8th May 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 2,045

SUNDAY, 8 MAY, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

Back from hell: What our abductors told us •Anisulowo, Methodist bishop recount

Boko Haram infiltrates herdsmen

pg4

•Terror members disguise as cattlemen, security sources reveal •Herdsmen kill 6 in Taraba •Why Buhari ordered crackdown on killer gangs

Life now terrible in Nigeria — Adeboye

•Prays against kidnapping, hardship •Nigeria now a black market economy — Experts

N200

Nigerian Tribune

7 Pgs 5&3

What my mum thinks about my career —L.A.X

LEICESTER CITY, CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND!!!

Pg41 Pg2

Oil installations:

Expect more bombings •Militants tell FG •Monarchs, others condemn attacks Pg5

Buhari takes anti-corruption battle to UK

3 Pgs 4&4

•Fayose condemns EFCC

Coach and players of Leicester City FC celebrating their English Premiership title on Saturday. PHOTO: DAILYMAIL

Police job: Most applicants have

pg4

failed — IGP •Sayscandidatesabove30yearswon’tberecruited

2

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

specialreport Black Market Economy!

Nigeria slides… Greater hardship as citizens source elusive dollar

Despite the signing of the 2016 Budget into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, experts who spoke with CHIMA NWOKOJI warned that trouble is not yet over for Nigeria as the economy is fast sliding into the abyss of black marketers… Otherwise known as Black Market Economy.

Fuel hawkers in the street of Lagos during the fuel scarcity

F

RESH facts have emerged that Nigerians may face more difficult times in the nearest future as unofficial (black) market dominates buying and selling of both premium motor spirit (PMS) and the United States dollar.

Although finance and economic experts have warned against dangers of what they describe as growing ‘black market economy’, and have suggested possible solutions, the federal government insists that it is working on long term solution, rather than applying temporary measures.

In February, the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to meet demands for dollars forced the Naira to depreciate to a record low of N385-N400/ US$1.00, showing an unprecedented week-on-week decline of 13.8 per cent in the parallel (black) market.

Also, the lingering fuel shortage which shot up fuel price to N200 doubled transport fares in many parts of the country following the continued scarcity of the product and increase in parallel market activities. The current respite notwithstanding, most Nigerians still buy fuel at

N120, N50 more than the regulated price of N86.50k However, Dr. Ayodele Teriba, Chief Economist And Managing Director of the Economic Intelligence Group, Economic Associates, did not believe the ‘black market economy’ will last long and as such may not be a threat.

In a chat with Sunday Tribune on Thursday, he said if government should do the right thing, dollar supply through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) will improve and limit patronage of ‘black market’ in the foreign exchange (forex) segment.

Teriba blamed the federal government for not doing what it ought to have done before now; stressing that government constituted, and continues to constitute, the biggest obstacle to the inflow of Foreign Direct Investments.

Encouraging inflow of more dollars into the economy, according to him, can be achieved as soon as government removes its hands from the energy sector, as well as other sectors and make the country attractive for irreversible investment inflow.

His words: “Nigeria only needs to create more condu-

cive environment to actualise evident growth prospects.

Business interests will do well to encourage the government to liberalise rail transport and energy (gas, and power) sectors in the short term, as federal government monopoly has constituted, and continues to constitute, the biggest obstacle to the inflow of FDI into large network infrastructure sectors that could catalyse the growth of all other sectors in the Nigerian economy.”

To him, government has refused to do to other key sectors what it did to telecommunications sector. That is why most of these problems, like patronage of unofficial market, linger.

In the same thinking, Senior Associate & Head, Investment Research at Afrinvest West Africa Limited, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, further explains why ‘black market’ exists.

In a telephone conversation, the investment research expert explained that patronage of the unofficial market is usually caused by scarcity of forex and scarcity of fuel.

Continues pg 3

3

specialreport

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Tough times ahead as underground economy thrives

Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Finance Minister

Continued from pg 2 These two, in a way, are increasing misery in the economy.

Misery in the land According to Ebo,buying dollars and fuel from unofficial sources is already digging deep hole into individual household pockets because people are spending more with old salaries and value of Naira income in general is declining due to inflation.

“Black market affects standard of living in so many ways. While most consumers may shun the black market, because they consider it risky and exploitative, there may be rare occasions when they have no choice but to turn to this necessary evil.

“Yet, you are not sure of what you are buying and you are equally paying more money,” he explained.

Meanwhile, because factories are closing down in Nigeria, as genuine businesses who need the forex cannot get dollars and the lucky ones who get forex allocation are quietly changing their business model from manufacturing to round-tripping their dollar allocations, job losses are prevalent.

Ebo said this situation has added to the level of suffering as the misery index continues to go higher.

To economists, the misery index is an economic indicator created by economist Arthur Okun, that helps determine how the average citizen is doing economically and it is calculated by adding the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to the annual inflation rate.

A herd of economic experts recently agreed that economic policies of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari are failing to spur growth and instead leading to a rise in inflation and unemployment. The country’s misery index, which combines the unemployment rate and yearover-year growth in its consumer price index recently, spiked to 21.3 per cent level, a blow they said, to the President’s economic philosophy or Buharinomics.

Other analysts are unanimous that ‘black market’ is taking a toll on the economy, since it is a shadow market where economic activities are not recorded and taxes are not paid.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) once expressed concern that “About 80,000 jobs are at risk in the manufacturing sector.

“43 items banned by CBN in a bid to check speculative

President Muhammadu Buhari

activities in the forex market led to constraint of over 700 business lines, it said” Most policy analysts said the net effect is that the economy has slowed down and is nearly grinding to a halt.

Companies are retrenching staff as they cannot produce.

Unemployment and social misery is rapidly compounding and will compound in an accelerated fashion if the current policy is not reviewed.

Unlike the good intention professed by the president, Nigerians are not the ones benefiting from this current fixed exchange rate policy but few Nigerians who are privileged to allocate or get dollars at official rate who are making huge fortunes on dollar price arbitrage.

“In the black market economy’ cost of production is high, the risk of fraud, the possibility of violence, being saddled with counterfeit goods or adulterated products (which is especially dangerous in the case of medications), and the fact that the buyer has no recourse.

“Also, buying fuel from the parallel market increases company’s overhead cost because instead of N86.50 regulated price, people are buying at N200 per litre” the Afrinvest research expert regretted.

Other analysts believe that unlike President Buhari would have wished, even those who get the dollar at N196, if they ever really do any manufacturing or trading,

Unlike the good intention professed by the president, Nigerians are not the ones benefiting from this current fixed exchange rate policy but few Nigerians who are privileged to allocate or get dollars at official rate who are making huge fortunes on dollar price arbitrage

Mr Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

are not pricing their inputs and final products at N196 to a dollar. Every business is pricing their input at close to parallel market rates to determine their final shelf and market price.

“Output is down, inflation is rising and unemployment is beginning to accelerate as companies close down or rationalise operations. Investment confidence has been eroded leading to massive capital flights. In a country that need foreign direct investment to support its low capital formation, government’s inability to control dominance of underground economy has left much to be desired,” stated Sola Obadimu, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Society of Engineers.

Are CBN and NNPC helpless?

As dollar shortage grips Nigeria following the plunge in the price of oil, the country’s biggest export, the line between legal currency exchange houses and a booming black-market business is growing thin. The situation according to analysts, seems to be too big a task for authorities to handle.

Although the Central Bank of Nigeria has been doing everything within its powers to discourage Nigerians from petronising the unofficial market, the truth remains that the apex bank is helpless in meeting dollar demand at the official window.

In fact, Director of Monetary policy, CBN, Moses Tule, recently admitted that “the Central Bank does not manufacture dollars.”

According to him, “Nigeria is undoubtedly a big economy, but we are faced with a big shock today because we did not put our house in order. If you don’t earn foreign exchange by doing legitimate business, the Naira will depreciate.”

Just as the CBN is incapable of meeting huge dollar demand in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is also incapable of meeting demand for domestic consumption of fuel, especially as major and independent marketers were yet to fully start full importation of fuel products.

Speaking in Lagos at a town hall meeting, recently Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, lamented that NNPC cannot track fuel trucks as there were cases of diversion to other countries.

“Over 30 per cent of (fuel) supply is diverted,” he said.

Continues pg 9

news Boko Haram infiltrates herdsmen 4

8 May, 2016

•Again, Fulani herdsmen kill 6 in Taraba From Jacob Segun Olatunjiandf Sylvanus Viashima

I

NDICATIONS have emerged that some of the crimes being committed by Fulani herdsmen could be the handiwork of the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists.

Sunday Tribune gathered that some of the fleeing terrorists, who were being smoked out by the military in the North-East, had penetrated many parts of the country by disguising as cattlemen and using herds of cattle as a decoy.

This is just as another group of suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Saturday, killed six people in Korum, Orawua and Gidan Bature villages in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, barely two weeks after they killed 19 in Donga and Bali local government areas of the state.

A top security source told Sunday Tribune that the clinical manner villages were ransacked and the type of sophisticated weapons by the criminals had caused security officials to conclude on the possibility of a fresh organised assault by the terror elements.

The source, while sharing some of the new tactics, disclosed that during their investigation of recent abductions carried out particularly in Kogi State and the herdsmen attacks in some parts of the country, it was discovered that the clinical manner the perpetrators executed their acts had a semblance of terrorists’ operations.

According to the source, the fleeing terrorists, knowing that herdsmen had thoroughfare in all

parts of the country, would rustle their cattle, kill their owners and herd the animals towards the South to escape being arrested by the troops.

While not exonerating the ordinary cattlemen of some of the crimes, the security source said “some of them are innocent. But what we are worried about is the professional manner the crimes were committed, which many of us believe is beyond the ordinary herdsman. We are looking beyond mere communal clashes,” the source stated.

A highly placed Presidency source also confirmed the claim of the security source. The source told Sunday Tribune in Abuja that the scales of attacks and possibility of external penetration had caused President Muhammadu Buhari to order immediate crackdown on the criminal elements. The likely connection of Boko Haram terrorists or other incendiary groups to the attacks, it is said, is not being overlooked.

“I can categorically tell you that President Buhari has directed all the security agencies to immediately swing into action and unmask the masterminds of the herdsmen clashes around the country before the nation is thrown into another round of crises.

“The president is worried and will not want to jump into a conclusion on the matter; he needs accurate information on the matter before taking appropriate and decisive action in order to stop the madness.

“The Fulani herdsmen have been operating in the

nooks and crannies of the country carrying out their activities without clashing with their host communities. They move around with their cows in numbers and the most offensive weapons you can see with them was either knives or cutlasses with their sticks to direct their cows. But now the reverse is the case as most of them now move around with weapons like AK-47 rifles, double barrels, pistols and what have you?

“If you see the way these herdsmen attack their victims now, you will think you are watching the film of something happening in other land. At times, they kidnap and kill. They maim and do all sorts of things alien to the ordinary Fulani herdsman,” the presidency source explained..

“The thinking now,” he stated further, “is that the herdsmen might have been infiltrated by criminal elements from the Boko Haram group which is now under heavy military attacks or infiltrated by foreign mercenaries fighting similar cause to that of the

group because of the types of weapons being used to carry out their activities.

“We believe that at the end of the investigation, the security agencies will be able to come up with something tangible to address the situation at hand.

We want to know the people behind them, whether it is religion or politically motivated or just natural. All we can say now is that the clashes are not ordinary.”

According to the source, the president had ordered inter-agencies collaboration to unravel the mystery.

“The security forces involved are the Department of State Service (DSS), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), Nigeria Intelligence Agency, the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others and the assignment regarded as top secret will be coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the source added.

A senior personnel of the DSS, who also spoke with the Sunday Tribune over the matter and who craved anonymity, confirmed that

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will, on Tuesday, travel to London to participate in the international anti-corruption summit which will be held in the British capital on Thursday A statement by the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in Abuja on Saturday, said “as an internationally recognised leader in the global fight against corruption,” Buhari would play a prominent part in the summit which will be hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron with many other heads of state and government in attendance.

It said the president

would, ahead of the summit’s opening, deliver a keynote address entitled: Why We Must Tackle Corruption Together, at a pre-summit conference of development partners, the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Transparency International and other civil society groups on Wednesday.

The statement added that Buhari is one of the world leaders scheduled to speak at the opening session of the anti-corruption summit with others, including Prime Minister Cameron and the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim. “Thereafter, President Buhari will join other participating heads of state

6 killed in Taraba The village head of Korum, one of the villages affected by the latest attack in Taraba State told Sunday Tribune that the armed herdsmen launched attack on the villages around 2:00 am, killing six people.

He added that eight cars were burnt by the herdsmen who razed the entire community comprising over 500 households, even as dozens of people who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the MDGs clinic in Yerima, First Referral Hospital, Mutum Biyu and Ityav Clinic, a private hospital in Yerima.

Residents told Sunday Tribune that trouble started when the displaced Tiv people returned to the area on the order of Governor Darius Ishaku.

According to the residents, the Emir of Gassol Alhaji Idi Ciroma and his chiefs sold the farmlands belonging to the Tiv people who were displaced during the crisis that engulfed the state between 2013 and 2015.

“The Emir and his local chiefs sold our farmlands to the Fulanis who came from other places to settle on our ancestral land. We can’t farm because the Fulanis are not allowing us. They claimed our land were sold to them by the local chiefs and the Emir of Gassol himself.

“The attack would not have happened if the Emir Alhaji Idi Ciroma responded to security threats in the area when we reported the problem to him. The little crops we have planted have already been taken over by the herdsmen who have turned our farms into grazing field,” they stated. continues on pg 5

Police job: Most applicants have failed —Arase •Processing of applications begins in June

By Dare Adekanmbi INSPECTOR General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, has disclosed that most of the over 843, 000 applications received from candidates seeking employment as police recruits will not get the job as they have failed the age limit for applicants.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) stipulates

28 years bar in the forms it asked applicants interested in 10, 000 available police jobs to fill in.

As of last week Monday, 843, 008 applications had been submitted to PSC and police websites by applicants.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja against the backdrop of his first year as IGP, Arase, who is retiring soon, revealed that most

Buhari takes anti-corruption battle to UK LeonUsigbe-Abuja

the service was already carrying out investigations even before the presidential directive came.

The source, however, declined further enquiries on the level of their investigation, saying “all I can tell you is that we are working along with other sister security agencies to unravel the mystery behind the herdsmen’s bloody clashes with their host communities.”

Sunday Tribune

and government at special plenary sessions on Exposing Corruption, Tackling Corruption and Driving out Corruption,” the statement added.

The statement noted that in his address to the summit and interactions with other participating leaders, President Buhari would urge the international community to move faster on the dismantling of safe havens for the proceeds of corruption and the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.

He will also reaffirm his administration’s commitment to the fight against corruption and the Federal Government’s readiness to partner with international agencies and other coun-

tries to identify, apprehend and punish corrupt public officials.

President Buhari’s delegation to the summit will include the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami and the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

Before returning to Abuja on Friday, the president is expected to have a separate meeting with Prime Minister Cameron to discuss ongoing Nigeria-Britain collaboration in the war against corruption and terrorism, as well as other issues, including trade and economic relations between both countries.

of the applicants were between 30 and 34 years of age, adding that such applicants were too old.

He also disclosed that the events that would culminate in the recruitment of successful candidates would begin next month.

“The final process is going to be next month because all those that are uploading details are about 30, 34 (years). All those ones are too old. We won’t select them.

“So, all those 700, 000 or 800, 000 (applications) you are seeing, a lot of them will be knocked out when the system meets them because when you don’t meet the age criterion, you are sorted out (applications are thrown out).

“When your academic qualification doesn’t meet up, you are sorted out (applications are thrown out).

“There will be examination, but it will come out from the various states and once we know the numbers, we point them state by state and all government people will do their own.

“The state will do theirs and it will come from the bottom to the top. I never knew Nigerians would like the police like this,” he said.

The IGP remarked fur-

ther that training of successful candidates would be decentralised to the six geo-political zones where he said good-enough facilities would are available.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) said it received 843,008 applications as of 1.00p.m May 2 from applicants seeking enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force.

This is contained in an update issued by Mr Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission in Abuja last Monday.

He said that 243,327 applications were received for Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) cadre.

Ani added that 197,990 and 401,691 applied for the Inspector and Police Constable (PC) cadres respectively.

The commission recently said in a statement that it would recruit 500 Cadet ASP, 500 Cadet Inspectors, 1,500 Specialist Officers and 7, 500 Constables in the recruitment of 10,000 policemen.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the recruitment of 10,000 policemen into the nation’s Police Force to reinforce the police for better service.

The exercise is expected to close on May 13.

5

news

8 May, 2016

Expect more bombings, militants tell FG Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

A

group of militants in the Niger Delta have declared that there will be more attacks and killings at major oil stations to cripple the economy until the Federal Government addresses some issues affecting the country.

This was as the group de-

scribed governors in the region, particularly those in the South-East, as cowards for their seeming silence in the face of repeated attacks

by Fulani herdsmen.

The militants, under the aegis of Concerned Militant Leaders (CMLs), made this known in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday, and made available to Sunday

Tribune.

Members of the group further said they were in support of the militants who bombed the Chevron platform in Abiteye, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, during the week.

They also threatened to bomb more oil flow stations in the region, just as they described the incessant attacks by the Fulani hersd-

Again, Fulani herdsmen kill 6 in Taraba continued from pg4 “The Emir, himself a Fulani, has not shown any concern even when cows eat our crops and we report to him. His inaction led to the attack on our community yesterday in which no fewer than six people were killed,” one of the victims, Terver Akporogh, told Sunday Tribune.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joseph, confirmed the attack but said details were still sketchy.

But the Special Adviser to the governor on Security Matters, Wonukem Agyo, told journalists that the Army Commanding Officers of 20 Battalion, Serti and 93 Battalion, Takum had been contact-

ed to deploy their men to clamp down on the attackers.

The attack came days after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Inspector General of Police and Chief of Army Staff to clamp down on armed Fulani herdsmen terrorising communities across the country.

men on their host communities as an indirect war by the Federal Government.

Spokesperson of the group, simply known as General Ben, described the governors as cowards for not putting up any resistance in the face of the attacks.

He said, in the statement, that the group was more annoyed that the governors could not rise up for outright condemnation of the havoc Fulani herdsmen had wreaked in their respective states.

He said the group was also sadenned by the recent killings in Aba, Abia State, allegedly by soldiers, saying it was too challenging.

“The Fulani cattle rearers recently killed our people in Ukpabi Nimbo, in Uzouwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“Also, before then, they had killed our Igbo brethren in Irete, Imo State; they have

also murdered our people in Delta State and many other places. Last Thursday, soldiers killed two innocent persons in Aba, Abia State.

“In all these unwarranted killings, the governors cannot come out and tell Federal Government that ‘enough is enough’. It is shameful that we do not have governors who are bold.

“They cannot even condemn the Grazing Bill. This is unacceptable. Grazing Bill should be for the North and not the Niger Delta region.

This is another Boko Haram in disguise in the region. It

THE Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State chap-

Former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, in an interview with newsmen, revealed her ordeal in the hands of abductors. OLAYINKA OLUKOYA was there. Excerpts:

North.

As the security were closing in on them, they kept moving me from one place to the other. There was a day I was moved four times. They were moving me on a motorcycle. At times, we would be four on the motorcycle.

WHAT did go to farm to do on the day you were abducted?

It rained the day before, and so I thought that it would be good to go and plant maize on the farm, because the soil would have been softened.

Were you given mat to sleep on in the forest?

Nobody gave me any mat. I slept on leaves and palm fronds were used as my pillow. I was exposed to the harsh weather.

When the first night rain fell, it drenched me, and if it is the sun, it came directly on me.

In the night, I didn’t normally sleep because those keeping watch over me would be smoking weed (Indian hemp) and the smoke would cover everywhere.

Anisulowo members of the House of Representatives to also give N500,000 each. They said the total would be more than N100m.

When they heard that the governor of Ogun State showed interest in my case, they now raised it to N200m.

Don’t you think these people may have been trailing you for some time?

The kingpin of the gang told me that they had been trailing for about two months before they finally succeeded in abducting me.

Did you or your family give them any ransom?

Though the kidnappers were checking my phone and asking me whether I don’t have anyone who they could call to pay the ransom, until I gained my freedom, we did not pay any ransom.

Did they tell you the reason you were kidnapped?

Yes, the kingpin said they heard that I am very rich. They said they were told I had houses in London, Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State. They even said I had foreign account. But I told them I don’t have any house in Lagos and that I don’t have any foreign account. They told me I was a former senator and a former minister, and they wanted to share out of my wealth.

But I told them I was a minister over 20 years ago and did not loot the treasury, and that I represented Ogun West Senatorial District at the Senate between 2003 and 2007. I told them I am now a farmer.

What was the first ransom they demanded from you, and what was your response?

First, they demanded N100 million ransom and I told them I don’t have huge sum of money. They started threatening me, that they would hold me for long, if I don’t provide the ransom. They even suggested to me that, as a former senator, I should call the current senators in the Senate, that they should contribute N1 million each, and then call

Where were you kept throughout the one-week ordeal?

I was kept in the forest throughout and at every point, three of the kidnappers were keeping watch over me. One was armed with gun and another one with knife, and the other one was responsible for going to buy me water.

In your first interview at the Government House on Tuesday night, you said you did not eat there but drank only water. Why did you choose to go only on water?

I was the one who refused to take the food offered me. They brought amala in nylon, they brought eba. But since I did not know how they prepared them, I refused to eat them. I only demanded water, and they were buying two bottles of Eva water for me everyday. That was what I survived on.

The day you were kidnapped, could you recognise the location you were taken to?

Though it was inside the forest, I could recognise that it was Igan Okoto, then later to Aiyetoro, later Obada Idieme in Imeko Afon Local Government, before I was moved to Gbegbinlawo in Abeokuta

cannot happen.

“We are telling them [Niger Delta governors] that we will give maximum support to any group that comes out to fight oppression in whatever disguise, against our people.

“It is an abomination for a stranger or visitor to kill the owner of the house. We cannot allow it to go freely,” the statement read.

The militants said they were not part of the amnesty programme of Federal Government and gave a two-week ultimatum to the Fulani herdsmen to vacate the Niger Delta region.

Ogun doctors, non-medical staff trade blame

My abductors asked me to call NASS members for ransom —Anisulowo

It was reported that when you were abducted by the four-man gang wielding guns and sword, they took you away on an okada, using a hood to cover your head?

That was true. They put me on their motorcycle.

They used a cloth to cover my face, but I told them that I could no longer see. They then used the farm cap I put on to cover my face.

Sunday Tribune

Did you ever think you will be rescued alive while in captivity?

I knew I would not die there because I reminded God to remember the role I played in the creation of the two Yewa Local Governments (South and North), and I was held captive within the local government areas. And God did hear my prayer.

Did you sustain any injury during your abduction?

Yes, I got injured on the motorcycle, the hot silencer gave a burn on my right leg. There was a time myself and my captors fell on the motorcycle, because the terrain was a thick forest, full of trees.

At times, I would hear songs from a church close to where we were, but nobody could imagine someone could be in the thick bush nearby. At times, it would be call to prayers from a mosque. It was a harrowing experience. I would spend eight hours on ground, eight hours standing and use another eight hours to pray.

How were you rescued?

Perhaps my abductors knew the game was up, so that day they did not buy me the two bottled water they usually give me daily. The pressure from the security agents -federal, state and the vigilantewas too much for them. So they brought me out, and they led me to the road and told me how I would find my way to Gbegbinlawo village. That was how I walked to the village. I went to the palace of the traditional ruler there. It was there the wife gave me the clothes that I wore to the Government House.

ter, has accused the nonmedical staff of the centre of fleecing the institution for selfish ends thus hampering the provision of adequate healthcare for patients.

MDCAN’s accusation came against the backdrop of an earlier allegation against it by the non-medical staff who alleged that the doctors had derailed from their primary objectives of making positive contributions to healthcare delivery.

The Joint Health Workers Staff Union (JOHESU), led

by Mr Samuel Idowu, had embarked on a week-long strike, accusing the doctors of lacklustre attitude to work and almost turning the health facility to a death zone.

But MDCAN, in a statement jointly signed Dr Gabriel Awodeyin and Dr Jabez Akinipe, denied the allegation and blasted the non-medical staff of lacking knowledge on the workings of health institutions.

The consultants said the non-medical staff were envious of the doctors and were trying to equate themselves with the doctors so as to blackmail them into submission.

They accused the nonmedical staff of being interested only in power and position, with strike as their modus operandi, while caring less about patients’ welfare.

“In FMC, Abeokuta, the negative activities of JOHESU leadership has reached a feverish pitch and requires urgent appropriate action.

They claim falsely that patients now buy sachet water to bathe and that there is no light in the hospital.

These are laughable and only lend credence to the fact that they sabotage the effort of the management to provide water and electricity,” the statement said.

crimereports Kill me if you catch me for robbery again, suspect tells police 6

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

By Oluwatoyin Malik

catching me.

N ex-inmate of Ilorin prison, Teslim Mohammed, who was recently arrested by the operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Oyo/Ogbomoso annex, while planning a robbery attack with his gang members, has blamed the devil for his return to crime.

This was just as he vowed that he would never return to crime if let off the hook this time, saying that police should not hesitate to kill him if he was caught again.

The suspect was among other gang members paraded by the Oyo State Police Command at its headquarters in Ibadan on April, 28.

Speaking on the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, disclosed that two of the gang members broke into the residence of one Adelakun Adekola, a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and stole his official single barrel gun issued to him by the local government for security purpose, with the aim of using it to commit crime.

He stated further that the hoodlums cut the gun to a size that would enable them conceal it during robbery operations but two of them, Ajibesin Solomon (22) and Adeniyi Tunde (32), were arrested while planning a robbery operation to be carried out in some parts of Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ilorin, Kwara State.

As a follow-up, the SARS operatives also arrested six other suspected gang members on April 26 at about 3a.m.. They include Aliu Wale Azeez a.k.a AZ (28), Teslim Mohammed (26), Olanrewaju Ajayi (23), Kehinde Abiodun (28), Adeleke Adeyemi (26), and Adamu Mohammed (23).

The gang was said to be notorious and were operating in Oyo and Ogbomoso axis of Oyo State and Ilorin, Kwara State. Recovered from the suspects were three cut-to-size barrel guns, three locally-made pistols, 14 live cartridges, four jack knives, six cutlasses, one saw blade, assorted criminal charms, among other items.

Crime Reports interviewed some of the arrested suspects. Below are the excerpts of the interview:

Aliu Wale Azeez (AZ) Tosin and I were not really in the same gang; only that we come from the same place. I have also been to the prison. Tosin only wanted me to connect Teslim with one Anthony Femi; that was why he gave my number to Teslim when he was leaving prison. Femi brought a gun and joined it with the one Teslim had. I was asked to keep the guns and I did.

That was the only involvement I had and it was the mistake I made.

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The suspects

Teslim Mohammed I am from Erin-Ile in Kwara State but live at Sango, Ilorin. I was a drycleaner. It was Tunde who brought a gun to me that he wanted to sell it. I knew Tunde in Ilorin; he was a carpenter. Tunde knew me as a hard guy and we used to meet at hemp joint.

I called my friend, AZ, to cut it to size, after which we kept it beside a primary school in Ilorin. After that, we attempted to use it to rob at Gaa Akanbi area of Ilorin but we were unsuccessful. Tunde was later challenged and arrested, while we fled. One of us, Solomon, who returned to his residence at Gambari

in Ogbomoso, was also challenged by his community members and he was arrested. Tunde brought police to arrest me.

I was once remanded in prison after we robbed some students in Ilorin.

I spent close to a year in prison before I was granted bail. The case is still in court. I got AZ’s number

from a prison’s inmate called Tosin. It was AZ who gave me the number of another gang member, Bayo.

I don’t understand myself; it was the devil’s work that made me do the job. If I am let off the hook, I will never venture into crime again. If I try to commit crime again, the police should kill me after

Tunde Adeniyi (32) I am into carpentry and furniture making. Solomon Ajibesin and I stole the gun of a man who lives in our community and works as a security guard.

We wanted to use the gun to snatch a car in Ilorin. It was the owner of the gun who came to ask me of his gun. I believe he used juju to detect that I was the one who stole the gun from his house.

Civil Defence foils fuel diversion attempt in Oyo Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri

IN the face of acute fuel scarcity in Nigeria, with the attendant hike in its prices, some saboteurs who have decided to make their fortunes from taking petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to neighbouring countries to sell at a higher prices, have been nabbed by officials of Oyo State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Parading seven suspects before journalists in Saki, Oyo State, on Monday, May 2, the state commandant, Mr Jao Adewoye, disclosed that they were apprehended on Sunday, May 1, at about 2:00a.m., in a mechanic workshop premises at Elewure Street, off Ogbooro road in Saki, while loading over 300 barrels already filled with Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, into two trucks.

He gave the names of

the suspects as Akeem Amidu (42), Sarafa Aloyinlapa (30),Sulaimon Adeniji (27), Hassan Ayiki (26), Abdulrauf Abideen (260, Sola Goke (24) and Noel Yemi (24), while two of the suspects, Amidu and Adeniji, mentioned one Alhaji Towobola and the owner of one Oluwakemi Investments as those who hired them for the loading of the product into trucks. But both are still at large at the time of writing this report.

Also impounded were

two DAF trucks with registration numbers AGL 595 XJ and T8420KH (foreign number) and a DAF tanker with registration number SMK 690 XP. The barrels were filled with the content of the tanker while the two trucks were to convey them to the neighbouring country they were being taken to.

According to the commandant, the suspected criminals specialised in diverting petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries. He said

Mr Tolulope Ogunkua handing over the intercepted skunk to the NDLEA The suspects. Inset are the commander, Mrs Omolade Faboyede barrels of petroleum products intercepted by NSCDC

that they were caught loading 300 barrels of PMS into some trucks following a tip-off from intelligence team of the corps.

Adewoye lamented that in spite of Federal Government’s efforts towards tackling the nation’s lingering fuel crisis, some individuals were working towards scuttling them by diverting the fuel in order to sell it above government approved price.

He said that his command had taken several actions to prevent such diversion, stating that many petrol stations had been sealed, with the assistance of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Petrol Equalisation Fund (PEF), for selling above the normal pump price.

One of the suspects, Amidu, in an interview with Crime Reports, claimed that he did not know where the trucks, into which the petrol-filled barrels were being loaded, were being taken to, as his job was just to load.

The Saki-based suspect said that he and his colleagues were to be paid N150 per barrel as loading charge while each barrel contained 220 litres of petrol.

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8 May, 2016

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How Nigeria can recover lost economic footing…

Continued from pg 3 “For example, in the last five days, we have pumped 400 trucks of product into Lagos state. The total consumption (in the state) at the maximum is 250 trucks, and most of those trucks are diverted from Lagos to the hinterland of Chad and Cameroon.

“We need, literally, a whole army to stop this from happening. So I continue to supply and over-supply and so we struggle.”

The ‘Black Market’ Experts describe ‘black market’ as Economic activity that takes place outside government-sanctioned channels. Black market transactions usually occur “under the table” to let participants avoid government price controls or taxes. The black market is also the venue where highly controlled substances or products such as drugs and firearms are illegally traded.

In the financial context, the biggest black market exists for currencies in nations with strict currency controls.

A US Professor Friedrich Schneider reckons that Nigeria and Thailand have the world’s largest black economies, both accounting for more than 70 per cent of official gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Why people patronise ‘black market’ Currency black markets exists primarily in nations that – apart from currency controls – have weak economic fundamentals (such as a high inflation rate and low currency reserves) and a fixed exchange rate where the domestic currency is pegged at an unrealistically high level to the US dollar or other currency. As a result, the currency black market is flourishing in nations like Nigeria, Argentina, Iran, and Venezuela.

Experts have said that participating in the black market is not always a black and white matter.

“Suppose you are on vacation with your family in an exotic location and run out of formula for your baby? If there is nothing available in local stores and the only way to acquire baby formula is through a black market transaction, few people would hesitate to make the purchase.

“What about paying three times the face value of a ticket to a scalper to see your favorite band or football team? This is also a black market transaction that most people may find justifiable. Further, in a number of developing nations, life-saving medicines are in short supply and often, the only alternative is to procure them through the black market,” BDC operator Kabiru Mohammed argued.

While critics may argue that this only serves to perpetuate the illegal and unethical practice of profiteering from someone else’s misfortune, participating in the black market is a relatively easy decision to make when someone’s life is at stake.

At least four groups have been identified with making fortunes from this misfortune. They include “diaspora Nigerians, banks, BDC operators and friends and cronies of some top government officials”, stated analysts at Nairametrics.

Beneficiaries of forex black market This is perhaps the best time to live and

Selling dollar at the black market

work outside Nigeria for those whose income is in dollars. Nigerians living abroad reveal that they have started part-time currency business involving trading their dollar or Pounds Sterling income for Naira at black market rate with which they invest in real estate in Nigeria. Some of them even borrow cheap funds in hard currency for the purpose of this transaction.

Similarly, banks posted massive gains from foreign exchange sector of their businesses as can be seen in their income statements at the end of financial year 2014 and the first 9 months of 2015. Most people who purchase items online have also confirmed that banks charge them as much as N290 to the dollar even though

Just as the CBN is incapable of meeting huge dollar demand in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is also incapable of meeting demand for domestic consumption of fuel, especially as major and independent marketers were yet to fully start full importation of fuel products

the CBN pegs the rate at around N199.

Besides, banks’ staff also take advantage of the scarcity of the hard currency to force foreign exchange users especially importers to pay close to parallel market rate for foreign currencies obtained from CBN. They ask the customers to pay two cheques, one to the bank covering the official rate and the other to designated bank account covering the difference.

Even after the CBN banned sale of dollars o Bureau De Change (BDCs) operators,they are still thriving in many commercial cities in Nigeria as they have a way of sourcing the currencies from leakages in the CBN official window and diverting same to black market for over 70 per cent profit margin.

Another category of beneficiaries according to sources knowledgeable in the segment are businesses that engaged in exports. They are also huge benefactors of the declining exchange rate. Revenues from their exports officially should, naturally, be routed through the CBN as export proceeds.

However, it is understood that some of them move a chunk of that to the black market. With gains as high as 80 per cent, most of them find it hard to resist the lure of selling their hoard at the black markets rather than at the official window, even though that practice violates the exchange law.

How FG can break down the barrier…

While the federal government pretends that it has no immediate solution to predominance of ‘black market’, several economists and policy experts have provided one form of solution and another.

Some experts believe that a floating exchange rate policy supported by prudent fiscal management including the privatization of refineries to bring investors who along with the Dangote refinery in the pipeline, will produce petroleum products locally, eliminate the huge pressure on

the dollar by petroleum importers, which could even strengthen the naira.

Ebo said the government is focusing on long-term solution but needs to draw a line between medium to long term solution. He agreed with proponents of floating exchange rate, stressing that government should not be putting too much control on the forex market (be more flexible).

In terms of fuel, he said solution lies in increasing local refining capacity.

To Ayo Teriba, Nigeria currently offers by far the largest absolute growth and investment prospects in Africa, and should remain the continent’s most promising investment destination in the foreseeable future. Especially if the new government could: “Deliver on its promise to make business easier to do; and end its own monopoly to create more access for FDI in rail transport, gas pipelines, and power transmission, as is the case in telecommunications; as well as, Stabilize the Naira sufficiently to liberalize capital flows.”

In terms of priorities and sequencing, however, Teriba believes that it is logical that successes in rail transport, gas and power transmission reforms are required to make agriculture, mining and manufacturing more competitive, and also induce further FDI into the sectors, just as a stable exchange rate and liberalized capital flow regime will encourage the return of foreign portfolio inflows (FPI) into Nigerian bonds and equity markets.

“Nigeria’s interests will be best served by largely irreversible long term foreign direct investment commitments in critical infrastructure and real activity sectors, not debt financing of government’s investments in infrastructure, or relying too much on easily reversible foreign portfolio inflows that are more sensitive to short term interest rate and foreign exchange risks.

“Nigeria is also well placed to attract more medium to long term investment from its citizens in diaspora,” Teriba suggested.

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Sunday Tribune

We are replacing firearms with stun guns —Arase

Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, recently clocked on year in office having been appointed on April 21, 2015. During the recently annual strategic police management conference, he took time off to speak with journalists on a range of issues concerning developments in the force and the polity in general. CHRIS AGBAMBU was there.

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Misuse of firearms by policemen HE initial killing was prevalent and the strategy we adopted was very simple; I said no Nigerian is immune to the criminal justice system: you kill a Nigerian; you go in for it. That has been my approach towards it.

Since that pronouncement, seven officers have been apprehended and are presently undergoing persecution and the incidence has reduced but we haven’t stopped there.

I also talked about applying psychological test. I am sure you all were there when we launched the testing packs so now I have directed the medical doctors in each of the geo political zones to move out and do some snap checks on policemen before we give them fire arms. This is supposed to act as a psychological prevention from what is going to happen because if you know I am going to test you for the use of substance, the likelihood is you wouldn’t want to do that and if we discover that you use it then we wouldn’t give you fire arms.

Secondly we are beginning to migrate from the use of firearms in patrols in main cities to staunch guns. We have ordered for some stun guns. The main training, we are going to give to the people we are going to recruit now will be especially in stun guns, that is what is prevalent internationally and stun guns are very effective because they can incapacitate you temporally without killing you.

On intelligence gathering We are used to a police force where most leaders at a strategic level tend to intimidate subordinates. We tend to govern by instilling fear into them and unconsciously you make them tamed, we don’t make them to be open. I don’t want to adopt that management style; I don’t want anybody to fear me. I want my colleagues to respect me for my professional and intellectual depth that is what I want them to do and I want them to also imbibe those concepts, you give them an avenue to open up and be themselves. Once you do that then you will be able to get the best from them.

Intelligence led policing isn’t restricted to technology alone. It is also restricted to investigation techniques. The minute you adopt a style of investigation where evidences are assembled before people are arrested that is intelligence led policing.

You can also use intelligence in terms of technical platforms you put in place and I have put sufficient platforms in place that is why I can say you can do your clearance certificate online, you can do your tint permit online, fire arm permit online.

All those areas that I have identified that used to cause Nigerians discomfort I have automated so it makes it a seamless process and now those technologies are up and running. There are things that can’t be changed because they are institutionalised. We are also telling them too that apart from intelligence policing, which will reduce pre-trial detention and also crowd awaiting trial prison cells, we can also teach them alternative dispute reso-

Solomon Arase, Inspector general of Police

lution. It isn’t every matter that a police man is supposed to start taking statements that is my own take. If the matter is civil why can’t you mediate? If it is commercial, why can’t you arbitrate for them and let them go? You just restrict yourself to those criminal matters alone. Once the police learn to restrict themselves to criminal matters alone you will discover that all those negative public perceptions that we usually have with everybody will be reduced because when you don’t go into matters that you are not supposed to go into, you don’t create enmity with yourself. Even if you have to go into the matter why don’t you reconcile it and make them be friends because if I mediate between two of you in a dispute, I have made a friend in you the complainant, I have made a friend in you the suspect so to me it is a win/win situation. So that is my own conceptualisation of what intelligence led policing supposed to be like.

Prevailing corruption and knowledge gap The only thing I can say I am going to take away when I am leaving after my 35 years in service is my integrity. I want to keep it intact and those things I know will encourage corruption in a system. I am not saying that I have been able to totally eliminate it in police, but what I am saying is that I have deliberately put in structures that will discourage corruption in the system. Removal of roadblocks, the establishment of the quick response unit, establishment of stop the bribes… all these are

things that I have put in place to discourage corruption. If officers know that if they collect money citizens can report them on that platform and action will be taken against them, if they know that they can report them on the complaint response unit and action will be taken against them then it discourages corruption.

The roadblock was actually not a good crime prevention strategy. It was nauseating to see a law enforcement officer on the highway stretch his hands to a commercial bus driver and collect money. A lot of you out there never believed that roadblock could be away for one year and when I also talk about intelligence led policing those things like when you bring someone you keep him in the cell then you go and start shopping for evidence then the person gets discomforted then goes and start looking for ways of winning case and all those things so I have deliberately removed those things and I keep going against those who have been caught collecting bribe; a lot of them have been defaulted, most of them have been reduced in rank and administrative actions taken against them. I also want to appeal to Nigerians that we have set up a platform.

Why not use the platform? Why should you allow any law enforcement officer to intimidate you? The platforms are there.

Off hand you can always cram 085700001 or 002. All those are things that you can commute to the platform and once you called they react. I think I have done my bit and it is left to Nigerians to be able to interact with that platform and also say:

‘no you can’t intimidate us; we are Nigerians’ so it is a symbiotic relationship; the people have to key into it.

There are three levels of the police force; you have the tactical level; the rank and file, you have the operational level; the DPOs, then you talk about the strategic level, which is the commissioners of police and above. You will agree that even as a journalist if you are not knowledgeable, you can’t deliver. So an organisation must take a look at itself, look at the future crop of people that are going to be deputy commissioner, commissioner of police, assistant inspector general of police, IG. You must deliberately start training them from that rank of assistant commissioner of police because that is where you are going to choose the managers of the force because they are already managers. An assistant commissioner of police is supposed to be an area commander anyway the deputy commissioner of police is supposed to act in the place of the commissioner in case the commissioner is on leave. So at that level if the guys are not strong in terms of their professional calling, if they are not deep in terms of their intellectuality you can’t give what you don’t have. You can only reach the height you want to reach if you know something. Once in a while, every organisation must take a look at itself and say have we got the stuff? It is a competitive environment; other security organisations are struggling for space, everybody is becoming territorial and if they are becoming territorial, you must take a look at yourself and ask ‘am I doing what I am supposed to do?’ Am I effective, am I strong? It is only when you answer those questions in the positive that you know that you are doing well. So there is a gap and those are the gaps I am trying to cover before I leave. That is why the platform is there, it is called Complain Response Unit, stop the bribes. Those are platforms so let them use it. About the use of stun guns, stun guns aren’t manufactured in Nigeria and you can’t pick them off the shelf.

The idea is that Nigerians are always very hesitant to impact knowledge. For instance, in your profession if you are sub editor, you are an editor along the line; you should start training someone under you to learn those skills you already have but we are always very selfish, you don’t want to share it. So I expect that an AIG will be mentoring commissioners under him.The DIG will be mentoring the AIGs and the IG will be mentoring people under him, so that everyone who is thrown up is already having that level of intellect to be able to keep the organisation going.

Police operations in North-East Operations have been dispatched to the North-East. We have also moved in men and materials that will actually impact on their welfare: uniforms, bulletproof vests, water tankers, ambulances- we have moved in a lot of things into those areas and I will be joining them next week to Continues pg 11

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‘I never knew Nigerians love police’ Continued from pg 10 be sure that the deployments are properly done. What happened actually was that when most of those officers moved in there, the issue of their welfare was taken over by the state government, which is morally wrong. However, we are going to cure that immediately and that is why DIG Operation is presently in Maiduguri.

He is also going to be in Yobe, Adamawa.

I am also going to join them next week so we can work out the details. Some of them that are there are indigenous to those state commands so the ones that we would be taking care of their welfare are those that are taken from the indigenous commands and sent to that place to fill the gap. Those are the ones we would take care of. Ordinarily those ones that are already there were displaced from their divisions. Most of those divisions that were liberated have to move back into their divisions, their salaries are being paid so we expect that they are not on special duty actually strictly speaking. It is those ones we take from a different state to a different state that are entitled to allowances.

Civilian JTF in the North East are complementary. They are not security agency and can’t take the power they don’t have although they have been doing quite a lot. Re-

member that we even gave them an award; we gave their chairman an award. Those that are still thing are within the age limit and have the requisite qualifications among them we could encourage to join the police but for now, they aren’t police officers and they can’t take over the security space.

Ongoing police recruitment The 10,000 people will not be trained in one place. We have various places around we are going to geo-locate them for the six geo-political zones. We are going to have training schools in those areas to cater for the people from that particular zone to be able to intervene in those areas. Intervention is still ongoing but I think the facilities are good enough to welcome them and those 10,000 people we are going to recruit are segmented; some are going to be officer so they will attend officers camp training. Some are going to be medical doctors, some are going to be engineers, some are going to be pilots; there are different categories of officers and those ones are not going to be put together but the bulk of them are going to be comfortable because we haven’t recruited for the past five years, which means that now by the end of this year we won’t have any vacancies in the police anymore.

The Police Service Commission is actu-

ally driving that process. We are just giving them the technical support. That is why I said I am going to deploy technology into our system, polygraph test, drug testing issue to ensure that the process is as credible as possible. The criteria for choosing the new police intakes are already known.

They were spelt out in their forms: age, qualifications, height and then we have to be very sure where you come from your local government chairman, your district head they should be able to guarantee you to say yes, this man is from this place and they know his family and they are respectable people and are not stealing people’s goats in the village or robbers or cultist so we have a way of getting all those people out of it.

The police commission is there. The federal character is there. The ministry of interior is there. The police segment is there. The Secretary to the Federal Government is there. So there are representatives of everybody but it has to be a spread, we must spread it.

The final process is going to be next month because all those that are uploading the details are about 30, 34. All those ones are too old. We won’t select them. So all those 700,000 or 800,000 you are seeing, a lot of them will be knocked out when the system meets them, because when you

don’t meet that age criteria, you are sorted out. When your academic qualification doesn’t meet up, you are sorted out. There will be exams, but it will come out from various states and once we know the numbers, we point them state by state and all the government people will do their own.

The state will do their own, so it will come from the bottom to the top. I never knew Nigerians would like the police like this.

Herdsmen/farmers clash It is situated against what is happening within the African sub-region. When you look at the period when these things are happening, you look at the crisis in the region then you look at the flow of arms across our borders, then it explains what is happening. Our own indigenous herdsmen, which we have been living with for many years are law abiding people. So why is that it is now that there are crisis in Mali, in Libya, in Chad and all these countries that the proliferation of fire arms is more prevalent in the system.

So we have to look at it against that background. If they have some indigenous collaborators or something like that but it won’t get to the Boko Haram crisis. We will continue to monitor them. We will continue to degrade them, and we will continue to amputate them.

When Ebenezer Obey gave back to his community

By Seyi Sokoya

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HE quiet town of Idogo under the Yewa South Local Government area, Ogun State, turned busy for three days recently as the people trooped out to be beneficiaries of the initiative of one of their own, the music legend, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, who they described as a proud son of the community.

The programme organised by the Ebenezer Obey Evangelistic Ministries in conjunction with the GIEAM Organisation tagged: “Outreach and Support Programme for Widows and Old People” was an extension of the 74th birthday celebrations of the music icon and also an avenue to touch lives.

Widows and aged people who received food items support and gifts from the Miliki maestro, on the opening day of the event at the Decross Gospel Mission church, Idogo, chanted praises and also prayed for the initiator.

Aside distribution of foods and clothing materials, the people of the community also had the opportunity to know their health status as well as received free treatment and drugs. Professor of Medicine from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Professor Olufemi Adediran led ten other medical experts from notable government hospitals including: LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Lagosu University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), among others, to attend to people at the town hall of the community on the second and third day.

According to Adediran, who is also a ‘son of the soil’, the initiative was vital and unique for the development of Idogo town, while he also noted that the people indeed benefited from Obey’s large heart,

as they were cured from their ailments and enlightened on how to improve on their health status.

“The initiative is vital because it is a community of farmers that is not privileged with improved health facilities and I think this is why the initiator decided to assist his people health wise. We screened for high blood pressure, blood sugar, diabetes and HIV and also counseled them and as a result of this we were able to detect ailments that are treatable, such as infections. We also administered drugs for people that were diagnosed of hypertension and diabetes,” he added.

The Onidogo of Idogo, Oba Saheed Olubiyi, also expressed his delight on the philanthropic gesture, saying “the entire com-

munity is grateful to Evangelist Obey for having his people at heart. I also want to use this medium to urge the sons and daughters of Idogo to take a cue from him so as to develop the community among its peers.

I also thank and urge Governor Ibikunle Amosun not to relent in developing Idogo.”

Representative of the project partner, GIEAM Organisation, Mr Theophanous Lawal, said that the NGO was enthused to support the music icon because of the fact that their missions tally, adding that, “We are committed to be part of the initiative, especially with the fact that it has to do with affecting people’s lives positively.”

Evangelist Obey said that he didn’t see the gesture as a task, but as a means to create a sense of belonging for his source and also

execute the responsibilities of an Evangelist. “I grew up and schooled here and everything about Ebenezer Obey started here.

Though, I have been extending my hands of fellowship to my people, this time, we felt we should attend to people’s health. I am happy that the community also embraced it. more importantly, this initiative has opened my eyes to more initiatives to affect humanity positively and I have vowed not to rest nor stop until I achieve them,” he added.

Obey, who also emphasised that the development was one of the major visions of the Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in ensuring people enjoys free education and social amenities, while he enjoined governments at all levels not to relent in their effort in achieving these goals.

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interview

The President of the Association of Model Islamic Schools, Nigeria (AMIS) and proprietor of TAAS Group of Schools, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Tajudeen Salaudeen, speaks with SAHEED SALAWU on some issues affecting education in Nigeria. Excerpts:

8 May, 2016

Govt should give subventions to private school owners —Salaudeen, AMIS president not even those with National Certificate in Education. In Grade II teachers’ colleges, they teach them the rudiments of teaching. They know what teaching entails. If we must succeed, all our teachers training colleges must be brought back.

What we really have now are other professionals opting to be teachers and it takes us time to retrain them and make them teachers. You see, in most cases, these people are not taking up teaching because they love the profession. It is because there is nowhere else to go and they have to make ends meet. This is quite different from the case of people who have chosen the teaching profession out of passion. So, we need to bring back our teachers training colleges.

In addition to that, all technical colleges should be brought back. I was watching a television programme and I wept.

They repackaged a welding course and they had to send some Nigerians to Malaysia to learn welding. It is a disgrace to this country. The technical colleges and teachers’ training colleges must be resuscitated if we are serious as a nation.

If we want a future for this country, we must train artisans because everybody is relevant in every sector of the economy. What is going on now is that many people adopt a get-rich-quick approach by merely getting a certificate and then finding a place in the politics of the state.

Everybody is now trying to get into politics in order to become rich overnight, jettisoning technical skills that can fetch good money.

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S the president of the Association of Model Islamic Schools, Nigeria, what would you say is ‘model’ about your schools?

We are ‘model Islamic schools’ in terms of what every Muslim child is expected to gain in a Muslim school, that is, to learn about their religion and, at the same time, become versatile in western education. They will do the two together without missing out on either of them.

We, as a group, want to also make sure that all our schools comply with government regulations. And where we believe certain things need to be done, we engage the government in a dialogue. As a group, we have a good understanding with the government so that every member school is able to excel in its operations with little or no problem.

Do you think the Federal Government’s proposed school feeding programme is feasible or even desirable?

I don’t know what the programme entails, but I remember that something like that was to be done in Osun State.

I don’t think it was successful. We are looking, just like we have been watching every pronouncement on educational policies. But I will say that if they can sustain it, why not? Let’s see how it goes.

What is your view on the proposed merger of Christian and Islamic religious studies under a new subject, ‘Religion and National Values’?

It is a failure even right from the onset.

Who are they going to train to do this?

Is there any university or college of education or other institutions teaching that now? You see, one of the major problems we have in this country is that we tend to make a policy and want to start realising it [immediately]. There is nothing impossible but there has to be a time frame. You cannot lump the subjects together; they are entirely different from each other. Islam and Christianity have separate values.

The subjects should be left as they are.

There is nothing called national values but what the nation’s leaders do and others copy. There should be a holistic approach.

We have to sit down and see where we went wrong in terms of our values. We should go back to the family unit and look at the responsibilities of parents and the expectations of the children from them.

We look at the two vis-a-vis their responsibilities to the society at large. We need to regulate our system, our values and national life. There is tendency for every human being to misbehave and God has given us certain guidelines to keep us focused on our values as individuals and as nations. You don’t necessarily have to go to school to change orientation about national values; the leaders have to show example.

Sunday Tribune

Alhaji Salaudeen

Do you subscribe to the calls for the return of Grade II teachers’ colleges for effective training of teachers at the basic level of education?

It is a good thing to have the Grade II teachers’ colleges return in this country.

If you want the best result from prenursery and nursery schools, the most reliable teachers are those who have had trainings at Grade II teachers’ colleges,

There is nothing called national values but what the nation’s leaders do and others copy. There should be a holistic approach. We have to sit down and see where we went wrong in terms of our values...We need to regulate our system, our values and national life...You don’t necessarily have to go to school to change orientation about national values; the leaders have to show example.

There is a prior claim that teachers, especially in privately owned schools, are underpaid. What would you say about this?

I don’t understand what they mean by ‘underpaid,’ but maybe because I am on this side, I won’t be able to see it. However, as far as I know, employment is a contract between the employer and the employee and before there is employment, there is an agreement. So, I think it is unfair to sign a contract such as a teaching employment and then turn around and say you are underpaid. The truth is that many challenges, like unpaid tuition, are faced in private school operation, yet, you have to pay the teachers. In fact, I think the government should start thinking about giving us subventions because we are assisting the government.

Since they cannot provide education for all, what we are doing is to complement their efforts and they should be giving us subventions, for this. I can’t see that happening now anyway, because they can’t even pay their own workers. We are not oil companies; we are charging communities which we are also part of and it is based on the amount of money that we are getting that we are going to determine how much salary we pay. It is very logical. We are even thinking that most teachers are not doing as much as they get paid and that is the truth.

13

N

8 May, 2016

EXT Tuesday, April 3, 1979, I shall, God willing, embark on the next major phase of my electioneering campaign. Before I set out, I consider it necessary to restate, in general outline, the programmes of the Unity Party of Nigeria, in order to throw additional light on the essence and practicability of our programmes.

Nigeria is an underdeveloped country par excellence. It is of course fashionable these days to refer to underdeveloped countries as developing countries. But both in a semantic and an economic sense, all countries of the world, including Japan, U.S.A., U.S.S.R, the Common Market countries, Nigeria and India are in a continual process of developing. The division of the world into developed and developing economies is, therefore, false and illusive.

And I prefer the more factual division into developed and underdeveloped.

Every underdeveloped country of the world has certain characteristics which can be summed up as follows: 1. ignorance; 2. illiteracy; 3. disease - a good deal of this in Nigeria is endemic; 4. caloric deficiency; 5. dependence on subsistence agriculture, and excessive and widespread underemployment of the rural population; 6. deficiency in technology, capital, and technical and managerial know-how.

These characteristics have been demonstrated in statistical terms by experts.

In underdeveloped economies, the rate of illiteracy for those aged ten years and above ranges between 32 per cent in Sri Lanka and 92 percent in Indonesia. The average for Africa is 84 percent, and the estimate for Nigeria is in the region of 87 percent. As against this, the average rate of illiteracy in developed economies is below 5 percent.

In regard to agriculture, as much as between 67 percent and 80 percent of the people in underdeveloped economies engage in subsistence farming. Again in Nigeria, the estimate is approximately 80 percent. As against this, in developed economies, only between 5 percent and 19 percent of the people engage in what can be described as lucrative agriculture. Furthermore, it is estimated that the productivity of one farmer in a developed economy is equal to that of between ten and twenty farmers in underdeveloped economies - and hence in Nigeria.

In Lagos which enjoys the highest standard of living in

Awo’s thoughts PATH TO NIGERIAN GREATNESS

On the campaign trail Fundamental issues in Nigeria’s economic development”

the country, about 44 percent of the deaths recorded annually up to 1967 were due to preventible diseases like pneumonia, malaria, dysentry, diarrhoea, tetanus, malnutrition, tuberculosis and measles. According to the late Dr. G.A. Ademola, 5,000 people died in Lagos in 1966 and 1967 “from diseases which are easily preventible through immunization, the use of prophylactic drugs, and general improvement in health education and environmental sanitation.” According to the same authority, in 1964, 79,000 cases of dysentry were reported and 10,000 cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed.

The position appears, on the surface, to have improved since 1967. Only about 35 percent of deaths recorded in hospitals in Lagos and Ibadan is due to preventible causes. I say “appears on the surface” because there are no figures of cases treated by Nigerian Herbalists who are now much more popular than in 1967. In any case, authoritative sources in University Teaching Hospitals in Ibadan and He disclose respectively that 70 per-cent and 90 percent of those who come to these institutions for treatment suffer from preventible diseases.

Dr. A. Omololu once set out the basic food requirements of a Nigerian manual worker and, included in the list is a daily Intake of between 3,000 to 3,500 calories.

And Leibenstein, a famous development economist, who

Sunday Tribune

has done considerable research on the subject has this to say: In general it is believed that in the underdeveloped areas calorie intake per day is around 2,100, and that in the advanced countries it is above 3,000 calories per day.

Liebenstein is categorically of the opinion that the efficiency of a worker, other things being equal, is a function of calorie intake.

This is what he says on this point: If an employer pays a wage that is sufficient only to enable his workers to obtain a diet of no more than 2,140 calories, the employer can approximately double his effective work force by paying a wage that would enable the workers to purchase a diet yielding 2,460 calories ...

But of greater interest for our purposes is that a 21 percent increase in total calorie intake results in an almost 50 percent rise in output.

However, the daily calorie intake of a worker in Nigeria is estimated to be 1,700 - that is, 1,300 below the minimum in advanced countries, 700 below the marginal minimum and also 1,300 below the ideal minimum for Nigeria.

You and I can now see quite clearly that the characteristics of underdevelopment, and hence of the economic backwardness of Nigeria, are entirely and inseparably human. You and I can also see, without being told, that the antecedent inseparable characteristics of a developed economy are: 1. education: 2. literacy; 3. comparative freedom from preventible disease; 4. sufficiency of calorie intake; 5. profitable farming, and gainful employment for the rural population; 6. adequacy in technology, capital and technical and managerial know-how.

Again, we can all see that these characteristics of developed economy are entirely and inseparably human.

Additional to all these, there are two propositions have guided our thoughts. They are: 1. that man is the sole creative and purposive dynamic in nature; 2. that all things else - that is all the resources of nature, be they natural, mineral, water, etc. - are by comparison in a state of inertia.

To be continued

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14

feature

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

When governors stormed Ekiti for Fayose’s prophesies, projects Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

I

T all started with a thanksgiving programme at the Lady Jibowu Hall inside the Ekiti State Government House. Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State had moved to Ado Ekiti to thank God for emerging victorious in the political and legal battles waged against him.

The Taraba governor had chosen Ado Ekiti for a reason he described thus: “I had promised before God that if He brings me through the political storm, I will hold a thanksgiving in Ekiti to honour Him.” Friday, April 29 was the chosen date of this epoch making event. During the thanksgiving service conducted by the Government House chaplain, who doubles as a Special Assistant to Governor Fayose, Pastor Seyi Olusola, Governor Ishaku explained the rationale for the thanksgiving service, saying it was in fulfillment of his promise to God while in Jerusalem, that he would hold a thanksgiving service.

In his speech at the service that saw a large turnout of top government functionaries and their wives, traditional rulers and people from all walks of life, the Taraba governor described his experience in political travails as those akin to that of Governor Ayodele Fayose, saying “some of us when we see the lion, we tow behind quietly.”

Speaking of his experience on the political turf, which saw him battling up to the Supreme Court to secure a judicial affirmation of his election as the governor of Taraba State, he said himself and Fayose and others “had a whole day of prayer in Jerusalem and I was convinced that God had answered our prayers. The trials of your governor are similar to mine. There was nothing that came my way that hadn’t come with problems. I had to go through the channel of fire.”

He told the congregation that “your governor was telling me don’t fear; let us put our petitions before God here in Jerusalem. He helped me to wipe the remaining elements of fear within me. Glory be to God I’m the governor of Taraba State. I said there that, if God delivered us, I will do a thanksgiving service in Ado Ekiti. If God delivered me, I will do my thanksgiving in Ado Ekiti. What I’m doing today is in fulfillment of a promise I made before God and before my brother, Governor Fayose. I thank Fayose for being a brother in deed. Our God is a faithful God.” Ishaku, who said his visit to Ado Ekiti was his first trip outside Taraba since his Supreme Court victory, charged the people to pray for their leaders, saying “I didn’t really know what it meant when they said ‹pray for your leaders’ until I became a governor. When you pray for the leaders, they think aright. So, one thing you shouldn’t fail to do is pray for your leaders and I’m saying leaders right from the president to the councillor.” He eulogised Fayose, saying he was “doing a very good job here.”

But the day didn’t just end with Governor Ishaku and his host, Governor Fayose. Their colleagues from Abia, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu; Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel; Ebonyi, Dave Umahi; Gombe, Ibrahim Dankwambo; Ondo, Olusegun Mimiko; Rivers, Nyesom Wike, joined them at the thanksgiving service.

Before the end of the service, Governor Ikpeazu had also eulogised Fayose›s strength of character and religiosity. He also told of how much Fayose had supported him spiritually during his battles in the courts, saying his prayers were invaluable as the court war raged on.

Governor Emmanuel also took turn to extol the virtues of Governor Fayose, saying his strength of character was a source of courage for his colleague governors. The Akwa Ibom governor recalled that “Governor Fayose was the first governor to call me when operatives of the DSS invaded the Akwa Ibom Government House. He told me that he would address a press conference and he did, in which he condemned the act.”

The governors went round the Ekiti State capital to inaugurate various projects that had been initiated and completed by his administration in its 18 months in the saddle. The projects were two roads namely the newlybuilt Bawa (De-Head) - Police Headquarters/Adetiloye Road; dualised Awedele - Secretariat Road.

The visiting governors also joined Fayose to inaugurate the amphitheater constructed at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti and the Funmilayo Adunni Olayinka Women Development Centre.

The amphitheatre was started by the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Julius Adejugbe, in 2007 and after construction started on the project in 2008, it ran into various hitches, including the challenge of funding. However, Governor Fayose promised to take over the construction of the project. He kept to his promise and included the project in those for inauguration.

The palace gallery which costs N212.1 million, has a sitting capacity of 2500 seats.

For the Funmi Olayinka Women Development Centre, the governor said the grave site of the late former deputy governor of the state, Mrs Funmi Olayinka, “should not just be an empty space” and thus decided to erect a multipurpose structure there. The new building has training halls, a restaurant and offices for the wives of the governor and the deputy governor as well as other agencies of government such as State Action Committee on AIDS (SACA).

Addressing newsmen on the projects tagged “Ayo Fayose›s Legacy Projects” ahead of the visit of the governors, Commissioner for Information, Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, said the project was a pointer to Fayose›s attitude to politics. According to Ogunsuyi, “the project is a demonstration that Fayose is the governor of all regardless of political affiliations.” He said before the project was initiated, “the site named Heroes’ Park by the immediate past administration served as the burial ground of the late Mrs Funmilayo Adunni

Olayinka, who was a deputy governor under the APC-led government of Dr Kayode Fayemi.”

Ogunsuyi told newsmen that that the place had been “abandoned and overtaken by weeds, thereby becoming an eyesore. However, in his usual benign nature, Governor Fayose thought it wise to honour the late deputy Governor by proposing a befitting structure which would be named after her rather than allowing her grave to be overtaken by weeds.”

He said the project was at no cost to the state, explaining that “Governor Fayose approached a number of corporate organisations in the state, and today, the building is erected at no cost to the Ekiti State government.”

On the roads, the state government had described the De-Head - Adetiloye Road as “a continuation of his architectural dreams for Ekiti State and in fulfillment of his promise to open up major areas in Ado Ekiti through construction of ring roads.” This road was initiated in November 2014” and according to Ogunsuyi, “the road will address the plight of motorists who painfully had to pass through the Ado township traffic congestion.” He said the 6.2 kilometre road was awarded at a cost of N782 million and that it had opened up Olorunsogo and Olorunda areas for economic development and has added value to landed properties around the areas.

The inauguration of the projects was an epoch event even in the midst of the economic hardship in the state.

Some citizens of the state noted that the development was an indication that “by the time the troubles of today are over, the state would be in a better position to join the league of those ready for unhindered development.”

15

8 May, 2016

Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 0807 449 74

Seed of life Nursery and Primary School,Ibadan, Oyo State

of C th hi e w ld ee k

children’sarena Words from the kids

Sunday Tribune

Compiled by Temitayo Iliasu

Our letters to God

—Ogbodu Oreoluwa, Primary 5, 10 years

Dear Almighty God, I thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. What I really want from you is for you to grant me scholarship to secondary school. I also want you to help me to pass my forthcoming examination. Father Lord, please let this happen for me. I also want my brothers to pass their exams excellently too.

Your dearly beloved daughter Oreoluwa.

—Akanni Shalom, Primary 5, 9 years

Dear God, I want a good future; I don’t want devil to use me. Lord Jesus, please let me go to heaven; don’t let any evil thing come to me and my parents. I want to be the best in everything I lay my hands on. I want to live long and I don’t want to die young. I also don’t want to have any accident, Lord Jesus, please answer my prayers.

Peculiar Ibukunola

AYOADE

clocks

1YEAR

Long life and prosperity.

famous Invention

Your lovely daughter, Shalom.

Touch lamp

A

—Olajide Precious, Primary 5, 10 years Dear God, I thank you for all you have done for me. Lord, please forgive me all my sins. I would like to have an outstanding result and come out in flying colours. and I also want to be the head and not the tail. Dear God, I want to be able to stand out well and not be shy any more. God, please bless my parents, provide for their needs and protect me from evil.

Yours faithfully, Precious.

—Adebisi Olaoluwa, Primary 5, 10 years God, my prayer is that you should grant me favour in everywhere I find myself doing including my siblings, I also want you to provide for my parents even when the economy is not good and the rate of dollar is high. Please help me to pass all my exams throughout my life. Thank you for helping me and let your will be done in my life.

Yours dearly, Ola.

torch lamp is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In some countries the word torch is used as the term for a ‘battery operated portable light’.

The torch lamp was invented in Freeport, New York, United State by Scott M. Kunen. He patented the torch lamp twice, and the most recent patent was issued on May 26, 1987.

The torch is also a symbol used by political parties, for instance by both Labour (from 1918 to 1980) and the Conservatives (from 1983 to 2006) in the UK, and the Malta Labour Party. In the seals of schools in the Philippines, the torch symbolises the vision of education to provide enlightenment to all the students.

—Ogundeyi Joshua, Primary 5, 10 years

Dear father, my request is that you should always give me the grace to perform well in everything I do. Father, I want wisdom, knowledge and understanding to pass my entrance exam very well. Please, in any way I have come short of your glory, God forgive me. The spirit that will make me well behaved, father please grant unto me. For the secondary school I will be attending, daddy, please go before me.

Ocelot

Yours lovely, Joshua.

—Akande Sultan, Primary 5, 10 years

Dear God almighty, all I want is to make heaven with my family when we die because I desire to go to heaven with my family. That is all I want.

Your son, Sultan.

Quote “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

– Confucious

“

proverb

The early bird catches the worm – The quicker one/first in line gets the opportunities.

”

• THEY live in rain forests, mountanforests, thick bushes, semideserts, coastal marshes, and along river banks.

• Ocelots eat nocturnal rodents, armadillos, lesser ant eaters, deer, squirrel monkeys and land tortoises.

• Ocelot’s base fur colour ranges from

yellow/cream to darker yellow/brown and can vary by habitat and is lighter on the belly and throat.

• The ocelot is considered a medium sized cat.

• Ocelots are endangered by illegal hunting, both for their furs and to capture them for exotic pets, and by loss of habitat.

• During the day ocelots sleep on a branch, in a hollow tree, or in dense vegetation.

16

8 May, 2016

O

N August 2, 2015, writing under “What if America elected Trump?,” I predicted his candidacy and likely presidency. With one in the bag, I’m recalling the piece, because it is NOW timeous than when written.

Nigerians are understandably on the edge, waiting for the administration of Muhammadu Buhari to succeed or fail. Yes, those who hate him passionately are not thinking about the saturating benefits of success.

With their precariously perched expectations, it would be pardonable if you draw a blank asking many Nigerians, including leaders about Barack Obama’s likely successor next year. Don’t also go crucifying anyone who asks you “Trump who”?, if you run the GOP field by him.

Mind you, Nigerians are not dumb about international politics. In fact, we are as informed about the world beyond our shores as any global citizen. But something cultural has a way of making us to treat budding serious issues as jokes. Symptoms of potentially gangrenous afflictions are always treated as a come-and-go syndrome. It is almost certain that even our leaders are joining in the raucous laughter at Donald Trump’s perceived political buffoonery as Michael Holmes of CNN described his earth-scorching campaign.

Without doubt, the eccentric New Yorker billionaire is no party’s ideal presidential candidate. Since he joined the GOP field, he has raised the banner of banality incredibly higher that even party hawks are calling for a mellow. He would be 70 in July but speaks with milk-teeth wisdom. Annoyingly combative, graceless in carriage, tactless in thoughts, undiplomatically acerbic with deadened sensitivity, America should naturally be ashamed of its political process that accommodates his ilk.

However, this excess-of-humanity has led the GOP field in crucial swing states, in all the polls, including CNN’s, which had used every opportunity to savage his savagery. Thursday night, CNN released global perception of Trump. It was zero on humanity index.

If the world says Trump ranks below rationality, such may not be completely unkind. From his comment on Mexicans being criminals to disparaging John McCain’s military records and the most recent ‘breast pump and meltdown’, Trump should be a lone voice in the wilderness without an audience. But sadly, Americans are listening to his maddening message and for a democracy that has since lost every ounce of innocence; the demon

THE legislature is vital to the success of any democracy. It is the place where issues are passionately debated and dispassionately dissected before final decisions are taken. It is the place where the matters that mould the lives of the citizenry are mooted. The future of a country is shaped largely by its elected representatives in legislative chambers.

Therefore, for a legislator to be distinguished, he has to hone his negotiation and persuasion skills. He should also be profoundly cerebral and intensely steeped in logic. With these skills, a legislator is able to sway the majority of the membership of the chamber to his side and give quality representation to his constituency and entrench good governance in the country.

These were the strength of Chief Anthony Enahoro, the man who moved the motion for the nation’s self-rule in 1953, at a time when some sections of the country were not even considering this. It was his ability to marshal his views intelligently and persuasively that made it possible for his colleagues to even agree to consider his point.

Although, the 1956 date he suggested was not bought by the House, he successfully steered the membership to start giving serious consideration to the country’s independence.

Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe, one of the major political players of the First Republic, also leveraged on wit, logic and persuasion to make his mark as a member of parliament in that republic. A flamboyant politician who held his audience bound by his oratorical power, Mbadiwe was able to persuade other members of the parliament to support the idea of establishing a model estate, now known as Surulere, to settle victims of the Lagos slum clearance project.

Mbadiwe, who started his legislative journey at the Eastern Regional House of Assembly before his election into the Federal House of Representatives in Lagos, was eventually appointed a minister. According to Augustus Adebayo, in his book, Power in Politics, Mbadiwe once had a spat with the Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okoti-Eboh, over foreign loans. As he was explaining the

0811 695 4647

olanreade@yahoo.com

President Trump! (I)

of Trump may thump others.

The dilemma of a party leadership that doesn’t want him is the selection process that is beyond its manipulation. Unlike the manipulable delegate system, party members nationwide hold the aces. Opposition members also have a role to play. They can register as party members during the primaries and vote in a candidate that would give their own projected candidate little hassle during the general election.

Obama is thought to have benefitted from this condemnable but ethically-acceptable practice with many republicans said to have registered as democrats in 2008 to give him an edge over Hillary Clinton, with the projection that a Kenyan would be an easy meat for McCain. By the time these republicans helped him better

With Sulaimon Olanrewaju 08055001708

lanresulaimon@yahoo.com

When legislators lack logic

implication of the proposal to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Okoti-Eboh cut him short, describing his fellow minister as someone who knew nothing about finance. Mbadiwe replied that he studied Money and Finance in the United States, adding that he could lecture the Finance Minister on finance for five years without opening any textbook. With that, the Prime Minister had no problem supporting Mbadiwe.

However, it seems present day legislators need additional skills of rabblerousing and karate to be effective lawmakers. In recent times, instead of relying on their ability to sway their colleagues through their persuasion and presentation of superior arguments, lawmakers re-

Sunday Tribune

the Clintons, Barack had become a global project that terrestrial forces could no longer stop.

What if Trump benefitted from this political shenanigan, in anticipation of Hilary Clinton as Democratic Party’s candidate, overrunning him, only for the Obama scenario to replicate itself? It has been claimed that his main support base is white supremacists. Is the demagoguery of racism not running riot in the land? Is race hate not spreading? Despite its pretence, is GOP still not anti-Hispanic and rabidly against relaxed immigration codes? But for his unkind cuts in delivery, does Trump not represent the mentality of the GOP which incidentally controls the Congress with credible chances of taking the White House back? And despite the altered voting demographics, aren’t the Hispanics still a minority?

After electing a Kenyan in 2008 and re-electing him in 2012, America may not witness a politically-correct presidency in a long while. With Hillary in a pole position, Uncle Sam which prides itself in jumping stereotype may be set for another historic presidency again with its first female ever. The GOP field is crowded but it is Trump vs others. Obama was described as a rock-star candidate in 2008, would America want a personality with lesser candour, even if domiciled in notoriety?

The bitter truth is that Trump with his billions of dollar and eccentricity has a fighting chance of being on the ballot and a thorn-strewn hobble to Lincoln’s bedroom.

The world which CNN claimed was mocking Trump’s methodological madness, is also engaging the possibility of his presidency, possibly with the exception of Nigeria. By next year, “our friend” Obama would be done.

In diplomatic circle, it would be back to square one with bilateralism and aids. Buhari’s administration which has put so much hope on Obama’s assistance, should commence intelligence search on likely successors on both sides. A profiling of those in the race, including the ugly like Trump, should be urgently done if not yet done.

Even if the Democrats retained the presidency, Hillary isn’t exactly Obama. Buhari and his politics may not excite her. For Republicans, that are largely perceived as anti-Africa, it would be a different kettle of fish if White House falls to them, irrespective of the candidate. And if, unfortunately, it is Trump who believes all illegal migrants are criminals, which would be a “long story”.

To be continued sort to the use of force to cow their colleagues and badger them into toeing a particular line.

Last year, while different groups were jostling to take over the leadership of the House of Representatives, instead of trying to sway others to their side through the deployment of logic, some legislators resorted to using their fist to convince others to see the sense in the position they held. Lawmakers, in the full glare of everybody as relayed on national television, engaged one another in fisticuffs and tore their colleagues’ robes.

The same scenario played out at Nasarawa House of Assembly about four weeks ago. Legislators disagreed over the issue of appointment of sole administrators for 11 local government areas by Governor Tanko Al-Makura and resorted to exchanging punches to sort out the matter instead of each concerned person advancing reasons for taking a position.

Last Tuesday, pandemonium broke out at the Edo State House of Assembly because of leadership tussle. Rather than sit down to talk things over, legislators decided to sort out the issue by beating one another black and blue.

Obviously, to succeed as a Nigerian legislator, expertise in martial arts is a sine qua non.

But what manner of man or woman would prefer to deploy the brawn in a matter requiring the brain. Why would anybody prefer violence to logic? It is a pointer to the fact that, while there are some excellent people in the legislature at both the federal and state levels, a good number of them are unfit for the office they occupy. This is evident in the quality of the contributions they make on the floors of the assemblies as well as the kind of laws they churn out. That is why they would rather arm twist and blackmail the executive into ‘settling’ them than engage the latter in discussions that could further the interest of the common people. For many of them, logic is too abstract a concept, hence their readiness to make use of what is easily available; the fist or a deadlier weapon.

When logic is too high, the obvious alternative is illogic.

What can be more unreasonable than a holder of a high office denigrating same by engaging in physical combat?

17

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

K1 De Ultimate shines at Industry Nite —Psalm Ebube

A fan slapped me over a movie role —Bukky Thomas

My mum does not support

my music career —L.A.X.

Damilola Abdulrazaq Afolabi, also known as L.A.X. is an afrobeat musician who has featured in songs like Caro and Ginger by Wizkid as well as Fine boy by Olamide. In this interview with TAYO GESINDE, L.A.X. speaks on why he decided to venture into music, his parents’ reaction, among other issues. Excerpts:

W

What was growing up like for you?

HEN I was in primary school, I was living with my grandmother and I used to speak a lot of Yoruba because that was the language she spoke to me. Then, I used to listen to a lot of Fuji music. My favourite musicians then were Wasiu Ayinde and King Sunny Ade. They even influenced my music.

Later I gained admission into the Nigerian Turkish International College for my secondary school education.

How did you get into the music industry?

I started recording music in 2008. It was shortly after my West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination. I was at home for six months, doing nothing. Then I started following my friends to the studio. One day, I entered the studio to record a song and the next day, the producer called me and told me I had an amazing voice. He then advised me to work on my voice. So, I continued going to the studio every day, learning how to sing and building my craft. Professionally, I started singing in 2008.

What were the challenges you faced when you ventured into music?

The major challenge I faced at that time was that nobody was supporting me. I had to use my pocket money to pay for studio time and to shoot my videos.

How did you combine your musical career with academics?

One thing about me was that I didn’t really need to read extra hard once I attended lectures because I have a good memory. So, I made sure that when school was in session, I didn’t miss any class. It was after class that I’d go to the studio and during examination period, I made sure I read my books.

Continues on pg21

18

8 May, 2016

Segun Adebayo tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

Stories By Segun Adebayo

A

S the darkness crept into the Lagos’ skyline last Wednesday, what was on the lips of many people within the state and its environs was the Industry Nite special, with K1 De Ultimate. It was one night that they had looked forward to. It was even more special to K1 and his patrons because it was the perfect place to introduce his new album, ‘Let The Music Flow’ to them.

Little wonder, the event was tagged Industry Nite Special with K1. Over the years, K1 has continued to stay on top of his game and even till last week Wednesday, it became more obvious that he would remain on that spot for a long time. He had promised that music would flow at the special edition of the Industry Nite and true to his words, the music flowed.

From the start, it was evident to all and sundry that it was going to be a clear departure from the past editions. Early enough, human and vehicular movements leading to the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, venue of the event could not be controlled.

It was a rare convergence of those who matter in the society,as they came in droves to revel with K1 De Ultimate, as he showcased his new album.’

It was a night full of fun, dance and glamour as popular comedian, Teju Baby face, who mceed the event cracked up the audience in his usual manner . At the event, K1 said he was not retiring from music even if some people believe his time was up. To him, if late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Dauda Epo Akara, among others, could have performed till they breathed their last, nothing stops him from singing. “I will keep

Sunday Tribune Seyi Sokoya seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08075166585

How the music flowed at

Industry Nite With K1 De Ultimate singing as long as I feel strong to continue,” he said.

It didn’t matter which artiste was on ground to perform that night, K1 stood his ground and once again illustrated the essential difference between him and other musicians in the country, especially in the Fuji genre.

Being in the industry for as long as he has and staying on top of his game ever since, it is only normal that serveral people would look

up to him as a role model.

This explains why the like of 9ice, Lanre Teriba, Vector, Adekunle Gold, Shola Allison and Olawale Project Fame who were all on ground that night to perform described him as one man whose works have continued to influence generations.

Lanre Teriba and Sola Allison introduced the gospel dimen-

Tiwa Savage finds ‘new love’ AWAY from the marriage break-up drama that dominated the social media for more than one week, Tiwa Savage appears to have moved on to something else.

This time round, the mother of one has shown interest in acting and she seems to be enjoying her time.

Information reaching R revealed that Savage who insisted that her marriage to Tunji Balogun, Tee Billz, was over was spotted on the set of Funke Akindele’s ‘Jenifer’s Diary’ Season Six. The Mavin first lady said she would not be tied down by her seemingly failed marriage and would continue to throw herself at every good opportunity that comes her way.

It looks like the music star will be trying her hand at acting again. The Mavin Records singer was spotted on the set of Funke Akindele‘s series “Jenifa’s Diary” as the season six is currently being shot.

She won’t be the first music star to feature on the series. Rapper Falz gave a lovely performance in Season Five and even went on to win his first AMVCA.

sion to the night. The excited audience cheered endlessly and sang along, word for word, line after line. The response was deafening, and the excitement was palpable.

The response from the crowd got louder when Adekunle Gold stepped on stage and showed

why his songs will continue to stay relevant years from now; Vector D Viper took over with his famous tracks and was later joined by 9ice, who sezied the opportunity to inform the audience that he was not done with music.

K1 delivered more than what was promised as the audience was simply blown away.

2Baba to take fans on week-long trip to Kenya MUSICIAN, 2Baba, has announced that he would take some fans to Nairobi, Kenya, on an allexpense paid, week-long trip. He will select the fans via a dance competition tagged “Trip and Treat Trip 2016.”

He announced this through a video posted on his instagram page last week. 2Baba said he was doing something away from the norm with this competition. Instead of the usual ‘pick the winner based on likes accrued’, he wants to give every fan an opportunity, whether the person has a huge social media following or not.

Therefore, fans with the best dance videos will be selected as winners. He also stated that there would be multiple entry platforms for the competition to cater for a wider range of fans.

2Baba first hinted at the competition two weeks ago when he asked fans to suggest the number of people to take to Kenya with him. The responses were overwhelming, as he stated in the video, with some saying he should take as many as 1000 people.

2Baba has been on an incredible run this year releasing three

singles and bagging several endorsements. Earlier last week, he announced that he would be headlining the Lagos leg of “Buckwyld ‘n’ Breathless: The Disruption”.

His latest single entitled: ‘Oya Come Make We Go’ featured fellow Buckwyld ‘n’ Breathless headliners, Sauti Sol, and was released last month.

The singer also announced that he would be conferred with a honorary degree by the management of Igbinedion University, Edo State, on May 10.

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8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Why D’Banj won’t renew Ciroc deal M Stories By Segun Adebayo

ORE facts have emerged as to why Koko Master, D’banj, would not be renewing his endorsement deal with Ciroc Nigeria.

There had been talks about the renewal of the deal which he signed in 2015 but D;banj has officially confirmed that he would walk away from Ciroc after the deal expired in a matter of months.

Though D’banj would not reveal why he would not extend the endorsement deal that was said to have fetched him millions of naira. R gathered that a new deal from another big brand is reportedly being discussed.

Speaking on his relationship with Ciroc, D’banj took to

his Instagram page on Thursday to set the records staright. He said his deal with Ciroc Nigeria would not be renewed after it expired and would not reveal why he would not be signing the deal.

He wrote: “D’banj has decided not to renew his @cirocnigeria endorsement” alongside a video of him swaying to his song while chilling in his pool with his cute dog.

D’banj was announced as a brand ambassador for Ciroc Nigeria in February 2015 alongside Banky W, who is yet to make an official statement on his deal.

DJ Ibk Baggy drops new single on birthday

Ayuba, Pasuma, RK1, others for City People @ 20

By Seyi Sokoya AS part of the activities lined up to make the 20th anniversary of City People Magazine memorable, organisers of the event have set aside a classic event tagged: “Fuji Day Concert for City People Magazine @ 20”.

The event slated to take place at Blue Roof, LTV, Ikeja, Lagos State on July 24 will be locked down with several Fuji artistes such as Adewale Ayuba, Obesere, Pasuma, Osupa, Raymon Akanni, a.k.a RK1, Sefiu Alao, Sule Alao Malaika, Taye currency, among others.

The event will also feature the crème de la crème in the entertainment industry, just as it will also be an avenue for Fuji acts to interact with one another.

Speaking with R, RK1 De Superstar, who is one of the Fuji acts listed to make the event colourful, said he was ready to add

flavour to the event, as he and his band are delighted to thrill guests and dignitaries that will grace the event.

Actor, Imeh Bishop lands political appointment COMIC actor, Imeh Bishop Umoh, has landed an a political appointment with the Akwa Ibom State

government.

The actor has now joined the list of celebrities who have been given political appointments since the begining of this political dispensation. He has been appointed Special Assistant to the Governor on Ethical and Social Reorientation, Umoh is known for his comic roles in Nollywood movies and has featured in countless movies since his entry into the movie industry with the movie entitled Okon Lagos.

Umoh, who is otherwise known as Okon, confirmed the appointment on his Instagram account on Friday, saying that he would work with the governor to bring about social changes among youths in line with his vision to transform the state.

He appreciated the governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel, for the role he wants him to play in his government. ““Yes it’s true… been made Special Assistant To The Governor On Ethical and Social Reorientation,

Akwa Ibom State. Thank you Gov Udom Emmanuel. Most above all, Thank you Jesus.”

POPULAR Nigerian disc jockey, Dj Ibk Baggy, also known as the ‘wicked turn table wizard,” has dropped a new single, which is currently enjoying massive airplay in less than two days.

Speaking with E at the weekend, the official DJ of a popular radio station in Ibadan, Oyo State, spoke about his new single, entitled ‘My Lover’, in which he featured T-Rollet, adding that his recent nomination as the best DJ for Swifttv Awards 2016 was due to his effort in the industry.

However, speaking on his new song, which he released on his birthday, May 7, to thrill his fans, he said: “The song is about love, produced by Ace Beats, just to thrill my fans. My fans don’t know I am also a very good singer and songwriter. I will be featuring A-list artistes in my next tracks. So I dropped it to thrill my fans and to launch May 7 Entertainment and celebrate the day I came to this world, which was May 7.”

Why piracy still exists in Nollywood —Libra MD ONE of Nigeria’s entrepreneurs and movie producers, Mr Lekan Wasiudeen, has given reasons piracy still existed in the entertainment industry, especially the Nollywood sector and how to tackle it.

The CEO of Libra Multimedia Limited, operator of Libra TV, who made this known during a chat with journalists in Lagos State, recently, noted that apart from lack of technical-know-how, mismanagement and poor quality production, piracy remained a major setback for content owners for many decades.

While revealing that piracy is a vacuum in the distribution channel, he prescribed digital delivery as a means of tackling the challenge, adding that Libra Tv, which is an online channel, had

since been delivering movie content to its numerous online subscriber and in the process making money for content providers to grow the movie industry.

“Libra Multimedia is a total production digital outfit, encompassing pre-production,

production, post production and delivery. Since, piracy is a major challenge, we have a special way of avoiding it, and protecting intellectual property and reducing costs in the distribution channel till it gets to the last consumer, “ he said.

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8 May, 2016

entartainment Skiibii drops ‘Ah Skiibii’, speaks on relationship with Kcee, Harrysong

By Segun Adebayo

F

IVE Star Music act, Skiibii Mayana, does not seem to be slowing down this year. The singer is showing no obvious signs of tiredness with the release of two new singles and one video in a space of two months.

With the like of Kcee and Harrysong on the label, Skibii’s chances of establishing himself as one of Nigeria’s promising Afro pop singers have been limited.

Things even became more difficult for him in 2015 following the death rumour scandal that almost ruined his music career. But Skiibii has moved away from all that and is ready to establish himself as not just a serious musician, but one who is also ready to push his career to the next level.

According to him, Kcee and Harrysong have been a big influence on his career as against what some people have been made to believe.

“I am enjoying every bit of my stay in Five Star Music. Kcee and Harrysong have really pushed my career and I am thankful to them for their support till date. They are my big uncles and I am getting along with them very well. The truth is that there is time for every thing, so the time for me to show the stuff that I am made of has come,” he said.

In the begining of the year, Skiibii told those who cared to listen that he would take his music career to the biggest level this year and the singer has been living up to expectations.

After the release of his last single, ‘Aye Mi’, less than two months ago, which was followed up with the visuals directed by Moe Musa, Skiibii has now released another hit single which he entitled: ‘Ah Skiibii’.

“The new song is catchy and infectious, and I urge all my fans and lover of good music to download and enjoy it,” he said.

Segun Adebayo tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

I want to grow old in Netherlands —Maheeda

By Seyi Sokoya DUTCH-based controversial musician, Caroline Sam, otherwise known as Maheeda, has said she is ready to spend the rest of her life in Netherlands in spite of her love for her home country, Nigeria.

Maheeda, who has made a name for herself through raunchy pictures, in her goodwill message, joined the citizens of Netherlands to celebrate the naion’s Liberation Day, marking the celebration of freedom and the end of the Second World War for the Netherlands on May 5.

Rating her second home country, Maheeda wrote on her Instagram handle, saying “Happy Freedom Day, Netherland, my second country. I was told it’s the wrong place to be, but trust me, I will grow old here.”

Maheeda parted ways with her management recently, a development which she claimed was

Celebration time for Pastor Olaiya

By Seyi Sokoya NOTABLE gospel musicians, clerics and family will today converge to celebrate one of their own, a cleric cum musician, Pastor Claudius Olaiya, at his birthday thanksgiving service and the official launching of a new album entitled: “High Praise.”

The event will hold at the celebrant’s church auditorium, Christ Apostolic Church, Gbaremu Centre, Imalefalafia, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The new album which has four tracks: ‘High Praise’, ‘Door of Mercy’, ‘Benefactor’ and remix of ‘B’olele’, a popular hit track of Olaiya’s last album, “Change of Story”.

According to the cleric, the new work which coincided with a birthday thanksgiving service was divine, saying that it means a lot to his music and pastoral ministry.

“I am happy that I made myself available for God. To me, it is a rare opportunity and I will not rest on my oars to continue to serve God. In fact, God should get rid of me if I hesitate to serve Him with all my life, because He is the reason

Swag Kid wins Chopstick’s ‘Chop Da Beat’ competition

By Segun Adebayo TWO months after the announcement his Chop Da Beat Competition , winner of Chopstix’s “Chop Tha Beat” competition has finally emerged. Fourteen-year-old Ghana-based, Ese Emokiniovo Ibru, otherwise known as Swag Kid, beat over 1000 entries to emerge win-

ner.

As his reward for winning the competition, Swag Kid, who has been bubbling for a few years, will get a full production deal with Chopstix.

His entry was said to have impressed Chopstick that the ace producer took a flight to Ghana to break the news to him in person.

responsible for her silence in the music industry.

“I have no manager or management at the moment. So, anyone you are talking to is your problem.

No wonder it is not working out.”

He subsequently took to his Instagram page to laud the young talent for his immense skill in spite of his age.

Speaking on why he introduced the competition, he said he was sure Chopstix has always been about refining budding talent and giving them recognition and a shot at making it big. He has been responsible for the growth of artistes such as Endia, Yung L, Patoranking, Ceeza, Dremo, ichagba and the new rave, Klintt.

He also produced most of the tracks on Ice Prince’s ‘Fire Of Zamani’ album including monster hit; ‘Aboki’.

behind my successes and breakthroughs,” he said.

Speaking on the new album, Olaiya noted that “This is my fifth album and I am sure that it will inspire people to always praise God, irrespective of the challenges of life and the situation of the country. We need to appreciate God, no matter what we are facing. ‘High Praise’ is a vision from God and I know that it will motivate souls to know the importance of praises, because God is the only answer to the problems and afflictions of life.”

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8 May, 2016

‘Why musicians place emphasis on beat rather than lyrics’

Sunday Tribune

I love everybody. I love my female fans. I show them the love that they show me.

I have a good relationship with them.

What other things do you do aside music?

I am into business as well. I started doing business when I was 15. Aside that, what I studied has to do with writing business proposals, starting new companies. So, I have written close to 67 proposals for some big companies that they have started using and I got paid for them.

How would you describe yourself?

I am a very cool person, very reserved. I love to have fun and I love to be around people. That is basically me.

How do you relax?

I play FIFA game with my friends and I sleep.

What is your philosophy of life?

My philosophy of life is: Life is too short so, anything you want to do, do it now. There is no time for procrastination, do what you have to do and don’t regret any move you make.

What is your assessment of the Nigerian music industry?

I think Nigeria music has gained international recognition. Everybody wants to listen to our music. I watched an interview recently where Lauryn Hill was talking about afrobeat, which is amazing.

These days, what we get from musicians are beats and no content. The lyrics of most songs are nothing to write home about. What is your take on this?

If you look at the music industry worldwide, it is changing. The time when there was a lot of lyrical content was when there was war and so on, right now everybody wants to be happy. The types of beats that will make people happy are beats that will make them dance, which will relieve their stress and remove their sorrow.

Having said that, I want to say that a lot of artistes are still doing songs with lyrical content and they are doing well. So, I think it boils down to the path that an artiste wants to pursue.

Continued from pg17

Were your parents in support of your musical career?

I am still trying to convince my mother but my dad is okay with it. When I started music, I didn’t tell anybody in my immediate family, only my cousins but when my dad found out, he wasn’t really happy about it. He called me and told me that I must finish my studies before I can venture into music. He said that was the only condition that could make him give me his support. Till now, my mum is not in support of it, though she calls me regularly to check on me. She doesn’t really like the fact that I am into music but she is my first love, so she has to support me.

son, it is easy for me to come up with stories that I can turn into a song.

How many albums/ songs have you done?

I have no album yet. I am working on it but I have a couple of songs out. I did Caro with Wizkid, Ginger with Wizkid as well and Fine Boy with Olamide. I dropped a song recently, Ole featuring Ycee and Dremo. The reaction of people to Ole has been amazing, it had 13,000 views on YouTube in one day and had up to 50,000 download. Everybody is talking about it online and it will soon be on radio and TV.

Who are your role models and why?

I am blessed to be working with one of my role models; Wizkid. Tuface and D’Banj are also my role models.

I have many of them but those three are the key ones.

How do you intend to distinguish yourself in an industry that is highly competitive?

I thank God for blessing me with a unique voice.

My voice is distinct from every other voice in the industry.

Apart from that, I need to work on my brand which I am doing right now. I need to work on things I do, where I want people to see me, the places I go to and things like that.

Where do you get inspiration for your songs?

Inspiration for my songs comes from my day-to-day activities, movies and imaginations. Sometimes when I sit down, I just think about a lot of things because I am a creative per-

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I see myself as one of the biggest exports in music that Nigeria will ever create. I will back it up with prayer. I also see myself being where God wants me to be.

How have you been coping with female fans?

I love everybody. I love my female fans. I show them the love that they show me. I have a good relationship with them.

Which artiste would you like to work with and why?

That would be Tuface and it is because he inspires me a lot. He came out in 1993 and has been consistent till now.

He has been dropping songs after songs and has not deviated from his style of music.

You are in an industry where people engage in a lot of vices, how do you intend to abstain from these vices?

I think my mum is going to help a lot in that aspect because she always keeps me in check. I talk to her a lot.

Sometimes three times a day. She keeps motivating me and encouraging me to stay true to myself.

What advice do you have for young people who will like to toe your career path?

Spend a lot of time in the studio. The studio is where the next big song will come. If you are not in the studio, the song won’t come. So, be in the studio, work hard, pray and everything will work out fine.

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8 May, 2016

makeover

Sunday Tribune

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 rosarumese@gmail.com

Don’t waste the waistcoats W

AISTCOATS are one of the trickiest items on a person’s general outfit plan, especially as they can be quite confusing when it comes to styling them. They add a touch of class to any outfit and can be worn to as many occasions as possible, depending on the pairing. Waistcoats have also evolved creatively as both men and women can successfully pull them off, and they come in as many designs and fabrics as possible, even Ankara fabrics. Below are a few tips for correctly styling waistcoats: Before you buy Never attempt to buy a separate waistcoat as part of a three-piece suit, because you may not get the exact matching colour, and for suits, the entire piece must match to perfection. If you’re attempting to purchase a waistcoat, look out for materials such as cotton, tweed, corduroy or linen, and ensure the colour you pick goes well with your skin tone. With Ankara fabrics, however, you’re open to more options, but ensure you wear the waistcoat on a plain shirt/blouse, especially the less pronounced colour on the fabric.

For women, let the neckline come a bit lower, to accentuate the feminine shape. The sides of the waistcoat should sit just right on the waist. Making it too short or too long will make it look awkward. You can wear a waistcoat with a dress, blouse, shirt or if you can dare the Yvonne Nelson style, simply as a top.

Embrace fitness Unless you’re going for the stand-up comedy look, always ensure your waistcoat is cut to fit, although not too tight, whether for men or for women. They should sit just right on the body frame for men, emphasising the general outlook of your physique.

For women, the waistcoat is only allowed to slightly accentuate your chest area but should not strain at the waist, in terms of fitting.

Tricks with buttons For men, suit rules also apply for waistcoats, so you can leave the last button undone to ease sitting or moving your arms around. However, when styled as part of an informal outfit, feel free to leave buttons done or undone, especially with Ankara fabrics.

Same rules also apply to women.

The trick is to know the difference between formal, semi formal and informal occasions and let your fashion discretion take over.

Photo: www.stylevitae.com

Photo: news1.ghanagrio.com

Waistcoats never go out of style —Sanusi, designer Yinka Sanusi, a native of Ibadan is the brains behind D’Ace Tailoring, Ibadan, Oyo State. The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State graduate speaks with RITA OKONOBOH on the waistcoat trend and his experience in the fashion industry. Excerpts: ARE you into any other thing apart from fashion designing?

No. I’m basically into fashion designing.

How did you come about the name, D’Ace? D’Ace is from the word, ‘ace,’ which is a definition for excellence, which is a definition of my work.

So, would you say you feel fulfilled as a fashion designer?

Yes. I have no regrets so far because this is something I have a passion for. Although, it hasn’t been a smooth ride so far, the passion keeps it going. The Nigerian fashion industry is growing now, with many people coming in, compared to when I started.

How did you discover your passion?

Creativity has always been a part of me. I don’t like wearing common outfits, so when I give fabrics to tailors, I’d sketch the design I want. With time, a friend of mine asked me to make some of my designs for him. After the first delivery, - that was in 2009, – I decided to go into it full time.

What challenges have you encountered?

There is the challenge of manpower, because one can’t do this alone. There is also the problem of electricity.

Who are some celebrities you have designed for?

I’ve designed for some celebrities, like my brand ambassadors – Femi Adebayo and Sukanmi Omobolanle. I’ve also designed for DJ Sexcy. I’ve also designed for a few others.

Waistcoats seem to be coming back into style.

Would you say Nigerians wear waistcoats well?

In real fact, waistcoats have never gone out of style, and in fact, it has evolved from being a strictly formal wear to an outfit one can wear even for semi formal and informal events, especially to spice up an outfit. We have various kinds of waistcoats and there are various ways of wearing them. We have the conventional waistcoat that one can wear as part of a three-piece suit.

We have basically two types of waistcoats, and this is determined by the number of buttons and the breast pockets. We have waistcoats with aligned buttons and the double-breasted waistcoats with buttons on the sides.

Waist coats can be worn to weddings, interviews, and other occasions.

With your experience in the fashion industry, do you think Nigeria has what it takes to be number one globally?

When you look at the strides we have made in the music industry, for example, you’d know that we have much to offer as a nation.

The next big Nigerian industry to attain worldwide recognition is fashion. The growth, creativity and interest are tremendous.

23

8 May , 2016

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

If thoroughly implemented, recommendations from the National Summit on Culture and Tourism, which was held in Abuja from April 27 to 29, will soon make the sectors become one of the nation’s mainstays

After national summit, Nigeria’s culture, tourism set to soar ingbogun.

W

HEN he met with arts and tourism journalists in Lagos, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had assured that last week’s National Summit on Culture and Tourism with the theme ‘Repositioning Culture and Tourism in a Diversified Economy’ held in Abuja would not be a mere talk shop.

“We are aware that similar efforts have been made in the past, without an appreciable result. The difference this time is our commitment and the different milieu provided by the national imperative to diversify the economy, amidst the crash in the price of oil,” he had said.

Alhaji Mohammed reiterated this in his welcome address at the opening of the summit on Thursday, April 28 at Transcorp Hilton. “We are here gathered today not necessarily to re-invent the wheel but to add value to what has been bestowed to us by naturehundreds of years of rich culture and heritage, diverse tourist sites and timeless monuments.”

To underscore the seriousness he attaches to the onerous task of moving the culture and tourism sectors from the margins to the mainstay of the nation’s economy, rather than leave after the opening formalities, the Minister and his Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, participated fully in the sessions that followed. They both sat in front quietly on Thursday and Friday, taking notes with Alhaji Mohammed standing up occasionally to clarify issues when he needed to do so.

The clincher, however, is the committee the Minister set up to implement the recommendations of the meeting. “This has been a very thrilling experience for all of us. The major concern with summits like this however has always been how to ensure this won’t be a waste of time, energy and resources. And the best way to ensure this is not a talk shop is to have a post-implementation committee,” Alhaji Mohammed said just before the summit ended.

He subsequently named Dr. Paul Adalikwu, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Chief Tommy Akingbogun, an official of the NBS, Mallam Sheriff Abdulhamid and George Ufot as members of the committee. They were given four weeks

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (middle) with chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Mattthew Urhoghide (left) and chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism, Omoeregie Ogbeide, at the national summit on culture and tourism. PHOTO: SUNDAY OSUNRAYI to go through the communiqué and come up with a framework and timeline for the execution of the recommendations following the presentation of six papers and key interventions by public and private players in the culture and tourism sectors.

Embracing culture for survival In his paper entitled ‘Culture in a diversified economy’, the guest speaker and retired federal director of culture, Mr Frank AigImoukhuede highlighted how material and intangible aspects of Nigerian cultures could become money spinners. He noted that Nigeria would have benefitted more from the implementation of the Dakar Plan of Action 1988-1992.

Former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, in a paper entitled ‘Tourism in a diversified economy’ disclosed that the state actively developed tourism as a matter of survival and that Nigeria is not in a dissimilar position with Cross River when it started developing products to attract tourists.

The ex-governor highlighted challenges of Nigerian tourism to include perception, which is people seeing the country as insecure; attitude which means having the required patience and planning to know that tourism is long term. Duke reiterated the need to change the narrative about Nigeria’s perception and revival of the Presidential Council on Tourism chaired by President Buhari and comprising all state governors and ministries including health, education, avia-

tion, transport and interior amongst others.

An official of the National Bureau of Statistics, who spoke on ‘Developing data bank in the culture and tourism industry,” noted that data collection, research and documentation by culture practitioners are vital for effective planning to attract private sector patronage for the culture sector.

Founder of Terra Kulture, Bolanle AustenPeters who spoke on ‘Private sector perspective of Nigerian culture and tourism’, began by condemning how schools have de-emphasised the teaching of arts, culture and history.

She said schools and to some extents, parents have failed to understand that productive minds drive creativity in any nation. Government, Austen-Peters continued, is also culpable as it also doesn’t respect creative minds and creativity.

The producer of ‘Saro’ and ‘Waka’ recommended collaboration between government and the private sector to fully tap into the benefits of culture and tourism but warned that parastatals need to have current and verifiable data. She also warned that in seeking to collaborate with the private sector, government agencies must be ready to embrace financial discipline and that museums and galleries perceived as drain pipes are actually money spinners if well managed by agencies concerned.

The remaining two papers delivered at the summit were ‘Culture in a diversified economy’ by Professor Sule Bello and ‘Tourism in a diversified economy’ by Chief Tommy Ak-

Some recommendations from the summit

A 37-point communiqué was issued at the end of the three-day summit. Here are some from it: •To create positive image for our national buildings, corporate offices and edifices, there is need to adorn them with Nigerian artworks. The interior and exterior decorations of private and public corporate offices of our political leaders, chief executives, and Nigerian missions abroad should make strong cultural statements. The Presidency should lead the way by ensuring that the furniture in the President’s office, etc., are de-

signed by our master carvers, painters and other artists.

•The change mantra of the Federal Government can only succeed if the culture and tourism sector provides the fulcrum to drive it. Community theatre projects, musical concerts and visual designs are very effective tools for re-orientating the citizenry from bottom-up.

•In view of difficulties encountered by prospective tourists, businessmen, conference participants, pilgrims, travellers in acquiring Nigerian visa, there is need for a

friendlier visa regime.

•Abuja, as the nation’s capital, is overdue for a befitting National Theatre and a National Museum. These are vital national monuments visitors and tourists visit on arrival at any capital city.

•The reviewed National Policy on Culture, Tourism Master Plan, Tourism Development of Fund (TDF) and the National Endowment Fund for the Arts are long overdue. Action must therefore be taken to establish and make them functional for effective development of the sector.

Not just talk shop Aside the papers, there were other notable interventions by both public and private players in culture and tourism at the summit. Playwright and ex-GM of the National Theatre/National Troupe, Professor Ahmed Yerima reiterated the importance of security in driving tourism and requested the Minister to critically appraise agencies under his ministry to ensure there is no duplication of efforts. Yerima told the minister, “Sir, this is your time. Ensure we take the ministry of culture and tourism forward.”

For Professor Mabel Evwierhoma, aside the importance of establishing an inter-ministerial committee on culture and tourism, the ministry of culture and tourism needs to interface more with schools. She also canvassed for the revival of ‘Nigeria’ magazine and the maintenance of public monuments.

Professor Tracie Utoh-Ezeajugh spoke in the same vein. She condemned the destruction of the country’s cultural assets under the guise of religion and suggested the industrial production of Nigerian fashion.

Utoh-Ezeajugh also advised crafts people to package their products well and urged government to provide all necessary infrastructures for culture and tourism to thrive.

For filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun, there’s disconnect between agencies of government and the public they are supposed to serve. He recommended better synergy between government and the public, and between the federal and state governments.

Thorough learning curve Impressed by the robust contributions during the summit which kicked off with an exhibition and gala night on Wednesday evening, Alhaji Mohammed admitted just before it closed on Friday: “This has been a thorough learning curve for me. There are many people outside my ministry who can teach us about the arts and tourism. It is truly a market place of ideas.” He disclosed that the ministry would soon organise a night to honour heroes in the creative industry along with new talents.

Though some would say summits have been overused by the ministry, indications are that this last meeting where a 37-point communiqué was issued would make a difference and that culture/tourism will soon become one of the nation’s mainstays.

But despite all the strategies he has put in place to ensure that recommendations from the summit are implemented and his readiness to turn the sectors around, Michael Taiwo, a participant believes the Minister has his job cut out for him, especially with staff members of his ministry who might be averse to change.

“While we cannot devalue the importance of such gatherings [summits] in the development process, the Ministry of Information and Culture (especially the culture arm) as presently constituted and with the extant orientation, might not bring any meaningful change,” he said by way of expressing his fears.

24

Sunday Tribune

Sunday Tribune

8 May, 2016

glamour

25

With Tayo Gesinde temiligali03@yahoo.com 08054727801

A fan slapped me over a movie role —Bukky Thomas Nollywood actress, Bukky Thomas, has been in the movie industry for seven years and featured in many movies and soaps. In this interview with TAYO GESINDE, she speaks on her most embarrassing moment as an actress and how she has been coping with competition in the industry.

Excerpts:

H

OW I have been coping with competition I have been upgrading myself in acting and cinematography because of up-and- coming actors and actresses with new diversity. So, I can’t just afford to remain stagnant.

Most challenging role My most challenging role was in Boomerang. I played the role of Helen, an Illiterate Warri woman.

There were times that I forgot I was an illiterate and would speak Queen’s English and my husband would have to caution me on set. Speaking pidgin was war for me, so I had to travel to learn how to speak it and now, it’s an added advantage.

My role models Kate Henshaw and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. They speak out on pertinent issues and don’t just keep quiet. Remember Kate spoke against how the show ‘Doctors Quarters’ was being handled and the series was discontinued. Omotola speaks out against poor governance and other relevant matters. I don’t have any recollection though of what she has said concerning the movie industry.

Most embarrassing moment In Diana’s Verdict, I acted the role of an insensitive mother. One day, a fan saw me and asked why I behaved the way I did in the movie. I jokingly replied that it was Nigerian economy that caused it and also because my husband was poor.

She slapped me and that was when it dawned on me that I played my role well.

Philosophy of life My philosophy of life is to make an impact in my world for God’s kingdom.

My assessment of Nollywood The barriers to entry are too low so every Tom, Dick and Harry claims to be actor, director and producer.

People need to be grounded in the craft they practice. They need to be trained. They need to understand production, marketing and distribution and also specialise in one area. What we have in the industry is a lot of multitasking and no professionalism. Also, there is no check on standard of payment. The peanuts actors are earning are partly because of those who control the industry and the weak Actors Guild that is doing noting about it.

Another career I would have chosen if not acting Law. But I also love buying and selling so I guess I won’t have gone to the bar. That is why I have my Masters in marketing.

The gains and pains of being a celebrity It all depends on where you are coming

cian will ask you to campaign for him. So, the gains of being a celebrity are that it puts you in the public domain which helps to position you for opportunities. The pain is that you don’t get what you deserve and people (directors/producers) will fix a price of what they feel they want to pay you and not how much your fee is. The Actors Guild of Nigeria that is supposed to act as a pressure group in this regard is not doing anything.

There is, however, a silver lining. There are emerging game changers. There is the film workshop organised in conjunction with New York Film Academy and facilitated by Del York (owned by Mr Linus).This is just one of the game changers that will see a difference in the way the industry is being run.

Actors on their part need to learn the law of contracts so that they are abreast of their rights. Nigeria is signatory to the charter of World Intellectual Property Organisation. How many actors know about that charter to start with? So you see, there is a lot of ignorance making the rounds.

Definition of style I am a stylish person, it shows even when I dress down. Style means being chic. As an

from. Let us take a look at Pre-Nollywood.

We had Pete Edochie, Ini Erakhimo, Lari Williams, Chika Okpala, Sadiq Daba, Jide Kosoko, to mention a few. Some are no longer acting, some are living in penury while some are very successful. If we look at the inception of Nollywood, we had Sonny McDon, Okechukwu Nnebue, Ramsey Nouah, steph Nora Okere, Geneivieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. Notice that the next generation after that produced Nonso

Diobi, Chioma Akpotha, Ngozi Ezeonu and most recently Yul Edochie. By now, DSTV had entered the market and the company is infusing its style and brand of entertainment, content and broadcasting. We now had a sort of packaging that gave Nollywood an international appeal (Africa Magic, AMVCA) but the basics, for example royalties, fees and welfare for actors are still being neglected. Your ability to hustle will either land you an endorsement deal or a politi-

Intelligence, poise, ability to communicate are qualities I find attractive in a man.

If a male admirer has any or more of these qualities, we have some things in common to discuss about

elegant, stylish person, I always put things together. Everything must be in place, from right make- up, matching shoes that will complement my dress. I also make sure I dress for the occasion I am attending.

Cost of looking good Looking good is relative and a matter of perspective. For me, looking good is all about indulging in what gives me peace of mind and stimulates my mental capacity.

For me, looking good is inside out; exercise, proper dieting, prayer, a positive attitude and a sense of style. So, I must say, if it’s costly, it is because gym is not a free thing.

Fashion obsession I prefer the word ‘taste’ over ‘obsession’.

My taste in fashion borders on colour combinations that uplift my mood and outfit that oozes confidence when I wear them.

For example, a blue halter dress accessorised with a black leather belt and black high heels and blend of alluring bling gives me a sense of control and efficiency.

Favourite designers Prada for bags and perfume.

Special treat If I want to pamper myself, aromatherapy at the spa is my first option; it gets me renewed and connects me with a network that will benefit the association Opinion on cosmetic surgery

I think it is a matter of choice on one hand and an element of trends on the other hand.

For example, cosmetic surgery dates as far back as the Roman empire.

My take on toning Toning is also a matter of choice. For me, I am cool with my ebony dark skin any day, any time.

On provocative dressing Provocative dressing! Hmm! Not my style, I love modesty because I am kingdom (heaven) oriented.

How I handle my male admirers Appeal is what matters most. Intelligence, poise, ability to communicate are qualities I find attractive in a man.

If a male admirer has any or more of these qualities, we have some things in common to discuss about. If not, I manage them with emotional intelligence.

Life as a single mother As a single mother, it is all a matter of priority, multi-tasking, delegation and coming up with contingency plans when the need arises. This is where scheduling and time management play a key role in this regard.

Advice to young people You are only as good as how much time you dedicate to your craft so, hone your skills and keep learning.

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aspire

8 May, 2016

feature

BY OLAIDE SOKOYA 0807 449 7425 (sms only)

BB pin: 290B9652

My dream is to sew for Mr President —Olalekan

Farayola Ridwan Olalekan is a fashion designer who believes that his passion for the fashion business will spur him to greatness as he continues to grow on the job. He shares his journey into fashion sewing world in this brief chat with SEGUN ADEBAYO.

H

OW the journey started It all started some years back when I discovered that I am always fasicanated by what people wear. Anywhere I went to, I am drawn to people who looked very nice with the style of their dresses and I am always thinking of how to create something nice like what they are wearing. I felt like if somebody could so beautifull designs like what I am seeing, then nothing stops me from doing the same thing for people. That was how it all started. Basically, I will say my passion drives me so much into fashion designing. Right from the day I started till this moment, the only thing that has brought me to this level is my passion for the job. I don’t think there is anyone who can succeed at any job if they are not pasionate about what they do.

Sketching came first I started with sketching designs but at a point I felt I could do more, so decided to go and learning sewing properly because at that time, sketching was not really paying my bills and I had a lot of people who wanted to me sketch for them. After sketching for them, they would take my work to tailors to design. So, I got tired of that, and I started learning how to sew. That was how I got into fashion designing. The sketching aspect has aided my career, becaus once I sketch, I can equally sew. When I left Secondary school and I was waiting to be admitted into an Higher Institution, I decided ti engage myself rather than sitting down at home doing nothing. So, I approached an experienced tailor who put me through all that I needed to know. After sometime, I gained admission to Moor Plantation to Study Animal Health .....

The support of my family was key to my rise.

When my parents noticed my inclination towards fashion, they didn’t discourage me. They told me I should not allow one to affect the other-I mean school and fashion.

They supported me with what they had and I got a small shop and I started sewing for people, especially my colleagues in school who in turn introduced me to their friends, families and other clients who have been part of my success story today. Even as I look to improving my skills on the job, I strongly believe that there is more to come from me to my clients. The world of fashion is changing and many designs are springing up every day, I want to continue to drive myself above the line and keep abreast of trends.

Sunday Tribune

Farayola Olalekan

How far I have gone on the job At this point on this job, I thank for His grace. It is not by my doing, but His grace has brought me this far. I am not the only young fashion designer around, but God has been so gracious to me and I am really enjoying my job.

The journey has been rough, but I won’t say it has not been smooth too. One thing that gives me much joy is that any design that people bring to me, I always deliver.

I sew all kinds of designs. I am not restricted to any particular one. As long as you know what you want, I will sew it for you. I have been trained not to reject any job, I can handle everything.

Challenges of the job You can’t run away from challenges. No matter what you do, there will be days when things will look very awry for you and you would feel as though the world is coming down over you. In the midst of it, I try keep my head up and concentrate on my inner strenght. You can’t satisfy all your clients but you can be liberal and very accomodating. You have to be receptive to criticisms and complaints. As much as the complaints come, I try not to let them weigh me down. I thank God for helping me to cope with the challenges of the job as much as they come.

How far I want to go on the job It is my dream to go far and bigger. My dream is to sew for the President of this country and other world leaders. Some people keep telling me that it is a tall dream but I tell them that big things start with a dream and zeal to pursue it. If I can conceive it, I can achieve it. I want to take my job to the next level. I don’t want to be restricted to one place or one style, I want to sew for everybody who approaches my office.

The bus driver’s son who became first Muslim Mayor in London LONDON’S first Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, is the proud son of a Pakistani-born bus driver who considers himself so liberal he backed gay marriage and even launched his campaign in a pub.

The Labour MP also put tackling terrorism and ‘rooting out its cancer’ at the heart of his election manifesto and pledged to put the capital on a ‘war-footing from day one’.

Mayor Khan was helped into City Hall by Tory rival, Zac Goldsmith’s campaign, which was even branded ‘racist’ by his own party after he claimed Labour ‘thinks terrorists are its friends.’

But his political career has been dogged by incidents where he has ended up sharing the platform with extremists.

The former human rights lawyer has also been forced into a recent humbling apology to Londoners for giving the impression he shared their views.

The politician has apparently made nine appearances alongside Sulaiman Ghani, a radical cleric who said was a supporter of ISIS and believes homosexuality is ‘unnatural.’

MailOnline also revealed this year that in 2009, he supported groups promoting Islamic extremism and gave a speech while the ‘black flag of jihad’ was openly flying in the hands of children.

Last week he apologised for calling moderates Muslim groups ‘Uncle Toms’ on Iranian-backed Press TV, also in 2009, a slur used by black people to suggest that members of their community are subservient to whites.

Despite this the father-of-two has himself suffered death threats from Islamists who hate him for being too liberal, especially because he voted for same-sex marriage.

Mr Khan admitted a Fatwa on his head made him consider getting bodyguards for his solicitor wife Saadiya, and their two children Anisah and Ammarah, 16 and 14. because he feared their lives were also in danger.

Officers in his Tooting constituency in London have been put on high alert, and will respond ‘extra-quick’ should an incident be reported at his home.

Sadiq Khan is the son of a bus driver who grew up in London, and represents the Tooting constituency he was born in.

Photographs of his childhood show his family standing proudly outside their council home and another shows him waving a union flag and wearing a crown on the day of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 1977.

He is Labour’s first mayor since Ken Livingstone, who he used to help advise, but has fought to distance himself Red Ken’s politics and also Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Lawyer Mr Khan wooed his fellow-lawyer wife of 22 years Saadiya over Filet-O-Fish in a Croydon McDonalds and nights at a nearby cinema.

The pair got married in 1994 and now have two teenage daughters.

Mr Khan, one of Ed Miliband’s closest friends, sees himself as a liberal left-winger and he has even admitted that enjoys facials and manicures.

Wife Saadiya recently booked him into a spa as a romantic surprise and he shops in Banana Republic because ‘you can buy clothes for short people like me’.

The handsome 45-year-old says a cab drivers told him recently: “I thought it was George Clooney for a minute” another said he looked like Jose Mourinho.

London contains 40 per cent of Britain’s Muslims and he has spoken widely about the importance of his faith.

It is their backing that will have helped him to 44 per cent of first preferences, compared His family always observe Ramadan, including fasting, and he was the first British minister to make make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

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8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

thepolity Problems and problems of South-West PDP

Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State

Chief Bode George

Governor Ayo Fayose, Ekiti State

In this report, DARE ADEKANMBI, MOSES ALAO, BOLA BADMUS and OLUWOLE IGE examine the advent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the politics of the South-West as well as the declining fortunes of the party since then, against the background of the current hoopla over leadership control.

W

ITH resounding success in the South-East, South-South and about 90 per cent of the 19 northern states at the birth of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gave a loud impression it was going to be the party to beat for many years in the country. Its arch-rival in the South-West, the Alliance for Democracy (AD), swept the polls in the six states of the zone, the domain of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who won the presidential election that year.

As 2003 elections approached, concerns were raised within the national hierarchy of the PDP over whether Obasanjo merited a return ticket, given the poor showing of the PDP in the South-West in 1999. Obasanjo, who didn’t take the concerns sitting down, began a series of consensus-building meetings with leaders and governors of AD with a viewing to forging an alliance that would help him silence his critics. The PDP, as the outcome of the 2013 election showed, coasted to a disputed resounding in five of six states, leaving only Lagos State to the AD. That was the beginning of what observers have called the ‘incursion of PDP’ into the predominantly ‘progressivesdominated’ South-West. The battle for the control of the zone has since become fierce between the two tribes of politicians in the zone-the progressives and the conservatives. The ensuing political war without end seems to have eternally set the umbrella party up as an antithesis to the political thesis championed and vigorously crusaded by those in the ‘progressive camp.’

Since its fortunes began to plummet from 2010, the PDP in the South-West has been struggling largely unsuccessfully to get itself back into the heart of the zone by winning a majority of the states. Hope of a rebirth for PDP in the zone was rekindled with the victory of Governor Ayodele Fayose in 2014. But such hope was quickly extinguished two months after, following the outcome of Osun State governorship

election and the poor showing of the party in the 2015 general election subsequently.

With the loss of the presidential position after 16 years of PDP in the saddle, not a few leaders of the party have spoken loftily about the need to rebuild and rejig the hitherto ruling party, particularly in the South-West. Moves were seen to have been made in some quarters to bring back leaders of the party who had left to either join other parties or form their own, as part of the perestroika or the rebuilding its leaders contemplated.

However, with the emergence of former governor Ali Modu Sheriff as the acting national chairman of the party, the party has increased in crises rather than in size. While some have kicked against emergence, it was a herculean task for his promoters to convince those raising the roof.

Sensing what observers tag an opportunity to perpetuate themselves, the South-West committee of the party, which control is under Senator Buruji Kashamu, paid a solidarity visit to Sheriff in Abuja and expressed support for Sheriff’s continued stay in office beyond May 21. The delegation, led

by Buruji, said the South-West did not need the national chairmanship of the party to the North, a position that was quickly rejected by prominent leaders of the party in the zone as unilateral and self-serving.

Ogun PDP fractured by crisis In the Gateway State, the PDP is split along three lines.

There is a faction led by Buruji, another by Honourable Ladi Adebutu, who is a current House of Representatives member representing Remo Federal Constituency, and yet another group by a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole.

The three groups have held parallel ward and local government congresses and have vowed to repeat same for the state congress scheduled for this week. There is also a case in court

contesting the propriety of the Adebayo Dayo-led state executive to supervise and conduct the congress following the expiration of their tenure in February, this year.

Honourable Sunday Solarin is a chieftain of the party in Honourable Adebutu’s camp. He told Sunday Tribune what the problem is and the way forward. “The problem started in 2010 when some people laid judicial ambush and took over the party and I can confirm to you that since then, the party has been soaked in gross political misfortune. The founding fathers of the party who struggled to make sure that the party won election in 2003 and in 2007 reasoned out that the solution to the problem is to return the party to the people since it has already been hijacked from them.

Somebody has made the party an extension of his personal business and I am sure that is not supported by any known democratic tenet.

“What the leaders who want PDP to return to power in 2019 are clamouring for now is that the party must be returned to the people. Let there be participatory internal democracy.

There is no other solution that. This is in line with the slogan of the party which says-power to the people. We must allow a free and fair democratic process to be entrenched in the culture of the party. But while many leaders are saying power should go back to the people, somebody is agitating to be the sole custodian of people’s power. That will not be tolerated.

“PDP in Ogun and in the South-West must parade a new set of leaders who will go through the crucible of integrity test and come out without blemish, leaders who don’t have baggage hanging around their neck as an albatross. Image and perception matter in politics. We need a generational leadership shift in the PDP. If we don’t reflect what we have in terms of talented politicians, the public will continue to see us as been the same. It is only when this is done that the good people of Ogun and South-West zone can look at the Continues pg31

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thepolity

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Edo Assembly crisis: Can Oshiomhole

save ‘impeached’ Speaker?

The impeachment last week of the speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and his deputy came to many people as a surprise but keen observers of the politics in the assembly and the state saw it coming, writes BANJI ALUKO.

Victor Edoror

F

OR those, who have closely monitored political activities in Edo State, especially as it concerns the Edo State House of Assembly, last Tuesday’s impeachment of the speaker of the state assembly, Hon Victor Edoror, and his deputy, Bright Osayande, would not have come as a surprise. From the moment the youthful Edoror was pronounced speaker early June, 2015, question marks hanged over his capacity to preside over the 24-member assembly. As one of the youngest lawmakers in the assembly, people argued that he would need to be at his best to remain on a seat that many have found too hot.

Good fortune had thrown the speakership at his lap and many feared that he got the position too easily. The speakership had been zoned to the Edo Central where he came from and as the only returning lawmaker of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the position became his right. Sensing that he was too inexperienced to be speaker some lawmakers such Elizabeth Ativie and Bright Osayande had attempted to slug it out with him for the position but their schemes were quickly drowned by advocates of zoning and equity. The schemers accepted that they must make do with Edoror as speaker and moved on with their legislative works.

However, it did not take a long time before they started asking Edoror some questions. Such opportunity presented itself on March 8, 2016, and it nearly consumed Edoror. On that day, a rowdy plenary ended abruptly.

Few minutes into the plenary, some lawmakers had started to raise their voices against the Speaker and a shouting match ensued among the lawmakers.

The lawmakers, especially the speaker attempted to keep the reasons behind the commotion under wraps but it was a little too late. Words had spread that the lawmakers were fighting the speaker for not showing concern about their welfare. The lawmakers were particularly piqued that after about nine months in office, they still had not received some operational logistics including official cars. The lawmakers, that day, succumbed to the wishes of the speaker and adjourned plenary for two weeks.

While Edoror survived the March 8, uprising, he however, could not withstand what happened on Tuesday.

The previous week, the lawmakers were said to have uncovered some details of money inflow from the executive to the assembly without their knowledge. They had earlier suspected it, now they have proofs. The lawmakers were said to have been shocked to learn that the speaker receives the sum of N54 million every month for the running of the assembly, while they lack certain conveniences. The lawmakers also lamented that while the ex-speaker received N9.5 million monthly for running his office, they receive N370,000 as salaries. Another allega-

Governor Adams Oshiomhole

Elizabeth Ativie

tion was that out of about 45 special advisers allocated to the assembly, the former speaker alone appropriated 25 to himself while most of the ordinary members were left out.

To demonstrate their resolve to battle the impeached speaker, the new speaker, Hon Elizabeth Ativie, in her remark shortly after she became speaker said the Assembly could no longer tolerate the corrupt practices of the speaker, pointing out that the impeached speaker had about six cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She immediately constituted a fivemember committee to investigate what she termed the financial recklessness of the impeached speaker from the inception of his speakership in June 2015 to May 3, 2016, adding that the report of the committee would be handed over to the appropriate authority.

Also speaking, Hon. Adjoto Kabiru (Akoko-Edo I) said the impeached speaker was a “violently corrupt person, who has a flair for eating government money the way squirrel eats palm kernel”.

He said, “As at today, Edoror has a lot of cases hanging on his neck. Media men can go and verify this. We cannot afford to have a speaker, who is been investigated by the EFCC because of his corrupt nature.”

Following the impeachment and the insistence by Edoror that he remained speaker, the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and the leadership of the APC in the state are trying to broker peace among the lawmakers before Monday plenary. At a meeting held with them last Tuesday, the lawmakers were said to have confronted him with the many ‘sins’ of Edoror. It was gathered that the governor attempted to persuade the lawmakers to change their decision but each of the members narrated to the governor and leaders of the party how the ex-speaker had let them down, saying that while the ex-speaker was getting richer, majority of them were getting poorer. It was learnt that some of the lawmakers threatened to dump the party for the PDP in case they are coerced into bring-

ing Edoror back as speaker.

Oshiomhole, however, may not have given up bringing Edoror back and has slated another meeting with the lawmakers today. The imbalance in the sharing of political offices thrown up by Edoror’s impeachment is one of the reasons Oshiomhole is not comfortable with what has happened. The matter is said to be of grave concern to Governor Oshiomhole and the leadership of the APC in Edo State. When Oshiomhole observed that the lawmakers were not ready to listen to his pleas, he was said to have met with other leaders of the party, including the state chairman of APC, Anslem Ojezua, who is from the same senatorial district as the impeached Speaker.

Edoror’s successor, Ativie is from the Edo South (Benin), the same zone that has the deputy governor. The new arrangement leaves the Edo Central (Esan) with none of the top three political offices in the state as Oshiomhole is from the Edo North zone. Expectedly, some of the Esan people have described the removal of Edoror as the peak of the marginalization of their region. For the APC, Edoror’s removal will only add to the noise of the Esan people that their interests have not been wellserved under the Adams Oshiomhole’s administration.

The biggest concern of the APC, however, is that the Edo Central is the stronghold of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP has won every National Assembly seat in the area since 1999. The PDP still managed to win three out of the six state House of Assembly seats in the area despite what was described as the Buhari effect that gave victory to APC candidates in the elections conducted after the presidential and National Assembly elections. The PDP has also reserved the deputy governorship slot to the area, making the APC fear that the PDP may sweep the zone during the September 10 governorship election, especially if the APC deputy governorship candidate or aspirant is not given to the area.

Coming just after the much-publicised crisis between Governor Oshiomhole and his deputy, Pius Odubu, many reasoned that the impeachment was connected to the succession fiasco in the Edo State.

The Oshiomhole versus Odubu connection Coming just after the much-publicised crisis between Governor Oshiomhole and his deputy, Pius Odubu, many reasoned that the impeachment was connected to the succession fiasco in the Edo State chapter of the APC. However, there is nothing on ground to suggest that the two situations are connected. Neither the Oshiomhole camp nor the Odubu camp is celebrating the new order. Out of the 24 lawmakers in the assembly, 16 on Tuesday signed the impeachment notice of the speaker, while another lawmaker, Osaigbovo Iyoha (APC Oredo East) joined the anti-Edoror lawmakers the following day. Among the 17 lawmakers are three out of the four PDP lawmakers in the assembly.

29

interview

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

South-West ’ll get PDP national chairmanship in 2018 —Olasunkanmi Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, a former Minister of the Youth Development and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party, was a member of the zoning committee of the party, He speaks with Senior Deputy Editor, JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI, on the zoning debacle in the party, among other issues. Excerpts:

Y

OU are a member of the zoning committee of your party which zoned its national chairmanship to the North-East where the acting chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff hails from. Some leaders of the party in the South-West zone are kicking against the new arrangement. Can you clarify this?

That some leaders of the party in South-West are against the new zoning formula as done by our committee and approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is absolutely correct and it is expected in any democracy. You don’t expect everybody to agree with any political position at any particular point in time. There must be divergent opinions at any point in time. Let me state categorically that I have carefully weighed the position of the other side. I believe that given our current situation, it is politically expedient to zone the national chairmanship of our party to the North-East given our current situation. I think that is the best in the circumstance we have found ourselves.

I have analysed the position of both pro-North-East and anti-North-East groups and I came to the conclusion that those saying that the South-West should have the position now are basing their reason on sentiments with all due respect to them. I have a lot of respect for them because they are my leaders. Their major argument is that South-West has not occupied that position before, but they are not telling us that South-West had occupied the highest executive position in the country which is the Presidency for eight good years. There are so many other zones within Nigeria that have not occupied that position.

What do you make of the allegation that the zoning committee was tele-guided to take the decision said to be in favour of Sheriff?

I don’t want to mix issues. We are talking of the leadership of our party between now and 2018/2019. Another election will not be until 2019 and I don’t expect both the Presidency of the party and the chairmanship of the party to come from the same zone in 2019. What also makes it reasonable is that there will be a mid-term convention of the party where I believe the South-West should now agitate that all the zones of the country must agree that, that chairmanship must come to the South-West this time around.

Some party leaders in the South-West alleged that Sheriff is out to destroy the party and your group, the zoning committee only assisted by zoning the position to the North.

People will always find reasons to advance in support of their arguments. I don’t know how it is possible for a national chairman of a party to destroy the party that he is voted to lead. Don’t forget, nobody is imposing him on the party. Like I said earlier, we are going to national convention and anybody who is not satisfied with this position is free to contest against him. I am saying minority will have their say and majority will have their way. Anybody that wants to contest let them come to the convention and contest.

The zoning committee did not say it is Sheriff. We zoned it to the North-East. Is he from the NorthEast? So, any other candidate can come out from the North-East. Nobody is precluded from coming out to say he wants to contest. But if it is Sheriff that the North -East is presenting to continue as the national chairman, so be it. After all, we have seen some positive changes in the management of the affairs of our great party within the few months he came to the office as chairman. Furthermore, we have been winning elections that we thought were impossible for us now. So, if he is the one the North-East is presenting to us, we will be glad to elect him at the convention.

It shows you the character of those who are defecting.

I still believe that despite all these, the PDP will still bounce back. Don’t forget that when PDP was in power, so many of these people were also defecting to PDP. So, it is the character of a person that determines when you have a little bit of hardship, it is the character of that person that will determine what he will do. I believe that APC is not fooled by their antics because they know why they are coming to join them. I will also want to point out here that those leaving the party were not real PDP members because the committed ones will want to stay back to rebuild it to together. To me, those leaving are fairweather friends.

Some people alleged that the national convention coming up in Port-Harcourt has been sabotaged with the zoning formula and the threat by some group to organise a parallel convention. What is your take on this?

What I will advise is that anybody planning a parallel convention should have a rethink. This is not the time that the party should be divided. This is the time where all of us should come together so that we can take back the reins of power in 2019. Almost in every zone, the people are clamouring for PDP to come back to power and are saying that what the South-West can do is to get the commitment of the party come 2019. I believe that should be our preoccupation now. The APC folks don’t know how to run government. In fact, the Information Minister still thinks it’s propaganda of APC. Like I said, Nigerians are already tired of this government and they see PDP as the messiah.

Senator Olasunkanmi

Do you think that PDP can still make it with the way they are going about the zoning issue because people are saying that PDP as a party has gone under for good?

Given the current performance of the party in power, I think PDP has a very bright chance to bounce back in 2019 and every indicator is pointing towards that direction, whether in the South-West or North or South-East, all the bye elections that have been conducted, PDP has been winning. Despite the fact that the ruling party is just about one year in office, don’t you think that Nigerians are fed up with them? With no electricity, petrol even the promises they made when they were campaigning they denied them. The issue of the N5, 000 that they said that they would give to every unemployed and they promised; that immediately Buhari is came to power, that they are going to make the exchange rate one naira to one dollar.

Now, a naira to dollar is now between N320 to N350 .

With one year of the APC administration, no economic direction and five months in the year, no national budget.

You think Nigerians are fools? They are not fools. They are noticing these things and that is why they are so disappointed with the ruling party. Therefore, I don’t have any doubt at all that the PDP will bounce back in 2019.

But your party members are decamping en mass to the APC. What is your take on this?

You were the governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun state during the last gubernatorial election and Osun is one of the states owing workers for months. What went wrong? Would you have done better if you were to be the one in power in the state?

We made it emphatically clear that the present government in Osun State had no direction. Everywhere I went that time, I said it that the APC governor was importing wholesale policies from Lagos State and which cannot work in Osun. When the governor came, the first thing he did was to start beautification of the state, planting flowers all over Osun as they were doing in Lagos. Secondly, this man came with Opon Imo that was celebrated as if we have never heard of computer tablet or iPad before and he is saying that the so-called Opon Imo will replace text books. Even in the advance countries, they still have text books and I predicted at that time that this thing will not last one year because it was a scam. Through my prediction, the first six months they were withdrawn. Thirdly, he said he wanted to build mega schools, while building the mega schools, he demolished over 5,000 existing structures he met on ground. How many of the mega schools has he built now? We raised alarm that Aregbesola was over borrowing as at today, Osun’s indebtedness cannot be paid in the next 35 years. I think last month he got a monthly allocation of about N6million after the deduction of all his indebtedness.

He has impoverished the people of Osun with his policies and programmes and I am making another prediction, Aregbesola cannot and will not complete any project until he leaves office in the next two years because of his level of indebtedness. It should be pointed out that Governor Aregbesola has been running the state as a sole administrator since he came back to power almost two years now without appointing commissioners. He has refused to conduct council election in the last six years. For God’s sake, where are our social critics? Where is the Press? Where are our legal luminaries in Osun? The People of Osun should rise and ask our governor why he has not constituted his cabinet or is he saying that we don’t have qualified people in the state?

30

interview

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

PDP can’t unseat anybody in 2019 —Salako

Honourable Dave Salako, a former member, House of Representatives and a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, speaks with BOLA BADMUS on the ongoing crisis in the PDP, particularly the South-West zone, among other issues.

Excerpts:

A

S a chieftain of PDP in the South-West, can you address the state of the party currently?

Well, to the best of my knowledge, the state of the party is very, very unpredictable now. Unpredictable in the sense that I cannot say we are there and I cannot say we are not there, I mean the PDP. If you look at what is going on, there is so much confusion, as far as the party is concerned.

The party hierarchy, so to say, is not doing what it is supposed to do. When I say hierarchy, I mean right from the National Executive Committee (NEC) down to the National Working Committee (NWC) and so far, they have not moved the party forward.

Let us start from where his Excellency, Ali Modu Sheriff came in. There were hues and cries that we sensed ulterior motives coming in. One of the accusations against him was that he was alleged to be a Boko Haram sponsor and all that. And anyone hearing that somebody that is linked with such absurdity is going to head our party will start to be disenchanted; they wouldn’t want to really come into that fold. Even those that are there would also want to move away from such a party.

Notwithstanding that, we cannot adjudge him as accused by his powerful detractors. But we have to look inwards and do our own homework, whether or not his coming in would serve as a booster to the party and would unite the party, because already we are disintegrated.

After all the hues and cries, temper rose and came down and they now said, ‘let’s give him a chance and let him do and finish the tenure of erstwhile Alhaji Muazu, the former national chairman of the party.’ I think after persuasion of elders and leaders, they say let him have the position temporarily and he should quit the stage when the party convenes its national convention. That is a good thinking so far. But you see we politicians, the way we think, the way we move, the way we react only God can predict; we can’t predict ourselves. Some are only supporting him because they have their own agenda; some are against him because they have their own agenda.

But suffice it to note that those supporting him the way they have kind of presented the story show that they have ulterior motives. If they don’t have ulterior motive, they should be able to say ‘our national chairman, as soon as you finish the convention, go back and take a back seat and let somebody else take over as chairman.’ We have a zoning system. If the North has finished its term, look for another zone to take over.

Was this not the agreement initially reached between those who supported Sheriff and those who were against him, if that was so, are you saying that Sherriff is reneging on his agreement with the party?

Absolutely, I think he is. The last interview that I watched on the television, when he was asked about his intention to quit during the convention, he said ‘no

gular reason OBJ said he can’t be ‘my leader!’ And that was the reason Obasanjo opted out of PDP. But Kashamu led other party leaders to Abuja and if that happened, can we say the PDP is divided and it is in crisis and cannot manage its crisis?

Definitely, the party is in crisis and if care is not taken, the crisis will kill the party. There is also the issue of Governor Ayo Fayose. We don’t just open our mouths and start talking about our elders anyhow. I expected a person of Fayose’s calibre to talk with some sort of decorum; you cannot just open your mouth and condemn the leaders and elders of the party.

If you do that, you are destroying the party. At the same time, you are also exposing yourself and not speaking like a leader. I know the two of them are in concert.

Do you mean that Fayose and Sheriff are in concert?

You know innuendoes have been peddled around that Sheriff wants to be president while Fayose wants to be vice-president. Well, I am not worried about that, because anybody can aspire to be anything. But you know we have to first of all behave reliably. The way they are doing it now, they want to say others are fools and they are the smartest.

Honourable Dave Salako

problem, until when I get there.’ If he had told the public point blank that ‘as soon as I finish the convention, I am not going to contest,’ that would have been okay.

But for him to have said no comment and saying that when he got to the bridge, he would cross it, speaks volumes and that actually exposed him that he is not consistent.

Those who brought Sheriff had this argument going for them that Sheriff was going to take over the chairmanship of the party because he has money to spend to build the party. They said there is nobody around that has that money to invest in the party. Don’t you agree with them?

No, money doesn’t come first in bringing unity, stability and peace to the party.

Money doesn’t come first. And if it is a question of money, we have some governors who can help. We have some individuals who can help collectively. If you task the leaders, they can raise whatever comes with it.

How many of the leaders are coming out to support the party with their money?

They have not been approached; they have not been contacted.

The issue of chairmanship coming to the South-West is generating a lot of controversies right now, as the party is divided between Buruji Kashamu and Chief Bode George’s group. How did the South-West get to this level?

It was very unfortunate and very sad for the South-West that Kasamu led people to the national secretariat and said we don’t want the chairmanship. In all honesty, is Kashamu our leader? When did Kashamu join this party? I could vividly remember that he joined in Chief Bode George’s residence. I stand to be corrected. He joined around 2004 or 2005 and when he came in, we embraced him. If we knew at that time, we wouldn’t have taken chance with him.

Ever since he joined the party, he has been playing a prominent role.

We can recall that he was made Chairman, Mobilisation Committee of PDP in South-West for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign in 2015 and he actually invested not only his energy but also money and everything he could muster.

That was what you heard. You know in politics, there are so many ways you can move yourself to the top, either by carrying some people along and not the whole people or doing otherwise. His being anointed chairman, presidential mobilisation committee in the South-West was an error.

You think so?

It was an error.

When he was appointed, there was no reaction from PDP. You all accepted him.

There were reactions, but the top echelon of the party scheduled those reactions.

Some of us shouted that ‘no, he can’t be’ and if you remember, it was for that sin-

If at the coming convention, Sheriff emerges the party’s chairman, what would the South-West do?

I am not going to talk about the SouthWest, I will talk about myself. I would form my opinion about what kind of party I am and I am sure many people would form their own opinion too if they have not formed it already.

But Doyin Okupe said should such thing happen whereby the SouthWest is denied the chairmanship slot, many people would be forced to leave PDP, do you support that too?

Doyin said this as an individual; he was not speaking on behalf of others.

Knowing that Dr Okupe is on the side of Chief Bode George, he could have been speaking on his behalf.

I don’t think so. If you ask Chief Bode George, he would tell you Doyin did not speak his mind. I think Doyin is generalising the whole thing. This thing is not good for our party and if it is carried out, people would be disenfranchised and people might say ‘okay, you can have your party, we are not going with you with that party again.’ Doyin is not saying everybody would leave the party; he is just telling us what might happen.

What does 2019 hold for the party if the crisis should continue this way?

Of course, we are nowhere; if it continues this way without amicable resolution or settlement, PDP cannot unseat anybody.

31

thepolity

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

If PDP messes up, a new party will rise —Mimiko Continued from pg27

PDP as a credible brand that is worth giving their votes,” Solarin said.

But the state secretary of the party, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, disagreed. “The problem in Ogun PDP is not different from the problem in many other states in the country. There are too many power points, too many big and rich men who don’t believe the party has a constitution; who are used to running the party with their whims and caprices, a development we have been resisting for some time. We should go back to our constitution and see the way we have been doing it in those days that we have been winning elections.

“The last time we had a congress in the state was in the year 2000 when we went to the field and queued and mobilised.

It was not that there were no groups of factions then. But we went ahead and won the 2003 election. The fact that some people are former governor or former speaker doesn’t mean they can sit in their houses and write the names of the executives. Let us return to the people where the power lies according to our constitution. Without going back to the constitution, we might not really be making any headway. The current congress is the one we are having after the one held in 2000 and it will lead us to the Promised Land “The tenure of every executive from national to state has expired. But the leadership of the party has extended the tenure and many people were involved- the National Assembly caucus, the Governors’ Forum, the National Caucus, the Board of Trustees and others. We have a letter from the national leadership to that effect.

On alleged personalisation of the party by Senator Buruji, the secretary explained: “That is not true. Buruji has been standing for the PDP day and night and he is not like those who will only show their faces when election approaches. He has been calling meetings, spending millions to mobilise for the party and running it. Everybody is free to come. I can’t recollect anybody coming to the secretariat to give us N100, 000. We are not in government. We have been running Ogun PDP by the grace of Senator Buruji Kashamu.”

State of Lagos PDP The Lagos State chapter of PDP is divided between the camps of former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George and former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Before now, a group emerged shortly after the conclusion of last year’s general election to push forward a member of the party executive, Honourable Kamaldeen Olorunoje as the state chairman, claiming that they had sacked the chairman, Captain Tunji Selle.

To underscore that all is still well between the two camps, the last general assembly held by the party at its secretariat in Lagos, Chief George did not miss the opportunity to pour out his mind about how he still feels about Obanikoro.The General Assembly was called to get members prepare ready for the ongoing party congresses.

In a veil reference, he charged party elders and chieftain at the gathering to ignore Obanikoro’ campaign of disunity.

George was equally backed by former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe. Chief George urged members and leaders of the PDP in Lagos to ignore campaign of disunity being championed by Obanikoro and his supporters within the party.

He tasked the party leaders and members to shun those who he called politricians, whom he accused of diverting the last campaign funds in the state.”This party will not go under. We can disagree, but there must be a truce.

Once decision is reached, we must align with the decision reached. These people are not politicians but politricians. We should not allow impostors. This time around, the party members would be given opportunity to elect those that will run the party. Those who are treading the path of perfidy and disgrace, God would not allow them.

Where were they when we were striving to build the party?” he said.

Osun PDP, going…going…

Largely regarded as the most united and solid state chapter of the PDP in the South-West prior to the 2014 governorship election in the state, the Osun PDP might cave in under the pressure of internal supremacy struggle any moment from now. The party under the leadership of Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa-led State Working Committee became the cynosure for most of the last four years due to the cohesion among most its leaders, with the race for the governorship seat, which was predicted by most political observers as capable of breaking the party.

Omisore, who is reported to be one of the biggest financiers of the party in the last few years, and has never hidden his intention to govern the state, had allegedly moved to take

Kashamu

possession of the party machinery during the last congress, a development that reportedly favoured his emergence as governorship candidate. The governorship election was, however, said to have created a wedge between him and most of the leaders of the party across the state including the members of the State Working Committee, as the Ife-born senator was reported to have been irked by the poor performance of the party in other local governments except those in his Ife domain.

Omisore, Sunday Tribune gathered, had developed a serious distrust for most of the other stakeholders in the party. He accused of being paperweight politicians, citing how most of them could not win their wards or local governments despite the huge resources available to them. But most of these stakeholders, including Senator Olu Alabi; former chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Dr Jide Adeniji; the 2015 senatorial candidate of the party in Osun West, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi; his counterparts in Osun Central and Osun East, Chief Oluwole Aina and Chief Ade Fadahunsi, as well as some members of the outgoing state working committee including the chairman, Olaoluwa, Sunday Tribune gathered, were opposed to Omisore’s alleged winner-takes-all style of politics, noting that he should, in the interest of the party, not be allowed to take possession of the party machinery any longer.

Therefore, the two camps had waited for the 2016 PDP congresses to unleash the political blows already planned several months ago, by seeking to take over the party leadership through the election of party executives. While the anti-Omisore group had opted to zone the chairmanship to Omisore’s Ife/Ijesha axis, citing the need for equity and fairness in the distribution of party offices, Omisore had once toyed with the idea of retaining the seat in Osun Central which Olaoluwa hails from. The Ife-born senator had, however, changed tactics later by supporting the former Coordinator of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), Dr Bayo Faforiji, to become the chairman of the party in the state, while those opposed to Omisore lined up behind Hon. Soji Adagunodo.

A clear indicator of the crisis in the party came to the fore after the 30 April ward congress in the state, with the Omisore group protesting the disenfranchisement of its members, leading to the cancellation of the congress by the national leadership of the party.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, Dr Faforiji said: “An attempt was made on the 30th of April to conduct ward congress of the PDP in Osun State. But because of the anomaly that was experienced that day due to the lopsidedness exhibited, many members were not given forms for them to contest or cast their votes for somebody of their choice”.

“There was protest by the aggrieved members before the congress committee from Abuja. So the congress committee, in its wisdom, decided that the ward congress was inconclusive because it was not well-administered.

The national organising secretary of the PDP ordered that new ward congress be held in the state on the 9th of May, while the local government congress will now hold on the

Omisore

10th of May and the state congress will hold on Thursday, 12th of May, 2016.

The anti-Omisore group, however, continued the local government congress last Thursday, which Faforiji described as a waste of time.

Attempt to speak with Adagunodo was unfruitful as he did not picl his call as of the time of filing this report. But as things stand, there is no doubt that all is not well with the Osun PDP, as the party might be on its way to disintegration if the warring factions do not close ranks quickly.

Will PDP get it right this time in Oyo? For the Oyo PDP, the 2016 congress presents an opportunity for redemption, as the party has reportedly been in consultations with members of the Labour Party (LP), Accord and Social Democratic Party (PDP).

Already, some of the estranged members of the PDP in Oyo had reportedly returned to the fold, it was gathered.

Unfortunately, however, the old sore of intrigues, manipulations and horse-trading, which had reportedly been the undoing of the party in the past appeared to have been opened, with the aggrieved members of the party alleging plot by some individuals to “hijack the machinery of the party as they did in 2011,” which culminated in the woeful performance of the party at the polls. A senator elected on the platform of the PDP, Chief Gbenga Babalola, had, in an interview with Sunday Tribune, warned of plots to “perpetuate the current state working committee in office” just as he called for fair, open and accommodating congresses.

Some leaders of the party in Oke-Ogun zone of the state also echoed this view.

But the chairman of the party, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo, noted that the congresses, whenever they are held, will be open, fair and credible, denying plans to manipulate the polls. According to him, the claims that some leaders want to perpetuate themselves in office have no basis, because the congress would be democratic and open to all, and therefore, allow the party members to vote against whoever they felt would not advance the cause of the party.

As things stand now, the leaders that met in Akure and those that congregated at Ijebu Igbo are still working at cross purposes. Although a committee has been set up, to look at how the three slots given to the zone by the national leadership will be shared, it remains to be seen if the Ijebu Igbo faction will concur with the Akure pronouncement. But to some observers, the caliber of leaders at the Akure meeting has shown that in that segment of the South-West PDP lies the majority.

But should the PDP leaders in the South-West fail to put their house in order, what many commentators have opined as the third alternative was revealed by Governor Olusegun Mimiko in his remarks after the Akure meeting thus: “There is no doubt about it that Nigerians are waiting. If we mess it up, a new party will emerge and become the darling of this country. We need to realise our position today. If the purpose of politics is to serve the greatest interest of the people, this is the time to come together in the South-West.”

32

opinion

8 May, 2016

A friendly chat with an old friend

Sunday Tribune

By Femi Fani-Kayode

T

HE following discussion took place on my Facebook page on May 2nd, 2016. Since it is already in the public realm, I have taken the liberty of sharing it in this as well.

Though we have not seen each other for a while, I have known Alhaji Muktari Shinkafi for the better part of the last 35 years and we are more like brothers than friends.

We spent a lot of time together in our youthful days and in those heady and blissful days of the early and mid-1980’s when I was still at the Cambridge University and I spent most of my leisure time playing polo at the Lagos Polo Club or at the Guards Polo Club in the U.K., eating caviar and drinking champagne. We had great fun in those days and Nigeria was a much better and happier place than it is now.

It was in that pleasant setting that Muktari and I became close together with a large number of other Polo Club buffs. His older brother, a legend in intelligence circles and in the world of spying, the former head of Nigeria’s dreaded spy agency, the NSO, a much-loved and revered elder statesman and the former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, the Marafan Sokoto, brought me into politics in 1989 and he was my leader and political mentor for many years. Simply put, Marafan was like a second father to me. He was an arch-conservative and a man of immense discipline and courage and all of us at the Lagos Polo Club were in absolute awe of him. When he walked into the room with his head held up high, there would be pin drop silence as we all stood up. We were his boys and we were all very proud of that fact. I learnt everything from him from the art of politics to the murky and grey world of espionage.

In addition to that, I had the distinct honour and privilage of being appointed as his Special Assistant in 1992 when he ran for the Presidency before General Ibrahim Babangida banned him, General Shehu Musa Yaradua (who was the presidential standard-bearer for the rival Social Democratic Party) and all the other “old breed” politicians from contesting. I have nothing but the deepest respect and affection for the Shinkafi family and that remains so till today. I was, therefore, delighted when Muktari made his contributions on my Facebook wall.

The conversation was prompted by the fact that I posted some graphic pictures of the victims of the Fulani herdsmen in Agatu and Enugu. Those pictures can still be seen on my Facebook page. But Muktari felt it was inappropriate to post the pictures and the following conversation took place between us on the thread.

I believe that it was an interesting discussion which brought out two distinct and separate perspectives (if you like call them the northern and southern ones) to the whole issue of the Fulani herdsmen.

I believe that both sides have something to learn from each other on this issue, which is why I chose to share it with my readers. Enjoy!

MUKTARI SHINKAFI wrote: “Since we already have the Senate and House of Representatives in place, it will be easier to bring the issue, next week, of dividing Nigeria immediately after the budget issue. The division of the country should be proposed based on six geopolitical zones based on the following basis and natural/human resources to sustain each zone.

One, South-South: Oil, sea port; two, South-West: Service industry, sea port, agriculture; three, South-East: Oil, commerce; four, Middle Belt: Agriculture, solid minerals; five, North-East. Oil, agriculture; six: NorthWest: Oil, strategic solid minerals, agriculture.

We in the North don’t deserve this negative propaganda and name-calling. Let us separate peacefully for the sake of our children, since even after the separation, we will be surely bonded together by commerce and personal relationship. We have millions down there that we are friends through business, marriages and so on. I don’t think posting these pictures is necessary, as no one is sure of their source, they may be accident victims but some people are posting them to propagate messages of hate among us.”

FEMI FANI-KAYODE responded: “Before I would post such pictures on my wall, I would have to be certain of their authenticity and in this case

North but anger; a very great and powerful anger that is growing by the day. We trusted and loved you like brothers for the last 56 years but in recent times, what have we got in return except for suspicion, persecution, misunderstanding, violence and pain. First it was Boko Haram and now it is cold-blooded murder and the claiming of our lands by your herdsmen.

MUKTARI SHINKAFI replied: “Honestly, we the northerners have been at the receiving end since the beginning of this insurgency and Fulani herdsmen terrorism. If the division of Nigeria will bring peace, we wholeheartedly welcome the idea and the sooner the National Assembly begins the deliberation, the better.”

FEMI FANI-KAYODE responded: “We both know that the National Assembly will not do it because the northern legislators and those that they represent are addicted to southern oil. We can do it without the National Assembly if we so wish and the way things are going now; we are getting close to that final parting day. All we have to do is to begin to mobilise our people and tell them the benefits of going our separate ways and breaking up the country.

I am. There are other pictures, which are far worse and which I cannot post here. My brother, your people kill ours and we are not supposed to even complain about it or let the world know what is happening? Enough of this madness; if the Fulani leaders cannot rein in their herdsmen and terrorists themselves then we will do it for them. This barbarity has been going on in the Middle Belt and core North for years unchallenged and now you guys want to extend it to the South?

We will not take it, we will not allow it and we will not sit by idly as your kinsmen slaughter, rape and abduct our men, women and children and occupy our land. It has been going on for far too long and now we are prepared to resist it. I agree with you that maybe it is time we began to consider the division of this country and the best way to start is simply to let the core North go its separate way first and leave the rest of us alone. Either that or a clean North/South break; we in the South cannot be expected to continue to live peacefully with what the Global Terror Index has described as the first (Boko Haram) and the fourth (Fulani militants/herdsmen) most deadly terror organisations in the world.

They both come from the North and the so-called northern leaders would do well to look within, accept the fact that they have a major problem with their youth and try to fix it. What baffles me is that most northern leaders are more concerned about the fact that these atrocities are being exposed before the world and evidence of it is being adduced than the fact that people are being killed.

They are very comfortable with it when the slaughter is being done in silence but when we scream about it they get upset. This strange and alien mindset is unacceptable to us. If this rubbish goes on, sooner or later, the South will rise up as one, together with our brothers in the Middle Belt and there will be a terrible reckoning.

What is in me and millions of other southerners and Middle Belters is not hate for the Fulani or the core

Honestly, we the northerners have been at the receiving end since the beginning of this insurgency and Fulani herdsmen terrorism

MUKTARI SHINKAFI replied: “I think the issue here is that you refused to acknowledge the frustrations of all Nigerians. We are all making these comments and postings because of the total failure of the APC government to address critical challenges facing the nation. It is over one year now but they are still associating their failure to PDP, which to me, is a sign that they just won the election without proper plan, but based on change propaganda. Where are the Bakassi Boys, kidnappers and the Niger Delta militants?

Since the government cannot protect our brothers and communities there, let them come out and protect its people against these bandits (herdsmen).

They killed 25 people in my local government 10 days ago, stole grains and their valuables. We resorted to using the vigilantes and our young men to protect our farmers from the so-called herdsmen bandits from neighbouring countries. It’s time government took this issue seriously and I believe our police, armed forces and civil defence can take them out squarely. Grazing reserve will not solve the problems, because these criminals are not the same Fulanis we knew years ago. They used to live peacefully on Hausa farmlands, grazing their animals. But today, Hausas are their worst enemies.”

FEMI FANI-KAYODE responded: “I acknowledge the fact that it happens in the core North too but if the leaders and people of the core North can live with it, the rest of us cannot. They have a duty to fight it and to put a stop to it more than anyone else because these beasts, militants and religious extremists that call themselves Fulani herdsmen are their kinsmen. They are their slaves and their serfs. The cows that they are herding all over the country and destroying people’s lives for belong to the Fulani elite and not to the herdsmen or cattle-rearers themselves.

What you said about APC’s incompetence and inability to run government is true though. The APC, more than anyone else, used religion and ethnicity to win power at the centre. For the last 10 months, we have witnessed it all unfold before our very eyes. That, together with the obsessive drive to use the various security agencies to discredit and destroy President Goodluck Jonathan’s legacy, and to ruthlessly silence and persecute all dissenting voices. I warned Nigerians during the presidential campaign that this was their agenda but they wouldn’t listen. Now they know better.”

The conversation ended there. My brother Muktari did not respond to my final contribution and we have not spoken since then. Despite all, I still cherish him and I hope that we shall remain brothers even after the great divide, if it ever comes. No matter what happens in the end, I will never forget those beautiful and youthful days in Lagos when we were proud of our rainbow nation, when we were all one and when tribe, faith and tongue did not matter.

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T

HE announcement of the transition of the Benin monarch, OmoN’oba Erediauwa did not come to many as a surprise. He was aged and had disappeared from the public since the early days of 2015.

Indeed, many had concluded on the transition immediately the palace announced last year that the monarch had embarked on a journey to the Savannah.

Like the proverbial elephant in the public glare, a number of people have recalled the different views of the revered monarch that touch them. But one aspect of the departed monarch’s life which many would only glace over is his democratic credentials and openness to modernism.

There is no doubt the Benin monarch radiated power, tradition and culture. He was also versed in the use of all those attributes. He was next to God Almighty and actually the representative of God on earth according to the Binis. He was infallible and his words were final. There are mysteries around him and the man never at any point failed to personalise those mysteries.

I had a closer look and appreciation of ObaErediauwa in Benin when I served as correspondent of different media organisations in the Edo/Delta axis but largely based in Benin.

It coincided with one of the most trying times in Benin history after the British invasion of 1897. The military Administrator of Edo state, Navy Captain Anthony Onyearugbulem had taken offence against the Benin monarch and at the peak of the crisis had threatened to dethrone the Oba. He had removed the monarch as Permanent Chairman of Edo state council of Traditional Rulers to drive home his decision to cut the Oba to size. Though it was a big item on his agenda, Onyearugbulem appeared hamstrung by Bini tradition, which recognises only the first son of the Oba as the next heir to the throne. Nonetheless, he continued his war against the palace and showed anyone who cared to listen that he was out against the Oba. What did ObaErediauwa do? He simply adopted modernity and turned to the media to state his case. He is on record to have adopted public relation strategies to diminish the ranting and antics of Onyearugbulem, who had the support of his bosses in Abuja.

ObaErediauwa turned on a good friend of the palace, Ozaomu Martha Dunku, a suave public relations practitioner, who has since emerged a traditional ruler of her native Okpanam, in Delta state. She in turn called on my humble self and a number of correspondents to divulge

8 May, 2016

the lynxeye with Taiwo adisa

08072000046

Remembering Oba Erediauwa and his democratic credentials

the Oba’s public relations agenda.

The monarch instituted a monthly parley with newsmen, where he would address whatever issues the media chose to raise. It was a kind of traditional soap box that the media rarely see. It also afforded many of us the opportunity to dine with the majestic monarch, who radiated majesty even with his voice. Of course, pounded yam and bush meat were readily served at such meetings.

Sunday Tribune

It was a unique occasion and most correspondents never missed the dates. What such parleys did was to weaken the shots from the Edo Government house and enable the traditional institution put the government on the wrong foot. The monarch “opened up” a little of the chambers to his excited guests, who would always want to draw as much responses as he would offer.

Despite his friendly disposition to media men, the monarch never crossed the boundaries of royalty in his responses at all times. On one occasion, he displayed a rare democratic attribute. While making his final comments, he remembered one “nasty” article published by the Punch and cautioned the media against misrepresentations. But I was the Punch Correspondent and needed to respond. It was a misnomer for anyone to speak after His Majesty. But I tried my luck and raised my hand persistently.

In keeping to the tradition, the palace chiefs ignored me but ObaErediauwa saw my persistence and told them to give the young man the microphone. I explained that the said “nasty” article the monarch referred to was an advertorial from the people of Usen, near Benin, who were agitating for their own Oba. I told his the role I played by calling the attention of the palace to the advertorial and that the matter got to the notice of the Iyase.

After listening to my explanations which portrayed the paper as socially responsible, he immediately turned himself to a presiding officer. Rather than rising to the inner palace, he asked his younger brother, Prince IduAkenzua, former Manager of the Observer newspaper in Benin to corroborate my submissions and when the Prince said what the Youngman said was correct, the monarch was visibly angry with the palace chiefs, who didn’t take steps to respond to the publication. The palace shook in utter silence and ObaErediauwarose like the mythical Sango the god of thunder. Everyone trembled. But that did not stop the monarch from calling us another time.

After Onyearugbulem’s departure from Benin and with the return of democracy, traditional rulers in his home state led him to the palace to seek forgiveness from the monarch and the Bini people. But ObaErediauwa only used the occasion to fortify the mystery around the throne.

Hear him: “We as mere mortals do not have powers to forgive. We have handed the Youngman over to our gods and ancestors; they are the ones who have the power for forgive.” The Igbo monarchs simply left bewildered.

Ambassador Uriah Angulu: Exit of an anti-corruption crusader

By Folu Olamiti ON a very cold Sunday morning, April 3, 2016 to be precise, at Salt Lake City in Utah, United States of America, I was fighting idleness by scanning my Facebook when my eyes caught a post by Amina Angulu-Tswanya, one of the daughters of Ambassador Uriah Angulu. It was an ominous post that sent chilling sensations down my spine. Amina had posted on her wall a beautiful picture she took with her father, with bothfather and daughter beaming with smiles, and wrote: “Finally at rest with Jesus...My Hero.”

I swallowed hard as I took a second look at the picture.

Again, I shivered. Though it seemed unbelievable at that moment, I had to jerk myself to the realization that no daughter would ever crack a joke about the father passing away. That done, I struggled to admit that Papa Angulu, who I saw earlier this year at a revival hosted by the Cathedral Church Of The Advent at Gwarinpa, Abuja, was no more! He has gone to have his deserved rest in the bosom of His Maker.

In retrospect, and with profound regrets, I remember the countless times I had promised to pay him a visit at home but had failed to make the trip at each point, no matter how hard I tried. I wish I had fulfilled those promises. My faltering notwithstanding, Pa Angulu never took offence.

Rather, the next time we would meet in church, he would still embrace and greet me smilingly even as he would enthuse: “My brother come and visit me. As you can see, my health is failing, and I’m here looking for spiritual healing.”

We would pray, and I would assure him that his healing had been made perfect by the resurrection power in the blood of Jesus. We both said“Amen”, and went our different ways.

Sadly, I never knew that would be the last time I would see or speak with him.

Ambassador Angulu was an embodiment of integrity. He lived this attribute through and through, both in private and public life. I was privileged to relate closely with him at the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) where I was Resident Consultant (Me-

dia) and he was ICPC Acting Chairman. That was in 2011.

He came into limelight during this period when he got enmeshed in a controversy that ensued while he was trying to protect the independence and autonomy of ICPC from undue interference by some powerful elements ingovernment at the time.

He believed the war against corruption should be fought totally in accordance with the Act that set up the ICPC. I recall that the ICPC in 2011, got a petition against some principal officers of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) alleging a N6billion fraud.Some NJI officials were invited for interrogation. Just then, Ambassador Angulu got a letter purportedly from the office of the then Chief Justice Of Nigeria, Justice Katsina Alu, asking Angulu to suspend further action on the probe and come to CJN office for discussion. Angulu was furious. He was not the type that would be taught how to do his job. He would not condone sensing undue interference in his job. Consequently, he disobeyed the order. He refused to honour the invitation. Rather, he wrote back to the CJN telling him that for him to be sighted anywhere near the CJN office at a time theNJI was under probe, would be sub-judice, and it would impinge on his integrity and that of his office. Instead, he suggested that the meeting should be held in his office at the ICPC Headquarters.

The CJN office considered Angulu’s response an affront and directed the office of the Justice Minister to deal with the issue. In a split twist, a spurious letter emerged from Justice Minister Office, signed by one Abdullah Yola, asking Angulu to proceed on leave and hand over to another board member, Dr. Mrs. Roseline Abang-Wushishi. Angulu consulted widely whether to ignore the directive or take up a fight. Considering his integrity against the mounting pressure to quit, he wisely decided to leave with his integrity intact. Though the Justice Ministry came out with a volteface press statement signed by its Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ambrose Momoh,denying that Angulu’s removal was related to the ongoing probe of an alleged N6bn fraud in the

NJI. What became of that probe after the exit of Angulu is now history.

I was happy to listen to a video where Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said that the war against corruption was going on satisfactorily even though corruption had been fighting back. That the government was satisfied with the agencies charged with the prosecution of the war against corruption, that the anti-corruption war “is still on course in Nigeria” signifies that Nigeria is at the threshold of greatness. It is also gratifying to note that the present government has restrained itself from interfering with the anti-graft agencies in their relentless war against corruption and corrupt tendencies. This was what Ambassador Angulu stood for, and sacrificed his positionfor as he refused to make undue compromises. Angulu’s integrity remained intact till he breathed his last. Nigerians would remember him as a man of impeccable character.

Ambassador Angulu, 79, came from a deeply religious home. His father was Reverend Canon John Angulu, popularly known as Papa Doko. Throughout his life, Angulu amply demonstrated his religious commitment to the Anglican Communion. He would be greatly missed by the leadership of the Church Of Nigeria, Primate Nicholas Okoh, clergymen, and many Anglican faithful who saw him as a role modeland adored him for how he kept faith and loyalty with his wife of many years. For Mama Angulu, the demise of the husband would be a shattering experience; a great loss. For as long as I knew them, both husband and wife always related like Siamese twins.

Pa Angulu, a former Nigeria Consul-General to the United States, bagged the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in recognition of his meritorious services to his fatherland.

What else can I say of this great Nigerian? I guess we can never eulogise the Dan Gatan Nupe enough. Papa, enter into your rest in the bosom of the Lord till we meet to part no more. Adieu sir.

•Mr. Folu Olamiti, Media Consultant wrote from Abuja.

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8 May, 2016

ON THE

Sunday Tribune

With Bolanle Bolawole turnpot@gmail.com 07052631058

lord’sday

Why does bad news dominate the public space?

W

HY bad or negative news screams at us every day – in newspapers, on the air, everywhere – was one of the questions the presenters of a radio programme asked me as an invited guest last Tuesday on the occasion of the World Press Day. Journalists often do not make or invent the news; they only report it.

They may sensationalise or editorialise; they may spruce it up in lavish adornments or spice it up by adding salt and pepper, as they say. There is even the phenomenon called “headline journalism” in which screaming headlines totally out of sync with the body of the story arrests your attention, only for you to get thoroughly disappointed when you read the body of the story. There is, of course, the genre called junk or yellow journalism where blatant propaganda or outright falsehood is served as news, often times for political and or other selfish reasons. By and large, however, and in the preponderance of cases after making adequate allowance for human errors, journalists do not invent the news; they report it.

A dictum of the profession, however, is that “when a dog bites a man, it is not news; but when a man bites a dog, it is news.”

The expected does not shock or attract attention as much as the unexpected.

Bad news shocks and draws the attention more than “good” or harmless news.

Therefore, bad news sells newspapers and radio\television spaces more than “good” news. And since a media organisation is first and first business which must break even and make reasonable profit to meet its obligations and sustain itself, it cannot close its eyes to the company’s balance sheet.

Bad news is often times deplorable and offends the sensibilities. It also portrays country and people in bad light to the outside world. The misdemeanour of a few is given the stamp of universal approval and acceptance and becomes stereotypical of everyone. So is a whole country referred to as a country of 419ners and hard-working and honest people are looked down upon as common criminals.

Abroad, conscious efforts are made by news managers to portray their country and people in good light or, at the very least, not make a bad case worse through undue attention and sensationalism.

They have travelled that road a long time and it has become national ethos; we are yet to understand, least of all begin the same journey here. We enter a caveat, though: There is the potent danger of self-censorship, papering over cracks, and sweeping issues under the carpet. These ultimately, will hurt a country and its people. It is also important to understand that no matter how suppressed and for how long, truth will out one day. Take, for instance, the United States of America seen by many as the nearest thing to an “ideal” state; yet, race relations continue to whack it. Tried as they have done to paint a rosy picture of their country, racism is a blight that will not go away. Suppressing it by not reporting it is becoming not only impossible but also embarrassing.

So, it is safe to say that every country and people have their fair share of bad news.

Rather than seek to suppress or sweep it under the carpet, it is better and more rewarding to methodically interrogate it with a view to grappling with the issues involved in a dispassionate and objective manner. How much of bad news, for example, will anyone want to sweep under the carpet in Nigeria? Under Jonathan, the saying was “one week, one scandal or trouble”; today, it does not just rain but pours torrents of troubles and (unveiled) scandals. Journalists are not the ones inventing all the putrid stories coming out of the Office of the National Security Adviser bazaar. When we thought that was the limit, we were told that the amount involved is no longer $2.1 billion but $15 billion! Army arms sale scandal! Air Force arms sale scandal! Should we expect the Navy’s, too? Cans of worms are also being opened in many other sectors. Gradually, we are inching towards Deizani AllisonMadueke\NNPC, which many suspect as the epicentre of corruption during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Already, a twenty-something billion Naira Diezani election bribe scandal is trending.

Nigerians have been shocked many times over that no torrid report of sleaze gets to them anymore. A civil servant of the level of a deputy director is said to have sold a choice property to a former governor and got paid $2.29milion (N270million) cash.

How did this civil servant acquire the choice land in high-brow Asokoro District, Abuja; what was his salary as a deputy director in the Presidential villa when he developed the property; how much did it cost him and how did he raise the funds? This same man is now a director in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation!He has at least N270milion breathing in his bank account. What if he had many more such properties?

Those who know say corruption amongst civil servants is 10 times worse than that among political office holders.

Scandals after scandals keep pouring in! Panama papers! Boko Haram is still showing in the cinemas. Fulani herdsmen have not only joined the queue but are also struggling to outdo Boko Haram.

British authorities recently authorised Nigerians in the UK to demonstrate against the herdsmen’s mindless slaughter in Enugu and elsewhere; you know what that means. Already, Fulani herdsmen have entered the international lexicon as another terrorist group. Militants have resumed their bombing and disruptioncum-dislocation of crude oil production in the Niger Delta. Kidnapping for ransom has spread all over the country. Common criminals such as rapists, armed robbers, and fraudsters are everywhere on the prowl.

The lingering budget is still trending. Four months gone and at the very best, we will have just about six months to execute this budget. November\December are usually “mopping up” months unless “CHANGE” can change that. Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s CCT trial continues to draw noxious attention to the country. Saraki insists on staying put in office; not minding dragging the entire Senate in the mud. Then majority of the Senators, shameless and unserious, keep neglecting their sacred duties while demonstrating solidarity with Saraki. The CCT judge (or is it chairman?) himself has had his integrity seared; yet, he insists on sitting tight? Between him and Saraki, where is the difference?

Times are hard; citizens are groaning but the senators and honourables are buying state-of-the-art cars for themselves with tax-payers’ money. What is their excuse: That Ministers and civil servants, who are appointed and not elected, also go about with long convoys of exotic cars. And they are right! Did you hear defenders of murderous Fulani herdsmen say they kill in self-defence? And some Northern senators ordering southerners to shut up and not heat up the polity over the herdsmen’s murderous assaults all over the place? Herdsmen’s atrocities are not a new

phenomenon; they have always happened but everyone has tried to manage it – until it blew out of proportions. Ignoring it was no longer a viable option; and the way the authorities have handled it has exacerbated, rather than doused, tension. One senior security official recommended acquiescence or surrender! Ssshhh! The Fulani will never forget or forgive those who offend them; so be careful not to be seen that you have offended them – even after they must have trampled your property, destroyed your crops and other means of livelihood; raped your wife, daughter or sister; maimed and killed and thumped their long noses at you thereafter! The so-called National Grazing Reserve or whatever seeks to seize people’s land, using federal might, and then hand it over to the herdsmen. Compensating impunity! Ask the Allied Powers their experience with Adolf Hitler: Appeasement failed woefully with the Fuhrer; hence, ultimately, the Second World War. Corruption is the greatest blight on this country today. The outside world has always known our leaders to be corrupt and unserious, more so since the advent of military regimes. We have thus lost their respect. They will not help us in any significant way, not minding all presidential shuttles past and present. They believe we have the capacity to help ourselves but are too lazy and corrupt to do so. They believe whatever assistance extended our way will go down the drains the same way we fritter our own resources. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential hopeful in the United States, has said that much. That was why, during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, they made us pay through our nose to exit the debt trap; but less than 10 years after, where are we again?

We are in a worse situation; 27 states out of 36 cannot pay salaries, some of them oilbearing states that collect tens of billions as monthly allocations. Yet, recent reports say the governors have not found the need to scale down their profligacy. Rather, they are pressing the Presidency for more bailout.

Some of the states will not recover from debt overhang in the next 50 years! To make matters worse, organised Labour is asking for a new minimum wage of N56,000!

States who cannot pay N18,000 minimum wage will now pay N56,000! But you cannot blame Labour: They have seen the recklessness and profligacy everywhere around them; so, they, too,want their own pound of flesh. “Let it scatter if it will scatter” appears to be what they are saying.

But I tend to have a different opinion on this issue. I seem obligated to align with Henry Boyo, a columnist with The PUNCH newspapers, that a weak Naira will soon make nonsense of a new minimum wage, even if it is N100,000.

Working to make the Naira stronger and the economy more productive is a better road to travel. Also consider this: How can we continue to allow less than one percent of the population (political leaders and workers) consume 70\80 percent of our resources? The system is unjust; we need to re-make it!

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8 May, 2016

With Rita Okonoboh rosarumese@gmail.com 08053789087

tribunechurch RCCG Apapa Family feeds 60,000 people in Lagos every Sunday

—Iluyomade

Pastor Idowu Iluyomade is the Pastor-in-Charge of Region 20 and the Head of the Apapa Family of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, comprising over 1,500 parishes with global outreach and active in five continents. He speaks on why Apapa Family invests heavily in CSR, the church’s strides since 1991 and the plans for this year’s programme, the church’s stand on the proposed preaching licence, among other issues. RITA OKONOBOH provides excerpts:

A

PAPA Family is unique in many ways. Is Apapa Family different from the typical RCCG parish or province?

It’s not. Apapa Family started when our General Overseer, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, called together 50 professionals to start up a church and attract people of like passion. Essentially, Apapa Family is usually and mostly a group of professionals who have their jobs and businesses; we don’t get paid by the church. We’re not full-timers, although we spend most of our time doing God’s work and God rewards us in return. However, it does not distort the structure of the RCCG. We have Apapa Family churches as regions, provinces, zones, area and parishes. We are still part of the structure.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is a member of the Apapa Family. What is your advice for Christians thinking of joining politics?

Before the advent of this admin-

istration, we had a programme called ‘Faith and Politics,’ which was a platform we used to encourage Christians to get involved in politics. At that time, the vice president and the Lagos State governor spoke at the programme. Our faith is about transformation and the change we’re looking for must come from within. Even in the Bible, Christians were involved in governance. We were singing that song then, and we thank God that it has come to pass. Our prayer is that this government will succeed and that God will help them achieve transformation, because it is only God that can change a nation. We encourage Christians to get involved in politics, because they have the honest values that can ensure development.

We have been on the change scheme since 2010, evident in our themes – in 2010, it was ‘Leading Change;’ in 2011, ‘Leading Change: Impact through Service;’ in 2012, ‘Change Catalyst;’ in 2013, ‘Be the Change;’ in 2014, ‘Signs of Change;’ in 2015, Riding on the Wings of Change,’ and now,

the theme is ‘Sustaining Change.’

Apapa Family will be 25 this year. What will the celebration focus on?

The celebration is very important because God has kept us, sustained us in the work and in the vision for the past 25 years. We are celebrating 25 years of existence of our family and the theme for this year is ‘Sustaining Change,’ because we believe that one of the things that can best describe Apapa Family is change. We have been talking about change for so long; transforming lives and the society and doing things that endure. We are so excited that God has kept us together as a body and 25 years on, we are still relevant in the scheme of things. This year’s celebration will start on June 4 at 6:00 p.m. with a musical concert featuring some of our members in the music department when we started and the newer members. We will also feature Nathaniel Bassey, Chioma Jesus, Wale Adenuga, Cobhams Asuquo, and other guest artistes.

Then the main celebration will

Buhari’s foreign Back from hell: ‘I drank water trips not for with cattle during jamboree Pg 36 Pg 37 my abduction’ —Bishop Nwosu

Sunday Tribune

take place on Sunday, June 5 at 7.00 a.m. at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos State, which is the Excel Celebration Service, in which our father in the Lord, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, who gave the vision and started us off 25 years ago, will minister. We are expecting some of our members, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is a member of the Apapa family, and the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. We are also expecting our members from all over the world.

Apapa Family is known worldwide for massive investments in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

What are some of them and what is the plan for this year’s celebration?

Every year, we have signature CSR projects because we believe that churches should give back to society. By now, it is known that we feed 60,000 people every week in Lagos, and indeed, in the past three years, that has cost us well over N3 billion. We have soup

Herdsmen’s attacks: ‘We may become

fugitives in our fatherland’ Pg 38

kitchens all over Lagos, and we are working towards having a food bank. We have rehabilitation centres, prison ministry, a talent hunt for children to encourage songs that edify, inspire and encourage which is in its sixth edition, that is the God’s Children Great Talent (GCGT) and we have a record label, called Excel Record Label, which is open to partnership with individuals outside the church, provided they work within our core values. As part of the celebrations, on the 30th of May, we will hold the grand finale of the GCGT. In the sphere of education, our project for this year is to equip 500 public school libraries in Lagos State, which we started last year.

It is instructive that we have a professional football club and our women are in the Premier League.

In the area of health, we have provided intervention with our establishment of a hospital that has 10 dialysis machines, and every month, we offer 30 free dialysis sessions. We have partnered with hospitals on kidney transplants.

We also have a cancer screening centre in Surulere and for those who can’t come to our hospitals, we have mobile clinics which provide free medical services in schools and the hinterland.

We’ve provided solar-powered street lights and traffic lights in Lagos State, to reduce crime and boost night trading. That is why we identify with the plan of the Lagos State government to light up Lagos, which we commend as a good and laudable initiative. These are just some of our CSR projects and it is replicated globally. We also partnered with our General Overseer, Pastor Adeboye, and we endowed a professorial chair in Mathematics in five universities in his name. On the day of the Excel service, we will provide free feeding, free medical check-ups and free transportation all over Lagos.

Many of your CSR projects cost so much, especially in the area of health. How do you cope with the financial commitment?

Our health interventions are open to everyone, Christians and Muslims. Our members fund the health projects. However, when we wanted to start the mobile clinics, as a result of the publicity given by the press, corporate organisations that usually would not want to partner with religious organisations have started partnering with us because of our transparency and the quality of our work.

We have partnered with Cadbury, Shell, MTN, Indomie, First Bank, among others. I think the culture is changing. Once they see corporate governance, commitment and transparency, corporate organisations indicate interest. This has also helped to increase our reach.

Continues on pg38

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8 May, 2016

With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews Cleric charges Christians on selfless service

By Olaide Sokoya

A

CCEPTABLE service means serving (working for) God willingly and cheerfully with all our spirit, soul and body and is the re-

sponse of a disciple unto the Lordship of Christ; the voluntary and the hearty subjecting of himself to Christ’s dominion.

This was the submission of the District Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church,

Ipakodo District, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Reverend Martins Olaomoju, during the church’s annual Christian education workers’ training tagged “Acceptable service for uncommon reward,” held at the church headqua-

ters.

In his address, Olamoju stated that acceptable service for uncommon reward involved carrying out God’s service zealously, obeying God in full and in entirety, which requires gratitude to God, divine grace, humility, godly fear and unwavering faith in God. Another speaker, the District Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church, Ipakodo II,

Sunday Tribune

Reverend David Oluwashina, while speaking on ‘’Making disciples and disciplers,’’ said it was necessary to return to the biblical pattern of discipleship.

Oluwashina emphasised the need for leaders at all levels to first be disciplined so that they can efficiently discipline others.

He berated the present crop of leadership in the church where defined prin-

ciples are abandoned for worldly and material gains and highlighted the need for proper follow-up, mentoring, caution and pastoral responsibility.

He also gave the advantages of making disciples as producing mature Christians, raising the standards of the church workforce, and ensuring unity, love and cohesion in the church.

Baptist President stresses benefits of godly grace

By Oyeyemi Okunlade

From left, Reverend (Mrs) Sophia Vanderpuye; Reverend Oyinloye; Rev (Dr) David Oluwashina; the District Overseer for Ipakodo, Reverend Martins Olaomoju and the District Education Minister, Pastor (Mrs) Taiwo Ogunsegha, at the Workers’ Training.

President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend Supo Ayokunle, has stressed the benefits of God’s grace on the church.

He said this during the 20th thanksgiving service and inauguration of Glory Academy, established by Glory Baptist Church, Wa-

kajaye, Ibadan, Oyo State, last Sunday.

From his sermon entitled “Celebrating the grace of God in the church,” he stated that the church had enjoyed God’s grace thus far.

He said: “The 20-year journey of the church can be described as a journey of grace because of many reasons. The environment

Buhari’s foreign trips not for jamboree —Bishop Nwosu As Anglican church calls for return of mission schools Celestine Ihejirika - Umuahia and Biola Azeez - Ilorin THE Archbishop of the Diocese of Unuahia, Anglican Communion, the Most Reverend Ikechi Nwosu, has urged Nigerians not to see President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips in recent times as mere jamboree, but as the best option that can ensure that Nigeria is relevant in the global family of nations.

Nwosu, who stated this while delivering his address at the second session of the eighth synod of the church, held at St. James’ Church, Mission hill, Umuahia, Abia State, noted that the president’s foreign trips cannot be avoided because Nigeria needs to be represented globally.

According to him, the nation at this point needed national and local stability and peace, as this alone can attract foreigners and grant Nigeria’s development and transformation.

Bishop Nwosu further said Nigeria must be concerned about peace of the nation, just as he observed the country has done well to ensure a united family despite the present challenges.

Speaking on the commitment of the present government to the crusade against corruption, he urged Buhari not to be discouraged

by the magnitude of corruption at various levels, stressing that a consistent fight against all forms of corruption by Nigerians will definitely put an end to the devilish trend bedeviled

the country in the past.

Also speaking shortly after the synod, Chairman of the planning committee, Chief Joshua Ogbonna, called on Nigerians to pray for President Buhari.

In another development, the Anglican Church of Nigeria has reiterated its call on the Kwara State government to hand over mission schools to their owners.

In a communique signed

President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend (Dr) Supo Ayokunle, flanked by from left, Revd Ademola Mabawonku; Revd Bolaji Olumakinwa; pastor, Glory Baptist Church and his wife, Reverened. T. Abayomi and Pastor (Mrs) Faramade Odunayo; Mrs J. F. Adekunle and her husband, President, Ibadan Baptist Conference, Revd. (Dr) Yemi Adekunle, cutting the cake at the 20th anniversary of Glory Baptist church, Wakajaye, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Pastor tasks leaders on care for the underprivileged A Pastor with the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide, Pastor Gabriel Lagunju, has said the much needed development will continue to elude the country unless Nigerians, and most especially those in positions of authority, imbibed the spirit of sparing a thought for the underprivileged.

The cleric, who said this

at the funeral service held for Prophet Gabriel Oyelami (Baba Alasepe), Deputy General Evangelist of the CAC, at the Alasepe Praying Ground, Ikire, Odun State, stated that whatever material wealth acquired in this world without any impact in the life of others is nothing in the sight of God. Present at the event included the representative of

the Osun State deputy governor; Prophet Muideen Kasali; Pastor P.F. Owa and Evangelist (Mrs) Bola Are. According to the cleric, Prophet Oyelami, who died at the age of 105, apart from being a faithful servant of God, touched many lives through offering employment and securing accommodation for the underprivileged.

by the Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Church, Offa, Kwara State, the Right Reverend Akintunde Popoola, at the end of the four-day synod of the church, which was made available to journalists in Ilorin, the church said the state of schools was worrisome.

Reverend Popoola, who is also the president of the synod, said management of the schools had become a burden to the state government because of its prevailing financial challenges.

He said the handover of the schools would enable the church return the schools to their old glory.

The synod, however, commended the state government for mobilising contractors and engineers back to site on the Offa-Ira road.

The synod, with the theme, “Give us this day our daily bread,” expressed dismay that many families were unable to put bread on their tables and enjoined leaders to put aside political, ethnic, or religious sentiments to diagnose the problems and proffer solutions to lingering socio-economic problems.

While commending the efforts of the present administration on the anticorruption war, the synod, said the war should not be selective or politicised.

was a village when the church was established but today, it has grown and God has given it the grace to minister to people’s spiritual needs.

He also charged every member of the church to be upright in order to affect the environments they find themselves positively as Christ did when He was on earth.

While pointing out why each member should stand in faith as benefactors of God’s grace, Ayokunle said: “This church is not an accident; it’s with a particular mandate to fulfill. God is interested in this church and He has sustained it through these 20 years.”

The president urged the church to take the name of Jesus as the first important thing in their lives, as it is mighty and also carries authority.

Members were charged not to take the word of God with levity.

“God has given the church his word which is the ready-made answer for every challenge. Let the word of God be at the centre of your heart. No church member should walk in falsehood or deceit.

By doing so, the gates of hell will not be able to prevail over the church and every member will be rapturable,” Ayokunle stated.

The church pastor, Reverend T. Abayomi Odunayo, in his address gave thanks to God. While appreciating members of the church, he encouraged them to continue to build on the foundations and legacies that have been laid by their fathers and mothers in the past as there were more lands to cover.

“Let us invest in the business of the kingdom,” he said.

37 tribunechurch

8 May, 2016

Back from hell

Your Life Counts

I drank water with cattle during my abduction —Ibikunle

W

There was a report that you were kidnapped recently. What really happened?

Okun diocese is a rural place; it was carved out of Kwara diocese, and is a community of the Yoruba speaking people of Kogi State. I was preparing for my enthronement and had to make a visit to Lokoja to meet sons and daughters of the diocese. On my way from Lokoja back to my diocese, I met two people standing on the road and they disguised as if they were policemen from SARS. Initially, myself, my driver and my chaplain thought they were armed robbers when they accosted us, so we assumed they would just rob us and let us go. However, we were dragged out of the vehicle and manhandled and brutalised as we were led into the forest. We were made to drink water with cattle. There was no food and we were made to sleep on the bare ground. Sometimes, we had to trek for four hours, blindfolded and made to also sit for hours. It was not a pleasant experience. I thank God that on the fourth night, I was released after paying ransom.

How much did you pay as ransom?

Initially, they asked for N50 million.

We started bargaining and they agreed to take N15 million. Eventually, they accepted N1.5 million.

How effective were the police in ensuring your release?

I was reliably informed that the police were immediately contacted but no immediate action was taken. In fact, that experience has reduced my level of confidence in the police.

What language did the kidnappers use to communicate with you?

They claimed to have come from Chad because during their interaction with our prelate, as he was trying to pacify them and persuade them to treat

me with care, telling them we are all Nigerians, they shouted, ‘We’re not Nigerians; we’re from Chad.’ The prelate then told them whether they were from Nigeria or Chad, God has created all of us. They communicated with us in pidgin English.

How many were they?

There were 10 of them and they were all men. Seven of them carried sophisticated weapons.

Were there other people kidnapped alongside you?

It was just my driver and I because after one hour, they released my chaplain.

Do you forgive them?

Humanly speaking, it is very hard but as a Christian and as a minister of God, we are taught to forgive. The scripture encourages us to forgive. In fact, I prayed for them and prayed that even the leader should see the light of the gospel. At a time in the forest, we became friends, especially with the leader, who was very calm. I pray that they will embrace Christ and repent.

In recent times, there seems to be a rise in the kidnap of clerics.

What do you think is going on?

We can blame it on the economic situation of the country but I believe there are other ways of gainfully engaging oneself, if you believe in the dignity of labour. I also discovered that the state of insecurity in Nigeria is quite alarming. Also, in Nigeria, a lot of people get

away with all sorts of things. Some people also see it as a business which they can make quick money.

So, would you subscribe to the use of bodyguards?

Well, with what I’ve gone through, I would say some form of security is necessary. Although as Christians, we believe in God’s absolute guidance. We should also take security measures. The important thing is not to overdo it.

Did you have any premonition about that incident?

No. Incidentally, that day, a meeting was fixed by the enthronement committee and I was rushing down from Lokoja. However, a few weeks before that time, I visited Lagos and that was the week they kidnapped an African Church bishop with his wife. I was discussing with a friend in Lagos about the incident and he jokingly said he prayed that his friend (referring to me) would not be kidnapped, else he would sell all he owned. We even laughed over it, not knowing it was an event in waiting.

Did it look like you were the actual target or a random occurrence?

What I can say to that is the environment may have contributed. Before where I was kidnapped, if you’re familiar with LokojaOkene road, there is a major place they call Obajana. It’s about 10 minutes drive from that place. The tendency is that there may be people who may alert those further down on those passing that road.

Herdsmen killing: C/S spiritual leader calls for state of emergency Biola Azeez - Ilorin WORRIED by the spate of alleged killing by herdsmen in parts of the country, the spiritual father of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church worldwide (Ayo Ni o), Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye, has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency.

Speaking with journalists on his 10 years of installation at Galilee land of the church in Orile Igbon, Kwara State, the cleric said the spate of herdsmen killings was gaining a frightening dimension.

Abidoye, who said Nigerians should realise the need for the declaration in the interest of peace and cohesion of the nation, called on security

by Tunde Jaiyebo 0803 406 2013

Attitude and success (1)

Bishop Moyinoluwalogo Bamidele Ibikunle of Okun diocese, Kogi State, consecrated on 8th November, 2015 and enthroned on 13th March, 2016, was recently kidnapped and released four days after. He shares his experience with RITA OKONOBOH.

HAT has your experience as a cleric been?

I have no regrets even if there have been challenges and that is normal. Two people really influenced me when I was in the theological college, the late Bishop Samuel Solanke, who was my dean and tutorial master, and after he left, Bishop Owadayo of the Anglican Communion, also influenced me. Incidentally, I worked under Bishop Solanke in Kwara diocese for eight years. There was even a time I was tempted to leave the ministry because of what I was passing through at that time but they encouraged me, including my father-in-law, who is an Anglican priest.

Today, I am what I am by God’s grace.

Sunday Tribune

agencies to swing into action in order to calm frayed nerves in the affected areas.

He also traced the increased rate of kidnapping in the country to

joblessness among young ones, and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to put in place measures to curb the trend and initiate policies to create jobs for the unemployed.

Ibadan North holds 3rd session of 6th synod THE diocese of Ibadan North of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) is set to hold the third session of the sixth synod.

According to the diocesan communicator and public relations adviser, Mr Ademola Afolabi, the theme of this year’s synod is “Overcoming our unchristian attitude.” The event is scheduled to hold from Sunday May 15 till Thursday May 19 at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, Ibadan. The

launch of the Bishop’s Charge will be on Monday, May 16, by 12 noon.

The synod will be presided over by the bishop of the diocese and archbishop of Ibadan Province, the Most Reverend (Dr) Segun Okubadejo.

Retired bishop of Ijesha North Diocese, the Right Reverend Titus Fajemirokun, will preach at the opening service while the Right Reverend (Dr) Matthew Owadayo will preach at the closing ceremony.

IT is innate in man to want to attain success. We all have a deep desire to have accomplishments.

The pursuit and attainment of goals have a way of giving us a sense of wellbeing. Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist proposed a theory in psychology in 1943 where he divided human needs based on two groupings: deficiency needs and growth needs. He stated that that these needs motivate human behavior.

“Abraham Maslow proposed five different kinds of human needs, beginning with the most basic survival. Physiological needs, such as food and shelter, are followed by needs related to safety.

Next, there are needs of love and belonging.

Fourth, humans have needs of esteem, such as the need for being respected. The final need in the hierarchy is the need for self-actualisation (fulfilling one’s potential).” Chegg.com It is, therefore, very important that we sort out meeting the basic essential “survival needs” of food, shelter, security and move up to maximizing our potential and aspire to attaining success. We must desire and do practical things to achieve success. Success does not just happen.

Two of the basic essentials to succeeding in life are desire and attitude. Success must be deliberately pursued with the right attitude powered by desire. Wrong attitude and a lack of desire to succeed are things we must guard against.

“Most people either lose their desire to succeed, don’t have the desire to succeed, have the wrong desire attached to their goal or don’t know what their real desire is. The last two are where most people fall - they may want to achieve certain goals - but don’t have the right desire attached to their goal or don’t know what their real desire is.”

Karim Hajee Attitude is fundamental so if can get our attitude right we set ourselves up for success. If we get attitude wrong we shoot ourselves in the foot and greatly hamper our ability to succeed. Our attitude will shape our approach to life, situations, people and events.

“Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.” Tom Blandi Our attitude is foundational to whether we succeed or fail in life. Our attitude is our own responsibility- we cannot blame anybody for our attitude.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.” Charles Swindoll Attitude can either be a stopper or a facilitator.

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” Robert Collier To be continued For enquiries/comments please send email to charismokola@yahoo.com

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Sunday Tribune

Herdsmen’s attacks: We may become fugitives in our own country —Bishop Ogundeji Bishop of Egba West Diocese, Anglican Communion, the Right Reverend Samuel Ogundeji, in an interaction with RITA OKONOBOH speaks on his experience as a tailor-turned-bishop, his recommendations for curbing insurgency, the upcoming synod of the diocese, among other issues. Excerpts:

in the North. It is unfortunate that other Northern governors have supported the move. The claim that it is for the good of the citizens is fishy. Nigerians must say no to that.

It is against the Constitution which promotes freedom of religion. Proposing such restrictions on religion is like saying they do not want to be part of Nigeria again, especially as we are all expected to abide by the constitution.

OU were consecrated a bishop in May 2010. What has the experience been these past six years?

The truth about life is that no condition is permanent and in whatever position a person finds himself/herself, there are challenges. However, in all challenges, God has been faithful. There have been difficult times but God has been supporting us. Even if I was born in Ibadan, blending in with the people of the South West, seeing as I had spent over 35 years in the North, was another challenge, because the lifestyle of the Northerners is quite different from what obtains here. However, God’s grace has been sufficient.

What would you say is responsible for attacks by herdsmen on communities?

I think there is something fishy going on, because the way they’re going about it, it’s like they want to be all over the country. And this talk of grazing reserves across the country is not right. That is asking people to give out lands to people they do not belong to. Are you saying we can’t have people who rear cattle in other areas too? Have they not been rearing cattle in the past? I think there is something behind these attacks. I lived in the North for over 35 years and herdsmen do not carry guns. All they carry are sticks. Today, we see them carrying arms; where do they get it? I think there is more to it than grazing. Our leaders must be very sensitive to this issue. Why now?

Today, they seem to be all over the place. I want to advise all Nigerians to be vigilant, otherwise, we may become fugitives in our fatherland.

Y

What is the theme of this year’s synod?

This year’s synod, which will take place from Thursday, May 12 to Sunday, May 15, at St. David’s Anglican Church, Ofada, Ogun State, has as its theme “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ Last year, we treated ‘For God is Love,’ and because God is love, is there anything that should separate us from His love? When we consider the situation of the country today, there are many things that can easily separate us from the love of God. However, because of the love of Christ and based on all He has done for us, basing our text on Romans 8:35-39, in which Paul stated that we are more than conquerors. It is a way to encourage people that whatever difficulties we face as a nation – insurgency, kidnapping, fuel scarcity, economic crisis, corruption – nothing should separate us from the love of Christ. If we indeed know the love of Christ, we would know that Christ is greater than whatever may separate us from Him. That is the essence of the theme. The synod will feature talks, teachings and discussions on the progress of the church.

In June 2013, you spoke about how the selfcentredness of those in power has affected our growth as a nation. Three years and a change in administration later, would you say things have changed?

With the state of things now, it is very difficult to read inbetween the lines. Probably, there’s hope for tomorrow.

The truth is, we are the ones killing ourselves. Take for

instance, the issue of fuel scarcity, which I think is caused by the actions of certain individuals. And it is interesting that labour has not organised any major strike. If it was government that increased the price, even from N87 to N100, there would have been major protests across the nation. We bought fuel at N250 per litre and nobody is saying anything, not even protests. The truth is, sometimes we blame the government but most of these things are done by us. The change hasn’t started manifesting yet. We must all participate to make Nigeria better. We must fight corruption, and government must also tell us what has been done with recovered loot. I hope it won’t be business as usual; robbing Peter to pay Paul.

You spent 37 years in the North and had your theological training in Zaria, Kaduna State. What is your take on the proposed preaching licence?

The truth is we’ve never found it easy doing evangelism

With your 33 years experience as a married man, how would you advise fellow ministers of God on sustaining marriages?

It is important for ministers to know that they’re targets for the devil. If the devil tries the man and is unsuccessful, he goes to the wife, and if he still doesn’t succeed, he uses the children. When they know that, caution will kick in. For any marriage to succeed, there must be tolerance. I always say if you marry by mistake, you must love by mistake. It’s not easy but it is possible. Couples must also make sure they fan their love so that their love will not die. There must also be trust. For a minister’s marriage to be a model for their congregation to follow, they must also imbibe humility and out their love into practice. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 must be at play. They must also understand that there will be disagreements and that is normal, but the important thing is not to keep record of wrongs. You must be willing to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ A Yoruba adage says, “if you prostrate to greet a dwarf, it doesn’t men when you stand up, you won’t retain your height.’

I have written some books on marriage and would advise that to overcome challenges, Jesus must be at the centre, be ready to adapt and persevere. Ministers who divorce and remarry have no message because it is not biblical.

‘It is important for churches to give back to society’ Continued from pg35

Are there plans to have impact outside Lagos?

Apapa Family is represented globally and we have presence in five continents of the world, where what we do here is replicated worldwide. Anywhere there is an Apapa family church, CSR projects take place there. In Lagos alone, we have about 1,500 churches. Seeing as we started in Lagos, and we have a lot of critical masses here, that’s why there are a lot of projects in Lagos. The Bible says we should be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then to Judaea, then to the uttermost parts of the world. As they say, ‘charity begins at home,’ that’s why there’s a lot of concentration in Lagos.

However, we are represented globally.

The Bible encourages “giving a man a fish” but also emphasises “teaching a man to fish.” What ways has the church encouraged self-sustenance?

We have a leadership school, a Bible training school and various programmes that teach people about skill acquisition. We partnered with Microsoft to provide free training for those interested in upgrading themselves in the IT sector. We are strong on teaching, because we believe that through teaching you can transform lives and build leaders for the nation. Virtually all Apapa family churches have skill acquisition and improvement schemes under their wings.

We also have the Arise Women conference and other training and development programmes.

With the recent declaration by the Northern governors on preaching licences, don’t you think the RCCG’s evangelism activities in the North would be affected?

Well, I think the Christian Association of Nigeria has taken a stand on that and that is the position of the church.

It’s something that’s being looked into and a lot of consultations are ongoing. One thing we should realise is that God is a spirit. This faith has been there even before the creation of our nation. There have been backlashes and assaults but they had endured because the word of God endures. As it is written, heaven and earth will pass away, but the word of God will remain. God will take care of His word and what God wants to do, no man can stop it. So, we are at peace.

How about concerns that some RCCG churches have derailed from the vision?

That’s news to me because everyone knows that the main message of the RCCG is reflected in the vision, which include: to make heaven; to take as many people as possible with us; to have a member of RCCG in every family of all nations, among other objectives. To do anything, our bedrock is to be holy and do the right thing. So, what the RCCG preaches is holiness. The model churches express their faith in more contemporary ways than the classical churches, but the message is still the same. That does not change. For example, when Apapa Family started, we were having services

in night clubs; people did not understand. Look at us today, 25 years on. God is not static. The people are the church. We set standards but in all that we do, we don’t deviate from the lifestyle of holiness.

What does the future hold for Apapa Family?

When you say ‘Apapa,’ some call it a church, an idea, a family, a movement, and some can’t really place it. Some call it a spirit. Sometimes you can’t explain it but you can see it. For us, ‘Apapa’ is an ideology; a collection of doctrines and beliefs shared by members of a group. It can be described as a set of conscious and unconscious ideas which make up one set of beliefs, goals and expectations and motivations. This is something that endures. I believe that things can only be better for us and our nation because of the input of our family. We see Apapa family and what we stand for being a catalyst of change. We see people studying the family and our achievements in the past 25 years and using that as a template to excel in life. We believe that apart from the fact that there will be tremendous growth, this is a journey of exceeding greatness; a journey that has no end and we will shine brighter and brighter as we grow, and our lives as a nation will experience transformation.

For example, the mantra of the current administration is ‘change,’ and that story of change pervades and engenders transformation not just for churches but for the nation, and we can trace this to the spirit of the Apapa family which started 25 years ago.

39 tribunechurch

8 May, 2016

Ademowo scores Buhari high on performance

By Rita Okonoboh

D

IOCESAN Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), The Most Reverend Ephraim Ademowo, has scored President Muhammadu Buhari high on performance and the sacrifices he has made for the country’s progress.

Ademowo stated this at the collation of archdeacons and awards ceremony at the first session of the 33rd synod of the diocese held at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos State, with the theme, “The Marks of the Church.”

According to Ademowo, “I’m impressed with our president. He has shown that he is ready to serve the people with the sacrifices he has made and his discouraging of extravagant spending. Leaders must continue to serve in the right manner and the people must imbibe the right attitude.”

While Bishop Ademowo congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to continue in their service to God and mankind, The Most Reverend (Dr) Caleb Maduoma, one of the awardees, expressed appre-

ciation to the church for the honour, stating that it was a call to do more.

Other awardees included The Most Revd (Dr) Segun Okubadejo; Bishops

Johnson Atere; Solomon Kuponu; Joseph Odejide; Alex Ibezim; Venerable Olumuyiwa Oyewole; Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Sir Clement Okeowo; Dr

Ebi Omatsola; Chief Tunde Afolabi; Dr Eric Sibeudu; Mr Emmanuel Olukoga; Mrs Olufunke Familoni; Mr Tunde Oyebiyi; Mr J.A. Oyapidan and Mrs Ruth

Alabi, while Ebenezer Olubajo, Gabriel Ezeanya, Henry Adelegan and Samuel Adurofagbaje became archdeacons in the diocese of Lagos.

From left, Anglican Bishop of Ifo (retired) Right Reverend Akin Adejide; Bishop of Awka, Right Reverend (Dr) Alexander Ibezim; Bishop of Awori Diocese, Right Reverend Johnson Akinwamide Atere; Bishopof Ijebu North, Right Reverend (Dr) Solomon Kuponu; Archbishop of Lagos Diocese and President of Synod, Most Reverend Ephraim Ademowo; his wife, Oluranti and Bishop of Ideato and Archbishop of Owerri Province, Most Reverend (Dr) Caleb Maduoma at the 2016 Anglican Diocese of Lagos first session of the 33rd synod award ceremony, held at Our Saviour Church, Tafewa Balewa Square, Lagos State. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Sunday Tribune

Clerics to intercede for Nigeria APOSTLE Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries and Primate Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, are currently spearheading a national peace prayer aimed at seeking God’s face for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, and to ask for divine intervention for Nigeria.

According to a statement, the event would also serve as an opportunity to encourage leaders to lead with fear of God, promote peace rather than use their Godgiven positions to promote disunity among Nigerians.

The event, they stated, will bring together other prophets of God from far and near.

We should train children in the way of God —Prophet Joseph THE Minister in Charge of Jehova Mission Church of God, Itedo Alasepe, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo State, Evangelist (Prophet) Adewumi Joseph, has encouraged parents to bring up their

children in the way of the Lord.

He stated this at a press conference to herald the maiden edition of the children’s anniversary of the church, which will hold to-

day at the headquarters of the church.

Prophet Joseph said the church is holding the anniversary in line with God’s instruction that little children should be encouraged to get

close to Him as theirs is the kingdom of God. “We are all children before Jehova. He sees us as blameless before Him once we believe in what He has done to seal our salvation.

This will be a regular event in this church from the first edition,” he said.

The anniversary will take place from noon till 5.00 p.m., while Prophet (Dr) C.O. Campbell will minister.

livingword

dawnofanewera with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa Bishop of Ibadan Anglican Diocese

By Bishop David Oyedepo Call 7747546-8; or e-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

When the righteous rule: Overcoming evil advisers

Gateways to financial dominion! (2)

A leader should watch the kind of people he surrounds himself with. You may be a good man, but if you are surrounded by too many bad people, your government will be equal to a bad government. We see this scenario playing itself out again and again in our political landscape; where an otherwise virtuous leader is held captive by a corrupt cabal who surrounds and insulate/suffocate the leader. Instead of advisers helping the leader to discover reality, they in fact shield him from reality so that they can exploit his errors for personal gain. They manipulate the leader to make and implement policies that may not favour the society, just for their own private benefits.

In Daniel Chapter 6, the nobles in MedoPersia made Darius the king to issue an unrighteous decree, not for public good, but because they wanted to bring down Daniel whom the king had found to be a better adviser than all of them. They subjected a whole empire to great inconvenience for thirty days just because they wanted to destroy one manl Evil advisers like that still exist in our days, and good leaders should pray to God always, that God should expel such persons from the ranks of their advisers.

What about Haman? Harnan wanted to destroy Mordecai, because Mordecai would not massage his bloated ego. Haman, however, did not limit his anger to Mordecai.

He decided that the entire race from which Mordecai originated needed to be wiped out (Esther 3:5-5). He did not have power to ef-

fect that, but the potential to do this evil lied in his influence; he was close to the king. He exploited this closeness to manipulate the king into issuing an irreversible decree that the entire Jewish race should be wiped out on a certain day.

Esther 3:8-11 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore Jt is not for the king’s profit tosuffer them.

If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that.have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.

An evil adviser was going to manipulate the king into committing genocide, if not for God’s divine intervention. God had graciously made a way of escape for the Jews in the person of Esther who had become queen around the same time. It was Esther that eventually blew open Haman’s evil plan, whereby at the end, the destruction that he planned for the Jews came upon him and his family.

To be continued next week

LAST week, we established that financial dominion is our heritage in Christ and that God empowers us for wealth through the revelation and application of the covenant.

This week, we shall examine what a covenant is and how it exempts us from all prevailing economic situations.

What is a Covenant?

A covenant is a deal enacted by God, based on well-defined terms and sealed with an oath. As we all know, the Bible is a book of covenants. The Old and New Testament simply means the Old and New Covenant, and revelation is about accessing the covenants of God on every issue of interest to us, including the covenant of prosperity (Hebrews 6:13-18).

It is important to note that the covenant is superior to all prevailing economic situations and circumstances because it is God’s bailout instrument from ALL harsh economic situations. That is, economic hardship, famine and drought cannot stop it (Psalms 33:18-19, 37:18-19, 91:1-7).

Today, the world is facing the worst global economic challenge in history but the present economic holocaust is not strange. The good news is that God has a plan in place to exempt His people. From scriptures, we understand that every generation of people who walked in the covenant went through economic challenges triumphantly. For instance, Israel dwelt in Goshen in the land of Egypt in the days of famine but according to scriptures, they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. Also, Abraham became very wealthy in livestock,

silver and gold. By the time he was old and well stricken in age, the Lord had blessed him in all things. Furthermore, Isaac, in spite of the prevalent drought went forward, became very great and the Philistines envied him. Moreover, the famine was sore in the land during the days of Jacob, but he had more than enough money to import food for his household. Job also walked in financial dominion. The Bible records that he was the greatest of all men in his days and that his substance was greatly increased in the land (Genesis 13:2; 24:1, 26:1, 12-14, 42:1-2, 43:1, 11-12; 47:27; Job 1:3).

This establishes the fact that covenantpeople are peculiar and as long as we commit to covenant practice, we will be exempted from the economic ordeals of our time (Exodus 19:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9). However, for us to access the blessings of financial fortune as received by the prophets of old, we must walk in their steps to command the same order of financial fortune that they commanded. Remember, it is following the steps of giants that makes giants, and the first step of giants in God’s Kingdom is accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord (Malachi 3:10-18, 4: 1-4; Hebrews 6:12).

That is what being born again means. If you want to be born again, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.

Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

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8 May, 2016

language&style

by Samson Dare 0805 500 1770 samsonadare@yahoo.co.uk

Another harvest of errors (I)

S

AMPLE 1: “Umar Midala, a schoolteacher and an indigene of Biu, was still enjoying his early morning sleep on that unfaithful day when he was roused from slumber by his sister as gunshots rent the balmy air, shattering the serenity of the somnolent town…Early on November 1, 2014, about 42 Boko Haram fighters were killed by the civilian JTF from Biu who saw about 50 Boko Haram fighters hiding under a truck conveying sheeps and goats…The near decimation of its fighters who embarked on that unfaithful mission has sent shills down their spines…there is another factor accounting to non-conquest of Biu by the insurgents: spiritual…Sadly, social and cultural activities have almost grinded to a halt in Biu. To forestall the insurgents from infiltrating Biu in the guise of being participants in cultural activities or detonating bombs in gatherings, the annual durbar have been kept on hold…”(Borno Town Where Boko Haram Saw Hell, The Sunday, April 24, 2016) There are too many disturbing grammatical, lexical and stylistic errors in this excerpt. We shall pick only the grossest ones for analysis.

For example, we have complained repeatedly that some Nigerian journalists are unable differentiate between faith(ful) and fate(ful). The problem, we have noted, is both phonological and grammatical. In fact, the problem seems to have its root in bad pronunciation.

This text exhibits a curious version of the error. Let’s note the word unfaithful which occurs twice as follows: that unfaithful day; unfaithful mission. It is obvious that the reporter is trying to play upon the word faith. He is probably being ironical. However, the point is: If there are unfaithful day and unfaithful mission, whatever they mean, there must be faithful day and faithful mission.Faithful day? No! Faithful mission? No! It is clear to me that the word required in this context, and which the reporter is trying play with/upon is fateful.

That being the case, it is expedient to revisit the discussion and examples presented recently in this place regarding the difference between faith(ful) and fate(ful).

The word fate is about destiny, inescapable situations, circumstances, experience forced on a person by a mystical power or inexplicable forces. Now read the following sentences: 1) The fate of the entire nation depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the political elite. 2) The pregnant woman’s nutritional and emotional habits will affect in a critical way the fate of the unborn baby. 3) It is unfortunately true that the fate of intelligent men is often decided by much less intelligent citizens. 4) The wrong impression is often created that students’ fate is decided by the examiners when in reality students decide their own fate by either preparing or not preparing hard for their exams.

5) The Niger Delta militants claim that the fate of the Nigerian nation depends on their oil wells. 6) People in the North Eastern Nigeria have been condemned to a brutal fate in the last six years or so, no thanks to the mindless insurgents. 7) The judge adjourned briefly before making a pronouncement on the fate of the suspects. 8) The fate of the weaker animals is decided by the mood and appetite of the lion. 9) The fate of the company depends on the outcome of the experiment being carried out by its consultants. 10) Should wives leave their fate entirely in the hands of their husbands?

Like the nouns fate and faith, the adjectives fateful and faithfulare frequently confused by many Nigerian users. An event or activity or decision is said to be fateful if it is important in a bad or terrible way. Again, read the following sentences: 1)

The fateful election took place on June 12, 1993. 2) It is paradoxical that the terrorist organization was inaugurated on the fateful day of our independence. 3) Saul of Tarsus had scarcely started the fateful journey when God struck him down and gave him instructions as to his destiny and future career. 4) Rehoboam’s fateful decision to pay attention to the counsel of the young men and reject that of the ‘old men’ spelt doom for the unity of Israel as a nation. 5) Disgruntled, the army officer took the fateful decision to overthrow the democratically elected government. 6) It was that fateful shot that led to the end of our outing in the competition. 7) It was at that fateful meeting that the decision to sack him was taken. 8) That fateful journey led to the death of over twenty people. 9) On that fateful day, the wedding ceremony was proceeding normally when, suddenly, a spark occurred which resulted in a huge fire outbreak. 10) The fateful demonstration started as a peaceful protest but later became uncontrollable, resulting in the killing of five students by the police.

Faith is about strong or total belief or confidence in God, a god, a person, system, organization or thing. Please read the following sentences: 1) Abraham is called the father of faith because he trusted God for a long time without having any physical thing to show for it. 2) No one can live a sustained Christian life without strong faith in God. 3) Peter the apostle began to sink when his faith in Christ wavered. 4) A person’s faith in God increases or reduces according to the stuff he feeds his mind and heart with. 5) Spiritual power and strength grow in proportion to a person’s faith. 6) Can people who have faith in God experience adversity? 7) The Christian and Islamic faiths have the same origin. 8) When faith in God combines with sound intellectual resources the result is usually more impactful than physical might. 9) The citizens soon lost faith in the clueless government. 10) When members lose faith in their leaders, it is difficult to persuade them otherwise. 11) The union leaders insist that the representatives of the government have not been acting in good faith.

12) This quarrel could have ended a long time ago if both parties had been acting in good faith. 13) Having lost faith in the marriage, the lady has applied for divorce. 14) The Boko Haram insurgents obviously have no faith in western education. 15) The civil war would not have broken out if the leaders had not acted in bad faith.

The word faithful is the adjective form of faith. Now read the following sentences: 1) Marriage partners are expected to be faithful to each other. 2) Faithful implementation of the provisions of the MOU is critical to the harmonious existence of the two parties. 3) This nation will be great if all of us take a decision to be faithful and loyal to it. 4) The three men were sacked because they were found to be unfaithful to the organization. 4) Would you regard that person as faithful who sells the secrets of his organization to its competitor? 5) Only faithful members of our association will be considered for assistance in their times of financial crisis. 6) The lawyer has not been faithful, and we have, in consequence, decided to dispense with his service. 7) Having noted your faithful and selfless service to this community for the past one decade, we have decided to honour you with a chieftaincy title. 8) The death of Bingo pained me so much because it has been an extremely faithful dog. 9) In spite of her irrational tendencies, her husband has remained faithful to her.

10) I am unwilling to part with this ‘faithful’ old car.

As we have noted, there are several other blemishes in the excerpt which time and space will not permit us to address today.

The word fate is about destiny, inescapable situations, circumstances, experience forced on a person by a mystical power or inexplicable forces… Faith is about strong or total belief or confidence in God, a god, a person, system, organization or thing

Sunday Tribune

line

life

with Niyi Osundare

Random Blues The soap washes the world But who’s there to wash the soap Asking, the soap washes the world But who’s there to wash the soap The question which tugs my mind Is too heavy to be hung with a rope

We see other people’s back It is others who see our own Yes, we see other people’s back It is others who see our own I sit pretty easy on my thought Like a king who inspires his throne

They slap me left and right And insist I must never complain Say, the slap me left and right Insisting I must never complain I must find a quiet new way To endure my needless pain

‘Don’t be an angry black man’, I am told in plain and coded ways Yes, ‘don’t be an angry black man’, I am urged in plain and coded ways Just don’t betray that temper That could imperil your humble days

We’ve turned so many cheeks That there is none left to turn Say, we’ve turned so many cheeks That there is none left to turn The embers simmering beneath our ashes Are rearing to rise, ready to burn

41

news

8 May, 2016

Life has been terrible in Nigeria —Adeboye

•Leads prayer against fuel scarcity, kidnapping, killings

By Dare Adekanmbi

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GAINST the backdrop of the hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of the economic downturn, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said life in the country has become terrible and asked God to intervene “for things to get better rapidly.”

Adeboye, who said God had warned at the beginning of the year that things would get worse in the

country before they become better, told God that “Yes, it has been terrible.

But from now, let things get rapidly better.

“We thank you for warning us in advance that things will get worse before they get better. But we your children are saying, Daddy, enough is enough.

From now on, let things get better speedily and continuously. Help us, oh Lord.

“We are crying to you by faith tonight to say, in this nation, there will no longer be fuel scarcity. No more hunger. No more pain. No more tragedies. If

only because of those of us your children who are calling you, in our nation, let things get steadily better.

“God told us at the beginning of the year that things will get worse in Nigeria before they get better. Yes, it has been terrible. But from now, let things get rapidly better.”

Adeboye spoke when he led thousands of faithful in prayers during the monthly Holy Ghost service attended by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and held at the Redemption Camp, Kilometre 45, Lagos-Ibadan

Expressway.

Although the Daddy GO, as he is popularly called, did not mention the Fulani herdsmen/farmers frequent clashes resulting in several deaths, he tasked the congregation “to pray with anger and violence” that the wrath of God would descend on those killing innocent as well as kidnappers.

He said enough blood had been shed in the country by “evil and wicked people”, calling on God not to spare those behind the dastardly attacks but rain down his fury on them all.

Sunday Tribune

Miyetti Allah okays FG’s moves to end farmers, herdsmen clashes THE National Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Kiruwa Zuru, has declared support for Federal Government’s efforts to find a permanent solution to the recurring clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

Zuru made the declaration in an interactive session with journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.

He was responding to the recent violence that occurred in some parts of the country that affected peaceful coexistence among communities.

He said the recent presidential directive for security agencies to deal with perpetrators of the violence was a positive development.

Zuru asserted that it was alien for the Fulani herdsmen to be carrying weapons in the country and called for the prosecution of those carrying arms.

He emphasised that herdsmen would continue to support progress and development of the nation, especially in the areas of fighting corruption, insurgency and cattle rustling.

Oyo NURTW chief escapes robbery attack

By Olawale Olaniyan

From left, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Enterprises and Investment Council, Mr. Oliver Everett; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Nike Akande and Deputy President, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, at a networking meeting between Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council and LCCI held at the chamber’s Office on Friday.PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

Spanish police arrest 44 for defrauding company bosses in Europe POLICE have arrested 44 people in Britain and Spain suspected of involvement in a scam to hack into accounts belonging to company bosses and steal thousands of Euros, officers said on Friday.

The Agence France Presse (AFP) said that police arrested 43 people thought to be involved in the socalled “CEO swindle” in Spain and another one in Britain - 17 of whom are thought to be the ringleaders of the scam.

The largest single sum lost to the fraud was €1.8 million ($2.1 million).

The scam is alleged to have used forged emails to dupe senior company executives into parting with personal details which were then used to empty their accounts.

The man arrested in Britain was detained close to an airport where the gang allegedly hoarded large sums of cash before it was to be transported to Nigeria.

Seven people involved in running an Internet cafe in the Madrid region are suspected of having organised

weekly transfers of cash to Nigeria by plane.

“135,000 Euros in notes was discovered at Madrid airport hidden in rubbish bags and concealed among underwear in a suitcase destined to travel in the hold of the aircraft,” police

said in a statement.

Several Spanish businessmen, suspected of helping the syndicate to launder the stolen funds, were among those arrested, according to police.

The investigation began at the end of 2014 after a

Pakistani citizen reported that he had been robbed of €34,000 after his bank account was hacked.

Police refused to comment on the nationality of the suspects or when exactly the operation to arrest them took place.

Traditional ruler, NGO condemn militants’ attacks on oil, gas installations in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri CONDEMNATIONS have continued to trail the renewed onslaught on oil and gas pipelines last Wednesday and Thursday night which have begun to affects the economic fortunes of the country.

The latest condemnation came from the paramount ruler of Seimbiri kingdom, Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu, who said the way-forward was for his colleagues to support the government to unmask the perpetrators of the economic sabotage.

According to him, “nothing can be said in isolation. If you said ‘enough is enough’ as an isolated

voice, there may be no impact.”

Although the pipeline bombings were not done in his domain, Ayemi-Botu said no one had come out to claim responsibility except the faceless Niger Delta Avenger (NDA), adding that the heat was actually on the twin states of Delta and Bayelsa.

Media aide and consultant of former militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, who had dissociated his boss from membership of the group, did not pick his calls when contacted.

It will be recalled that Chief Emami had, some months ago after pipelines

were bombed in Delta in January, accused Tompolo of being the brains behind the dastardly act.

However, Non-Governmental Organisation, the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has expressed dismay over the attacks which have cut oil and gas production and the attendant devastation of the environment.

The Centre, led by Comrade Sheriff Mulade, has called on the militants to lay down their arms, saying their activities were antithetical to the genuine agitation of the people and the overall development of the oil rich region.

THE Financial Secretary of National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), Oyo State chapter, Alhaji Musa Adeleke, popularly known as Alubankudi, was attacked by suspected armed robbers at his Soka residence, Ibadan, on Friday night.

The robbers reportedly fired shots at Alubankudi who escaped unhurt.

Alubankudi said only Allah rescued him when the robbers, who came with motorcycles, almost overpowered him.

“I have never seen anything like that in my life. It baffled me as robbers had attacked me four times in the past two years. I managed to escape, locked the entrance door and left my wife outside where they injured her.

“If not for God, they would have killed me. The Commissioner of Police of Oyo State Command, Leye Oyebade, should come to my aid. I have reported the incident at Sanyo Police Station. One of the cases is still at the court, but my life is in danger presently. I need help,” he said.

Alubankudi’s wife, Alhaja Fausat Adeleke, lamented that she lost money and other valuables worth N410,000 to the robbers.

Police arrest suspected female child kidnapper in Bauchi BAUCHI Police Command, on Saturday arrested a suspected female child kidnapper while trying to escape with the victim.

The spokesman of the command, DSP Haruna Mohammed, said the lady, Maryam Mohammed, of Gabi in Soro town, was arrested on Friday, by detectives attached to the division.

Mohammed said that the suspect allegedly kidnapped an eight-year-old girl, who had been declared missing since May 4, but the suspect was arrested at Kamfanin Kutare on Bauchi - Maiduguri Road, while trying to board a car with the victim to an unknown destination.

Investigations revealed that Maryam was not a first time offender.

The spokesman said that the suspect would be arraigned in court after police investigation.

FG plans to ask investors to explore bitumen —Fayemi THE Federal Government is set to commence bidding process for prospective investors to explore the vast bitumen deposit in the country.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who disclosed this during a working visit to bitumen — bearing communities in Agbabu area, Ondo State on Thursday and Friday, said the bidding round for licence would be for serious investors with proven work and financial plans.

Fayemi said the licence issuing process would be completed before the end of the year. He also assured the communities of government’s readiness to protect their interest through the right policy and regulations.

Dr Fayemi, in company with top officials of the ministry, checked samples of bitumen in Agbabu, Ilubirin and Lado.

He later had interactive sessions with leaders of the communities where he assured them of government’s support.

Sunday Tribune 8 May, 2016 42 news Budget: 100% implementation feature still possible —FG AIG Medical Services tasks

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HE Federal Government said, on Saturday, that it had not ruled out the 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget signed on Friday

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, gave the assurance in a statement issued by Mr Akpandem James, the Media Adviser to the minister.

Udoma in the statement debunked some newspapers reports credited to

him that full implementation of the 2016 budget had been ruled out.

“The Federal Government aims and will be working to achieve 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget in spite of the late signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

“This clarification becomes necessary to clear the misrepresentation by some newspapers that full implementation of the budget had been ruled out because of the late start,” he said.

Udoma explained, while responding to questions from State House correspondents on Friday, that he had “conceded that the late approval might constrain full implementation of the budget.”

The minister, however, said he had, at the same time, said “the Federal Government intends to still try its best to achieve 100 per cent implementation.”

According to him, at no time did he rule out the possibility of full implementation.

Bayelsa gov probes massive salary fraud Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa

BAYELSA State governor, Mr Henry Seriake Dickson, has set up a nine-member judicial commission of inquiry to investigate fraudulent falsification of government’s payroll and other accounts.

The measure was part of his efforts to sanitise the civil service and entrench corporate governance in the state.

Already, workers under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), have expressed satisfaction with the governor’s decision,

saying apart from bringing sanity into the system and blocking all leakages of fraud, it would save the state from impoverishment by crooks.

Justice Doris Adokeme is the chairperson of the commission, while Mr Victor Slaboh is secretary.

The commission,. which has 60 days to conclude its assignment, is also to extend its investigation into payroll fraud to the eight local government areas of the state Dickson, while inaugurating the commission at the Executive Council Chambers of Government

House, gave an eightpoint terms of reference to its members, with a charge on them to investigate in full, the circumstances surrounding the state’s payroll of the public servants from 2003 till date.

While describing the task before the commission as important and sensitive to the survival of the state, he mandated its members to also uncover the person or persons, cartel or gang involved in the suspected fraudulent distortion of the payroll and nominal rolls of public servants from 2003 till date.

Kwara NSCDC boss threatens to sack officials over oil black market deal Biola Azeez-Ilorin

THE new Kwara State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Pedro Ideba, has threatened to deal with any member of the corps that is found aiding and abetting petroleum oil black marketers in the state.

Speaking with journalists after his maiden address to men and officers of the command in Ilorin, the commandant also said that any member of the corps involved in case of extortion of money from oil black marketers or motorists would be sanctioned.

The NSCDC boss, who said that there was inherent danger and offence against people patronising oil black marketers including operators, added that the quality of black market petroleum products was not assured.

He also said that being inflammatory products, such adulterated petroleum products from the oil black marketers could cause untold havoc on both the buyers and sellers.

The NSCDC boss said that black market operation is illegal and would no longer be tolerated in any part of the state, insisting that anyone found in the act would be arrested and prosecuted.

The commandant said that anyone willing to engage in sale of petroleum products should get registered by concerned authorities like the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), adding that illegal practices like vandalism, sale of petrol at midnight, hoarding, over pricing,

adulteration, among other acts of indiscipline, would no longer be condoned.

He promised collaborative partnership with other sister security agencies in the state towards recording success, saying the command would not underestimate security challenge.

Mr. Pedro, who solicited for useful information on crime prevention and control from members of the public, said that lives and property of such people who volunteered useful information would be protected.

Lagos residents cautioned against littering waterways THE Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in partnership with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), on Saturday, cautioned residents of the state against littering waterways with human wastes.

The Secretary of LASWA, Mr Damilola Famakinwa, gave the warning during the authority’s clean-up exercise at Ebute Ero Jetty,

Lagos Island, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was conducted in collaboration with Wecyclers, a Non-Profit Organisation to clean debris around the jetty.

Famakinwa said that the exercise was to sensitise and enlighten members of the public on the benefits of keeping the waterways clean.

officers on stress management

AIG Adenike Abuwa (right) while inspecting the equipment at Police Hospital, Eleyele, Ibadan

By Oluwatoyin Malik

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HE Nigeria Police Force medical officer, Assistant Inspector General of Police Adenike Abuwa, has enjoined police officers and men to manage their stress level properly, in view of the hostile environment under which they operate in Nigeria.

The Force Medical Officer stated this last weekend while addressing senior police officers on stress management during an inspection tour to medical facilities in Oyo State Police Command.

The AIG was received by the state Commissioner of Police, Adeleye Oyebade; the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Asuquo Amba; Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Nigeria Police Medical Services, Zone Eleven, Dr Efunsola Sowemimo; the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Sanusi Buba and Area Commanders.

AIG Abuwa, a Consultant Radiologist, noted that globally, the police job is very stressful, saying that when this is added to the hostile environment in which police operate in Nigeria, there is the need for police officers to know that they should manage their stress levels.

She also pointed out that many who died suddenly was as a result of the stress they went through, which resulted in diabetes and hypertension. AIG Abuwa spoke further that though hypertension and diabetes are two of the killer diseases all over the world, they could be well managed if one’s lifestyle is changed.

She listed some of the stressors to include unfamiliar environment, promotion, marriage, retirement, death of a loved one, ill-health, overwork with inadequate rest, excessive burden, expectations without empowerment, hostile environment, prolonged duty, frequent postings, inadequate renumeration, suppressed emotion, alcohol and drugs.

She advised the officers to analyse their lives, identify their stressors and confront or avoid them. “You may need to go on vacation or relocate. Manage your time and your relationship. Make sure you have six to eight hours of sleep to allow the brain to rest. Also seek spiritual solace,” she said.

The AIG warned against managing stress by taking alcohol, drugs, withdrawing from families and friends, or procrastinating, stressing that those measures are dangerous.

On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), she advised the police officers to register under it, pointing out that Oyo State Command has one of the best police

hospitals. “What is happening in the hospitals is because we keyed into the NHIS which is an insurance scheme where we pull our resources together for the benefit of all,” she stated.

She also encouraged them to register with the police hospital, saying that there are over 110 health facilities accredited by the NHIS nationwide.

In his vote of thanks, the CP promised that all points raised in the lecture would be used to develop the daily activities of the officers and men of the command.

AIG Abuwa thereafter made an inspection tour of the facilities at the Police Hospital, Eleyele, after which she addressed the medical personnel on how to carry out their jobs effectively.

The AIG was also at the palace of Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Adekunle AbdulGaniy Salaudeen, where she expressed appreciation towards the monarch on learning that the idea of the health facility was mooted in his palace. She appreciated the Aseyin and the Iseyin people for making the police their friends and for partnering with the Nigeria Police Force to donate a health facility.

This, she noted, was in line with the IGP’s policy of community policing. She assured that hospital would be accessible to the people of the community. She was accompanied to the palace by Dr Sowemimo, ACP Patience Edokpayi and other police officers.

From the palace, the AIG’s entourage moved to the site of the hospital constructed by a member of the sixth National Assembly, Senator Gbenga Babalola, as constituency project, and donated to the Nigeria Police Force.

Impressed by what she met on ground, AIG Abuwa said that the Iseyin people showed that they see the police as their friends, promising to convey the message of the partnership with the police to the Inspector General of Police. She also assured them that the building would be used for the purpose it was meant, adding that residents would also be allowed to utilise the services at the health facility.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, Senator Babalola disclosed that the building was one of his numerous constituency projects while he was in the senate between 2007 and 2011. “It was one of my dreams to leave this kind of a legacy in my community,” Babalola stated, adding that he kept the structure because he did not want to hand it over to just anyone.

He expressed his pleasure that it was the Nigeria Police that was taking over the structure, saying that it would also bring police presence to the town the more.

43 news EFCC must stop acting irresponsibly —Fayose

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kiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has frowned on the persistent harassment of Nigerians by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He described the continued detention without trial of Mr Warimopei Dudafa, a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to exPresident Goodluck Jonathan and the invasion of the Abuja residence of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, as irresponsible, barbaric and undemocratic.

Governor Fayose said it was the height of executive rascality for the EFCC to have held occupants of

Fani-Kayode’s residence hostage for eight hours, despite the fact that he was only invited to come to the EFCC office on Monday and there was no evidence that Fani-Kayode refused to honour the EFCC invitation.

According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, “EFCC under President Muhammadu Buhari is acting as if it is above the law and Nigerians and the international community must remind the commission that we are in a democracy where rule of law is sacrosanct.”

The governor said the actions of the EFCC had shown clearly that it was an

instrument of victimisation against opposition in the country, adding that the anti-graft agency should study how other anti-corruption agencies in other countries behave.

He said: “the EFCC must be reminded of the judgement delivered in March this year by Justice Yusuf Haliru of the Federal High Court in Nicholas Arinse Vs EFCC & Nigerian Army where the judge held that the EFCC did not behave as if we were in a civilised society and that the anti-graft commission was behaving as if we were in a military dictatorship, where they arrest and release persons at will.

“It is a demonstration

of barbarism for the same EFCC that invited FaniKayode to its office on Monday to have invaded his house on Friday, holding the occupants hostage for eight hours when there is no evidence that Fani-Kayode refused to honour EFCC invitation. Why the show of barbarism by the EFCC as if Nigeria is now back to 1984 when Buhari was a military dictator?” Fayose queried.

While calling on the international community to pay attention to the abuse of the rights of Nigerians and threat to democracy under President Buhari, Fayose said “It is obvious that democracy in Nigeria is becoming unsafe in the hands of Buhari’s government.”

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Saraki shouldn’t be made scapegoat —Newspaper vendors Ademola Adegbite-Abuja NEWSPAPERS Vendors Association (NVAA), Abuja, on Saturday, said the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, must not be made a scapegoat for allegedly disagreeing with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the elective offices before the 2015 general elections.

This was made known in a press statement issued and jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of the association, Samuel Jimoh and Ubangha Ubangha, respectively, a copy of which was made available to Sunday Tribune in Abuja.

It also demanded that the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr Danladi Umar, should step down, with a view to paving way for more transparent justice in the ongoing trial of the senate president.

Troops clear more B/Haram enclaves, rescue 15 hostages C hris Agbambu-Abuja Troops of 28 Task Force Brigade have cleared enclaves of Boko Haram terrorists along Galtha Baba, Galtha Musa, Bulakurma, Shatimari, Chukruk, Bulangaje, and Disa villages.

During the operation, a Boko Haram terrorist was captured alive and three motorcycles, bags of grains, their flags and uniforms were recovered.

Other items found included a suicide bomber’s hijab, mobile phone and one dane gun, as well as foodstuffs and cooking utensils.

Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, who confirmed this, noted that the troops also rescued 15 persons that were held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists in the area.

He said two armoured personal carriers, unfortunately, entered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), although the formation did not sustain any human casualty and the damage to the carriers was minimal.

Kano students’ death shocking, unfortunate —Niger gov From right, the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, discussing with the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Mr Lekan Alli, who represented the state governor; the 18th president of Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Princess M.B. Amusan Ogunnaike, and the Onidoku of Idoku, Oba S.A. Jibodu, at the investiture of Princess Ogunnaike as the president of Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

Police smash kidnap syndicate in Kaduna, arrest 6 suspects Chris Agbambu-Abuja The Nigeria Police Force has smashed a kidnapping syndicate operating in Kaduna State.

The exercise was carried out by the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Bisi Kolawole, who disclosed this in a statement, said that six members of the syndicate were arrested in the operation.

She noted that the arrested kidnappers, who had been terrorising Kaduna and Zaria areas of Kaduna State, would soon be arraigned in court.

According to her, the gang was responsible for the abduction of Reverends Yakubu Dzarma, Emmanuel Dziggan and Illiya Anthony on March 21 at Dutse village in Kaduna State, while Dan’Azumi Mohammed was kidnapped alongside her sister, Hajara Mohammed, on April 14 at Andun Jangwan village in the state by the same gang.

The PRO noted that

though their victims were later freed, Rev Illiya Anthony died in the custody of his abductors.

She said: “The arrest of these kidnappers is indicative of the Force’s commitment to the fight against all forms of crimes and criminality in the country.”

“The IGP, while commending the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and other Police operatives involved in the arrest of the suspects for their dedication and professionalism, said that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members

of the gang.

“The Inspector-General of Police also appealed to the citizens to support the Nigeria Police Force by providing useful information that could help in unmasking criminal elements in the country.”

Kidnappers abduct Urhobo Progressive Union youth president Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri Suspected kidnappers, on Friday night, abducted the World President of the Youth Wing of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Comrade Ovie Igho Anthony.

He was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint while returning from a meeting.

The youth leader of the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Urhobo people worldwide was said to be returning from the Urhobo Cultural Centre at Okere road in Warri.

Sources said he was abducted at the PTI, Effurun/Abraka road at about 9:00p.m.

He was said to be in the journey from Warri with four other members of the union in the bus of the youth wing of the UPU, otherwise known as Ighelle R’ Urhobo.

Besides the kidnap of the youth leader, Sunday Tribune gathered that the abductors dispossessed them of their belongings.

An associate of the victim, Eric Okunima, confirmed the incident to journalists, and said the abductors were yet to establish communication with the family.

Sunday Tribune, however, gathered from a source that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State had been briefed of the incident.

He is said to have instructed the security chiefs in the state to ensure that the victim is rescued swiftly and unhurt.

Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta State Police Command, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the development.

She said men of the antikidnapping team and military personnel as well as local vigilance groups have been dispatched to rescue the youth leader.

The police image-maker, however, warned those behind the abduction to immediately free their victim before they are tracked down.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has commiserated with his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the families of the students who lost their lives in the motor accident, while returning from a quiz competition in which they represented the state.

The governor, who described the death as shocking and unfortunate, noted that Kano State, and indeed the country, had lost some of its brightest students who would have risen to become future leaders of this country.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the governor said the students died a heroic death because they lost their lives, at its formative years, while on a mission to do their state proud.

Governor Bello prayed Allah to grant them eternal rest as well as heal those who were injured in the accident.

He also urged the Kano State government and the bereaved families to take solace in the fact that death was inevitable.

FRSC moves senior officers C lement Idoko-Abuja THE Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, has approved the redeployment of some senior officers in order to ensure better effective service delivery.

This was contained in a statement by the Head, Media Relations and Strategy of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, and made available to newsmen, on Saturday, in Abuja.

According to the statement, the affected principal officers included: Mr Austin Aipoh, Head, Command Administration and Strategy, at the headquarters would replace Mr Stephen Maitizumahs, at Zone 11, Osogbo, who would now head Manpower Development (MPD).

Similarly, former head, Manpower Development, Kingsley Agomoh, would now command Zone 7, Gwagwalada, covering FCT and Niger State, while Mr Jonas Agwu, Zonal Commander, Zone 7, would now command Zone 6, Port-Harcourt covering Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

Kazeem added that Mr Victor Nwokolo, Zonal Commander, Zone 1, Kaduna covering Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa and Katsina states, would now head, Command Administration and Strategy, FRSC headquarters, while Mr Bitrus Darwang of Zone 6 would now command Zone 1 consisting of Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Katsina sector commands.

44

news

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

LASU suspends 4 students over cult-related activities THE Lagos State University (LASU) has suspended four students for cult-related activities and improper conducts.

This was contained in the university’s official bulletin obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday, in Lagos.

The bulletin quoted the institution as saying that conducts of the suspended students could cause a breach of peace on the campus.

The bulletin said the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, took the decision on behalf of the university authorities.

It said the decision to suspend the students was taken by the vice chancellor, who invoked Section 28 of the law establishing LASU. The statement added that the four students allegedly abducted a fellow-student from his hostel for initiation.

It said the affected students were suspended from the university pending their appearance before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee.

Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole (sixth right); Miss Nigeria, Leesi Peter-Vigoro (sixth left) and other officials at the VIP starting point of the 2016 Okpekpe 10km race, in Edo State, on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

1 dies as fire razes building in Lagos Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos

O

NE person was, on Saturday afternoon, burnt to death and millions of naira worth of property destroyed in a fire incident that occurred at Fola Agoro area of Somolu in Lagos State.

The body of the deceased, a security guard simply identified as Suleiman, had, however, been handed over to his family for burial according to Islamic rites.

The fire, which started around 1.00 p.m. on Saturday, was, however, prevented from spreading beyond the building situated at 17 Obiwunmi Street, Fola Agoro.

The fire was blamed on petroleum product, which was reportedly stored in the apartment of the deceased security man.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Service, Michael Akindele, while confirming the incident to the Sunday Tribune, said that the timely intervention of the Emer-

gency Response Team, the police and the firefighters from the state fire service saved the other buildings from being consumed by the fire .

Sunday Tribune gathered that a larger part of the 12 self-contained apartment was destroyed in the fire incident, which caused panic among residents of Somolu.

A resident of the area who

identified himself as Samson, while speaking with Sunday Tribune, said “there are many apartments in that building and many of them were burnt.

“They said that one of them stored petrol in his apartment and that was where the fire started from and spread to other parts of the building.”

The director of the Lagos

Fresh crisis hits Ohanaeze Ndigbo Jude Ossai - Enugu A fresh crisis is again building up in the Ohanaeze Ndigbo following the disagreement on the tenure of office for the leadership of the apex umbrella of the Igbo socio-cultural association.

It was learnt that at the meeting of the Ohanaeze Caretaker Committee, which held in Enugu at the weekend, the committee considered the peace efforts to resolve the intractable leadership problems

in the Ohanaeze, which was engendered by the tenure extension imbroglio and the question of leadership succession in the panIgbo group.

The meeting also x-rayed the negotiated settlement reached by the Ohanaeze caretaker committee led by Chief Ralph Obioha and the Ohanaeze group led

by Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey, which was the initiative of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

They noted that the group of the President-General, Igariwey, had allegedly

Oba Erediauwa offered his best —Ogbemudia Banji Aluko - Benin City TWO-time governor of defunct Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, has said that the late Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba Erediauwa, offered his best to the service of the Benin people and the country.

The elder statesman, who has clean-shaved his head in line with the Benin tradition, said the late monarch was supportive of his government in the old Bendel State.

Ogbemudia, who spoke with journalists in his house in Benin, recalled the time he spent with Oba Erediau-

State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, also confirmed the fire incident and added that operatives of the state fire service responded swiftly to the fire alert and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings.

He urged residents of the state to desist from storing petroleum products at home or near residential buildings.

wa, when the late Oba was still a prince to the time he became the secretary to the Supreme Military Council and when he finally became the Oba of Benin.

He said, “we all respect the late Oba. I saw him many times and I discussed with him many times because he is the first Oba in modern times to be a graduate. He had a lot to offer and he did offer.

Whenever you went there to discuss with him, unless you were properly prepared, he would defeat you.”

“It was a sad moment for everyone, most importantly myself because I knew the

Oba since he was a prince after I joined the military and I was appointed Military Governor of Midwest State. By that position, I was a member of the Supreme Military Council and Oba Erediauwa at that point in time was the Secretary of that council.

“Every time the council met, I was very happy to see him. Each time I had any complaint, I would quietly go to his house to see him and he was very helpful.

A little after the Supreme Military Council, he was promoted to Permanent Secretary.

consistently obstructed and impeded the work of the 17-member constitution review/electoral committee established and headed by Chief Obioha to review and harmonise the Ohanaeze Ndigbo constitution.

According to them, the Igariwey group had also insisted on some no-go areas, which included the issue of tenure of office of Ohanaeze executive committees and the Igariwey disputations about the mandate to the committee to conduct elections into the Ohanaeze executive committees.

The meeting, thereafter, resolved that the lgariwey group should, in the interest of genuine peace in the Ohanaeze and Igbo strategic and mainstream interests, return to all the agreed terms of the peace settlement and commit itself to its full implementation.

The committee also urged the governors of the SouthEast to, as a matter of urgency, send their members to the constitution review/ electoral committee, which is under the headship of Chief Obioha and inaugurate it to discharge its mandate.

Only a united NLC can fight for unpaid salaries, workers’ rights —Aremu Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna THE General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, has said only a united Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) can fight for unpaid salaries and workers rights.

To this end, the union called on the leadership of the NLC to immediately implement the recommendations of the congress’s reconciliation committee in the interest of Nigerian workers.

Speaking in Kaduna at the weekend, Aremu noted that “it is regrettable that during the just-concluded workers’ day celebration, two parallel May Day celebrations were observed. We need a united NLC to fight the issue of unpaid salaries, the struggle for improved minimum wage, the war against corruption, revival of industries and creation of mass decent employment among others,” he said.

“It’s time we closed ranks to ensure we have an NLC that commands the confidence of workers, be trusted by the public, respected by the government and employers,” he added.

According to Aremu, “Textile Union is not happy that NLC could not have a common May Day in spite of the joint resolutions of all the parties to put the past behind.”

HVAC industry’ll grow in Middle East, Africa —LG chief WITH the rise of trends like smart cities and green buildings in the Middle East and Africa, the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) products and equipment market is all set to find high usage across different residential, commercial and industrial applications, LG Electronics has stated.

The HVAC industry in the Middle East and Africa, it said, “is witnessing a prominent presence of products dominating different segments of the market and one of the fundamental facets that seem promising for international as well as regional manufacturers, distributors and system integrators is the ongoing development in various residential, commercial industrial, and institutional projects across the MEA region.”

Commenting on the trend, President, Middle East & Africa, LG Electronics, Mr Kevin Cha, said: “Companies are investing in R&D and designing new products that have better energy ratings and result in lower emissions and utility bills. With such a proactive approach by industry players including us, the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry looks set to experience robust growth in the coming years in response to increasing demand.”

With massive investment plans already underway by big real estate groups and government agencies towards enhancing the infrastructure and promoting new avenues for the tourists, there will be a direct impact on the overall tourism industry across the Middle East & Africa.

45

crimereport

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

The ‘hijab’ burglar

By Adelowo Oladipo

T

HE long arm of the law has caught up with a three-man burglary syndicate which specialised in burgling residential houses and commercial outlets, among others and carting away their properties and articles of trade, in Dushen Kura Gwari community of Chanchaga Local Government of Niger State.

The lid was blown off the cover of the criminal activities of the gang, following the arrest of their ring leader, a 32-year-old Gideon Effeh, by a mob at about 5:30am on Wednesday, 13th April, 2016 on his return from a burglary operations somewhere within the community with stolen items on his head while disguising as a woman. He was caught wearing burqa.

Other members of the gang included one Bala Usman, allegedly in charge of spying for the gang and Yahaya Mohammed, who is said to be the gang’s spiritualist, are now cooling their heels in the police cells and assisting them with information about their operations.

The first suspect was said to have been sighted as he ran into an uncompleted building to avoid arrest.

According to a resident of the community who would not want his names in print, “with this development the people of this community can now sleep well because the suspect had admitted that he had been perpetrating the criminal acts for quite a long time in the community and its environs.”

It was further gathered that when a search was conducted on the residence of the suspect after he had been handed over to the police at the GRA Division, all manner of items said to have been stolen at different times and places were discovered in the house.

Among other household items found in his possession were generators, deep freezers, refrigerators, flat screen television sets, washing machines, computer laptops and gas cylinders, while articles of trade like crates of eggs, provisions and hair dressing equipment and materials and food stuffs were found in the house including some charms.

A resident told Sunday Tribune that as soon as people descended on the suspect, a former councillor at Chanchaga Local government of the state in conjunction with one of his relations had to rescue him and brought him to the GRA Police Division, Minna in one of their cars, before he could be lynched.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, the gang leader said: “my name is Gideon Efeh, I am 32 years old, and I am from Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State.

I am married with three children, though I used to have four kids, but one of them died. So, I now have three children.”

The suspect also confirmed that he lives in Dushen Kura Gwari community in Minna, adding that he was formerly a businessman before venturing into criminal activities of burgling homes and commercial outlets after which he, in conjunction with his gang members would cart away the stolen properties for sale at give

away prices.

Speaking further, Gideon, who claimed to be an Ordinary National Diploma holder in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said his business crashed between 2012 and 2014 after he was allegedly duped by an unnamed supplier.

He said: “I paid him for goods and at the end of the day, I got nothing and I paid him precisely N450,000.

He stated further she was not really staying with him as she sometimes comes and goes back to her parents’ place.

“She is properly married to me but she relocated to her people’s place when she was pregnant and she only came back after she had put to bed recently. It was because of hardship that I sent her back because I could not take good care of her and our children,” he said.

He stated further that after he was out of business, he tried to do other things but did not make progress. He later lost his daughter in the process because he could not pay her hospital bill.

The suspect, who appeared very remorseful when the interview lasted said, “things were so bad for me, so I moved into Dushen Kura Gwari community in Minna. That was when I met the person that gave me information that I can live here and make a living through stealing.

“The people with whom I was involved are here with me. One of them is Bala Usman, the informant and Yahaya Mohammed whom I always called Baba because he is the Herbalist that prepared the

charms that I used in going to people’s homes and shops.

“Whenever I use the charms, if you are sleeping and I enter your house or shop, even if I make noise you will be deep in sleep. I have burgled no fewer than seven places in the last six months because I packed in there around November last year. I burgled a house on two occasions, that makes it four houses and four shops that I had burgled,” he stated.

The suspect further explained that in those houses and shops he stole their belongings such as Leather box a television set , one jincheng motorcycle, a generator

Things were so bad for me, so I moved into Dushen Kura Gwari community in Minna. That was when I met the person that gave me information that I can live here and make a living through stealing

set, gas cylinder and one washing machine , while at the hair dressing salon, he confessed to stealing their hair dressing materials adding that at the eggs shop and the provision shop, he packed the entire crates of eggs and emptied the shop of the entire provisions and the food stuffs respectively.

“In fact, I sold some of them and I used some and I have told the police they may recover the ones that I sold, with their assistance, if they follow me to the people who bought these items from me. Already some of my buyers are in police custody and so far three of us who were involved in burgling have been arrested and we are all assisting the police with the possibilities of recovering some of the stolen items.

Gideon also revealed that he usually goes for his underworld criminal activities as from 12 midnight till 1a.m. “I usually go out for operation around 1.00 a.m and I used to return around 3 a.m, depending on how early I finish. And I used to disguise myself with the Hijab (Veil)because I knew what as I was doing was not something to be proud of . And whatever I made from the sales of the stolen items depend on the value of the goods and how accessible they are”.

The Niger State Police Command, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Bala Elkana has confirmed the arrests of no fewer than six persons with regards to the case, adding that Gideon Efeh and some of the suspects in the police cells had confessed to the crime, while many of the stolen properties have been recovered by the police.

46

sport

8 May, 2016

Ejidike reiterates commitment to sports development in 1973 as a means of fostering unity and cultural integration was a fantastic decision.

“Sports as therefore, contributed to the oneness of the geographical entity called Nigeria. In sports, Nigerians are detribalised,” noted Ejidike, who is also the President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria.

He however, lamented the decadence in infrastructure, administration and sponsorship of sports which he said has affected the performance of many Nigerian athletes in international competitions.

“I promise to closely work with SWAN to champion the course of sports development in Nigeria.

Together, we shall reposition sports in Nigeria,” Ejidike stated.

Ejidike, who later signed insurance Memorandum of Understanding to insure all sports writers in Nigeria equally donated an 18-seater bus to SWAN to enhance their activities.

For copies of Dipo: 08078892049 Bisi: 08078892199 Musa: 08078892268 Morisson: 08076690014

call

S

PORTS philanthropist, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike has reiterated his commitment to sports promotion and development in Nigeria.

He made the pledge last weekend in Ilorin, during his investiture as Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports which was conferred on him by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

Ejidike, who applauded SWAN for considering him worthy of the exalted position, also charged the body to take the lead in the formulation, implementation and appraisal of sports policies in the country.

In a statement by his aide, Prince Olayioye Ajide, the Anambra State-born Ejidike said sports over the years had become an instrument of national unity which must be encouraged to thrive at all times.

“Nigerians are sportsloving people with very high appetite for winning.

The introduction of the National Sports Festival

Sunday Tribune

www.tribuneonlineng.com

sport Leicester receives EPL trophy

47

Hammers Everton 3-1

By Oluwabunmi Ajayi With Agency Report

L

EICESTER City turned the The King Power Stadium to a carnival ground on Saturday, as they were presented the English Premier League trophy amid fanfare even with a game left against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Foxes right before their teeming fans, who perhaps, came to witness a formality clash with Everton also had double celebration following the

3-1 drubbing of the Toffees despite a penalty miss by Jamie Vardy.

Their Thai billionaire owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was left out of the party.

The victory over Everton took Leicester’s haul to 80 points as Tottenham is left in second spot with 70 points ahead of today’s clash with Southampton at White Hart Lane.

Captain of the Foxes, Wes Morgan, said he was close to tears when he was about to lift the EPL trophy.

“I’m emotionally drained.

Olympic Day Celebration holds June 25

Jamie Vardy celebrates one of his goals against Everton on Saturday.

LMC fines Pillars for crowd violence KANO Pillars have been fined N2.4million for crowd trouble during and after they fell 1-2 to reigning champions, Enyimba on Wednesday, at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier League match day seven game.

Pillars will also pay N150,000 to the ‘People’s Elephant’ as repairs for the damage done to their team bus, as well as another N250, 000 to the official who was injured during the incident.

Some Pillars fans impeded the game by throwing objects on to the pitch during the game following Nzube Anaezemba’s equaliser. The situation forced the policemen at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano to fire teargas in a bid to deter the unruly fans.

The situation got worse after the game as the Pillars fans laid siege for the Enyimba team bus and

I had to hold back the tears. I held them back, finally lifted the trophy and it was the best feeling in the world,” says Morgan.

“There’s no better feeling knowing you are champions of England. I want to enjoy the moment. It’s the best time of my life. It’s like a dream.”

On when Leicester knew they could win the league he says: “We’ve always believed. We’d played all the teams and we knew on our day we were as good if not better than all the teams around us.

“We are such a tight group of players. There are no egos. Champions League? I don’t know what that feels like.

Woooooooo!” he roars.

Interestingly, Vardy had opened the scoring barely five minutes into the game before Andy King doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, while Vardy again converted a spot kick for his 24th goal of the season, one behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

attacked them, seriously wounding the Enyimba driver.

In a statement released on Friday, the League Management Company stated: “LMC established that fans of four-time champions, Pillars were disorderly; throwing objects towards the pitch of play and encroaching.

“Pillars will pay N500, 000, each for throwing objects during the game and encroachment impeding movement out of the arena after the game.

“An Enyimba official injured during the commotion is to get N250, 000 Pillars money as compensation.

“Pillars to take conduct mandatory seminar on acceptable behaviour for its fans to be supervised by LMC. “Pillars under close watch and placed on suspended two-match without fans at Kano Stadium if similar incident repeats.”

THE 2016 Olympic Day celebration would hold on June 25 across the globe, while here in Nigeria, the event is expected to be celebrated in the 36 states of the federation; including the Federal Capital territory, Abuja.

Chairman of the Sports for All Nigeria, Prince Henry Amike who disclosed this in Lagos, said this year’s event promises to be better.

He added that Directors of Sports from the 36 states of the federation including the FCT, Abuja have since embraced the programme during the two-day workshop held in Lagos.

Amike advised states that are yet to register to do so.

He also pleaded with corporate bodies to support the programme through sponsorship while explaining that aerobic, cultural display, keep fit and jogging exercise will be prominent in this year’s programme.

Secretary of Sports for All Nigeria Commission, Augustine Odigie said some states have since registered for the event.

In Lagos, the event will start with a two-day educational programme for school children which will involve arts, quiz and debates and would hold on Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24 before the grand finale on Saturday, June 25, 2016.

8 May, 2016

Sunday Tribune

SIDELINES NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

8 MAY, 2016

NO 2,045

www.tribuneonlineng.com

N200

As the world celebrates mothers today, many women have been reported to engage in breast enlargement, reduce/increase their body sizes, spending huge sums on and even sleeping with ‘love doctors,’ all in the bid to ‘save their marriages’. While one wonders the lasting good that would result from such self-debasing efforts, these mothers should remember cancer, obesity, STDs, illegitimate children and everlasting misery.

President Buhari needs to work smarter

M

MOST Nigerians are still expectant of good things from theBuhari presidency. Buhari has done much that Nigerians did not expect and do not appreciate. For instance, he has more or less disbanded the political party that brought him before us for election – and he is thus generating fears of coming instability and chaos. He is, surprisingly, bungling his very popular war on corruption, and he seems to think that salvation for his presidency resides abroad. But, in spite of these foibles, he is fortunate that most Nigerians are still ready to wait and see.

On the other hand, Nigeria is being shaken by anxiety – resulting mostly from the terrible and worsening condition of the economy under Buhari. Nigeria’s GDP is contracting (already down from 7% to under 3%). Direct foreign investment has reduced by over 70%. Jobs are being lost. The inflation rate is assessed to have risen from 9% to about 13%. Nigeria is no longer rated as one of the 15 fastest growing economies in Africa.Various international agencies are dropping Nigeria lower in their assessments of the world economy. Nigeria is no longer one of the leading producers of crude oil in the world.Sabotage is increasing markedly on oil installations, especially in the South-south, and electricity and gasoline supply is troublingly erratic.

These economic disasters have their roots in a variety of causes. Most notable is the sharp drop in world oil prices and the loss of market for Nigeria’s oil, resulting in serious declines in revenue and foreign exchange. But the perennial poor management of the economy is widely reported to be worsening under Buhari. And the loss of economic development initiatives in the regions, states, and localities of Nigeria is also worsening, as a result of decades of relentlessly concentrating all of Nigeria’s power and resource control in the hands of an overwhelmed, confused, incompetent and corrupt Federal Government.

Poignant manifestations of anxiety are present in virtually all parts of Nigeria.

First, in the Southeast, we have been having protest demonstrations by youths of the Igbo nation – in the name of “Biafra”.

In various influential quarters all over the world, the Biafra cause appears to be attracting attention and gatheringsympathy.

Secondly, we have the stubborn youth revolt in the Northeast, which has chosen Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism as its banner. In spite of frequent optimistic reports from the Nigerian military since Buhari’s presidency began, Boko Haram remains a big problem. Its support base in parts of the Northeast does not appear to have seriously eroded – and that is because

youth unemployment, hopeless poverty, and Kanuri nationalism are adding fuel to it.

Thirdly, there is the old revolt in the South-south, with its many terrorist organizations. When Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from the South-south became president, there arose big hopes that very important changes would happen under him.Unfortunately, Jonathan just settled indulgently into enjoying the Federal Government’s unrestrained powers and limitless resource-control. Since his replacement

by Buhari, the terrorist groups in the South-south have returned powerfully to business – because Buhari continues the regime of total federal power and resource control, ignores all advice and demands for the restructuring of our federation, and believes that the use of federal power will crush the South-south insurgency.

EPL results:

East Africans dominate 2016 Okpekpe race

Norwich West Ham Sunderland C/Palace Bournemouth Aston Villa Leicester

0 1 3 2 1 0 3

Man Utd Swansea Chelsea Stoke West Brom Newcastle Everton

1 4 2 1 1 0 1

Pools: 01, 02, 12, 18, 20, 36, 40, 41 Today’s matches: 5, 6, 9, 23, 34, 47, 48, 49

among the Yoruba nation of the Southwest. For most of these, the fervent desire is to have the Nigerian federation properly restructured so that each region of Nigeria may develop and prosper in its own way and make its own kind of contribution to the overall prosperity of Nigeria. Heavily educated, strongly equipped to move their communities forward, but massively unemployed, the masses of the Yoruba youths and self-determination groups have frequently lamented in their statements the fact that excessive federal power and resource control constricts regional, state and local development energy in their Region. Some years ago, they held large demonstrations simultaneously in all six state capitals of the Southwest on one single day.

The big question now is ‘How should Nigeria handle this whole situation?”. As an

diranapata@yahoo.com

Fourthly, we may forget (but we must not forget) recent agitations fromthe Arewa North. In 2014, large numbers of youths belonging to the Arewa Youth Development Forum held demonstrations during which they decried the poverty in the North and the “discrimination” by the Federal Government against the North. Speaking through their Chairman, Aliyu Usman, they issued a call “on all Northerners to rise and support agitations for a peaceful dissolution of this union called Nigeria”. They then warned all Southerners resident in the North “to relocate to their respective states to make room for Northerners who would be returning home”. Nor has the voice of these youths been an isolated voice from the North. Even eminent citizens (such as Prof. AngoAbdullahi) have said almost exactly what these youths have said. Only days ago, Northern elders, led by the august statesman, MaitamaSule, issued a statement accusing Buhari’s Federal Government of tilting Nigeria’s affairs against the Arewa North.

Finally, we must not forget that there are several “self-determination” groups

Banji Aluko-Benin City ATHLETES from the East African countries on Saturday again dominated the fourth edition of the 10-kilometre Okpekpe international road race in Edo State.

Kenyan Simon Cheproch won the star prize of $15,000 after winning in the men’s category with a time of 29:48 minutes.

Tanzanian Ismael Jumagalet clinched the prize money of $10,000 with a time of

immediate response, many of us are hurling denunciations at those youths who dare to revolt and strike at our country. And our law enforcement agencies are also being mobilized and thrown against centres of trouble. These are the usual responses of insensitive governments; we need to recognize that they do not reach the roots of our country’s mounting troubles.

The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics says that nearly 70% of Nigerians live in “absolute poverty”. Unemployment among our youths is believed to be close to 70%. Unemployed and often having to lean on parents to survive, many of our youths cannot marry and begin to build families of their own. Those of them who do have little children live in sadness about the horribly poor quality of education available to their children in our public schools. Those who need health care are devastated by the poor quality of our healthcare delivery system. More Nigerian mothers than mothers in most other lands die during childbirth, and more Nigerian babies die at birth or in childhood.

Per head, we Nigerians receive disastrous-

29:50 minutes, while Ugandan Timothy Tonch settled for $7,000 after he returned in a time of 29:54 minutes.

Pollin Njeru clinched the women’s star prize ahead of compatriot Ndiema Esther, while Buzunesh Gudeta of Ethiopia finished third in the race.

Meanwhile, Adamu Shehu Muazu won the Nigerian edition of the race when he returned in a time of 32.36 minutes to earn the prize money of N250,000.

ly lower supplies of electricity, potable water, good quality roads, dependable administrative service, etc, than most other peoples of the world do. Our lives are hounded by crimes, and those who can afford it must live behind barricades. In this ugliness of life, basic loyalty, even among family members, has perished. Most of us dare not dream, create and start enterprises. We have made our youths the hopeless generation. Now, their anger and despair are rising like a terrifying demon to lash at us and batter our country.

Our youths know that things have not always been like this in our country. They know that there was a time, not long ago, when their Nigeria was a land of hope.

They know stories of Regions led by mostly public-spirited leaders and civil servants, where the struggle for progress was a consuming passion. They know stories of Regional Governments which had much autonomy to manage the affairs of their citizens, and who, to generate resources for their development projects, did find ways to encourage and promote their farmers, their produce traders, and their exporters.

They read of the steadily rising wealth, in those times, from cocoa in the Western region, groundnuts in the Northern Region, and palm produce in the Eastern Region.

They hear of youths of those times daring to venture into all sorts of enterprise or easily walking into employments straight after their final school examinations. They hear that their universities and teaching hospitals of those times were rated among the best in the world. They hear that Nigerians who studied abroad usually hurried back home after their studies – because opportunities were plentiful back home. And they know that the removal of all power and control to a federal centre has contributed enormously to wrecking most of these beautiful prospects of the past.

We just must find the answer to the growing anger and desperation in our country. President Buhari’s war on corruption is a good first step. But he must quickly move to the bigger steps. He must learn to listen and show deference to other Nigerians. This country is rich in persons with knowledge and expertise. He must avoid behaving as if he is an agent of any special interest.There are many othersteps to take, but one of the biggest is to restructure this federation and restore development initiative to our regions, states and localities. That step cannot possibly weaken our country; it can only solidify and strengthen our country. Without taking that step, we are merely playing foolish games with destiny. It is rapidly becoming difficult to deceive Nigerians.

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