhaps could be attributed to the fact that there are no aviation laws yet that could apply to that, but what it means is that whether our government comes up with the relevant laws or not, we will also begin to experience the use of drones in taking photographs in future. In short, journalism will become increasingly technology driven.

18

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

Please, don’t leave me,husband begs wife I will leave if we don’t leave your family house —Wife

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A Lagos State customary court sitting in Agboyi/Ketu in Lagos State, has dissolved the 30-year-old marriage of Mrs Titi Sulaiman and her husband, 60-year-old Mr Jimoh Sulaiman for lack of care and drunkenness.

She told the court that her husband married her when she was 15 years old in the native law and custom at Tokuwa Street, Ogaminana, Kogi State in 1985.

She alleged that ever since then from that young age, she has been the one catering for the family with the help of her own family members and because her husband always comes back home drunk, he daily inflicts all manner of injuries on her.

I caught my husband fondling my daughter’s breasts, wife tells court

Yes, I did, but I want her back —Husband

He told me he was going to sleep with another woman —Wife and things were rough for him as he was a bus conductor. I got pregnant for him and my parents were unhappy so I eloped with him after six abortions.”

“He was then working as a cleaner at Radio Nigeria and I was the breadwinner for some years before I lost my job in Lagos. He left the house in 2014.

“The day I decided to poison myself I had no money so I borrowed money from a neighbour and sent the neighbour’s child to get me a bottle of soft drink.

Voices started twirling in my head, one said I should lace the drink with a poison while the other asked me to resist the temptation.

“He called me later that day that he would not come home because he wanted to sleep outside the home and keep the company of another woman.

cate to his family house, but she refused.

She said that her husband would abandon her and the children for several days without bothering about their welfare.

Dupe said that she never patronised any hotel as alleged by her husband, adding that she had to relocate to her aunt’s house when she had a quarrel with her husband.

She said that when she returned to her matrimonial home, her husband beat her, broke one of her legs and packed out her belongings.

“I told my husband that I could no longer live in his parents’ house, because they are the cause of our problem, but my husband refused to listen to me,” she said.

Dupe said that her husband got married to another woman barely a month after she left his house who took custody of her children.

She, therefore, prayed the court to grant her the custody of the children, namely Favour, 10, Lekan, 8, and Precious, 3, years respectively.

President of the court, Mrs. Foluke Oyeleye, after hearing from the parties, adjourned the case till November 9 for judgement.

He has been an irresponsible man for 30 years —Wife I only became irresponsible when I lost my job —Husband

I left home ’cos she threatened to commit suicide —Man

A teacher, Mr. Akinwale Taofeek, during the week told a Grade C customary court at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State to dissolve his 26year-old marriage to his wife, Mrs. Asisat Akinwale, lamenting that she sent him packing out of his matrimonial home.

“I did not pay her bride price when I married her. She bore two sons for me, who are 22 and 13 years old respectively.

“I left home in 2013. She threatened to commit suicide which compelled me to leave the house and secure another apartment. Anytime we meet she creates lots of problems for me.

“I married a new wife and she said she would not accept her, although she did not know the wife. I have a child outside the home.

“She packed her belongings to her house by herself as I never sent her packing. She may want to commit suicide because of envy.

“I have reported her to her parents on several occasions. I want a divorce.”

Responding to the claims of her husband, Asisat narrated her side of the story.

“He was my father’s tenant when I met him

31

My father caught her coming out of a hotel with another man —Husband He broke my leg, packed out my things —Wife A 31-year-old husband, Mr Femi Fajuyi, during the week, approached an Ado-Ekiti customary court seeking dissolution of his 12-year-old marriage to his wife, Dupe, over alleged adultery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Femi, who resides at Ita-Eku, off Ado-Ekiti Local Government Secretariat, told the court that he warned his wife against any relationship with his brother’s wife, but she failed to heed his warnings.

The plaintiff, also a father of three, alleged before the court that his brother’s wife was introducing his wife to different men.

He said that his wife was in the habit of leaving the house and not returning for days.

According to him, “there was a day my father told me that he saw my wife with another man coming out of a hotel.”

Femi said that after then, he told his wife to pack out of his house and she did.

He prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and grant him the custody of the three children.

But the respondent, Dupe, 27, denied the allegations levelled against her, saying her husband wanted her to relo-

Stories by Oluwole Ige, Ayomide Owonibi, Taibat Alimi and Omotayo fabusua, with Agency Reports

here was a mild drama in an Ikorodu customary court in Lagos State, when a 42-year-old auto mechanic, Mr Wasiu Adeleye, broke down in tears during court proceedings, begging the court not to dissolve his 19-year-old marriage.

Adeleye begged his wife in the courtroom with tears streaming down his face.

“I do not want you to leave me. I cannot love any woman again like you,’’ he said.

“My wife has been my source of joy, it is my family that wants her out of my life, please help me beg my wife,’’ the husband said sobbing.

Mariam, his 39-year-old wife, had approached the Ikorodu Customary Court, seeking the dissolution of her marriage on the grounds that her husband’s family was trying to ruin her marriage.

Mariam, who resides at Gbasemo area of Ikorodu, told the court that her husband’s family had been causing problems in the home since they got married.

“My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law just wanted me out of my husband’s life. I built a house and a mosque and they all ganged up against me, saying that I built the house from the money I made from my lover.

“My mother-in-law said that if I did not leave his son alone, I would die. Although, my husband loves me and was always fighting his family but I am fed up.

“I no longer have rest of mind in my marriage.’’

Mariam, however, said that if her husband was ready to leave the family house where they reside, she would continue with the marriage.

President of the court, Mrs Omolara Abiola, ruled that the husband’s family members should be served summons and be present at the next date of hearing.

“I can see that both of you still love each other, but your husband’s family will be present at the next hearing and anyone who fails to appear in court will be arrested and detained by the police,” she said.

Abiola, however, urged the wife to continue to enjoy her conjugal rights and adjourned the case till December 1 for a possible reconciliation.

Saturday Tribune

He said I could take poison on the allegations that I envied his concubine.

“He left the house and I informed my relatives. I was later hospitalised over an ailment but on getting home after my discharge, he sent me packing. His family members intervened and I was allowed in but he packed out of the house. Since then, he has never come back home. I have reported him repeatedly.

“The other wife was never introduced to me. He is not caring at all, instead he is fond of beating me,” Asisat remarked.

Asisat, in tears, said “there is still solution because I do not want divorce.”

Meanwhile, President of the court, Chief Amusa Makinde, counselled both parties to have a rethink as they have children old enough and that divorce would

only be an embarrassment to them. He adjourned the case till November 16.

A mother of four, Yemisi Daramola, has told an Ikorodu Customary Court in Lagos State that her husband was fond of fondling his stepdaughter’s breasts whenever she was asleep.

The 36- year-old fashion designer then prayed the court to dissolve her 15-year-old marriage to her husband, Babatunde, over the indecent act.

‘My wife does whatever she wants, she doesn’t respect me’ His family behind our marital problems —Wife A 39-year-old man, Abuzeidu Umoru, has pleaded with a Lagos Island customary court in Lagos State, to dissolve his 10-year-old marriage to his wife, Adewunmi.

The petitioner, a Nigerien said his wife does not respect him and does whatever she pleases.

“I love my wife wholeheartedly, but she doesn’t believe she is meant to be submissive to her husband. It got to a stage she denied me sex and I left home last December,” he said.

Umoru, who confessed having another woman he wants to marry, said he however loves his wife more.

“The girl is from Maiduguri and she is still schooling; when she is done, I shall marry her. My coming to court is not my wish, but my wife is not cooperating with me. I met her at a nursing school and catered for her needs. I am still an illiterate. I don’t know the reasons for her actions.

I want an end to our union and the custody of our eightyear-old son, while our daughter live with her,” he said.

The respondent, Adewunmi Umoru, in her defence, said she also did not know where things went wrong.

The 39-year-old nurse said when she got pregnant with

her second child, her mother-in-law visited and asked her to prepare food but since she was tired, her husband volunteered to do the cooking. ”After that day, my husband changed towards me. When I asked him what the problem was, he said I should ask his mum who was living with us at that time. When I went to beg her, she referred me to my husband’s brother.

“Only for both of them to tell me that if I wanted peace to reign, I must vacate the flat in which I was living with my husband and move to a one-room apartment,” she told the court.

She said the room was in a bad condition when she moved there.

She further said that in 2013, her mother-in-law said her husband was going to marry another wife and there was nothing she could do.

“If it is his wish to marry another wife, I am not against it.

I am just baffled over what is happening,” she added.

President of the court, Chief Awos Awosola, advised the couple to be peaceful and adjourned the matter till December 10 for continuation of trial.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the woman, who almost shed tears while narrating her ordeal in court, said that Babatunde used to ‘touch’ her 19-year-old daughter whom she had for another man.

“I caught my husband touching my daughter’s breasts while she was asleep; he left me on the bed and went to meet my daughter on the mat to romance her.

“After I caught him, I asked my daughter why she did not tell me, and she told me that my husband gave her money and told her not to tell anyone.

“She also said that was the third time he would be coming to touch her,” she said.

She also alleged that her two sisters in-law used to come to her shop to assault her after she had packed out from her husband’s house because of the dirty act.

Yemisi, however, urged the court to separate her from her husband, saying that she did not want her husband to ruin her daughter’s life.

The 43-year-old respondent who resides at Oduyebo Street in Ikorodu, Lagos State, confessed to the court that he actually touched his stepdaughter.

He said that he had, however, begged his wife that such act would not repeat itself.

He also begged the court to resolve the differences in their marriage.

“Although, my wife has left me to live in another man’s apartment, I still want her back,” Daramola told the court.

President of court, Mrs Omolara Abiola, ruled that the case be adjourned till December 14 for further hearing and asked the couple to wait for a chamber discussion.

She claimed that she is seeking the divorce due to lack of care from the husband towards her and the children, drunkenness and his constant threats to her life.

“Apart from lack of care, my husband verbally abuses me in public and beats me blue black that it takes the intervention from neighbours to save me. I have been enduring him for the past 30 years, now I can’t take it anymore,” she said.

Mrs Sulaiman who has since separated from the husband lives at No 5 Alagha Street, Orishigun, Ketu.

The marriage is blessed with five children and the divorce is causing a lot of issues between the children as they are at a loss on who to live with.

Mrs Jimoh, however, said that two of the children live with their dad at No 17 Animashaun Street, Alapeere, Ketu and the two younger ones, live with her while the middle child is married and lives with her husband.

Mrs Jimoh also said that her husband verbally abuses her family members and does not respect them, adding that even when she lost her mother, he didn’t not participate in the burial nor contributed financially.

According to her, because she was young she did not know how to defend herself but now she is seeking the help of the court to dissolve her marriage.

Mr Jimoh Sulaiman denied that he neglected his children, adding that it was only when he lost his job that he was not able to provide for the kids.

“I lost my job and my carpentry work wasn’t really going well, so I was not able to take care of the family.

“When I got a job, I started contributing to their upkeep and because my salary is just N16,000, it is not usually enough to take care of the home,” he said.

He, however, did not deny that he drinks and gets drunk or that he beats his wife and verbally abuses her.

He then told the court that his wife verbally abuses him and sends the children to abuse him too.

President of the court, Mr O.T Williams said, “judging by the compliant and the attitude of Mr Jimoh, it was observed that there is no love and that it is evident that Mr Jimoh is causing harm to his wife.”

He reminded Mr Jimoh that domestic abuse is a criminal offence in Lagos State and if found wanting, he would be prosecuted in the court of Law. He then dissolved the marriage and told the respondent, Mr Jimoh, that he will be responsible for the upkeep and school fees of the two younger kids living with the wife as well as deposit 10 per cent (N6,000) of his earning to the children and then warned him never to lay a finger on Mrs Jimoh or threaten her life.

19

Voxpop

7 November, 2015

Would you change

your religion for love?

When they are swept off their feet, they claim they would do anything for love. However, when faced with test of reality, some lovers passwhere others fail abysmally. ALIMI TAIBAT and OLUWATOBILOBA OYESOLA ask Nigerians if for the sake of love, they would convert to the faith of their partners.

Saturday Tribune

Dare Adeleke I am in the same dilemma here.

The girl I love and wanted to marry is a Christian and I am a Muslim. I can marry her without she converting, but what will happen to our children? I certainly would like my kids to be Muslims, but they are her kids too, so she would also want them to be Christians.

Again, if I hang Quran verses in my house, would she also hang posters of Jesus and the cross in my house? Though we love each other, the truth of the matter is that if one of us doesn’t change religion, then there will definitely be a collision of interests in the future. Seeing the problem that our union might bring in the future, I had no option but to suggest a mutual cancellation of our marriage plans.

Femi Daniels You should never change who you are and what you believe in to satisfy anyone.

If they can’t accept you for whom you are, then you’re better off without them. The one I love can either accept me as I am or get lost.

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David Olusanya y choice of religion is a personal conviction. I discovered my faith by self-discovery, not a parental impartation or inheritance.I cannot change my religion for love. I can even hardly define what love really is because I would say I am inexperienced.

You should never change who you are and what you believe in to satisfy anyone.

If they can’t accept you for whom you are, then you’re better off without them. The one I love can either accept me as I am or get lost.

Khodijah Iyanda Personally, it is impossible.

I can’t do it, However, on a general level, the question I would like everyone to ask themselves is that does love have a religion? I think we should not let our chosen religion ruin our feelings for our partner. Although God comes first, we only propose, God disposes. Everyone would love to practise the same religion with their loved ones.

Salami Omolade I don’t think I can change my religion for love. I would love to spend the rest of my life with someone that shares the same belief and faith with me to avoid misunderstanding in future.

Opeyemi Odedele That is a capital NO. Firs, as a man, I cannot change my religion because of love except if the lady is willing to change to mine.

Since it has been said that we all serve the same God, what is the essence of changing my religion?

Besides, changing my religion might not be a validation of my love for her.

Mardiyah Ajibola My answer would be yes and no. If by love you mean marriage, yes, I would change my religion for the sake of my children. If it is a relationship, I cannot change my religion.

Feyisara Bamgboye Any individual who does this has no respect or reverence for God. No woman or man should be so important that you’d commit apostasy for him or her.

Victoria Fakorede No, I love my religion. I have known the truth and I can never depart from it. No matter how strong the love is, I believe in God and I would want a relationship with someone of like mind.

Akolo Temitope I believe we serve one God and the aspect of renouncing my religion for another because of love is not acceptable. God knows the best for everyone and will never mislead His beloved one. Mind you, I am not saying other religions are not good.

20

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

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6 1. Gubernatorial candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State, Prince Rotimi Paseda (left) and the Alake of Egbaland, HRM Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, during his courtesy visit to Oba Gbadebo, recently.

2. From left, Executive Director, Abuja and Northern Directorate, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Idris Yakubu; a displaced person, Mr. Moses Shehu; Head of the displaced Chibok community, Mallam Alhassan Idris and Skye Bank’s Head of Human Capital Management, Mr. Taiwo Olupeka, during the distribution of relief materials to the displaced persons at Kuje by Skye Bank employees, recently.

3. From left, Alolade, Sunday, Seyi, Sola, Riskat, Fisayo and Bukola, during the funeral service for their mother, Prophetess Ibiyemi Florence Odiyemi, at the Church of Messiah Anglican Oloruntedo, Ibala Road, Ilesa, Osun State, recently.

4. From left, Mr Bolarinwa Adewuyi, groom’s father; Mrs Cecilia Oladunjoye, bride’s mother; Mr Seye and Mrs Funke Adewuyi the couple; Mr Isaac Oladunjoye, bride’s father; Mrs Labake Adewuyi and groom’s mother, during the wedding ceremony of Seye and Funke Adewuyi at Christ’s Trumpeters Church, Osogbo.

5 From left, Professor Gbolahan Oni, Professor Elijah Afolabi Bamgboye, Prophet Michael Ojo and Mrs Ebun Bamgboye, during the send-off ceremony in honour of Professor Bamgboye, who retired recently from the Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Ibdan, held at B.O. Osuntokun Auditorium College of Medicine, UCH, Ibadan. PHOTO: Yemi Funso-Oke 6. The celebrant, Pastor Gabriel Morakinyo Makinwa (middle); Pastor Emmanuel S. Famuyide, guest speaker (right) and Pastor Joseph Olu Makinwa, Zonal Superintendent, Orisun Ife Zone, Christ Apostolic Church, during the 35th Church Anniversary and 82nd birthday of Pastor Makinwa, held at the Church auditorium, New Adeoyo Hospital area, Ibadan. PHOTO: D’Toyin.

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21 news

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

South Africa concerned about MTN fine in Nigeria —Minister MTN fine won’t affect govt relations —Minister Zuma, Buhari have not discussed MTN matter MTN says it is still in talks with Nigerian authorities

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OUTH Africa’s government is concerned about a $5.2 billion fine imposed by Nigerian authorities on MTN Group but this would not affect relations between the continent’s two biggest economies, a cabinet minister has told Reuters.

Africa’s biggest mobile phone company was last week fined by the Nigerian telecoms regulator for failing to cut off users with unregistered SIM cards from its network.

Nigeria - MTN’s biggest market - has been pushing all telecom operators to verify the identity of their subscribers, on concerns that unregistered SIM cards were being used for criminal activity in a country facing an insurgency by Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

The Johannesburg-based company was in talks with Nigerian regulators in an attempt to reduce the fine, three sources familiar with the talks said.

“This issue is between MTN and the Nigerian authorities. Obviously as government we are concerned about this matter and we do hope the talks between MTN and the Nigerian authorities bear fruit,” Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told reporters during a post-cabinet briefing in parliament.

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari had not discussed the MTN matter, Radebe said.

After a rebasing of its gross domestic product, Nigeria last year overtook South Africa as the continent’s largest economy.

Relations were strained by outbursts of xenophobic violence in South Africa and the death of 115 South Africans after the collapse of a church guesthouse in Lagos.

Reuters claimed that some South African companies have had mixed success in Africa’s most populous nation; retailer Woolworths

President Zuma

President Buhari

pulled out two years ago and food producer Tiger Brands realised big losses from its Nigerian Dangote Flour Mills unit. But MTN has grown its business there to more than a third of its total revenue.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said in October all telecom firms except MTN had complied with the directive which was first issued in August, when it warned of a fine of N200,000 ($1,005) per SIM card.

MTN failed to disconnect 5.1 million subscribers in Au-

gust and September, the NCC said.

“We are still in talks with authorities at all levels to try and arrive at a speedy resolution,” MTN spokesman Chris Maroleng said.

The Nigerian regulator on Tuesday extended the mobile operator’s licence by five years to 2021, which MTN saw as an indication that it wanted the company to continue operations in the country despite the fine, he said.

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7 November, 2015

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In Lagos’ public estates, it is suffering and smiling Chukwuma Okparaocha - Lagos

F

or decades, Lagos has remained attractive to a lot of people. Nigerians from all walks of life are known to be constantly lured to this city because of its huge commercial potential.

This has understandably made Lagos, with an estimated population of 24 million, to be one of the most densely populated cities, not only in Africa, but in the world at large.

This has continuously thrown up the challenge of adequate housing in the city thus making millions of people to be living in slums and in other poorly developed places as they struggle to make ends meet.

To help meet the state’s massive housing demand, various state governments and private bodies have designed their own methods of rising to the challenge, all of which have given rise to different grades of estates built to meet the needs of different classes of people.

As a result, there are estates built in upscale areas of the city which are structured to be occupied by the affluent, and there are also countless others that are meant for those ranked among the middle income earners.

Many of the expensive estates in Lagos upscale areas, such as the 1001 Estates in Victoria Island are believed to be in top physical condition. This has been attributed to the fact that many of them are managed by private companies.

However, same cannot be said of scores of other types of estates, especially those located on the Mainland. Belonging to this category are all the Jakande Estates located in various parts of Lagos State as well as some others built and managed by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).

Built in the early 80s by the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, all the buildings in the Jakande Low Cost Housing Estate were said to be the pride of their residents, even as they were envied by non-residents. They were built to help bridge the statutory gap in the state, thus giving low income earners an opportunity to have their own houses.

Despite being built strictly for middle and low income earners, many of the estates were furnished with virtually everything required to make them fit for human habitation.

But over the years, the sprawling estates consisting of 20, 000 housing units have degenerated into a state of total disrepair. Currently, many houses in all the Jakande Estates have fallen below the standard set by the first executive governor of Lagos State.

Other low-cost housing estates in Lagos, such as the once respected Ojokoro Housing Estate at Agbado area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, also seem to have followed suit, as many of them simply tell the tale of total decay and dilapidation of basic infrastructure.

When Saturday Tribune visited some of the low-cost

estates in Lagos during the week, many dumpsites were spotted scattered in many parts. Residents were found having a hard time getting water. Many of the roads, such as those leading to the Jakande Estate at the Ejigbo area of the state were in a total state of disrepair. The condition of the roads was further aggravated by a recent downpour which created puddle on different portions of the road.

Residents of the Jakande Estate at Ejigbo had stated that it was not uncommon for them to have their entire drainage system overflowing with floodwater full of different kinds of refuse, thereby leading to massive flooding of the entire estate.

When lamenting about the poor state of their once beautiful estate, Mr Desmond Akabueze, a resident of the Jakande Estate, Ejigbo, said, “since the beginning of the rainy season, residents have been experiencing very difficult times. Many of our roads are in a total deplorable state.”

Apart from faded paint, cracks on walls of residential buildings was a defining mark of many of the houses in the estates.

Also at the Ojokoro Housing Estate, Saturday Tribune spotted many waste drainage pipes that had been pulled out of their normal positions, thereby causing waste water running inside them to splash on the walls. A similar situation was also observed at the Jakande Estate at Ejigbo. Building experts have warned that cracks on walls of houses are signs of neglect of such buildings and could mean that such buildings are distressed.

When commenting on the estate where he lives, a banker and resident of Jakande Estate at Ejigbo, Aderonke Oke, said “I am always sad whenever I close from work and remember where I am going. For long, our roads have been in a bad state, but have become worsened with the rains.”

For Mr. Ben Okuriafor, a resident of Ojokoro Housing Estate, there was nothing different from living in the estate and living in other densely populated places in the state. He disclosed that the potholes commonly found in his estate were not helping matters. He disclosed to Saturday Tribune that he was on the verge of moving to another part of the state.

“It has been like living in hell since I moved into this estate a couple of years back. I wonder if those who are saddled with the responsibility of maintaining the estate are doing anything at all. Many of the structures are old, and many houses are in a total state of disrepair. Even the local government seems to have totally neglected us,” he lamented.

Another prominent feature of many of the low-cost estates in Lagos is the high rate at which shops, kiosks and minimarkets always spring up. It is almost impossible to walk a few yards without meeting people selling items, including second hand clothes and shoes popularly known as tokunbo.

FESTAC Town has also been identified as one of the estates whose infrastructure has also witnessed massive decay over the years, despite recent monetary promise by the government

to help revive it.

Originally designed to serve as a residential estate for participants in the second World Festival of Black Arts and Culture of 1977 (FESTAC 77), FESTAC Town was built to accommodate about 45,000 visitors.

However, 35 years after, FESTAC has equally become a shadow of its former self. Apart from hundreds of houses begging for immediate attention, various sections of the roads linking one part of the estate to another are in deplorable condition. Many of the houses in the estate have become jam-packed, overcrowded and rowdy.

Housing units that are meant for just a handful of people are being used by three times that number, while the facilities in the estate have generally become overstretched. Many residents also rely on refuse truck pushers popularly known as abokis to get rid of their refuse due to poor waste management system, various business centres, food joints and bars have sprung up in virtually every part of the estate and hundreds of black giant water storage tanks hang precariously in all the multi-storey buildings observed.

According to information gathered from one of the residents of the estate, occupants and house owners are responsible for the construction of boreholes in their respective houses, since the pipe-borne water system is no longer functional. All these, needless to say, have drastically reduced the aesthetics of the estate.

When giving an expert view on what brought about the massive deterioration that has set in at FESTAC and other estates in Lagos, a property developer and estate surveyor and valuer, Obi Anyanwu, disclosed to Saturday Tribune that lack of maintenance on the part of the government and corruption on the part of those managing the estate largely accounted for the failure of many estates in Lagos, including FESTAC. “The first thing that led to the degradation was lack of maintenance on the part of the government. The entire infrastructure there has run out over time. It used to be a very lovely neighbourhood with much greenery. Even public commercial buses were not allowed to come into the estate.

“But all these have since disappeared, which is also partly due to corruption on the part of the managers of the estate,

who have sold all the green areas. An estate initially meant for purely residential purposes have now turned into commercial centres where many corner shops, stalls and even roadside trading have sprung up,” Mr Anyanwu said.

When proposing a solution to the problem, the real estate expert insisted: “With the effort of the government, together with leaders within the neighbourhood, things might improve for good, but the truth is that it can never go back to the way it was decades ago. So the local government at Amuwo Odofin, which is also in charge, together with the Federal Housing Authority, can try to upgrade the infrastructure at FESTAC. “If the green parks cannot come back again, at least some green areas can be resurrected, through the planting of grass and flowers which will improve the ambience of the place.

Many of the underground broken down sewage systems at FESTAC have broken down; they must also be fixed and upgraded to cope with the continuous influx of people into the estate. If these are done, at least, there can be a semblance of the old FESTAC.” Similarly in his remarks, a former chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Mr Elias Ovesuor, blamed the problem on the high cost of getting decent accommodation in other places, a development he insisted often attracted people to such estates.

He opined that the solution to the problem lay in the construction of more social housing as well as the creation of an enabling environment that would enable more people to become house owners.

“Cost of construction, cost of building materials, cost of acquiring land and cost of providing needed infrastructure have all made construction of houses by private developers for low income earners to be practically impossible. Therefore the onus is now on the government to make the basic infrastructure available. If this is done, then the task of building houses for low income earners has been largely simplified.

“The government can also do this by opening up new lands, and create roads that will link such places to other developed towns. Then it should design plans on how to build on such newly developed lands houses that can be bought by the real low income people,” he remarked.

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Is the Islamic State taking its fight to the skies?

By Dan De Luce, David Francis, Lara Jakes

G

rowing evidence that a Russian charter jet may have been downed by a bomb raises troubling questions about whether the Islamic State has adopted a new strategy of carrying out mass casualty terror attacks outside the borders of its self-declared caliphate — and about why one of the Middle East’s best intelligence services failed to stop the plot.

Until now, U.S. officials have maintained that Islamic State militants — unlike al Qaeda extremists — are focused more on seizing and holding territory than on staging high-profile attacks on airliners or other targets abroad. But Western officials have harbored fears that the group could one day emulate al Qaeda and attempt to stage a spectacular attack, taking advantage of their strongholds in Syria and Iraq to prepare the operation.

Hours after the Metrojet charter plane disintegrated over the Sinai peninsula [last] Saturday, killing all 224 on board, the Islamic State’s branch in Egypt claimed responsibility, saying it had taken revenge for Russia’s military intervention in Syria. “Know, oh Russians and those allied with you, that you have no place in the land of Muslims . . .,” the group said in an online statement.

Western governments initially treated the claim with caution, but Britain said Wednesday that it was concerned the Airbus “may well have been brought down by an explosive device” and had as a result halted any any further flights out of the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. London is the first foreign government to suggest the plane may have been destroyed by a terrorist bomb.

A senior U.S. intelligence official told Foreign Policy that the plane’s scattered fuselage — parts of which reportedly were strewn over 20 square kilometers — suggests it was downed by a bomb onboard. Planes that explode due to engine troubles or fuel leaks usually break in half.

An onboard bomb was “kind of suspected … from the beginning,” said the intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official did not dispute reports attributing the explosion to a bomb, and noted it’s unlikely the British government would have suspended flights from the tiny Sharm elSheikh airport if a terror threat was not involved, but cautioned it is still too soon to say exactly what happened.

President Barack Obama’s administration declined to comment publicly on whether it shared Britain’s view, but U.S. officials reportedly said there were tentative signs — including intercepts of communications — that indicated an Islamic State bomb may have downed the aircraft. But officials indicated that it would have been the work of the local ISIS branch in Sinai and not the Islamic State’s core in eastern Syria. ISIS is another name for the Islamic State.

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen has long been seen as posing the most serious threat to commercial airliners because of its ability to produce sophisticated bombs that can evade metal detectors. But the Islamic State’s offshoot in Egypt would have had the best chance of penetrating Sharm elSheikh airport because the group thrives on widespread dis-

content with the Cairo regime and may have had moles at the facility willing to hide conventional bombs on the plane.

Placing a bomb on an airliner departing from Sharm elSheikh “would be well within [the Islamic State’s] abilities,” said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA officer who has tracked terror threats in the Middle East.

“The key is to find someone in the airport who you can give the bomb to and then has access to the plane,” Riedel told Foreign Policy. “I seriously doubt security at Sharm precludes that from happening. Sinai is full of people who are very unhappy with the government of Egypt.”

Even though the Islamic State’s affiliate in Sinai has boasted of downing the plane, its claim of responsibility is “particularly vague” compared to the extremist group’s past statements about big attacks, said Rita Katz, executive director of the Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors and analyzes online jihadi messages. She predicted the Islamic State would soon release more propaganda about the crash, following on new a statement by its fighters in northern Iraq that quoted a Russian militant there who referred to “O Putin the pig.”

“As vague as IS’ claim may be, it should not be entirely dismissed at this point,” Katz wrote in an analysis published Wednesday in the International Business Times.

“Still, IS will need to provide more evidence to convince the world of its involvement,” Katz wrote.

Both the Islamic State and al Qaeda’s offshoot in Syria, alNusra Front, have openly urged their followers to retaliate against Russia for President Vladimir Putin’s decision to deploy warplanes and troops to Syria. Russian fighter jets have carried an intense bombing campaign over the last month against rebels opposed to strongman Bashar al-Assad’s regime, including raids that targeted Nusra as well as ISIS fighters. On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Russia had carried out eight hundred airstrikes in Syria in October, compared to 100 by the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies and analysts have long drawn a distinction between ISIS and al Qaeda, portraying the Islamic State as intent on seizing ground with an armed force, holding it, and ruling towns and cities with an iron fist. Al Qaeda, in contrast, has had its sights set on attacking Western governments, which it accuses of propping up tainted regimes in the Middle East.

But that may be beginning to change. In another sign the

Islamic State may be following in the footsteps of al Qaeda, authorities in Spain said Tuesday they had broken up an ISIS cell linked plotting to launch an attack in the capital.

In pre-dawn raids, police arrested three Moroccan men who were legal residents and who “manifested their clear willingness to carry out an attack in Madrid.” In 2004, 191 people were killed when an al Qaeda inspired group bombed a commuter train in Madrid.

If forensic evidence from the downed aircraft confirms that an affiliate of the Islamic State orchestrated an attack, it would mark a new, dangerous chapter in the evolution of the group, though questions remain about how much control the group’s leadership in Syria wields over branches in Egypt and other countries. And it would alter the strategic calculus for Washington, which is fighting the group in both Iraq and Syria.

In Iraq, the United States has led an air war against the group for over a year and has deployed more than 3,000 troops to advise and train local forces. Last week, the White House announced plans to send about 50 special operations forces to Syria to help rebel fighters pile pressure on the Islamic State in their stronghold of Raqqa. To date, though, the effort has failed to turn the tide against the group in either country.

If the Metrojet plane was indeed taken out by a bomb, it would also cast serious questions about the strength of Egypt’s security services, which Washington has touted as highly capable when it comes to preventing terrorist attacks and uncovering plots.

Cooperation on counterterrorism has been a lynchpin for Washington’s relations with Cairo, and has been cited to justify a vast annual package of $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid that has continued unabated despite Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rampant repression and human rights abuses.

The United States has kept up the supply of military hardware even though there have been persistent allegations that Egypt’s security agents torture detainees. During George W. Bush’s presidency, the CIA transferred terror suspects to a secret proxy prison in Egypt where the security services abused detainees during interrogations, according to rights groups and a Senate intelligence committee report.

Egypt’s economy — and its vital tourism industry — are virtually certain to suffer because of its security services’s apparent failure to disrupt the attack. The country’s tourism industry has been contributing 11.3 percent of its GDP and brought in 14.4 percent of its foreign currency revenue in 2014. Irina Tyurina, press secretary of the Russian Tourism Industry Union, said the number of all trips booked the day of the crash fell by 50 percent, according to the Interfax news agency.

Lufthansa, Emirates, and Air France had already stopped flights to the region and said they won’t resume them until the cause of the accident is determined. On Wednesday, Ireland also grounded planes heading there. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called the British decision “somewhat premature.”

The authors wrote this analysis for Foreignpolicy.

Forced marriage beyond Boko Haram, isis

By Kate Castenson and Oliver Kaplan (CNN) With the rise of violent extremist groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIS in the Middle East, horrific descriptions of young girls being kidnapped and forced to marry militants have made headlines. But the problem of forced marriage is far more widespread.

As a persistent form of modern day slavery, forced marriage is an embedded cultural practice that is found in a variety of countries. Forced marriage even occurs among immigrant groups in the United States and Europe. Fortunately, new approaches offer hope for putting an end this practice.

According to the International Centre for Research on Women, one third of girls in the developing world marry before age 18, and one in nine are married before the age of 15.

Although data is sparse, countries with the highest rates of child marriage include Niger (76%), Central African Republic (68%), Chad (68%), Bangladesh (65%), Mali (55%), Burkina Faso (52%), South Sudan (52%), Guinea (52%), Malawi (50%), Mozambique (48%), India (47%), and Somalia (45%).

As social norms, forced marriage of adults and child marriage have been intractable problems because they are also frequently part of societal incentive structures. Combatting them therefore calls for more comprehensive “social conven-

tions” approaches.

The U.S. State Department’s most recent Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report released in July draws attention to a variety of harmful norms related to modern slavery, noting that policy approaches that simply ban or criminalise these practices are not enough. But since some of these norms are actually social conventions, other traditional approaches to changing norms, such as awareness promotion and education about human rights, are also prone to fail because they do not address their social underpinnings.

As political scientist Gerry Mackie notes, social conventions are equilibria among different social actors, where neither party to the interaction has an incentive to shift their behavior as long as the other party’s strategy remains the same. This makes them difficult to disrupt by working only one side of the problem, since doing so can upset the foundations of a society.

Mackie finds this was the case for the conventions of footbinding in China and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practiced in parts of Africa and the Middle East. For instance, in societies where FGM is a social convention, policies that only address the behavior of women and girls have unintended negative consequences, since females who do not undergo FGM are no longer seen as desirable to prospective marriage partners.

With child marriage it is similarly a misconception to think

that programming focused only on women and girls can eliminate the practice. One-sided approaches such as programs that address child marriage through improvements in female education or through “demand reduction campaigns” to dissuade male suitors are problematic because they do not address the underlying social architecture of child marriage.

Existing research on shifting social conventions provides suggestions for ways forward. First, approaches should engage both sides of the marriage market or social interaction.

In the case of child marriage, this would entail communicating with parents of both sons and daughters about the unjustness of child marriage. It also involves identifying an acceptable alternative practice. Discussion of examples of foot-binding, FGM, and other kinds of harmful conventions could be instructive and provide a model for recognizing the possibility of change.

Second, community and traditional leaders who are the enforcers of the convention need to be engaged. If village or community leaders who have sanctioned or even insisted upon child marriages can be approached with respect, they may come to see that a coordinated shift in the practice will not harm the community or upset existing authority relationships. They may help facilitate the change by making a public commitment to new practices.

24

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7 November, 2015

style

Saturday Tribune

25

With Kate Ani 08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

The lace-up bodysuit trend: Would you rock it?

R

eality show star, Kim Kardashian introduced the lace-up bodysuit into the fashion scene; an act which has caused an explosion in the popularity of the design. She stepped out in a Givenchy styled lace-up bodysuit during Paris Fashion Week, earlier last month and since then, fashionistas both in Nigeria and abroad have been spotted wearing the eye popping ensemble.

This trend has a certain sex appeal due to the little bit of skin that shows through the lace-up details. If you wear it just right, you can look provocative and enticing while still being very fashionable and sophisticated.

The lace-up trend just doesn’t work if it’s loose fitting or baggy. The clothing needs to fit snugly to your body so that the lace will be stretched against your skin.

With the right approach, this gorgeous details can add a lot of style, sophistication and sex-appeal to your clothing. There are so many gorgeous clothes with lace-up detail, so why not incorporate this trend into your wardrobe?

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-it-yourself:

Statement necklace

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7 November, 2015

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7 November, 2015

Edited by Sulaimon Olanrewaju

businessextra Chima Nwokoji-Lagos

I

n today’s fast-paced world where many look for ways of doing things faster and moving on, electronic transfers in the form of mobile money are usually the first choice.

Mobile money as an offshoot of technological advancement, is cash (naira) converted to electronic form, where it becomes more efficient to send and receive.

Currently, Kenya is leading the world in mobile money. It has been reported that paying for a taxi ride using a mobile phone is easier in Nairobi than it is in New York, thanks to Kenya’s world-leading mobile-money system, M-PESA. Launched in 2007 by Safaricom, the country’s largest mobile network operator, it is now used by over 61 per cent or 17 million Kenyans as of December 2011, equivalent to more than two-thirds of the adult population. M-PESA lets people transfer cash using their phones and is by far the most successful scheme of its type on earth.

Nigeria model In Nigeria,there are 21 licensed mobile payment services providers, comprising banks and companies established for this purpose under the 2009 Central Bank of Nigeria’s Regulatory Framework for Mobile Payment Services. It has been established that no other country in the world has such a high number of mobile money providers.

Nigeria’s regulatory framework today allows for two models which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said comprises bank-led (7 in number) and 14 non-bank-led.

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) said it has developed a framework for the extension of insurance cover known as pass-through insurance to protect the money of those who make use of mobile money. But, has mobile money reached its potential in Nigeria?

Industry watchers say mobile money is not fully working in Nigeria because under the CBN regulatory framework, the Telecommunication companies (Telcos) are not allowed to lead mobile payment, but rather open up their network to all providers, so none was licensed.

Currently, telecoms companies are not permitted to provide their own mobile money services as the current model approved by the financial regulator, CBN, empowers banks to do so while telecoms companies play only a supporting role.

Is the CBN right?

The Nigerian apex bank had earlier insisted that it was aware of the huge potential of telecommunication operators in driving mobile money, but opted to license banks and other financial institutions to avoid clash of interest between banks and telecommunications operators. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is also concerned about who will regulate the telecomms as they handle depositors’ money.

It also said such model would enable it to monitor the amount of money in circulation. Dipo Fatokun, the Director of Banking and Payments Systems at CBN, said it was hoped that mobile banking would inject more participants into the country’s economy as well as decrease the cost of banking services, but analysts keep asking when all these shall reach their peak. For every mobile payment transaction, the telecomms are involved one way or the other because they provide internet access, voice, SMS and USSD service. Mobile payment is not possible without the telecomms, so in the end, they make revenue per transaction.

But some have also argued that government might be hesitant to support mobile banking if it means offending the powerful banking sector.

Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, called a spade by its name when he said mobile banking, also known as mobile money is not working in Nigeria. He stressed that the reason is because the CBN has continued to refuse giving licence to telecommunication companies, adding that as long as the service remains bank-led instead of telecomms-led, its acceptance and usage will remain low.

To this, the Airtel boss wants CBN to learn from Kenya on how their banking regulator partnered with telecomms companies to drive mobile money to its enviable position in Africa.

He said: “The mobile banking is not working in Nigeria due to the way it is structured. The only reason is that it is bank-led. If it is telco-led, you will be amazed the change that would happen. We have engaged the regulator here a number of times and nothing happened.”

In a panel discussion at the 2015 annual lecture of

Saturday Tribune

lanresulaimon123@gmail.com 08055001708

Mobile money:

Why Nigeria should follow Kenya’s example

Photo: www.innovation-village.com the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Ogunsanya said GSM companies have what it takes to collaborate with CBN and the banks in order to deepen retail banking and make money from that space since agency banking is yet to take off properly in Nigeria.

He, therefore, called for a review of the current mobile money model, saying a telco-led model would help expand retail banking, thereby driving financial inclusion in the unbanked segment.

A look at the numbers Experts estimate that mobile money gives or saves users 25 hours in a day. This means that Nigerians who use their mobile phone to send a payment could save one hour daily (and also avoid potential theft of cash).

Based on over 17 million subscribers using M-PESA, if each transaction saves the subscriber one hour per day, productivity would jump by 17 million hours, or 1,968 years in Kenya. Similarly, information contained in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) monthly Subscriber/Teledensity Data, released on 28 September 2015, showed that the country’s telephone penetration as of January had 140,822,483 active lines/phone numbers on the operators’ networks.

This explains that Nigeria has more than doubled the number of mobile phones compared to Kenya. So, if mobile money gives or saves users 25 hours in a day and the phone owners in Nigeria use it, productivity would jump by over 140 million hours. This means that Nigeria will add approximately 16,299 years to its productive life.

What further development could be achieved in Nigeria by having over these years extra to think?

Yet, a recent poll by the Nigerian research company NOIpolls Limited, showed that only six out of 10 Nigerians know about the service (59 per cent), and of that number only 13 per cent are using it.

Even more discouraging is that 93 per cent of the mobile money adopters are using it in conjunction with an existing bank account, and that the remaining seven per cent had

In Kenya, mobile money is used to encourage savings and lending, to purchase crop or livestock insurance, even to make clean water available. With a mobile phone in their hand, the buyers and sellers don’t have to be there in person to bur or sell and give or collect payment.

a bank account, but operated it separately. That implies that the target audience—the unbanked—is missing out entirely.

Only 25 per cent of the Nigerian population (170 million people) has a bank account or access to financial services.

This leaves 75 per cent, or roughly 510 million people, without access to either. The expectation was that mobile money could solve that problem for millions of people.

Nigeria’s bank-led annual mobile money transactions are said to be at a very low level in the rural areas, recording about 93.5 per cent, or over N6 trillion lower than Kenya’s telecom-led mobile money operations which service a large segment of the rural agricultural economy.

According to the CBN, the total value of mobile money operations in Nigeria between 2012 and 2014 was about N430 billion. This two-year total for Nigeria is about 93.5 per cent (over N6 trillion) lower than Kenya’s one year mobile money transactions.

Why Kenya leads the world in mobile money The United Kingdom based international magazine. The Economist, wrote that Kenya’s model succeeded because of “the regulator’s initial decision to allow the scheme to proceed on an experimental basis, without formal approval; a clear and effective marketing campaign (“Send money home”); an efficient system to move cash around behind the scenes and, most intriguingly, the post-election violence in the country in early 2008.” M-PESA was used to transfer money to people trapped in Nairobi’s slums at the time, and some Kenyans regarded M-PESA as a safer place to store their money than the banks, which were entangled in ethnic disputes. Having established a base of initial users, M-PESA then benefitted from network effects: the more people used it, the more it made sense for others to sign up for it.

M-PESA has since been extended to offer loans and savings products, and can also be used to disburse salaries or pay bills, which saves users further time and money (because they do not need to waste hours queuing up at the bank). One study found that in rural Kenyan households that adopted M-PESA, incomes increased by five to 30 per cent.

Benefits of mobile money Industry stakeholders are convinced that remittances sent through mobile money increase rural incomes. Person-toperson money transfer can boost incomes of rural recipients through the ease, security, and affordability that allow their loved ones to send money home more frequently.

With a mobile phone in their hand, the buyers and sellers don’t have to be there in person to buy or sell and give or collect payment. Well-designed and well-executed services can directly improve life in remote areas. In Kenya, mobile money is used to encourage savings and lending, to purchase crop or livestock insurance, even to make clean water available. These can be replicated in Nigeria.

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Why I don’t sing conventional songs —Bez P32

I’ ll only attend a party if...

Chante Moore, Onyeka Onwenu for Lagos ‘Light Up’ concert P32

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—Antar Laniyan

Odunlade Adekola, Saka, Femi Jacobs star in Taxi Driver

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7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

‘Why people confuse my gospel tunes with secular music’

Continued from pg3

Instag r a m Competition T h e competition required Instagram fans to take selfies of themselves with the hash tag “#Maka is coming”. I was to repost the picture so that the picture with the highest likes would get N50,000. It ended few weeks ago and @Stephanie Ubah won. She is a Nigerian staying in the US. Her cheque is ready, but she hasn’t sent a representative to claim it. We are contacting her, of course, so that she gets her cheque.

Sponsor God’s favour has been with me since I started. I seem to find favour every day.

I meet people who are always willing to work with me. It’s not just about the music. I don’t know what they see. However, I pray to my God every time. I would say that my prayers are being answered. I think it’s God that is making the path smooth for me. My mum has also been very supportive of my music career.

Challenges I am a chorister in my church. Because I sing outside of the church, people tend to confuse my music with secular music.

My message might not be purely Christian, but it is centered on the issues of life. I write about the things I’ve gone through in my personal journey with God and write about things I’ve gone through in life generally. I don’t want to be put in a box. I’m a musician. And as a singer, I can sing and write about life as I see it. Secondly, music is something I want to make money from. There are more opportunities to achieve that in the

music that I do, since I don’t see myself getting a white-collar job. I would hate myself if I had to sit down behind a desk, no offence to anyone, of course. Nevertheless, I will definitely release gospel singles in the future.

I studied Law at the University of Lagos...

Music came as career opportunity during my undergraduate days. It actually distracted me because I was always getting gigs.

Law and music I studied Law at the University of Lagos.

I have always wanted to be a lawyer. I’m very grateful that I am one. I graduated with a second class lower division in 2013.

I was called to the bar in 2014, but I have left all that for music. Music came as career opportunity during my undergraduate days. It actually distracted me because I was always getting gigs. I started as a backup singer for Black Magic, Jessy Jagz, Dipo and some other artistes both in the studio and on stage. I studied law because I believe it could come in handy during my music career. So, I don’t regret studying the law and doing music.

dancing. I could dance for hours. I love music, dancing and music go hand in hand. I love to hang out. I love to watch movies. I’m an outgoing person, but I could be very shy.

Relaxation I like having fun, harmless fun. I like

Projects I’m coming out with an EP, that’s like

a mini album. It’s going to drop this week and it’s a six-track EP. The EP focuses on pure soul and hip-hop. It’s a little bit different from my afro soul and African RnB sound. I decided to give people another side of me, that’s the pure hip-hop. It is supposed to cut across all audiences. I’m also working on releasing my first album next year.

Role model Asa. There was a time I was listening to her every minute, everyday. I was playing her album and it definitely had some influence on me among others.

I love old school music, that’s Everly Brothers, Dolly Paton, etc. Those are the people I really grew up listening to and now I’m here.

Message The world should expect more beautiful music from me. If you love soul then you’ll love my music and I don’t intend to slow down or let my music depreciate in value.

32 entertainment Why I don’t sing conventional songs —Musician, Bez

7 November, 2015

Odunlade Adekola, Femi Jacobs, Saka and Ijeoma Grace star in Taxi Driver (Oko Ashewo) Story by Joan Omionawele, Newton Ray Ukwuoma

P Popular Musician, Bez Idakula is set to release his second album, Gbayi Child next month in Lagos.

To this effect, he held a private album listening session last week at the Fuse Lounge Victoria Island Lagos.

According to the musician, this was done to let friends and the media sample the new project.

The listening showcase was attended by a host of stars and media personalities including Seyi Shay, Falz, Olisah Adibua, Audu Maikori, Toke Makinwa, Timi Dakolo, Kunbi Oyelese, Tito Idakula, Kaylah Oniwo, Makida Moka, OC Ukeje, Ozzy Agu, Lala Akindoju and many more.

Produced by Cobhams Asuquo, the ‘Gbagyi Child’ album features diverse sounds with different origins and stories, which Bez narrated, revealing that the creation of the album began two years ago, and ended just a week ago.

Featured tracks on the project include ‘Hold You Down’, ‘If to say’, ‘You Sup-

pose Know’, ‘There’s a fire’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Eternity’ and a host of others.

While some of the songs were made by infusing the traditional drum sounds obtained in Bez’s village in Nassarawa, he also worked with Beyonce’s percussionist Marcie Chapa on others.

When asked why he didn’t include any typical Nigerian song, Bez said “I was tempted to play danceable songs, because it’s a difficult market, but we also have our market, but I want to tour internationally and not in clubs, it’s harder but I’m doing well. You have to be brave to do this kind of music. I need an international audience.”

The Glo ambassador however treated guests to a fine blend of traditional sounds, a breath taking feature with Simi, and rock music specially engineered to be enjoyed at international musical festivals. He engaged the guests in a question and answer session, offering insight to the intricacies of making his genre of music.

Saturday Tribune

opular Yoruba actor, Odunlade Adekola, AMVCA Winner, Femi Jacobs, MTN Ambassador, Saka and fast rising actress, Ijeoma Grace Agwu are the stars of the latest movie, Taxi Driver (Oko-Ashewo) from the stable of FilmOne, the production and distribution arm of FilmHouse.

Taxi Driver is a hilarious dark comedy drama about working in Lagos at night, as a taxi Driver.

The lead character Adigun played by AMVCA winner Femi Jacobs, is a 31 year old naive village mechanic coming to Lagos for the first time. His decision comes following the sudden death of his father, a man he never truly knew, yet a man very popular in his village as the iconic Lagos taxi driver ‘Oko Ashewo’.

However, Adigun’s coming to Lagos is on the invitation of Taiwo, his father’s fellow taxi driver played by popular Yoruba actor, Odunlade Adekola

but Taiwo is dangerous and as shady as Lagos at night.

Don Mope, the producer and Head of Film production of Filmone, said the movie will “add richness and diversity to the industry”.

Shot in major Lagos Island streets such as Obalende, CMS, Broadstreet, Igbosere, the story of the Taxi Driver brings to the fore

the nightly activities of taxi driving in metropolitan Lagos that no one really talks about. It explores a novel Taxi-driver-andcommuter relationship that will magnify the status of the profession in the eye of audiences.

The movie director, Emeka Oriah, recalls how the story of Taxi Driver came to him.

“While overlooking the high rise structures of Lagos Island I remember discussing with a friend how I wanted to do a movie about Lagos and was asked which part and aspect of the city I intended to showcase as there were several types of Lagos. I relied on my experiences

in Lagos as an influence to my approach in telling the story of Taxi Driver (Oko Ashewo.

The taxi is a metaphoric embodiment of Lagos and its passengers, which Adigun, the main character of the movie, had to experience to discover his purpose.

Taxi Driver (Oko Ashewo) is a personal journal of my admiration of Lagos Island its popular streets such as Igbosere road, Broad street, Cms, Obalende and vibrancy of its people.

My hope is for audiences to feel the spirit of Eko through Adigun’s vintage 1979 Peugoet 504 taxi which has a prominent Eyo emblem on its bonnet and is nicknamed Tom Kruiz”.

The movie is the third project of FilmOne, a subsidiary of Filmhouse Cinema. FilmOne had recently released the first Nigerian family cinema movie entitled LunchTime Heroes, which had a huge cinema success.

Chante Moore, Onyeka Onwenu to AFRIFF CEO among top Ndi thrill at Lagos ‘Light Up’ concert Igbo making Nigeria proud

After four years of promoting African cinema, accolades have not stopped pouring in for Founder/ CEO of Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, Ms. Chioma Ude. The most recent come f rom h e r k i n fol k ; t h e OlaNdi Igbo (Jewels of Igboland), a biennial summit organised by a group of volunteers in Nigeria and the Diaspora who promote values-driven change in Igboland.

It was a festival of sort last October 17, at De Dome Event Place, Enugu, where the second edition of the summit took place with pomp.

Ude, an America returnee and entrepreneur was

among the 700 sons and daughters of Igboland who convened for another celebration of Igbo culture, music, poetry and dance, earning herself a Special Recognition award, delivered with lavish citation.

The AFRIFF boss was celebrated for what organisers described as a remarkable player on the African arts and entertainment scene.

The recognition was in tandem with the theme of the summit: “Leveraging the power of entertainment, media, technology and education for changing paradigms and future realities.”

It is not surprising that Ude was listed in the Entertainment and Media category, as her Nigeria-domiciled AFRIFF has not only showcased the works of Nigerian and African artistes to the world, it has also, through strategic partnerships, sponsored several young African talents to different film schools in the United States.

All is now set for the second edition of the exclusively packaged high profile Music & Art Christmas Concert themed, “Light Up” which is scheduled to hold in Lagos on, November 29.

“Light Up” is a music and arts concert which brings together top executives and high profile customers of respective corporate organisations to usher in the Christmas season.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the event, Red Ribbon Limited, Tunde Shofowora, “Light Up, concert has been created by Red Ribbon Limited to help deliver value and memorable experiences that connect brands to the emotions of their consumers.”

It’s a special night of songs, dance-drama, orchestra, choreography and light comedy, featuring some renowned African and international inspirational singers and artistes.

Being the first Christ-

mas themed concert in the year and specially packaged to entertain the business minded, Light Up has been branded as a night of glamour, exquisite wines, gourmet cuisine and aficionados.

The first edition, which held last year November 30th, featured international renowned artists and singers like Cobhams, Sinach, Frank Edwards, Buchi, Lara George, with

special guest performances

by South African Viwe Nikita and the Muson Orchestra This year’s edition is very special as it attracts to Nigeria for the first time, award winning American Diva, R&B & Jazz singer, songwriter and actress, Chante Moore.

Also to thrill are international renowned gospel singers such as Frank Edward, Buchi, Mike Aremu and multi-talented rap-

per & singer, TB1 another foremost singer, Onyeka Onwenu, will perform.

Expected dignitaries at this year’s event which holds at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, include, The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo; the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode; several heads of corporate institutions and frontline Nollywood actors and Actresses.

33 entertainment

7 Noevmber, 2015

Antar Laniyan is a household name in Nollywood. He has featured in many home videos. In this interview with OLUWATOBILOBA OYESOLA, the actor speaks on his current project, work, family and other issues.

If you didn’t know what you really want in life, you may not be able to breathe the same air with my father.

W

hat is that in your background that prepared you for your present status as an actor?

I got discipline from my father, I had a very committed disciplinarian as a father. Under his supervision, you had to convince him that you were determined and focused on what you wanted to be in life. If you didn’t know what you really were doing, you might not be able to breathe the same air with my father, so as a young lad, I knew what I wanted. My father would ask ‘What are you still waiting for? If you don’t start now, when do you want to start?’

Such words from him kept me on my toes and I am reaping the rewards.

Aside from acting, what other business or occupation are you into?

For now I’m into selling lands and properties. I front for an organisation by being their image and an ambassador of their brand.

these fans that you are talking about are the people that really make you ,Without them admiring you and liking what you have done, you will not be anywhere, you would just be a figure on a screen and people would just look at you and you fade away. But the fact that you are still in their memory outside screen and they still like you outside screen makes you relevant. That means that they are there for you. So you really have to appreciate them.

I’ll only attend a party if...

Sometimes, you leave your families for weeks or days for location, how has it been like?

It has been good, there is no complaint. I have to feed them, if I don’t go out to location, how do I feed them? I have school fees, house rent and bills to settle.

So how do you relax?

I relax when I am not on location. There are three places I know; the location, my home and my office. I don’t go to parties. If I had to go to a party, it is either that person or the party is very important or inevitable.

So, if you don’t meet me at home with my children, you will meet me at my office.

—Antar Laniyan

How rich is Antar Laniyan?

Antar Laniyan is not rich at all…….

What movie are you currently working on?

I am working on Angeli mi, a Yoruba movie, I am directing it and I have a marketer that is in charge of that. Fortunately, I have the producer here in front of me, then I am directing it. A fantastic and romantic movie, something that is very new in market.

Would you encourage your children to go into acting?

Haaaa, If they like it, why not? If they have the talent, why not? Nobody disturbs me so I wouldn’t disturb anybody.

Incidentally, my son is studying Mass Communication at Ajayi Crowther University, thus he is still into entertainment. I know he has flair for entertainment but he has not told me, ‘Daddy, I want to be like you.’ When he was in secondary school, he took part in drama activities where he exhibited his natural flair for acting.

Have you ever been

Saturday Tribune

Can you tell us how you met your wife?

Like any other person, I just met her and I liked her, I wooed her and she agreed, and today we are together. embarrassed by any of your fans or have you had any cause to be embarrassed publicly?

I would not call it embarrassment, I would say that most times you see our fans out there being star-struck, so when they are star-struck, there is the tendency for them to behave somehow strange So, what you think looks like an embarrassment is not really an embarrassment. For instance, there was a day I was driving along the road, then a lady just

looked out from this commuter bus in Lagos and blew a kiss in my direction. The lady beside me asked sharply ‘ki lo n se girl yii, se o fe jabo ni? ’ (what is wrong with this girl, does she feel like jumping off the bus)?

When you are star-struck, it is just natural that when you see a celebrity, you want a handshake,

autograph, photograph or an embrace so when such happens, it’s not an embarrassment to me.

And that leads me to my next question sir, which is, how do you cope with your female fans?

I cope like any other person. I do not attach gender to my fans, everybody is my fan, You love me and I love you too, because

Any advice for up-and-coming artistes who aspire to be like you?

They have to be focused and disciplined. They have to know what they want, they shouldn’t put money first, when they gain the fame, then money will come, but discipline is the keyword, because if you are not disciplined, you just miss it, because celebrity means status demands that one has to be respectful and remain humble at the right moment. If you are disciplined from home, you have no problem with the outside world.

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7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Joyful tunes from Elisabeth Aisien, Bisola Daisi It was a season of joy for the duo of former Miss Nigeria, Elisabeth Aisien and Bisola, the first daughter of Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi,as they both welcomed new babies in their homes recently.

Elohor is the Chief Executive Officer of Beth Models who got married to Owen Aisien in a fairytalelike wedding in Lagos some years ago.

The new addition to her family is their second, five years after giving birth to their first daughter, Zoe. The new baby, a girl has been named Chloe.

Governor Ajimobi’s daughter, Bisola had her baby in London some days after the tribunal sitting in Ibadan upheld her father’s election, meaning a double celebration.

Frank Okamigbo, friends dance with the underprivileged

F

rank Okamigbo of Papas Foundation and manager of celebrity hangout, D’Place by Papas, celebrated his birthday recently in his usual manner.

The man, who has made it a tradition to celebrate his birthdays with the poor and the homeless, invited some of his friends to the destitute home at Oko-Oba, Lagos, where they organised competition, present gifts and made merry with children and other occupants of the

home.

Spotted at the event were DJ Humility and DJ Jimmy Jatt who joined the nightclub guru to celebrate another year.

The party train later moved to Frank Okamigbo’s hangout, where a lot of his other friends and entertainers joined in the fun.

Okamigbo said that his decision to celebrate his birthday at the homes was to spread love to the underprivileged.

Royal recognition for Giwa, Egbe Jagunmolu, others The high society in Ogun State will stand still today as the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdul-Rasaq Adesina Adenugba Royal, Okokodana II, gives royal recognitions to Iya Egbe, Baba Egbe, Giwa, Giwa in Council and officers of Egbe Jagunmolu (1965-1967) at his palace in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

Dignatries expected at the event include Senator Jubril Martins Kuye, the Asiwaju of Ago-Iwoye, Major General S.A Awosanya (retd) FCA, Baba Oba of Ago-Iwoye, Alhaji Safiriyu Kazeem, Senator Ademola Adeseun and his wife, Dr. Fehintola Adeseun, Iya Egbe Jagunmola of Ago-Iwoye and Otunba Kunle Ogundipe, Baba Egbe Jagunmolu of AgoIwoye.

Bashir Kuti’s rising profile Fashion consultant and stylist of note, Bashir Kuti, may have risen up a step on the social ladder.

The Chief Executive Officer of BKK Ultimo, an upscale fashion house that boasts of having a number of top politicians, entertainers and socialites on his clientele list, has been saddled with a new responsibility which comes as a result of his hard work and understanding of the fashion business.

‘Beshy’ as he is popularly known in social circles, was re-

cently unveiled as the fashion consultant of the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

The clothmaker played a huge role in tradition recently by dressing up the young monarch on his epochal going to Ile-Ife after his selection and also providing clothes for the customary ceremonies that will precede his installation.

The BKK Ultimo is a brand that has brought smiles to its clients over a decade and has won many notable awards in recognition of its stand in the country’s fashion industry.

Dolapo Osinbajo, Bolanle Ambode, Lara Oshiomole shine at AWC-2015 The Arise Women Conference 2015 has come and gone, but the event left an indelible memory in the minds of many people that attended the conference, which took place at the City of David Sanctuary, Ligali Ayorinde, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Arise Women is a faithbased non-governmental organisation founded by Pastor Siju Iluyomade with the aim of accelerating nation building through the empowerment of women in the society.

Arise Women has already inspired and encouraged over 15,000 women to achieve their God-given potential by the inspirational words and teachings of carefully chosen and proven

speakers.

In the last seven years, the foundation has established three mobile clinics to bring primary healthcare to neglected communities,

medical needs for women in different areas and training of women in various skills like fashion designing, soap-making, hairdressing and hat-making.

The guest speaker at this year’s conference, Reverend Catherine Onwioduokit, through her address, touched the crowd which included the wife of the vice president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; wife of the Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode; wife of former governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bimbola Fasola; wife of Edo State governor, Mrs Iara Oshiomhol; fromer deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Adefulire, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and Mrs Sarah Adebisi-Sosan and many other prominent women in the society.

Future Awards Africa on tour of Banjul, Johannesburg Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa, has officially launched the media campaign for its 2015 edition which denotes 10 years of inspiring Africa.

The campaign, with the theme, ‘AfricaNeedsYou’ will be showcased with a tour of 100 cities across Africa.

The tour will focus attention on the challenges young people are facing on the continent, make studies of how the group’s global brain trust has solved the issues and set up hubs in each city with people made up of past winners, nominees, partners and volunteers at community levels to solve the problems.

The one-year tour, which kicked off last month has touched Kano, Banjul, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Enugu, Abuja and Lagos, while Johannesburg, Nairobi, Adamawa, Sokoto and Accra top the list of the next cities to visit.

Bukonla Adebakin, the Project Manager for the Future Project said that after each visit, TFAAHubs will be set up in each city in conjunction with local organisations to help the community of young people led by TFAA alumni to solve their problems and track stories of change.

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achievers

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

With Ronke Sanya &Oyeyemi Okunlade 07036050161\ 08056834515 sanyaaderonke@gmail.com ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Njideka Akunyili-Crosby : Nigerian-born artist who won Studio Museum Wein 2015 prize

RONKE SANYA writes on the artistic exploits of Njideka AkunyiliCrosby, a Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based painter who recently clinched the prestigious Wein 2015 prize.

N

jideka Akunyili-Crosby, 32, ner of the coveted award, Thelma Golden, available to Culture type.com said, Down exhibition exploring references to is a Nigerian-born artist based the Studio Museum’s director, said Crosby “Selecting Njideka Akunyili-Crosby this fashion in visual art. in Los Angeles. She is an artist- was chosen because of her work’s great year was especially meaningful, as she The museum describes her captivating painter of great repute known innovation and promise and also because is an alumnus of our signature Artist-in- collage paintings thus: “Akunyili Crosby for large-scale paintings that depict Afri- she “truly represents the global nature of Residence program and truly represents employs collage and acetone-transferred can and American domestic scenes. Ac- the Studio Museum’s mission and reach.”’ the global nature of the Studio Museum’s images in her depictions of intimacy and cording to New York Times, the scenes The Wein prize, according mission and reach. Her work embodies domestic life. Her scenes are created by inwhich her paintings depict are visually the ideals of innovation and promise that corporating paintings and phoaccentuated with colwere so important tographs of herself, her husband lage elements drawn and her family with images from from Nigerian lifepopular Nigerian fashion and style magazines, her lifestyle magazines. own photo albums and “The paintings with their unthe Internet. Smithorthodox shifts in perspective, sonian Magazine reintroduction of specific Niferred to her work as gerian or West African points that which, “Explores of reference and foregrounda complex topic – the ing of subjects of African detug she feels between scent—challenge conventions her adopted home in of representation and porAmerica and her native traiture, even as they filter a country.” number of art historical and A Studio Museum in literary influences.”

Harlem, New York, re“Njideka Akunyili-Crosby’s cently honoured Crosby, intimate depictions of dorecognising her alluring mestic spaces and everyday artistic paintings, thereby life provide an important tin” Enugu. counter-narrative to the naming her the winner of Her painting titled: “Nwantin reet, New Haven, St i eb ez Um 5, g ctin often troubled representations to New York Times was es- Another of her painting depi its Wein 2015 Prize worth $50,000. George Wein, the founder of the tablished by George Wein, founder of to Joyce Alex- of Africa’s complex political and social conditions,” Studio Museum in Harlem ander Wein.” award made the announcement at the mu- the Newport Jazz Festival, in honour of his wife, Joyce Alexander Wein, a trustee Crosby can be said to be a perpetual win- revealed. seum’s 2015 gala on October 26.

Born in Nigeria to the late Professor Dora Crosby’s work was recently featured in a of the museum who died of cancer in 2005. ner. In 2014, she was the winner of the solo show at the Hammer Museum in Los The award has been given every year since Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Akunyili, Njideka was educated at SwarthAngeles and was included in the New Mu- 2006 to established and emerging African- James Dicke Contemporary Artist Prize. more College and Yale University, where seum’s 2015 Triennial. Victoria Miro’s Gal- American artists. It has been won in the The same day she received the award given she received her MFA in 2011. Earlier in lery in London began to represent Crosby past by renowned artists like Lorna Simp- to artists aged less than 50 years old, Vic- 2015 in New York, she was included in the New Museum’s 2015 “Triennial: Surround earlier this year, and her work is now the son, Glenn Ligon and Trenton Doyle Han- toria Miro Gallery in London announced. subject of an exhibition at the gallery, or- cock.

She was artist in residence at the Studio Audience.” Crosby currently has two comThe Director and Chief Curator, Thelma Museum between 2011-2012 and was re- plementary exhibitions proudly on display ganised by Hilton Als. On the emergence of Crosby as the win- Golden, in a museum press release made cently featured in the museum’s Draped in Los Angeles, where she lives and works.

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7 Novemeber, 2015

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata

Naija babes

A visiting lecturer from US to a Nigerian university decided to give his students an impromptu test. He asked them to write the answer as he read out the question.

Lecturer: Question 1. What is your best food?

Female students were writing ‘Pizza’, ‘Fried Rice’, ‘Hamburger’ and all sorts of Chinese food.

Lecturer: Question 2. How do you prepare the food?

Immediately, the female students started cancelling and changing the names of their best foods to ‘Garri’, ‘Rice’, ‘Indomie’, etc.

POLITICO

E xa m

r es ul ts

A man had two sons, Shakitibobo and Segeluulu, who had just finished their exams. Here’s the dialogue between the man and his boys: Father: Shakitibobo, I’m so proud of you. You made As in all your papers.

Shakitibobo: Yes dad, I made As because I want to study in America.

Father: Segeluulu, can you explain why you got all Fs? Segeluulu: Dad, I made Fs because I want to study in France!

FUNOLOGY

The pregnant women

One evening, three men were sitting under a mango tree, discussing the novels their wives loved reading during pregnancy. The first man said “when my wife was pregnant she read the novel, ‘A tale of two cities’ and gave birth to twins”.

The second man said his wife read, ‘The three musketeers’ and gave birth to triplets.”

The third man stood up and started running homeward. When asked why, he said “my wife is pregnant and she is reading ‘Alibaba and the 40 thieves’!”

My wife thought I was a fraudster when I made my first million —Nigerian veteran comedian

37

feature

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Photo: ERA/IRIN

Crude awakening: Can oil benefit the people of the Niger Delta?

By Obinna Anyadike (IRINNEWS)

T

he thick, acrid smoke billowing above the tree line is the telltale sign of local refining of stolen crude oil in Nigeria’s troubled Niger Delta.

It is an environmentally catastrophic business, in a region already fouled by the spills and pollution of the international oil companies, who for the past 60 years have extracted oil with little regard for the health and welfare of the communities that live there.

“Artisanal refining,” as it’s known, is in a sense the communities’ revenge. Nigeria has earned between $800 billion and $933 billion from oil (no one really knows as the accounting is so opaque), but in the villages along the creeks from where the crude is pumped, there is little to show for it, so people sometimes help themeselves.

“They insist that they are not stealing the crude, because they think it’s theirs,” explains Michael Karikpo of Environment Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria.

The sad irony of local refining is that “it despoils the land and the fisheries, and the cycle of poverty continues.”

and use it as a tool of economic empowerment.

He would like to see community groups paying the oil companies for the crude, using modern, small-scale and cleaner modular refineries that produce between 1,000 to 1,500 barrels of diesel or kerosene per day (petrol is a more complicated process) to supply the Niger Delta and beyond.

“Let’s get communities as shareholders, as economic actors in the oil business; so they feel a sense of ownership; so the need to break into the pipelines becomes a bit difficult to sustain; [so] the need to protect the environment becomes a project for everyone.”

Robin Hood

But oil theft is no longer a Robin Hood-style act of resistance. Yes, the oil companies are rich, but robbing them does not only benefit the poor. Stealing crude is now a complex business involving cartels and payoffs to the security forces. It employs around 26,000 people, according to a groundbreaking report by researchers Ben Naanen and Patrick Tolani.

“Poverty certainly drives local level oil theft,” notes the

DIY

Breaking into a pipeline is not clinical. Oil spews out under pressure and only a fraction is collected. The refining process itself is filthy work, and leaves a residual toxic sludge that is usually dumped into the creeks. Accidental fires can incinerate vast areas of forest and mangrove, while the military’s tactic of blowing up the refineries it finds creates yet more environmental damage.

Local refining does meet a real need among communities in the creeks, cut off from commercial supplies of diesel and kerosene. When the limited fuel that is available is three times the price charged in the cities, the technically simple distillation of the crude found in your backyard becomes an expedient alternative.

Cheap to set up – not much is needed beyond drums to collect the distilled fuel – it is now so widespread that “Creek prices” is a benchmark for fuel pricing in the Delta, with the diesel smuggled throughout southern Nigeria.

Given the prevalence of local refining, Karikpo – among several other analysts and environmental campaigners – says the only sensible step is to now legalise it, manage it,

A few of the elites in the community have captured these [development] schemes. They have ridden on the backs of the genuine agitation and suffering of the people to make a killing for themselves, and the people are even worse off than when [the Niger Delta protest movements] began.

report, but at the other end of the spectrum are syndicates “who are making fortunes exporting stolen oil” – estimated at $6 billion in 2013.

Decades of neglect of the Niger Delta gave rise to an armed revolt, which the government eventually chose to placate through an amnesty scheme and lavish spending on development programmes. In reality, the policy was aimed at coopting the militia leaders and created a new class of wealthy young men while reinforcing a sense of impunity.

“A few of the elites in the community have captured these [development] schemes,” says Karikpo. “They have ridden on the backs of the genuine agitation and suffering of the people to make a killing for themselves, and the people are even worse off than when [the Niger Delta protest movements] began.”

Lawlessness

Rights campaigner Celestine Akpobari believes this climate of lawlessness and dependency will probably derail any serious initiative to create community-owned modular refineries. The likely result will be the men already exploiting the black market business will be the ones with the financial muscle to benefit.

“Community ownership is the right thing to do if dealing with civilised characters, but we’re dealing with people who take the law into their own hands. People will rush in and try and take [the legalised refineries] over and it will create conflict.”

Environmentalist Jim Durugu points out that local refining will need new laws and regulations, which don’t yet exist. Although lobbied, Nigeria’s new government “hasn’t said anything about it so far”, with a controversial petroleum bill, which among other provisions would have made local ownership easier, still in limbo.

“Modular refineries in cooperatives owned by the communities will really help with the local economy. It will provide employment and a sense of pride,” says Durugu.

He suggests protection mechanisms could be introduced to strengthen community benefits.

Poverty alleviation schemes by the government – and the half-hearted attempts by the oil companies – have failed spectacularly. “That means we have to reevaluate how we can intervene to have real impact,” says Karikpo.

38 interview

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Guber poll: Buhari can’t save APC this time in Kogi —PDP chief

Honourable Alfred Bello is the treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State and was a member of the state House of Assembly under the same party. In this interview with AYODELE ADESANMI, he speaks on sundry issues, including the upcoming governorship election in the state.

H

ow prepared is the PDP for the November 21 governorship election?

The PDP is well grounded in Kogi State and we are on top of the situation. We are very much ready for the election. In fact, I can confidently tell you that we are going to win convincingly. This election will be the first after the last general election. In view of that, we are not going to take chances. Every hand is on deck and, thank God, we have put behind us, all our differences; we are now one united family. With that unity of purpose, we are going to face the election. It is a must-win election because we are not going to take chances. The PDP was displaced at the centre during the last general election by the All Progressives Congress (APC). Today, in the whole of the North Central geopolitical zone, Kogi is the only PDP state standing, but that does not pale our cohesion into insignificance. We are collaborating with our other brothers across the country as we cannot do it alone; we need the support of everybody. The campaign is currently ongoing and anytime we move, people are surprised because of the crowd following us and that is a sign of our popularity. Do not believe all those side talks about our strength. You should know that it is not in our character to play our own politics on the pages of newspapers. We are solidly on the ground and what is helping us is that the candidate, the governor, Captain Idris Wada, is a good product, compared to the other contestants. He has a good record of performance.

The citizens of the state, especially civil servants, believe so much in him. The workers want him to continue to pay their salary as and when due and they know that he will not retrench any of them.

In view of the performance of the APC in the last presidential election in the state, do you believe that the PDP can upset the applecart in the coming election?

We cannot gauge the present situation with what happened during the last presidential election. This is going to be a different scenario. However, things have changed as people have seen the difference. In the last election, people voted for Muhammadu Buhari and not the APC. The presidential and National Assembly elections that were held the same day were to our disadvantage. Many voters were illiterate; they could not differentiate between the presidential and National Assembly ballot papers. They just thumb-printed everything for Buhari, believing they were the same. This time around, it will be a different ball game because it will be only one ballot paper for the governorship election. There will be no confusion. The PDP has embarked on a massive enlightenment [campaign], especially in the area of voting [telling the people] the importance of the governorship election.

We have informed them that it is better for the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada, to win for continuity. We all know that Wada means well for the people of this state. We know he would not discriminate or oppress us in this state.

The people know who is coming for revenge and who is coming for consolidation. Just keep your fingers crossed, the election will be interesting and at the end of the day, the PDP will triumph. I am using this opportunity to appeal to the government at the centre not to use their might against us; they should leave us alone and make the election free and fair.

The APC is said to be banking on the experience and performance of its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, when he was the governor of the state to win in the election.

What the people should realise is that Audu has spent about six years as the governor of this state. He was even the first civilian governor of the state. Wada on the other hand has spent only three and a half years in office. Audu left office some time ago and since then he has been contesting for the position but has been losing out. What people are even asking him now is: what does he still want, or did he

You should know that it is not in our character to play our own politics on the pages of newspapers. We are solidly on the ground and what is helping us is that the candidate, the governor, Captain Idris Wada, is a good product. forget something in the government house? Most of Audu’s achievements during his tenure were the basic necessities of a new state like ours back then, which he could not ignore. Besides, the financial position of the state at the time was much stronger than what obtains at present.

Captain Wada has developed the state with the available meagre resources and if the finances have been more robust, he would have done better. However, in spite of that, Wada never retrenched any worker, which is the greatest achievement. He is humble and accessible and is always ready to listen to your complaints and proffer solutions instantly. Wada came into the government house with some agenda which, to the glory of God, he is implementing gradually and the best thing that could happen to the people of the state is for him to return and complete all those ongoing developmental projects. He has always given workers their dues. In the areas of road construction, health facilities, youth empowerment and agriculture, he is doing his best.

What is your view on the issue of power shift in the state?

Power shift has become a very serious issue in the state at

present as people who have long been denied to rule want a sense of belonging. They say the state belongs to all of us and not to a power bloc which has been manipulating the governorship seat without thinking of others. The [issue of] power shift is of interest to everybody in the state, especially people from the West and Central senatorial districts. However, we need to be careful about it or else we would fall into the hands of some people who are using the power shift as a slogan to win election; people who are not sincere about it who are just trying to win election and continue with the present manipulation. Another issue is that we need to plan and consult widely and carry everybody along or else we will fail and we don’t want to fail. A well coordinated body is required to fight for it; we don’t need to say it is only the Okun or Ebira without carrying other areas in the districts along. Both West and Central senatorial districts need to mend fences and agree and approach it frontally. I believe that it will come at the appointed time of God, but since the incumbent governor has the constitutional right to spend two terms in office, it is better for all the agitators to allow him to go for another term. l know that without the consent and sincerity of the incumbent, the realisation of power shift will be difficult.

This is the reason electorate in West and Central senatorial districts should queue behind the candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming election and ensure his victory.

The PDP’s victory in that election will ensure continuity and strengthen the bond among the Kogi people.

Prince Audu’s running mate, Honourable James Abiodun Faleke, during one of his campaigns, appealed to the people of the state to vote for the APC and move to the mainstream of Nigerian politics. Do you believe in such a slogan?

I am not sure that my brother, Abiodun Faleke, is sincere with the people of the state concerning the mainstream politics. He has been in Lagos State for some time and from there, he has been contesting election under the Action Congress and now the APC. This is a party that had not controlled the centre since 1999. I don’t know what he means now by appealing to the people to move to the mainstream.

He is just saying that to deceive the people and I am very sure that the voters in the state have become wiser. The people of the state know the meaning of ‘the centre’ more than anybody else; they need not be told. Looking back in this state, we can see the benefit of the mainstream as enjoyed under the government of the PDP at the centre. What is happening to the PDP at present is a temporary setback, but come 2019, the party will bounce back and retake the centre stage. What the PDP has been telling the electorate in the state is to be careful not to enter the ‘one-chance’ vehicle of the APC that will not bring the desired development to the state. What I will tell the Lagos politicians is to stay in Lagos and leave this state alone because we don’t want to be under the supervision of a sole proprietor who would sit down somewhere and be remotely controlling our lives and resources. There are abundant human resources here that can steer the ship of state to the desired destination. We don’t need to borrow or beg somebody who has abandoned his people who is now coming back to tell us what we don’t want to hear. In spite of that, we are not taking chances as far as the coming election is concerned as we are putting all our energy into it to ensure victory. This is a PDP state; nobody can take it away from us because we are united in this journey to the Promised Land.

39

feature

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Is a king really forbidden from seeing his parents in Yorubaland?

The new Ooni of Ife, Oba sAdeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi still has a father, but in some cultures, if a new king’s parents are still alive, he is forbidden from seeing them again. In view of this, ADEWALE OSHODI sought the opinions of experts in Yoruba history and tradition on the new Ooni’s case. Excerpts:

some towns, so we cannot generalise it that this happens in the whole of Yorubaland. I can’t tell you that it happens in a particular town since I am not aware of it. However, in places where it happens, there will still be occasions when the parents will meet the king behind the scene inside the inner room in the palace.

Chief Fakayode Faluade, Yoruba traditional promoter: The fact that they say the king’s father will not see his son again is literal. It doesn’t really mean that the king will be banned by tradition from seeing his parents face-to-face. This is just to stop the embarrassment of the parents in the presence of other people.

You can imagine that the father or mother of a king is with some people, waiting for the arrival of the king; once the king shows up, everybody is expected to prostrate or kneel for him, but what happens to the king’s parents when he shows up?

They cannot prostrate and kneel for him, but in Yoruba tradition, anybody in the presence of the king is expected to prostrate or kneel down; that is how Yoruba kings are greeted.

So in order to avoid embarrassment, the king’s parents avoid the palace, or where they will meet their son in public. There is nothing wrong if they go to the palace before the break of dawn, or at dusk to see the king. Then, they can have the privacy.

C

HIEF Ifayemi Elebuibon, Ifa priest: It is really not a taboo in Yorubaland for a king to see his father, or mother upon his ascending the throne. However, why people are saying this is that since the king is the father of everybody in the land, do we now say he is also his parents’ ‘father’?

In Yorubaland, respect for our parents is second to none; when a boy meets his father, he is expected to prostrate while the girl will kneel down. There is a saying that no matter how old a man is, he is still his mother’s child.

So if this is the case, the king is still his father’s son; but it is also wrong for anybody to stand before the king. Everybody must prostrate, or kneel for the king, so it will be improper to have the king’s parents prostrate or kneel for him.

That is why the king’s parents distant themselves from the palace. However, when a king’s parents want to see their son, they will go to the palace at awkward period. This is to avoid the prying eyes of the people. When the king is with his father in his inner room, they will relate to one another as father and son.

Chief Muraina Oyelami, artist, cultural enthusiast: I really don’t think this is also the case with the Yoruba tradition as regards this issue; it may be possible that once someone becomes a king in other cultures, then he is forbidden from seeing his parents again, but it is not so in Yoruba culture. However, common sense comes to play here. The king is the father of everybody, and once someone is in the presence of the king, he is bound to prostrate.

In Yorubaland, the child prostrates for his father, and in a situation whereby the child becomes king, then we don’t expect the father to be seen prostrating for his

Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon

Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi son.

It may not be forbidden, but it is impossible to see the king’s father in the palace.

The same thing also goes for the king’s mother.

Professor Akinwumi Ishola, retired professor of Yoruba Literature: I don’t think there is anywhere in the history of Yoruba people that it was stated that a particular king was forbidden from seeing his parents upon ascending the throne.

This means that it is not a negative thing,

Professor Akinwumi Ishola

or a taboo. But in my own opinion, I feel once a king has a father or mother, then it is un-Yoruba for the parents to prostrate for their son, who is the king.

In cultures where it is said that a king is forbidden from seeing his parents once he ascends the throne, this may also be the reason.

Professor Philip Adedotun Ogundeji, professor of Linguistics, University of Ibadan: It varies from town to town. It may be applicable in

Chief Muraina Oyelami

Chief Adebayo Adegunwa, Yoruba cultural enthusiast: There is nothing like that in Yorubaland. If it is being said, it is just to solve the ‘riddle’ of how the father will greet his son who is a king in public. The father will defintely not prostrate for his son.

It is just something of common sense rather than a taboo. It may actually mean that both the father and his son (king) will not be seen together by the people. However, nothing stops the father from meeting his son in the king’s inner chamber.

There is a saying that no matter how old a man is, he is still his mother’s child.

Chief Fakayode Faluade

40

feature

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

They fled Boko Haram, but the violence follows them

The Boko Haram insurgency has claimed more than 25,000 lives in the past six years.

Since 2014, it has escalated and splintered across a wider swathe of West and Central Africa, uprooting millions of people in the process. Where should they go? Humanitarian news agency, IRIN, in this piece examines the bleak options and explores what the future holds.

T

he Boko Haram conflict has displaced more than 2.5 million people in the Lake Chad Basin region since May 2013 – around four times the number of migrants and refugees that have arrived in Europe so far this year.

The vast majority, an estimated 90 percent, end up not in camps but hustling out an existence in urban centres in Nigeria that are still in the conflict zone and already very poor.

Owa Umar is one of hundreds of women and children rescued from Boko Haram.

Relocated to a defence academy in the Nigerian city of Kaduna, the pain is still raw as she relives how she had to pretend to be crazy by rolling around in the dirt so she wasn’t married off to a Boko Haram fighter. As the tide begins to turn against the Islamist militants, pressure is building on those displaced by the violence to return to their communities. But emotionally as well as physically, women like Umar, are still far from home.

Millions of Nigerians have fled Boko Haram, but the

Scores of people have been killed in the last few weeks in a string of suicide bombings in the main northeastern cities where they seek refuge. Border areas where refugees flee in

Cameroon, Chad, and Niger are increasingly under attack.

So pervasive is the insurgency, it is even starting to strike the displacement camps where the most desperate seek help.

41

feature

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Lagos residents who live under electric poles Naza Okoli – Lagos

K

etu Garage is a large open space. Two giant transmission towers (often called high tension poles) stand, a few metres apart, in the middle of the area. Underneath the cables, and all around the area, are commercial buses, numbering over one hundred.

This was the picture in a photograph made available to Saturday Tribune by Mr Ayeni Akiola of the Public Affairs office of Ikeja Electricity Distribution PLC on Wednesday.

“We are aware of the problem,” he said. “We have been doing our best to sensitise people on the dangers.”

There were hundreds of such photographs. Pulling them out of a brown folder, he laid them on his table. Apart from the motor parks, there were houses, shops, markets, churches, mosques and pathways.

A tour around the metropolis reveals a shocking number of instances where homes and businesses are sited close to electric poles with cables hanging loose and low over the buildings. In most cases, residents appear to be unaware of the danger. Others say there is nothing that can be done about it.

“Well, I think we have once complained to the power company to make this thing tidy,” Mr Uzodike, a tenant at a flat on Okota Road, Isolo said, pointing to a low-hanging cluster of cables in the compound. “They haven’t done it.”

A similar situation was found in another compound, just a few yards away. A woman sold foodstuffs in a shop in front of the main house. Beside this shop was an electric pole.

“Nothing will happen to it in Jesus’ name,” she said with a loud voice.

A young man who stood beside the gate said he didn’t think it was dangerous because the cables were “covered”.

“This is not naked wire,” he said. “So I don’t think there is any problem with it.”

Overhead vs underground It is recalled that only two months ago, Oluchi Anekwe, a 300-level Accounting student at the University of Lagos died after an electric cable fell on her, near her hostel, on the campus. A Federal Government panel set up to investigate the incident found Eko Electricity Distribution PLC, owners of the cable, culpable. Weeks after the student’s death, a similar incident reportedly claimed the life of a fifteen-year-old girl at Idi-Araba. According to reports, the teenager died after she stepped on a live wire allegedly left on the ground by officials of the power company during a disconnection exercise.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Rahamon A. Bello, while addressing journalists recently, said the management had asked the power company to bury all its cables in line with “safety standard”: “It is on record that the university, in a letter dated August 26, 2015, had requested Eko Electricity Distribution PLC (EKEDP) to ensure that all overhead cables within the campus are buried in line with safety standard to enable them to do the needful,” he said.

Professor Bello further noted that all the cables belonging to the school were underground. Indeed he said that the Federal Government panel specifically commended the school for it: “The Panel established that the faulty cable which caused Oluchi’s death belongs to EKEDP and indicated the directive to EKEDP to replace that and other similar overhead cables belonging to it with properly installed underground cables,” he said. “The Panel commended the electrical distribution network belonging to the University of Lagos, noting the distribution panels and other equipment are modern.”

No doubt these pronouncements raise a number of questions. For example, if it is known that safety demands that people live and do business away from electric cables, why has nothing been done about the thousands of homes and businesses sited dangerously too close to the cables?

Iyana Ipaja

Yes, cables spark from time to time...

Anytime it happens, people run for safety. Thank God, it has never killed anybody around here as far as I know.

Why have the power distribution companies continued to service these lines? What direct lessons have been drawn from the incident at the University of Lagos?

Disregard for personal safety Ikeja Electricity Distribution PLC (IKEDC) controls most parts of the Mainland of Lagos, with six business districts at Ikeja, Ikorodu, Somolu, Abule-Egba, Akowonjo and Oshodi.

Even though power companies have often been blamed for negligence each time such tragedies occur, Mr Ayeni Akinola, an official at IKEDC’s head office at Ikeja told Saturday Tribune on Wednesday that buildings sited close to power cables are “illegal structures”: “Most of the power cables were there before the buildings were built,” he said. “But the issue is that most of those people do not consider the danger, otherwise they would

Okota Road

not have built their houses so close to the cables. Most markets are under power lines, and that is very dangerous.

We have carried out a lot of sensitisation in this respect.

But you see, it is only when something bad happens that people begin to show concern.

“There is no doubt, power lines can cut. It is not as if we are not looking after them. But there is no way you can be sure when it will happen. That is why it is better for people to build their houses far from the poles. However, we are rewiring most of our 11KV lines and service lines. Even right now, it is ongoing.”

Attempts made to speak with officials at Lagos State Electricity Board, Ikeja, on Wednesday and Thursday were unsuccessful, as the Public Relations Officer said he had not yet obtained permission from his boss to comment on the matter.

Relocate the buildings?

At a junction off Ajiboye Street, Alapere, a couple of miles away from the expressway, a woman and her children sell akara (bean cake). A popular joint, it is a regular evening business. Customers gather around the large pan placed on open fire, and wait for their turns. A few inches behind are a number of electric poles connecting cables from three directions.

Further up the road is a chain of shops. All of them are directly under the electric cables.

“Yes, cables spark from time to time,” Mr Amos who lives at nearby Alhaji Owoade Street said. “Anytime it happens, people run for safety. Thank God, it has never killed anybody around here as far as I know.”

42

7 November, 2015

motoring

Saturday Tribune With Seyi Gesinde seyigesinde@yahoo.com 08116954632

Hyundai launches Genesis as new global luxury brand

H

yundai Motor has announced an all-new global luxury brand, Genesis, that will deliver ‘humancentered’ luxury through a range of new models that feature the highest standards of performance, design and innovation.

Created for a new generation of discerning consumers, Genesis will be a stand-alone brand that operates alongside the company’s popular Hyundai marque. Capitalizing on its success in the fast-growing global car market, Hyundai Motor will launch six new Genesis models by 2020 and will compete with the world’s most renowned luxury car brands.

The Genesis brand seeks to create a new definition of luxury, one that will provide a new platform for future mobility centered on people.

By anticipating human needs at every touch point, Genesis models will embody four key aspects: Human-focused innovation, refined

and balanced performance, athletic elegance in design and hasslefree customer experience.

“We have created this new Genesis brand with a complete focus on our customers who want smart ownership experiences that save time and effort, with practical innovations that enhance satisfaction. The Genesis brand will fulfill these expectations, becoming a market leader through our human-centered brand strategy,” said Euisun Chung, Hyundai Motor Company Vice Chairman.

Genesis models will boast outstanding driving dynamics and design, with innovations tailored to closely-meet the needs of customers. The new model line-up will distance itself from the traditional technological overload of brandfocused competitors, concentrating instead on a personalized, hassle-free customer experience.

Continuing the customer-oriented approach that flows through every

Genesis model, sales and service staff will provide rapid and attentive service to customer’s requests.

To elevate and differentiate the Genesis brand from Hyundai, a distinct design identity, emblem, naming structure and customer service offering is being established.

Toyota invents system that stops your car to avoid collisions Toyota has claimed a world-first with its Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Connect.

This uses radio transponders to communicate both with nearby vehicles and the road infrastructure as a way of preventing accidents. It has been introduced as a cost option on three models in Japan, where the government has earmarked a dedicated radio frequency specifically for this kind of technology.

The system, according to Birmingham Mail, can warn drivers if they fail to back off the throttle when approaching a red light. It will also sound an alert if the car appears to be pulling across the bows of an oncoming vehicle at a junction, or if there’s a pedestrian in the road it’s about to join.

In addition, two cars with ITS can communicate together to match their speeds more efficiently when running on cruise control.

A particular benefit of ITS is that it still works in low-visibility weather conditions. It can identify hazards at a greater range than other on-board warning systems, too.

The technology is in its infancy, with just a few ITS-equipped junctions in Toyko. However Toyota is working alongside multiple partners with the aim of expanding it rapidly.

As other manufacturers join Toyota in offering ITS, the system’s full benefits will become apparent.

At present, however, it does appear to be some way from coming to Europe.

Kia Motors Nigeria donates 2015 Kia Rio to Lagos govt kia Motors Nigeria has donated 2015 Kia Rio to Lagos State government.

The automaker said this was an expression of its indelible contributions to the government and its unalloyed support for the state and a token of its commitment to the growth of Lagos State.

The gesture, according to Mr Jimoh Olawale, Marketing Manager, Kia Motors Nigeria, was also

rooted in the objective of Kia social responsibility to contribute to the development of society as an upright corporate citizen and staying true to the company’s unwavering commitment to the industrialisation of Nigerian economy.

“Kia has continued to contribute immensely to the growth of its local community and the state through its corporate social responsibility initiatives,” he said.

“The donation of Kia Rio to the state is consequent upon our increasing efforts to positively impact

the communities we’re in. We foster a framework for collaboration with the government and recognise local initiatives for expanding the involvement in social contribution initiatives for the state.”

“We are proud to partner with the Lagos State government for the actualisation of the state’s mega city project by advancing the frontiers of the industrialisation of the state with our assembly plant in the state, said Jacky Hathiramani, Managing Director, Kia Motors Nigeria.

43 politics/interview

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Governor Mimiko’s sectoral performance assessment

By Taoheed ’Dolapo Ajao

I

n about a year or so from now, barring any unusual circumstance and submitting to the will of God, there will be a gubernatorial election in Ondo State to elect the successor to Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, current governor who, by the 24th of February 2017, will have spent the constitutionally approved and limited two tenures of eight years in office.

Since it is only fair and proper to assess an administration using the purview of its own avowed philosophy of governance and ideological worldview, the attempt will be to determine to what extent, development activities of the Mimiko government conform to its aforementioned policy goals; to establish a thread of ideological coherence if any, that undergirds its activities in the many sectors of society’s economy and to properly ascertain whether this impact redounds to an increase in the general wellbeing of Ondo State people.

By the current governor’s own admission, his administration represents a departure from the way governance had been run in the past; the administration is run on a different governance paradigm that emphasizes a masses-centric focus, an inclusive and participatory spirit which activates the productive capacities of the people and their sense of belongingness; the present administration is geared to encourage a fundamental belief in man as the primary focus of development which in turn, fosters an attitudinal re-orientation that bridges the long-standing dichotomy between government and the people. This is the informing philosophy of governance that supports all the policy conceptions, programme implementations and, project executions of the current Ondo State government.

The Mimiko government is a little to the left of centre. The administration, weaned

early on good governance, is progressive in ideology and subscribes to the social democratic ethos of achieving social justice and equality within the framework of a market economy. Thus, while it eventually aims for that individual sense of satisfaction and contentment indicative of the attainment of the good life amongst the citizenry, it is the aim of the Mimiko administration to blur the jarring class cleavages between the poor and the rich and to achieve that measure of social and economic integration that will give an overall egalitarian edge to society.

The government of Dr. Mimiko, is also not opposed to free enterprise; nevertheless, and in line with the principles of social democracy, it believes that the unfettered reign of the free market be managed in the interest of government’s social responsibility to the less privileged.

It is this masses-centred approach to governance, this replacement of elitist concessions with the common man’s desires via the democratization of access to the good things of life that has been the crux of the comparative policy analysis with previous governments. It is therefore within the context of this background that the Mimiko government’s 12-point life enriching programmes with the acronym “A CARING HEART” can be adequately assessed for impactful performance.

In conformity with the basic thrust of an administration that holds man as the principal focus of development, the Mimiko administration in Ondo State has staked a defining characteristic of its current tenure on novel approaches to masses-centered, bottom-up developmental programmes that not only ensure wealth creation and employment, but also foster a participatory and an inclusive spirit in the governed. One of such programmes (the 3i-initiative), is a rural integrated community development exercise that uses existing and local institutional authority-structures to articulate

community needs-assessment. These needs-assessment in the form of infrastructural provisions, are usually the results of communal self-efforts with governmental supervision and financial support. It is also a strategy of development to suffuse clusters of such communities surrounding cities and towns with infrastructural facilities to support industries and other kinds of mechanized productions. Developments are therefore expected to evenly spread through the state.

The effect of government’s initiatives and counterpart funding on communal desires for rapid development, arouses a frenzy of different community self-help efforts, brings about higher commitments to the projects being executed and generally, engenders a sense of proprietorship of the various local enterprises embarked upon.

These certainly, have been the case in all the 18 Local Governments of the State where 645 projects have been completed in about 305 communities. This averages roughly about 20 projects per community!

The salience of this community development approach is not in the sheer magnitude of the projects executed – as comprehensively impactful as they are – it is in the repudiation of the classical neo-Western belief in the trickle-down development for the rather situation-specific, bottomup development approach best suited for sub-Saharan Africa. A pioneer in the establishment of the Ministry of Community Development in Nigeria, the Mimiko administration demonstrates its masses concern through this grass-roots development that permeates every nook and cranny of the state: from popular villages surrounding urban cities to the remotest settlements of the state’s hinterland. The people’s joy and gratification is not only because no government in Ondo State has ever done this, it is actually mainly located in the spirit of participation that is difficult

to capture!

Ever cognizant of good schemes and methods to alleviate endemic poverty and rampant under-development in Africa, the United Nations Development Programme UNDP, and The World Bank, hailed this development option and recommended it to be replicated in other parts of Nigeria and Africa. In conforming to the aforementioned philosophy of governance and ideological leaning of the Mimiko administration, the 3i-initiative community development programme seeks to democratize access to the good things of life while in the process, uses the grass-roots as the common denominator of development dividends.

The comprehensiveness of the development strategy for every stratum of society is showcased in the administration’s riveting concern for the under-privilege through so many programmes of government like the 3i-initiative while at the same time, remaining fixated on modern methods of growing the state’s economy through investments in other accoutrements of urbanism and elite living. Only recently, the Shoprite Shopping Mall in Akure, was opened and the International Events and Cultural Centre, aka The Dome, a piece of engineering ingenuity and display of architectural splendor will on the 17th of November, 2015 host a Conference of the more than 5000 members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. No wonder hotel occupancy during the days of the conference within a fifty kilometer radius of the state capital, Akure, will be 100 percent!

In this community development exercise, the Mimiko administration has lived up to its billing by upholding both its philosophical bias in governance and its progressive ideological orientation concerning society.

Taoheed ‘Dolapo Ajao is Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs & Communication to Governor Mimiko.

Nigeria needs a new structure of governance —Ojo-Williams, Osun PDP chieftain Head of the legal unit of the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and a former chairman of the party, Chief Sunday Ojo-Williams, speaks with SAHEED SALAWU on the polity.

At last, President Muhammadu Buhari’s long awaited ministers are here, what policy direction do you think this cabinet should take to give this country a new lease of life?

When you take into account, President Buhari’s track record as head of state, coupled with the appointments he has made as president/commander-in-chief, which many have condemned as extremely pro-North, and juxtapose them with that ministerial list (defence and petroleum already reserved in the North), one can discern Buhari’s perception and mindset about what the Nigerian state should be politically and the policy direction that his administration would run to achieve the end.

We must remember that Buhari’s presidency was borne of the perceived loss of federal power, influence and patronage by the North following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, and the ascendancy of President Goodluck Jonathan. So, the primary objective of the Buhari presidency is the return of power to the ultraconservative Fulani North, whose mission is already accomplished (to the chagrin of Southern leaders) by the retention of all levers of governmental control at the centre: SGF, COS, INEC, customs, judiciary and leg-

see, Buhari has no economic blueprint to revamp it, nor does he have any desire to implement even the budget. This president is a very austere person who would rather strive to save in this distressed economy than open up the valves required for the reactivation of the production sector. Remember that during his first stint as head of state, Nigerians starved and waited for 18 months before [General Ibrahim] Babangida come.

islative heads, the NSA and headship of all security apparatus, leaving the police for the time being. The consolidation of this hegemony politically over the rest of Nigeria, through premature and/or forced retirement on selective basis from the armed forces, customs, immigration and other federal establishments in the guise of anti-corruption drive and other spurious grounds as we have seen in customs will dominate the remainder of Buhari’s rule.

All talks about restructuring, devolution of power or implementation of the national conference resolutions will be resisted, in spite of the change mantra. Buhari is not known to defer to others on matters of a centralised unitarian government or issues of basic constitutional freedom that modern nations take for granted.

On the Nigerian economy, as you can

What then do you think is the way forward in these circumstances?

We need a new structure of governance and a new orientation for the government and people to move our country forward.

There are no problems without solutions.

Nigeria’s problem is this convoluted federalism that makes the federating units, which should be competing for regional progress and development, subservient and totally dependent on the centre, even for payment of government workers salary. The solutions to most of these problems are contained in the national conference report. The danger in not resolving the problems is the loss of confidence by would-be foreign investors.

When a country is considered politically stable, investments would flow. The reverse is the case when issues tantamount to a political time bomb loom large. In pre-colonial and post-independence Nigeria, when there was peace due to structural equilibrium, foreign industries were everywhere, from Ikeja to Kano, to Kaduna to Jos. Even here at Ilesa and Ibadan, we had the Lebanese and Indians visible everywhere.

You don’t seem to have faith in this administration’s anti-corruption drive...

Honestly, I do not see Buhari’s anticorruption campaign as a serious one To me, it is a vote-catching device to win the election, just like his declaration to end Boko Haram as soon as he became president. You condemned the PDP for all the ills in the land, including the corruption going on in APC-controlled states that had resulted in debilitating debts that ran the states aground during the campaigns. At the end of the day, you picked an erstwhile PDP chairman as a minister and made a former PDP governor the Senate President!

If the PDP enclave was truly corrupt why involve them in your anti-corruption drive?

The issue of corruption had always been at the front burner of national discourse since independence with successive regimes, civilian or military, vowing to put an end to it. Successive governments have paid lip service to eradicating corruption. As soon as they settle down, it becomes business as usual. Buhari’s administration cannot be different.

Look at the bailout money issue. The consensus opinion in the largely APC South-West is that accumulated debts in the region arose due to the mismanagement by the governors and that the allocations due for salary payment were diverted and used for the last general election. That occasion was a golden opportunity for Buhari to call the governors to account, at least to debunk the allegation that his election was funded by the APC governors with money meant for salaries.

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2nd Best Ogedegbe memorial soccer tourney kicks off today

T

HE second edition of the Best Ogedegbe memorial football competition kicks off today at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

Eight teams in the South West are vying for honours in the annual tournament being organised in honour of the ex-international goalkeeper, Best Ogedegbe (MON), who was a member of the Green Eagles squad which won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1980 for Nigeria for the first time.

According to a release

signed by Julius Ogedegbe and made available to Tribunesport, the final of the competition is scheduled o hold at the same venue on November 28.

He stated that prizes will be won by the participating clubs adding that, the tourney is also aimed at fishing out talents which could be groomed to become professional footballers in the near future.

The eight teams jostling for honours are Bright Ville FC, ECWA FC, Olapade Agoro FC, Redeemed FC, Ogedegbe FC, Generationext FC, MFM FC and

Rochas FC. It will be recalled that the former IICC Shooting Stars and Abiola Babes goalkeeper, Ogedegbe died at the age of 55 in Ibadan,

in 2009 after an eye operation.

He was also a former national U-20 team keepers’ trainer and last worked for Dolphins of Port Harcourt.

47 sport Former Nigeria international and Super Eagles’ goalkeepers’ trainer, Ike Shorunmu in this interview with OLUWABUNMI AJAYI, speaks on Vincent Enyeama’s recent spat with the Sunday Oliseh-led technical crew, the current goalkeepers in the senior national team and his experience as a former goalkeeper, among other sundry issues. Excerpts:

A

S goalkeepers’ trainer, who among Nigeria’s generation of goalkeepers can you tip as Enyeama’s replacement?

Nigeria is blessed with a lot of good goalkeepers who are either based in the country or abroad, but the most important thing is that nobody can buy experience.

Anyone the technical crew picks to replace Enyeama, needs to take some time to grow like him because it also took him a lot of time to become what he is today.

Fine, he took over from me and it took some time for people to have confidence in him. At the moment, it is difficult for any new goalkeeper to step into Enyeama’s shoes but it is a challenge they have to face.

In spite of the abundance of talents you have identified, why do you then think it is going to be difficult to get a successor for Enyeama ?

The technical crew has brought in Carl Ikeme who, no doubt, is a good goalkeeper but my fear is that he hasn’t played so much in Africa. It will get to a time when you call a goalkeeper from outside to play for Nigeria, but when he sees the situation in the country, he gets discouraged. So that is my own fear about him but he’s a good goalkeeper. We still have Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi, Femi Thomas and Austin Ejide but in terms of experience, I will go for Akpeyi and Austin Ejide but at present, we have Ikeme doing well in goal but my fear is ‘can he cope with the situation in Africa’?.

When selecting goalkeeper for the Eagles, what are the qualities you watch out for?

The goalkeeper must have the belief that he’s the last person in the goal post and must be ready to save his team from embarrassment. A goalkeeper must be in total fitness, his ball handling and distribution must be a great asset to the team.

Has there been cases when the chief coach did not agree with your first choice?

Yes for sure. You know sometime the chief coach might say ‘this is what I want’. We always

7 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Mali 2002: Senegal won because I was scared of injury —Ike Shorunmu need to deliberate on the choice I make. I know the chief coach would always ask me to defend the choice I make and my responsibility is to justify my choice. Many times I insist that the chief coach shows respect and belief in me because he knows I can do it and that is why he made me the keepers’ coach. We dialogue and conclude.

From your interaction with Enyeama, is he a controversial player and if what was reported between him and Sunday Oliseh had occurred during your time, what would have been your advice on how to handle the case?

I wouldn’t like to say anything because I am not part of the team, but I can tell you that when we were there, a lot of things happened and we kept them secret and from the prying eyes of the public. I will just give an advice to the handlers of the national team that they need to know how to manage the players, that’s all.

Which match will you describe as the one you cannot forget and why is it memorable to you both at club and national team level?

There are a lot of them but there was a particular one that the whole country was waiting for the Nations Cup title, that was the one Nigeria co- hosted with Ghana in 2000. We lost to Cameroon on penalties in the final in Lagos and it was so unfortunate but thank God; what we missed in 2000, we got in 2013 in South Africa away from home but then as a coach and not as a player.

Why do you think goalkeepers have not won awards such as CAF, UEFA or world footballer of the year?

Goalkeeping is a sensitive department, yet it is the last department people think of because what they are looking for are goals and nothing else but goals.

And again for the goalkeeper to win award, he has to do the extraordinary but years back that we have had some great goalkeepers like Thomas Nkono of Cameroon who had won the African title. It can still happen but it might take some time.

Who was your role model as a goalkeeper?

Peter Schmeichel, the former goalkeeper of Manchester United and our own Peter Rufai.

I fancy the way they marshalled their area, they way they positioned themselves, the way they organised their team and the kind of courage they had during tough moments greatly moved me.

Incidentally, I met Rufai in the Eagles, we were together in 1994 and we shared a lot of experience. We were in Tunisia for the ‘94 Africa Cup of Nations, then I was the youngest goalkeeper in the team. So he came from nowhere and I was later dropped.

I couldn’t begrudge him because this was a man I admired a lot.

Again when we were on our way to America for the USA ’94 World Cup, the first World Cup for Nigeria, they did the same thing, then I said to myself, maybe my time has not come. I met Schmeichel in Zurich, Switzerland when he came to play for Denmark in an international friendly. I went to his hotel room and held discussions with him where he encouraged me a lot. He gave me a lot of advice and I took the advice and it really helped me.

Which coach has the biggest influence on your career?

There was a coach I met when I was in Stationery Stores Football Club of Lagos, the late Austin Ofokwu. He was the headcoach then, he gave me all the belief that I can go far, that I should keep on doing what I know. I shouldn’t look back and I should try and try, at the end of the day thank God for what I am today, it is as a result of courage and confidence he gave me. I was the third goalkeeper when I was signed at the end of the day; I emerged the number one goalkeeper in the team and I spent four years there without any regret.

Why is it difficult for African keepers to make it big in Europe?

Good question, years back, it was not that difficult for African goalkeepers. A shot that an African would hold one-time, an European keeper would handle, drop and pick it up again. In Europe, things are changing, they now have a rule in their country that whoever needs to secure the services of a goalkeeper needs to pay some fees, so a keeper needs to be extraordinary before he can be contracted in any club in Europe. They believe they need

I felt so bad, a lot of people told me it was a spiritual attack but I don’t believe in it

Shorunmu

In your days as a goalkeeper, which player did you dread most?

Anyone who plays against this player will know he’s a warrior, he is Gabriel Batistuta from Argentina. I played against him when I was in the national team and I played against him in Fiorentina in Italy. My team was in Italy for a pre-season friendly against Fiorentina in 1996, he gave me a lot of pressure before I now met him again at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/Korea. Batistuta is a warrior.

might speculate that Ike was charmed by his rivals. Those days were not just my time but I recall the day I got injured in 1998, it was painful. That fateful night, I was asked to forget about the World Cup and that I would spend about five months before I could recover. I was so sad and it was five weeks to the World Cup. I don’t believe in any spiritual attack. Thank God I finally played in the World Cup. There was a lot of controversies before I could make the team to the 2002 World Cup. Before the first game against Argentina, I said ‘thank God, I have been looking for this opportunity since 1994 and today I am facing Argentina, a real big team’. It was really a big feeling but I had to hold myself not to be under unnecessary pressure because the whole world was looking at me. I encouraged myself to take it as a normal game but there was a lot of pressure on me . We lost the game but I had a good game.

Can you recall the feeling you had during your first World Cup game in 2002 against Argentina?

It was a dream come true. In 1994, they said I was the youngest goalkeeper in the team and I was dropped. In 1998, I had the golden opportunity to play in France, I had an injury. I felt so bad, a lot of people told me it was a spiritual attack but I don’t believe in it because God knows about everything that happens.

They said I was too young in 1994 to play in the World Cup, was that from the devil or a spiritual attack? The injury I had in 1998 wasn’t from the national team, I was injured during a club game in Switzerland. Were it to be from the national team, they

Can you recall your feelings during Mali 2002 Nations Cup? I passed out during a collision with Isaac Okoronkwo, one of my defenders, but I thank God, my life was saved through the provision of good medical care in Mali. I was on oxygen in the ambulance on my way to the hospital. I spent just one night and I was not supposed to play in the semi-final game against Senegal, but for the entreaties from my team-mates who said they really believed in me. However, during the game, I wasn’t myself, because I was nursing the fear of another injury.

Unfortunately, we lost the game 1-2 and I was a bit at fault due to the fear of yet another collision.

to improve their country’s goalkeepers because they have some problems in this department in their national teams, so they want to build and improve on their youth goalkeepers to upgrade and to join the team and play. When you play for your team the confidence will be there for you to play well for the national team.

English Premiership fixtures Bournemouth vs Leicester vs Man Utd vs Norwich vs Sunderland vs

NO 1124

SATURDAY, 7 NOVEMEBER, 2015

Newcastle Watford West Brom Swansea Southampton

1:45pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm

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vs Everton 4:00pm vs Chelsea 6:30pm Sunday, November 8 vs Man City 2:30pm vs Tottenham 5:00pm vs Crystal Palace 5:00pm

Eaglets’ scoring instinct made the difference

The Golden Eaglets players celebrate their victory in the semifinal over Mexico.

—Mexico coach

By Ganiyu Salman

U-17 World Cup:

I almost sacked Amuneke — Pinnick • Nigeria sets up All-Africa final against Mali

By Ahmed Pele

P

West Ham Stoke City

Aston Villa Arsenal Liverpool

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Pinnick has made a revelation that he was under immense pressure to sack the current Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

Amuneke and his team to the African championships held in Niger earlier in the year did not meet the expectations of many Nigerians and Pinnick revealed that he stuck to his gun to retain the former Barcelona star as the U-17 coach.

“I’m extremely happy for Emmanuel Amuneke because he, along with other officials, have demonstrated that they are good fathers to you all and I’m glad that I was able to withstand the pressure to sack him when the team failed to win the African Champi-

onship trophy in Niger Republic.

“Here in Chile, Emmanuel has shamed all the doubting Thomases but I don’t want you to forget that the most important match is against Mali on Sunday,” he said.

This is a life-time opportunity for you to write your names in gold and you know how appreciative our country can be to winners and heroes. Sunday is the day to write your names into the history books,” Pinnick noted.

The Eaglets finished fourth at the 11th African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic where Mali emerged as champions, while the duo of South Africa and Guinea also finished ahead of the Amuneke-tutored side.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets in the early hours of Friday dumped baby El Tri of Mexico 4-2 at the Estadio Municipal Ester Roa, Concepcion, to set

up the second All-African U-17 World Cup final against Mali tomorrow in Vina Del Mar. It will be recalled that Nigeria’s Eaglets also featured in the first all-African final in 1993 in Japan when it pipped Ghana’s Black Starlets 2-1.

Interestingly, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen may have sealed the adidas Golden Boot award with another strike against the Mexicans to take his goal haul to nine.

The feat also equalled the alltime goal record in the competition jointly held by (French Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly) when he netted his ninth goal of the tournament from the spot.

The Golden Eaglets also beat the baby El Tri twice at the last tournament in UAE two years ago – winning a group game 6-1

before they stopped them 3-0 in the final.

Mexico deservedly led 1-0 through Kevin Magana’s strike after a good work from the right wing by Lara, who beat Udochukwu Anamudu.

Golden Eaglets captain, Kelechi Nwakali drew parity with a superbly taken 25-yard free kick in the 35th minute.

Nigeria then took the lead for the first time in the game in the 43rd with a 20-yard cracker from Orji Okonkwo, who released a rocket shot after he cut in from the left wing.

However, Mexico made it 2-2 through a magical solo goal by Diego Cortes.

Oshinachi Ebere got on the scoreboard in the 67th minute, when his low shot from inside the box was helped home by the Mexico shot stopper.

COACH of Mexico, Mario Arteaga has said that the scoring ability of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets forced his wards to lose the semi-final encounter at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

The four-time world champions had in the early hours of Friday after a goal down stunned baby El Tri of Mexico at the Estadio Municipal Ester Roa, Concepcion 4-2 .

Goals from Kelechi Nwakali, Orji Okonkwo, Osinachi Ebere and Victor Osimhen ended the hope of the Mexicans who scored through Kevin Magana and Diego Cortes.

Mario stated that his wards were fully prepared for the Eaglets, but failed to maximise the scoring chances that came their way.

“We know that it would be a tough game, the toughest game in this World Cup. Both teams had chances.

Unfortunately we didn’t score, Nigeria did. This was the difference. But that is football.

“After our equaliser we thought we controlled the game but then Nigeria scored surprisingly. We wanted to reach the final but we failed.

Of course the team is sad but we have to focus now on the third place match,” Mario told FIFA. com.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s coach, Emmanuel Amuneke said his wards are looking forward to playing in the final against fellow Africans, the Les Aiglonnets of Mali.

Amuneke

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: LASISI OLAGUNJU. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 7/11/2015.