11th October 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 2,015

SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER, 2015

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Nigerian Tribune

Alamieyeseigha dies of cardiac pg3 arrest at 63

Rock crushes 4 family members in Abeokuta

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

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Nigeria has lost a great woman —Saraki pg4

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Wabara, Olunloyo eulogise HID Awolowo

SCREENING OF NOMINEE - MINISTERS

Buhari, Tinubu court Saraki pgs3&4

APC leaders in new deals We will put Nigeria first — Senate President

PDP senators, lack of security clearance threaten screening Nominees may be dropped Senate to stream screening live

Nollywood stars are fading away —Lancelot Imaseun

Tinubu not under security watch — Presidency

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Corruption: Ife elders task

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Tribuneman, Wale Emosu, pg3 wins 2015 CNN African award

kingmakers on new Ooni

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, presenting his condolence letter to Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran (middle) and Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu at the Ikenne residence of the Awolowos, on Saturday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

•Say new king must not carry corruption burden

11 October, 2015

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915 - 2015)

1. From right, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; Reverend Tola Oyediran; Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu and Prince Lanre Tejuoso. 2. From left, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran; Dr Muyiwa Oladimeji and Honourable Wasiu Logun. 3. Justice, Court of Appeal, Justice Obie Daniel Kalio, signing the condolence register. 4. From right, Senator Biodun Olujinmi; Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; Senator Gbolahan Dada and Senator Shehu Sani.

Sunday Tribune

PHOTOS: ALOLADE GANIYU

5. Dr Omololu Olunloyo (right), discussing with Reverend Tola Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 6. Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu, welcoming Senator Femi Lanlehin. 7. Cross-section of Sagamites with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 8. Grand children of Mama HID Awolowo with Senator Saraki (fourth left); Prince Lanre Tejuoso and others.

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

PDP Senators, lack of security clearance threaten ministerial screening Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

HE resolve of the Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to screen the ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari except he sends a complete list of his ministers appears to be constituting a stumbling block to the planned screening of the 21-man list submitted to the senate president on September 30. Senators of the PDP, had, on Thursday, after a onehour closed door meeting at the Hearing Room One of the White House in the National Assembly resolved not to screen the nominees until President Buhari completes the list of ministers. It was gathered that the Senators predicated their decision on insinuations that the president does not plan to send the remaining 15 names until his government completes the planned rationalisation of ministries and parastatal-agencies. The PDP has 49 senators in the chamber while the APC currently has 59. Senators of the PDP, it was gathered, believe that the move would shortchange the states with no representation and obstruct constitutional provisions. The PDP Caucus had, last Thursday, sent words to Buhari that they would not support the screening of ministerial nominees until a full complement of the 36 names are forwarded to the Senate. Sources confirmed that the message sent through Senate President Bukola Saraki was immediately relayed to the president through his aides. It was, however, gathered that no word has been heard from the presidency on the remaining list of ministers since Thursday. A PDP Senator told the Sunday Tribune that the lawmakers would oppose the screening of nominees once their conditions are not complied. “We have concretely gathered that the president does not intend to send the list of remaining ministers until sometime next year when he hopes to complete the planned rationalisation of ministries and parastatalagencies of government. If that is the case, sections of the constitution including section 14 and 147 would have been violated. We have resolved not to be party to

that,” the lawmaker said. Another potential source of trouble for the screening of the would-be ministers, it was learnt, is the failure of the government to attach security reports in respect of all the nominees. Security clearance has been a prerequisite for screening of nominees in the Senate and a lack of clearance by the agencies especially the State Security Services (SSS) is a condition precedent to appearing before the Senate for screening. Any candidate without

adverse security reports is promptly screened while anyone with unanswered questions would have the screening delayed until clear words are heard from the agency involved. In 2007, the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs headed by Senator Jubril Aminu had recommended the withdrawal of four Ambassadorial nominees including the late Senator Polycarp Nwite, Chief Mrs Kema Chikwe, former governor of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and Brig.

Gen. Buba Marwa on the basis of alleged adverse security reports. Kwakwanso had, however, written the committee to withdraw his nomination before the information was released to the media. The screening of the others only took place when a committee of the Senate cleared the said “adverse reports.” At different times, the Senate had quietly returned the names of persons who were found to have adverse security reports, while in

Tribuneman, Wale Emosu wins 2015 CNN African Award A Senior Deputy Editor with the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, publishers of Tribune titles, on Saturday, won the 2015 CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year in the Culture category at the ceremony

held on Saturday in Kenya. Emosu’s report on Bahia’s culture and the similarity it shares with Nigeria’s was recognised by the panel of judges as an outstanding piece worthy of the prestigious prize.

most occasions; the president would not bother to send the names of any nominee found to have issues by the security agencies. But President Buhari did not send security reports of the 21 nominees alongside their documents in accordance with the usual practice by the presidency, it was learnt. The Senate had to announce that the nominees should produce 115 copies of their resume and submit same at the National Assembly. In the previous years, the Villa had often collated the needed items attached with security clearance on each nominee and ship the same to the National Assembly for distribution to the lawmakers. A source in the Senate said: “It is standard practice

that security reports of these nominees must be attached with their resume. If that is not done, the Senate cannot proceed to screening. The Senate on, Thursday, announced the criteria for screening of the 21 ministernominees forwarded to the chamber by the President. Senate spokesman, Dino Melaye, who revealed the criteria after a two-hour closed door session (executive session) by the lawmakers, said that the nominees must present evidence of Code of Conduct clearance, fulfill the qualifications for a minister as indicated in Section 147 of the Constitution and also secure the support of at least two Senators from their state of origin. Meanwhile, the Senate announced on Saturday that it will stream the screening exercise live online.

three-count charge of money laundering to the tune of 1.8 million pounds, being the money found in his home and bank accounts. On 8 December, 2005, the Bow Street Magistrate’s Court, London, issued a warrant of arrest for the arrest of Alams for failing to appear before the court at the resumption of trial but the former governor, who was back in Nigeria, was immuned against arrest based on Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants immunity to governors and presidents. But there was no respite for the late governor, as he was alleged to have stepped on the toes of the then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) compiled a list of impeachable offences to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, which served him an eight-point impeachment notice, with a seven-man impeachment panel set up. The EFCC also filed a 19-count charge against the former governor at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, where it accused the embattled politician of false declaration of assets, corrupt enrichment and abuse of office. The embattled former governor was impeached on December 9, 2005 and arrested the same day. He was convicted on 26 July 2007 by a Federal High Court, having pleaded guilty

to six charges and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for false declaration of assets and money laundering. He also forfeited properties in London; 2.29 million pounds in cash; N1 billion in shares in a commercial bank; N105 million and 160,000 dollars, with the judge directing that all the properties be sold and the proceeds transferred to the Bayelsa State government. Alamieyeseigha, however, told the court that he only pleaded guilty to halt the violence, kidnapping and killing in the Niger-Delta, which militants had begun to carry out with threats not to stop until he was released. “I believe that everyone is accountable to God on whatever happens through him. Let me live and let people not say that because of me, many people have died,” Alameieyeseigha told the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu. He was released on 27 July, 2007, he was released due to time already served while in EFCC custody, but political observers noted that he was released to facilitate a peace deal with Niger-Delta militants who were protesting the environment degradation and marginalisation of the region, a cause that was not unknown to the late former governor, who was reputed to have been one of the greatest backers. Alamieyeseigha means “the king can do no wrong.”

Alamieyeseigha dies of cardiac arrest at 63 Life and times of a decorated Air Force man, embattled politician From Dapo Falade and Moses Alao FORMER governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has died of cardiac arrest. He died on Saturday evening at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). The former governor, aged 63 and who had running battles with the country’s anti-graft bodies over alleged misappropriation of public funds, was said to have slipped into coma two days ago and had been on a life support machine. While the authorities of UPTH could not be contacted to confirm the development as at the time of going to press, it was gathered that Alamieyeseigha was brought to the hospital from his village in Bayelsa State. The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili, confirmed the politician’s death on Saturday. Life and times of Alamieyeseigha For Alamieyeseigha, a life of mixed occurrences has come to an end. Popularly known as DSP Alamieyeseigha and highlyrevered among the Ijaw stock of Niger-Delta, where he was nicknamed the Governor-General of Ijaw Kingdom, the late politician lived and died a fighter— he fought and retired as a Squadron Leader in the Nigeria Air Force; fought political wars and became

the first elected governor of Bayelsa State in 1999; fought corruption charges in the United Kingdom and Nigeria and lost out, ending up in jail for two years. He was about to fight another bout against corruption allegations, as the UK government has reportedly requested for his extradition, when he lost the most important battle, the battle for life itself, succumbing to the marauding powers of death following what family sources said had been a running battle with diabetes. Alams, as he is widely known, was born in Amassoma in Ogboin North Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on 16 November, 1952. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa, after which he proceeded to join the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974. The late former governor joined the Nigerian Air Force and served in the Department of Logistics and Supply, where he held several positions such as Officer Commanding Supply Squadron of the NAF Station, Enugu; Commanding Officer 3 Supply Depot, Makurdi; Supply Instructor, Technical Training Group, Kaduna and Commandind Officer Data&Inventory Control Centre, Equipment Supply Depot, NAF Ikeja. He was honoured and decorated with the Forces Service Star; General Service Medal and National Service

Medal before retiring in 1992 as a Squadron Leader. Following his retirement from the Air Force after over 15 years, DSP Alamieyeseigha became the Sole Administrator of the Pabod Supplies, Port Harcourt, a company owned by the Rivers State government, from which Bayelsa State was created in 1996. He later he became Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON). Following the return of civil rule in 1999, Alamieyeseigha, popularly known as Alams or DSP, became the first elected governor of Bayelsa State and the first indigene of the state to govern it, when he was sworn in on 29 May, 1999. He was re-elected for another term in 2003. In 2005, Alamieyeseigha, who had become one of the most influential governors and was even touted to run for the vice-presidential position in 2007, ran into troubled waters when he was arrested in the United Kingdom and granted bail with a condition to remain in the country. He was arrested on 15 September, 2005, at the Heathrow Airport by the Specialist and Economic Crime Unit of the London Metropolitan Police and taken to his London home in Water Gardens W2, which was searched and 1 million pounds discovered in cash. He was arraigned on a

news Senate screening: Buhari, Tinubu court Saraki 4

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

We’ll put Nigeria first —Senate President From Lanre Adewole And Olayinka Olukoya

new triangular rapprochement by power blocs in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly creating new alliances that have the potential to change the power configuration in some states and ultimately affect ministerial nomination. States with already-announced nominations, according to the unfolding calculations, may not be immune from the last-minute change to the existing list and the fresh one being compiled to fill the slots of the remaining 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In the unfolding rapprochement and alliances, embattled Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki is projected to be a major winner as two other main power blocs in the party now reportedly look in his direction for favour. The two main power blocs in the party and polity were said to have realized that it was necessary to have Saraki in their corner to achieve their agenda, with the possibility of sacking him becoming very remote. The unexpected massive confidence vote he got from 83 colleagues and the unshaken resolve of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to back him, reportedly sent a signal to his traducers that he had become the beautiful bride to be courted. The reported schism between the camp of APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the presidency over ministerial nomination in the SouthWest and the suspicion of a likely fight-back, was said to have compelled an olive branch from the presidency to the senate president. Security reports, particularly an alleged documented conversation among certain leaders of the party, primed to put the presidency on the defensive over the screening, reportedly compelled a new stance on Saraki’s saga in the presidency. It was learnt that the presidency decided to win him over before he would be inexorably lost to the new opposition allegedly building against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari over

the controversial ministerial list. Both the presidency and Tinubu’s camp had been against Saraki, before now, but the realities of the ministerial nomination, have reportedly forged and forced a new paradigm shift. Both camps are now reportedly seeking alliances with him. The new development, according to sources in the mix, is also likely to see certain nominees being tactically dropped, with the Senate conditions likely to be used in stopping their screening. The presidency which had okayed the controversial screening guideline, could play along in the spirit of the new-found friendship. One of such endangered

nominees is alleged to be the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ahaji Lai Mohammed, representing Kwara State, who has been rejected by the party and major stakeholders in the state, despite his reconciliation foray in both Abuja and Ilorin. His nomination was said to be a personal appreciation by Buhari of his efforts in keeping the party and its activities in the consciousness of Nigerians from inception to the victory at the polls. With Saraki now back in Aso Rock’s good books, sources within the party in Lai’s home-state said they would stop at nothing to ensure his dropping off the list and back to Lagos where his son is a state lawmaker,

while getting the presidency to pick one of those who worked for the party’s success in Kwara. Youthful former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi is alleged to be the likely replacement. Lai Mohammed’s camp is however fighting back. The umbrella body coordinating groups supporting his cause, Kwara Descendant Nigeria, which is based in Lagos, plans to storm the state today for a solidarity rally. Leading members were peeved that the plot to stop Mohammed was tantamount to the Saraki’s camp saying that nobody could be anything in Kwara without such person being from the dynasty.

Another nominee that could be consumed by the new alliances is former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers. His camp was said to have been supremely confident before now, according to political sources involved in the power game, on the basis of the assumption that Governor Nnyesom Wike would have been sacked by the election petitions tribunal before the ministerial appointment would take place, with either a more approachable Speaker of the State House of Assembly acting as governor or Mr. Dakuku Peterside of APC already sworn-in as governor. The new realities are said to be jolting Amaechi’s camp, considering the

Nigeria has lost a great woman —Saraki ...As Wabara, Olunloyo, others eulogise HID Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta

SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Saturday, said the country has lost a great woman in Mama HID Awolowo, who he described as a unigue and distinguished woman of her generation. He stated that the deceased sustained the good legacies of her husband, the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, 28 years after his demise. He said this when he led a special delegation of the Senate on a condolence visit to the Ikenne home of the Awolowos, over the death of the Chairman/co-founder of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) PLC, publisher of the Tribune titles. Saraki, while addressing family members at the Efunyela Hall, eulogised the virtues of steadfastness, uprightness and kindness of Mama Awolowo, whom he described as an icon. The Senate President was in company with Senators Shehu Sani, Monsurat Sunmonu, Abiodun Olujimi, Lanre Tejuoso and Gbolahan Dada, both from Ogun State. Senator Saraki said the upper chamber considered it worthy to honour Mama because “we felt that she deserves the honour.” He said, “On Wednesday, the eight Senate passed a resolution and mandated us to come here and commiserate with the Awolowo family, the good people of Ogun State and Nigeria in general on the loss of a great person and an icon. “Normally, as our tradition, we send a delegation. But for Mama, she deserved this even more, for the entire

Senate represented by the presiding officers to be here in person and for me to lead that delegation. “The country, not only the family, has lost a great person. She was a great person because since the death of Papa, for so many years she continued the life of virtues and his dreams and she sustained these over many years, as she showed that she was a uniting factor not only in South-West, but, Nigeria in general. “I can say that because, just few months ago, we were here during the period of our campaign and I don’t think there had been a campaign in this country that no politician will not stop here to pay respects and honour. “She earned that because we have many wives and mothers who, after their husband passed on, have not been able to sustain the dream. I think she has shown herself that in the entire country, she is the only person that has been able to achieve that great achievement. As we mourn, we also celebrate the great life she has lived. “I remember when we were here, we thought we would come to celebrate her 100 years but that shows that we must believe that we are of the Almighty God. It is not we that decide some of these things when they happen, but, she lived a great life, she is someone we should be proud of not only here but also in Nigeria. I don’t know if there is any wife or mother in the entire country, whether of a leader or politician, that has done what she has done. “Once again on behalf of the

entire Senate I commiserate with the Awolowo family, the Ogun State people and Nigeria at large. The country has lost a great person and we have a lot to be proud of and with the faces I am seeing, another Mama HID is coming.” Former Senate President, Senator Adolfus Wabara, who joined other distinguished Nigerians that paid a condolence visit to the Awolowos, said Mama was indeed a rare gem. Wabara, while fielding questions from the Sunday Tribune, said the Yeye Oodua of Yorubaland was “Mother Nigeria”, submitting that the nation would miss her guidance. He said that the Awolowos are “God sent” to Nigeria and prayed that even in death, Mama would continue to guide the nation. Wabara said, “Her death is a tragic loss, even though she was 100 years so to speak and that makes it very tragic. “She guided us in Nigeria and I hope she will continue to guide us even in death. She will be better remembered, I believe, as Mother Nigeria. She followed up where her husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, stopped. The Awolowos are really God sent to Nigeria.” Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Omololu Olunloyo, also said that Mama was a “steadfast and woman for all seasons.” Olunloyo noted that Mama was stable till the very end of her life, saying such was a rare gift. “She was a steadfast woman. A woman for all seasons; good and bad. She was stable

during the time of the premiership, imprisonment and was stable when she attained the role of Yeye Oodua and was stable till the end,” he stated. Also, Justice Obie DanielKalio of the Court of Appeal said Mama Awolowo was a matriarch in Nigeria, adding “she was a trailblazer in our own time. She was the kind of person that did a lot of good for Nigeria.” To the founder of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasheun, Mama Awolowo was a mother in a million and a mother of the Yoruba race. “She was an eminent person and she will remain evergreen in the hearts of Nigeria people. “She lived a good life. She was a mother in a million. She was a mother of a whole race, the Yoruba race,” he added. In his own tribute, Senator Femi Lanlehin said Mama was an epitome of womanhood, devotion, leadership and courage, who laid a very great template for African women. The President of Sagamites Club, Professor Okanlawon Odusoga, who led other members of the club on a condolence visit to the Ikenne home of the Awolowos, described the deceased as a strong pillar of support to her husband and her family. Other visitors at the No 6 Yeye Oodua HID Awolowo way were the Lukosi of Egbaland, Chief Bisade Biobaku, Mr. Dipo Adebo, Dr Ayo Soleye and Chief Femi Oyetayo, members of Oluwole Market, Apapa, and Asiwaju Change Movement, among others.

unconfirmed report that Buhari nominated him as a minister more out of not wanting to expose him to ridicule in the Niger-Delta, than believing in his integrity and competence. A source close to his camp said Amaechi and his supporters knew that Buhari would not renominate him if rejected once by the Senate, hence his camp’s resolve to do everything possible to stave an imminent rejection. Meanwhile, Senate President Saraki has said that the upper chamber will put the interest of the nation first during the screening of ministerial nominees slated for Tuesday. Saraki, while answering questions from journalists after his visit to the Ikenne home of the Awolowos, insisted that the eight Senate would abide by the constitution and rules, to ensure a thorough exercise. He assured Nigerians that the Senate would do a good job that all would be proud of, saying individual differences against any nominee would not be allowed in any way. Saraki said, “We have said that for the eighth Senate, it is not going to be business as usual. What I can assure you is that we will go by the constitution and the rules. “We will put Nigeria first, screening will be done with seriousness and what we are all concerned about is our constitutional responsibility to ensure that we find people who are fit enough to be ministers, and particularly at this time, to give President Buhari the support he requires. “It is not about who you like or who you don’t like and I want to assure Nigerians that will not be the basis. It will be based on the constitution and based on ability and our own assessment of the capacity of the nominees to perform. “I am assuring you that individual differences would not be an issue at all, and we have spoken with senators and told them that. At this time, we have made sure that as much as possible, we share with the public, we try to ensure that all we are covered live so that everybody can see. “We will all be watching the screening from our bedrooms and sitting rooms as well along with the Senators, you’re rest assured that we will do a good job Nigerians would be proud of.”

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Ministerial list: Ex-deputy speaker faults Buhari over Amaechi DapoFalade-PortHarcourt

mmediate past Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Honourable Leyii Kwanee, has faulted the choice of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi as a ministerial nominee. Kwanee, All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker in the state, said that President Muhammadu Buhari, by nominating the former governor, had only succeeded in further perpetrating the marginalisation of the Ogoni people. He made this known in a statement made in Port Harcourt at the weekend where he noted that the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State was always at the losing end. Kwanee, who represented Khana Constituency II in the 7th State House of Assembly, said he expected Buhari to look at the direction of an Ogoni man as a minister from the state,”

but as it is today, the Ogoni has lost everything politically. I weep for my people. “I am an Ogoni man and I

am speaking as an Ogoni man. I have to protect and advance the interest of the Ogoni people.

“Whichever side of the coin, an Ogoni man is neither a minister at the national level nor a governor

at the state level, so, where is the Ogoni man politically”? In a related develop-

Saki Parapo rallies support for Adebayo Shittu By Remi Anifowose

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (third right), front row); in a group photgraph with the US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry (middle, back row); former Mayor of New York City, Mr Michael Bloomberg (fourth left, front now) and others, during the Our Cities, Our Climate parley, at the State Department, Washingwon DC, USA, on Thursday.

Why we support Fayemi —Ekiti gov

Fayose’s charge, height of statesmanship —Ekiti House The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Ekiti State Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, has said his boss will never allow the All Progressives Congress (APC), or any group, to draw him into politics of bitterness or to take vengeance on anybody. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the CPS said his boss believes that vengeance belongs to God and that when God has vindicates someone, the person needs not to fight for himself again. He was reacting to insinuations by some APC members that Governor Fayose had no choice but to support the nomination of former Governor Kayode Fayemi as a minister from the state. Governor Fayose had, two days ago, called on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly to support the candidacy of Fayemi at the Senate when the screening of ministerial nominees starts on Tuesday. This is just as the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, on Friday asked the nominees to commence the lobbying of senators from their states so as to have a smooth sail during screening.

ment, Rivers State chairman of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Deacon Princewill Enyi, urged President Buhari not to be in a hurry in appointing Amaechi as a minister, adding, “no one cleans his anus before defecation. ‘’By now, we thought that the era of favouritism and godfatherism are over, which is the assertion of the ruling APC.” If the present administration was fair in its anti-corruption campaign, Amaechi should be allowed to face all the corruption allegations against him before any appointment.

“I hope people running their mouths are aware of the rule of the Senate that at least two senators from a nominee’s state must support such nominee. Apart from that, the governor’s style of politics is devoid of bitterness. “Since Governor Fayose came into office, he has not discriminated against even his sworn enemies. The man he appointed as the Solicitor-General of the state was used by those in government then to prosecute him over phantom murder charges. “Whether anybody likes it or not, God has made him the leader of the state now. When God fights your battle, what else do you need to do than to watch? “If there is a fellow who should be vengeful, it is Fayose because he is the one political detractors did all they could to destroy. But, Fayose is governor again. I can tell you that if Fayose had not intervened, the Senate will not approve the nomination of Fayemi. But we will not give back to them what they gave us. Rather, we will teach them how politics should be played,” he said. Meanwhile, the Ekiti State House of Assembly has lauded the governor, over his charge that federal lawmakers from Ekiti State

should ensure that Dr Fayemi scales the screening of the National Assembly to become a minister. The Speaker of the House, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, in a statement from his Special Assistant (Media), Stephen Gbadamosi, said the entire Assembly was behind the governor for the selflessness he displayed by the charge. “Fayemi remains the predecessor that mismanaged the resources of the state, making the realisation of his lofty ideals, for the state a herculean task now. But

for the governor to ask his party men and woman in the National Assembly to support his becoming a minister speaks volumes of his love for his state. “That is the height of non-partisanship in politics. We in the House of Assembly respect and adore him for that because he does not want the state to lose the opportunity of having a minister in the Federal Government. “Put politics apart, Governor Fayose has displayed uncommon statesmanship by asking his party men

to support the ministerial chance of his opposition party member in the interest of the benefit such development will bring to Ekiti. This is what shows that a politician is a states man and Fayose deserves a pat on the back for that. Politics should never be a do-or-die affair. Oluwawole added that there was no way the impact of an indigene of Ekiti State being in ministerial position would not be felt in the state, reasoning that this was why Fayose would not want the opportunity

Ministerial list: Group lauds Buhari on quality of female nominees By Seyi Sokoya

AN Abuja-based advocacy group, Women Integrity Group (WIG), has praised the quality of the female nominees that made it into the current batch of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list before the National Assembly for screening. In a statement signed by its convener, Barrister Josephine Erhomosele, the group noted that though the President needed to have more than three female in the cabinet, he still

deserved to be commended for choosing young and vibrant women with proven people management skills and cross-border administrative experiences in the current batch of ministerial nominees. “This is not about sentiment, it is about a new dawn in governance in our country, Nigeria. President Buhari’s desire to work with people of proven integrity has been made clear in the choice of the three female nominees. We are happy to see the caliber of the female nominees on the ministerial list and

Nigerian women are indeed proud that, for once, young, professionally successful women are being brought into governance at the centre principally because of their pedigree and not due to some primordial reasons”, the statement read in part. While calling on the nominees to do womanhood proud by serving the nation meritoriously, the group noted that by keeping their integrity intact while in government, the nominees would be helping Nigerian women to have a strong voice among women worldwide.

The National body of Saki Parapo in Saki Area of Oyo State has thrown its weight behind the nomination of Barrister Adebayo Shittu, one of the nominees for the post of minister by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his nomination as a deserved one. This was contained in a press release issued and jointly signed by the president of the body, Alhaji Yekeen Adetoro and its Secretary, Mr Shittu Okanlawon, after their meeting at his residence at Koomi area, Saki. According to the release, “we want to state that Barrister Shittu’s choice was widely applauded by all and sundry and we are using this medium to commend the efforts of Mr President for giving Saki indigent a well-deserved recognition, promising that we will always be behind him and the administration of the state governor senator Abiola Ajimobi, to enable him succeeds. “Barrister Shittu is a round peg in a right hole, we are using this platform to appreciate President Buhari for the consideration given to Saki in particular and the Oke-Ogun in general, and we believe the nominee would no doubt change the fortune of the region for good.” Dignitaries at the meeting includes the chairman of Saki Parapo at home, Alhaji Mufutau Olayinka; the National Treasurer, Prince Abdulfatai Ekuntakoro; Evangelist Kayode Ogungbade and Elder Raheem Adebayo.

11 October, 2015

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Sunday Tribune

edited by Oluwatoyin Malik 0807 889 1950, 0811 695 4633 praiseboy01@gmail.com

How I performed hajj in Kano with 11 others —Eweolaru

God did not destine them for 2015 pilgrimage —Kaola

HILE muslims all over the world prepared to go to Saudi Arabia recently in fufilment of one of the pillars of Islam, 48-yearold Aransi Musibau Eweolaru also looked forward to having the same experience, especially as he happens to be an Islamic teacher. Though he made an attempt in 2012, financial constraint prevented him from achieving this lifelong ambition. This year, he approached the same tour operator he went to in 2012, that is, Alhaja Kafilat Rufai, owner of Kaola Communications. Having paid the stipulated amount, the Islamic teacher was full of high hopes that his journey to Mecca to perform hajj was a done deal. But he has alleged Alhaja Rufai of not fulfilling her part of getting him and 11 others to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj which was recently concluded. He also said that the woman has refused to refund his money. According to Eweolaru, “in 2012, when I wanted to perform hajj, I went to Alhaja Rufai and she said I should pay N700,000. I paid N400,000 into her account. While looking for the balance, I got a call from her a month after I paid, that the fee had gone up to N1 million. “Since I knew I could not meet up, I withdrew from the journey. The tour operator refused to refund my deposit and also held on to my passport. This year, after I had paid N600,000 balance, Alhaja Rufai called me about a month to the journey, saying that the fee had increased by N625,000. Aside that, each of the intending pilgrims was to pay $300 for ram. I called her aside to ask about my own plight since my case had been pending

since 2012. She assured me that I would go, albeit with a ‘but’. Taking cognisance of the clause, I looked for extra N200,000 and gave to her, making N1.2million. Three days before we were to commence the journey, I paid another N150,000. I also paid the obligatory $300. We left Ibadan with the hope that we were being taken to Lagos or Abuja to board our flight but we found ourselves in Kaduna. The following day, we were driven to Kano. It was in Kano we were taken through series of intrigues. “Eventually, we returned to Ibadan on Sunday, September 20 when it

Eweolaru was obvious that no flight was booked for us. Alhaja Rafiu refunded the $300 on Monday but I refused

to collect mine because I wanted her to pay all my money. She has refused to refund my money and

that of others. I am appealing on behalf of others that Nigerians should help us get our money from this woman.” When contacted, Alhaja Rafiu refuted all the allegations against her, saying that she did all that were necessary to get the intending pilgrims on board of a plane. “There are quite a number of lies in the story told by Eweolaru. It is true he came in 2012. While others paid N1.2 million, he paid only N400,000. All the things being said about me is just to destroy my reputation and give me a bad image. I was not the one who did not take them

to hajj; it was God who did not destine it to be. It might be because God did not want evil to befall them,” she said. Alhaja Rafiu stated further: “If you ask them, there was visa on each of their passports. I first bought tickets from Egypt Air in Lagos State for them but their visas were not ready by the time the airline was to leave for Saudi. That was what made us to go to the North. “Unfortunately again, the person I gave money to buy tickets did not disclose to me that he could not get tickets to buy. I told the Continues pg 7

Man arrested with snatched vehicle says: ‘I bought it without documents’ TWO men, Ahmed Abiodun and Oladimeji Joseph, who were accused of being members of a car-snatching syndicate, have been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command, after a Toyota Highlander snatched at gunpoint in Lagos State was recovered from Abiodun. But Abiodun claimed to be an Ibadan-based car dealer, with his auto shop at Alakia area of Ibadan, saying that he bought the vehicle from an un-named man whom he met through OLX, an online shopping medium where goods and products are bought and sold. He added however that he did not collect any document from the seller. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Leye Oyebade, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Iyaganku, Ibadan, Omololu Bishi, while briefing journalists on the arrest, said that the vehicle was snatched from its owner in Lagos State. “But on their way, they were intercepted by Eg-

The suspects with the Toyota Highlander recovered by the police beda Division in Ibadan. During investigation, we discovered that the vehicle was snatched. We contacted the owner and he confirmed that the vehicle was snatched from him. “When the vehicle was searched, different vehicle number plates were found in it, suggestive of the fact that the suspects belong to a gang of armed robbers which specialized in snatching of vehicles. One of the suspects claimed to be a car dealer and if he is not a member of the robbery gang, we want to

know how many cars he has criminally received from the members. We shall go ahead on the lookout for other members of the gang,” the police boss stated. Saying that no criminal would be given a breathing space in Oyo State, whether the offence they are involved in is committed in the state or outside the state, the police commissioner stated that “they will be made to face the full wrath of the law. Oyo State will not tolerate any act that will embarrass the Nigeria

Police. Law abiding citizens are free to go about their legitimate businesses while those who have chosen the other side will always have it tough with us.” Abiodun, in his explanation while being interviewed by Crime Reports, said: “I am a dealer in Ibadan here and I have my identity card. The number plates were found in my house and I used them whenever I wanted to bring in vehicles from Cotonou in Benin Republic. I bought the Toyota Highlander for

N1.2 million from a man. I had earlier bought a Toyota Camry from the guy through OLX at N500,000. “He later told me that he had a brother who wanted to travel out of the country and desired to sell his Toyota Highlander. I told him I didn’t have the entire money, so he brought the vehicle to me and collected the N800,000 I had, with the agreement that I would later give him the balance of N400,000. “I have my auto shop at Alakia. I don’t have any documents backing the purchase though I intended to prepare some documents that would indicate the amount I paid and change of ownership.” The second suspect, Joseph, also told Crime Reports that he was with Abiodun when he was arrested. “Abiodun is my childhood friend. I came from Ijare in Ondo State to stay with him until Sallah which he celebrates yearly. I just returned from a journey outside Nigeria and I came to seek his help to travel out again before I got arrested,” Joseph stated.

crimereports

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Trending: Fake bank alert syndicate on the loose Stories by Oluwatoyin Malik

HE Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of fraud syndicate which specialised in sending fake bank alerts to their victims’ phones in order to dupe them of the goods over which they would have earlier expressed interest of purchase. The suspects include Kingsley Thomas (25), Ifeanyichukwu Nwaegerue (30), Ikechuckwu Ebere (28) and Uchenna Agba (27). Though the crime is not new, its increasing trend has raised a huge concern within Oyo State Police Command, prompting the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade to urge members of the public to guide against falling victim. According to police commissioner, while speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, October 8, at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the command’s Special Monitoring Unit, headed by DSP Olawole Ayoola, busted the syndicate after they had fraudulently taken a Toyota Corolla from the chairman of Motor Dealers’ Association, Oyo State, Mr Segun Okeowo. “On September 15, 2015, a member of the syndicate who posed as ‘Chief Ogolo’ signified interest in buying a Toyota Corolla car advertised online by an automobile dealer in Ibadan, one Segun Okeowo. After negotiating the price, the suspect sent a manipulated credit alert of N1.4million to Okeowo’s bank account on September 18, 2015,” Oyebade said. Crime Reports gathered that Okeowo released the car, which the suspect claimed was being taken to the buyer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. But it later dawned on him that he had been defrauded when he went to bank on Monday, September 21 for confirmation of the payment, only to discover that no money was paid. “Consequent upon the complaint, the monitoring unit set in motion the machinery to arrest the culprits. On September 25, two of the suspects were rounded up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.” The police commissioner stated further that their confession led to the arrest of other members of the gang in Rivers and Abia States. Narrating his experience, Okeowo said one of the suspects, who addressed him-

self as a chief called him at the beginning of a week over a car he (Okeowo) advertised online. “We discussed through the week and on Friday morning, he said he was ready to pay, asking me to send my account number. He called later that he had paid. I

said I would contact my accounting officer and he asked me to go ahead. “I got an alert around 2p.m. which was the total of the money he sent and the balance in my account. “A driver took the car to Port Harcourt and he delivered it. On Monday,

when I got to the bank, I discovered that the alert was not genuine.” One of the suspects, Ebere, from Ebonyi State said he was introduced to the fraud business by one Ifeanyi a.k.a Chief Ogolo. “In September, Ifeanyi called me, saying that a man was

bringing a car to him from Lagos. I collected the car from the man and gave him N3,000 to get back to Lagos. Ifeanyi said I should bring the car to Aba, in Abia State, saying that he did not want to come to Port Harcourt. He promised to give me 20 per cent

The suspects

of the money realised from its sale as my share. “I later discovered that Ifeanyi did not buy the car so I decided to keep it for my personal use. I knew Ifeanyi while I was in secondary and we lost contact when he left in JSS1. We met early this year and we exchanged phone numbers. He asked whether I knew how to drive and when I said yes, he promised to introduce me to a business.” Nwaegerue also narrated his involvement thus: “I reside in Aba. It was Ifeanyi who called to tell me that I should go to Port Harcourt to help him bring a vehicle to Aba. He said he would pay me N10,000. I came to Port Harcourt and Ifeanyi also called one Thomas to join me. It was while we were waiting to collect the vehicle from the driver bringing it from Lagos that police arrested me.”

Suspected mast engine vandals in police net A gang of suspected vandals, which area of specialty is to invade communication masts of network service providers to steal their generators and other engines, have been nabbed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Oyo State Police

Command. Those arrested include Olafisoye Sina (25), Olowookere Seyi (50), Ndubuisi Nwafor (32), Adekunle Adeola (53), Dauda Olaoye (40) and Ogunbiyi Suleiman (32). The Oyo State Commissioner of Police made this

known on Thursday during a press briefing when he showed journalists the engine being used to power a mast which was vandalised and stolen by the gang. Attributing the arrest to credible intelligence gathered from strategic partners,

Oyebade disclosed that one of the suspects, Olafisoye Sina, was arrested on October 6, 2015 at about 7.35p.m. He added that the suspect’s confession led to the arrest of other members of the gang. Other items, including five generators,

The suspects with the engines recovered

‘How I performed hajj in Kano with 11 others’ Continued from pg 6 man to get any available plane. I gave the money running into millions but by the time he got back to the airline, the tickets had been sold out. If my clients will say the truth, they will tell you that there were other pilgrims at the Kano airport totalling about 1,700 who could not also make the hajj. “I had already booked a hotel close to Bin Laden, beside Kabbah, Mecca. I also got a five-star hotel for them at Medinha. I

had paid for transport and feeding in Mecca. “I called them to a meeting when they returned to Ibadan. I promised that they would be at next year’s hajj by the grace of God, promising to lead them. I refunded the money for rams. It was not as if I had the money, as I had already paid in Saudi Arabia. The only thing left was for them to get there and collect their tickets for the rams and it is non-fundable, but Eweolaru was the only one who did not collect his own.

“My clients insisted on collecting their hajj fare but I told them that there was no way I could not get the money. I paid for the visa too and this can be confirmed from National Hajj Commission.” Speaking particularly on Eweolaru, Alhaja Rafiu said that he did not inform her that he would not pay the balance of his money in 2012, making her to incur loss. “I bought his ticket and paid for his accommodation in Saudi ahead of his journey in 2012 with the belief that he was go-

ing. “The only thing was that he was not granted visa that year. But it seems he is not appreciative of what I did for him. He was not supposed to have any money with me. Going on hajj is a process that begins from the moment one hajj ends to the time another will begin,” she stated. Though Alhaja Rafiu promised to come to Tribune’s House on Thursday, October 8, to further clarify the situation, she was not seen till the time of writing this report.

a small welding machine and half part of an engine, were reportedly recovered from Suleiman’s shop at Oke Bola area of Ibadan. In an interview with Crime Reports, Seyi confessed to have stolen the engine from where a mast was erected in Ondo State. According to him, “I followed my cousin to a place along Owo road, Ondo state. He used to buy iron scrap. On the way, we saw a mast so we stopped. “We thought we would see the security man in charge so that he would sell scrap for us. On getting there, we met no one. We saw a generator that had been loosed so we picked it and brought it to Ibadan. We were later apprehended by the police.” Seyi said he was a driver until he had an accident that kept him on hospital bed for two years. “I have never done a thing like this before,” he added. Another suspect, Olafisoye also disclosed that he was a blacksmith but started working as a labourer with masons when he was not getting enough patronage from blacksmithing. “It was Seyi who called me to say he saw an engine scrap. I joined him in loading it and we brought it to Ibadan. On the way, we were stopped by police who suspected that the engine was stolen,” he stated. CP Oyebade said that the suspects would be charged to court after the completion of investigations.

crimereports

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Trending: Fake bank alert syndicate on the loose Stories by Oluwatoyin Malik

The suspects

The suspects with the engines recovered

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

N98bn fraud allegation: Amaechi dares Wike to go to court Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

ormer Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has challenged his successor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to go to court as recommended by the Justice George Omereji-led judicial commission of inquiry. He threw the challenge at Wike in response to the recent spate of attacks on him and allegations of corruption against his administration. This was as the former governor claimed that he ran a transparent administration while at the helm of affairs in the state. The commission of inquiry, set up by Governor Nyesom Wike to look into the alleged sales of some valued assets of the state, on Tuesday, indicted Amaechi and recommended that he should be made to account for the sum of N98 Billion and also be prosecuted. However, Amaechi, in a statement issued from his media office, on Saturday, said he was not disappointed by the outcome of the probe, adding that “the panel lived up to expectations as a shambolic inquisition panel that was set up to indict me. “Wike’s regular childish tantrums, theatrics, comedy and drama of screaming huge bogus and phantom figures of missing or stolen or misappropriated billions of naira by the Amaechi administration have become a silly and sickening distraction. “Mr Wike, since you do not know and none of your

coterie of court-jesters is bold enough to tell you, we will tell you; you sound like a broken record. Our polity can certainly do without this madness”, the statement read. Also addressing a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the former commissioners, who served in the Amae-

chi administration, said there was a need to set the record straight on the allegations leveled against the former governor. Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Mrs Ibim Semenitari (a former Commissioner for Information), said the briefing was “in keeping with the ethos

of the Chibuike Amaechi administration to maintain transparent and accountable stewardship.” Semenitari asserted that government was a continum and that the decisions of state executive council were implemented by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

THE Presidency has debunked media report (not Sunday Tribune) that the pillar of the ruling party, the Action Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is under security watch. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday, described the said report as baseless and figment of the imagination of the writer. He advised Nigerians to ignore the story, because it was false. Shehu said: “The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to a false and sensational story by a leading newspaper to the effect that a pillar of the governing party, the Action Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is “under security watch over alleged plot against Buhari.”

tine clarification where this may be necessary. Regardless of this we wish to reiterate our position previously espoused on the matters raised by the commission”, she said. Speaking on the controversial mono rail project, the former Commissioner of Information said it was a major transport infrastructure project undertaken by the Amaechi administration. She said the aim of the project was to ease traffic on the major road corridor in the state and in doing that, galvanize business and jump start the local economy, recognising that Port Harcourt was the oil capital of the country.

We won’t allow NSCDC to prosecute again —Jigawa AG From left, pro-chancellor and chairman, governing council, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Dr Segun Oshin; Sir Kessington Adebutu; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Chief Olatunde Abudu and Olola Olabode Ogunlana, during the 23rd/24th convocation ceremony of the university on Saturday.

Ogun committed to quality education —Amosun The Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to do everything possible to ensure that education in the state is affordable for all. The governor stated this, at the weekend, while speaking at the 23rd and 24th convocation ceremonies of the Olabisi Onaban-

jo University (OOU), AgoIwoye, Ogun State. “Undoubtedly, you will agree with me that, affordable, qualitative education takes a focal point in the 5-cardinal programme of our mission to rebuild the state,” Governor Amosun said. He added that his administration’s commitment towards rebuilding the state

has started yielding positive results even at the Olabisi Onabanjo University. “For this great citadel of learning, I am proud to reiterate that there has been improved service delivery to both members of staff and students alike. “The peaceful conduct of examinations, timely processing of results and issuance of certificates and

“Nigerians are hereby advised to ignore this story because it is false and baseless. “We wish to confirm without any equivocation that the Senator Tinubu is not of any particular interest to any arm of the security services. The relationship between him and the President cannot be better than it is at the moment. “According to the perverted logic of the newspaper, the respected leader of the APC is into a plot against the leader of the country. The presidency is unaware of any such plots against the President. “I got on the phone a short while ago with General Babagana Munguno, (Rtd), the National Security Adviser and the Director General of the SSS, Lawal Daura, who both dismissed the published reports as acts of pure mischief. They are not aware of Senator Tinubu being on any kind of watch. “It would appear that a

competition is on between two or three newspaper establishments on how best to breach the excellent relationship between the pillars of our party and government. “So far, they have not made a headway and there is no indication that they

will succeed in the future. It suffices to say that such reports, written without fairness and balance can only take away from whatever is left of the credibility of these newspapers. “The general public is hereby advised to ignore them on these reports.”

Tinubu not under security watch —Presidency Clement Idoko -Abuja

“As former commissioners, we had each submitted our hand over notes to the Secretary to State Government as well as our permanent secretaries. So every record required by the successor government are available with the MDAs. “Our attention would only be required for rou-

transcripts to graduands is also an attestation to the improvement in this great institution,” he said. He added: “In fact, it has come to our notice that OOU has gained full accreditation for Medicine and Pharmacy programmes from the National University Commission (NUC) while the results of others are being awaited. “I am optimistic that the university, by this encouraging performance, will soon attain her target of full accreditation of all other new courses.” The governor said, “in the last four years, Olabisi Onabanjo University has risen steadily from its low public rating to an enviable one.

Nigeria has not been fair to Bakassi people —Ita-Giwa By Moses Alao A former Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, has stated that Nigeria has not treated her people, the people of Bakassi Local Government in Cross Rivers State well. The former lawmaker, in a chat with Sunday Tribune, during a visit to Ikenne, recently, noted that till date, 3,000 displaced people from Bakassi were still in refugee camps,

a development which she maintained was dehumanising and discouraging. “Nigeria has not treated us well. However, because we are peace-loving people, we have managed to bear the situation with as much dignity as we can. But we are still agitating that we have to be properly resettled, because it is not our fault that our land was ceded. The decision was taken without our involvement,” It would be recalled that Bakassi Peninsula was ceded to Cameroun by the

Nigerian government following a ruling of the International Court of Justice, The Hague. Ita-Giwa, however, expressed hope that with a new government in place headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, she hoped that it will address the issue of the Bakassi people, adding that she was glad that the Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade “is passionate about the issue of Bakassi people. He is enthusiastic and working hard towards their proper resettlement.”

Adamu Amadu -Dutse THE Jigawa State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Sani Garun Gabas, has withdrawn the fiats granted the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to prosecute all state’s offencies by the past administration. Garbas, speaking with Sunday Tribune, at the weekend, disclosed that “by the provision of the constitution, only the police and legal department have the right to prosecute, but the immediate past governor willingly directed the then AttorneyGeneral to allow NSCDC prosecute. We have now viewed the matter and decided to review it. Henceforth, the NSCDC would stop prosecution in this state”. Speaking further, he said: “In all the states of the federation, it is only in this state that the NSCDC prosecutes state’s offencies, and Jigawa would not be exceptional”. Reacting to the matter, the state Commandant of the Corp, Dr Muhammad Gidado Fari, said their constitutional responsibility was good enough for them. “The Attorney-General has the right to stop us, even police if he so wishes. We are not begging for assignments, this is the third state I have worked.” The commandant further explained that in the Corp’s Act 2003, Sections 1-3, it clearly stated that: “The NSCDC shall have power to arrest, investigate and handover to the police for further investigation and prosecution,’ he said.

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Ogun: Rock crushes family of 4 OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta

family of four were, on Friday night, crushed to death as a result of a section of a huge rock that rolled on their tworoom apartment at Oke Ola street in Iberekodo area of Abeokuta, Ogun State. The victims were a middle-aged woman, Mrs Silifat Lawal, her two children, Rasheedat (15), Semia (4) and her grandchild, identified as Sukurat. Sunday Tribune gath-

ered that the incident occured after a heavy rainfall that fell on Friday night, which lasted for almost four hours. The building, situated at the base of the rock, was built eight years ago. The victims were said to have gone to bed early after their dinner before the unfortunate happened. A neighbour who spoke with Sunday Tribune. Mrs Khadijat Adegoke, said they could not hear the sound of the rolling rock due to the heavy rains, but said they were alerted

when the family head, Mr. Ismail Lawal, alerted the neighbourhood. “The incident happened around 9p.m. The rain was very heavy and fell since

5p.m. When the rock shifted and crushed them, we didn’t hear because of the sound of the rain. “The father came out shouting. We rushed there

only to find out that all four of them had been crushed to death. “The father was sleeping in the sitting room, that was why he escaped with

another daughter,” she said. The remains of the deceased have since been buried according to Islamic injunction.

Almajiri, time bomb that needs urgent attention —Ganduje Kola Oyelere - Kano KANO State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has decribed the Almajiri syndrome in Northern Nigeria as a time bomb that needs urgent attention, just as he commended the Imo State governor, Chief Owele Rochas Okorocha’s foresight in establishing Rochas Foundation College . This was just as Chief Okorocha said that his aim to establish the Rochas Foundation College was to assist children of the less privileged in society to acquire qulitative education which their parents could not afford. Ganduje, who disclosed this on Saturday in Kano at the graduation ceremony of over 2,000 graduands of the school held at Rochas Foundation College, said the establishment of the school by Governor Okorocha had gone a long way in boosting the education standard of the state, because most of Almajiris benefitted from the scheme. Speaking on the occasion, Alhaji Maitama Yusuff,” Danmassanin Kano’’ who noted that the Rochas Foundation School, Kano has opened Kano to another world, stated that Governor Okorocha’s gesture of establishing free education would ensure that his name goes down well, especially with the parents of the beneficiaries. According to him, if other notable and wealthy individuals in the society could emulate Governor Okorocha, by providing education for children in the society, they would have helped in building future society. However, in his speech on the occasion, Governor Okorocha called on the graduands to see the establishment of the school as

part of his contributions to the society. Talking to the graduands, Okorocha said “you owe me nothing, but you owe the country something,” just as he charged them to be good ambassadors of the country. Okorocha then promised to build more of such schools in Sokoto, Niger, Nassarawa and Gombe states, noting that education is the only veritable legacy parents can bequeath their children. Governor Ganduje, however, at that gathering promised to donate a school bus to the school. Amongst important personalities that graced the occasion were governors from Sokoto, Niger and Kano, while deputy governors from Gombe and Jigawa states were also in attendance.

From left, Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; Leader of the Senate delegation, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya; Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Igoyota Amori, during a condolence visit to the governor, by the Senate, over the demise of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame, Atuwase II, in Asaba.

Recovery of N24bn mischief, PDP tells el-Rufai MuhammadSabiu-Kaduna THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Stakeholders’ Forum in Kaduna has said the recent statement credited to the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government led by Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai that it had recovered N24bn was total mischief and propaganda. This was contained in a communiqué issued to Sunday Tribune and

signed by an elder of the party, Alhaji Rabiu Bako, at the end of its meeting in Kaduna. It said the funds in question were not stolen but rather saved in government coffers by the previous PDP government. While thanking the people of Kaduna for their support, it disclosed “we want to state categorically and in very clear terms that our great party is intact, alive,

strong and more united than ever before. The communiqué faulted the policies of the APC government under el-Rufai and concluded that “APC has no positive agenda whatsoever for the betterment of the ordinary people. “Instead, it seems to be bent on returning the state to the dark days of military dictatorship with inhuman policies.” The statement added, “it

has no clear programme for economic, social, education and insfrastructural advancement of Kaduna state. “So, with these present realities on the ground,it is clear that democracy, and more importantly, the people of the state are in serious dilemma. “PDP hopes to restore democracy and respect for human feelings in the near future, of course, with the support of the masses.”

Dwindling oil price: Okowa challenges NASS to proffer solution AS Nigeria grapples with the effects of dwindling oil price, Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has challenged members of the National Assembly to proffer solution to the situation. Governor Okowa gave the challenge on Saturday when a delegation from the Senate, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba. The Senators, which included the minority leader, Godswill Akpabio; James Manager; Ighoyota Amori; Peter Nwaoboshi; Ishiaka Adeleke; Theodore Orji, among others, were in Delta State to commiserate with the government, its people and condole the Itsekiri nation on the demise of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II. According to Okowa, the National Assembly has a lot

of experienced Nigerians who can proffer solutions to the economic crisis facing the country. “We are in very trying times and we believe that with the kind of men we have both in the Senate and

in the House of Representatives, that you will help us think through to find ways of stabilising both the resources and the governance of our nation in such a manner that will be in the best interest of our people,” he

said. He thanked the Senate for commiserating with Delta State government, its people and the Itsekiri nation on the demise of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase II, stating that the deceased

was “a very powerful royal father, a man of peace who made his contributions to the growth of our state and the nation but this visit has shown that Nigerians appreciate him more than we thought.”

Dual citizenship: Voters get order to serve Oyo APC Senator through NASS clerk By Dare Adekanmbi FIVE voters from Oyo Central Senatorial District of Oyo State, who dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator, Monsurat Sunmonu, to court over alleged dual citizenship, on Thursday, secured an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for substituted service of the court process on her through the clerk of the National Assembly. Justice E.S. Chukwu

granted the order following an ex parte motion brought before him by the claimants over the inability of the court bailiff to effect service on Senator Sunmonu in her office. The electorate, in the suit number FHC/ABJ/ CS/760/201 filed on September 14, are praying the court to declare the office vacant for non-conformity with constitutional requirement and an order compelling the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to her. Also included in the reliefs sought is an order of perpetual injunction restraining Sunmonu from parading herself as a senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial district, on account of Sunmonu having sworn to an oath of allegiance to the UK government. Marked as exhibit C,

among the various documents accompanying the originating summons, is a certified true copy of Sunmonu’s nomination form in which she said she voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the UK Non-qualification to stand for election is also one of the grounds upon which Chief Bisi Ilaka, Accord Party senatorial candidate in the disputed March 28 election is also challenging her victory.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

life&living Dancing with the dead

Pallbearers have become so glamorous in recent times that people now look forward to them at burial ceremonies, OLAIDE SOKOYA reports.

A James Ajagbe was a brave, intelligent and hardworking man loved by all. Dressed in multicoloured agbada with abetiaja cap, shoes lined with beads, he jumped and danced, full of joy and excitement. He danced, not just with his body but from the heart. He radiated love and joy. The verve and exhilaration of the dance attracted people of all ages to the sheer pleasure of moving to music, and the physical closeness. Perhaps, Pa Ajagbe never knew he has dead. All he knew was that he danced to his satisfaction. The ovation was so loud that everyone at the occasion forgot they were at a burial ceremony. The dance steps exhibited by the crop of young men present blew the minds of people, because they recognised it as demonstrating “the highest level of respect” for the deceased. All this was done with the help of pallbearers. They were immaculately dressed, in black bowler hats, tails, burnt-orange ties, vests and white gloves. Their swinging movements synchronised with the gospel music carefully chosen by the team’s dedicated choreographer and drillmaster. These are young men who dance with the dead, not just bearers of the pall! A pallbearer is one of the several participants who help to carry the casket of a deceased person at a funeral. A pall, which recalls the white garment given at baptism, as well as the resurrection of Christ at Easter, is the heavy, usually white cloth that is draped over a coffin. Pallbearers carry the casket from the funeral coach (hearse) into the church for the funeral service, and then carry it out at the end of the service. These days, they are increasingly popular at Christian burial ceremonies in Nigeria.

‘It’s against Yoruba culture’ But how did the new culture of burying the dead with pomp and ceremony begin? Is the new way of entertaining the bereaved and guests on the way to the cemetery a better option than the mournful or serene ceremonies of yesteryears? In an interaction with Sunday Tribune, one of the sons of HRM Adesoji Aderemi, a late Ooni of Ife, Prince Adetowo Aderemi, explained that pallbearers were not used in Yoruba land in bygone years, as people were buried immediately after death. He added that those who conveyed corpses to their final resting place were usually relations of the deceased. “In the olden days, people were buried immediately after they died. Some were even buried inside their houses. So there was no question of conveying corpses from one place to another. The people that helped in carrying corpses then were the in-laws or close friends of the deceased,” he said. Aderemi added that a dead person was usually buried amidst crying, and that some people even hired professional mourners, for people to know that they were really mourning their beloved who just passed away. “These days, however, things have changed. Pallbearers have taken the place of in-laws of the deceased. A corpse can now be delayed for months or years before it is buried. We now move corpses from one place to another and this is where pallbearers come in. ‘’It ought not to be so. Dancing with the dead is not in our culture; it is a borrowed culture from Britain. A dead person should be buried immediately and must not be delayed or embalmed,” Aderemi argued. While not disputing Prince Aderemi’s views, Mr Sunday Ajayi, Director of Home Care Funeral, noted that pallbear-

ers normally performed a vital function in reducing the stress and sorrow associated with funeral ceremonies. He noted that they do some acrobatic shows to make people happy during a burial that is supposed to be a moment of mourning. He claimed that, considering the statistics of people who die in Nigeria today, “if one continues to cry in all instances, it means that more people would die as a result of excessive grief. So, we add glamour to funerals to take people’s minds off perpetual agony. It is to divert people’s minds from the sorrowful aspect to the joyful side of people’s demise, because there are so much deaths these days, unlike what used to be the case. “We normally come out in full costumes for the burial of aged people from 70 years upwards. We call it celebration of life for those who lived long, and not for the ‘gone too soon’ category. It is just to celebrate a life well spent with the family of the deceased.” Still, Pastor Mayowa Feyiji of Christ Mercy International Ministry said dancing with the dead was uncalled for, being both unbiblical and unethical. He noted: “The Bible makes it clear that when someone dies, there is no relationship with the living and the dead anymore. In the past, a dead person was buried immediately but due to civilisation, everything has changed. “We now celebrate a person that died even at a prime age, like 40 and 50 years, which is not ideal. We shouldn’t allow civilisation to overshadow us. Let us go back to our former ways of life which gave us peace of mind. There is no place in the Bible that states we should be dancing with the corpse of a person that is dead; it is just a social malady.” continues on pg 11

life&living

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Paying last respects in grand style continued from pg 10

Encounter with ghosts? On the general belief that many pallbearers usually have encounters with ghosts, Mr Eyindero Abiola, a pallbearer, laughed off such a suggestion or belief, saying he did not know anything called ghosts. He said he had not encountered any since he started the work. He said: “By the time I get home at night, all I desperately want to do is to shower and sleep. When my head touches my pillows, I fall asleep. If one has a strong Christian background, the way I do, there is no need to believe in things like that, because God is always sufficient for us. Moreover, burying the dead is a humanitarian job because if we don’t do it, others will, although it may not be professionally done.” Another pallbearer, Olanrewaju Adetona, added that the spirit of the dead had nothing to do with the living, affirming that the idea of ghosts is just a superstition. Secrets behind the dancing On whether there are any secrets behind the dancing, Adetona said: “We are all catching fun and giving the deceased the last respects he deserved on behalf of the children and family members. We don’t dance at the funeral of people between the ages of 40 and 50. But as from 60 years upwards, it is a celebration of life. “Dancing is what anybody can do; after all, we all dance in the church and at parties. So, dancing at burial ceremonies should not be condemned. Who really can be called upon to carry any corpse nowadays? Even the deceased’s children often cannot. That’s where we come in.” Since people accept that death is inevitable, Adetona noted, the business of pallbearers has become generally accepted in Nigeria. In some places, he said, in-laws are called upon to carry a casket even though they are not trained to do so. “Now, it is the duty of pallbearers to take care of everything that has to do with funerals. These days, members of the family do not have to come out of their homes until the burial day. In the past, when a man died, his widow would, in addition to the pain of the loss, get involved in planning the burial ceremonies. Nowadays, that is not necessary.” Perception Naturally, pallbearers are perceived in different ways by different people. Profescontinued on pg 12

It is obscene seeing a corpse being thrown up and down during funerals. This has removed soberness out of the burial rites. There should be sober reflection during burial ceremonies

We take people’s minds off mourning and crying —Adetona Mr Olanrewaju Adetona, is the manager of Optimal Funeral and also a pallbearer. In this interview with OLAIDE SOKOYA, he speaks on his experiences on the job.

HAT qualification does one need to become a pallbearer? There is no educational qualification. Inasmuch as a person is physically fit and tall, he is qualified to be a pallbearer. We have people to train them for months; after that, the person would be following us to outings for practicals, to see how we dance, the different ways we carry coffins, and we comport ourselves. There are differences between pallbearers and undertakers. Undertakers are people selling coffins; they organise funerals and call on music bands. What motivated you to join the business? I have been into this business since 1998 when I finished my school start. I started in the as a church boy. I was a member of a choir and a drummer. Later, a man invited me and some of my friend to form a band with him. In 2005, we were invited to play for him at a funeral, we join those of Ebony Funeral, Lagos. When we got there, we were trained to suit their own standards. They taught us styles of dancing steps, mode of dancing and so on for months. From there, we decided to have our own funeral home. How do you feel when you see

garding the person that died. We believe in proper farewell for the dead. The only thing that can make me feel ashamed is for me to work with any company that does not have a reputable name. If I am working with a reputable company, I am always happy. You would see me dancing as if am the deceased next of kin (laughs). You would see so many people using their phones and ipads to video us. Infact, they would have forgotten they were at a burial.

Olanrewaju Adetona someone you know? There is nothing to be ashamed of. My job is my hobby; I have pleasure in doing my job. I am a Christian and, as a Christian, I don’t have any bad impression re-

Have you ever had any bad experience in the course of your job? I have never experience it, but I do hear of such. In fact, I am praying to God to let me witness one. I have worked with people in mortuaries. Recently, I was there when they are embalming a corpse, I told the corpse: ‘Stand up now and let me see you’, just for me to experience any strange thing. I call it superstition or friction. When a person is dead, he or she is dead for life. A dead corpse cannot wake up again. If you see a dead corpse that wakes up, he or she is not dead, maybe he/she fainted and went into a coma and then got mistakenly packed treated as a corpse. The only difference between the living and the dead is that we breathe, walk and talk, which the dead cannot do.

life&living

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘It is better than robbery’ continued from pg 11

sor Dipo Kolawole, a former vice chancellor, University of Ado –Ekiti, now Ekiti State University (EKSU), noted that even though there is nothing basically wrong with the profession, its practice has gone out of hands in recent times. He said: “The pallbearer’s profession is alright but the practice has gone out of hands these days. There should be maturity in doing the job but people are now portraying them as juvenile. It has become a mockery of the dead rather than a celebration of the dead.” Kolawole’s sentiments were echoed by Professor Yisa Kehinde Yussuf, a globally renowned scholar on proverbs and gender, and former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University ( OAU), who noted that the pall-bearing profession did not exist in Yoruba land in the days gone by. Currently, he noted, the profession has removed sobriety and seriousness from the all important task of burying the dead. According to Yusuf, “There was nothing like pallbearers in the past, unlike now that it has become a means of living. It is obscene seeing a corpse being thrown up and down during funerals. This has removed soberness out of the burial rites. There should be sober reflection during burial ceremonies. As for me, I don’t want my corpse to be treated that way. There is nothing wrong with the profession, but the way it is done is wrong and the practitioners need to be cautioned.’’ For her part, Mrs Olumayowa Aregbesola, a civil servant based in Ondo State, said she saw nothing bad in the job, since it is better than armed robbery. Recounting a personal experience, she said: ‘’ I attended a burial ceremony in Ondo State and there was a little girl of about six or seven years among the pallbearers. The girl was at the front with

Prince Adetowo Aderemi

Professor Dipo Kolawole

a flower in her hand. She collected not less than N20,000 for just dancing alone. I think the girl must be the daughter of the manager of the group. I liked their dancing steps, the way they tossed the coffin. It took our minds off the mourning and gave us the impression that the deceased lived and died well.’’ In a similar vein, an Ibadan-based businessman, Mayowa Adeniji, told Sunday Tribune that pall-bearing is just a way of showing last respects to the dead. “It is a good

and decent job, only that it requires strength and energy. I always look forward to seeing them at burial ceremonies, just to feel relaxed with their performances,” he confessed. Like Adeniji, Mr Onu Stephen, a teacher based in Lagos, believes that dancing for the dead is not bad. Indeed, he said, it is a legitimate means for the nation’s youths to earn a living. The pallbearers, he said, “are humans like us and we shouldn’t drag them into disrepute. In fact, it is a good and rewarding job for our youths.”

As the waters raged in Niger, the rich also cried... A recent downpour in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State wreaked havoc in no fewer than 500 riverine communities, sacking the residence of the state deputy governor. OLADIPO ADELOWO, who visited the areas, reports the plight of the victims and the efforts to bring relief.

IGER State deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammad Ketso, is no happy man at the moment. He suffered a personal loss in the ongoing flood disaster ravaging over 500 communities in parts of the state in recent times. His personal three-bedroom flat in his home town, Ketso, a riverine community in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state, was submerged by the flood. Indeed, but for the relocation of his immediate family members to the state capital shortly after his inauguration by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, on May 29 this year, it is difficult to imagine what further damage could have been inflicted by the angry waters. Also sacked by the raging flood was a block of classrooms and the administrative block of the only public primary school in the community with a population of about 30 pupils, and several other residential houses in both the town and other neighbouring riverine communities in the council areas. Indeed, a recent report had recently indicated that Ketso is one of the ancient towns in the council that had suffered neglect over the years by successive administrations in the state, even though the people had always lamented lack of government presence in terms of provision of social amenities. The estimated population of Ketso alone was put at well over 3,000 people. Other villages that were affected by the flood included Zhiwu, Old Muregi, Cegama, Ekpegi, Kpoto, Wuci and Tate. Sunday Tribune learnt that these villages were completely disconnected from one another, as the flood took over all the access roads linking the villages, thereby forcing residents to travel through the waterways by canoes and without life jackets, which further endangered their lives. The incident forced the state government to send a high-powered delegation led by the state’s Surveyor-General and comprising top officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), journalists

One of the communities submerged by the flood and the governor’s media aides, on an inspection tour of Ketso last Monday. The journey was a very hectic one given the terrain from Mokwa township and the headquarters of Mokwa Local Government, to Likpata village where the team had to disembark from their vehicles and board canoes, with everyone putting on life jackets to avoid drowning. The team met houses submerged by flood and with the residents displaced. “The devastation caused by the flood has affected farm lands, houses and many animals. It has also affected the only primary school in Ketso. There is also the possibility of health hazards due to water borne diseases that may eventually erupt, while the absence of medical facilities such as health care centres, as well as health workers, might worsen the situation,” a worried indigene stated.

But trouble still lies ahead. The situation of people in the areas might become more pathetic as Shiroro, Jebba and Kainji Hydro Power dams will soon release excess water from their plants, now that the dams were almost filled to the brim. In an interview with Sunday Tribune, the village head of Ketso, Alhaji Idris Alhassan Ketso, decried the suffering faced by the victims already displaced by the flood. Saying that relief was beyond the provision of relief materials, he appealed that the state government and other relevant agencies should find a lasting solutions to the people’s pains by evacuating them to a new settlement. However, youths in the affected communities expressed their appreciation to the state government for rising to the occasion by sending a delegation to assess the level of damage caused by the flood.

life&living

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Paying last respects in grand style continued from pg 10

It is obscene seeing a corpse being thrown up and down during funerals. This has removed soberness out of the burial rites. There should be sober reflection during burial ceremonies

life&living

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘It is better than robbery’ continued from pg 11

Prince Adetowo Aderemi

Professor Dipo Kolawole

13 Continued from

11 October, 2015 last week

PART from both being complementary, it will be seen from what I will say presently that the best in politics derives from and is firmly rooted in religious ideals. Four examples are enough to establish this assertion. First, one of the aims of Religion is to teach a man to love his neighbour as himself and to do unto others as he would like them to do unto him. We are also taught that God is no respecter of man. All are equal before Him. It is a fundamental principle and an accepted practice under a good government that all citizens are equal in the eye of the law, enjoying and rendering reciprocal rights and duties. Negatively, every citizen is forbidden, under pain of legal sanctions, from so conducting his affairs that he becomes a nuisance or a menace to this neighbours. Positively, under law, he must so live his life that he is at peace at all times with his fellow men. Second, in all great religions, women are treated on the basis of equality with men. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the most outstanding exemplar in this respect. Today, politicians all over the civilised world are eloquent in their advocacy for equal treatment for all persons irrespective of sex. In doing so, they are merely reflecting in public life the unparalleled example of our Lord. Thirdly, many of the Fundamental Human Rights, particularly the three Freedoms of Conscience, of Religions. Many Prophets, Saints and Evangelists have suffered pain or death because they dared to exercise their freedom of conscience and of expression. It was for this noble and imperishable cause that John the Baptist was executed, that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and Mohamed for a while fled his home in Mecca. Many great names in Politics drawing their inspiration from Religion also suffered or died for the same cause. It was for this cause that Socrates was sentenced to drink the hemlock to death. Fourth, in my considered and settled opinion, the best political ideal for mankind is Democratic Socialism which is founded, among others, on the principles of the wellbeing of the individual, and brotherhood among all men irrespective of creed, colour and race. The fundamental concept of Socialism is: ‘From each according to his ability and to each according to his need.’ This concept has its root in the teachings and practices of great Religions through the ages. Thus far I have endeavourd to show that Politics is not only complementary to Religion but also that the most beneficial political system derives its strength from the tenets and practices of the great Religions. Except un-

Awo’s thoughts VOICE OF REASON

Politics and religion A lecture given to students at the Adventist College of West African, Ilishan-Remo, on 27th July, 1961. der Communism where Religion or Belief in God is suppressed, and unless we wished to revert to Theocracy which has long been out of fashion, Government (and hence Politics) and Religion must exist side by side working hand in hand for the good of man. The tragedy of these modem times is that in some case, there is so much lack

A religious organisation should never allow itself to be regarded as the mouthpiece and instrument of the powers-thatbe . If did, it would sink or swim with the government concerned; and in any case it would no longer be well-placed to tell the truth as it knows it

Sunday Tribune

of understanding among some religious leaders that they ‘are intolerant of some of the maneuvres of politicians. In other cases, religious leaders have allowed themselves to be completely subordinated to governmental institution to the extent that some religious organisations are mere arms or projections of the Government. Religious leaders need not be intolerant of politicians or of their manoeuvres for vantage position. Our Lord lived in an age of political intrigues and tyranny of the worst kind. Yet He did not hesitate to say in reply to His tempters, ‘Render unto Caesar the things-which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. There -is more meaning to this famous saying of our Lord’s than a brilliant display of wit or a shattering out-maneuvering of His adversaries. He does mean that His hearers should obey God as well as Government which is the constituted authority for the management of material human affairs. But since the earthly authority is ordained by God, it is easy to infer that where Caesar’s behests are manifestly repugnant to the injunctions of God, the latter must be made to prevail whatever the consequences. A Christian must, however, sleek by Christian methods to make the win of God sovereign and supreme in the society where he,lives. The aim of Religion is the dissemination of truth — truth about the Will of God for the-guidance of man. To know the truth and to uphold it is the only sure avenue to freedom and happiness. It follows that in order that it may discharge its functions, a religious organisation must be independent of Government and its patronage and must never be subordinated to its dictates or whims. Otherwise, the sole compass by means of which the masses of believers must be guided in their spiritual pursuits on the confused and stormy ocean of life becomes thwarted and unreliable. A Religious Organisation should never allow itself to be regarded as the mouthpiece and instrument of the powersthat-be. If did, it would sink or swim with the Government concerned; and in any case it would no longer be well-placed to tell the truth as it knows it. It is incumbent upon government and politicians to conduct their affairs in strict accordance with religious teaching and ethical standards. ‘Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong,’ says Daniel O’Connell. Therefore, when politicians do the right, they can rest assured that they will be covered in a favourable manner by the non-partisan detached and fearless pronouncement of religious leaders of undoubted uprightness and godliness.

To be continued

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15 homes&interior

11 October, 2015

No matter how beautiful a kitchen is, it is a failed project if not efficient —TMC CEO A graduate of Linguistics and Communication from the University of Calabar turned interior designer, Mrs Maureen Ojiego , the Chief Executive Officer of TMC Interiors, based in Ibadan, Oyo State, in this interview with OLARONKE JAIYEOLA, speaks on her passion for interior designing, achieving goals and objectives in the vast, but competitive interior market and the various ways to design a functional and beautiful kitchen, irrespective of space, among other issues.

onsidering the fact that interior designing is vast and in a competitive market, why did you choose to go into the business? I agree it is a competitive market, but we all have different driving forces. For me, first of all, it’s the passion. I love to work on spaces, I live and dream spaces and against popular misconceptions, I believe everyone can live like royalty even on a small budget. I’ve come to understand that your space helps to define your personality and most often than not, we see people spending money on brands rather than on functionality and safety. I see a lot of mismatch and non-functional, but beautiful spaces; I see office spaces whose work output could have been effectively improved, but for dysfunctional design and furniture plan. I see houses/spaces with obvious building defaults that could easily be corrected with some interior design options. All these led me to come to the realisation that I could be paid to live my passion.

dustry. Tell us about the prospects of the business? There are lots of prospects in this business. You could set up your own interior design consultancy, which could be a general consultancy or specialise in residential design, kitchen and bathroom designs or commercial projects, such as retail stores or offices. You could also work for an existing design firm or if sales is your thing, you could consider a career in a retail showroom, specialising in kitchen and bathroom wares, flooring, lighting or furniture. Another option would be to open your own home wares retail store, offering a styling and decorating service to customers as a sideline.

What is the motivation/ inspiration? My inspiration comes from nature and the environment and also from design trends, while my motivation comes from the smiles and the joy on the faces of our clients when we’re done with their project. We love to wow our clients and their positive feedback What is your apand referrals keep us motivated. We live ev- proach to kitchen de- Mrs Maureen Ojiego eryday hoping to see more of those smiles. signs? How do you help clients choose maKitchen is really the soul of a house and How is your interior design busi- is used for more than just cooking, but also terials? Budget is important. Once I have an idea ness funded? for congregating; so it needs to be put in the Interior design can sometimes be a capital context of the home’s public place. In a lot of the client’s budget, it helps me to choose intensive business to set up, especially main- of older houses, kitchens tend to be isolated what samples to present to them. We don’t ly for those who decide to have a showroom and small, but today, people want a kitchen want to sell an idea and materials to a client in conjunction with consulting arm. When I that incorporates both a workspace and a ca- and then realise they can’t afford it. I also like to create a mood board for the materials, as decided that this was what I wanted to do, I sual space for dining or even working. this helps with decision making, because if it started putting aside some amount of money from my earnings and with major support What are people looking for in a doesn’t look good as a set, most times, they don’t look good in a larger context. from my husband and some from family and kitchen? friends, I was able to start. Now, clients fund People always look out for beauty, storWhat are the desirable design eletheir projects. age; lots of it and above all, an efficient work space. No matter how beautiful a kitchen is, ments in a kitchen? Lights; I love to throw lights everywhere— How long have you been in the busi- it is a failed project if it is not efficient. This in the cabinets, at work surfaces and natural ness? also applies to all spaces. light adds a very nice touch too. Lights do Officially, we opened five years ago, but I had been into the business for about three How do you create a kitchen that in- wonders for a kitchen. years before then. corporates both workspace and a caWhat best piece of advice would you sual hanging out space? Are there challenges? This depends largely on the size and layout give to someone designing a kitchen? Get/set a budget. Whether you’re deSure, just as with all other businesses, we of the kitchen; in a reasonably sized kitchen, face and overcome challenges in our day to I’d use an island with seating, works eight signing your kitchen or you’re an interior day running, ranging from that which ap- out of 10 times, creating a dining section also designer, designing a client’s kitchen, getplies to almost everyone doing business in works and in a small space I look into cre- ting a budget helps a lot. There are lots of Nigeria e.g. electricty, corruption, etc to that ating a breakfast nook or a pull out dinning line items to purchase; if money is tight which is restricted to our niche, but like I with in-built seating. There are many ways you splurge on what is most important said, we overcome them and are very grate- to achieve this, but it depends on layout and to you/your client. We don’t want to get to the point of purchasing a cooker hob ful for the opportunity to be running the size. and find out that you can’t afford your business. What are the key elements to look choice, especially if it was really important to you / your client. Realising you could Your educational and professional out for in an ideal kitchen? background? The kitchen triangle or at least the philoso- have saved money on handles, faucets, etc I have a B.Sc honours degree in Linguis- phy behind it, which is a flow from the fridge helps no one at this point. tics and Communications from the Uni- to the sink to the stove; a kitchen is not sucWhat advice would you give upcomversity of Calabar. In order to realise my cessful unless you’ve solved this. A hood is passion for interior design, I took a course pretty important too, especially if you’re trying interior designers? It’s a tough market, but it’s big enough for on interior designs at the British College ing to incorporate a casual hanging area in a of Interiors Designs alongside other short kitchen. Also, the long term maintainability us all. Keep educating and updating yourself courses in England. To gather requisite of the space is very important; a kitchen is on new trends and don’t let the passion burn out. knowledge, I attended the prestigious pan- too expensive to redo every other year. African university, where I studied entreWhat kind of wood is best for kitchWhat are the best storage solutions preneurial management and also bagged a en cabinets? for ideal kitchen? certificate for women in export. I also atDepending on who is building it, the look Pull out storage cabinets; they help with tend a lot of exhibitions both within and you hope to achieve and if its commercial or outside the country, as these help in keep- private, but I almost always go with natural storage maximisation and visual clutter reduction. ing me abreast of trends in the design in- wood over processed wood.

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Price hints

Kitchen accessories and utensils

Pressure cooker------5,400 Air Fryer------35,000 Spill stopper lid----N1,500 Cordless Electric Kettle---- N2,500 Coffee maker------ N7,500 Ice crusher--------N8,500 BBQ Charcoal grill-------N2,700 Hot Plate------N2,800 4 Slice Toaster ------N5,000 Illuminating Glass Kettle ------N5,000 Slow Cooker----N17,500 Non stick Pancake maker -------N4,000 Double burner Hot plate-----N3,800 2 Burner gas cooker-------- N6,000 – 10,500 Water purifier------ N12,000 Potato cutter-----N1,300 Multifunction juicer-------N1,000 Dish drainer---------N3,850 3-piece non stick frying pan------N2,000 Easy-to-use pancake pan---------N5,400 Multipurpose Tin Cutter-------N1000 Fish scaler------N600 Gas lighter------N470 Knife Sharpner-----NN1,120 Double layer dish rack-------N4,200 Snail tong------N950 Gas regulator with meter-----N2,700 Electronic gas lighter-----------N1,900 Liquid soap dispenser-------N1,200 Bamboo placemats---------N1,500 Blender juicer---------N10,000 Whistling kettle--------N2,300- 2,700 Multicoloured kitchen knife -----N2,300 Multifunctional slicer--------N1,000 Slotted spoon-----N340 Non stick kitchen spoon set-------N1,500 3 piece egg whisk---------N950 Bottle opener------N300 Knife holder------N1,000 Manual meat mincer/grinder-----N2,500 Multipurpose glass shopping board-N900 Juice Extractor-------N970 Double egg slicer-------N500 Cup sponge-------780 Electronic kitchen scale-----N3,800 Non stick cookware-------N5,000 Ceramic coffee mug-----N500 4 burner standing gas cooker------N22,600, 27,000-80,000 (Depending on brand) Table gas-------N11,300 -12,000 based on brand Double door freezer---------N78,300 Small Chest Freezer--------N51,900-68,400 Medium Freezer------N60,200N85,000 based on brand Big freezers-----------N65,600 - N88,200 Double door Refrigerator-------N68,638 - N112,500 Bedside fridge-------N21,000 Water Dispenser------N25,400 Tumble Dryer washing machine -------N72,765

11 October, 2015

HOEVER emerges Osun ministerial nominee has immediate, short and long term implications for the politics of Governor Rauf Aregbesola now and later. What was considered a two-way race is now three-horse battle, with the governor right in the middle of the triangular war. There are now three viable candidates with three powerful supporting blocs. Even if Aregbesola withdrew his support for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola today in deference to his leader, Senator Bola Tinubu who is backing his rumoured blood and Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, former President Olusegun Obasanjo will certainly not dump the Okuku prince. While the governor was still weighing his options between the nominees of two huge forces who incidentally have not secured any state nomination in the South-West, his Ijesa stock has weighed in, putting him under intense pressure with futuristic political calculation that could deny Ijesa, political visibility if one of its own didn’t make it as minister now. This is the arithmetic. Unless providential, Ijesa won’t have a shot at governorship until 40 years. If one is not made a minister now, there would be no representation for the race when the governor steps down in 2018. Osun West is expected to have the governor, at least by APC’s arrangement. PDP can’t even in good conscience present an Ijesa candidate. Whatever is zoned to East, Ife is expected to have it. Both Oyinlola and Oyetola are from Osun Central where Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Lasun is from. In 2018, Central will have either of deputy governor or state assembly Speaker, though Lasun and Oyetola are reportedly eyeing the governor’s seat. The political realities are the driving force of Ijesa leaders and elders. Two seasoned professionals from Ijesa axis have been put forward. Subtle reminder of “ile labo sinmi oko” (one’s home is real place of rest after service) keeps ringing in Ogbeni’s ears. Interpretations will surely differ but isn’t politics about planning ahead. No, Oliseh. Yes Pinnick Three iconic images of Sunday Oliseh’s service, as a footballer, to fatherland, have been indelible. The most animated is the celebration of the third goal against Spain at France 98, his screamer which flattened Andoni Zubizaretta. The saddest was Nations Cup 2000 final. Cameroon denied us gold with the anguish of the moment eternally captured on the tear-drenched freckled-vis-

Given the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari to clip the wings of corruption, there are signs that Nigeria will get better. By going after former political office holders who pillaged the nation’s treasury, a signal is sent to those who may be nursing the same idea that there will not be any haven for them to hide or savour their ill-gotten wealth. It is also gratifying that even members of the opposition are queuing behind the president in his determination not only to recover the nation’s looted funds but to also ensure that the culprits keep their appointments with justice. However, good as this development is, it will not get us anywhere until the searchlight is beamed on the public service. The Nigerian public service is particularly corrupt; its orientation is perverted, its actions crooked and the outcome can only be warped. The public servant sees his post as a honey pot. He does not see himself as employed to render service, rather he believes his desk is an avenue for self enrichment and aggrandisement. He does not see himself as working for the state; it is the state working for him. Thus, the service is riddled with corruption and since corruption breeds inefficiency, the hallmark of the Nigerian public service is inefficiency. Outré as it may sound, Nigerian public servants are more corrupt than the politicians; they are also largely richer than political office holders. While only former governors and presidents are likely to have stacked billions of naira illegally, many of the nation’s civil servants are billionaires. The millionaires in their midst are the ‘small boys’, the big boys are billionaires and this has got nothing to do with their level in service. There are Level 7 officers in the civil service who are billionaires and they make no effort to conceal their ill-gotten lucre. They live like kings, flaunt their stolen wealth and dare anyone to ask questions. The nation was shocked not too long ago when then chairman of the Pension Review Task Force told the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service and States and Local Governments that some officials of

0811 695 4647

olanreade@yahoo.com

Osun’s ‘tricky’ ministerial slot

age of Captain Oliseh. The third was a risky venture in the quarters against Senegal on February 7, when he opted to play in 80th minute despite being ruled out sick. That was stuff of real leaders. You are deserving of your nation when you make sacrifices. With or without coaching experience, Oliseh and Nigeria are deserving of each other. I remember following the process leading to his engagement as Super Eagles’ manager. With their sensibilities already dulled by NFF/Stephen Keshi everyday tango and the sustained tantrums of the latter, Nigerians welcomed Oliseh’s coming despite the obvious liabilities, at least to save their eardrums from the brickbats between Keshi and NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick whose overt self-confidence makes him to appear cocky. Pinnick also seems to have come to the job to deflate equally-egoistic Keshi.

With Sulaimon Olanrewaju 08055001708

lanresulaimon@yahoo.com

Cleaning the Augean stable

the Pensions Office falsified documents to withdraw N24 billion instead of N3.5billion required and approved by the Budget Office for the payment of pension. It was also revealed that a primary school teacher in Kebbi State was illegally paid N3m each month; he took 10 per cent and refunded the rest to his pension staff partner. Interestingly, the chairman of the task force, who gave the revelation, was also alleged to have embezzled N21 billion of the fund. Meanwhile, pensioners, who had spent their useful years in service to their fatherland, are subjected to

Sunday Tribune

The clinical way he replaced Keshi with Oliseh still reeks of a script. But is there anything wrong in coming to a job with a “blue-print” even if such would consume others? The only snag in its execution is the promised change looking the same of old. Apart from Christian Chukwu, other home-made Super Eagles’ coaches have fallen to the same malady of dressing-room shenanigans and cast-in-iron narrow-mindedness in relating with attentionseeking senior players. All that fell before Oliseh, who is also inexorably doomed to fall if he does not change his “management” style, lost it to lack of most crucial experience in coaching; ‘player management’, with the most painful, being supporters-sweetheart, Samson Siasia. On this page, I warned Siasia when he started similar open war-of-attrition against his star-players. I told him Nigerians who were hailing him as a disciplinarian would demand his head if results didn’t meet expectations. When players stopped ‘playing for him’ and we lost qualification for 2012 Nations Cup, the much-hailed World Cup coach became the butt of crude jokes. A sympathetic NFF couldn’t even save his much-desired job. The paradigm shift in coaching concept is obviously underlined by the increase in the population of blueblood professionals who always arrive on the stage with their sublime skills and destructive attitudes, both tightly packaged in their boots and astronomical fees. Hot-tempered royalty managers also litter the game. But administrators like Pinnick balance the terror of billionaire stars and managers with king-size ego, with middlemen known as team psychologists. Serious administrators unlike Pinnick pay as much attention to critical back-room staff as they do the publicity-hugging managers. Oliseh was a hot-head as a player. He has obviously not outgrown unrestrained anger. But that should not disqualify him as a national coach. Being hot-headed has nothing to do with age. There are crazy old men out there. Anger therapy does little. That emotion is a demon. It can only be exorcised. Laid-back managers aren’t also good for the needed fighting spirit in the team, while combustible ones are hardly needed in the dressing-room. The balance is shoring up the back-room. From the accounts of the crisis between Oliseh and Nigeria’s most-capped captain goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, without joining the blame-trade, certain issues point at certain mindset and conclusions, waiting for events to validate. .To be continued next week

unnecessary and unwarranted agony of delayed pension payment. In the public service, it is unusual to have services rendered without the expectation of gratification; the messenger who carries the file expects to be tipped, the clerk who treats the file wants his palm greased, the officer who approves the project believes he should be ‘compensated’ and the finance director and the permanent secretary who see to the release of the cheque expect 10 per cent of the value of the project as ‘royalty’. No political office holder can steal a farthing from the treasury without the active collaboration of a civil servant; no politician receives the allocation meant for his office directly, it is routed through civil servants. Political office holders do not pay contractors, they are paid by civil servants. The approving authority for the release of funds in a ministry is neither the commissioner nor the minister; it is the permanent secretary. So, the power to stop wastage in government establishments is vested in civil servants but unfortunately the Nigerian civil service is peopled majorly by men and women in love with the filthy lucre. Rather than discourage the politician from stealing from the till, the civil servant is more interested in teaching him how to pillage without leaving a trace. So, for Nigeria’s Augean stable to be cleaned, the lifestyles of public officers must come under scrutiny. The appropriate government agencies must go after officers living above their incomes and they must be made to account for their excess funds. Those found guilty should not just be jailed but must also have their possessions confiscated. The orientation that public service is an avenue for easy money has to change; every one found guilty of receiving gratification must face the music. Unless definitive steps are taken to clip the wings of public servants who see looting the treasury, in connivance with political office holders, as a right, the roads we build will not last, our refineries will not function well, our schools will remain dilapidated, electricity supply will remain epileptic and our hospitals will continue to lack facilities.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Nollywood stars are

fading away —Lancelot Imaseun Sharp practice trails AMAA •As Oronto Douglas wins posthumous award

It is a task for men to admire me —Iyaibadan

Glo splashes new cars on PSqaure

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Tade Makinde tademt2@yahoo.com 08055001753

Victor Oladokun to host coson Victor Oladokun will be the host of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in the Church, the day of prayer and invocation that will also feature Nigerian gospel singers. COSON in the Church is the first of the seven massive events of COSON WEEK which will hold in Lagos from November 1 to 7. According to Chairman, Copyright Society of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, “Victor has been chosen because he has the talent, the education and the experience. It is in similar vein that we chose the KICC Prayer Dome as our venue. The red carpet, which holds on Sunday, November 1 will be beamed live. “We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure that COSON in the Church leaves deep memories in the minds of everyone with the opportunity to witness the historic event. The special invitation cards to the show will be in circulation in the coming days. The red carpet will be plush. People are coming from different parts of the world to be part of this event. As we get ready to produce a show of the highest international quality, our instruction to all our operatives is to leave no stone unturned to make COSON in the Church unforgettable,” Okoroji stated.

Yabatech Film Academy kicks off next year By Seyi Sokoya

Sharp practice allegation trails AMAA Tickets sold for profit as Afolayan, others win Oronto Douglas wins post-humous award

lleged sharp practice by an official of the organiser of Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) put a dent on the event which held on September 26 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Furious journalists who had been listed to report the event were stranded at the Muritala International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos as an official, (names withheld), sold tickets that should have been given to accredited journalists for personal gains. Three journalists who left the airport in protest separately told R that the official sold tickets that were meant for them to the public, “even to those who had nothing to do with AMAA in S\A.” The South African embassy had opened its doors to Nigerians who already had visas to the country the opportunity to be at AMAA as long as they could buy tickets, while journalists who had visas or not, but would be issued one if they

Wavey tunes from SOLD13R Nigerian-born UK artiste, SOLD13R, who came to the fore with the UK group ‘Ill Cartel, is set to release a single entitled ‘Wavey’ The track features UK sensation Tilla, just as the video will be released together with the single. Before leaving Ill Cartel to form his own group, ‘Unit 13’, which later merged with Welsh group ‘Yung Tru’ to form ‘YTU13 (Yung Tru Unit 13)’, he had released

several UK mixtapes. Sold13r recorded his first major mainstream break with his DVD entitled ‘Roundtable’, which featured UK acts like Skepta, Tinie Tempa, Kano, Wiley and Ghetts. YTU13 grew into a movement and eventually members got major record deals, forcing everyone to go their separate ways. Sold13r is presently signed to Jevick Records.

applied, were the ones actually expected at the event. “On getting to the airport, we waited for the man who would sort our tickets to show up but he didn’t. We later found out that those who didn’t have tickets to SA, journalists I mean, would not be allowed to fly. Time was fast going, so I left. My colleague who stayed later left for his house in annoyance. “After the event ended, the man called to apologise. He didn’t know that we had heard that he had sold our tickets to some Nigerians who had no business with AMAA, but who wanted to go to SA for reasons known to them,” he said. An entertainment editor who was accredited for the event, but who chose not to attend, told R that he expected something like that would happen because it happened last year. “I told the CEO, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, that I would not leave my house if the

ticket did not get to me a day before departure. I was not ready to wait for anybody at the airport again following the nasty experience some of us had in the hands of some of her staff last year.” An event promoter based in Ibadan, Laolu Ibidun, confirmed to R on Friday morning that he bought a ticket to SA for AMAA but chose not to travel again as he urgently had to be somewhere in Lagos for three days. “I was assigned to attend the event with D’Banj,” he told R. A spokeswoman told R that her boss had set up a team to evaluate the award activation and that their observations were being looked into. “If this was noticed, I am sure madam will act decisively. We have not had any complaints in that regard, but she will look into it. Madam respects the media for their support to AMAA all these years,” she said. Meanwhile, Nigerian film-makers turned out to be the biggest winners of the night. Kunle Afolayan, with his other Nigerians, won big at the 11th edition of the award. He won in three categories. Others who made Nigeria proud were Hilda Dokubo and Kemi Lala Akindoju. A Post humous award was given to the late Oronto Douglas for being an ardent supporter of Nollywood, while Tony Elumelu was also given an honorary award for Africa Movie Academy Awards.

The Yabatech Film Academy YFA, in conjunction with Yabatech Consult, is set to host a training session on movie production. This was revealed in Lagos by producer Abay Esho, a consultant to YFA, and his partner, Kingsley Omoefe. The academy is to bridge the gap between the need of the industry, professionalism and employment. The academy, located within school, is opened to both aspiring and established movie makers who need retraining. Courses are available in Acting for Screen, Directing, Editing, Film Production and Marketting and Cinematography. Professional Diploma Certificate in six months. “In this industry where professionalism cannot be discarded, there comes a need for the young ones to be grounded practically and theoretically in different areas of film making. YFA is positioned to meet the needs and expose students to what it takes, Abey told R. He also said that the curriculum was fashioned after the best film schools and it has scholars and practitioners to train students. “The best student each session has the opportunity of a scholarship of a degree course abroad,” he added. Since the industry accounts for second highest employer of labour, there is a need for training of entrants,” added the director of Dear Mother, Every Day People and Eve.

razzmatazz

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Lagos ready for RED summit By Soji Bamikarere Kenyan author, journalist and winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, Binyavanga Wainaina, will lead other panAfricans to the inaugural edition of The RED Summit holding in Lagos at the Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos. The summit holds from October 15-18 in Lagos and will include a 2-day conference. “This summit will be West Africa’s biggest media talk shop” said Chude Jideonwo, Managing Partner of Red Media Africa. “We will draw lessons from veterans in West Africa’s media over the decades and chart the course, with other media stakeholders, for the future of the media in West Africa.” Participants are expected to connect, network and anchor conversations and solutions about the media in Nigeria and Africa. Other speakers expected at the summit are the Executive Producer of Coke Studio Africa, David Sanders; Corporate Affairs Director of Microsoft Corporation, Louis Otieno; award winning television host, Anita Erskine; former Managing Director of MNET Africa, Biola Alabi; Chief Executive Officer of leading lifestyle blog-BellaNaija.

‘Abundant Grace’ hits the airwaves By Rita Okonoboh The Glorious Choir, the choir band of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, Dakibiyu District, Kubwa Branch, Abuja, last week, released a new album entitled ‘Abundant Grace.’ The 8-track album which features hit tracks such as ‘Iyanu Ti Mo Ri’ and the title track ‘Abundant Grace’ has become a favourite with listeners and is an improvement on the first effort of the group, ‘Imole Olorun,’ in its tradition of producing music for a variety of listeners.

Some of the tracks include ‘Sope,’ a song of thanksgiving rendered in fast highlife, while ‘Iyanu Ti Mori’, meaning ‘the wonders I have seen through the grace of God’, is Afro Hip Hop. For lovers of reggae, ‘Alaafi Tayo’, a song which sues for peace, would appeal to them. Other forms of music include ‘Nigba Iwase’ which traces the story of creation; slow highlife as in ‘Tewo Gbope’, a song of appreciation to the Most High God; ‘Ijoba Olorun,’ a call to remembrance and ‘Mo Ti Mo Oluwa’ (I have known the Lord), which features rumba beat.

afrima 2015 set to host Africa in Lagos The International Committee of AFRIMA and the African Union Commission, AUC, on Monday October 5, unveiled Lagos, Nigeria, as the host city for the 2015 All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA. Announcing the host city, the Director of Communication and

Sponsorship, AFRIMA, Ms. Matlou Tsotsetsi said: “following the recce and inspection of facilities and infrastructure of four states in Nigeria namely: Akwa Ibom State, Cross Rivers State, Lagos State and Rivers State by the African Union Commission, AUC

and AFRIMA production team, Lagos has been chosen to host the continental awards ceremony this year”. She is optimistic of a great award ceremony, just as she assured African acts of a swell time .

Oritsefemi finally parts with controversial manager By Tade Makinde Oritsefemi Majemite has finally parted ways with one of his many controversial managers (names withheld). Oritsefemi has announced his new manager on instagram where he posted a picture of himself and his new representative. His names were also withheld. According to a source, Oritsefemi has finally submitted a petition with the Nigeria Police Force in which he alleged that the manager was “a threat to life, fraudulent activities and criminal conspiracy against his person and international image of Oritsefemi.” In the petition dated May 22, 2015, it is alleged that the ex-manager got his car damaged in an accident. The petition, directed to Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, also alleged that a sum of N58 million, which covers as the income made from shows, endorsement deals with spirit distilling companies, could not be accounted for by the manager. “He was only able to come up with N5.5 million from the huge sum,” his media aide, Teju told R.

The title track – Abundant Grace, which is also the only song fully rendered in English is heavily infused with the Niger Delta beat, a fast-paced traditional rhythm. It has so far become the number one choice especially for church services, weddings, birthdays or other religious activities. Its message is clear and easy to understand. According to the Captain/ Choirmaster, Pastor Zacchaeus Akinadewo, “We do not just

sing for people to dance. We are ministering to people. So what you have in Abundant Grace is a combination of education and entertainment. Remember the scripture says that the people perish because they lack knowledge. So, this album is designed to help people appreciate the grace of God in their lives and to bring them back from their evil ways unto the path of God,” just as he added that the songs were carefully selected from the list of songs written for the annual choir fiesta of the church which holds in August of every year.

K1, Obesere, Osupa for FUMAN concert The maiden edition of FUMAN Day will hold in Ibadan on October 15 at the Genesis Hotel & Suites. Conceived by Kollington Ayinla and the late Ayinde Barrister to celebrate the success and achievements of its members and Fuji musicians worldwide, the National Project Co-ordinator of the music association, S.K Sensation, told R in Ibadan on Thursday that for now, the annual event will only take place for one day this year. “We plan to use this edition to further propagate the ideals of the association, just as we intend to bring all our members together under one umbrella that day, so do we aim to use the gathering to preach unity, love and self discipline among our members

A concert that will feature all top and upcoming fuji artistes will hold after. Prominent among them are Rasheed Merenge, Pasuma, Taye Currency, Obesere Abass, Saheed Osupa, K1, Shanko Rasheed and many others. “We are going to bring the best of fuji music to Ibadan, the traditional home of fuji music, on October 15. We know the list is mind blowing, but FUMAN day is not about only our popular acts. That day, fuji fans will see several upcoming musicians as well. We can’t wait to unleash the best of fuji on the city soon, Sensation added. As regards the next edition, FUMAN executive members, led by Moruf Shado, have agreed that it would hold in any of the Western states in 2016.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

With Segun Adebayo and Seyi Sokoya tegbollistic@yahoo.com, seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08116954644 08132577840

He needs no further introduction as his blockbuster movies such as Isakaba, August Meeting and Last Prophet, among others, speak volumes. Popular movie director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen a.k.a D’Guv’nor, who celebrated his 20 years as a movie maker, shares his fruitful journey with SEYI SOKOYA.

ONGRATULATIONS on your 20th anniversary in Nollywood. How do you feel about this? Naturally, any person that has stayed in a particular business for a length of time like this should really feel happy and have reasons to thank God. I see it as an uncommon grace. The most interesting thing is that this would give me the grace to re-assess myself and also see how I am perceived and received by my colleagues in the industry and my fans at large. By and large, the feeling is good and I thank God for everything, particularly the gift of life. Two long decades, could you briefly recall the journey so far? I made my first official movie in 1995. My first film was Igbo. That is why I remain grateful to the Igbo people, because they gave me the platform to rise in the industry. However, the fact that I am celebrating 20 years in Nollywood doesn’t mean that I have been an actor for 20 years; I have spent 32 years of my life as an actor. As I revealed to people during a thanksgiving service to mark the celebration last Sunday at the Overcomers Church, Grace and Faith Ministry, Lekki, Lagos State. I have been around for 32 years meaning that I have been into acting since childhood. This has been my life. If I am not writing poems, I would be reciting. If I am not singing, I would be acting or dancing. I would rather be on stage or be in the street performing. For me, arts have been my world. This is why I am committed, because I don’t have anything to fall back on. This is my only source of income and I have to be serious with it. It was like we were entering into the wilderness when we started, but I was determined and dedicated. If Nollywood, two years ago, celebrated 20 years and I am marking my 20 years in the industry two years after, you should know that we have been around for a while. How do you feel about what you have done over the years as a movie maker? I thank God for the success I

Filmmakers are the solution

to Nigeria’s problems —Lancelot Imasuen

have recorded through my works and talents in the course of pursuing my career. My first film was ‘Adaaku’; my second film fetched me the sum of N100, 000 naira also through an Igbo man who believed in me inspite of the fact that he didn’t know where I resided. This was in 1996. I asked him why he gave me the money, because I never expected such and he replied ‘Young man, I think you are a Benin man, the only thing you people do is to go abroad. Maybe you should use the money to travel abroad.’ I felt sad and changed my orientation about my career. I feel proud. The kind of support I receive from my people in Edo State is overwhleming. In fact, they feel that this industry is Ibo-owned; they

are extremely happy to have me as their compatriot. I have also produced ‘Isakaba’, ‘Last Burial’, August Meeting’, ‘Ibuka, King of the Forest’ and ‘Last Prophet’, among many blockbusters that changed the face of Nollywood. I have also directed many great works that have made the industry proud. What is next after your 20 years of experience in the industry? There are lots to come. I think this is just the beginning of what I intend to deliver. If you listen to what people have been saying about my career, it will tell you about where I was coming from and the kind of relationship I have built, especially among my col-

leagues over the years. Though, I am known to be an actor and a film director, I am happy to inform you that I have stepped up my game to a corporate businessman. Now, we have begun to look at the other side of arts. It is about what we are going to bequeath to generations to come. I want to match my artistic strength with the technicalities of film making. I want to look back to the works I have done that have fetched me recognitions and laurels in year pasts and also to check whether I have attained my zenith. I have not started and people aren’t seen anything, because I still have the strength, age and the energy to give more. I have already set an agenda for myself to achieve all these and I have also finalised with my team the next step on how to achieve outside production, because we want to solidly redefine the entire picture of the essence of what we are doing. We have included branding and marketing into our responsibilities. We are determined to seek other relevance in the industry and the country at large. Though, we have done quite a lot, yet we want our impact to be felt more in our society. This brand is aimed at drawing government’s attention to what will benefit our environments. We need to share our experiences with the youth that are coming behind us. A pure intellectual book on my works so far written by the Head of Department of Arts, Professor Agba, will be published next year. Are you trying to rest your acting for your new venture? No. I have decided to raise my game and also add more value to my life. Gone are the days when filmmakers are seen as mere entertainers, especially at political gatherings and party campaigns to thrill people alone. This must change. We have to be part of the policy-makers. I have to say this and I believe many will agree with me that we are more connected to the people than the politicians; we influence than the political office holders. If our films can make people stay glued to their seats and make them laugh and cry without seeing us face-to-face, we can make things happen. It is not about being interested in politics, but those that are there don’t have two heads. What I am more concerned about is being more visible in the mainstream of the socio-economic life of our country. We have the pedigree, brand and followership to make things happen positively. For example: The ministry that controls the entertainment industry is under communication. This is an aberration; we need to form a pressure group to fight against this Continues on pg 22

22 glitz Continued from pg 21

and move it finally to culture where the industry would function optimally. Also, what stops the government to always take along some key Nollywood practitioners whenever they are travelling for national assignments; why is it that Nigeria does not have a bilateral production agreement with other countries to make our works institutional. Government is completely ignorant of the business and a lot of people who have represented our sector are ignoramus. So, we are dancing Akada dance on the same spot every time. Is this not an indictment on the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN)? They are giving their best, but we need to speak out and fight against all odds as an individual. If everyone refuses to keep quiet on this matter, I am sure there will be a great change. It is not ideal that none of the Nollywood practitioners are not included in the economic team of the country. Entertainment and cultural imperialism have gone beyond what it used to be. My new film ‘Invasion 1987’ has been shown in about 12 states in America and will be shown repeatedly over there by popular demand. I am competent and serious about what I am saying. The social media has also made things easy to articulate one’s point for a positive change. Few days ago, some tax officers came to my office for questioning to ascertain the operations in my office. They asked me to state the number of my staff and I responded that I have none. I made them realised that whoever they see with me are up-and-coming actors and they are not on salaries. This is how things will continue to be if neccessary steps are not taken. I want to urge my colleagues in the industry that

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘Nollywood stars are fading away’ we should all stand to fight against this problem. In fact, I have written a letter to the Lagos State government on this matter for a round table discussion, because this is my only source of income and I am running it at a loss already. They collect Valued Added Tax (VAT) from the cinema and also pay entertainment tax. Tell me, how does the tax I pay come back to enhance my business? It is a question that Lagos government has to answer. I can tell you that nobody makes 100 per cent profit on this job. In the next 20 years, I want to be in the forefront of policy formation. We want them to help us build structures so that we can produce more stars, because the ones we have now are already fading away. Here, a star must die before another springs up, just as it happens in our political system. Honestly, I would say that entertainers, especially filmmakers have solutions to Nigeria’s problems. Do you think the industry has the capacity to shoulder this responsibility? Yes. We are enlightened, exposed and talented enough in impacting positively in the nation and beyond. Lack of structure has made us handicap and that is the rea-

I think I am greatly misunderstood, because they see my loud voice as being a troublesome person. People don’t know that I just want a sane society, where everything around me is in good order.

son we still find junks in the industry. This will make us do away with trivial things, because right now, everybody is looking for what to sell. That is why you see funny and irrelevant titles of films today. Will it be wrong to say that you are also part of the fading stars? Our business has always been a medium to create opportunities and by the grace of God, we have the capacity to push multitudes to become great individuals in the arts. I have a TV series entitled: “Impact in Tomorrow”. I ensured that I was going to get all the cast except from the auditioning. In fact, the person that produced the sound track was picked from the auditioning. So, it is not what we are just planning to do, we are already on it. One may be tempted to ask if this task will not consume you at the end of the day... I don’t have anything to fear, because everything has to do with time and season, yet my works and my wealth of experience cannot be compared to others. The truth is that we are taking the risk for a society that doesn’t appreciate what we do. People are looking for popular faces on film jackets regardless of the content. Another big challenge is that where are the up-andcoming actors? Many of them want to be stars over night. Now, everybody wants to be popular and be referred to as a celebrity. You can’t be a star in a day. Who are you? Could you recall your major challenges in your acting career? There is no way that you will be in a business for 20 years that one will not experience ups and downs. There are lots of them, but the most important thing is how I have been able to get out of it and where I am today. As an individual, there is no journey that will not come with its challenges. I just thank God for what I have been able to achieve so far. Your success speaks for you in the

industry; what has kept you on top of your game in spite of the challenges? I see this as a rare opportunity to represent the industry and my country outside the shores of the country. I think it started among the musicians, but mine surfaced around 2002 in Germany with Nngozi Ezeolu and Empress. I was really impressed and this spurred me to embark on another trip with Aki and Pawpaw to some countries in Europe through the support of my partner in Germany. We went to Germany, Belgium, Holland and Italy; it was a nice trip. We took many actors abroad for the first time. Julius Agwu was on tour with us. We came back and had another trip with Basketmouth, Jim Iyke and Patience Ozoku. This was how Nollywood actors started visiting abroad with the personalities behind being celebrated in foreign lands. I could remember vividly the trip with Aki and Pawpaw, it took the intervention of the policemen to drive people away when the duo were sighted by fans in one of the African communities called Antwerp, a city in Belgium, just as Amsterdam and Italy were locked down. You would take me for a drunk if I reveal all this to you looking haggard in a village; that is the reality. I also went on another trip with John Okafor. About 21 actors benefited from my initiative and I thank God for the success it has recorded so far. I am really happy because I am succeeding. Unfortunately, we are in a society where people don’t appreciate what we have done. What is your take on the restoration of cinemas? I am happy that we are beginning to see many cinemas coming up. I am part of the movement to bring back cinemas, because we film makers stand a lot to gain from it. Our greatest challenge is that Nigerians don’t appreciate their own. The patronage of Nigerian films are the worst and these films are better than what they watch in terms of content, but they want Nigerian films to die. I am confident that if we celebrate ourselves, we will all benefit largely from it. People are quick to criticise us, but this is the same industry that produced actors that are being celebrated all over the world. I am what I am today by the virtue of what I have done. We need to do away with this notion. They claim we produce yeye films, but they go crazy when they see the actors and actresses that produce the yeye movies. Nollywood has employed over 10 million Nigerians directly or indirectly. It will be good if we encourage the business now. What are the things people don’t know about you? I think I am greatly misunderstood, because they see my loud voice as being a troublesome person. People don’t know that I just want a sane society where everything around me is in good order. I always want people to know what is right and take time to do it without being pushed. People are not aware that I am a very emotional person; I cry a lot. I am very emotional and that is what drives the passion.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

11 October, 2015

entartainment

Sunday Tribune

with SEGUN ADEBAYO tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

Teeban drops ‘Farawe’ tomorrow FAST-RISING music prodigy, Teeban is ready to take the music industry by storm. Those who have been waiting to have a feel of Teeban’s voice can begin to expect some good news from the soulful singer who will drop his first track ‘Farawe’ tomorrow. Farawe is the official single coming from Teeban and from the responses gathered, his fans can’t wait to listen to h i s song. Teeban, a student of Music and Production Management at Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State. While describing his journey into music said he started developing his love for music back in the days when he listened to the likes of Backstreet boys, westlife, Shina Peters, Fela and a host of others, adding that his amazing vocal dexterity and versatility will set him apart and would work positively for him as he sets to hit the big stage.

NE of the longest serving brand ambassadors of Globacom and Nigeria’s R&B duo, PSquare have continued to reap the rewards of their hard work and dedication to their brand since they hit the limelight some years back. Unarguably, there seems not to be any other music group in Nigeria and perhaps in Africa that has recorded as much success as Peter and Paul Okoye that make up the group.

Glo splashes new cars on PSquare They have both endured some turbulent moments that many feared would break them up, but they have always come out of every hurdle stronger. They have released hit singles and albums over the years and have performed at over hun-

dred concerts and stages across Africa and beyond. PSquare returned from the tour of United States (US) recently and were welcomed with another surprise gifts from telecommunications giant, Globacom as they were presented with brand new

cars. Peter reportedly got a G-Wagon Benz while his brother, Paul went away with a Range Rover 2015. From the look of things, PSquare may have to expand their garage to accommodate their new toys as they are known to be lover of exotic cars.

11 October, 2015

relationships

. . . issues, family, sex

How to handle break-up like a grown-up By Omotola Oduola

reakups are rarely sweet experiences, no matter how mutual. However, for better state of mind, it is important to embrace mature ways to handle breakups. Ifemidayo Odekunle, freelance writer on relationship issues and co-editor, Yada Magazine, Lagos, shares with Relationships, tips on how to handle a break-up like a grownup.

Deal with the pain According to him, “First thing is that there is no formula to dealing with breakups. Break-ups are painful but the basic thing is how we deal with the pain. Our mind is the strongest battle field. Put your mind away from the pain. Start engaging your mind to the bright side life. For example, give yourself several reasons to

Random Fact

move on. Enjoy time with yourself According to Odekunle, “Now is the time to make several decisions, especially as you’re now alone and wholly responsible for the consequences of the actions you take. This does not mean being in a relationship means you are caged but whatever you do, the other party must be aware and be carried along since you care for each other. Thus, break-ups sometimes, give you the opportunity to know your real self, the kind of person that you are. Being in a relationship gives you the feeling of being responsible for someone. After a break-up, there is a lot to learn: You learn about yourself; you learn how to understand and deal with people more. “Whatever you must have learned about the other person and the past re-

Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. —Ursula K. Le Guin

lationship, now is the time to take the decision to avoid making same mistake of the past relationship in the next one. You also learn how to engage your mind when you are alone. Shift your focus to other positive and rewarding things.” 10 likely tips that can help - Engage the mind positively - Try to forget the person - Learn to make new friends - Try writing about the experience

Sunday Tribune

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 rosarumese@gmail.com

Femi Otedola and daughter. Photo:www.genevieveng.com

Photo:www.blackloveadvice.com

- Hang out with people of good morals - Read books that can enlighten you positively - Channel annoyance to working hard. -Be sure you are ready for a new relationship before starting some thing serious to avoid a rebound. - Attend positive functions to meet new people, to relate with strong-minded and sweet people. - Finally, look up to God for understanding and all you wish for.

Ways to flirt with your husband As suggested by relationship experts and married couples, below are some ways to improve the romance between you and your husband. • Leave love notes on the mirror • Kiss in the car at stoplights! • Create secret code phrases • Lightly caress his behind when he’s not looking • Share pillows and a blanket

• Watch a movie together • Ask your husband to choose your panties for the day • Using same colour, leave sticky notes in unexpected places • Text him frequently • Wink at him in a crowd • Shower him with random and interesting surprises • Flirt with him, subtly, in public

11 October, 2015

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

Why I charge millions to write movie scripts —Tunde Babalola Renowned scriptwriter, Tunde Babalola’s credits include October 1, The Meeting, Maami, Alero’s Symphony and Critical Assignment among others. He also wrote the script of Stolen Lives that started screening at FilmOne Cinemas recently. He speaks about living off script writing in this interview. Excerpts:

OU are one of the highest paid scriptwriters in Nigeria today, what do you see as the future of scriptwriting in Nigeria? Do you foresee a kind of regulation whereby scriptwriters will no longer be underpaid as they are right now? I think not necessarily underpaid but underappreciated. There’s a Scriptwriter’s Guild of Nigeria, a lot of people don’t know about it; there are only a few members but they are actually there to enforce certain regulations and I think you should try to be just a script writer, you don’t have to be anything else. You can’t be a script writer and director, or scriptwriter and producer. I try to do that; just being a scriptwriter. I have been approached to be a director but I have turned it down. I want to be known as a person who writes scripts only. I want people coming up to know you can make yourself known from being a script writer only. You facilitated a script writing workshop at the last AFRIFF, what’s your take on those you have been training and can you relate this to the future of scriptwriting in the country? There are a lot of great potentials. A lot of people have got great ideas; they only don’t know how to put them down in the right way, in the right structure. What I spend most of my time doing is to teach people structure, not the ideas, but how to lay down these ideas in such a way that when people watch that film happen, they immediately get what you are trying to tell. So, it’s about that exposure; it’s about them getting exposed to that level of scriptwriting, and most of them have not been exposed. It’s during the workshops that most of them were able to get what they have been doing wrong. How did you feel watching this film [Stolen Lives] today? I felt good; the film did a job. I mean, I am trying to ensure I don’t just work with the big names in the industry; I want to work with the young names. Part of my reasons for coming back to Nigeria was that I said to myself I want to try and bring up new talents; so some-

the young filmmaker that cannot afford to buy a script, they come to me with a good idea, and they are very passionate about what they do, I will support them.

Tunde Babalola one like Emmanuel Williams who produced this film, he’s a first time producer; this is the first movie he has produced. He came to me and I couldn’t send him back because I could see his passion and for that reason, I dropped what would have been a big fee and took a small fee just to write a script for him because I want to encourage him; I want to give more. This is

his first film, his next film will be better and he will keep on growing. That’s what Hollywood does very best, they know to regenerate talent. The stars reigning in Hollywood 10 years ago are not the stars reigning today. What we have not been able to do in Nigeria’s film industry is to bring up new talents so that they can replace the old ones. So, what I’m trying to do is

Does script writing in Nigeria bring food to the table? To a few, not to everybody; to me it does. That’s why I can afford to do stuffs like this. When I see a young man, talented and passionate, I work for him, I don’t charge. I don’t do everything for money and of course, I have been blessed in such a way that I worked in the UK for about 15 years and there, the industry is more structured. You get royalty payment; I’m still earning money for films I wrote 12, 10 years ago; films that are still being shown around the world so I can afford to relax a bit and take on work because I like to do it rather than because I have to do it. People always accuse me of charging too much money but I want people to understand that when I come to the table, I come professionally. I don’t do anything else apart from scriptwriting. I don’t own a saloon, a restaurant, all I do is write scripts. I have been writing scripts full time, professionally for 20 years now and that’s all I have been doing. So, I’m very poor in that way and what it means that when I’m hired to write a script, I bring everything that I have got to it. I give it my all; I’m not looking right or left. How long does it take to finish a script? A fresh draft about a month and

then subsequent drafts, it depends on how much work it needs. Subsequent drafts will take like a week or so but the main body of the work takes about a month. People say you charge millions to write a script, is that true? Yes. I charge enough for me not to beg.

What are the qualities of a good script writer? Dedication, perseverance and knowing what makes a script work; I’m still learning every day the more you work the more you learn. You can’t know it all. You don’t need to study Literature, English? Not necessarily; I did but you don’t have to though it pays to have a background in the arts. If you want to write just because you want to make money, you are going to be broke. You must have the passion for it. I wrote my first script when I was 14 years old; I knew right from the onset what I wanted to be and I stuck with it. A lot of people don’t know that early so when I went to the university I studied Dramatic Arts because that was the closest I could find to entertainment and I specialised in playwriting. Before starting a script, what do you do? Do you get high, like taking a shot of brandy? No, I don’t have any such vices. I just get moved by the story. If the story is one that I feel passionate about, then I will write it. If I find the story dull, boring, I will probably not write the script. I have to be sufficiently moved by the story.

6th CORA Publishers’ Forum focuses on selling fiction in digital age THE Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) has said that its 6th CORA Publishers’ Forum, a pre-event of this year’s Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF) will hold on Thursday, November 12 at Goethe Institut, City Hall, Catholic Mission Street, Lagos Island. A statement from the Co-Director of the Publishers Forum, Ayo Arigbabu, explained that the event, being organized in partnership with Cassava Republic Press and Goethe Institut, will commence by 10am. It is themed’ Publishing and Selling Genre Fiction in the Digital Age’ and will precede LABAF hap-

pening from November 13 to 15. Arigbabu explained that the theme emerged from organizers’ “keen observation and experience of how the publishing space in Nigeria (or at least that part of it that is not concentrated on school texts) continues to place great emphasis on literary fiction (which quite understandably has brought the nation and its writers considerable international acclaim) while genre fiction hardly receives as much attention. “Given that genre fiction creates the groundswell upon which most readers cut their teeth and

from which the publishing of literary fiction itself is funded in most literate societies, we consider it important to utilize the platform the Publishers’ Forum offers to encourage and empower publishers in finding useful perspectives from which to approach the publishing of genre fiction; and in our traditional bias for expanding the conversation on how digital technologies can be harnessed by publishers to achieve success, we are situating this discussing within the context of emerging and constantly evolving opportunities for production, marketing and sales

of books through digital technologies, especially at the frontiers of the now ubiquitous social media.” He added that organizers expect the Forum to lead to “an increased awareness amongst participating publishers on genre fiction as distinct from literary fiction”; “Improved appreciation of the different nuances that go with the different categories found under genre fiction such as Young Adults (YA), Romance and Crime Fiction”; and “Increased awareness of the different opportunities that exist for harnessing digital technologies for producing and marketing genre.”

arts&culture

Owumi Ugbeye studied French at the University of Benin but she had always known she would act. The young actress who played the lead role in ‘Stolen Lives’, a cautionary movie for the youth, spoke about herself and career at the premiere of the movie. Excerpts:

have been seeing you in stage productions but this is about the first time I will see you play a lead role in a movie, what does it feel like playing a lead role in a full length movie? At first, it was challenging but when I started, I became comfortable with it. It’s been a very fulfilling experience because being given a chance to play a role in something big, especially in Nollywood for a cinema movie; at first it was scary but now it’s just exciting. I’m happy to have been able to do it. Did you study Theatre Arts? No, I didn’t. I studied French at the University of Benin but my mum is an actor. Her name is Tosan Ugbeye. So, basically she is my coach, trainer and mother.

11 October, 2015

I hope Stolen Lives ‘ll open more doors for me —Owumi Ugbeye

ally are really stepping up. This is amongst the big things that I have done; I have done a lot of projects but this was enjoyable.

How was it like playing Amarachi? It was really hard because she went through a lot and in acting, you have to immerse yourself into the pains that the character went through so during that time, it was very stressful, it was very emotionally tasking because I had to try as much as possible to get what she was feeling and try to project it as much as possible. It was emotionally tasking but it was worth it.

Given your mum’s background and your decision to study French, why did you return to acting? I always knew that I was going to be an actor but you know how Nigerian parents always insist on you having a backup plan but I always knew I was going to act. It was just a matter of when and how. When I finished school and after I served, I decided I was going into it full time.

Is this your first major movie production? No, it’s not. I’ve done a series for MTV Base called ‘Shuga’; I’ve done a movie for EbonyLife, I’ve done some stage productions. I’ve been acting for some time; since 2013. Do you think you were able to pass the message through your role in the movie? I believe so. I believe I gave the most original performance I could. How did you feel seeing the finished product today? I was so excited, I was so happy because it was a lot of hard work

How is your boyfriend taking your acting career? (Laughs) I am very single; I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t mean your husband, I mean your boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.

Owumi Ugbeye but when I saw it; I mean it looked so beautiful I was really excited and thankful for the opportunity.

Compared to other productions that you have featured in, how will you rate this one? I think movies in Nigeria gener-

Jos Repertory Theatre unites Nollywood, stage in Abuja NOLLYWOOD will again meet the stage on November 13 and 14 when the late Wale Ogunyemi’s ‘Queen Amina of Zazzau’ is staged at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja with actress Jumoke Olatubosun taking the lead role. Olatubosun, a star of the stage is also a player in Nollywood and in television productions. Nominated for the United Kingdombased ZAFAA in 2009 as the Best Upcoming Actress for her role in ‘Greatness’, she has featured in over 30 stage performances and has appeared in TV soaps including ‘Band of Five’ ‘Wetin Dey’ and ‘Nimi’ (in Yoruba) both BBC initiatives. The other films to the credit of the Jos-based Olatubosun are ‘Sitanda’, ‘White Waters’, ‘Pensioners’, ‘Laviva’, ‘Five Apostles’, ‘Heart of a Father’ and ‘Nadia’. ‘Queen Amina of Zazzau’ being produced by Patrick-Jude Oteh, the Artistic Director of the Jos Repertory Theatre (JRT), is the first of three plays the production

Jumoke Olatunbosun

outfit will stage in Abuja. JRT is also bringing Pedro Antonio De Alarcon’s ‘The Three -Cornered Hat’ as part of the Spanish Week celebration beginning from Monday, October 12 at the Lagos Hall, Transcorp Hilton and Sefi Atta’s ‘Last Stand’ on December 4 and 5 at the French Institute, 52, Libreville Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2. While entry to ‘The Three -Cornered Hat’ is free courtesy of the

Embassy of Spain and Nigeria LNG, people will pay to see the other two plays. Speaking on the productions, Oteh said that the Jos Repertory Theatre will be going the extra mile as is always the case with its performances to not just enlighten and entertain, but to also thrill those who find time to attend. Jos Repertory Theatre was founded in 1997 as a not-for-profit independent theatre organisation

and started full programme implementation in 2000. The organisation does play/poetry readings, production of scripted plays and the creation of theatre-for-development plays. It organises the annual Jos Festival of Theatre which has become a nurturing ground for new playwrights, new directors as well as creating an insight into the Nigerian theatre repertory.

Are you kidding me? I am very serious. A beautiful lady like you? Thank you. Tell me your kind of man? (Hearty laughter) Tall, dark, handsome, good job, has ambition and is driven. If he says you should quit acting, what will you do? I would believe that this man that I love would not ask me to quit what I love doing so I don’t even think about that. So, what’s next for you? Hopefully more jobs, more series, hopefully a nomination in the future.

Toni Kan signs endorsement deal with Samsung POET, writer and co-founder of popular website, www.sabinews.com, Toni Kan, has signed an endorsement deal with Samsung Electronics West Africa to promote their newly launched Samsung Galaxy Note 5. The former editor of Hints magazine, author of the critically acclaimed ‘Nights of the Creaking Bed’, PR executive, blogger and teacher was formally introduced at an interactive event which took place at Nike Art Center in Lekki, Lagos and was hosted by R&B artiste, Banky W. With the unveiling, Toni Kan becomes the first Nigerian writer to be so honoured in a country where musicians and actors as well as other players in the knowledge economy are routinely favoured over writers. Speaking at the event, Brovo Kim, the Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa who recommended the high end

device to Nigerian creatives said “the Galaxy Note 5 is an enabler of Nigerian dreams…and guarantees you freedom to dream and bring your dream to life.” Before introducing the writer, Emmanoiul Revematas, Director of Information Technology and

Mobile described Toni Kan as “one of Nigeria’s most prominent writers and author of the hugely popular and critically acclaimed “Nights of the Creaking Bed.” In his comments at the event, Toni Kan in endorsing the Note 5 said “With my Note 5, I can never

From left; Toni Kan, Chief (Mrs) Nike Okundaiye and Peju Akande at Nike Arts Centre, Lekki

lose an idea or train of thought. It is my notepad, my recorder and my camera and the stylus works on the screen, even when I am running out of battery. This recognition from Samsung is endorsement for all Nigerian writers because it means that writers are finally getting recognition as bona-fide practitioners in the knowledge economy. Our work and our practice as writers lasts the longest unlike movies or music, musicians or actors yet we are usually treated as the poor cousins. This, hopefully, will chart a fresh path thanks to Samsung.” Under the terms of the 6 month agreement, Toni Kan will provide noteworthy quotes and his image for Samsung’s use in promoting the high end product which the company believes is a critical tool for all creative people whether writers or artists, bloggers or architects.

Sunday Tribune

11 October, 2015

glamour

With Tayo Gesinde temiligali03@yahoo.com 0805 472 7801

With Tayo Gesinde

How I have been able to combine comedy, acting and compere T has never been difficult at all. It dignifies and showcases my competence and expertise. I love what I do and also have pleasure in it, aside the fact that I’m a student of Arts. My passion for acting has also made me study to become a professional actress. However, all the roles are related, and they

helped me work better. So, they do not clash. How I discovered that I could do these for a living I have always had a knack for performances since my teenage years. More importantly, the history of Ibadan remains relevant today, regardless of the continued rise of the Western culture. People like to be reminded of these

It is a task for

men to admire me —Iyaibadan

It is no more news that comedy in Nigeria has become a lucrative job and has witnessed a huge success as a result of talents it has produced irrespective of gender. As a professional, I believe that the most important competitive advantage any human has is his/her uniqueness and brand. I have full knowledge of how I go about my things. This dignifies me from another comedian. The industry is spacious for many people to showcase their talents without any hitch. As I said earlier, I will not rest on my oars to raise my game, because we are in a competitive industry.

Her look after make-up

Assessment of the industry I have already said it all. We are getting there. Comedians or compere are important at every event, even outside entertainment. It is really an awesome development and we are glad that this is happening. But I also want to urge my colleagues not to rest on their oars in bringing more innovation into the industry. As for me, IyaIbadan a.k.a Iyamuse, I have my brand and I am determined to develop it in no time.

Chelsea Coker, popularly known as Iyaibadan, is a fast-rising comedian, who also has passion for acting. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, the Ogun State born mother of one speaks on her love for comedy and other issues. Excerpts:

things, even if they shy away from them. So, I bring fun in a message and serve it in rich Yoruba culture. The journey so far It has been nothing but fun. The love, feedback, ups and downs; all of these have been fun to me. I guess that’s why I’m here. I love what I do. On which came first Ordinarily, I am a funny person, and a public speaker. Tell me, what comes first? The chicken or the egg? Honestly, it is not about which came first but how I have been able to explore my talents in these fields of profession. How lucrative comedy is To be candid, the comedy job is now lucrative, especially with the new face and the massive turn around it received unlike before. The era that comedy is seen as a lazy or shoddy profession is gone as it has grown massively and has produced lots of talents who have become hot cakes in the industry. For me, the word, lucrative, is relative. I’ll say I’m happy and contended with the income. Also, I am giving all my best to raise my game in the industry. I have been in the game a few years back. I would say I have just started, because I still have a lot to deliver. Challenges The major challenge is the fact that my audience is limited to people who understand Yoruba language. Meanwhile, we are working to expand the scope so that everyone can be involved, because we rea-

On my style of comedy As an individual, I believe in innovation, and my audience should be ready to embrace change. I will continue to evolve and I do not see any limitations in whatever I know how to do best. I believe success is a journey and not a destination. I am certainly on that journey.

lise that there are different audiences and we have to reach out to different people. On the other hand, most times, we are described as lazy or seen as unserious person, but we cannot run away from the fact that, sometimes, it is good to be seriously unserious, because all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. What I would have become if not comedy I guess I would have become an investment banker or found myself doing one thing or the other in the entertainment industry. Qualities of a comedian Research and testimonies have proved that we comedians have immensely impacted into people’s lives. Aside the fact that we are seen as unserious human beings, we heal people’s wounds, pains and problems without drugs. We achieve this with our sense of humour, experience, researches and above all, through our Godgiven talents. It is a welcome development that the Nigerian entertainment industry, over times has produced many respected comedians who are doing the country proud both at home and abroad. I think the major qualities of a professional comedian are: confidence, exposure, consistency, feasibility and sense of humour, among others. If any aspiring comedian could attain these qualities, I am convinced that they will excel in this career. How I intend to raise my game

How I intend to carve a niche in a male-dominated industry If it is a man’s world, how did man get into the world? For me, I don’t see that as an excuse to withdraw from what I have passion for, because I have built a career in the profession for years. We produce these men and they should not be a threat to us whatsoever. I think it makes the industry more interesting having both male and female comedians cracking people’s ribs. My brand is unique and thrilling, especially my temporary tribal mark. It really depicts my brand and my style of comedy.

How I draw inspiration I stay connected with reality of life, events, people, culture, beliefs, etc.

I don’t think that I have to spend fortune to maintain my fair skin. The secret is that, I always take my bath regularly; I shower, at least, three times in a day.

How I combine career and front It has been a challenge indeed. But God’s favour has been sustaining me. I am a loving and dedicated mother to my special son. How I handle my admirers I admire them back; all of them, because it is a task admiring me. (Laughs) How I maintain my light skin I don’t think that I have to spend fortune to maintain my fair skin. The secret is that,I always take my bath regularly; I shower, at least, three times in a day. Tattoo I would not want to reveal this. I think my tattoo and where I wear it should be personal. Take on provocative dressings I prefer to be silent about this because I am not a moral analyst. I know what is good for me as well as conscious of what I always put on.

aspire

11 October, 2015

BY OLAIDE SOKOYA 0807 449 7425 (sms only)

ollydesanmi@yahoo.com

How to survive a competitive business world —Gazhal Wale Gazhal is the creative head at House of Spectrum (HS), one of the leading branding and consultancy firms in the South-West. He speaks with OLAKUNLE TAIWO about his brand, life as an entrepreneur and the role of government on youth development. Excerpts:

hat is your company about and what kind of services do you offer? House of Spectrum is about interpretation and transformation of mindsets into various forms of outstanding outputs, ranging across: ideas and conceptualisation, web solutions, corporate branding, among others. We specialise vastly in high-tech designs both graphics and websites. We have our spotlights mainly on corporate and institutional bodies. Our consultancy spreads across short and long terms. How has it been as an entrepreneur and the creative head of HS? It’s quite an inspiring but competitive arena. Being an entrepreneur by nature makes one a goal chaser, either in humans or the entity involved. In the spirit of development, I strongly know that if an average Nigerian could bore a life of an entrepreneur, change in this nation would be a destined parcel. As the creative head, it’s a good rail of expectations, composure and above all outstanding characteristics. Creativity/brand strategist could be tasking, as well interesting, as you get to pick up life’s lessons on your way up and down. Why is branding necessary or important for a company, which is one of the things you offer? Product or corporate branding is an eminence of life itself. It’s necessary as much as the reason for having the outfit in the first place. In every dealing, there should always be room for advancement. There should always be a model of improved service delivery. These are networks to individual and nation building. So, how do you cope with competitors in the market? In branding world, competition is inevitable as much as it’s a recipe to towing above others. But we do cope well. What challenges are you facing as an entrepreneur? Quite some number of challenges and they are prevalent on any typical entrepreneur in our dear nation called Nigeria. It’s highly tasking the more when you have standard to uphold. We could itemise several but to talk few as we can look at the direction of some damping ideologies of both individual and the government. The situation we found ourselves is quite implausible, we are limited in the arena of global concerts, it’s difficult without home-motivation to want to set some standards locally and globally. In summary, challenges like irregular

The situation we found ourselves is quite implausible; we are limited in the arena of global concerts

and expensive power generation, inaccessibility to motivations, lack of standardisation policies, lack of developmental ethics and faulty and attitudinal challenges. So, what solutions have you been able to proffer to these problems? On our limited stardom, I and the team have been able to impact in individuals as we constantly organise talks and we have engaged in several discounted training which have liberated a lot and they are doing well. As a trademark of House of Spectrum, we lure all our products towards doing right and making sure standards are not compromised. But there is always room to do more as you would agree with me What are your aspirations as an entrepreneur? To begin with, I aspire a convenient living through small and medium scale running of the nation. Meanwhile, House of Spectrum is envisioned to becoming a pace setting Brand consultancy firm, a place where dreams are met and ‘Wale Gazhal, as a renowned brand strategist. How do you think the government can help the youth grow? Government is the apex institution where youth development should be unflinching. If it fails at that level then it becomes problematic on the citizens. My standpoint towards the government on youth develop involves the following: adequate grassroot education, the culture of skills trainings from elementary school, support for youth leaders and various forms of youths development policies should always be addressed at the political arena.

Your Life Counts

Sunday Tribune

by Tunde Jaiyebo 0803 406 2013

Stand up and fight the battles of life

Life, sometimes, can be complex and to make a success of it we have to be flexible in our approach. Our approach and strategy must be based on the angle life presents to us. Life sometimes can be a battle and at such times we have to fight. At other times the angle life presents to us is life as a party and at such times we must simply enjoy ourselves. Life can show up as work which will demand we need to work hard. Life can sometimes seem unfair and at such times we must rise up and not be deterred from doing what we know ought to be done and not have a victim mentality. “Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.” Dennis Wholey The problem arises when a person wants to always see life from just one angle. When a person sees life as a battle he will live his life fighting – even when there is a party he will be busy fighting. A person who sees life as simply a party will never take life serious – everything is a joke. A person who sees life as unfair will go about life complaining of unfair treatment and expecting other people to understand and sympathize with him. In this article we want to look at life as a battle. The truth of the matter is that the most common angle life presents to us all is the battle angle. Life is usually a battle or a series of battles. “Life is a constant battle for survival, and as we grow older, the rules change on daily basis…Our mission is not to escape but to survive. Not to deal with triumph, but to deal with failure. Not to run away with fear but to master it. It takes courage to keep on fighting. So if you feel right the rules have shifted one step higher. Deal with it with greater faith. God is our strength.” Unknown We must learn to fight the battles of life fairly and squarely. We have to learn battle strategies and tactics. When life shows up with a battle we must realize we are warriors and to win we must not just know our weapons but know how to use them effectively. The battles of life will demand an effective use of courage, fortitude, wisdom, foresight, vision and grace among other weapons. Our greatest enemies are fear, worry, depression and discouragement. Trying to live life without battles is simply impossible. “When life is represented as a warfare, some peaceful minds may feel a little alarmed at the pictures; yet there are other minds with enough of gallantry in their constitutions to feel their blood pulsing the stronger at the thought that life is to be one continued contest.” Charles Spurgeon Most of the advancement or setbacks we will make in life will be the result of how we handle battles. Without battles there can be no victories. “The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honor. If there were no difficulties there would be no success; if there were nothing to struggle for, there would be nothing to be achieved.” Samuel smiles As it is commonly said, no pain no gain. “There is a warfare in which all of us are engaged. What is life but a great battle, lasting from our earliest days until we sheathe sword in death?” Charles Spurgeon To make our lives to count we must be masters of fighting battles. Nothing worthwhile in life comes on a platter of gold. Enduring success is the product of enduring and winning battles. Whenever any success is achieved by accident you can be rest assured it will be lost also by accident. Life, as we have said, demands a balance. We must not have a mindset that life is all about battles else we become battle weary and become too tired to enjoy the victories that we get. For enquiries/comments please send email to urlifecounts@yahoo.com

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

thepolity As Yoruba nation finds unity in adversity After politics-induced crisis ruptured the unity and cohesion of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, leading to the emergence of many Yoruba interest organisations, the ordeal of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae at the hands of Fulani herdsmen appears to have triggered the move for the restoration of unity to the Yoruba nation, writes DARE ADEKANMBI.

HURSDAY, October 8 will go down in the annals of history of the Yoruba nation as a red letter day. The House of Chiefs in the Parliament building in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, venue of an emergency Yoruba summit, was filled with many of the leading lights in the Yoruba nation. The subject that brought them together was the ill treatment of the Yoruba nation, particularly the constancy of attacks by the Fulani herdsmen on its citizens and their property. From a few minutes before 11a.m, one after the other, the leaders were strolling in. Some of the very old among them were assisted into the venue by the younger ones. Mr Yemi Shodimu, the compere for the occasion, prepared the minds of the audience for what was to come. He jocularly introduced the singing some of the famous lines from Hubert Ogunde’s song, Yoruba Ronu. The idea of the summit was mooted during a sympathy visit of Yoruba leaders to Chief Falae in Akure after his release by the Fulani abductors. The task to put the summit together fell on the shoulders of Dr Kunle Olajide, who quickly brought in others for the assignment. He broached the idea with prominent Yoruba leaders including a former military governor of the defunct Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo, from the Yoruba Council of Elders, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, General Alani AKinrinade, Professor (Senator) Banji Akintoye, and others. Without objection, those contacted agreed to co-convene the summit and the necessary machinery was consequently set in motion. Yoruba leaders, who had for a very long time been acting like scale in contrary motions on issues affecting their wellbeing, for the first time in almost a decade, put their differences aside to speak in unison against terror. The balkanisation of the Afenifere, as the foremost pan-Yoruba group, had led to the emergence of many disparate Yoruba organisations without a united front. But the Thursday summit in Ibadan, the political capital of the Yoruba nation, seemed to have ended the division as leaders of the various Yoruba groups sat together in an atmosphere characterised camaraderie, back slapping and fellow feeling. The Yoruba groups at the summit included the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), the Yoruba Unity Forum

A cross section of Yoruba leaders at the summit held in Ibadan, on Thursday

(YUF), the Oodua Foundation, Afenifere, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), the Coalition of Yoruba Autonomy (COYA), the Oodua Democratic Coalition (ODC), the Ominira Yoruba Apapo, and the Agbekoya Organisation. And the theme was National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland. The chairman of the summit’s planning committee, Dr Kunle Olajide, set the tone of discussion in his welcome address, a speech that fired up the zeal in the participants. “The idea of the summit came up during a solidarity visit by some of our leaders to Chief Olu Falae in Akure to thank God for his release by the criminal herdsmen who brutalised and traumatised his for four days. Our leaders on that occasion thought we needed to seize the moment and react appropriately without delay to the heightening threat confronting us the Yoruba as a people in Nigeria,” he said. “When the drums of war were beaten in 1966, Papa (General Adebayo) courageously rose to the occasion and convened a conference of Yoruba leaders in Ibadan, where the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was unanimously chosen as Yoruba leader…When the dark-goggled dictator began the process of haunting and eliminating our leaders, General Adebayo also convened Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba which was

a precursor of the famous NADECO that championed the restoration of democracy. “One might not be wrong to believe that there has been a definite conspiracy to slow the Yoruba people down, halt our determined forward match and perhaps set us up for progressive liquidation in this country. Nobody or a group of people can diminish us without our consent…For too long, politics has been used by our detractors to divide us bitterly. Our politicians must realise that they are first Yoruba before joining politics…You our elders must put a stop to this politics of acrimony and hatred. We must realise that any attempt to humiliate or diminish any of our leaders diminishes the entire race,” he said. The chairman of the summit, General Adebayo shocked the gathering with a revelation that some Yoruba leaders whose names he didn’t mention asked him not to grace the summit. He stressed that he would never be part of any agenda to throw spanner in the works for an initiative conceived to cement the cracks among Yoruba leaders. The Iyin-Ekiti-born General described the summit as the beginning of renaissance for the Yoruba nation and called for its sustenance. He said the subjugation of the Yoruba race started a long time ago, adding that the present crop of Yoruba leaders must strive to end the relegation of the race and not pass

same to the younger generation. “God has made the Yoruba leaders and we must not allow anyone or group to relegate us. We must seek an end to the bitterness among some of our leaders because the current developments call for unity of the Yoruba. This summit must be sustained and held regularly,” he said. Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s speech, which was delivered by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, attempted unsuccessfully to douse the anger in the leaders at the summit. Although the governor agreed that attacks by Fulani herdsmen on Chief Falae and other Yoruba posed a serious danger to the peace and security of the South-West zone, his preachment against reprisal attack fell on deaf ears. The governor said “This (Falae’s ordeal) has led to some tension as people are voicing their concerns about the herdsmen’s incursion into the South-West, a problem many believed has been going unchecked for a long while. Before I speak further, let me use this opportunity to humbly ask SouthWesterners not to take the law into their hands or resort to violence, although our simplicity should not be taken as stupidity or weakness. “Our solutions must not only lead to greater security, they must also lead to Continues

pg 34

interview

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Kogi 2015: Audu is an unpopular candidate —Kogi Youth Leader

The Kogi State youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Stephen Onoji and the secretary o the chances of Governor Idris Wada and the candidate of APC, Prince Abubakar Audu, in the Novembe

HAT is your view on the emergence of Governor Idris Wada as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Kogi State? The emergence of the governor is a welcome development in the sense that to whom much is given, much is expected. We gave him much by voting massively for him in 2011 and he delivered on most of his electoral promises. So if he has done his own part and he is seeking re-election, we are duty bound as party faithful to give him our unalloyed support to come back for a second term as constitutionally guaranteed. The emergence of Wada was preceded with serious politicking and intrigues. Don’t you think these will affect the party at the poll? The perceived tension and uncertainties that preceded the primary election were more of media hype. This is because the contender, Alhaji Jubrin Isah, has lost touch with the electorate, because he was misguided by some party leaders, who saw him as a gold mine. To be fair to him, he is not an experienced politician; he is just an investor. In every 12 you will always have a Judas. Some of the Judas we have in the PDP were giving him a false belief in the existence of what doesn’t exist. He was ready for reconciliation but they kept urging him to go to court. The time he should have used in getting integrated into the party proper to assume the rightful position he was supposed to occupy, even at the national level, he could not do that. They continued to misdirect him, because many of them were eyeing positions in the state. Some wanted to be accountant-general, some wanted to be attorney-general and commissioner for justice. Others wanted to be commissioners for various offices. They had a lot of pecuniary interest but they could not actualise it through the court. This time, they succeeded in dragging the innocent man into the race again and they gave him false impression that Captain Idris Wada is not on ground, that he has not performed, and that the state was already overrun by the APC. But, during the recently concluded state congress, the national officers of the party, came and saw that all they were being told at the national headquarters were falsehood, so the battle continued till the primary. To God be the glory, the national leadership of the party can see clearly that Wada is the candidate to beat in the election. The major argument used against the governor is that he has not performed well. How do you want to convince the people on this? In the military, there is the parlance that says “an officer and a gentleman” I want to say that the governor is a perfect gentleman. This is a man that has flown best airplanes ever designed, especially commercial airplanes, one of the first crops of Nigerian pilots and a trainer of pilots who has international exposure. The

achieve true reconciliation before the election? The current state executive council came on board on July 24, so we are barely two months in office and we have only one mantra, which is reconciliation. We will try in conjunction with the governor to reconcile with all aggrieved people. To be fair to Wada, he continued with the spirit of reconciliation, even till the morning of the primary election. But the other aspirant was adamant to go into the race that if he wins, he will accept and if he losses, he will be gallant and he displayed it. By the time the results of 15 local government areas were announced, he conceded defeat and embraced the governor. So, in continuation of the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by Jubrin Isah, the governor has decided to speed up reconciliation so that we continue as one family.

Stephen Onoji

job of a pilot is better assessed when seen rather than heard, but the kind of politics we have in Nigeria goes with the philosophy of the lizard. If you fall down, you hail yourself. Wada is a very modest and Godfearing man. The background he is coming from is a very polished background and to be fair to the governor, few months before he assumed office on January 27, 2012, Kogi had keyed into the N18, 000 minimum wage introduced by the Federal Government. This suddenly tripled the wage bill of the state, and as a man coming from a corporate background, he felt the basic priority of government was to pay the workers their dues. As of now, the workers of in the state get their salary as and when due. Kogi is one of the states that have the least backlog of salary. In the recent bailout offered by the government, Kogi had the highest allocation, because it is the least indebted state in Nigeria, so the state was able to draw the largest amount from the bailout. The debt of the state is less than a billion naira, while the so called APC states, Lagos, for instance, is indebted to a tune of about N650 billion. Kogi is more of a civil service state, the industry that would have put it in its rightful position has been killed politically by the powers-that-be, that is the Ajaokuta Steel Company. In terms of mining, Kogi currently exports coal, but the governor created an enabling environment in Okaabo community in Ankpa Local Government, where a company was established during

this administration. There are also many marble companies. He is interested in paying workers’ salary and the resources are always dwindling by the time he pays salary. He is always left with less than N300 million for capital projects. Despite this, we have not less than 16 ongoing projects in the state. But there has always been the argument that the last two governors before Wada performed very well in terms of infrastructural development, but that the last three and a half years have not been the same. Wada can be vilified for believing in continuity. Sometimes, Nigeria can be a difficult country,. Many people come and discontinue the projects embarked upon by their predecessors. When you come and continue with the projects of your predecessor, you will be termed nonperforming. So, most of the projects that Wada started with and embarked upon in his first two years were continuation of the one started by the former governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris. One of such is the Lokoja waterworks; another one is the completion of the Confluence Stadium at Lokoja and so many other road projects. If one sees the list of projects being embarked upon by the present administration, one will be amazed how Wada is able to do this with the little resources available to him. How do you think the party can

The PDP will be facing a former governor, Abubakar Audu, whose party, the APC, controls the Federal Government,. How do you think victory will come in the November 21 election? Without sounding arrogant, the PDP has a history of defeating Audu over the past 12 years and history repeats itself. Audu is an unpopular candidate. A man that, while in office, called workers, civil servants unprinted names. A man that instead of putting pen, screwdrivers and farm implement in the hands of our youths chose not to. If Audu were to be a candidate that will win on November 2, we would have seen the signs a long time ago. Prior to the APC primary election, our greatest prayer as a party was for the emergence of Audu, we prayed that he should emerge, because we know him, and we know how to defeat him. It is on record that Audu endorsed Captain Idris Wada for a second term. It was Wada who paid him all his severance allowances upon assumption of office. The governor has been very fair to Abubakar Audu. Wada rehabilitated him. But we know him; we know how he prepares for election and this time he cannot take us by surprise. We know his strategy. You won’t see him moving around; you won’t see him canvassing for votes. Secondly, Audu takes Kogi as a personal investment, if not why will he bring in a two-time Ikeja local government chairman, and a two-term member of House of Representatives, representing Ikeja federal constituency to come and become deputy governor of Kogi State. Does it mean we have no other qualified people from the state that he now brought a Lagosian? Even his party members know that he has mortgaged the state to Tinubu. The average Kogi man has no trace of slavery in him, so it is very clear that Audu does not mean well for Kogi people, he has taken the state as a business empire. This time, he has brought a Lagos investor to come and usurp the rights and privileges of the law abiding indigenes of the state. The youths are prepared to reject him vehemently.

interview

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Kogi 2015: He has Kogi masses behind him —Kogi APC scribe

of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Salaam Adejo, speak with YINKA OLADOYINBO, speaks on er 21 governorship election, among other issues. Excerpts:

HAT are the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming governorship election in Kogi State? As far as this election is concerned, the chances of our party are bright; we are very optimistic. The whole thing in the state speaks for itself. The people of the state have seen the difference; they need change. We cannot afford to be in the opposition; we cannot afford to lag behind and I am confident that APC will sweep the poll on November 21. Apart from joining the central government, what are those things that you feel brighten the chances of your party? Apart from belonging to the central government, the people of the state can see the backwardness and decay that the state has gone through under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The people are tired of this continued decay and they want to move forward like the other parts of the federation. If you come to the Kogi State capital, what you see is shame; the situation on ground does not befit a state capital. So the people want change. They want to see by this time next year what Kogi State would have turned to and they know we have a candidate in the person of Prince Audu, who can do it. We have no doubt whatsoever about his capacity and capability. We have a candidate that can do it. We have a candidate that has what it takes, a candidate who has the masses with him. We can see it in our outings, our campaigns; we can see that the kind of crowd we have is unimaginable. Though you claim that Audu has the masses with him, he has always contested election since the beginning of the 4th Republic and has contested and failed to win three times after his election in 1999. What do you think has changed that will make him win this time round? Let me correct one impression, it is not that he didn’t win. He was robbed. We know the people who were behind robbing him in those elections. Prince Audu has the clout; he has the people behind him and he had the votes, but the government in power declared somebody else. Since they owned INEC and every other machinery, they declared who they wanted to declare. Audu has never lost any election as far as we are concerned. But what are those things that stand him out, which will make him win the next election? His antecedents and his performance in office. There is a lot to write about what he has done when he was in office. Nothing has happened since he left office. All the things that are here in Kogi State are his handiwork; they [successive governments] didn’t even build from where he stopped. That is why we have the decay today. If they had built on where he stopped, we would have gone very far by now. Unfortunately,

How are you trying to ensure that the people do not see his coming as an imposition and how will it not affect the votes of your party in the election? If you talk about somebody being a foreigner, is there anybody that has contested against our candidate that is not a foreigner? Former Governor Ibrahim Idris came in from Sokoto and Abuja; he was not a grass-roots politician but he got the ticket and won the election. Again, Idris Wada that succeeded him is not anywhere in the grass roots. He too is a foreigner; he came from Lagos. So, it is not the first time. The question is can this person perform? It doesn’t matter where he comes from, as long as he is a Kogi citizen and he can perform, nothing stops him

Mr Salaam Adejo

look at the state of our roads, the state of our hospitals, the state of our schools and the infrastructure in the state. Look at the Government House itself and the state secretariat. All the things he left behind are in a state of decay. It is sad and the Kogi people can see it. We are not just talking about somebody; this is a man that has been tested. He has performed and it is there to see; the things speak for themselves. All he brought to the state are still there; the Obajana cement, Kogi State University, Kogi State Polytechnic. So, by the time we have him back in government, there will be a level of advancement in these areas and Kogi people will be glad. How does the party intend to manage the fallout of its governorship primary election so that it doesn’t affect the chances of the party? The fallout is already being managed perfectly. Many of the people that contested with the candidate have come to work for the party; it is not an individual thing it is a party thing. If you contest and lose, you don’t fight your own party. So there is a high-level discussion going on about these people and they are keen on coming to work for the party. We are very optimistic that all will be well. There is a general belief among the Ebiras of the Kogi Central Senatorial District that Prince Audu worked against their interest during the primary to select the senatorial candidate, as he was accused of sponsoring two other aspirants against Yahaya Bello, who was wide-

ly believed to be having upper hand. What is your reaction to this? Is our candidate an Ebira man? Definitely he is not. So if the Ebira people decided the way they did, what is Audu’s problem? It is the problem of the Ebira people. They made the choice. If the Ebira people failed to come together in their plan, what is our candidate’s fault? It was never his fault; he didn’t work against anybody Ebira people had a choice and they chose who they wanted. So Audu cannot be brought into the picture How is the party going to ensure that the bulk of the votes, which comes from the Ebira area, does not elude it? It is clear that we have bulk votes from the central and since that is the case, the party is not so naïve; the party has brought together the leaders of the area and we are discussing at a high level and we are optimistic that it will favour us at the end of the day. What informed the choice of Audu’s running mate, Honourable James Faleke, who is seen as a foreigner in Kogi politics? Faleke emerged as a result of divine touch. He was not one of the people who contested the primary. The party was looking for somebody who can perform and luckily for us, we found him worthy even though he was in Lagos. But since God wanted it that way, his name came up and he was accepted. We in the party also accepted him because of his past performance. He is not new in politics; he is not a fresher. So his emergence has a kind of divine touch.

What are those specific things that your party wants to do differently if elected, because the belief of many people is that the APC and the PDP do not have clear-cut manifestoes? I can’t see what the PDP has been doing in the last 12 years to be able to compare what we will do. In terms of infrastructural development, we are different. We don’t pay people for job and they go away with the money without doing the job. We don’t import people into governance; by the time our party wins election, we will make sure that whoever is to be given political appointment will be somebody that has worked for the party. Also, we have a clear-cut manifesto that cannot be compared with that of the PDP. So we have our focus and we are determined. After the election, in the next two years if you come to Kogi, you will see the difference. How will you assess governance in the last 16 years of the present political dispensation? Since our candidate left office 12 years ago, nothing is happening in the state, the whole place is in a state of decay; nothing is working in the state. Imagine the last Sallah celebration, no civil servant collected salary before the Sallah. What can be more painful than that when people are not paid the salary that they worked for? Look at hotel and tourism in the state. He built Kogi Confluence Hotel if one goes there today, it is in a state of disrepair. He also brought in Obajana; nothing has been done over all the plans that were made when establishing Obajana, in terms of meeting the needs of the people, construction of roads and hospitals as agreed upon. Nothing has also been done on the employment of our youths. The youth are roaming the street because there is no job in spite of the gigantic industry located here in the state. These are two giant strides that have not been equalled in the state by any of the successive governors after Audu. Look at the state of our roads. I came from Igala kingdom; the road from Anyigba to Idah is in a very despicable state despite the fact that we produced governors; our kingdom is not passable. What is the justification that we have had two governors?

thepolity

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Falae as sacrificial lamb for Yoruba unity Continued from

pg 31

greater unity. We must not see this as a South versus North matter. No, it is a legality versus illegality matter. It matters not where the perpetrators are from; what matters is that their actions are illegal and they must be prevented from growing bolder...I implore the people of Yoruba Land, farmers and their families, to remain law abiding citizens even in the face of provocation. Let us refrain from taking rash decisions or retaliating with violence,” Ajimobi said. His call for calm was not well received as those who spoke after him stressed that the patience of the Yoruba in the face of unwarranted attacks was no longer elastic. Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who was represented by his Commissioner for Environment, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said there was more to the attack that meets the eye, especially as the Fulani herdsmen returned to Chief Falae’s farm on Monday, October 5, and wantonly destroyed all his crops within one kilometre radius. He lamented that the Fulani had mastered the geography of Yoruba territory and were ready to lead the Yoruba by the nose in their own territory. According to him, the matter was beyond the ordeal of Chief Falae because it had become a national problem. Mimiko said the occasion did not call for sermonizing as there would never be peace between the pastoralists and their hosts because their interests are not mutually exclusive. While the farmers treasure their crops, the cattle would always see the crops of as plants to feed fat on. He therefore called for the establishment of ranches for the herdsmen in the northern part of the country and also reiterated his call for true federalism that would permit state police and encourage community policing as a potent strategy to reduce crimes. Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said the fact that no northerner sympathised with Chief Falae nor raised a voice against his kidnap and release was eloquent testimony of a conspiracy against Falae, who is a monarch, and the Yoruba nation by extension. “Your membership of a club remains if you have an advantage in that club; otherwise, you have no reason whatsoever to stay in such a club. Each time we talk of self-determination for the Yoruba, they accuse us of being tribalistic. A unity that will cost us our peace will not be a welcome unity. If they can’t protect us, we have the right to protect and defend ourselves,” he said. His colleague, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, in his goodwill message, traced the source of domination of the Yoruba to the treachery of the British colonialists whom he accused of skewing the configuration of the country in favour of the Hausa-Fulani in the North ab initio. He called on the Yoruba to reflect on their relegation and rise to redress it. “If it was a northerner that was kidnapped and dealt with the way the Fulani herdsmen had done to Falae, the country would have gone up in flames. Every Yoruba person who is 50 years of age downwards needs to be taught a lot about history and how it all started. Yoruba have been consistently pushed to the rear and it must not be allowed to continue,” he said. Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun and the national coordinator of the body, Chief Gani Adams also spoke in the same vein. Fasehun bemoaned the lackluster atti-

Leaders of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Fredrick Fasehun and Chief Gani Adams, at the summit

tude of the Yoruba is putting everything on the laps of God and taking the pills of patience even when strangers rub it in their face. “Even the Bible says the violent shall take the kingdom of God by force. 55 years of patience must be over now. OPC is prepared for war. If Falae, who is a Yoruba monarch, could be so treated, then it means other Yoruba leaders as well as their territorial integrity are at risk. If it requires confrontation, let us give it to them,” he thundered. According to Gani Adams, “Yoruba lost its unity because it disregarded its language, whereas language is a potent instrument for unity. We the Yoruba are reactionary and we don’t prepare for eventuality. The Lagos State government outlawed the movement of trucks, which are most owned and driven by Hausa-Fulani people, during the day. But they dared the state government and drove about 500 trucks to Lagos in the day. Can any Yoruba person do this in Kano or Sokoto or Kaduna state? We have youths, even beyond the OPC, who are prepared to fight this oppression. Why should the South-West be relying on food and agriculture produce from the North when we have vast arable land? Unless and until our governors make deliberate policies on agriculture, we will continue to be at the mercy of the northerners.” Professors Toun Ogunseye and Banji Akintoye called for an end to siddon look attitude of the Yoruba. Akintoye, who spoke for Oodua Foundation, which is headquartered in the United States, said every Yoruba person is a prized asset to the Yoruba nation and that political consideration should be discountenanced when talking about the welfare of the Yoruba, especially “now that the Yoruba nation is going through terrible trials.” “This is no time for excessive party loyalty. When the home has caught fire, it is not the time to spank the little child how wets his or her bed…there is a gradual diminution of Yoruba power and influences.” Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu, in his own message, expressed delight at the success of the summit, adding that the convergence of eminent Yoruba leaders was enough fillip for the unity of the race.

The text of the communiqué issued at the end of the summit was entitled “We Shall Take it no More.” It reads: “After an extensive and inclusive debate on the threats to our survival as a people especially by the unprovoked, unwarranted and mindless serial attacks on the economic rights of our people by nomadic Fulani cattle rearers, which have snowballed into loss of precious lives, raping of our women and criminal abduction of our people for ransom; the following communiqué was adopted: “Summit observed that despite the non-aggressive disposition of the Yoruba people, we have been victims of crude aggressions, violent violations from our hostile neighbors from pre-colonial days till modern time. “From the 18th century Fulani Jihadists onslaught against Yoruba space, through the travails of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, through the June 12 saga to the latest war declared on our people by the Fulani herdsmen, we have always risen about the hurt on us to strive to make our neighbors see the need to deal with ourselves peaceably in justice and fairness not because we are cowards but because God created to fight only as a last resort. “We have since the amalgamation of Nigeria gone to every part of the country to live and work respecting our hosts and posing no threat to them because our fathers say when you are in the city of lepers you have to fold your fingers. “Summit paid glowing tributes to the memories of our illustrious sons and daughters who became sacrificial lambs in the course of these aggressions against us over the years such as Adekunle Fajuyi, Bashorun M.K,O Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane, Suliat Adedeji, Layi Balogun and hundreds of our people mowed down on the streets of Lagos by ethnic cleansing forces of the late General Sani Abacha; “Summit recalled that in spite of the untold injustices meted on us over the years within the Nigerian project, we remain the only one out of the biggest tribes that has never questioned the corporate existence of Nigeria even with the obvious and sustained agenda of forces of domination to deny us the opportunity to

live our civilisation ,build on our golden achievements of the Awo years and move at our own pace; “Summit was alarmed by the recent abduction of a foremost Yoruba nationalist and Nigerian patriot, Chief Olu Falae by Fulani herdsmen on his farm the day he turned 77. His violent abduction during which machete cuts were inflicted on him was sequel to the running battles he has had with nomadic Fulani cattle rearers who at various times destroyed his crops and thereby denying him the sweat of his labour. “In one instance two months before his kidnap, he sought police intervention and the effort led to the herdsmen being asked to pay him compensation. His abdication and payment of ransom before he was released is an assault on the Yoruba nation and all that we cherish. “The return of the herdsmen to his farm on Monday October 6th, 2015 to continue their mindless grazing is to us an open declaration of war on the Yoruba people by these invaders ; “Summit was not unmindful of the fact that the ordeal of Chief Falae is a continuation of the series of attacks these herdsmen have inflicted on our farmers over the years in their contempt for our land and the people therein which now appears to mean nothing to them than a grazing reserve. “They have violated and killed our women like Mrs AyesiI Balogun who was raped and killed by Fulani herdsmen on 7th February, 2015 in Asa in Yewa North Local Government of Ogun state. A newlywed lady was reported to have been raped by the same Fulani herdsmen in the same community. “Regrettably, the Nigerian law enforcement system has woefully showed it cannot protect our people given the plethora of reports that different communities have made to them with little or no action at all; “Therefore, given the gravity of the situation and the apparent unwillingness of the Nigerian state to put an end to this siege and also because we cannot afford to leave our people at the mercy of violent herdsmen who not only destroy their economic activities but also rape our women and kill innocent people, “Summit demands immediate end to the lawless nomadic cattle grazing in Yorubaland and ask all those who want to engage in cattle business in any part of our land to do animal husbandry ivy establishing ranches. Our people are no longer prepared to tolerate further encroachment on their farmlands and brutal attacks on them. To this end, all nomadic herdsmen are to wind up their criminal nomadic activities in Yorubaland. Failing to do so may attract several consequences; “Summit asks the Federal Government to ensure immediate arrest and prosecution of the abductors of Chief Falae and all perpetrators of the violent crimes which have been reported at different police stations in Yorubaland arising from cattle rearing activities. “Realising that the crisis that we are witnessing presently over the actions of the Fulani herdsmen is a function of the refusal of Nigeria to practice true Federalism which would guarantee significant autonomy to the constituent units, Summit demands an immediate restructuring of Nigeria with the implementation of the report of 2014 National Conference as a starting point,” the communiqué said.

thepolity

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Issues as Buhari’s ministerial nominees face screening amid protests As the ministerial nominees submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari face the hurdle of Senate screening on Tuesday, MOSES ALAO writes on the issues and protests that have greeted the ministerial list and the implications for the nominees.

Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President

N Tuesday, nominees for ministerial posts will begin to face the Nigeria Senate, the statutory body empowered to confirm ministers, in a rite that has become more of routine as most such nominees had breasted the tape of Senate screening despite opposition from the public. But as always, the list of names submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari, whose delay in appointing cabinet members has led to anticipation and high expectations of radically different cabinet members from most Nigerians. The list was eventually submitted to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, 30 September, 2015, who duly informed the senators that screening would begin on Tuesday. But the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, raising a point of order, had moved that the senators could only begin the screening when it had the full list rather than the first batch of 21 names, which the president reportedly submitted to beat time due to his promise to announce ministers in September. Promptly, the Senate President had defended Buhari that he would transmit the remaining names to the Upper Chamber, noting that the confirmation process would begin next Tuesday, a development that has set full machinery in motion for intrigues, political manoeuverings and horse-trading among the supporters and opponents of the nominees ahead of the Tuesday set for the commencement of screening. Consequently, Saraki had asked the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, the body saddled with the responsibility of looking into petitions against the ministerial nominees, to treat all petitions before Tuesday. Also to enhance the screening process, the Senate announced conditions that nominees must fulfil. These include the presentation of Code of Conduct Bureau clearance for assets declaration and the approval of two of the three senators from a nominee’s state, thereby setting the stage for what would be a fierce political battle between the camps of those in support and against the nominations of the minister-hopeful from each state. If the position that two senators’ approval is needed for a nominee to pass screening is anything to go by, however, Sunday Tribune can authoritatively report that the confirmation process would be explosive, as about half of the nominees might fail screening because the senators from their states were either from the opposition party or their nomination did not sit well with the state governors. Thus, Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Senator Chris Ngige

Amina Muhammad, Kaduna State nominee

(Anambra); Amaechi (Rivers); Ogbonnaya Onu (Abia); Aisha Alhassan (Taraba) and Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom), among others, might face an uphill task if the two senators’ approval modality is followed to the letters. But apart from the Senate’s modalities, many people have commended the nominations of certain individuals based on their pedigree, antecedents or closeness to such personalities, while others, including political parties, Non-Governmental Organisations and individuals have pooh-poohed the appearance of some names on the list, citing allegations of corruption, old age and the noncommittal attitude of the nominees to the APC. Apart from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is kicking against the nomination of Ameachi in Rivers, APC in Oyo State has also vehemently opposed the nomination of Bayo Shittu, a former commissioner for justice in the state. The Coalition Against Corrupt Leadership (CACOL), a Lagos-based pressure group, however, has not hidden its disavowal of Mr Babatunde Fashola’s nomination. The group in anticipation of the nomination of the former Lagos State governor had reeled off series of allegations in the bid to stop him making Buhari’s cabinet. CACOL had accused Fashola of inflating contracts, including building a website for N78 million and constructing pedestrian bridges for over N1 billion as well as many others but the former governor stood his ground, defending his eight-year rule in Lagos and some of the projects. However, given that Lagos is solidly APC in the Senate, it is not likely that the former governor would experience any difficulty getting clearance, except, the alleged opposition to its candidacy is directly rooted within the party hierarchy. Otherwise, Fashola should enjoy a smooth sail in the Senate. Apart from Fashola, CACOL has also kicked against the nomination of a former Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, accusing her of financial mismanagement, questionable and self-beneficial transactions of government businesses, wastefulness and graft in a petition dated 10 September, 2015, sent to President Buhari entitled: “Kemi Adeosun’s nomination: CACOL discovers another misfit.” But Mrs Adeosun denied the allegations, demanding her traducers to provide proofs of the claims. Adeosun is also likely to benefit from the cooperation of at least two of the three senators from Ogun State. Incidentally the election of the only likely opposition to her candidacy, the senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu of the

Mr Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State nominee

PDP, was overturned by a tribunal on Friday. Asked why CACOL had only singled out Fashola and Adeosun, the group’s Executive Director, Mr Debo Adeniran, told Sunday Tribune that it does not have evidence against other nominees yet. “We don’t have evidence against some other nominees, although we are against those that are being recycled. It is only those two that we have evidence against and we would have complained about any other nominee, because if you look at those who have baggage of allegations on their necks, which they have not discharged before they are nominated, our belief is what if they are found guilty of the allegations. But because we have information about these two, especially Fashola, we cannot keep quiet about them.” When asked if CACOL would forward petitions to the Senate against the individuals identified, he said the group had already written petitions against Fashola and Adeosun as of the time of speaking with Sunday Tribune [Thursday, 8 October]. Also last Wednesday, in what some political watchers would tag the usual senatorial conspiracy against ministerial nominees, some senators submitted petitions against the nominees from their states. The senator representing Kaduna South, Danjuma La’ah, had fired a salvo at the nominee from his state, Amina Mohammed. He said: “Some people in Kaduna State are not happy with the nomination of Mrs Mohammed as a minister,” and went ahead to submit his petition, entitled “Objection Against the Nomination of Mrs Amina Mohammed, or Amina Ibrahim as Minister Representing Kaduna State,” which centred on the allegation that Mohammed is not an indigene of Kaduna State. “I Senator Danjuma Laah, stand firmly by the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 147 Act(3) – which reads in part, ‘Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of Section 14(3) of the Constitution, provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid, the President shall appoint at least one minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state.” But as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks, the nomination of a one-time governorship candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Shittu, a lawyer from Oyo State, is also facing fierce protests. For Shittu, the opposition to his nomiContinues

pg 36

thepolity

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

We’re not comfortable with Buhari’s nominees —CACOL

Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Ogun State nominee

Continued from

Bayo Shittu, Oyo nominee BayoState Shittu

pg 35

nation was not because he is not from Oyo State, as he hailed from Saki West Local Government in Oke-Ogun area of the state; his opponents have accused him of antiparty activities. The state’s chapter of the APC, in an open letter addressed to the president and signed by its chairman and secretary, Chief Akin Oke and Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, respectively, said Shittu’s nomination was unacceptable because he is not known to be a team player and that he has bluntly refused to participate in all party activities including campaigns. Already, Shittu’s nomination has created a sharp division in the APC, where Sunday Tribune gathered there are many vested interests eyeing the ministerial nomination from the state, but that Shittu’s nomination jolted them to reality, a development that has led to the widespread opposition. But Shittu is not without his own defence. Not only has his nomination revealed his large support base in the state, as different groups especially from his Oke-Ogun as well as politicians have thrown their weight behind him, noting that his nomination ensured fairness and equity in the APC, which had hitherto been reportedly dominated by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) segment of the APC. According to this school of thought, the fact that the ACN axis produced the governor, his deputy, three senators, all the House of Representatives members, among others, to the detriment of other legacy parties, showed that Shittu, had all along, been fighting a just cause, noting that his nomination has vindicated him and that he would scale the hurdles of screening despite the oppositions. Unlike Mohammed and Shittu, however, the nomination of a former governor of Rivers State, Amaechi, Sunday Tribune gathered, has enraged not a few people based on allegations of corruption. Like Fashola, Amaechi, who was formerly of the PDP, governed his state for eight years, at the end of which different allegations of corruption have been raised against him ever since stepping out of office on May 29, 2015. Last Wednesday, the Senator representing Rivers East, George Sekibo, had, on behalf of senators from the state, presented a petition against Amaechi, alleging that the governor looted Rivers State’s funds. Also, a group identified as The Integrity Group, had also opposed Amaechi’s nomination through a petition, which accused the governor of corruption, criminal breach of trust, unlawful enrichment and conversion of over N70 billion Rivers people’s money. Coincidentally, a Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State government had chosen the same day to submit its report, which indicted Amaechi of diverting N53

billion belonging to the state. The head of the commission, Justice George Omoreji, made the disclosure while submitting the committee’s report to the state governor, Mr Nyesom Wike. But the former governor was not caught unawares, as he has since responded that the allegations were untrue and merely targeted at discrediting him. As Nigerians look forward to the much-awaited confirmation process before the Senate, the stream of public sentiment for and against the nominees have continued to run freely, with the opposition PDP also cashing in on the situation to criticise Buhari for lining up an underwhelming team despite his past posturing. With politicians, groups and individuals still kicking, however, the stage will, in the next 48 hours, shift to the Senate chambers, where political analysts have urged senators to put Nigeria first by doing what is right rather than playing politics. Though a former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, while responding to enquiries from Sunday Tribune on how a nominee could be rejected at the Senate, said there was nowhere in the Rule Book where it was stated that a nominee could only scale the hurdle of screening if the senators from his/her state agree with his/her nomination, the guideline that two senators from a state are needed for a nominee to pass, analysts have said, might be a step in the right direction if the senators put the nation ahead of party or personal interests. Folarin noted that asking senators from a nominee’s state for their positions was a custom based on the assumption that the senators from the nominee’s home state would know the person better and also be aware of what the people of the state want. He, however, noted that the Senate could jettison the position of the senators

Any attempt for the Nigerian government not to input 35 per cent affirmative action for women should be rejected by all Nigerian women, because that is going to cause a setback to us from what we already achieved

Hajia Goroso Giwa, Director of IWCC

Debo Adeniran, Executive Director, CACOL

from the state depending on different factors. Senator Folarin, who was the PDP governorship candidate in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, cited the example of a former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Jelili Adesiyan, whose nomination was opposed by the three APC senators from Osun State as well as the APC senators in general but still scaled the hurdle because his party had the overwhelming majority in the Senate. However, apart from politicians and pressure groups clamouring against certain nominees based on perceived wrongdoings, the Director of International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), Hajia Goroso Giwa, has, on behalf of Nigerian women, called on the Senate to reject the list if it did not contain at least 35 per cent of women, noting that Nigerian women were still waiting to see if the remaining list would satisfy the policy of affirmative action. “Any attempt for the Nigerian government not to input 35 per cent affirmative action for women should be rejected by all Nigerian women, because that is going to cause a setback to us from what we already achieved,” she said, while responding to the fact that only three women were nominated among the 21 nominees already unveiled. She maintained that Nigerian women were still waiting for the final list, noting that if the government was not able to strike a balance, women would mobilise and reject the list. “We will mobilise against any attempt to marginalise women, we will make advocacy against it. Let’s wait and see, we know that the government and the Senate will do the right thing,” she said.

opinion

11 October, 2015

Of warriors and heroes past By Femi Fani-Kayode

he warrior is noble and strong. His resolve is firm and his commitment is total. His is to kill, to shed blood and to be killed. His is to die for his king and for a worthy cause. His is to protect and lay down his life for his faith, his nation, his people and his loved ones. What manner of men are these whose spirit speaks of such valour and nobility? Consider the ancient Spartans and the Roman warriors of old. Consider the fearsome Vikings who believed that it was a curse to die a peaceful death and that the only way to heaven was to die violently and heroically in fearsome battle. Consider the greatest of all warriors that ever lived, the noble and gallant Achilles. Consider Alexander the Great who conquered the world with his sword. Consider King David, the greatest of all the kings of Israel, who was a man of blood and war and yet whom God so loved and who loved God more than any other. Consider David’s “strongmen” who stood with him through thick and thin and who fought for and protected him to the very end. Consider their gallant captain, the mighty Joab and the others, Abishai, Asahel, Eleazer, the Tachomonite, Shammah, Benaiah, Eliam, Igal and Uriah the Hittite. These were David’s ‘’strongmen’’: all great and valient men of war whose courage was legendary and whose loyalty to their God and their King was unflinching and unquestionable. Consider Shaka the Zulu, Beowulf the Nordic king and William Wallace the liberator of Scotland. Consider King Henry V of England who routed the French at the battle of Agincourt even though he was outnumbered by three men to one. Consider Julius Caesar who came, who saw and who conquered. Consider the great Heracles who was a descendant of the mighty Hercules himself. Consider Spartacus, who turned slaves into men. Consider Samson, who slew a troop with the jaw bone of an ass and yet who fell at the touch of a woman. Consider Gideon who slew the Midianites, Jeptha who sacrificed his own daughter, Joshua who brought down the walls of Jericho and Jehu, who drove his chariot like a madman, who slew the witch-Queen Jezebel and who fulfilled prophesy by ensuring that the dogs ate her flesh and licked her blood in the valley of Jezreel. Consider those that laid down their lives for our great

and noble faith: Paul of Tarsus, the greatest of all the apostles, who brought the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the gentiles and to the wider world. Peter the disciple, who became the rock on whom the Church of God was built. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Stephen, Isaiah, Elijah, Daniel, John and all the other disciples and prophets of old. For martyrs and heroes that lived and died for God are also gallant warriors who feared not death and who stood firm to the end in defense of their faith. Consider George Washington who led his troops into battle and whose war cry was “victory or death”. Consider the charge of the Light Brigade, the courage of the 600, at the battle of Balaclava in the fields of the Crimea. Consider the Ikemba, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu who resisted genocide and who established Biafra. Consider Isaac Boro, the champion of the Delta, who rejected tyranny and who fought for his people. Consider Ken Saro-Wiwa whose prose moved mountains and who refused to bow to a dictator. Consider Moshood Abiola, who defied the oppressor and who died a martyr. Consider Patrice Lumumba who died for his country, John Jerry Rawlings who liberated a generation, Thomas Sankara who stood for Africa and Malcom X who brought dignity to his people. Consider Robespierre, Marat and the heroes of the French revolution who defied kings and queens and who watered the tree of liberty with blood. Consider Muammar Ghaddafi, who empowered his people, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who gave hope to the Arab, Fidel Castro, who broke the yoke of bondage and Nelson Mandela who brought joy to millions. Consider Toussaint L’Ouverture who freed the slaves of Haiti and who estab-

Sunday Tribune

lished a proud black nation. Consider General Lee at the battle of Gettysburg, Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Nasby, Horatio Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar and King Leonidas, with his gallant ‘’300’’, at the battle of Thermopylae. Consider Generals Marshal, Patton, Eisenhower, Rommel and MacArthur in the great battles of the Second World war. Consider the ‘’Black Scorpion’’, General Benjamin Adekunle, with his 3rd Marine Commando at the Battle of Ore. Consider our gallant amazons and female warriors of old- Boadicea of East Anglia, Joan D’Arc of France, Elizabeth 1 of England, Amina of Zaria, Moremi of Ife, Golda Meir of Israel, Margret Thatcher of Great Britain, Indira Ghandi of India, Queen Idia of Benin, Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Queen Esther of the Medes and Persians, Cleopatra of the Blue Nile and Egypt and Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti Kingdom. Had these great men and women all not stood their ground and had they all not played their role in our collective history, where would the world be today? They sacrificed their today so that we may have our tomorrow. They lived and died for the sake of others and asked for only one thing in return: that their names should live forever and that we should never forget their noble deeds and their worthy sacrifices. And we must not forget, nay we dare not forget, for as Martin Luther King once said “if a man is not ready to die for something, then he is not worthy of living for anything”. The warrior is prepared to die for his cause. That is what makes him so noble and that is why he will always have a special place in our hearts. May the spirit of the warrior and selfless courage fill us all and, like the true warriors that we are meant to be, when the angel of death comes may the Lord give us the strength and boldness to look at him fearlessly in the face and treat him with the contempt and disdain that he deserves- knowing that he has lost his sting and that, by the power of Christ Jesus, he has been conquered and crushed. When the dark angel comes, as come he must for us all, let us be men and let us die a good death, not cringing and crying like puppies, but like true warriors, fighting to the bitter end. For it is never for the warrior to ask the why: it is only for the warrior to do or die. The warrior does not vanish into the night. The warrior will not go down without a fight. •Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation

Obstruction of justice at election tribunals By Macaulay Amadi

n February this year, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmoud Mohammed, swore in 242 members and chairmen of the Election Petition Tribunals for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. This was ahead of the general elections, which were earlier scheduled to begin on February 14, but were postponed to March 28. At the swearing-in of the Tribunal members and chairmen, Chief Justice Mohammed said: “You must shun acts such as the acceptance of gifts or favours from counsel and politicians, and the exchange of illicit communications with parties, which acts will erode the integrity of the Tribunal irretrievably.” In framing his admonition, the Chief Justice was guided by past ugly experiences at Election Petition Tribunals, which occasioned disciplinary measures against some judges. Desperate politicians and their counsel were sometimes guilty of the acts against which the Chief Justice had warned. Perhaps, not in his wildest imagination would the CJN have contemplated that security agencies could in fact become critical factors in the obstruction of justice at Election Tribunals. Thus, the presumption is that if there was the slightest suspicion of the likely interference of security agencies with the administration of justice at the Election Tribunals, the Chief Justice would have adverted his mind to the likely invidious role and then cautioned security agencies appropriately. The Chief Justice and other litigants were innocent. What was always known was that security agencies were sometimes deployed before and during elections, to intimidate voters, and to secure dubious victory for their paymasters. Thereafter, results are announced, and when trouble breaks, the security agencies are called in to quell the riots. If the parties then went to the Election Tribunals, it was strictly a matter between the politicians and their lawyers, who were in the ring. Security agencies provided security around the perimetre, and in

no way, descended into the arena. But the 2015 general elections and the proceedings at some of the Election Petition Tribunals have thrown up a new but dangerously abnormal experience of security agencies descending into the arena of electoral dispute resolution. This has been so, especially with the Election Tribunals hearing the petitions concerning the governorship elections in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Abia states, which were won by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the former ruling party at the national level, but which was electorally ousted in the presidential poll of March 28. When stakeholders first raised an alarm over the relocation of the Tribunals from Uyo (capital of Akwa Ibom) and Port Harcourt (capital of Rivers) to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, nobody, including the CJN, paid sufficient heed. The specious ground for the relocation was “security”, even at a time when neither Akwa Ibom nor Rivers was under siege. Suspicions that the relocation was intended to facilitate interference were dismissed as wild imaginings. In early August, the PDP National Assembly caucus issued a statement decrying DSS interference in Election Tribunals, condemning in particular the arrest, detention, and interrogation of INEC officials in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Abia states. A few weeks later, all 16 Senators and members of the House of Representatives from Rivers petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, complaining about the worrisome role of the security agencies in the Election Tribunals. The petitioners recalled an earlier intervention by the Senate, which drew the attention of the DSS to its ultra vires conduct in relation to election petition matters. Not unsurprisingly, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been dismissive of the allegations, even acting at some point as spokespersons for the DSS. The party claimed that the DSS stepped in when certain persons were frustrating access to election materials that were part of the evidence to be tendered at the Tribunal, although it failed to state on whose express authority the

DSS were acting, except to glibly refer to the role of the DSS in internal security matters. But the APC has maintained a loud silence since the news broke that armed state security officials stormed the venue of a Tribunal in Abuja, in search of a witness or more who had testified in support of the respondent in a governorship election petition. Nigerians can only imagine what the APC reaction would have been if this had happened while they were in the opposition. It is possible that President Muhammadu Buhari is unaware of the full extent of the strong-arm tactics being deployed by the security agencies, which have invaded the judicial space, creating a new spectre of fear and intimidation intended to overawe the Election Tribunals, and thereby obstruct and defeat the ends of justice. It is possible that the planners and executors of this new strategy of manipulating the outcome of elections are overzealous agents and hirelings who clearly misunderstand the import and responsibility of being in government and in power. If their shenanigans prevail, President Buhari should be ready to carry the can. This is because, chroniclers of our electoral history will not fail to record that it was during Buhari’s time that the security agencies began invading Election Tribunals, in order to wangle justice for the powers and party that be. That is the hallmark of dictatorial regimes. Again, as noted above, President Buhari may be unaware of what exactly is going on. It is unthinkable, for instance, that the late Gen. Sani Abacha, who sat atop Nigeria’s most brutal military dictatorship, was in the know of all the atrocities carried out by his henchmen and foot soldiers, who believed that they were engaged in a murderous task of regime protection. President Buhari must think about this, and act fast: his government cannot be prosecuting an anti-corruption war, supported by most Nigerians and influential foreign leaders, and yet, agents of the government are subverting the rule of law through the violent obstruction of justice. •Amadi, a public affairs analyst, writes from Sun City, Abuja.

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees were eventually unveiled on Tuesday, October 6 and the uproar among Nigerians cannot be unexpected. Many have described the list in different lights. Some said it is a list of saints, sinners and noisemakers. Others expressed disgust at the undue delay in the release of the list which contained ordinary day Nigerians the President could have announced on June 9. And it is understandable Nigerians expressed their disappointment at Buhari for making public a list that does not comprise magicians and men from the moon. The President had put himself in a tight corner by refusing to follow tradition of announcing Ministers early July put in place by his predecessors. He held on to the list for four months, thus fuelling insinuations that the list he was compiling would comprise names of uncommon men and women and possibly saints from another planet. Before the list was finally released, some mystery was already being built around the expected Buhari men, who would be as clean as snow, whose pedigree would be unblemished and who would have no strand of controversy around him. The media had gone to work earlier in the administration, pushing out most of the names unveiled by Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday. But Buhari’s promoters insisted that the man would disappoint many and that he was not beholden to godfathers. The myths and near mysteries went on for a while as the nation awaited the list of Buhari’s uncommon politicians. Questions keep running. Where will the President get these men from and who and who can make the list? Will he close the door on the politically exposed persons that managed his party and the campaign which eventually shut the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) out of power? The thoughts and discussions went on and on. It was an anti-climax as the media again published the names of common and well known politicians on October 1, a day after Buhari submitted the ministerial list to the Senate President; and when the list was eventually released by Saraki at the October 6 sitting. From that day, it became apparent to all that all that all politics is local and that it was practically impossible for Buhari to get saints from among everyday hu-

Exactly two weeks ago when I wrote for the first time on the abduction and subsequent release of Chief Olu Falae, I asked a pertinent question: is he really safe? I also suggested that we addressed the issue of these herdsmen, and the aggression they brought to their perceived right to graze their cattle wherever they wished. It appears to me that they are determined to import to the south the violence and mutual vendetta which has ravaged large areas of the country’s north and which have led to deaths of thousands as a result of clashes between these herdsmen and local farmers. What happened on Chief Falae’s farm last Monday has confirmed the view that the mindset of the herdsmen is “Everything belongs to God. Every piece of land belongs to God and not to any individual,” or how else would one explain the audacity with which these herdsmen invaded the same farm, fully armed just to let their cattle chew off another man’s over one kilometre plantation of maize? According to the farm manager Mr. Bruno Akhigbodemen, the herdsmen arrived at the farm around 2am on that day with their cows and staved off all efforts by the farmhands and security guards to prevent the havoc by threatening them with guns until their cows grazed to their satisfaction. What I cannot comprehend is why a set of people would think they could do whatever they liked and get away with it. Why would they keep coming back to cause such devastation to a man’s means of livelihood? The latest destruction according to press reports is the fifth within two months. Before his kidnap two weeks ago, two Fulani herdsmen were arrested and detained for destroying over N500, 000 worth of farm products on the farm. They were released after some of their leaders wrote an undertaking that they would pay compensation and would not encroach on the farm again. Barely three weeks after the episode, Chief Falae was abducted by some gun wielding Fulani herdsmen on the same farmland and was released after 72 hours. Yet their leaders would want us to believe that these are simple nomadic people who are just going about their business of cattle rearing in a harmless and lawful way?

11 October, 2015

the lynxeye with Taiwo adisa

08072000046 taiadisbabatj@gmail.com

Ministerial list : Of myths, mysteries and uncommon politics

mans. It became apparent that those investing hope in the utopian have misplaced their expectations and are seeking to go beyond the simple issue of managing human affairs which governance is all about. Ni-

frontrow with Toyin Willoughby Muyi 0805 500 1769 toyeenz@yahoo.com

Who is after Falae?

I am angry with the lame defence put up by the President of Jamu Nati Fulbe Association, a Fulani socio-cultural group in the South-west, Alhaji Salihu Kadir who said that Fulani herdsmen were not responsible for the kidnap of Chief Olu Falae and that they never engaged in acts of kidnapping in the South West of Nigeria. According to him, the crime could have been committed by

Sunday Tribune

gerian Ministers must be Nigerians who understand the day-to-day situation in the country. They can never be some men of outlandish ideas from the moon and saints, who are only determinable by the Almighty. It has become apparent that Buhari, who had been robed in some unusual colours, is a Nigeria politician after all and must play politics the Nigerian way. The idealists, who believe that he is not one of them, should be making a rethink right now. By now it should be clear to all that saints don’t live among humans and that human beings must learn to manage their affairs by applying the principles of fairness, care, commonsense and equity. The search for some miracle workers from the moon can only remain a huge waste of time. Now that the Senate is set to commence the screening of the nominees, what Nigerians would expect is a process that showcases a return of the legislative powers of the red chamber. The state of the current Senate since inception on June 9 has been shaky. The Senate has been fighting itself more or less and has never really found its voice in the polity. Unlike the senate of the 6th and 7th Assembly, which played critical roles in the life of the nation, the current senate has been clowning more or less. While statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics are showing red lights, while the Central Bank of Nigeria is raising equally danger signals for the economy, the senators have shown more inclination towards the mundane. Every sitting has been characterized by unusual outbursts that were alien to that chamber. Many would expect that the red chamber would redeem itself though this ministerial screening by ensuring a stickler to the rules, and the law. Many had read the conditions pushed out there for the screening as stringent and difficult. But all these are right there in the constitution, with the exception of the convention that requires a nominee to secure the support of at least two Senators from his state. Even at that, the Senators see themselves as representatives of the people and that once the local politics don’t jell with a nominee, he or she should not pass senate screening. As all eyes centre on Senate this week, we all expect a screening process that would live up to expectations.

criminal minded people from any other tribe in the country. He said, “Every time a crime was committed, it is Fulani that is always responsible, enough of this blackmail. This is the major challenge we are facing. The Fulani herdsmen are only after the welfare of their cows, yet we are being blackmailed consistently. Farmers would lie against us that we are responsible for the destruction of their farms and they would present fake pictures and evidence to the police in order to implicate the Fulani.” May I ask Kadir, who then is after Falae? Is he suggesting that Chief Falae, his farm manager, farm hands and family members who have had life-threatening contacts with these criminals about five times within two months are hallucinating or are merely playing politics with their livelihood and lives? What Nigerian doesn’t know the mannerisms, the dressing and the accent of the regular herdsman? And even if we would allow ourselves to be persuaded by Kadir’s defence of his people, how would he explain off the grazing cattle, were they just in the imagination of the farm manager and the farm hands? We are discussing this issue because of the personality involved and the danger the trend portends for all of us. If a person of the calibre and standing of Chief Falae could be so attacked and rubbished ON HIS LAND and IN HIS DOMAIN, then what hope do non-influential farmers have? Skirmishes between farmers and herdsmen are not new. Many retirees have been sent to their early graves because of the menace of indiscriminate grazing and destruction of their farmlands, many of which were funded with loans and gratuities. Many also are down with strokes and other debilitating ailments because of the astronomical losses they incurred as a result of the activities of these herdsmen. I am therefore in support of the call by Yoruba leaders who met at the Oyo State Government secretariat last Wednesday that an end should be put to grazing in Yorubaland and that all nomadic herdsmen should wind up their activities in the region. I have never been a fan of former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode however, I tend to agree with his views that the Yoruba must “be ready to defend our territory and our people when and where the government fails in its sacred duty to do it for us.” That is the situation now.

11 October, 2015

on the

Sunday Tribune

With Bolanle Bolawole turnpot@gmail.com 07052631058

lord’sday

Matters arising from Buhari’s ministerial nominations

xpectedly, President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees have come in for flaks for diverse reasons. Promoters of youth interests are miffed that “old breed” politicians who ought to have retired still made the list. Feminist groups and or their defenders are hollering that three women out of 21 nominees is a measly 14 percent. This is retrogression when compared with the 30 percent given to women by former President Goodluck Jonathan. This group also says of 30 appointments made so far by Buhari, only one went to a woman. Anti-corruption crusaders have also upbraided Buhari for his picks, some of whom are believed to be tainted. For a president who not only parades but is also widely seen as Mr. Clean, this criticism, perhaps, is the unkindest cut of all. Religious as well as ethnic jingoists are keeping their gun powders dry, waiting, obviously, for the full list before drawing their own conclusions. Why Buhari’s ministerial list failed to meet public expectations and garner widespread approval is not far to fetch. The hype by Buhari and his party, APC, was deafening. It was like they had sent a spacecraft to Venus to go fetch extraterrestrial personalities who would be made ministers. Buhari boasted ad infinitum that no corrupt politician will make his cabinet; yet, when the list was unveiled, the man on the street can pick tainted persons on it. High drama had accompanied the preparation of the ministerial list but the unveiling itself was an anti-climax; it poured cold water on the people’s great expectations and fever-pitch enthusiasm. This was not what Buhari promised; so it was not what the people expected. Buhari, no doubt, has disappointed the people. Should the president continue this way, he could, in no time, squander his mountain of goodwill. But, ordinarily, it is not as if the Buhari list is that bad. If not for the APC propaganda that had demonised the PDP while presenting itself and Buhari as saints; reactions to the list would have been more measured and tempered. After the APC effusive boasting and the long wait by the people, what was unveiled looked drab and ordinary. There were very few surprises, if any at all. Even Jonathan’s cabinet drew more excitement from the people; their eventual performance, however, was a different kettle of fish. On these issues, leadership is the principal thing. Give Buhari the Jonathan cabinet and he could move mountains with it. Where the leadership condones the shenanigans of its men and the environment is not vibrant enough to set the right template able to compel everyone to move in the right direction, bedlam! But when people know that corruption will not be condoned; that there is a conscious attempt to catch thieves; and that punishment will then follow; they will be more likely to show restraint. With this at the back of my mind, I suggest that we give many of the ministersdesignate benefit of the doubt. This is not to say, however, that the Senate should not scrupulously scrutinise them and reject anyone found wanting. More than that, those with corruption cases should

be referred to the EFCC or CCB Tribunal. I now take a look at the list: Ahmed Isa Ibeto (Niger) as deputy governor to erstwhile Chief Servant Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state suffered unimaginable marginalisation as the No. 2 man, which he was only in name. Could he have stolen a dime? He put his head down and took all the insults until he decamped to APC. It was a great risk he took. If only for all he went through, I will support him to become minister. Dr Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi), urbane, gentlemanly, cultured, refined, name it; this is one of the finest politicians of this generation. He has my support. Aah, my friend, Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti): readers of this column knew that I supported Fayemi during the last governorship election in Ekiti and still stood by him after he lost and conceded defeat to Fayose. I supported Fayemi even against one of the most charismatic, generous, and dependable personalities Ekiti has ever produced, in the person of another friend, Opeyemi Bamidele. I did so solely on the principle that Fayemi should be allowed a second term. Thank God the formula I thereafter proposed in this column is playing out now: That Fayemi should relocate to Abuja as minister and leave the Ekiti stage wide open for Opeyemi. After Fayose, I expect Opeyemi to have his shot, although it will be battle royal between him and another eminently qualified friend, Prince Dayo Adeyeye aka Governor-in-waiting. It is not for fun that admirers and supporters call Dayo that, but this is evidence of his popularity and support in Ekiti. If not for the subterfuge of party leaders, Dayo should be sitting where Fayose sits at the moment. I totally support Fayemi to be minister. His prodemocracy antecedents (NADECO, Radio Kudirat) recommend him. Chief Audu Ogbeh (Benue) was one-time PDP chairman who was at logger-heads with “Emperor” Olusegun Obasanjo. The story is

told that when OBJ could bear it no more, he tricked Ogbeh into believing he wanted a truce; visited Ogbeh at home; asked Ogbeh’s wife to prepare pounded yam and after eating and satisfying himself and Ogbeh thought all was well, OBJ took him into a room, held a gun to his head and forced him to sign his resignation letter as PDP chairman. Forthright and outspoken men like Ogbeh will do this country a world of good. I support him. Chris Ngige (Anambra): Who does not know “the short man devil”, as they say! His “roofrofo” with the Ubas, and Okija shrine thrust him into the public glare. True, Ngige got into office as governor on a stolen mandate but he performed so well in the office that everyone regretted it when it was time for the rightful owner of the mandate to retrieve it. Ngige should make a good minister. Lai Mohammed (Kwara): Huumh! Lai himself! No, I won’t call him the Josef Goebbels of our time but he is a mercilessly efficient and effective propaganda machine. APC owes him a lot for the unbelievably-attractive image created for the opposition party to the chagrin of the then ruling party, PDP. If not Lai, who else? I support but will caution that being in government is different from the opposition he is coming from. Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos): Until internal crisis within the ACN and later APC reared its ugly head, Fashola was the poster boy of the opposition in Nigeria. His performance was highly rated and he was the toast of everyone. But after the wind blew and the rump of the fowl was exposed, Fashola has been the butt of cruel jokes. Nevertheless, he still rates high, in my view. He is absolutely above average. My belief is that were he to be his own man, he would have done far better than he did. His frustrations took a toll on him during his second term; all the same, he is good enough to be minister. Adebayo Shittu (Oyo): I will not be surprised if, after the full list of minis-

ters is unveiled, Shittu qualifies as one of the most ideologically-rooted of the entire pack. If he is picked in the end as the greatest defender and friend of the poor in Buhari’s cabinet, it will also be true to type. Shittu is through and through a man of the people, a “talakawa” kind of politician cast in the mould of the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, whose disciple he is, and of the late Aminu Kano. Shittu is not your mill-of-the-run politician; he is always protesting one injustice after another. He is also a man like Buhari; he plays politics but has no money; what he lacks in quantum of money he makes up for in goodwill and sheer will power. I am not surprised but it is ironic that many of those opposing Shittu’s nomination today were nowhere near politics when this man had been fighting the cause of the downtrodden. Shittu is from the marginalised and despised Oke-Ogun zone of Oyo state which has been used and dumped by successive generations of politicians. I have never met or spoken with Shittu but his fame and good works are spread abroad. I support his nomination. These are the few that I can sufficiently comment upon. I leave the Senate to do the rest! ...Prof. Ogunbodede’s Dental Museum Three Sundays ago (September 27th) I narrated my visit to Pastor Enoch Adejare’s Mount Carmel Prayer Village, Ifewara; my going to Ifewara was made possible by an already planned trip to Ife to participate in the epoch-making event of the commissioning of the first full-blown Dental Museum in Africa master-minded by Prof. Eyitope Ogungbenro Ogunbodede, of the Faculty of Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I sit on the Board of the museum. Man proposes but God disposes; like Pastor Adeboye whose ambition was to become perhaps the youngest vice-chancellor in Nigeria but whom God diverted to become one of the most influential preachers of the gospel of our time; Ogunbodede preferred regular Medicine to Dentistry but as God would have it, it is with dentistry that he has built a towering and immense academic and professional reputation the world over. Friday, 18th September was icing on the cake for Ogunbodede as he attracted to Ile-Ife the crème-de-la-crème of the academic and professional world to perform a two-in-one celebration: The commissioning of the dental museum and the unveiling of his book, “History of Dentistry in Nigeria”. At the event were the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mallam Yusuf Abdallah; Director-General of the National Troupe, Akinsola Adejuwon; Professor Emeritus David Ijalaiye; Dr. Ladun Ibidapo, chairman of the Board of the museum, to mention but a few. The first dental chair used in Nigeria in 1907 is in this museum; so also is a firstgeneration mobile dental van. The project took over a decade of meticulous planning, painstaking searches, and selfless denials to come to fruition. Said Ogunbodede, quoting an Eastern saying: “What you think upon grows”!

language&style

by Samson Dare 0805 500 1770 samsonadare@yahoo.co.uk

Non-escalating War!

AMPLE 1: “The cult clash which sparked off last Monday in Omoku and later escalated to Obirikon, Ogwogoro Ali and Obie communities, was between two rival cult groups called Degbam and Barbeach Group said to be the armed wing of Islander...According to him most regrettable were the killing of four none indigenes, who the traditional father said were in Obirikon doing legitimate businesses( Cult War: 20 Killed in Rivers, the Sunday Sun, September 27, 2015) There are too many blemishes in this relatively short excerpt, a demonstration of the reporter’s insufficient grasp of the basics of the language. As our point of departure, consider the verb-form, were, which occurs in the following structure: “most regrettable were the killing of four none indigenes”. This chunk is an inverted structure whose more familiar form is: “the killing of four none indigenes were most regrettable”. There can’t be any doubt, I hope, regarding the plural status of the form were. If it is a plural form of the verb, as it is indisputably, where is the plural noun to which it owes that status, the noun which it (the verb were) is supposedly in concord with? The verb has been allowed to be stranded, for there is no noun having a plural status in the structure. The only noun to which the verb could have a relationship of concord is the gerund killing. Again, there can be no doubt, I sincerely hope, regarding the singular status of the noun killing. That being the case, as it certainly is, the idea of plurality must be a phantom one in the reporter’s fertile imagination. But I have a guess here. The reporter may have misled himself when he noticed the word four. Of course the word killing can be used in the plural as in: “The killings were so massive that they could be described as an effort in genocide.” Or: “The killings are already attracting global attention.” However, the following structure is rather queer: “The *killings of the four innocent people were disheartening.” First, I do not think the word four is enough to require the plural form of killing. Even if one million people were involved, the singular or non-count form of killing would do the job satisfactorily. Indeed, it would seem the reporter is at one with me on this grammatical point, what with his selection of the singular form of killing. But he obviously undermines (or unwittingly contradicts) his own grammatical choice when he attaches a plural form of the verb to a singular noun of his choosing. At any rate, the singular verb-form, was, should replace were in the context under review. The error we tackle next is found in the same clause in which the rule of concord has been breached. I refer to the expression none indigenes occurring in: “most regrettable was the killing of four none indigenes.” (Please note that we have restored concord to the structure). The focus is particularly on the word none. Let’s note immediately that the reporter has confused none with non-. The difference goes beyond the superficial difference marked by the presence or absence of the letter e. The word none (please note the spelling) means nothing, no one, not one, not one person or thing at all. Please read the following sentences: 1) None of my friends was willing to support me financially. 2) Jesus came looking for fruits on the fig tree, but He could find none. 3) Not one member of the class---none--came close to the standard set by the first generation of students. 4) Of all the roads in this part of the country, none is as busy and as dangerous as the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. 5) Of all the points you made, none is as ridiculous as the idea of soldiers being better rulers than civilians. 6) It is a measure of his confidence in the Nigerian educational system that none of his very brilliant children studied abroad. 7) I do understand your concern, but none of the things people say about me worries me. 8) None of your arguments is as brilliant and persuasive as the one on the place of formal education in the modern society. 9) God was looking for a righteous person, but he could find none. 10) Of all the ethno-religious crises that we have experienced in this country, none has been as destructive and murderous as the Boko Haram insurgency. On the other hand, the form non- is a bound morpheme: It cannot stand alone. It has to be attached to another word. When it is attached to a noun or adjective, it helps to negate that word. It is used to create the opposite of what that word means. For

Sunday Tribune

11 October, 2015

example, the word non-partisan means: not partisan. Now read the following sentences: 1) The non-negotiable part of the agreement is found in the first three pages of the document. 2) Non-members are not allowed to go beyond this point. 3) The non-teaching members of staff have a set of duties different from those of their teaching counterparts. 4) As a student of elementary biology, you should be able to differentiate between living and non-living things. 5) You don’t have to be a soldier to know the difference between commissioned and non-commissioned officers. 6) The verbal and non-verbal forms of communication complement each other. 7) Non-compliance with the rule is bound to attract heavy sanctions. 8) Should the government continue to regard religious bodies as non-profit organizations? 9) Since the period of the Cold War, Nigeria has maintained a non-aligned foreign policy. 10) The project is being financed by non-governmental organizations. 11) Non-English speaking members of the audience could not make any sense out of the presentation. 12) Non-Nigerians are not entitled to the benefits. The fact that the letter e is present in the word none but absent in the form non- is significant enough to mark the difference between the two words. The two forms are not variants of the same word. They are two different words. At any rate the expression (none indigenes) should be changed to a single word: non-indigenes. Next, we note the expression sparked off which occurs in the following context: “The cult clash which sparked off last Monday and later escalated...” First, we note that the expression can either be: spark off or simply spark. That is not the problem. The issue is that spark (off) is here used by the reporter as an intransitive verb. We are told that the clash sparked off...This is not good English. X must spark Y or Y must be sparked by X. In other words, spark (off) is a transitively used verb. Now read the following sentences: 1) The riot was sparked by an argument relating to land ownership. 2) The civil war was sparked off by leadership tussle. 3) The two sides said they could no longer recall what sparked the quarrel. 4) The shooting sparked a crisis that claimed the lives of two police officers. 5) The mutiny was sparked by the refusal of the officers to release the allowances of the junior soldiers. 6) The massive killings were sparked by a mere misunderstanding between two traders from the two ethnic groups. 7) The clash between soldiers and policemen was sparked by an argument between the policeman controlling the traffic and a soldier riding a motorcycle. 8) The relationship crisis that culminated in the divorce was sparked by a minor argument on broken china. I suggest that the verb started should replace sparked off in the context under examination. Finally, we consider the use of the word escalated which occurs in the following context: “The cult clash... escalated to Obirikon, Ogwogoro, Ali and Obie communities...” When a crisis or a clash or a war escalates, it becomes more serious, more difficult to manage. This is the sense in which the reporter has used the word and he has used it quite correctly in this regard. However, perfect as the use could have been, the reporter has allowed himself to mar it with the prepositional phrase: “to Obirikon, Ogwogoro, Ali and Obie communities...” As we have noted, wars and conflicts can escalate, but they don’t escalate “to” places such as those mentioned by the reporter here. The better word in this regard is spread. Yes, wars, crises, clashes and the like can spread “to” other places; but they do not escalate to other places. They may also be said to escalate simply, without the verb taking any particle/preposition. However, they can escalate “into” something worse. Now read the following sentences: 1) The Boko Haram phenomenon started as a minor religious disturbance, but the crisis later escalated into an insurgency. 2) The Ife-Modakeke skirmishes were mismanaged in such a way that they escalated into almost a full-blown war. 3) Reports say that the armed conflict in Syria and Iraq was escalating. 4) Before the UN Security Council could pass the fateful resolution, hundreds of people had died in the escalating war. 5) Once a conflict is allowed to escalate into something horrendous, it will become extremely difficult to control.

line

life

with Niyi Osundare

Random Blues (Blues for the Power Freak)

Give the small man a bit of power And watch him puff like a pumped-up clown Say, give the small man a bit of power And watch him puff like a bloated clown With his head swelling and swelling In the carapace of his tinsel crown

Bumbling butterfly who thinks He is the mightiest eagle Behold, the butterfly who thinks He is the mightiest eagle He feigns the sweep of a rolling ocean But he’s nothing more than a fickle trickle

He sways like a peacock He swaggers like a braggart See, he sways like a peacock And swaggers like a braggart In life’s rich and wondrous drama He has chosen the odious part

Straw-brained fool, who yesterday, was nothing He slights the young, disdains the old Say, straw-brained fool, who yesterday, was nothing He slights the young and disdains the old His raging fire tempts the gathering rain He will shiver through his pride, forlornly cold

Head in the cloud, feet in shifting sands The sole vain actor in his Empire of the Self Yes, head in the clouds, feet in shifting sands The sole vain actor in his Empire of the Self A caravan of conceits for ever deluded Tumbling down like phony books on hisplastic shelf

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune With Rita Okonoboh rosarumese@gmail.com 08053789087

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From right, Deacon Segun Adeyeye; Mr Segun Adebayo, Chairman, Planning Committee; Event Chairperson, Prof. Deji Ayegboyin; Guest Lecturer, Bishop J.O. Akinfenwa; Reverend Isaac Ayeye; Reverend Jonathan Babalola; Reverend (Dr) D.T. Hambolu; Mr Bayo Ojediran and another guest, at the guest lecture during the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Bodija Estate Baptist Church, Ibadan, last week.

Be more politically conscious Akinfenwa charges Christians

By Rita Okonoboh

HE Most Reverend Joseph Akinfenwa, Bishop of Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Communion, has charged Christians to be politically conscious, just as he called on all Christians to be more active in politics in order to ensure national development. He stated this last week at the anniversary lecture of Bodija Estate Baptist Church, Ibadan, which was part of activities to mark the Golden Anniversary of the church. The epoch-making event featured a lineup of activities such as revival service, special prayer service and road show, lecture, praise night, remembrance service for deceased members, foundation members, presentation of awards, novelty match, thanksgiving service and launch of the N250 million jubilee project fund and will round up with an internal thanksgiving service held today. At the guest lecture, Bishop Akinfenwa, who was the guest lecturer, dwelt on the topic, “The Church in the World, The World in the Church: The Christendom as Catalyst for Positive Change in the Nigerian Polity.” Speaking on the idea behind the choice of topic, the Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, Mr Segun Adebayo, in his address noted that “our church considered the firmament of democratic rule now that Nigeria is in its 16th year of unbroken civil rule after the 1999 hand-over of government by the military. Today, we visit the nexus between Christendom and politics. That is to say, the Christian politician and his conduct in the politics of the nation. “In the last 16 years, several Christians have held top political positions in civil

rule, yet cases of corruption abound in every level of government. This is why we have looked for an erudite Christian scholar and sound commentator on very germane public issues, the Most Rev. Dr Joseph Akinfenwa, the Lord Bishop of the Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Communion. For people who are versed in current affairs, Bishop Akinfenwa is not a stranger.” The guest speaker, Bishop Akinfenwa, who thanked the church for the opportunity to speak on the occasion of the 50th anniversary, while praising the Nigerian

Baptist Convention for their exemplary role on producing good citizens, especially women of virtue, described his wife as “a great example of what the Baptist Church can produce under God.” Speaking to the topic, Akinfenwa noted that “Unless we arise and act, talk would be a waste of time. The fruit of all the talk about Nigeria should be that we arise individually and act positively to impact our nation. You will form political clubs and pressure groups and lobby and pressurise to impress Christian ideology upon

the governance of our nation. And you do not have to wait until you can mobilise the whole nation. Think globally, act locally is a popular slogan; it is also a very apt admonition. We have been idle for too long. For Nigeria to become a better nation, let us arise, and let us march!” The event also featured special prayers for Nigeria led by Reverend Dr D.T. Hambolu, presentation of awards to the guest speaker, Bishop Akinfenwa and the chairman, Prof. Deji Ayegboyin, and prayer by Reverend Jonathan Babalola.

Saraki: Prophet Kasali warns Buhari of grave consequences Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti The General Overseer of Hour of Mercy Prayer Ministry Worldwide, Prophet Moses Muyideen Kasali, has warned the Federal Government to handle the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, with caution to avoid grave consequences. Kasali, who begins a five-day crusade in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital tomorrow, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of those he said were out to use the Federal Government under his watch to settle political scores “that could

Why I went on Hajj —Prophet AyebunmosePg44

impact negatively on the joy of the country and rub on his credibility.” The cleric said “nothing should be done to cut short the joyful reception of the second coming of President Muhammadu Buhari,” saying “as such, extreme care must be taken in the ongoing trial of Senator Bukola Saraki and Nigerians must be made to see that he is not being haunted or victimised.” The cleric, who lauded Buhari for his anti corruption fight and moves to restore the economy and the country’s dignity, however, said right and far-reaching results could be achieved without vengeance, di-

How Mama HID enriched my ministry —Kumoluyi

visive tendencies and selective judgment. Kasali said a five-day rusade with the theme: “Be Fruitful and Multiply” scheduled to begin in Ado Ekiti on tomorrow by his ministry, was targeted at “setting the state free and opening the gates of progress and development in the lives of the people and the state.” According to him, the crusade which will hold in conjunction with the Ekiti State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will feature salvation of souls, deliverance from bondage, promotion, restoration of lost glory and business accomplishment and revival, among others.

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Anglican ‘prayer city’ evolves into full church

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How Mama HID enriched my ministry —Kumoluyi Prophet Julius Babatunde Kumoluyi, the General Overseer of The Word Bible Church in Ketu, Lagos, shares his experiences with Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo in this interaction with newsmen at his Igbara Odo community in Ekiti State. SAM NWAOKO provides excerpts:

was something we had pursued for months! These are some of the things I would miss. She lived an exemplary life. She took me as her own son. She invited me to preach when Dr Tokunbo AwolowoDosunmu was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to The Netherlands. She invited me and I ministered at the thanksgiving service in which there were other Nigerian dignitaries.

EETING Mama HID Awolowo I do televangelism too in the ministry and the focus of the programme is on the family. We pay special attention to the duties of married couples to themselves. The messages were potent and were impacting lives positively to the glory of God and I think Mama HID and Prince Oluwole Awolowo of blessed memory saw the programme. So, sometime in 1997, I received a letter from Mama HID requesting copies of my messages. Rather than send the tapes, I took them to her personally. When I went to deliver the tapes, she said “Man of God, why come all the way? I expected you to send one of your aides?” I had to respect her because honour must be given to whom honour is due. She said “okay” and thanked me. Her humility struck me. Since then, I became a frequent visitor to Mama in Ikenne. I know that God called me and He is the owner of my Ministry, but since I met Mama HID, my Ministry has not remained the same. She did for me what only my mother could have done to help me. She took me as her son. She would send for me and I’d go to pray with her. She even sent Chief Oluwole Awolowo to inaugurate

Prophet Kumoluyi with Mama HID Awolowo our maternity centre on her behalf, in Lagos and we had such interactions until the painful demise of Chief Oluwole Awolowo. Mama was an epitome of peace and tranquillity. She was a pillar of Christendom. Mama would listen to you and advice you, no matter who you are or your tribe. Nigeria as a whole would miss her hospitality. Mama knew this country well and I recall that as a child in the 1960s, Mama and her husband came to campaign in Ekiti and she would be singing with a broom in her hand. I never knew that I’d meet Mama in my life. Encomiums for Mama These are well deserved. Nigeria would miss her. She was so very humble. For me as a person, I hold her as a mentor and her demise is a big, personal loss because the

advice and facts about Nigeria she gave me really improved my ministrations about Nigeria, on the altar. She knew the story of Nigeria. Despite her ripe age, her death came as a shock to me and I know it was so for many people too. When you tell her something or you have a problem, she follows through with it. I recall our ministry’s efforts to purchase a parcel of land on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and how the Ogun State government was pushing us around when we wanted the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO). At some point I told Mama what we were passing through. Just three days after, Mama telephoned my assistant to tell me that I should come to Ikenne for the documents. In just three days! The government officials had taken the documents to Mama in Ikenne and she called that we should come for them. This

Lessons from Mama HID and virtues womenfolk should emulate The first thing I want people to learn from the life of Mama is humility. Mama was humble and would treat you with utmost respect. We must emulate this kind of humility. Another lesson her life taught us is hospitality. I found that no matter the tribe you come from, Mama Awolowo would accommodate you. She was so accommodating and I even enjoyed the privilege of being among those that Mama attended to in her room because she took me as her own son. Apart from the fact that I know that God called me, and He is the One I run to in prayer whenever I encounter any issue, I know that God sent Mama Awolowo as a helper. She was one of the pillars of my ministry. I will sorely miss her. What Nigeria should do for Mama Awolowo First, I suggest that Mama should be given a national burial. She was a unifying factor in the country and not many people in this country have contributed to the growth of Nigeria the way she did in her lifetime. So, I want the Federal Government to give her a national burial just like her husband because they worked assiduously for the progress of this country.

Abeokuta Diocese gets 5 new priests As Bishop Odetoyinbo embarks on Canonical visit By Rita Okonoboh

he Catholic Archdiocese of Abeokuta, Ogun State, under the leadership of His Lordship, Most Reverend Peter Kayode Adetoyinbo, last week, elevated five deacons to priesthood at a well attended ceremony, which held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ota, Ogun State on 3rd October, 2015. In his charge to the new priests – Reverend Fathers Benedict Ashade, Dominic Olagbaju, Frederick Alade, John Hezekiah and Pius Falana – Bishop Odetoyinbo, quoting 1 Timothy 4: 12-16, urged them to “revere and take good care of the sacred institution that has been placed in your care. Be cautious and focus on the things of God.” Speaking on the general state of the church, he noted that “In the church today, many priests need to be set free because they are distracted by worldly marvels,” but urged the newly ordained priests to “be possessed by the mysteries you celebrate. It is a delicate journey and you have to work very hard. Take proper care of your conduct among children and the youth as you are youths yourselves. “I welcome you into a life of troubles and tribulations in the priesthood. Learn from those who can help you take this vocation seriously. Seek advice. The lay faithful need your care and their active and conscious participation is non-negotiable. Be open to them as they are to you. No con-

dition is permanent in the priesthood. I pray for grace for chastity and to serve God pleasingly all your lives.” The cleric also thanked the laity for their support, especially regarding the formation of the priests. He also appreciated their protection of the priesthood and encouraged them to support their children towards joining the priesthood. The newly ordained priests were full of gratitude to God, their family members and the clergy and lay faithful of Abeokuta diocese in general. Meanwhile, plans have been concluded by the Bishop Odetoyinbo to embark on a three-day canonical visit to the Catholic Church of Transfiguration (CCTA) Arepo between October 16th and 18th, 2015. The visitation which is also in part a pastoral initiative is in line with the tradition and doctrines of the Universal church which says that it is incumbent on a bishop to visit at least once in three years the parishes in his Episcopal jurisdiction. Consequently, the Catholic Church of Transfiguration, Arepo, where most journalists and other professionals worship has set up a planning committee to organise a befitting visit for the august visitor. According to a statement by the publicity sub-committee chairman, Mr. John Ajayi, no stone is being left unturned in ensuring that the Chief Shepherd is accorded a befitting visit especially given the high rating of CCTA as a parish to reckon with in Abeokuta Diocese.

Reverend Father Dominic Olagbaju (centre), with members of St. John Bosco Catholic Church, during the priestly ordination ceremony, held at St. Peter Catholic Church, Ota, Ogun State, last week. Speaking on the import of the proposed visit, the Parish Priest of CCTA, Rev. Father Charles Soyombo disclosed that “this visit is important to us because this is the first time Most Rev. Dr. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo will embark on a canonical visit to CCTA since the parish was created. During the visit, His Lordship, (Bishop Odetoyinbo) will administer the sacrament of confirmation thereby helping them to fulfill one of the most sacred spiritual obligations as Catholics while also helping them in their spiritual journey.”

Highlights of the visit include a tour of the two Parish out-stations, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Isheri and Catholic Church of Resurrection, Warewa. The Chairman of the Planning Committee for the visit, Mr Simon Udie, in a statement, also noted that his committee is charged with making the visitation memorable in achieving both its liturgical, pastoral and social essence, disclosing that all parishioners have concluded plans to celebrate the great occasion as well as partake in a special dinner with the Chief Shepherd.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

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Anglican ‘prayer city’ evolves into full church

By ’Yinka Olukoya and Rita Okonoboh

OLLOWING the crisis that erupted over the stand of Bishop Michael Oluwarohunbi against the use of a prayer ground for spiritual exercise in Yewa Diocese, in which the bishop was said to have ordered all priests in the diocese from officiating and ministering at the prayer ground commissioned by his predecessor, the late Right Reverend Simon Adebola,

on November 17, 2012, the prayer city has evolved into a full church, named, The Chapel of Light. Bishop Oluwarohunbi had in a memo dated September 28, 2015, a copy of which was obtained by TribuneChurch, stated that “Prayer City is an abberation. Therefore, any priest who is in the habit of taking our members for prayers or special programmes in places other than the church

should desist from such habit forthwith.” However, the directive almost marred last Sunday’s service at Ilaro, as members resisted the action of the cleric, describing it as “unscriptural” and unbecoming of an Anglican bishop. While TribuneChurch gathered that the bishop was out of town as at the time of filing this report, in his reaction to the development, the Deputy Registrar,

Yewa Diocese, Mr Gbeke Laditan, noted that “at the standing committee meeting of the Anglican Communion which held recently at Akure, part of the charge was that idolatry should not be introduced into the Anglican doctrine as we have churches as places of worship. the use of prayer cities, and others as such was prohibited, since we should have our faith in God, and all bishops were enjoined

to follow the position. That was what led to the memo regarding the prayer city.” Speaking on steps taken to address the issue, Laditan noted that “all priests in the diocese have complied except for the provost of the cathedral, who after the directive, went ahead to hold a service at the centre. He even went as far as discussing the charge for the clergy with the laity and I think that prompted the bishop

to suspend the provost. The cathedral stand at the moment is divided but the entire archdeaconry is in full support of the bishop’s stand, and they have oversight function.” Continuing, Laditan noted that “At the moment, the bishop has appointed a priest to take over the place and it has been turned to a full church, The Chapel of Light.”

Let’s work for the progress of Nigeria

Daughters of Sarah to empower women

The General Overseer Church of Evangelism, Awoyaya, Lekki, Lagos, Reverend Mrs Edith Okubanjo, has called on Nigerians to collectively work for the progress and development of Nigeria. She made this statement during the church’s annual programme tagged “Praying for Nigeria” on October 1 at the church auditorium. According to Okubanjo, during her welcome address, she got a mandate from God twelve years ago to pray for Nigeria. According to her, “prayer is key in the unity of Nigeria, and everyone must be united as a force to pray for this great country. If we pray for Nigeria, we are also praying for ourselves, though the best is yet to come and we must hold on to God.” She also expressed confidence in the present administration, acknowledging that things are gradually changing for better but asked for urgent address of the areas that people crave development. A speaker at the event, Barrister Lanre Obadinu, said Nigerians must shun tribalism and ethnicity and allow peace and unity to be the watchword. Obadinu enjoined parents to educate their children on peaceful co-existence with various tribes, adding that praying for unity of Nigeria will address the issue of federal character and other issues that divide us as a country.

THE management and members of the popular religious fellowship, Daughters of Sarah Womens Fellowship (DOS), have concluded plans to impact and empower people, especially women, through its annual conference slated to hold on October 24. The conference themed: “Who You Are” is centralised on building a strong network for women that would impact in their communities and the nation at large and is also designed to foster unity in the body of Christ by bringing together women from different backgrounds and class for fellowship and worship. The event which will hold at Mercy hall, CMD, Ikosi, Lagos State will play host to reputable motivational speakers including Mrs Buki Fadayomi and Stephanie Obi, just as registration to partake at the event is ongoing online and on social media. Speaking on the vision of the fellowship, Pastor Mrs Aduke Obey, stated that the main vision of the body was to raise women of excellence through the love of Christ, the teaching of the word of God and fellowship with other women. Obey also noted that part of the activities lined-up to make the event memorable are registration for one-month free skill acquisition programme and at the end of the four weeks training and assessment would be carried out by the trainers and a total of two persons will be selected for award to set up their own businesses.

— Okubanjo

From left, Reverend Canon Stephen Adesoye; Bishop of Lagos West Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Olusola Odedeji; Rev. Canon Theodore Nwabasili; Reverend Oladimeji Samuel and Bishop of Egba West, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ogundeji, at the institution of canons and collation of archdeacons at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA Ikeja, Lagos last Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.

The General Overseer of Church of Evangelism Awoyaya, Lekki, Lagos, Rev. (Mrs) Edith Okubanjo, singing with the congregation at the “Praying For Nigeria” event.

Foursquare Ikorodu III appoints new district overseer The leadership of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria has appointed Reverend Martins Olu Olaomoju as the new District Overseer for Foursquare Gospel Church, Ipakodo district headquarters,

Ikorodu (III), Lagos State. Olaomoju, who resumed office on Monday, took over from Reverend Kunle Obadina, who has been elevated to the post of axis co-ordinator for Ikorodu and also doubles as the

District Overseer of Ikorodu 1. In his statement during the welcome service organised for him at the church auditorium, Reverend Olaomoju assured the congregation that he

will serve them with love and truth. Until his appointment as a district overseer, Reverend Martins Olaomoju was the Zonal Superintendent of Foursquare Gospel Church, Apeka.

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a prophet that could really lure me. But I thank God that since I became a prophet, things have been very easy for me. God has really blessed my work to the extent that for the last thirty years, I have not bought a pair of shoes by myself. Nobody can tell you I collected money from him even as a prophet. If God has blessed you and feel like giving back to Him through me, I won’t deny that but I have never made any financial demand from anyone.

Prophet Michael Olusegun Adekola, popularly known as Ayenbumose, is the founder of Holy Michael Church of Cherubim and Seraphim. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, the cleric who goes about with a gold tooth which he got from Mecca, speaks about the challenges of being a prophet and the journey so far. Excerpts:

ow would you describe your journey into the ministry? I am a strong believer of what people call destiny. The prophecy that was revealed to my parents many years back about me is what you are seeing today. I was a marketer and I worked with Nigerian Breweries at Alakia in Ibadan for two years. Before I got to brewery, I worked in a hotel in Lagos owned by a former commissioner of police. I also worked in Longman Publishing and quality foods. It is the covenant and prophecy of God for my life that led me into the work of God and consequently a prophet. What do you mean by prophecy? You know as a member of Cherubim and Seraphim, we believe so much in prophecy. My wife and I waited on the Lord for the three years for the fruit of the womb but nothing manifested. In the course of prayers, we were told that my parents had a covenant with God that they had not fulfilled. My father had promised God that if he gave him a son, he would ensure that the son dedicated his whole life to Him. When I was born, my father had forgotten that he had a covenant with God. When I got wind of the covenant of God for me, I had no choice but to dedicate my life to working for Him. Did you have any personal encounter with God that assured you of God’s call? Right from my primary school days till I left the four walls of the university, I was called a prophet. All the schools I attended, I led many prayer sessions and a lot of people got converted. A lot of my teachers and mates have come to my church, and to even let you know, a number of them are now pastors winning souls for Christ. I gave a lot of people prophetic teachings when I was in the secondary school when I never knew I would end up as a prophet. I remember October 18, 1975 during the golden jubilee celebration of Cherubim and Seraphim, I was the first young prophet to ever lead such a service. My father was supposed to lead the prayer, but he was so happy to give me the opportunity; I was about twelve years old then. Some of my father’s friends are dead today but they were there that day, Pa Odumosu, Pa Adelana, Pa Gbojokue, Pa Aluko and a couple of others. I was ordained a senior prophet in 1980 when Pa Ogunkunle was ordained. Those days, if you could be ordained a prophet, you would be locked inside a house for seven days, we would fast for seven days and break at night and after

Sunday Tribune

What are the challenges you encounter as a prophet who is blessed with the gift of vision? The number one problem is that people don’t want to hear the truth. A lot of people want answers at all costs even when you tell them what God is saying concerning their situations. Secondly, a lot of people come to me for prayers and when God answers their prayers, they feel ashamed to say that God answered my prayers at a C&S church. It is really very sad when you see people like that; they prefer to some back secretly to appreciate me but not associate with the C&S church.

Why I went

on Hajj

—Prophet Ayenbumose that you would fast for another seven days and break your fast with fruits alone. On the last day, which is the day we would be brought out, we would be given three white small pots. I remember the story vividly. When you are out of the room, you would be asked to name the contents inside the three pots. When I was called, God revealed the contents inside the pots to me. I remember the year I met the late MKO Abiola, everything I told him came to pass before he died. I met late Lam Adesina too and a host of others through the work of God as a prophet. I can’t begin to mention names of all the people God used me to touch their lives positively. You used to have a music band. Why did you quit music? When I stopped working, I asked myself how I would sustain myself and my family. One of my band boys back then is Yinka Adonai, who is doing well with his music now. There is another guy, Sola Right. They were part of my music band when I started, to the glory of God, they are all doing fine today.

You veered into music after you stopped working, did you know you could sing? There is no member of Cherubim and Seraphim that does not have the talent of music except the person does not have a good voice. I was born into C&S and I thank God for blessing me with a good voice. I am also a song writer and music composer. I won the best music composer about three times in Lagos many years back when C&S was still very united. I played at series of events but I couldn’t continue or record much success because God did not call me into music. How easy was it for you to take up the calling? When I left paid employment, the first person that told me to go into the ministry was the wife of a former Superintendent of Police. She told me that God told her to tell me to stop working for anybody. At that time, I thought that anybody who was a prophet would end up living in abject poverty, because we believe that there was nothing serious or interesting about being

You are called Prophet Ayenbumose, what does that mean? The name came through a sermon that I gave some years back where I said people don’t want to hear the truth, but when they need you to pray for them, they will flock around you. That means the world hates Moses but the Angels like him. People can’t wear the C&S gown, but they want to receive God’s blessings when I am wearing the white garment. They don’t want to be members of C&S and worship in my church, but they want me to pray for them. I thank God for His grace over my life. He has never let me down. You were said to have gone to Mecca despite being a Christian, and you also wear a gold tooth. Why? I visited Mecca out of curiosity. I have heard people say a lot of beautiful things about the place, so I went there to witness these things myself. Wearing a gold tooth does not mean anything to me. It is just fashion. Are you saying you don’t feel ashamed as a Christian wearing a gold tooth? My gold tooth is different from my ministry. I went to Saudi when there was unrest between Muslims and Christians. I decided to wear the gold tooth in order to save my life at that time. In Saudi Arabia, there is nothing like Christianity. They don’t even want to hear it. Did God send you to Saudi Arabia? No. It was out of my curiosity. God did not send me to Mecca. I was sponsored and I enjoyed my visit. Saudi is a holy land and anybody can go there. I have been to Jerusalem three times and I met Muslims there. They have mosques in Jerusalem. So, I went to Saudi Arabia to observe what how things are done in that part of the world.

The Bridge Network holds national prayer, anniversary service The Bridge Network, Ibadan, coordinated by Pastor Francis Madojemu, last week, expressed gratitude to God for His mercy and grace as they celebrated their 9th anniversary. The celebration which began on the 1st of October 2015 with national prayer and anniversary service, played host to the Founding Minister of Rock Foundation Church, Abeokuta, Reverend Tunde Amosun. The event also featured The Bridge Theatre Ensemble Company presenting

“Maybe Tomorrow,” a highly suspenseful, fast-paced drama that talks about our past, present and future as a nation with different skits and performances by Eda Theatre Company, including notable comedians in the City of Ibadan to spice up the night. Also, there was a strategic business seminar with Dr. Abib Olamitoye, founder and facilitator of 100/10 Academy set out to raise 100 billionaires in 10 years; music ministration by Pastor Chris Delvan Gwamna, Presiding Pastor of The New

Life Assembly, Kaduna; Special Anniversary Thanksgiving service, ministered by Pastor Ladi Thompson, founder and senior pastor of Living Waters Unlimited Church, Lagos. Speaking during the event, Pastor Madojemu, who was grateful to God for the grace to mark such an event, noted that “It’s amazing to know we have entered into our 10th year as a church and ministry. We have experienced much in the last nine years that books could not have writ-

ten about and many times drifted from our vision. We are grateful we have come full circle back to our original call with such maturity and lessons learned, the greatest of which is that we can and must never ever outgrow our dependence on God. We have been so specially endowed as a people and we are grateful for such a unique set of congregation as God has blessed us with especially when it’s easier to do the popular things and follow blindly every wind of doctrine.”

tribunechurch with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa

with Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, fradebadejo@yahoo.com

Joy after sorrow

The family synod and Rosary

The Church in Africa The Synod of Bishops is the Pope’s instrument of universal collaboration and consensus on issues of great importance for the universal Church. Because of its great influence on the Church’s faith, practice and culture, every segment of the Church understandably strives to register its experience and opinion. The prevalent view however is that the voice of the Catholic Church in Africa is generally subdued in Synod proceedings. Many believe that this is the case this time as well. I, however disagree. This time African Bishops, and by implication the African Church, have done much more to place the faith and cultural experience and perspectives of African peoples in clear relief not only for the Synod but for the entire world to savour and adopt. Through several meetings and consultations, the activities of Pro-life and Pro-family groups and sympathetic media organizations, Africans have eloquently established that the continent is ready to step forward and offer the world her rich appreciation of family life and the treasure of the African respect for humanity at every stage of life. They are resolute that Africa should lead at the Synod to

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dawnofanewera

firmfaith:rightreason

Reassuring Coincidence The Synod of Bishops on the Family opened in the Vatican on Sunday, 4th October, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the saint of cosmic harmony and peace. At the opening Mass Pope Francis, who has engendered extraordinary excitement even beyond the Church about the affinity between creation and humanity through a fresh expression of the rich teachings of the Catholic Church re-emphasized the divine origin of the family. Few people would deny any interest in what the Catholic Church teaches in times as these. Well, over a billion of the world’s 7 billion people are Catholics. The Synod on the Family has generated positive and negative interest the world over, for different reasons. The Church therefore assembles Bishops, observers, families and experts of various walks of life in the Vatican to help articulate her teachings and belief on the family while considering current challenges and ideologies. During several months preparatory to the Synod, issues which are accessory to the family relationship had been pushed discussed and highlighted. Among these are gay culture issues, birth control, the readmission of divorced and remarried Catholics to the Eucharist and even the ordination of women as deacons in the Church. Even groups which are completely opposed to the Church have attempted to impose their views and interests on the Synod. In short, as one foreign journalist put it in her evaluation just days before the Synod, “we have a battle on our hands”. Starting such a Synod on the feast day of Francis, the Saint of cosmic harmony and peace, presided over by Pope Francis, can only be a reassuring coincidence that the Francis spirit of harmony and peace will accompany the proceedings of the sacred exercise.

11 October, 2015

develop a fresh, unique but nonetheless humane approach to marriage and family life which will enhance and protect human rights and dignity. Given the pressure from Western countries to compromise long-held, pro-life values and to promote anti-children, gay and homosexual lifestyles in contrast to the African traditional view of marriage and family, one could say the Synod really does have a battle to fight. The Rosary ensures victory Such a “battle” in the Synod should not cause despair or distress for the Synod itself is an activity of faith. Not to be ignored is this happy coincidence of faith that the celebration of the feast of the Holy Rosary occurred within the first week of the beginning of the Synod. The great victory of Lepanto in the 16th century, reputed to have saved Christian civilization from the invading Turks of the time, was ascribed to the Holy Rosary, to which the people of the time had recourse. It was to gratefully commemorate the role of Mary, the mother of God and the rosary in that victory that Pope Pius V instituted the feast, celebrated on October 7 every year. The rosary actually originated through a revelation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers in the 13th century and was popularized by a member of the order, Alan de la Roche. Pope Leo X then declared October the month of the rosary. Rosary mysteries are based on the Holy Scriptures and on episodes of the life of Jesus Christ and his mother. The victory of Lepanto through the praying of the rosary has indeed not been a one-off experience in the Church. Validated testimonies abound about personal and social battles which have been won by popular recourse to those prayers. They draw people to the power of God who, in the words of Mary herself “casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly”. Do not let your hearts be troubled Therefore, while challenging and even worrying news already emanating from the assembly in the Vatican and its implication for the Church may bring some anxiety to the faithful, the history of the Church that has been guided and sustained through the good, the bad and the ugly times must engender trust in her Lord. It must merely challenge God’s people to pray more for help from above, trusting in Jesus who said: “I shall not leave you orphans” (Jn. 14:1). The rosary must be the ideal prayer for the Synod on the family because of another reason. Mary and her own family had to contend with the power and aggression of Herod in her time. Notwithstanding the gross imbalance between the King and the simple Holy Family, God’s prevailed. Fervent prayers for the influence of the Holy Spirit, especially through the Holy Rosary of the Virgin Mary, this month October will surely secure a positive outcome to the Synod.

Continued from last week A Christian mother lost her only son. After dropping the young man’s corpse in the mortuary, she called the church organist to come quickly. When the organist arrived at her house, she handed him the hymnbook and pointed to the family piano and said, “Please keep on playing only hymns of praise,” she begged the organist. When the pity party arrived – those who wanted to come and help her to cry; those who wanted to come and amplify her sorrow; those who wanted to make the sound of wailing loud enough for the devil to hear, they were disappointed. Instead of weeping, what they heard were songs of praise. So they asked, “Your son just died! What is all these?” She answered them, “The devil wanted to see me in sorrow. He wanted to see me cry; that is his food – my tears. I am not going to give the devil his food. Rather, I’m going to offer God his food despite my situation. That’s why I’m singing songs of praise.” Today, may I ask you; when bad things happen, who do you feed; God or the devil? If we realise that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), then we shall rejoice and thank God in advance at all times of sorrow. We shall

say to God, “Father, I do not see it yet, but I thank you because I know you are bringing something good out of this”. And surely, that which we thanked God for shall become reality in our lives. We must not surrender to our situations and circumstances. Rather, we should be masters over our situations and circumstances. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our example. Scripture says we should learn from him, as stated in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Our Lord rose above the cross; he rose above the shame, and today he is exalted as Lord of all. Is there anybody reading this today who is passing through tough times? Please realise that your current light affliction is not going to last forever; it is only for a moment. And more importantly, this trouble you are experiencing is God’s raw material; God will use it to work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. If you understand this truth, you shall offer unto God praise and thanksgiving at all times. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Who is ready therefore today to come to the Lord with a sacrifice of praise?

livingword By Bishop David Oyedepo Call 7747546-8; or e-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Engaging the wonders in the mystery of the anointing oil! (2) Last week, we began this teaching series by understanding what mysteries are and how Apostles and Prophets are custodians of same. This week we will explore the mystery behind the Anointing Oil. First, we must understand that more often than not, these mysteries are authenticated by testimonies, not argument. For instance, in Malachi 3:10, God instructed us to pay our tithe and He would open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing on us. One would be tempted to ask: “Where are the windows? Where do I stand to collect them?” That is what makes it a mystery; it is too simple to be understood by the natural man. But when we receive these mysteries in faith, we became partakers of the wonders therein (Luke 1:45). Therefore, let us examine the Anointing Oil as one of the Kingdom mysteries that guarantee our mastery on earth. The Bible says: Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the

priest’s office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations (Exodus 30:22-25, 30-31). From the above scripture, we discovered that the Anointing Oil is an Old Testament compounded divine prescription unveiled by God to Moses. However, we understand from scriptures that it is not just an Old Testament doctrine but a mystery that is ordained for effectiveness through all generations. Concerning Jesus, the Bible records: And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; …And they went out, and preached that men should repent. …And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them (Mark 6:7, 12-13). In other words, the “power” Jesus gave His disciples over unclean spirits was the Anointing. This helps to validate the truth that the anointing oil is also a New Testament phenomenon. Again, we saw in scriptures that it is also a post- resurrection phenomenon, which makes it a Kingdom mystery to be practiced for all times but only by the redeemed children of God (James 5:14-15; Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 3:29). Are you born again? This means, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? If you haven’t, you can do so as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins.

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11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Abeokuta Diocese gets 5 new priests As Bishop Odetoyinbo embarks on Canonical visit By Rita Okonoboh

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews

Anglican ‘prayer city’ evolves into full church

By ’Yinka Olukoya and Rita Okonoboh

Let’s work for the progress of Nigeria

Daughters of Sarah to empower women

— Okubanjo

The General Overseer of Church of Evangelism Awoyaya, Lekki, Lagos, Rev. (Mrs) Edith Okubanjo, singing with the congregation at the “Praying For Nigeria” event.

Ikorodu (III), Lagos State. Olaomoju, who resumed office on Monday, took over from Reverend Kunle Obadina, who has been elevated to the post of axis co-ordinator for Ikorodu and also doubles as the

District Overseer of Ikorodu 1. In his statement during the welcome service organised for him at the church auditorium, Reverend Olaomoju assured the congregation that he

will serve them with love and truth. Until his appointment as a district overseer, Reverend Martins Olaomoju was the Zonal Superintendent of Foursquare Gospel Church, Apeka.

44 tribunechurch

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Why I went

on Hajj

tribunechurch with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa

with Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, fradebadejo@yahoo.com

Joy after sorrow

The family synod and Rosary

Sunday Tribune

dawnofanewera

firmfaith:rightreason

11 October, 2015

livingword By Bishop David Oyedepo Call 7747546-8; or e-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Engaging the wonders in the mystery of the anointing oil! (2) LAST week, we began this teaching series by understanding what mysteries are and how Apostles and Prophets are custodians of same. This week we will explore the mystery behind the Anointing Oil. First, we must understand that more often than not, these mysteries are authenticated by testimonies, not argument. For instance, in Malachi 3:10, God instructed us to pay our tithe and He would open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing on us. One would be tempted to ask: “Where are the windows? Where do I stand to collect them?” That is what makes it a mystery; it is too simple to be understood by the natural man. But when we receive these mysteries in faith, we became partakers of the wonders therein (Luke 1:45). Therefore, let us examine the Anointing Oil as one of the Kingdom mysteries that guarantee our mastery on earth. The Bible says: Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

specialreport In the line of fire: Risky mission of Red Cross volunteers

Volunteers of the Nigerian Red Cross Society are seldom absent at disaster sites, obeying the call to duty to save lives. In this report, CHRISTIAN OKEKE and CHUKWUMA OKPARAOCHA take a look at their lives, especially as they defy all odds, in the mission to rescue.

ECENTLY, unknown assailants shot two Red Cross aid workers dead in northern Yemen. A spokesperson for the International Committee for the Red Cross told Al Jazeera that the workers, Yemeni nationals, were on their way from a mission in the city of Saada to the main office in the capital, Sanaa, when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle. This is coming on the heels of series of harassments, including the threats to lives which, especially, came to the fore during the Ebola outbreak. All over the world, members of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are a major force to reckon with in terms of providing relief at disaster sites. Trained to withstand as much as possible, while also looking out for their safety, a notion which rarely comes to the fore as a result of the dangers of their profession, emergency workers are, indeed, wonderful and the volunteer services they render are, no doubts, acts of courage that deserve tremendous commendation. Many have stated, and correctly too, that such interventions as done by Nigerian Red Cross Society volunteers, are becoming scarce in a world dominated by individualism. The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1960 and it became

the 86th member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies the following year. With headquarters in Abuja, the society has over 350,000 volunteers and about 300 permanent employees. In the society, the driving principle is humanity. This makes it the foremost responder to emergencies, with the crop of volunteers who possess professionalism in the areas of first aid training, emergency preparedness and response, and disaster risk reduction. Prior to being deployed for emergency work, they receive training on disaster management which is not limited to disaster preparedness and response as well as disaster risk reduction but also encompasses restoration of family link and relief material distribution, among others. Apart from the traditional response during emergencies, the Red Cross also provides psychosocial support programme for survivors and families of the deceased, as it offered after the Jos bomb blasts in Plateau State. The volunteers carried out house-to-house visits and provided psychosocial support, including supportive communication, emotional and social support to about 250 families involved in the Jos attack.

NRCS, first to embark on major psychosocial support for victims of terror â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Diram Speaking on the support the NRCS provides, Adeyemo Andronicus, an official of the Nigerian Red Cross Society Psychosocial Support Programme, stated that the main focus of the humanitarian workers during and after a disaster, is administration of first aid and provision of food and non-food relief items. He, however, lamented that psychological wounds and other forms of trauma, which are often not properly taken care of, sometimes lead to other disorders which can have a negative effect on society as a whole. Also, the Secretary General of the NRCS, Bello Hamman Diram, noted that the society was the first to embark on organised psychosocial support activities of that magnitude since the escalation of insurgency in the North-East region of the country. He disclosed that the society provided emergency first aid and psychosocial support to 90 people and helped to reunite hospitalised victims with their relatives. In July, when two bombings by suspected Boko Haram militants killed an estimated 50 people at a market Continues

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specialreport

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘Seeing distraught people smile again is enough reward’ out of trouble yourself, but what happened that day could not be helped. Though people asked me to stop, I was determined to complete my mission, which I did. Looking back, I am glad I did not back off, because I am now a better rescuer as a result of that experience. So, clearly, in the course of saving lives and rescuing people, we are equally exposed to a certain degree of danger ourselves,” she said. “Helping folks is what we do. It is what I love about being a Red Cross volunteer,” said another volunteer, in a telephone conversation with Sunday Tribune. Catherine Ekuso, a Red Cross nurse who recently returned from the North East where she had been involved in helping victims of Boko Haram attacks noted. “I had the feeling that, someday, I would do something for humanity under the umbrella of the Red Cross. I can still remember when I was a little kid in primary school, our teachers encouraged us to donate money no matter how small to help the RCS cause,” she recalled.

in Gombe, officials and volunteers from the Red Cross were part of the early team that arrived at the scene. Previously, when a bomb blast hit Dukku motor park in the same Gombe and the residents feared that there could be secondary blasts, the Red Cross worked tirelessly. Then, the area secretary for NRCS, Abubakar Yakubu, said that the organisation mobilised at least 20 bodybags and work under serious physical exhaustion. The volunteers were present at the disaster sites to provide relief for members of the public in general who required certain levels of first aid, even for epileptic patients.

And it is a service that has to do with the vulnerable in the society; those that are affected by disasters such as armed conflicts, natural disasters of flood and earthquake, erosion sites, air disasters, road accidents, etc. Even the development of hunger and famine creates a situation whereby some people are more affected than others. The service of the Red Cross is directed at such people; those who need help the most. So that being the case means that there is so much sacrifice involved.” A volunteer, Mr Adewale Adegoke, disclosed to Sunday Tribune that he had been a member of the Red Cross for over five years. According to him, “I had always wanted to be a medical doctor so that I could help people in pains, but this wasn’t meant to be. But rather than give up, I had to find another means of fulfilling this desire and that was when I thought of becoming a member of the RCS. It is purely a humanitarian service, and as such, our minds had been taken off any pecuniary gain during our induction. But the joy of saving lives and rescuing people who would otherwise die is enough gain for me. Besides, I have a source of income so I don’t have to depend on the society for anything. “I have been involved in rescuing people from the rubble of collapsed buildings as well as accident victims. While we reach out to survivors, we often come across dead people, some of whom would be in such a condition that you wouldn’t help but shed a few tears for them. I tell you there were days when I wept in private as I recalled some of the pictures I had earlier seen. I remember being one of those that attended to an accident case on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway some years back. By the time we reached what was left of the victims, I just couldn’t help crying. It became worse when we later realised that it was an entire family that had been wiped out. I was not myself for a very long time. Perhaps this is one of the prices to pay for rendering my service this way,” Adegoke said.

It involves a lot of sacrifice –Anani, NRCS president But how does the Red Cross and Red Crescent operate? What informed their choice of areas of operation? Are they not afraid that they risk so much, especially their lives in the line of duty? president of the NRCS, Elder (Chief) Bolaji Akpan Anani, in a recent interview published in New Dawn, an online media publication, explained the raison detre of the society and the enormous risk its members undertake on behalf of the people. Anani who corroborated the experiences of some NRSC members, was quoted by the online medium: “The service is a voluntary service and involves a lot of sacrifice.

Even after sustaining injuries at a collapsed building, I still helped people –Afenwa Habibat Afenwa, another volunteer who has been with the Red Crescent Society for about three years, after undergoing a series of trainings on how to administer first aid and other related areas, faced her first major assignment during a building collapse at Ebute Metta in Lagos three years ago. In the course of meandering her way through the rubble of the house, she missed her step and fell. She sustained serious leg injuries in that incident, but she had to forget about her own pains and attend to those rescued from the rubble. “Usually, the first rule of rescuing others is that you stay

Bolaji Akpan Anani, President of the Nigeria Red Cross Society Continued from

pg 46

‘The joy of seeing distraught people smile again is enough reward’ Talking about some of the dangers she had faced, in the course of doing her job, she said, “All volunteers, especially those working in troubled zones, are surrounded by all forms of danger. We stand the risk of falling into the hands of the evil people causing the mayhem. Some of my colleagues have been injured in the line of duty. We also stand the risk of running out of supplies or being stranded in an unknown place. These are some of the prices to pay. We are not there for money-making. However, the joy of seeing distraught people smile again, helping lost ones to find their beloved ones again and ultimately help in our own little way reduce human causality especially in war-like situations is enough reward for me.” Indeed, Salihu, a volunteer who failed to give his full name, told Sunday Tribune that life as a volunteer has not always been easy. He said that some people, sometimes, suspicious of his intentions. Apart frp, that, he disclosed that he even freed initial opposition from his family members, who could not understand why he was helping others or volunteering to walk such a dangerous path. Without any benefit. Volunteers are not entitled to payments – Nwakpa Head of Communications for the society, Nwakpa Nwakpa, confirmed to Sunday Tribune that volunteers, without clearance, were prohibited from speaking to the media for their personal safety and so that they (the volunteers) do not jeopardise the work they offered to do. Nwakpa, however, explained that the primary reason that prompted the volunteers to join the rescue-oriented organisation was the desire to save lives and render the needed humanitarian services. According to him, many were also motivated to join the Red Cross after watching spirited rescue operations by volunteers from a distance. He said after declaring such intentions to join, the volunteers are usually given training. Nwakpa said that such trainings prepare them for the onerous task ahead. The head of communication confirmed that the volunteers are not entitled to payments. Be that as it may, he noted, the society does not expect them to make certain payments from their purse, for instance, mobilising to disaster sites, to offset their expenses. Nwakpa further confirmed that the volunteers pay annual subscription while renewing their membership. According to him, such happens to be one of the sources of funding for the operations of the society. “We don’t just recruit but we train the volunteers. We do that so that in sending them to go and save lives, they do not go to kill or aggravate injuries of those they are supposed to assist,” Nwakpa stated. Other sources of funding, he said, were from individual donors and corporate organisations. Of course, funds equally flow in through the Disaster Relief Emergency Funds usually released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC.) According to Nwakpa, “We were created by an Act but we sadly don’t receive funds from government. Although we have good working relationship with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), it does not mean that we get funds from government.”

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 0807 449 7425

children’sarena

Words from the kids

Respondents are from Brightest Star Montessori School, Ibadan.

What is your future ambition? Fun facts about Owls

Femi Akipelu, Grade 4, 9 years I want to become an headmaster My future ambition is to be a headmaster of my own school. I like the job because I like imparting knowledge into people’s lives. I would like to teach people what I know and would like to be in control of good things and gain people’s respect. If I become an headmaster, I will guide the teachers to impact the right values into my pupils’ lives to become good citizens of Nigeria. The person I always look up to is Mr Adeya, my school headmaster.

Illofuan Emmanuel, Grade 2, 8 years I want to become a medical doctor I want to become a medical doctor in future. I always take pity on my sick people and even when they get injured, I try my best to see that they get first aid treatment. My parents always advise me to work hard and face my studies to fulfil my dreams. My role model is Dr Udoh. I like him because he is a very good and successful doctor, and he helps his patients a lot.

Jegede Elijah, Grade 5, 9 years I want to become a dancer

Oluniyi Funsho, Grade 2, 8 years I have determined to become an engineer I would like to be an engineer when I grow up. I like the profession because I want to invent machines like Karl Benz. I want to be proud of my own inventions. I havedetermined to work hard to be an engineer and I will carefully follow the right footsteps and stay away from bad friends in order to attain my dreams. My role models are those engineers who have invented different machines to make life easier.

My ambition is to become a popular dancer. Dancing is one of my hobbies and since people make profit from it, I would love to be a dancer. I would also attend a dancing school so that I can be a professional dancer. My role model has always been the late Michael Jackson; I love his moves.

Brief history of flute The flute is a family of musical instrument of the woodwind group. Unlike

Poem The West wind wiped The red eyes of the rogue With its tattered handkerchief, Squeezing out waters, like lime.

His anus let go, mimicking the bellows, He yawned, stretched and glanced At the horizon holding his fate. The beleaguered geegaw, as usual, Intermittently prowl the street of mortals, Singing the elegies of yesteryears Buried five leagues beneath grouping feet. He had cigarettes for lunch, Spirits for water And belched flames of invectives. On vagabond preachers in white soutane.

manuel m E i m i t Oluwaro

Sokoyeacently

r clocked 1 ity d prosper n a e f li g n Lo

Let me tell you his story, But his mother alone knew his tale. And his childhood wishes Dangling from the trees of fantasies. I wish to tell you his story, But his mother alone knew How dream were thunder-struck By a state, A country, By Omipidan Teslim Opemipo

flight compared to other birds of prey. • The colour of owl’s feathers helps them blend into their environment (camouflage). • Barn owls can be recognised by their heart shaped face.

famousinventions

What has a giant done?

k ild ee h w C e th f o

• There are around 200 different owl species. • Owls are active at night (nocturnal). • A group of owls is called a parliament. • Most owls hunt insects, small mammals and other birds. • Some owl species hunt fish. • Owls have powerful talons (claws) which help them catch and kill prey. • Owls have large eyes and a flat face. • Owls can turn their heads as much as 270 degrees. • Owls are farsighted, meaning they can’t see things close to their eyes clearly. • Owls are very quiet in

woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. Flutes are the earliest extant musical instruments. A number of flutes dating to about 43,000 to 35,000 years ago have been found in the Swabian Alb region of Germany. Eventually more and more keys were added to the flute, but there still wasn’t a good system for the keys. The very famous English flautist Charles Nicholson (1795-1837) introduced larger holes for the fingers and a larger hole for the mouth piece in order to get a better sound. The famous flute maker Theobald Boehm (17941881) once heard Charles Nicholson play in a concert. Boehm was so impressed by his sound that he started developing the flute further. In 1832, the flute with key mechanism by Theobald Boehm was ready. Boehm called this new flute Ringklappenflöte. With this mechanism playing the flute became much easier and the flute did sound much better. Flautists and orchestras were very happy with the invention by Boehm. We still play on flutes made with the mechanism invented by Boehm. Only nowadays flutes are not so often made of wood as they used to be. Compiled by Victoria Ilari.

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Ilaka appeals tribunal verdict on petition By Dare Adekanmbi

The Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo (third left), flanked from the left by the Commander, Air Force Detachment, Ibadan, Air Commodore Emmanuel Akinbayo; Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Leye Oyebade; the retiring NSCDC Commandant, Mr Adebayo Ayeni, his wife, Kehinde and Commandant Rachael Awosusi, at the send-off ceremony for Ayeni, in Ibadan, at the weekend.

Corruption: Ife elders task kingmakers on new Ooni Oluwole Ige-Osogbo

S indigenes of Ile-Ife and the entire Yorubaland await the decision of Ife kingmakers on the selection of a new Ooni, elders and religious leaders of the ancient town, on Saturday, listed the qualities expected from the new Ooni designate. They maintained that the new Ooni must exhibit a high level of integrity and moral uprightness, con-

sidering the prime status of the stool, which they claimed remained significant to the historical evolution of the Yoruba race. It will be recalled that Ife kingmakers had restricted the selection of the new Ooni to only Giesi ruling house, citing the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration as the basis of their decision. Chairman of Ife Development Board (IDB), Professor Muiz Opeloye, said “Ife, being the cradle of Yorubaland, must have a monarch

who commands the respect of all traditional rulers. The new Ooni must be exposed, influential, morally upright, acceptable to all and must be a model. “I back the call to scrutinise all the contenders through the due process. Ife agelong tradition has its procedure and I have the conviction that the kingmakers knowwhat to do.” Apparently corroborating the position of Opeloye, the Aare Musulumi of Ife, Alhaji Ibikunle Lawal em-

Oyo NSCDC commandant bows out, another assumes duty By Oluwatoyin Malik A new commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State, Mr John Oyedokun Adewoye, has assumed duty as the head of the state command. This is sequel to the exit of the former commandant, Mr Adebayo Ayeni, who retired from service as the 14th state commandant after attaining the age of 60. At the send-off ceremony held for Ayeni, in Ibadan, at the weekend, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Muhammadu Gana, represented by the Assistant Commandant General in charge of Zone F, Mr Oladapo Jacob, expressed his appreciation towards the governor of the state for his support and back-up, targeted at moving the Corps forward. Oladapo, who was also represented by Commandant Rachael Awosusi, appealed that the same support given to the retiring commandant should be extended to the new state NSCDC boss. He thanked God for helping Ayeni to achieve progress in his professional career since his days as a volunteer, expressing the

belief that the retiring commandant would always leave his doors open so that younger officers and men of the NSCDC would be able to drink from his well of knowledge. The CommandantGeneral also enjoined the NSCDC officers to give the new commandant all the support needed for him to achieve and surpass the records of his predecessor. In his remarks, the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, said the state had been

privileged to have so many commanders that had been hardworking, cooperative, and had the interest of Oyo State at heart, one of whom was Ayeni. He attested to Ayeni’s punctuality at events, adding that the state was proud of him. Meanwhile, the new commandant, Adewoye, advised NSCDC officials to exhibit professionalism in their bid to ensure reduction in crime and criminality in Oyo State, while addressing heads of department and units during his first meeting with his officers and men.

phasised that “the Ooni that Ife want must have integrity, commitment to Ife. It is also critical for him to have local, national and international exposure. He must also be comfortable”. Throwing his weight behind the need to subject the contenders to thorough scrutiny, he contended that “there is nothing wrong in carrying out extensive checks on the profile of all the contestants, which can done by the appropriate agencies. “Similarly, the kingmakers should also refer the selected candidate to the council of Ife elders. We know ourselves. A committee of elders above the age of 80 should be constituted to assess the qualities of the Ooni designate after final selection”, Lawal remarked. Speaking on whether all the contenders from Giesi ruling house would be subjected to any form of scrutiny, Obalufe of Iremo, who also doubles as the prime minister of the ancient town, Oba Solomon Omisakin, said: respond: “When we get to the meeting, we will decide on which modalities to follow in screening the contestants.”

Ondo pensioners dissociate selves from ultimatum to govt THE Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Ondo State has dissociated itself from a reported four-day ultimatum issued the state government over alleged nonpayment of arrears, even as the pensioners’ body confirmed that members in the state had been paid till August. Miffed by the four-day ultimatum report credited to one Funso Odere, the secretary of the pensioners’

body in the state, Prince Adejare Adesida, said the body was embarrassed by the report, adding that its originator and mastermind was not eligible to speak for pensioners in the state, as he is only the Secretary of Akure South Local Government chapter. According to Prince Adesida, Odere is an impersonator whose motive for the report was far from genuine. Adesida confirmed that

pensioners in the state had been paid till August like the active civil servants, disclosing that an emergency meeting had been called on the issue with Odere summoned. Insisting that actions would be taken to prevent a reoccurrence, Adesida stressed that pensioners would not allow themselves to be used for politics or serve anybody’s political or personal interest.

ACCORD Party candidate for Oyo Central Senatorial District, Chief Bisi Ilaka, has appealed the verdict of the Justice J.G Abundaga-led National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal against his petition. Ilaka is challenging the declaration of Senator Monsurat Sunmonu in seven out of the 11 local government councils in the district. The appeal, which will be filed tomorrow, is consolidated with an earlier appeal filed on September 8 against the August 14 ruling of the tribunal which prematurely closed his case. In the notice of the earlier appeal filed by his counsel, Mr Biodun Abdu-Raheem, Ilaka is praying the Appeal Court, Ibadan Judicial Division, to set aside the ruling of the tribunal and allow him to conclude his case. Although judgment has been delivered in the petition filed by him, his appeal has five grounds, among which is, that the tribunal erroneously applied the principles guiding its powers to voluntarily close the appellant’s case. “When the tribunal threatened to close the asppellant’s case on August 12, 2015, they were caused to file a motion dated August 13, 2015, to give reasons for the need to allow the appellants’ use of 14 days prescribed by the Electoral Act 2010.

Group set to drag Osun assembly to court over tenure of LG bosses Oluwole Ige-Osogbo A coalition of Osun social political groups, identified as Osun Progressive Frontiers, on Friday, threatened to drag the state House of Assembly to court over the tenure of the state local government caretaker management committees. The group, in a letter signed by its coordinator, Mr Idowu Adeniyi, which was addressed to the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam and made available to journalists, chided the legislature for allegedly abandoning its constitutional responsibility on the local government executive secretaries’ tenure. Adeniyi maintained that “the House of Assembly has neglected its role as the approving authority of local government caretaker committee by allowing the illegal stay of the executive secretaries in the 30 council areas in the state,” urging the lawmakers to urgently reverse the trend or face litigation. According to him “the continuous illegal stay of the caretaker committees in the council areas has become a serious source of concern especially the criminal silence of the state assembly which allows such illegality.’’

We are ready to welcome Oyinlola, Akinbade back if... —Osun PDP Oluwole Ige -Osogbo OSUN State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, stated that red-carpet reception awaits all its old members that defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including former governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. It would be recalled that Oyinlola, a former governor on the platform of the PDP and many bigwigs had defected to the APC a few days to the August 9, 2014 governorship poll largely due to the internal wranglings in the party at the national level. Reading the party’s communiqué after the Osun Central Senatorial District meeting held in Iresi, the PDP senatorial chairman for Osun Central, Reverend Bunmi Jenyo, said the party would be willing to welcome back any of its lost members, because of their past contributions. He assured that heroic welcome awaits Prince Oyinlola and former Secretary to State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, if they retrace their steps, explaining that “as an ambitious party working towards 2018 , we need all our old members in the fold to regain power”. While commenting on the non conduct of the local government poll in the state, the PDP said the executive secretaries appointed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration to run 30 local governments and Modakeke Area Council were unknown to the constitution.

news

11 October, 2015

Security operatives storm Ikorodu, ban Okada, tricycle operations •Allay fears of residents Bola Badmus-Lagos

AGOS State government has said that the heavy presence of security operatives, including the Military men in Ikorodu and its environs is part of efforts to liberate residents from hoodlums, pipeline vandals and other undesirable elements that have continued to make the ancient town the base of their nefarious activities. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said this on Saturday after rising from an emergency security council meeting, declaring that the government was committed to ensure that the hoodlums terroris-

ing Ikorodu, disturbing the peace in the town and making life unbearable for residents, do not have a field day any longer. Owoseni disclosed that security surveillance would be carried out 24 hours throughout the week, adding that the activities of the hoodlums and the criminal elements in the area had become unacceptable and uncontrollable. He said government could not continue to fold its arms, but take necessary actions by deploying security operatives to the area. “Government will not allow criminal elements in the state and we want to say that the immunity for the vandals was over, the arbitrarily and uncontrol-

lable rape, vandalism and harassment was over,” he said. Owoseni appealed to residents not to panic as they might witness or hear sporadic gun shots, urging them to go on with their normal activities. He, however, cautioned them to restrict their movements to areas where the operations were not intensive. Owoseni, while assuring residents that innocent citizens would not be harassed or molested during the operations, said it had become necessary to restrict the operations of tricycles and motorcycles throughout the period of the onslaught so as to prevent the fleeing hoodlums from using them as get-

away transport. He said the restrictions on both okada and tricycle operations in the area would be total, thereby urging residents to consider the inconveniences witnessed as a result of the restrictions as a necessary sacrifice. “Residents are advised to restrict their movements and be informed that we are going to restrict the use of both motorcycle (okada) and tricycles (Keke Marwa) in the area to ensure optimal and maximum performance for the operation. “As government, we are concerned about the security situation in the state, especially the activities of hoodlums and vandals in the area.”

From left, Sales Manager, West Africa Region, TE Connectivity, Sulaimon Lawal; Director General, National Power Training Institute Nigeria (NAPTIN), Engr. (Dr.) Reuben Okeke (FNSE) and Director of Sales, EMEA Emerging Markets, TE Connectivity, Ronnie Fotheringham at the TE Connectivity/NAPTIN Partnership Launch held in Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, recently.

Ebola scare: UCTH frees quarantined staff Ubong Anthony-Calabar

AUTHORITIES of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) on Saturday said it has discharged its staffers that were quarantined after an out-patient died on Wednesday of a suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease(EVD).

The Hospital said staff who had been quarantined at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Hospital would now self-monitor themselves twice daily. This is even as the unit had been decontaminated and closed. In a statement issued

Saturday, Dr Queeneth Kalu, Chairman (sic) Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, confirmed that the preliminary tests had “excluded Ebola and Lassa fever.” But “Further tests are being carried out for confirmation in line with international stan-

Experts move to reduce carbon-dioxide emission THE Nigerian Institute of Architects, (NIA), Ekiti State chapter has joined the crusade of mobilising members and allied professionals in promoting the usage of less environmental damaging materials in order to address the climate change challenges. The Chairman of the Institute in the state, Arc. Akinyemi Oke while speaking at a forum organised to mark the 2015 World Architecture/Habitat Day

said architects and other relevant stakeholders have a duty of responsibility to influence the future by the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions with a change in designs and construction methods. Every first Monday of October was set aside by the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the United Nations as the World Architecture Day and Habitat Day respectively. The theme for this

year’s celebration is: Architecture, building, climate. Arc. Oke submitted that a building affects the local and global environments through series of connected human activities and natural processes. Meanwhile, Arc. Akinyemi Oke has emerged the state chairman of the institute while Arc. Foluso Awe will serve as the vice chairman just as Arc. Adebayo Ala also emerged the secretary, among others.

dards.” The statement reads in part: “The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit had been decontaminated and would remain closed throughout this weekend. Meanwhile, a temporary (A&E) had been released to go home for twice daily self-monitoring. A hospital sensitisation seminar facilitated by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was held yesterday. All our clinical services are still open on inpatient and outpatient basis.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal Government had in separate statements dismissed the rumors of the resurgence of Ebola in Nigeria, clarifying that the cause of death of the patient was not the Ebola Virus Disease, which had been eradicated from Nigeria since October 20, 2014.

Sunday Tribune

NGF mourns gov Umahi’s mother THE Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), has commiserated with Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi over the death of his mother, Mrs Margeret Umahi, who passed on October 6, after a brief illness. Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara and Chairman of the NGF, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, described her death as painful. He said the death of Mrs Umahi was not only a loss to the Umahi family and the good people Ebonyi state, but to the entire nation. The NGF chairman said the deceased who was last seen at a church service after the inauguration of her son as governor in June, died when her motherly advice and prayers for her son as governor were needed most. Yari noted that the late Umahi who died at a Hospital in Enugu, was a devoted Christian who lived an upright life serving God and the people of her community. He prayed God to grant the Umahi family, and the people of Ebonyi the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and a peaceful rest to the soul of the deceased.

Only the blind will blame Fayose in Ekiti —Dep speaker By Olakunle Taiwo

EKITI State Deputy Speaker, Honourable Segun Adewumi, has said only the blind would not hail the activities of the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, describing his detractors as jobless people who take delight in setting the state on fire and pulling it backwards. Adewumi, who spoke with newsmen, at the weekend, in Ado-Ekiti, said only enemy of progress in Ekiti would not appreciate what the governor has done so far, pointing out that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which has lost ground due to their inability to deliver good governance, would not let the current government, led by Governor Fayose work, but take delight in instigating the people against the government. He, however, noted that Governor Fayose’s support for the immediate past governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, as minister showed maturity and portrayed him as a man who cared about the progress of the state and not interested in payback politics. Speaking further, he said beyond politics, the governor had implemented many policies that would definitely add value and develop the state, noting that such was the move to explore the state’s resources to generate more revenue for the state, and the local government elections coming up before the end of the year to further bring governance to the grassroot, just as he said the ongoing airport project would boost employment in the state. “People who have been attacking the governor and discrediting his good work are jobless. Of course, we know it is the work of those who could not achieve such feats, but if someone has done something good, he should be commended,” he said.

TE Connectivity, NAPTIN partner to enhance Nigeria’s power sector workforce By Seyi Sokoya

A global leader in connectivity, TE Connectivity (TE), has announced a strategic partnership with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) with a goal to provide critical expertise and workforce training essential for the country’s power sector. The event held at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja was aimed at putting an end to the setbacks which the Nigeria’s power sector has experienced due to the inadequacy of infrastructure and poor output of energy efficiency throughout the sector. TE, which is a global leader in providing reliable and cost-effective products and solutions for the electrical power industry, is committed in partnering with NAPTIN to develop solutions to the challenges facing the sector, through the training and development of local talent. TE experts will work with NAPTIN’s trainers and provide technical training on the connectivity required to enable power systems. The training would be based on TE’s high-quality products and solutions including the industry-leading Raychem product line. Once complete, NAPTIN would organise training sessions at its facilities for local installers.

news

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Zamfara House of Assembly extends council’s tenure Muhammad Sabiu-Kaduna

Former govenor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel (second left) at the World Distributors’ conference, held in Watter, Germany, last weekend. With him, from left are Markus Otto, Director DEMAG-TEREX, Germany; Jonas Hornfeldt, CEO DEMATEK of Sweden and Bard Hopen, Chairman, DEMANOR of Norway.

Navy arrests 2, destroys 8 illegal refineries, others in Delta Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri

PERATIVES of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS DELTA) have, at the weekend, arrested two suspected oil thieves during a raid in Delta. No fewer than eight illegal refineries and over 4, 800 metric tons of locallyrefined crude were also destroyed in the operation that lasted several hours. The arrest and destructions were executed at Iteghele in Warri South Local Government Area of the state. Other items also destroyed included waterpumping machines, hoses, iron reservoirs and generating sets used by the hoodlums to perpetrate their illegal act in the creeks. The operation was in line with the renewed effort to halt the activities of oil thieves and other illegalities in the state, Commander, NNS DELTA, Warri Naval Base, Commodore Aliyu Sule, has disclosed. Sule, while addressing journalists, gave the names

of the two suspects arrested as Godfrey Jite and Julius Hitler from Okwagbe and Omasuoma communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state. He vowed that the Nigerian Navy would not relent in its fight against illegal bunkering, oil theft, sea piracy and all other forms of illegalities and criminalities being perpetrated in the creeks and waterways. The naval boss disclosed that “we have mapped out

several strategies to crush this scourge called illegal bunkering. We will not rest on our oars to continue to attain this feat.” While acknowledging that the marine security outfit was winning the war against the economic sabotage, Commodore Sule vowed to fish out sponsors behind the illegal deals. He reiterated that the perpetrators of the economic sabotage were enemies of both the Federal Government and the na-

Bailout: Kogi workers allege politicisation, threaten showdown Yinka Oladoyinbo-Lokoja THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kogi State on Saturday raised the alarm over the politicisation of the bailout fund due to the state, threatening to lock down the entire state if the money is not released within a week. The organised labour lamented that despite the move by the state government to satisfy the conditions stipulated before the fund could be accessed, the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) was yet to release the money to the state. The state chairman of the congress, Onuh Edoka, who said this in Lokoja, the state capital, said some powerful politicians within and outside the state had been accused of playing politics with the money. The federal government through the CBN had granted the state about N50.8 billion as bailout for the purpose of settling the backlog of salaries owed workers in the state.

178 pharmacies, patent medicine stores sealed in Rivers Dapo Falade-Port Harcourt A total of 178 premises, comprising 36 pharmacies and 142 patent medicine stores have been sealed off in Rivers State by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN). The council is a federal parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice

tion’s economy. The naval boss promised to continue to pursue the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff’s (CNS) zero tolerance for illegal bunkering in his area of responsibility. He craved support from members of the public as well as host communities, requesting them to provide useful information that could lead to arrest of illegal oil bunkers with an assurance that their identities would be kept secret.

of pharmacy in all its aspect and ramifications. Director and Head of Department, Inspection and Monitoring, PCN, Abuja, Mrs Anthonia Aruya, made this known while addressing a press briefing in Port Harcourt, on Friday. She said the affected premises were sealed for not abiding by the rules and regulations of the body.

According to her, the offences included dispensing of poisons without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage conditions, selling medicine above approved list for patent medicine vendors and non-registration of premises with PCN. She informed that a core mandate of PCN was to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines.

However, there were insinuations that some politicians were using their influence to block the state government from accessing the fund because of the coming election, believing that it would shore up the popularity of Governor Idris Wada among the workers if the salaries were paid. The NLC however expressed frustration over the development and threatened to block all the roads leading to Lokoja if nothing was done to address the situation before one week. Edoka regretted that while other states had been accessing the fund, stringent conditions were said to have been set for Kogi state before it could draw the money. He said, “Our hope towards accessing this lifeline is ahout to crash as a result of some political wranglings, especially between the two political parties that are contesting the state gubernatorial election next month’’.

THE Zamfara State House Assembly has extended the tenure of the 13 local government council chairmen in the state by three months. Gummi council was extended by two months as the chairman’s tenure is to officially end next month. The House approved the extension during its plenary session after resumption from Hajj recess. This was the third time that the assembly was extending the tenure of local government council chairmen in the state. The tenure of the council chairmen had expired on June 29 and was extended to September 29 by the house as the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) could not conduct elections due to financial constraints. The letter requesting for another extension of the tenure of the local government chairmen was sent to the House by the state government through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Abdullahi Shinkafi. Speaking while moving the motion, the House Leader, Isa Abdulmumin, called on members to accede to the request of the state government. Abdulmumin said the Assembly had the powers to extend the tenure, if elections could not be conducted for whatever reason.

Igbuya floors Anirah in state legislative elections THE Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ovwigho Igbuya was duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the election, says Chairman, Panel 11, National and State House of Assembly 2015 Delta State Election Petition Tribunal, Hon Justice A. 1. Banjoko. The Tribunal also declared that the election was valid, devoid of corrupt practices and in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). “It is the law that where a party fails to call evidence in support of his case or in rebuttal of the case of the opposite party, the Tribunal is entitled to resolve the matter against that party unless there are some other legal reasons to the contrary. “In this case, the petitioners failed to rebut the presumption of regularity raised in favour of INEC’s official declaration of results which was in favour of the 1st respondent and also failed to adduce satisfactory, cogent and credible evidence to prove all the grounds of their petition; and the petition is found unmeritorious and is accordingly dismissed” Banjoko said. The 1st petitioner, Chief Felix Anirah was a candidate of the 2nd petitioner, the All Progressives Congress (APC) who contested the elections held on the 11th day of April 2015 for the membership of the Delta State House of Assembly representing Sapele constituency.

Kwara Poly is not only for indigenes —Rector Biola Azeez-Ilorin AGAINST a number of allegations on its admission policy, the authorities of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, have said that merit has always been a major consideration among other criteria for students’ admission, denying that admission is solely based on Kwara state indigeneship. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin during commissioning of some student’s projects at the weekend, the Rector of the institution, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu, said admission criteria had always been on 10 per cent merit, 60 per cent on consideration by the admission committee and 30 per cent on requests by friends and stakeholders. The Rector, who showed journalists the computerbased processes at which admission lists were arrived at, said that requests by government officials, traditional rulers and friends would soon be discouraged to allow for more opportunities for merit. Alhaji Elelu said that a total of 1.2 million Nigerians sought admission into tertiary institutions in 2015 with spaces for only 800,000 candidates, adding that out of a total of 35, 467 candidates that applied for admission into Kwara State Polytechnic, only 4,380 could be offered admission. He said the authorities of the institution could not exceed its admission capacity already set by the NBTE, and therefore appealed to the stakeholders of the institution to increase facility in the institution to increase the carrying capacity.

commentary

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘How corrupt government officials forced me out of Nigeria’ Chairman of telecoms giant, Econet Wireless, Mr Strive Masiyiwa, in this post on his blog—http://www.econetwireless.com/ strive_masiyiwa_blog, continues the story of his first hand nasty experience at the hands of corruption in Nigeria.

IGERIA has an agency known as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). After we had to leave the country, a few noble people at the company tipped off not only me but the EFCC about the payment of the bribes, which had by this time risen from $9m to $13,5m. I had never actually heard about this agency myself until I got a call from the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa to say they wanted to come and see me to interview me as a witness. A team of very senior EFCC officers came to see us in South Africa. They were solid and professional in their enquiry. It was clear they wanted to do something about it. However, when these officers returned home to Nigeria, they got into very serious trouble. Their investigations into the irregular payments had been brought to the attention of James Ibori (Governor of Delta State)… Soon thereafter, the most senior officer leading the investigation was demoted and sent to a remote part of the country as an ordinary policeman! Agencies like EFCC in Nigeria sometimes have brave and gallant law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, as I observed, they’re often let down by their political bosses, and sometimes even by the courts. This can change if activism from the citizenry emerges to support their work. We should not only support official efforts to stop corruption but also help these agencies and organisations in their investigations. If you have relevant information about illegal activities, passing it on could make all the difference between impunity and imprisonment. In my letter to the US Justice Department, I detailed the full history of the demands for a bribe. I had dates, times, records. I then reminded them that since the big international operator had a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, they were duty-bound to launch an enquiry. Why did I go to them? The United States government has a law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The United Kingdom has a similar one called the British Anti-Bribery Act. Whatever you do, make sure you never fall foul of those laws because, if they ever use them to come after you, you’re a “gonner” my friends. A few weeks later, US officials wrote back advising me that an enquiry had been launched. They contacted the big international company seeking answers to my allegations. My contacts at the company called to tell me, “All hell has broken loose at the company.” The parent company of the South African-based multinational sent external auditors and lawyers from London to Nigeria. They immediately dismissed all the senior executives sent to Nigeria to run the company, and they left in a hurry! Although they fled the scene of the crime and returned to their country — after admitting even to both the US Justice Department and the EFCC that the money had been paid out – the stolen funds were never returned to the Nigerian people, even to this day. Meanwhile, the departure of the other mo-

bile operator did not mean we could return to Nigeria. The shareholders found another operator, this time from the Middle East. They sold this new operator the control of the company even though Econet Wireless Nigeria had the “right of first refusal” over any sale. They simply ignored that provision in our agreement. This was illegal, both according to our shareholders agreement and Nigerian Company Law. It was left for us to take up the fight in another forum, the Nigerian courts. The state government of Akwa Ibom held 15% of the equity in Econet Wireless Nigeria. This state was not one of the original investors but joined us later. After five years, the governor of the state of Akwa Ibom decided to sell its stake. It had more than doubled in value in dollar terms, which meant it had been a good investment. The state governor, an elderly gentleman called Victor Attah, sent a message through a friend that he wanted to see me in London to find out if I was interested in exercising Econet’s right to buy its shares. I agreed to meet him in London. “I want to sell the shares to build an airport before I leave office,” the governor explained. The governor was accompanied to the meeting by a British lawyer who sat quietly taking notes. His name was Bhadresh Gohil. With a wave of his hand, the governor said, “Mr Gohil is our legal advisor here in London. I have instructed him to handle all our negotiations with you.” The meeting did not last more than 30 minutes, as the governor was on his way to catch a flight to the U.S. We agreed with Mr Gohil that we would meet with my own advisors a few days later to start the process. A few days later, I went to his office with a professional banker who advised me on such transactions. We met in the lawyer’s plush London offices. He was confident and smooth-spoken as he explained how much we were expected to pay. Then he explained that our money was to go to a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) before it was transferred to Nigeria. It was a sophisticated structure and he showed me a

drawing of how it would work. I wrote it all down very carefully into my notebook. Such corporate entities as SPVs can definitely have legitimate purposes, but this one did not! As I quizzed him about why such an unusual structure was necessary, Mr Gohil changed tact and tried to entice me with an offer I could not refuse (or so he hoped): “I’m also the advisor to the governor of Delta State, Mr James Ibori, and if you agree to pay for these shares using this structure, we will offer you shares belonging to all the state governments. In total, you can have more than 30% additional shares. It will be enough to take control of the company. My clients just want out, and they are willing to give you what you have always wanted.” I listened to him, quietly taking notes in my small notebook. I did not give away anything, but inside I was very angry. From the design of the structure, I knew immediately that it was meant to siphon off money before it reached the state governments. It was clear there was a conspiracy to steal a lot of money. Having already pocketed $13.5m, now the government officials could easily pocket probably another $100m through the sale process that they had developed with the help of Mr Gohil and other clever advisors in London! When I left the meeting I immediately contacted the mutual friend who’d set up the governor’s meeting. The friend was so embarrassed as I explained the corrupt structure clearly designed to steal money from the state governments. He promised to raise the issue with Governor Victor Attah. A few days later he came back and said Governor Attah had claimed ignorance about the proposal put to me by Mr Gohil. He said he would speak to Mr Gohil and tell him it had to be done properly without the structures. We never heard from them again. Mr Gohil simply vanished. A few months later we were told that the shares had been offered to a company from the Middle East who subsequently bought them. I was not privy to how they did it except that they had violated my right to buy the shares… That is another chapter in the saga, but not for now.

Fast-forward three years, long after the sale. Our lawyers in London called me one day and asked if I could come urgently to a meeting with the Proceeds of Corruption Unit of the London Metropolitan Police: “You are not in any trouble, but I think you will find what they have to say very interesting!” This special unit was launched by the British to investigate corruption by foreign government officials who try to launder stolen money to the U.S. and the UK. The officers asked me to explain everything I knew about the sale of V-Mobile shares to Celtel (later Zain). I explained the history of the entire transaction and the shareholders disputes that had led to our departure. After awhile, they asked me to focus on specific events, and, in particular, my meetings in London with the governor of Akwa Ibom, and also the meetings with Mr Gohil. It became clear to me that they had a lot of information! “What can you tell us about this structure, using a Special Purpose Vehicle?” I explained my understanding of it. Later on, I gave them my diary in which I had recorded the details of my meeting that day with Mr Gohil. Below my drawing of the structure, I had written in bold letters: “This is corrupt!!!” Not long after my meeting with the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, Mr Gohil was arrested together with one of his partners and several others. I later learned that when the Middle Eastern company bought the shares, some of the proceeds had been diverted using the Gohil structure. Some of the money was sent to a bank in London. This large amount of money was enough to alert the British authorities that money was being laundered through their banking system. Their investigations led them to Gohil and his associates. They raided his offices and found stashes of documents, including details of the structures. Now they were looking for witnesses to help prosecute them for corruption and money laundering. The British authorities tried without success to get other parties, including the governor of Akwa Ibom, to come out and clear their names but they refused. Officials of President Umaru Musa Yar’Aduah’s government successfully thwarted all extradition requests. I was asked to be a witness in the trial of those who had been arrested in London. I willingly accepted. Next I will tell you about my role as a ‘Witness to the Crown” on behalf of the people of Nigeria whose money had been stolen. It would be the first time that someone big went to jail (in a foreign country) for stealing money from Africans. Afterthought The British counterparts of the EFCC were able to bring James Ibori and his associates to book (as you will see in the next post) because they were well supported by both the political and the judicial system in the UK. I also believe that much of the evidence to bring him down came from officers in EFCC who passed it on to the British knowing that their counterparts were better placed to bring him to book. In other countries, agencies like EFCC exist but for a completely different purpose…but that is for another day.

11 October, 2015

SUNDAY

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Ahmed Musa, new Eagles captain.

FIFA: Ogun FA drums up support for Odegbami The Ogun State Football Association has thrown its weight behind the candidature of former Green Eagles winger, Chief Segun Odegbami, who is contesting for the vacant seat of FIFA president. According to the chairman of Ogun FA, Alhaji Ganiu Majekodunmi, the move became necessary following the exemplary performance of the mercurial footballer for both club and the country. Majekodunmi believes the former Nigeria captain,

Odegbami has what it takes to reform the crisis-ridden FIFA. Speaking after the last group match at the Abeokuta centre of the state U-18 football championship, powered by the Sir Adebutu foundation, Majekodunmi also advised the young footballers to give their education top priority while playing football. He called on all well-meaning Nigerians to support the effort of football stakeholders in developing the game.

Camp drama made Eagles to lose —Garba Lawal

Dele Alli targets more England caps Alli Youngster, Dele Alli has said he is excited by his debut for England and looks forward to playing more games for the Three Lions. The Nigerian-born midfielder made his debut for England on Friday night in a 2-0 win over Estonia in a 2016 Euro qualifier. “So honoured and proud to make my debut for my country last night at Wembley! Hopefully many more appearances to come,” Alli said on Twitter. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, whose father is Nigerian and so was he is eligible to feature for the

Super Eagles, was an 88th minute substitute for Ross Barkley, whose father is also Nigerian. Meanwhile, Nigerian-born and Manchester United target, Matthew Olawale Olosunde will be in the colours of the United States of America when they face Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets in the opening game of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on October 17 in Santiago, Chile. The utility player is an important member of the USA squad and the coach Emmanuel Amuneke-led team must be on the lookout for him.

ormer Nigeria international, Garba Lawal has blamed the Super Eagles’ 0-2 loss to DR Congo in a friendly to the fallout of Tuesday’s camp drama between manager, Sunday Oliseh and former captain, Vincent Enyeama. In his assessment, Lawal said the team’s display against Congo was disappointing, while indicating that the Oliseh-Enyeama feud created disunity in the team. The former Esperance of Tunisia midfielder expressed disappointment at the trainer’s poor show of maturity in the faceoff, urging Oliseh to see himself as the father and act like one. “Actually the game was not good enough and for us to lose the game by 2-0 is disappointing,” Lawal told Goal . “The rhythm of the game and everything about it just went wrong. If DR Congo could beat us now it means football is changing and there is no small game either. “Before we think we will

meet any small country, we think we could beat them. Now we can see now that there are no small games. Every game for national teams now is like a Cup final in Africa. “It is going to be tough on Sunday (today) and everybody knows our game against Cameroon is always kicking and pushing. I believe we all got it wrong, if we lose a game, we should know

something is wrong. “Whether we like it or not, in football there are ups and downs.” The Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold medallist praised retiring record-capped Enyeama, but decried the Lille goalkeeper’s humiliating exit. “Well done to Enyeama, 13 years is not easy and he is been doing wonderfully for the country. But I could have

loved to see him retire in a better way and not like this. “The whole years since he came in and started very well and had ups and downs with the national team. Nevertheless, Enyeama has been wonderful, but whether we like it or not, he is going to leave the team and the team will continue. Only that I didn’t expect him to leave this way,” Lawal said.

NFF rules on Kogi, Adamawa stalemated match The appeal committe of the Nigeria Football Federation would tomorrow rule on the stalemated Week 12 Nigeria National League (NNL) game between Kogi United and Adamawa United in Lokoja. The sitting scheduled to hold at the NFF Headquarters in Abuja by 10am, is expected to pass a final verdict on the match. Reports alleged that the visitors abandoned the match in the 38th minute for reasons best known to them. The NNL board had earlier issued an interim order for the match to be replayed in Lokoja, from when it was stopped, before the

Organising and Disciplinary Committee of the NFF awarded full points to Adamawa United, a decision which Kogi United later appealed. Chairman of Kogi United, Abdul Sule while speaking with sports writers in Lokoja said “We are expecting a fair judgment on Monday, we believe so much in the integrity of the appeal committee and we are hopeful of fair hearing of our appeal. “This is a setback to our football and we have to sort out a case like this through the appeal committee. Football should always be won and lost on the pitch, but we hope this will put a stop to

all these unholy practices once and for all. “We shouldn’t have been where we are by now because the NNL had written an interim letter stating that the match should be replayed, but after the O&D case, it was totally a different verdict. “Our players were on the pitch until the referee blew his final whistle and we were told that we abandoned the match. At the O&D sitting, the match commissioner’s report was jettisoned, the centre referee was invited, while the match commissioner was not,” claimed Sule, a former international.

11 October, 2015

Sunday Tribune

11 October, 2015

CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915 - 2015)

1. Cross-section of Senators with Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran and Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu. 2. From left, Chief Jide Osinnubi; Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu; Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran and Alhaji Moshood Yusuf. 3. From left, Engineer Bisade Biobaku; Mr Dipo Adebo; Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu; Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran; Dr Ayo Soleye and Otunba Femi Oyetayo. 4. Cross-section of Oluwole Market traders, Apapa, Lagos.

Sunday Tribune

PHOTOS: ALOLADE GANIYU

5. Offa Descendants Union, Offa with Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran and Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu. 6. From left, Leader Asiwaju Change Movement (Jagaban), Barrister Tunji Abayomi, discussing with Ambassador Awolowo Dosumu and Reverend (Mrs) Oyediran. 7. Dr Fredrick Fasehun signing the condolence register. 8. ACP, Mr Ali Yanga, Area Commander, Nigeria Police Force, Sagamu, signing the condolence register.

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11 OCTOBER, 2015

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After severely badmouthing them, some minister-nominees are reportedly cowering before their godfathers and state governors in order to survive Senate screening. What an amazing humility on the road to the national cake!

Strengths of the Yoruba nation: Unity of direction and purpose

FTEN these days, Yoruba people in Nigeria complain and lament that their Yoruba nation is disunited and lacking in common purpose in Nigeria. They complain and lament in these ways because they worry that the Yoruba nation is too unduly scattered in Nigeria’s partisan politics and, in the name of parties, are not working together in the interest of their own nation, and can sometimes hurt one another quite seriously. These complaints and lamentations speak only of the surface of political behavior among the Yoruba elite in the context of Nigerian politics. They are not a statement that the Yoruba nation does not have unity of direction and purpose; they are a statement that the deep unity of direction and purpose that have defined the Yoruba nation for millennia are not being honoured today by many in the Yoruba political elite in Nigeria. Yoruba people are saying that their nation possesses very sound principles of society and governance, principles that produced order and prosperity for their Yoruba nation in history, principles that can greatly help Nigeria to achieve stability, development and prosperity now; but that many leading Yoruba political and society leaders today are evading these great principles and reveling in Nigeria’s lower standards, all in the quest for personal gains in the corruption and chaos that is Nigeria. In fact, for most informed observers, and for the historian, the first and most prominent quality that is noticeable about the Yoruba people is their unique unity of direction and purpose. That is the dominant and unbroken theme of their life as a people throughout their history. It is the core reason why they were able to create and develop the foremost civilization in the history of Black Africa, why their homeland (not only in Nigeria but also in Benin and Togo Republics) continues to belong in the forefront of development and modernization in Africa in modern times, and why their civilization is the leading African civilization that is spreading in, and impacting, the wider world in our time. This unity of purpose and direction is manifest in countless ways in Yoruba group life throughout their history, but only brief notes can be made here. First,

having discovered, in their first town of Ife (which they built in the 9th or 10th century), that there was great civilizational value in living in a town, the whole Yoruba nation became more or less like one townbuilding crew building town after town for over five centuries. The pattern by which they built these towns was the same. One prominent person would gather a sizeable number of people who were ready to follow him, and the group would then plunge into the Yoruba forests, and travel until they reached a place where there were small primitive Yoruba settlements living fairly close together. There they would stop and find some way to pool all the people of the settlements together to form a new large town. Sometimes, this was achieved peacefully; but sometimes the people of the settlements didn’t want

of direction and purpose – the common Yoruba love of civilization and of the beautiful life. The people of each new town immediately built a large palace for their king, followed by a scenic marketplace in front of the palace and, in most cases, a town wall around their town. Artists were recruited to beautify the palace with a profusion of sculptures, as well as murals on the walls. Every family compound in the town tried to imitate the palace in beauty. Then they built wide roads to connect their town with neighbouring towns. Hugh Clapperton, the first European ever to enter into the interior of Yorubaland (in 1825), after travelling through many Yoruba towns, wrote that the Yoruba towns were “clean habitations”, usually with “avenues of lovely trees”; that the people “are fond of ornamenting their

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it and defended their settlements, and there followed some fighting. The history of this long era in Yoruba history is very fascinating. (Read the history of your own town; or, if it is not yet written, collect the traditions and write it). Altogether, it is a history of a people driven by one common purpose – namely, to establish centres for civilized life in the forests of their homeland. It was started by the princes and chiefs of Ife, but over time, prominent people in the newly founded towns went out to found towns too – until founding towns became the highest desire of most Yoruba notables. And the end result is that the Yoruba became (far and away) the most urbanized people in Africa, with towns located at short distances from one another throughout their homeland. In each new town as it grew, there was quickly obvious the Yoruba nation’s unity

doors, and the posts which support their verandahs, with carvings; and they have also statues or figures of men and women standing in their courtyards”. The Yoruba people, he wrote, “appear to have a genius for the art of sculpture, which is in great repute with them; and some of their productions rival, in point of delicacy, any of a similar kind that I have seen in Europe”. Yoruba people, he wrote, were generally well dressed and clean in their appearance, very much self-respecting, “pleasing in their manner”, very respectful of law and order, loved music, entertainment and gaiety, and very hospitable to foreigners. – “all bore an air of novelty, cheerfulness, beauty, and grandeur, that I have never seen surpassed”. To support all this life of beauty and order, he wrote, the Yoruba people had developed a very productive economy in farming, crafts, arti-

sanship, arts, and commerce. Altogether, he wrote, the Yoruba were “an industrious race”. The roads connecting their towns, he wrote, were wide and well kept (often “as level as a bowling green”) and, in some parts, carefully watched by armed guards. This Yoruba unity of purpose – their love of civilization, order, and the beautiful life – is continuous, and it has been demonstrated very powerfully in modern times. When Christian missions began to bring Christianity and Western education to Africa in about 1850, the Yoruba recognized the potentialities of Western education more quickly that other African peoples. By the late 1850s, there were already schools in many Yoruba cities. By the 1860s, some Yoruba were already graduating from British universities (the first Yoruba medical doctor graduated in 1858). No other Nigerian people produced their first university graduate until 1933-4. In the 1950s, when the British allowed indigenous Nigerian leaders to rule their people – in the Northern, Eastern and Western Regions – the predominantly Yoruba Western Region immediately shot forward as the leader in every facet of development. In particular, their starting of free primary education pushed them much further than all other Nigerian peoples. Today, the Yoruba (who are only 24% of Nigeria’s population) constitute more than 50% of Nigeria’s university graduates, and their region remains significantly more developed than all other parts of Nigeria. A Yoruba engineer wrote a book a few years ago and claimed in it that, if the Yoruba had not been part of Nigeria (and had been a separate country on their own), they would be rivaling the world’s leading economies by now. That is the kind of thinking common to Yoruba people. That is their common purpose as a nation. Because they are a freedom-loving people, they may be fragmented among political parties; they may oppose one another viciously in Nigerian politics; and they may differ in religion. But it is almost impossible to find any one of them who is not strongly desirous of, and intensely dedicated to, development, progress, orderly society, prosperity, and the beautiful life. This, in addition to their intense loyalty to their culture, is their united purpose and direction as a people.

Eagles’ defence worries Oliseh ahead Cameroon clash NIGERIA’S head coach, Sunday Oliseh wants a quick response from his wards ahead of today’s international friendly against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon billed for the Edmond Machtens Stadium, Brussels, Belgium. The Super Eagles were beaten 2-0 by the Leopards of Congo DR in their last

friendly on Thursday night in Belgium, with goals from Dieumerci Mbokani and Jordan Mkololo. Oliseh is now looking for a rapid response that will see his side bounce back against the four-time African champions tonight. “The most important thing was allow-

ing the boys rest after the game with DR Congo and freshen up the minds. “We have to take the positives from that defeat against Congo DR. We desperately need cover for the central defence position as the duo of Godfrey Oboabona and Kenneth Omeruo were badly missed in the defeat to Congo

DR. “We are building and we are getting more and more players buy into our philosophy and the cohesion is getting better,” he said. Oliseh has so far won a game with one draw and loss since he took over the senior national team in July this year.

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