12th March 2016 by Nigerian Tribune

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SATURDAY, 12 MARCH, 2016

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Ocholi’s driver had licence, FRSC processing pg5 renewal —Colleagues How Ministry sourced vehicle Photocopy of licence released

I don’t apply ointment to cry in my movies; I had to learn it

Fulani gunmen shoot at David pg3 Mark Herdsmen worse than Boko Haram —Benue gov

We’ll restore peace there —Buhari Eye pluckers have invaded Kaduna —NSCDC

pg5

Scene of a fire incident at Tapa Street, Sura, Lagos, on Friday. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA

—Nkiru Slyvanus pgs2&33

Nollywood actress, Ibinabo loses bid to quash 5-yr jail sentence, weeps pg4

Man jailed for abducting, impregnating teenager Controversy trails planned sack of over 1,000 in Kaduna pg18 pg43 LAUTECH workers by Osun govt

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

I don’t apply ointment to

cry in my movies; I had to learn it — Nkiru Slyvanus

Popular Nollywood actress, Nkiru Slyvanus is a viewers’ delight. Known for her ‘sorrowful’ roles, Nkiru, took a break from the scene for public service as Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism to the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha. She is now back in Nollywood. JOAN OMIONAWELE caught up with her at the recently AMVCA Awards in Lagos. Excerpts:

HAT projects have you been up to lately? I’m working on a whole lot of things that I wouldn’t want to talk about at the moment because I want people to see them unfold one after the other, but of course, 2016 is my year. Are you saying you are staging a comeback to Nollywood this year? I never left Nollywood, but I am saying I will do more movies this year. Obviously, you took a break… Yes, I took a break, I didn’t leave Nollywood, I will never leave Nollywood.

During that period, did you feel like you missed out on anything? No, because I felt like I needed a timeout. With Awards like the AMVCA, what do you think the Nollywood industry stands to gain? It makes everyone work harder and do better jobs because everyone will want to have this moment where you pick up an award and be appreciated for what you have done. It also makes us put in more effort in order to do better jobs

When you took up the political appointment, some people were expecting you to pick up elective position as deputy governor, local government chairman, why didn’t you go further? Oh really, I’m not thinking towards that direction, but maybe in the future, I might think it but right now, I’m just thinking entertainment. What did you learn in government? I’m still within the political arena, I haven’t left yet, but I will say it has been a huge experience for me because you get to meet people from different backgrounds, pursuing different purposes which expose

you to a lot of things that you don’t know about politics and people’s ways of life. Some controversies trailed you, how did you receive and handle them? Well, controversy is part of life, if nobody talks about you, then you don’t exist, so it is good when people talk about you. It helps you to shape up your life, work harder to surprise people the more and make them understand that it is not really about what they think, it is about who you are and who you want to be. Continues on pg33

news

12 March, 2016

Fulani gunmen shoot at David Mark

Saturday Tribune

Fulani herdsmen worse than Boko Haram —Benue gov Sylvanus Viashima – Jalingo And Johnson Babajide - Makurdi

AREDEVIL Fulani herdsmen, on Friday, shot at the convoy of former Senate President, David Mark, during his assessment tour of the destroyed Agatu communities in Benue State. The former Senate President, however, escaped unhurt. Mark was in company with the erstwhile Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro; a member House of the Representatives for Ohimini/Otukpo, Constituency, Honourable Ezekiel Adaji, security aides, journalists and party supporters during the tour of the eight communities. The communities are Aila, Akwu, Okokolo, Adagbo, Akwu, Ogboju and Odugbeho, which have been destroyed by Fulani herdsmen. The convoy was at Akwu community when some fleeing herdsmen sighted the convoy and shot at it, causing members of the lawmaker’s convoy to scamper for safety. The security men attached to the convoy were ordered to remain calm and not exchange fire. The former Senate President thereafter ordered that the convoy continue to move. Saturday Tribune observed that the eight communities were totally destroyed and deserted except Odugbeho, which was again attacked on Thursday evening. Speaking to some survivors in one of the communities, Mark regretted the wanton destructions, which he described as “unimaginable” and called on the people to remain calm. One of the community’s youth leaders, Michael, who spoke at Aila, lamented what he called the porous security in Agatu Local Government Area and asked the former Senate President to tell the president to remove the soldiers as “we are competent now to defend ourselves.” The youth in the communities accused state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, of not visiting the affected areas. They added that when the deputy governor, Benson Abounu, visited the areas, he only stopped at Apa, where the displaced persons are camped. But Mark appealed to the youth to keep the peace and remain law-abiding as he promised to relate what he had seen to the government for prompt action. Meanwhile, Governor Ortom has raised the alarm on the escalation of attacks on his people by the Fulani herdsmen. The governor, in raising the alarm, declared that Boko Haram’s terrorism was becoming a child’s play, compared to the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen. Governor Ortom disclosed this on Friday in Makurdi while administering oath of office on the President, Customary Court of Appeal (CCA), Justice Cosmos Idye and a High Court judge, Justice Augustine Ityonyiman. He disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the deployment of soldiers to the state to end the lingering farmers/herdsmen crisis in the state. He said the invasion of some communities by Fulani herdsmen in the state was becoming worrisome adding that “more Local Government Areas are being attacked on daily basis.” “As we speak, the Fulanis have started moving out of Agatu to other parts of the state. “What we are witnessing today in Benue is more than what happened in the North-East,” he said. He said that Agatu, Logo, Tarka, Buruku, and Kwande were all under attack by the Fulani mercenaries. Ortom charged the judiciary nationwide to support government anti-corruption crusade through effective and timely dispensation of justice. In a remark, the CCA President pledged to uphold the Constitution and judicial ethics in the discharge of his duties. Also, presidential spokes person, Femi Adesina, told Saturday Tribune, on Friday, that the problem is a perennial crisis. According to him, there was peace in the past because there were cattle grazing routes but with the Federal Government working in conjunction with states and local governments, peace will be restored in the communities. “Security is a continuous process. It is the duty of every government to guarantee safety of lives and property. This government is committed to that,” Adesina said.

Let’s stop eating cow meat —8-yr-old survivor “If I have my way, no one should be eating cow meat

Senator David Mark addressing youths of Akwu village in Agatu Local Government Area, on Friday. PHOTO: JOHNSON BABAJIDE. again. If this happens, I hope it will stop the killing in Agatu.” These were the words of an eight-year-old boy, Aliyu Audu, in Ojantele, one of the three camps designated for displaced persons in the wake of the crisis that rocked Agatu a few weeks ago. For most farmers, traders and other residents of Benue and Taraba states, “Fulani herdsmen” is synonymous with bloodshed and wanton destruction. Fulani terrorists parading as herdsmen have continued to kill, maim and cause destructions with impunity. The atrocities have received little attention from the authorities probably because of the activities of Boko Haram which have dominated the media space. For some time now, Audu has not been able to go to school because of constant attacks on the communities in the affected local government area of Benue State. He was panting when Saturday Tribune beckoned to him for a brief interview. The boy had been kicking a ball around with his mates on an uneven ground. He paused to say something in Agatu dialect, which was promptly interpreted by a guide as “oga, please, I am enjoying football.” Perhaps oblivious of the happenings in their environment, the young boys continued to play football with great enthusiasm. After much persuasion and the promise of a token, Aliyu with his friends, covered in sweats and taking short fast shallow breaths all at the same time, rushed to respond to our correspondent’s questions. Suddenly, one of them, Joe, who later claimed to be nine years old, begged the others to allow him to be the spokesman. “The last time we went to school was... hem... hem... November last year,

For most farmers, traders and other residents of Benue and Taraba states, “Fulani herdsmen” is synonymous with bloodshed and wanton destruction. Fulani terrorists parading as herdsmen have continued to kill, maim and cause destructions with impunity.

because our parents said that Fulani herdsmen might invade our schools and kill us all. I was at home one day when my father rushed to where we were playing football and asked me to run. As we ran, I fell and each time I did, my father helped me back up and encouraged me run very fast. All I was hearing was the shout of ‘Fulani! Fulani! Fulani!’” As he spoke, his mates longed to speak, too, intermittently interrupting the conversation. Joe then beckoned to Aliyu to speak about their stay in the camp. Aliyu shouted: “We are enjoying this place. We play football and we run around but we do not have enough food to eat. Unlike when I was in my village, here, we share whatever is given to us by people who come to give us things.” The boys may be oblivious of their situation, occasioned by Fulani herdsmen’s invasion of their communities, but the elderly are groaning and wishing for this lot to pass quickly. One Mr Sunday, who wore a gloomy face as Saturday Tribune approached him, said, “What do you want me to say? The look of this environment should tell you what we are passing through. Imagine yourself with a family of eight managing life and praying for better times only for beasts in human skins to suddenly invade your community and dislodge you and your wife and kids from where you have lived for decades. What manner of a country is ours, being turned into a refugee in your own land?! “Indeed, life in the camps is not different from prison. You don’t have privacy, tens of people crammed in a place. In most cases, you cannot sleep because of the noise. It is more pathetic for some of us with one disease or another. At a point, the food items that were brought by some public-spirited individuals, some horrible boys came in the night and stole everything. There are no medical facilities. There are mosquitoes here and there. Children are falling sick every day. “As I am talking to you, our communities have been taken over by herdsmen. At times I wonder if Nigeria is not a lawless nation, or how can this lawlessness be allowed to go on? Perhaps it will get to a stage where everyone will be armed to defend themselves if the government can no longer provide security for us.” According to Sunday, the Fulani herdsmen have been attacking the Agatu people since 2013 virtually on a monthly basis. He noted that efforts to forge a harmonious relationship with the Fulani people had been futile – “If it is this community today, it is another tomorrow.” Continues pg22

news

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Asset declaration: Saraki’s fresh application challenging tribunal’s jurisdiction stalls trial Sunday Ejike - Abuja

HE trial of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged false assets declaration was on Friday stalled due to a fresh application filed by the Senate President challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain the 13-count charge filed against him by the Federal Government. At the resumed trial on Friday, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) told the Tribunal that the business of the day was hearing and that 13 prosecution witnesses were in court to give evidence in the matter. Defense counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) who led other 66 lawyers informed the court that he had filed an application challenging the authority of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to initiate the criminal proceedings and also the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain the matter. Jacobs, however, responded that the had not been served with the application, saying also that such application was a ploy to frustrate the trial as the Court of Appeal and the apex court had asked the defendant to go and face his trial. Responding, Agabi said the application was served on the Ministry of Justice and later tendered the proof of service to the tribunal, adding that, it was the Ministry of Justice that was delaying the trial on ground that it should have called the attention of the prosecution counsel to the application served on it. Chairman of the Tribunal, Danladi Umar however urged Jacobs to collect a copy of the application in

court in order to proceed with the case. After collecting the document, Jacobs requested for some time to reply. In agreement with the parties, the tribunal later adjourned the case till March 18, 2016 for hearing of the fresh application. Though Saraki had pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, he had, however, explored legal ways, up to the Supreme Court to stop the trial. But the Supreme Court had in its judgement asked the Senate President to go and face his trial at the tribunal. At Friday’s proceedings, about 45 senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as well as the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, accompanied the Senate President to the tribunal. The Senators had arrived the venue of the tribunal at about 10:13 am in two coastal buses belonging to the National Assembly. Also, supporters of Saraki were seen outside the premises of the tribunal carrying placards with different inscriptions in support of the Senate President. In the new application, brought pursuant to Sections 36(6)(a)(b), 36(12) and Paragraph 15 of the First Schedule of the 1999 constitution: Section 3(1) of the Third Schedule of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Saraki is praying for an order quashing or striking out the charges against him. He is also praying for an order of the tribunal discharging him from the charge. Saraki premised his application on grounds that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the charge because a condition precedent to the exercise of the jurisdiction

has not been fulfilled. He further submitted that the charge was brought in bad faith and that it was not brought in the interest of the public. In addition, Saraki submitted that the charge constitutes a gross abuse of the

legal process and that the charge violates due process and in violation of his right to fair hearing as enshrined in the constitution. He further noted that the charge cannot lie at the instance of the Attorney General of the Federation and

pitals in Calabar. Four of the injured have been discharged. The CBN, in a statement signed by the bank’s acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac A.

Ibinabo weeps, loses bid to stop 5-year jail term sentence, weeps Ayomide Owonibi Odekanyin - Lagos EX-BEAUTY queen and Nollywood actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima on Friday lost an appeal challenging the judgement of a Lagos High Court which sentenced her to five years imprisonment for the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj. The embattled actress was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi for reck-

less driving which caused the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj in an auto accident on the Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos. The deceased was a staffer of one of Lagos State hospitals. Dissatisfied, Fiberesima in her amended appellant brief filed by her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, urged the court to set aside the five-year sentence and restore the decision of the magistrate court which gave her a N100.000

Okorafor and made available to Saturday Tribune, regretted the death of a staffer of the bank and a construction worker who later died at the hospital after they were injured in the

fire incident. “We are now working with the bereaved families to determine next steps. More details will be made known to the public in due course,” the statement added.

The director of the state fire service, Tadak Fadipe, confirmed the fire incident to Saturday Tribune . Saturday Tribune gathered that the fire incident started from the tanker after some of its contents had spilled on the road. The tanker was completely burnt in the fire incident that reportedly created serious problems for firefighters. Fadipe, while confirming

the report to Saturday Tribune said that the state fire service had to deploy more fire trucks to the scene when the initial operation failed. A source near the scene of the fire incident told Saturday Tribune that firefighters were, at the time of filing this report, still battling to prevent the fire from spreading to about four schools around the scene of the incident.

Properties destroyed in Lagos fire incident Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos PROPERTIES worth millions of naira were on Friday evening destroyed in a tanker explosion which occurred around Sura area of Lagos Island. Fire fighters were still battling to put out the fire as of the time of filing this report. A court and a vocational training centre, as well as vehicles were destroyed in the late Friday fire incident.

“This is the first time I will be seeing a defendant giving us problem. They go to the press to tell them that we are persecuting him. I have prosecuted two former governors, I did not receive this type of attack”, the prosecution counsel stated.

From left, Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; South Africa president, Jacob Zuma; President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, during a toast in honour of Professor Osinbajo, who clocked 59 years, during the week. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE.

Explosion, fire in CBN’s Calabar office, 2 die A fire incident occurred at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Calabar Branch on Friday. The fire, which broke out at about 12 noon in the banking hall of the premises, was apparently caused by a gas explosion from the air conditioners in the building which is undergoing some refurbishment at the moment. As soon as the incident occurred, the CBN emergency alert system was activated, the Fire Service was called in, and the fire was immediately brought under control. Following the explosion and fire, about 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving treatment at hos-

Minister of Justice. Responding, Jacobs noted that both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court had ruled on the application brought by Saraki and insisted that the application was just to frustrate the trial.

option of fine. But, delivering judgement on Friday at appeal court, the court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the Lagos High Court. In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur, the court held that the trial magistrates’ court lacked the discretion to grant Ibinabo option of fine having been convicted. The court further held that the appeal lacked merit and thereby dismissed it accordingly. Other members of the panel are Justice U.I. Ndukwe-Anyanwu (Mrs.) (presiding) and Justice Tijani Abubakar respectively. Immediately, the judgement was delivered, Ibinabo, who was visibly apprehensive throughout the proceeding, burst into tears and wept profusely. The court had earlier ordered the appellant to appear before it when judgement was to be delivered. Speaking on the judgement, her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina said the judgement would be challenged at the Supreme Court, adding that a notice of appeal had been filed already. Fiberesima had earlier been awarded a N100, 000 fine by an Igbosere magistrates’ court, but the then

Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for justice, Supo Sasore (SAN), felt unsatisfied with the judgement. This prompted the state government to take its case to the Lagos high court. At the Lagos high court, Justice Oluwayemi set aside the option of fine imposed by the magistrates’ court and sentenced Fiberesima to five years imprisonment for dangerous and reckless driving. The court held that the option of N100, 000 given to the convict did not serve the purpose of justice in the matter and subsequently ordered that the N100, 000 should be returned to Fiberesima. The court added that Section 28 of the Road Traffic Law clearly provides that where a reckless and dangerous driving has caused the death of a person, the accused person shall be guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of seven years. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command had in 2005 charged the exbeauty queen [Fiberesima] to the magistrate court on a two-count charge of dangerous and reckless driving along Epe Expressway, Lagos which resulted to the death of Dr. Giwa Suraj.

news

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Ocholi’s driver had licence, FRSC is processing renewal —Colleagues

Security agents storm Delta community

Soji-Eze Fagbemi –Abuja

A combined team of security men from the Army, Navy, Airforce, Police and the Department of State Service (DSS), on Friday morning, stormed Ekpan and neighbouring communities in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, apprehending 35 suspected criminals in the process. Ekpan is a notorious and volatile Warri suburb believed to be harbouring criminals of different shades. The joint operation code-named “Operation Yankari,” was launched to raid the communities in order to mop up illegal arms and ammunitions. Parading the 35 suspects on Friday at the 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, Brigadier-General Farouk Yahaya, Commander 4 Brigade, said the security agencies were determined to rid Delta State of illicit arms, adding that a G3 rifle, one pistol and 20 rounds of ammunitions were also recovered. Yahaya, who described the exercise as successful, said those arrested would be investigated, while the operation would be a continuous one. Also speaking at the parade, the Delta State Commissioner of Police (CP), Baba Alkali Usman, said the exercise was carried out because of the numerous complaints about criminal activities around Ekpan, Eburumede, Ogbomro and some other communities in Uvwie. According to him, “a total of 35 suspects were arrested and during our preliminary screening, three persons were identified and have been released. “The remaining 32 suspects will be subjected to further investigations. “We also recovered a G3 riffle loaded with 20 rounds of ammunitions and other incriminating items including suspected ballot papers. “We also had an incident where a tryclist was flagged down by security men for a search. “Instead of stopping, in a effort to escape, ran into a truck and the two occupants had accidents and were later confirmed dead,” he said. Alkali added that the operation would be extended to neighbouring places like Warri as soon as the security agents are armed with intelligence information. Meanwhile, during the parade of the suspects, a drama played out when a trader, Mrs. Edoke Ekaevwie, identified one of the suspects as a member of a gang of three who recently invaded her shop and dispossessed her of N250,000 and other items. Saturday Tribune, however gathered that, sporadic shootings were still ongoing at Ekpan as of the time of filing report. It could not be ascertained if the shootings were from security operatives or hoodlums. Meanwhile, some residents of Ekpan , who craved anonymity, accused the security operatives of a shoddy job during the mop up exercise. “Arms mop up was long overdue in the entire Uvwie, but the army and police made a mess of it. They did not put their acts together. Some of their men probably leaked the operation and the invasion also had a tone of discrimination. “Uvwie is full of illegal arms and criminals, many known to the police. To claim recovery of only two guns in Ekpan where there are arms everywhere is a mockery of the exercise. “Most of those arrested may well be innocent. The real gunrunners and criminals disappeared before they came,” one of the residents alleged,” they said.

ONTRARY to the interim report of the investigations of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) into the accident in which the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, his wife and son died, it has emerged that the driver of the illfated vehicle, Taiwo James Elegbede, actually had a driver’s licence. Some of the other drivers at the transport department of the Ministry of Labour and Employment claim that Taiwo is a licensed driver and has served the ministry for about 25 years. The FRSC had claimed that Taiwo had no licence as his name was not found on the database of the organisation. But Taiwo’s colleagues at the ministry faulted the FRSC’s pronouncement. They also claimed that the Lexus 570 SUV in which the minister died was given to the ministry by the presidency through the office of the Head of Service. They claimed further that when the vehicle in question was released from the presidency, they were not allowed to examine it in order to determine its condition before putting it to the late minister’s use. They argued that the vehicle was not one of theirs and as such, there was the need for it to go through maintenance before being used for such a long journey as the one that eventually turned fatal last Sunday. A senior colleague of Taiwo, who did not want to be named, told Saturday Tribune that he and others were disappointed at the statement of the FRSC’s Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi. According to him, the FRSC boss was at the ministry to meet with the officials on Wednesday, but he was surprised at Boboye’s statement at the Federal Executive Council meeting as it was contrary to “what he told us.” Taiwo, according to his colleagues, was a Higher Works Superintendent and was highly professional on his job. They said he had also gone for a mechanical/electrical engineering course at the training school in Abeokuta, Ogun State. They also attested to his character as a committed staff member who adhered to the ethics of his job. For example, they said Taiwo drove one of the

permanent secretaries in the ministry, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, for more than eight years without any incident. “In fact, when Mama Agary left the ministry, she still requested for his service because Taiwo is very good. He was released and was with the former permanent secretary for almost six years after she had left this ministry, until we said ‘enough is enough’ and recalled him,” one of his colleagues said. He showed Saturday Tribune photocopies of all the staff members’ driver’s licence, including Taiwo’s,

which he, however, said expired on January 15, 2016 along with some of his colleagues’ and that they had all gone to renew them since the last two months “but the process is being delayed as usual” by the FRSC. “To say that Taiwo has no driver’s licence is very unfortunate. Yes, this is the copy. It expired in January and we have already started the renewal process, but the FRSC would tell you that you can only get a new one three months after you apply. Even if they say this one is fake, they

should ask themselves, because it is produced by them and it is their property. They should tell us how and why,” the source said. He accused the FRSC of making such a damaging pronouncement against Taiwo, who was injured in the accident, in order to blame him for the crash. His colleagues said Taiwo has chest pain and is still lying ill at the hospital and, therefore, it is not true that he was the one who took pictures that was circulated on social media.

Mile 12 crisis: Community claims fake soldiers carrying petrol were arrested Sylvester Okoruwa - Lagos THE Agiliti community in Mile 12 area of Lagos have claimed that five suspected arsonists dressed in army uniform have been nabbed in the community in Lagos as tension remains high over the Mile 12 bloody clash between Yoruba and Hausa ethnic stocks. The community said the fake soldiers were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday and subsequently handed over to the military command maintaining security around the market. The leadership of Agiliti community is also asking the Lagos State Government to relocate the market elsewhere as the community is located at the back of Mile 12 Market. Chairman of Agiliti Community Development Area, Elder Joseph Adewunmi disclosed that the residents of Agiliti community now live in fear due to the alleged persistent threat of suspected armed Hausa invaders. He said: “On Tuesday afternoon four fake soldiers in military uniform were apprehended by the soldiers stationed at Mile 12. The fake soldiers were arrested with some litres of petrol and

lighter with a motive to burn houses in the community. “Again on Wednesday night one more person in military uniform was arrested by the police, with some litres of petrol and lighter found on them. “The five arrested fake soldiers are presently in army and police custody. We attempted to take photographs of the arrested fake soldiers but the soldiers prevented us while those who attempted to use their phones to take photograph had their phones seized by the soldiers”. Most residents accuse the Army and Police Officers of Northern origin of collaborating with the Hausa Community to wreak havoc and destroy property during the March 3 crisis, pointing out that OC Mile 12, Police Area Commander and operation MESA Army Commander are all from the North. For instance, they alleged that the 6pm curfew imposed by the Lagos state Government is only being enforced among the residents of Agiliti where security agents molest those who return from work after 6pm and subject pregnant women to corporal punishment like frog-jump. Spokesperson of Agiliti Community, Mr. Adebayo Lasisi, disclosed that a total

number of 60 vehicles, 50 houses, 30 shops were burnt while 15 persons from the community were killed during the mayhem. However the image maker in charge of the state police command, Dolapo Badmos said she was not aware of the arrest of any fake soldier but insisted that security remain tight in the community.

•Arrest 35 criminal suspects •Recover 2 guns, 20 rounds of ammunition •It was a charade —Residents Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

Eye pluckers now in Kaduna —NSCDC Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kaduna State command has warned parents and guardians to take care of their children and wards following the increasing cases of eye plucking in Kaduna and its environs. Speaking in an interview in Kaduna on Friday, the Commandant of the Corps, Alhaji Modu Bunu, said the warning became necessary to save children and the good people of the state. The commandant, who was reacting to a recent incident in which one Mary Obadiah was found dead at Bendel Close, Ungwan Bulus, near SabonTasha in Chikun Local Government Area with one eye plucked, expressed shock at

the callous and inhuman act. The NSCDC boss remarked that Mary’s case brought to four the number of eye plucking incidents brought to the knowledge of the command within eight days even though the remaining three attempts were unsuccessful. According to him, at about 4pm on March 6, 2016, a child of about seven years was saved at Makera from a 30-year old man after choking the boy with the aim of plucking the unsuspecting boy’s eye. The suspect, whose name was given as Maniru, was arrested by some members of the public and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution. Similarly, at about 11pm on March 6, 2016, another suspect was arrested

around Naira Roundabout, when he almost pulled out the eye of a boy. Another attempt was made to pluck the eyes of a six-yearold girl, Kaisar Hussaini, at Ungwan Sanusi, on March 3, at about 12.42pm, by an unknown man. According to the report, Hussaini, who was returning from school, was approached and dragged by the suspect to an isolated place where a powdered substance was blown into her eyes thereby causing injury to the eyes. The lucky Hussaini whose eyes could have been plucked having been dragged to the place, screamed when the suspect made efforts to remove the eyes thereby attracting passersby who rescued her.

news

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Building collapse: MD Lekki Gardens, contractor remanded in prison FOLLOWING the collapse of a building under construction belonging to Lekki Gardens, the Managing Director and a contractor have been remanded in prison. The Lagos State government on Friday brought the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr Richard Nyong in handcuffs before an Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court. It is recalled that a five-storey building, which collapsed on Tuesday morning at the end of Kushenla road, Chisco bus stop, Ikate Elegushi-Lekki area of the state led to the death of 35 people. The presiding magistrate, Afolashade Botoku ordered the detention of Nyong and Mr. Taiwo Odofin, one of the contractors that supervised the construction of the building. The remand order of the court was premised on an exparte application brought before the court by the Officerin-Charge of Legal Department of Police, Mr. Eno-Edobor Thomas.

Fine: We are yet to conclude negotiations with FG —MTN Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong (right) and the contractor, Taiwo Odofin at the Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Friday.

Workers’ strike: Ogun govt invokes ‘No work,no pay rule’ Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

HE Ogun State government has finally invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ rule of the Trade Dispute Act in respect of the ongoing strike embarked on by workers since Monday. Saturday Tribune recalls that workers, under the umbrella of the Joint Public National Negotiating Council (JNC), have been on strike over the inability of the state government to pay their seven months deductions; unremitted contributory pension scheme and unpaid gratuites since October 2012. The government, through the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, on Wednesday said that it might be forced to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ rule if the workers re-

fused to return to work. Consequently, the state government directed all workers to be at their duty posts from Monday, March 14. This was contained in a release signed by the Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi, that the application of the ‘no work, no pay’ rule followed the refusal of the striking workers to heed appeals from government and well-meaning indigenes of the state and the refusal of the labour unions to consider all entreaties to end the

industrial action so that the state might be in a position to generate resources for the benefit of the workers and generality of the citizens. The HOS said Section 43 (1) (a) of the Trade Dispute Act provides that, “Where any worker takes part in a strike action, he shall not be entitled to any wages or other remunerations for the period of the strike, and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights

Libyan government deports 172 Nigerians Shola Adekola - Lagos THE Libyan authorities on Friday deported 172 Nigerians on the grounds of immigration irregularities. The deportees who arrived at the hajj camp axis of the Murtala Moham-

med International Airport around 7:00am comprised 166 males and six females. They were flown into the country aboard a chartered plane by the Libyan government. According to information gathered, some of the de-

Rivers, Zamfara governors meet Army Chief over security GOVERNORS of Rivers and Zamfara states, Mr Nyesom Wike and Alhaji Abdualaziz Abubakar have met with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai to seek lasting solutions to security challenges in their states. A statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, in Abuja on Friday said that the governors met separately with the army chief. Usman said that Wike expressed worry over growing cult-related clashes and the killing of some people in Rivers. He said the governor was equally concerned about

dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly.” The statement recalled that despite the fact that the state government “has been consistent with payment of workers’ salaries as and when due and has paid workers up to February 2016 with a promise to meet other demands once the finances of the state improved, union leaders went ahead to call out workers on a strike on March 7.

the implication of the development on the security situation ahead of the forthcoming re-run elections. Usman quoted Buratai as cautioning political actors in Rivers State against careless utterances, either from them or their supporters. The army chief was further quoted as assuring all groups in Rivers State of the military’s commitment to peace and security, declaring that the Nigerian Army would remain neutral and apolitical. “The Army had long been called out to assist the Nigeria Police in internal security duties. We shall

continue to perform this constitutional duty without bias,” the statement quoted Buratai as saying. Usman said that the Zamafara governor on his part complained about rising incidences of armed banditry and cattle rustling in the state. Usman quoted the governor as saying that the development had affected the lives of many, especially in areas where the menace was prevalent. Buratai, the statement said, assured the state government of the army’s determination to end the reign of terror perpetrated by bandits and cattle rustlers.

portees were brought back for overstaying in Libya and for other immigration offences in the North African country. Confirming the deportation story, an official of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) who spoke under anonymity, however, said he could not give the registration number of the aircraft that flew them into the country. The source declared: “What I can tell you is that some Nigerians were deported today (Friday) for immigration offences. Most of those brought overstayed in Libya.” The returnees were received by various government agencies, including the Immigrations, Police, Nigerian Drug Law and Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) to check their identities and ascertain their nationalities, Many of the deportees who had no criminal record were freed to reunite with their families across the country while those with questionable records were still under scrutiny at the time of filing this report.

By Bode Adewumi MTN Nigeria said on Friday that negotiations are still ongoing with the Federal Government over the $3.9 billion fine following media reports that the company proposed to pay $1.5 billion of the charge. The media had reported on Thursday that MTN had offered to pay about 40 per cent of the fine and that Nigeria’s Senate said talks with the company should continue. The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman, stated that the confidential negotiations are still very much ongoing with the authorities to achieve an amicable resolution of the matter. Accordingly, it said no further comment can be made at this time. “MTN has previously advised shareholders not to make decisions based on press reports and MTN again urges its shareholders to refrain from doing so,” it said. Nigeria, in October, imposed the fine on MTN for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards from its local network amid fears the lines were being used by criminal gangs, including militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Buhari backs Western Sahara over self-determination Leon Usigbe - Abuja PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has thrown his weight behind the struggle by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to achieve self-determination and independence in line with several resolutions of the African Union (AU). Receiving Mohammed Salem Ould Salek, Minister of Foreign Affairs of SADR at the State House, Abuja, on Friday, President Buhari assured him that outstanding issues on self-determination for the country would be scrupulously attended to. He said: “The issue first came up when I was in office as military head of state. After I left government, Nigeria remained steadfast on it. “In my maiden outing at the UN General Assembly last September, the issue of Sahrawi was in my speech. You have no cause to doubt our commitment. We stand with our African Union colleagues on this issue.”

Rivers rerun: Vote according to your conscience, Wike’s wife admonishes Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt WIFE of the Rivers State governor, Justice Suzette Nyesom-Wike, has urged the people to vote according to the dictates of their conscience in the forthcoming legislative rerun election in the state. She gave the admonition while speaking during a drama presentation organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, held in Port Harcourt, on Thursday. The governor’s wife emphasised the need for the people to be peaceful during the election and be accommodating of each other, irrespective of their religious and political differences. She advised the electorate to go out enmasse and vote for whoever they believed would represent them, noting that the state was big enough to accommodate all and also had enough resources to go round.

news

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

FG releases fresh batch of 17 new crop varieties to Nigerian farmers

From left, Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mrs. Yemisi Edun; Group Managing Director/CEO of the bank, Mr. Ladi Balogun; the founder of FCMB Group, Chief Michael Olasubomi Balogun CON (left), assisted by his wife, Abimbola; Group Company Secretary and General Counsel for FCMB Group Plc, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu and the Executive Director, Business Development of the bank, Mr. Adam Nuru, during the 82nd birthday celebration of Chief Balogun, held on Wednesday in Lagos.

Anglican priest, 12 others die in auto crash Alphonsus Agborh -Asaba

multiple auto accident which occurred near Atakpo River in Ibusa on the Asaba-Ogwashi Uku road in Delta State at about 7:00 p.m. on Thursday has left 13 persons, including an Anglican priest, dead. The death of the priest, Reverend Stanley Ejiniwe, has thrown the entire Asaba Diocese of the Anglican Communion into mourning.

Four survivors of the crash are receiving treatment at St. Joseph Catholic Hospital and St. Rebecca Hospital, both in Asaba, the state capital, while the dead, made up of 11 males and two females, were deposited at the General Hospital, Ibusa. The vehicles involved were a Ford bus with registration number GWK 684 XA belonging to Christ Anglican Church, Ibusa; Mitsubishi L300 with reg-

istration number BJ 831 AKD; a commercial bus and a Honda car numbered BEN 413 CF. The driver of the commercial bus and his wife reportedly died in the crash, according to an eyewitness who added that the cleric who was recently transferred to Christ Anglican Church, Ibusa, was alone in the Ford bus belonging to his parish. The eyewitness further said the priest was descending the hills from Ibusa end

while the fully loaded commercial bus was ascending before a head-on collision occurred. The Honda car, also said to be coming from Ibusa and on high speed, rammed into the vehicles. Confirming the report on Friday, the Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Rindom Kumven, blamed the crash on over-speeding and poor visibility.

Christians have no reason not to be fruitful —Oyediran Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran, on Friday, said Christians, irrespective of denominations, have no excuse not to bear good fruits. She said this as the guest preacher at the opening ceremony of the 25th Synod of the Methodist Diocese of Remo, Ogun State, at the Rev. Mellor Methodist Cathedral, Agbowa, Sagamu, Ogun State. Speaking on the theme of the Synod, “Chosen to Bear Fruits” and taking her text from the book of Saint John chapter 15 verse 16, Oyediran noted that God’s plan for Christians, either in the spiritual or physical realm, is to be fruitful so as to fulfil His purpose in their lives. The ANN chairman identified tools for fruitfulness as constant prayer, fasting, reading and meditating on God’s word, faith in God, holiness and abstinence from sin. Others according to her, are obedience to God, the act of giving, humility, patience in tribulations, strength in the Lord and the

power of His might, respect for prophecy, giving thanks to God always and being focused on Christ. She explained that any Christian that refused to bear good fruit would remain useless throughout his or her lifetime. “To bear fruit means to be productive in every sense and yield benefits. He called us to be His disciples, His witnesses and bearers of the good news and message of salvation. “We have to be rich in good works; faithful and successful in the spreading of the gospel that we may, through that, bring back the lost sheep to reconcile with God. “Bearing fruits does not just imply bringing souls to Christ; it implies winning souls that reflect the Christlike life. Also, it implies bearing good fruits inside of us. As the chosen, we must in ourselves bear the fruit of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Reverend Oyediran urged Christians not to allow trials, tribulations and seemingly unfavourable circumstances prevent them from

bearing good fruits. In his welcome address, the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Remo, The Right Reverend Michael Akinwale, appreciated Mrs. Oyediran for the message and described her as a true daughter of the living God. The cleric said the 2016 Synod was very significant to the Diocese being the 25th edition in the history of the Church. On the state of the nation, Bishop Akinwale lamented that the country being a blessed nation on the continent of Africa had been continually administered by bad leaders. He called on the Federal Government not to make the fight against corruption as a carnival of political alliance, but a resolute in determination in stamping out corruption. He said, “Nigeria can be described as the Canaan of Africa, a land flowing with milk and honey, but most unfortunately, we are not lucky enough to have good leaders. If our campaign against corruption is to be successful, then it must start from every one of us. “It is important that Nigerians must take up their own destiny in their own

hands. The fight against corruption must not be another carnival of political alliance, but resolute determination at killing corruption,” he added. The chairperson of the Synod, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, described the Synod as a process of appraising what the church had done in the previous year. She admonished Christians to take the church to the world in a pragmatic way and that all Nigerians must not fold their arms in waging war against all forms of social vices in the country. Awolowo Dosumu, who is Nigeria’s former Ambassador to The Netherlands, said that “no amount of toiling can make Nigeria greater unless Nigerians have change of attitude in doing things.” Present at the Synod were the Archbishop of Arch Diocese of RIYE, the Most Reverend Adegbemi Adewale; the Bishops of Ijebu and Remo Central, Bishop Bola Sojuyigbe and Bishop Gboyega Ohu respectively; the Onijagba of Ijagba, Oba Adesanya; Onigbepa of Igbepa, Oba Daodu and the Asiwaju of Remoland, Chief Solomon Onafowokan.

A total of 17 new high-yield crop varieties have been approved for release by the Federal Government to Nigerian farmers to enhance food production, the National Varieties Release Committee (NVRC) has announced. This was contained in a press statement from the NVRC’s secretariat, National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan, Oyo State, signed by NACGRAB’s Registrar, Dr Sunday Aladele. The statement said NVRC chairman, Chief Oladosu Awoyemi announced the crops release at the 23rd meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries held at NACGRAB. It said the 17 crops were approved for release out of 24 crop varieties submitted by research institutes, seed companies and crop scientists/breeders from all over the country, for consideration, registration and release. The statement said the crops consisted of two potato varieties (RUMBA and JELLY), eight maize hybrids (DK 234, DK 777, DK 818, DK 920, OBA SUPER 11, OBA SUPER 13, SAMMAZ 46, and SAMMAZ 47) and one maize variety (SAMMAZ 48). It said others are, two sorghum OPVs (SAMSORG 45 and SAMSORG 46), two sweet pepper hybrids (Jupiter and Lafayette) and two cabbage hybrids (Gloria and Proctor). The statement noted that for the first time in Nigeria, sweet pepper and cabbage were among the crops released officially and it urged farmers to acquire all the new varieties to ensure higher farm yield.

Police assure of hitch-free rerun elections in Akwa-Ibom THE Akwa Ibom Police Command has assured that today’s House of Assembly rerun elections in the state would be hitch free. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Murtala Mani, gave the assurance on Friday in Uyo while briefing newsmen on the security arrangement for the elections. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mani said that the police had made adequate arrangement with regard to the conduct of the elections. “Adequate protection has been put in place in all flashpoints and trouble-prone areas; our effort is to ensure that the exercise is hitch free. “We have had meetings with the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, leadership of political parties in the state and other security agencies, including, Civil Defence, Air Force and the Army. “So far so good, we have conventional police and mobile police personnel put in place for the elections. “We will not tolerate any miscreants or deviant behaviour in the state; if miscreants think they are ready, we are more prepared than them. “All the security stakeholders are fully prepared for the rerun assembly elections,” Mani said.

No secret zoning of PDP offices, says Ekweremadu THE Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has dismissed a report that some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had secretly zoned its national offices. A statement from Mr Uche Anichukwu, the Special Adviser (Media) to Ekweremadu, in Abuja on Friday quoted Ekweremadu as saying that the report was the sheer illusion of the authors of confusion, who did not wish the party well. He also said that the authors were scared of PDP’s steady resurgence after losing the 2015 general election. “There is, so far, no meeting, secret or open, where all or a few PDP party leaders met to zone the National Working Committee (NWC) offices of the party. “The PDP’s constitution is clear on how the party can arrive at a zoning formula. “Besides, it should be clear to all that the days of any form of impunity and underhandedness within Africa’s biggest party are gone,” he said. Ekweremadu said that the party leadership was committed to returning fully to its founding principles and philosophies.

news

12 March, 2016

METHODIST CHURCH (DIOCESE OF REMO) SYNOD PHOTOS: D’

TOYIN

Kumuyi assures of God’s intervention at Deeper Life Easter retreat

T 1

5 1. Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran, Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc (middle); Co-chairman, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (left) and Sir (Engr) Adelana Odutola, the president of Diocese of Remo (right), during the 25th annual synod of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Diocese of Remo, at Reverend Mellor Methodist Cathederal, Agbowa Circuit, Sagamu-Remo, Ogun State, on Friday. 2. The Rt. Reverend Michael O. Akinwale JP (right), Reverend Oyediran (second left), Ambassador (Dr) Awolowo Dosumu (left), launching the Bishop’s charge, while Sir (Engr) Odutola (second right), looks on. 3. Asiwaju Solomon K. Onafowokan (right) and HRH Oba S.O. Dawodu, Onigbepa of Igbepa Sagamu (left). 4. Professor Tola Atimo (right) and Lay President, Methodist Church Nigeria, Sir Muyiwa Osho (left). 5. Revd (Mrs) Oyediran (second right), Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (second left), The Right Reverend Michael O. Akinwale (third left), Mrs Mopelola Akinwale, Bishop’s wife (third right); Sir (Engr) Adelana Odutola (left) and Sir Muyiwa Osho.

Saturday Tribune

he General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, has assured all those planning to participate in the church’s national Easter retreat of God’s special intervention in all spheres of their lives. Pastor Kumuyi, who expressed optimism that God would visit his people in a great way, stated that the event, with the theme, ‘Experiencing the Power of His Cross’, will be held from Thursday, March 24, to Sunday, March 27, 2016 at the Deeper Life Conference Centre (DLCC) at KM 48, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He also added that the programme would take place simultaneously in all the state, region and local government camp grounds within Nigeria and other locations in Africa and beyond.

“All around us, we hear stories of anguish, terror, sadness and of hopelessness. Frustration is written on the faces of many and it has become clear to many that there is no solution from man. “We hear about kidnapping, assassinations and we experience insecurity and extreme poverty. Many people who placed their trust and hope in earthly authorities have had their hopes dashed. The world, we can definitely say, is in turmoil. “These are the fulfillments of the scriptures. Yet, in Christ’s cross lies the ultimate solution to the temporal and eternal challenges of mankind. The Bible remains our compass in these perilous times. We are comforted by the assurance that those who know their God will be strong and do exploits,” Kumuyi said. The clergyman also advised all people, especially

Nigerians not to be despondent to the point of seeking solutions to their problems in the wrong quarters, saying “The point at which we are in the country demands divine intervention. That may not be quick in coming unless we all intercede for Nigeria and resolve to do things in a different and better way. The awesome power of God that resurrected Jesus from the dead is still very potent to deliver those who put their trust in Him.” The general superintendent emphasised that beyond seeking a prosperous life here, every human creation of God should rather concern him/herself with the life hereafter. The retreat, according to him, would be aired live via satellite from DLCC to other centres in Nigeria, Africa, Europe, America and other continents of the world where the church has its branches.

feature

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

It is not fair to compare me with Olajumoke —UNILAG’s 5.00 CGPA graduate Naza Okoli - Lagos

T seems new – the Nigeria that has emerged after the story of Olajumoke. The story of a simple bread seller who became a super-model, overnight, after photo-bombing a photo session by the singer, TY Bello, is one that cannot be forgotten in a long time. And in Lagos, the city where it all played out, the excitement has continued to grow ever since. One of the earliest topics discussed among Lagos residents following Olajumoke’s rise to fame concerned bread sellers’ “new manner of dressing”. But has there really been any change? “I think there has been a change,” Onyinye Osuchukwu who works as a copywriter in Yaba told Saturday Tribune last week. “They generally wear neater and more colourful clothes now.” It may be difficult to agree or deny that there has been any real improvement, especially since not many people had any reasons to take any special note of the way bread hawkers dressed before Olajumoke. Nevertheless, many pictures have been uploaded on the internet by fun-lovers to create the impression that there has been a revolution in the way bread sellers dress today. One of such pictures shows a man dressed like a woman, standing in front of a house (purportedly owned by TY Bello) while making a phone call, a heavy load of bread on his head. “Hello, Aunty TY BELLO,” his words were shown on the picture. “I am in front of your house waiting for you. I just want you to know that I am now a bread seller.” “It brings hope” Mr Soji Adegbite, a Lagos-based civil engineer, told Saturday Tribune that he attended the same secondary school as Olajumoke’s husband, Mr Sunday Orisaguna. “Sunday and I attended Baptist High School, Iree,” Adegbite said. “We were of the 1996/1997 set. I left the school when I was in JSS 3 because I lost my father. We lived in the same area. We last spoke in 2014. I didn’t know he got married, until we heard about his famous wife. “I think her story brings hope. When there is life, there is hope. It also tells us of the importance of being at the right place at the right time.” Adegbite also said he had discovered an improvement in the way bread hawkers dress. “Not just bread sellers, but other sellers,” he said. “In addition, those bread sellers now pack their bread the way Olajumoke did in that picture – well arranged, with the butter in the middle.” “Life is a struggle” Mr Joshua Omidire who recently completed a Master’s Degree in Literature at the University of Lagos told Saturday Tribune on Thursday that Olajumoke’s story is also one of struggle and determination. “The Olajumoke story has a touch of aberrancy in its plot,” he said. “While many Nigerians covet her break out of the pod of poverty, not many of us have the patience of living in her kind of exact squalor. We cannot sit back and disturb the divine to turn our tides like that of Olajumoke; we must, like her, get the spirit of dignity in labour and do whatever good thing we know how to do best with all sincerity and humility. The reality, however, is that life is no longer that kind of fairy tale. Life is a struggle. Success is our dream.” It is in the Bible To many observers, the suggestion that bread hawkers are changing their way of dressing would seem absurd, especially since good fortune is not the preserve of bread sellers. However, Mr Soji Adegbite feels there is something special about bread – something divine. “I believe bread is special,” he said. “There is a spiritual foundation to the story, and that is because of the bread in it. In the Bible, a boy gave Jesus a loaf of bread and two fishes. Jesus himself is the Bread of Life. It means there is power in bread. There is power in what Olajumoke carried.” Olajumoke vs Ayodele The latest twist to the Olajumoke saga emerged recently following the record-breaking story of Mr Ayodele Dada who became the first graduate to make 5.00 CGPA from the 54-year-old University of Lagos. Whereas Olajumoke’s

There is a spiritual foundation to the story, and that is because of the bread in it. In the Bible, a boy gave Jesus a loaf of bread and two fishes. Jesus himself is the Bread of Life. It means there is power in bread. There is power in what Olajumoke carried. rewards include a tastefully-furnished apartment and several contracts with corporate organisations, Dada is yet to land any such deals. “Initially, it felt great that she was lifted out of obscurity, but then the whole endorsement from all firms?” said Sonia Nzekwe, a 300-level student at the University of Lagos. “There is no moral for me in that story. There are a thousand and one Olajumokes who speak well, write well and earn nothing. They practically don’t have a life but no one is willing to go the extra mile to discover them. So because one person has been discovered, should we now want her on every billboard and turn her name to a prayer point? “How many Nigerians know the name of the second person in Africa to finish university with 5.00 CGPA? CNN hasn’t invited Ayodele Dada for an interview, yet Olajumoke has got that interview. It says a lot about the

kind of values we promote in the world, not just Nigeria.” However, when Saturday Tribune contacted Dada last week, the graduate of Psychology described the comparison as unfair and unnecessary. “I was one of those who were really happy when they heard of her story,” he said. “I was happy because there are too many people in this country who don’t get a shot at a measure of success; and now that God has given her a chance, it is something we should celebrate. We have to realise that the currency of hope never expires. It is always something that will be inspirational. And that is why it was newsworthy, because everyone wants to believe that there is something better on the horizon. So if she is able to get a chance, I think it is remarkable, and I don’t think there is any need for us to pull her down. I was not too pleased that it was taken that way. I don’t think it is fair because she never knew she was going to get this far, and then suddenly grace or luck took her to such a great height. I was happy. “It is a remarkable story. Things like that happen in this world, and that’s not to say that I don’t believe in rewarding achievement, but we all have our individual stories. Who knows what her opportunities were? She may never have had a chance to do anything differently. And if she didn’t have such a chance, does it mean she should never get a shot at greatness. Every individual in this world should have a chance, and if we can provide such an opportunity, let’s give it to them. I believe in this so much that throughout my time in school I gave free tutorial to many people at a go. They would just call me and say they needed help and I would be there; I could tutor them for four hours or more at a stretch. For me, that is the index of how successful we are – how well we can help other people. So I really applaud the efforts of TY Bello in bringing this girl out, so that the world can see that she has something; because we all have something.”

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Toluwani Olamitoke 08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

Mrs Elizabeth Olagunju, founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Jeremiah and Felicia Foundation in Nigeria, focuses on enhancing the lives of the underprivileged. Currently based in the United States of America, Mrs Olagunju works as a licensed teacher in New York. She speaks with TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE on her activities, the challenges and marriage.

HY did your NGO choose to focus on the grassroots and the underprivileged? Without taking care of this kind of population, those who think they are rich cannot enjoy their richness. In the society where stratification is obvious, the underprivileged are often forgotten or being pushed aside. In a society where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, it is evident that there would be a vicious circle of poverty among the underprivileged. The children would struggle as their parents did. Most often, this type of children are gold among the thorns. Was there something about your background which motivated you or spurred your interest in these activities? Yes, my parents were very accommodating and they believed that whatever the Lord gave to them was to be shared among other people around them. My mother usually said,”God did not create us to be self-centered.” One of her favourite songs was “God, do not let me live alone, God, do not let me eat alone, in my world, God, do not let me live alone.” Visitors knew our house as haven. The then Eleruwa of Eruwa, the late Oba Solomon Olanrewaju constantly sent visitors to my parents. In those days, it was a custom that if someone is a stranger in a town or in a village, he or she must show himself to the king or to the ruler of such a town, so that people would not mistake him for an intruder. My parents were used to taking care of such visitors with joy.

Marriage becomes problematic when a supposed breadwinner turns partner into ATM

Can you shed light on your activities? It is for the underprivileged in Eruwa, including children whose parents are financially challenged. These people lack potable water, among other things. As a child growing up in Eruwa, I used to drink from the pond and nearly died of guinea worm. I was so happy when the government provided us with potable water in the early 70s. My sister and I had to fetch water from the town to the farm very early in the morning so that our father could drink potable water. Many times we got beaten by our teachers for coming to school late. I was sad when I learnt that the dam which was providing the town water is no longer functioning because the equipment used in processing water is no longer working. Since I could not single handedly purchase the equipment to operate the dam, I decided to provide the community with boreholes. I also provide shelter, food and books to a few people due to my limited resources.

Are your activities solely sponsored by you or you get support from other channels? By and large, most of the resources come from my family and some individuals who donated books. What are the challenges faced in carrying out these activities? Adequate funding is a challenge. Where people are willing to donate materials, the cost of shipping them to Nigeria and the high level of customs duties clearing at the Nigeria end are not that encouraging. You have been staying in the United States for how long? Over a decade. Can you compare the level of attention given the underprivileged in the United States and what you saw in the homes you have visited in Nigeria? They are incomparable. America is the most generous nation on earth. No wonder it is a heaven on earth to many people. America provides free food, clothing, housing and education. The underprivileged students receive free break-

fast, lunch and dinner. The goal is to make the underprivileged population independent. The adult population of this category receives free job training, GED or college education. I benefited from this. The non-English population receives free English classes to make assimilation process much easier. May God continue to bless America and may Nigeria emulate this example as well. Can you make a comparison between how a child is raised in the United States and Nigeria? Raising a child in Nigeria is a far cry from what holds in the US. In Nigeria, we the use of home training, discipline and culture in raising our children, but in the US, legislation is put into use while the government also decides how far you can go in bringing up your children. Having stayed in the US for these years, what do you miss about Nigeria? I miss the family orientation. The interaction between people. In the U.S, you cannot just go over to someone’s house without prior notification and approval from him or her. You need to call him or her, else you will not be allowed in because he or she was not expecting you. In Nigeria, you can visit anybody and at any time. What did you find strange about the lifestyle in the US in your early days there? The fact that one cannot just discipline one’s child at will was strange to me.

What aspect of the Nigerian culture do you still preserve in your home in the US? I still have some Nigerian food which I eat on a regular basis. I wear Nigerian clothes. Greetings is enforced in my family. When my children wake up in the morning they have to great me “Good morning” and this with respect. I do not accept “hi, hi” as greeting. What were those things you considered important when you were ready to choose a marriage partner? What was important to me then was someone who had the fear of God and who possessed the traits of a leader, someone who had the ability to be in charge.Beauty and money were immaterial to me. All men are handsome and all men are rich, in my own definition. What was paramount to me then was to have someone who would help me grow in the Lord and who would be a leader to me and to my children just as my father was to my mother. My mother was from a Muslim family before she got married to my father. However, I knew her as a Christian. She was a Sunday School teacher in the Baptist Church. My father was a foundation member of The First Baptist Church in Eruwa. Until his death, he would wake up early in the morning to attend morning prayers in church. Every night, we must gather together for prayers. Regardless of what transpired between my parents, prayer must be observed both morning and night. Although, my father could not adequately support the family financially, he helped my mother thrive. My mother was an entrepreneur. She could not write but she was able to read her Bible through the help of my father and the adult education programme carried out in the church then. My mother was persecuted by her family members because she became a Christian but she endured the situation with love. Her favourite saying regarding marriage was “Okele gbigbe pelu ifokanbale sanju ile tokun fun wara pelu wahala lo”. “Better is a dry morsel with quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices and strife.” Proverb Chaptet 17, verse 1. With the wave of change in the society today, do you still consider these applicable? Yes, I still consider it applicable. What’s your take on inter racial marriage? We live in a multi society today, so inter-marriage is inevitable. What would be your reaction if any of your children decides to marry a non Nigerian or African? I am okay with it as long as the person is responsible, loves God and loves my child. We are all God’s children regardless of culture or race. Does more power the law gives to women in foreign land, especially in the US, not affecting the health of marriages or contributory to broken homes? No. What is contributing to broken home is high handedness of one spouse against the other and an act of irresponsibility. Definitely, there would be a problem in a marriage where one who is supposed to be a provider now turns the other into an ATM. Same also is violence on one to the other. The law only tries to put sensibility. Who should be a woman’s next of kin, her mother, husband or children? The person she really trusts and anyone that has been there for her in time of need. It could even be a friend. Why? It is a matter of trust. What’s your take on couples running joint accounts and having joint properties? Ideally, couples should run joint accounts and joint properties that is the way it is suppose to be except where one of them is reckless with spending. How fashionable are you? I am as fashionable as a born-again Christian and a responsible married woman should be. How do you love to dress? I love my shoes and bag to match.

12 March, 2016

BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink

Did you know that the common cabin biscuit is not just a snack but a must-add ingredient to one of the soups from the South South of Nigeria? Mrs Patricia Ken-Dikens Nwabuoku who is an educationist and passionate about mentoring the girl-child shares with BLESSING EKUM about the uniquely rich cuisines from Bayelsa State and a road-side snack you should eat on every visit.

WHERE are you from? am Ijaw from Bayelsa State but married to a man from Asaba, Delta State. Being married to a Delta man, how did you adjust in the early years of marriage? When I was younger, I relocated to the North to further my education and got married there. When I first moved to the North, it was challenging adjusting to the food. It was a sharp contrast to what I was already used to in Bayelsa State. I’d go to the market and buy meat but won’t be able to get seafood which I was already accustomed to. It was a bit frustrating when I first relocated but the longer I stayed, the more I adjusted. By the time I got married, I was already accustomed to the way of life and feeding of the North.

Saturday Tribune

‘For the tastiest

yellow soup, add seafood, biscuit’ What has come to be your favourite food from the northern part of the country? I now enjoy tuwon shinkafa, which is a meal made from local rice, with draw soup. Is there a Bayelsan soup you miss? Whenever I visit Bayelsa and return to the North, I miss all the foods especially the yellow soup. It’s a common soup prepared especially during occasions because it is easy to cook and very delicious. It also contains lots of seafood; this is what makes it delicious and differentiates it from other soups with the same ingredients. Can you share the recipe for yellow soup? The ingredients needed are seafood such as oysters, lobsters, periwinkles; peppers such as yellow pepper, dried pepper, scented pepper; onions, salt, palm oil, garri or cabin biscuit. Fry palm oil till it’s a bit burnt. Add chopped onions and fry. Add pepper of choice and salt. Add beef and seafood. Thicken with garri or cabin biscuit. Allow to simmer. Serve with fufu, garri or

starch. How does one prepare the cabin biscuit or garri used in thickening the soup? For garri, sprinkle dry garri into the soup and stir. It would gradually thicken the soup. If you choose to use cabin biscuit, you mash it in a little water to form paste. Pour the paste into the soup and it would thicken it.

tive soup.

What dishes are peculiar to Bayelsa State? We have a variety of dishes and they are not only rich but very unique. Some of the foods are kekefia (made from unripe plantain), ogbono soup, banga soup, okra, native soup, yellow soup. Because Bayelsa is a coastal area, all our foods contain seafood which are highly nutritious. In fact, it is not a Bayelsan food if it does not contain seafood.

What street snack would you suggest a first-time visitor to Bayelsa must eat? That would be roasted plantain and yams with fish. The plantain and yam are roasted on low heat till they are done and crispy. They are then cleaned and cut into chunks. Then, palm oil is fried and seasoned with scented pepper and local spices and drizzled on the roasted plantain. The fish is also specially prepared. It is marinated in local spices and oil before roasting. In fact, it’s not just a roadside snack but also a full meal. It’s a dish you won’t forget in a hurry.

How about vegetables? Most of the dishes don’t contain vegetables because the seafood makes up for that. However, one popular vegetable is bitter leaf which is used in preparing na-

What’s the weirdest food you’ve seen someone eat? I think it’s frogs, lizards and snakes. I hear cooked snakes are delicious but I find the idea irritating.

12 March, 2016

08055001741 (sms only)

conversewithyemisi

yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

Do I give in to get high grades?

EAR Yemisi, I am a 22-year-old undergraduate studying economics in one of the universities in

Nigeria. I have listened to quite a handful number of colleagues and even senior colleagues whenever they share their experiences at the hands of randy lecturers and I never imagined that someday I would be a victim. I noticed that there are two courses that I have not been doing well in due to no fault of mine as I prepare hard for any course test and eventually any semester examinations, only to be awarded very poor grades. Confirming my fears was a text message I got some weeks ago from a lecturer who has been scoring me low marks asking me to be his girlfriend if actually I want a better grade in his course. I was really troubled with this development which made me have a rethink about joining my female colleagues. With this thinking, I felt I should give in; after all virtually all female students are in the game. But on a second thought, I felt toeing others’ line might not be the solution to my problem Do you think I can pass out in flying colours? Should I continue to work towards finishing with a pass while others score high grades? I need a your counsel.

As things are, if you were not attending classes regularly, you must have a rethink. Get to classes punctually and don’t subject yourself to any form of ‘notice me’ in the class and turn in your assignments before deadline. I am sure there are other reasonable lecturers who are not casanovas who would not care a hoot by asking for your body for good grades. Don’t put yourself in a compromising situation. Walk up to your colleagues who are better than you for assistance as they put you through during tu-

torials how best to answer questions during examinations. Giving your body to your lecturer(s) will only ridicule you in the end. Let all around you know that you are putting in more efforts. Your predicament is not one that needs public debate among your friends please. Even your closest friend can betray that trust. Kindly, for God’s sake, swallow your pride and stop flaunting your beauty if that has been the point of attraction. Dress well, study hard and pray for favour in all you do. Best of luck.

FOR HIM JOHN, 35, graduate, Ekiti-based civil servant, needs a lady aged between 30 and 40 as wife. Call 08143611191. Adebayo, 42, medical practitioner, based in Lagos, needs a woman aged between 40 and 45 who is gainfully employed from any tribe for a relationship. Call 08133016033. Oladapo, 40, Ibadan-based, needs a beautiful, slim, mature lady aged between 28 and 35 for a relationship. Contact 08168966024. Ifedolapo, 36, tall, working class, needs a busty lady as wife. Call 08131657612. Frank, 35, from Enugu, businessman, needs a God-fearing, serious lady, aged between 25 and 42, for marriage. Call 08102896176. Babatope, 48, civil servant, from Osun State, needs a God- fearing lady, aged between 26 and 47 for a relationship. Contact 08142491286. Man, 52, single, pastor, light-skinned, AS, needs a serious, fair-skinned, Christian lady, AA, who is fluent in English for marriage. Call 08037171843. Bola, 50, Christian, Lagos-based, ports worker, needs a God-fearing, humble, Christian lady who is ready to settle down aged between 24 and 45. Call 08115580445.

Iseoluwa. Dear Iseoluwa, You will gain nothing by following the multitude to do evil my dear. That others are doing it and getting away with it is not enough reason why you must do something that you are sure will backfire and work against you in the long run. Don’t for any special grade sell your integrity. You don’t need to. As long as you are not convinced that you don’t have to make yourself a cheap commodity, please, you need to put in more effort and prove even your detractors wrong by ensuring you cross all ts and dot all i’s.

Saturday Tribune

Owolabi, 35, needs a working class lady aged between 27 and 31 for marriage. Call 09051149551. ABOLORE, 34, single mother, needs a God-fearing Muslim guy for marriage. Call 07014284700. Fiona, 29, fair-skinned, tall, widow, single mum, Lagos-based, needs a capable widower or single father aged 38 or above for a

FOR HER

relationship. Call 09094881902. Bimpe, 33, Abuja-based, needs a nice, caring, God-fearing, responsible, employed man for a relationship. Contact 08168247081.

fearing man aged between 45 and 50 for a relationship. Call 08172586328.

Ronke, 32, from Ekiti State, needs a God-

Oladejo Bidemi, 34, from Osun State, business woman, Christian, needs a God-fearing man from Yorubaland for marriage. Contact 08032449257.

not staying in the same town is not a reason for his cheating on you. I believe being out of sight is not synonymous with out of mind. Don’t forget at the same time that you are both young adults still passing through the phases of change, especially in emotions. As a young woman, you are endowed with the ability to manage your emotions unlike a man who believes that variety is the spice of life. I am not explaining or backing his action, but you have to understand this fundamental phase of development in the opposite sex. He only sent emissaries to plead with you initially to placate you so that you would not raise any dust about his infidelity. It appears that he is having a rethink about the relationship. It is not an issue he can just call quits in a jiffy. Don’t forget that

you have been friends since your primary school days. You need not take offence because you have a long way to go. If you cannot cope with his excuse, it will be better to go your different ways as you cannot be hopeful in a hopeless situation. Gift, stop belabouring yourself over an unwilling lover. I am sure he is done with you. You don’t have to impose your affection on him, let the move for true reconciliation be from his end. You have nothing to lose. At the same time your affair would have taught you one thing or the other. Falling in and out of love at this age of yours is not unexpected, anyway it goes, move on. It is better to have a broken relationship than broken marriage. It is well with you, Gift.

He is dating my relative! DEAR Yemisi, I am 21 years old. Please, I need you to help me. I am into a relationship with a 20-yearold guy. I love him so much and he claims to love me too. He has been my friend right from primary school. I stay at Agbor, Delta State and he stays in the village. Last year, I travelled to the village where I discovered that he is dating another girl who is a relative of mine. When I asked him, he admitted that my discovery was nothing but the truth and said that he was sorry, but I told him it was over. Later, he started sending people to plead with me. I forgave him because I love him and we continued the relationship. He is now in school, but he has refused to call me. Anytime I complain, he would say that he does not have money. Dear Yemisi, I am at my wits end. What do you think is going on? Is he really keen

about me? Kindly advise me on the way out. Gift, Abuja. Dear Gift, You have to set a kind of dateline for each other. What is meant by this is that if you give him the respite of a time limit of about three to four months to see him change his attitude, and if he does not, then you are at liberty to make up your mind. Gift, are you not equally guilty of not calling him too? Loving somebody is with your totality, hence if your claim about your affection for him is real, then you would not mind being the one calling at all times. As things are, your discovery that your guy is dating your relative did not go down well with him. Your

12 March, 2016

intimacy

Saturday Tribune

With Bosede Ola-Samuel 08112658560 bosedeola_samuel@yahoo.com

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

How to boost the bond in your marriage

OUPLES being friends is what makes for marital bonding. In fact, friendship should be achieved before any marriage takes place. This is what makes couples to be able to live together forever. Every couple should therefore ensure that they maintain friendship in the marriage setting. When a couple have achieved bonding in the marriage, they don’t live separate lives anymore. Rather, they live as one, doing things in common or in togetherness. It is when a couple have been able to achieve this that bonding can be said to have taken place or achieved in a marriage. Achieving bonding, which is a state of co-dependency between couples, is not easily done, though it is highly and absolutely necessary. It is the ingredient of success in marriage which each couple must strive to achieve. As stated last week, sex is nature’s way of achieving this bonding. But there are other ways of creating this bond. For this to be achieved, the following will be necessary: Living accommodation A married couple who want to achieve success in the marriage must live together in the same house. Keeping separate living condition is highly inimical to the success of a marriage. That is why the Bible requires that “a man will leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh.” Becoming one flesh is what co-dependency or bonding is all about. Living together in the same place means same location with reference to town, house, and room. This is the way those who have succeeded and are succeeding in marriage relationship live. Many marriages crashing today, or that have crashed, or that have suffered setbacks with the

evidence of scars of marital unfaithfulness, children out of wedlock, sexually transmitted diseases among others, arrived there due to separate living in most cases. So, when due to job or business situations, a couple live apart, they are endangering their marriage. A couple that lives together, stay together and vice versa. Future plans A couple who wants to succeed in marriage must also plan or set future goals together. Not that one will be planning one thing and the other a completely different thing. If this happens, then chaos is imminent. The planning should cover a wide range of subjects such as number of children, the type of permanent accommodation, financial goals, investment targets, retirement goals to mention but few. When such plans are conceived together, the drive for their success will be well-coordinated and without divided loyalty.

As a matter of policy, anyone who cannot be the friend of the wife, has no business being the friend of the husband, and vice versa.

Relationships Relationships to keep should be borne out of a joint decision. A couple should not have independent relationships without the approval or knowledge of each other. Circle of friends should not differ as much as possible. In fact, this should be the same. The best thing is that friends of the couple before marriage should become harmonised into one circle such that they both keep the same circle of friends. As a matter of policy, anyone who cannot be the friend of the wife has no business being the friend of the husband and vice versa. Outings Going out together in one car as much as possible is a true mark of bonding. It is a symbol of good companionship. A lot of couples think it is a show of wealth and affluence for them to attend same outings using separate cars. This is an anti-bonding practice that couples should avoid as much as possible. Attending special outings for married couples is also a way of cultivating friendship. It is a way of unwinding for couples. A marriage that must last or succeed must have the two people bonding. This factor of bonding, called ‘becoming one flesh’ by the Bible, cannot be compromised. This is the “in togetherness we stand” slogan of a successful marriage. So, let all of us married guys strive for total bonding as we cultivate friendship in the marriage. In response to my readers’ request, I have packaged some of my previous articles into a book with the title: ENJOYING GREAT SEXLIFE. You can call me on 08112658560 for the book. THE COUPLES’ DAY OUT TAKES PLACE IN IBADAN ON 26TH OF MARCH, 2016.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with aunty yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Our best actors and actresses Respondents are pupils of Faozaan International School, Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State.

2. Aliyah Balogun, 9 yrs old, pry 5 I like ‘Jenifa,’ Funke Akindele because there is no role she cannot play in a film. I also appreciate her personality as she can speak English language fluently unlike some who feature only in Yoruba movies because they struggle to speak English language. She entertains as well as educates both the young and the old.

3. Muhammed Mustapha, 9 yrs old, pry 5 I like Odunlade Adekola because he is a funny actor. His stature, especially his height, complexion and the way he laughs and talks are unique. Odunlade is a good entertainer while he plays any role in movies.

5. Muhammed Ali Adamu, 10 yrs old, pry 5 Adam H. Zango, a Hausa man, is my best actor. He is a popular and people’s favourite in Kaduna and Kano states. He has more skills, compared to his colleagues.

6. Khadijat Lawal, 8yrs old, pry 4 Odunlade Adekola is my best actor because his actions are always real in a film. In addition to this, I like the way he walks and acts. I don’t get bored whenever I watch his films. He is even the reason one goes for some films.

POEM

1. Kaamilah Idris, 8 yrs old, pry 4 My best actor is Olaniyi Afonja, popularly called Sanyeri. I enjoy every movie in which the man features because he makes me laugh and forget worries. It interests me to see sad people around becoming happy after seeing his movies. He is a great comedian.

4. Mubeenah Adegbite, 8 yrs old, pry 4 My best actor is Femi Adebayo. He acts well without mistakes. Each time I see his film, I learn a new moral lesson. I don’t like missing any scene he appears in, in a film.

Students of Christ the King College, Winners’ Way, Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State, during the school’s maiden Cultural Day, held recently.

The Yoruba cultural group performing at the event.

J ke

Tongue Twister

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

get inspired

Igbo cultural group showcasing the tribe’s heritage

The class teacher asks the students to name an animal that begins with the letter “E.” One boy says, “Elephant.” Then the teacher asks for an animal that begins with a “T.” The same boy says, “Two elephants.” The teacher sends the boy out of the class for bad behaviour. After that she asks for an animal beginning with “M.” The boy shouts from the other side of the wall: “Maybe an elephant!” The teacher asks Jimmy: Teacher: “Jimmy, why aren’t you writing?” Jimmy: “I don’t has a pencil.” Teacher: “Jimmy, that’s not a correct sentence. The correct way is: I don’t have a pencil; he doesn’t have a pencil; we don’t have a pencil.”

Elephant

Jimmy: “Who stole all the pencils then?” Teacher: “Let me hear how far you can count.”

Eugene: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king.”

12 March, 2016

health&fitness How safe are you with your pet?

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

By Blessing Ekum

AVING a pet can be a thing of joy. Whether it is a dog, cat, bird or the unconventional ones like snakes and crocodiles, most pet owners like to think of their pets as either cuddly, cute or simply good-to have-around. With a pet, you can be sure of company, attention, entertainment, and sadly, infection. While few would like to admit that their pets can transmit diseases, which can sometimes be lethal, the fact remains that they actually can. These diseases are known as zoonotic diseases, that is, diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans. The United States of America’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that about 75 per cent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin, and approximately 60 per cent of all human pathogens are transmitted through animals. Though there are quite a number of diseases a pet could infect its owner or those who have constant contact with it with, Dr. Adeniyi Egbetade, a veterinary doctor at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State states that “some of the most common are tuberculosis, rabies, brucellosis, salmonellosis, anthrax, food and water-borne infections like Campylobacter, Enterobacterias but they are grossly under reported locally.” The World Health Organisation has also reported that almost all persons infected by rabid animals will die if not treated. It was stated that an estimated number of 55, 000 persons, mainly children, die of rabies in the world every year and dogs are responsible for most human deaths. Just like any other disease or infection, zoonotic diseases could lead to complications and subsequently death, if left untreated. Dr. Egebetade adds that “They (the diseases) may manifest as mild infections or ailments which resolve on their own at times without medical intervention, gastro-intestinal disorders, abortions, infertility, septicemic infections or death.” According to him, “these diseases can be transmitted through bites; scratches; contact with tissue and body fluids (saliva, urine) of carrier or infected animals; occu-

pational, environmental or cultural habits and exposures as well as consumption or during food preparation.” Practically all animals can be zoonotic, but certain factors put pets at an increased risk. They include keeping pets in the outdoors, not vaccinating the pets, pets that are immunocompromised (a suppressed immune system), those that are poorly groomed animals and those housed in unsanitary conditions. Though anyone who has contact with animals can get a zoonotic disease, certain people may be more at risk than others. These include people with a weakened immune system (for instance, those undergoing cancer therapy, HIV/AIDS patients, etc), infants and little children, the elderly and pregnant women. Should this stop you from getting a pet? Absolutely not. Though it may be almost impossible to touch, cuddle or

The United States of America’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that about 75 per cent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin.

sometimes prevent a pet from licking its owner’s body or face, there are steps to prevent contracting a disease from your pet. • Daily check yourself, your kids and your pet for ticks. If you find a tick, use tweezers to slowly pull it out. After removing the tick, immerse it in rubbing alcohol. Wash the tick bite wound and your hands with soap and water. • Supervise children to ensure that they wash their hands properly and avoid hand–to–mouth activities (thumb–sucking, eating, and use of pacifiers) after animal contact. • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact with your pet. • Wash your hands after gardening or working in soil where pets may have relieved themselves. • If you have been scratched or bitten by an animal, wash the area with soap and water right away and administer first aid. If you are concerned, contact your healthcare professional. • Take your pet to the veterinarian at least twice a year so problems can be detected or prevented. Given the tendency for transmission of disease, parents might harbor some fears of getting pets for their children, but this shouldn’t be so. Fear of disease should not be the deciding factor for allowing a child own a pet. Dr. Egbetade adds that “age specificity for pet ownership is a function of parental guidance and the types of animals involved. Kids having personal pets must be tied to parental supervision. The size and demeanour of available pets, however, give ample space for choices in selection. Currently, there are no legislations stipulating the types of pets or the age at which kids can claim pet ownership in Nigeria.”

16 healthandfitness

12 March, 2016

No pleasure in sex

Dr. Wale Okediran

I am a 25-year-old newly married lady. My husband and I were both virgins when we got married and so, very inexperienced sexually. I have never enjoyed sex with my husband. Please, let me know what to do. Jumia (by SMS)

08055069356 (sms only)

Is this depression?

pression and if I need professional help. Dominic (by SMS)

Can I use a sex stimulant? I am a 60-year-old man married to the same woman for the past 35 years. We have had a very healthy sexual relationship until last year when I started finding it difficult to have an erection. A friend suggested that I should use a sex stimulant but I am afraid because of the many

scary stories I have had about these drugs. Kindly advise me. Gani (by SMS) You are right in being careful with sexual stimulants in view of their side effects on the blood pressure and the heart. It is very important for you to find

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

My infertility problem

There are various literature, including videos on the act of lovemaking in the market for inexperienced couples. More importantly, your husband should be encouraged to engage in more foreplay in order to prepare you for the eventual sex. Absence of foreplay usually contributes to the majority means. Once you and your husband get used of the cases of lack of enjoyment in sex to each other, the problem of not having pleasas such, this should be avoided by all ure in sex will soon become a thing of the past.

I am a 30 year old civil servant who has been waiting for my promotion for the last few months. Two weeks ago I started finding it difficult to sleep at the same time, finding it difficult to eat. In addition, I get easily irritable with those around me. All my efforts to correct these anomalies on my own have not been successful. I want to know if this is de-

Saturday Tribune

There is no doubt that you are very anxious about your job issue as such your various complaints. The fact that you are aware of your problems and the possible cause is a good development. However, I don’t think you are depressed. All the same, you can benefit from a visit to your doctor who will monitor your condition and advise you accordingly.

out the reason for the sudden change in your sexual abilities. This is important because anxiety, excessive consumption of alcohol, poorly managed cases of hypertension and diabetes as well as side effects of some prescription drugs can all affect the libido as well as erection. Therefore, it is very important for you

I am a 35-year-old lady who remarried two years ago after losing my first husband with whom I had a six-year-old son. Like me, my new husband also has a child from his previous marriage. Unfortunately, for the last two years, I have not been able to get pregnant. Kindly let me know the kind of tests I should undergo to get pregnant. Nkiru (by SMS) In order to get a successful outcome, investigations on infertility should

involve both the husband and wife. Therefore, the appropriate tests to be conducted should be on you and your husband. These tests should include blood tests to check your hormonal levels, pelvic ultrasound, contrast investigations of your womb and fallopian tubes, semen analysis, among others. In addition, it is important for you and your husband to have regular sexual contact, especially during your fertile period in order to increase the chances of your getting pregnant.

Bleeding in pregnancy I have a one-month-old pregnancy. I woke up this morning to see some blood. I don’t know what

is happening. Is the baby still there? Kindly help me. This is my first pregnancy. Salewa (by SMS)

to check your Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar Level as well as other medications and consumables (including alcohol) in order to know what could be causing your poor erection. It is only when these factors have been treated without any improvement that the use of sex stimulants should be considered.

It is not unusual for first pregnancies to threaten to abort, therefore, what you are going through is not strange. Absolute bed rest and sexual abstinence will go a long way in helping to stop the bleeding and keep the pregnancy. You may need to carry out a pregnancy test in another month to reconfirm the status of the pregnancy.

Physically demanding jobs raise heart disease risk for hypertensive women

OMEN with high blood pressure who have physically demanding jobs are almost three times more likely to develop ischemic heart disease, compared with women with normal blood pressure in less active employment. This is the conclusion of a new study led by Karen Allesøe, a PhD student at the University of Southern Denmark, and published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, responsible for around 1 in 3 female deaths each year. Previous research has suggested that highly active jobs may raise the risk of heart disease for both men and women. For this latest study, Allesøe and colleagues set out to determine whether physically demanding jobs may exacerbate heart disease risk for women with high blood pressure, or hypertension - another known risk factor for heart disease. The team analyzed data on blood pressure and physical activity at work for 12,093 female nurses who were part of the 1993 Danish Nurse Cohort Study. The nurses were allocated to one of three groups based on their physical job demands: sedentary, moderate (mostly standing and walking but not physically strenuous) and high (standing or walking with some lifting or carrying that can be physically exerting). An ‘additive interaction’ between physical job demands, hypertension The nurses were followed-up for 15 years, during which time 580 developed ischemic heart disease - a form of heart disease triggered by narrowing of the arteries,

which reduces blood supply to the heart. Almost 12 per cent of the nurses had high blood pressure. Around 46.3 per cent of the nurses reported high physical activity at work, 34.4% reported moderate physical activity and 19.3 per cent were sedentary at work. Compared with nurses who had normal blood pressure and who reported moderate physical activity at work, those with high blood pressure who reported high physical job demands had an almost three times greater risk for ischemic heart disease. The researchers further proved that the combination of high physical job demands and high blood pressure exacerbates heart disease risk, by finding that 60 additional cases of ischemic heart disease per 10,000 person-years arise with such a combination. For comparison, high blood pressure alone was found to be responsible for an additional 15 cases of ischemic heart disease per 10,000 person-years, while high physical activity at work was responsible for an extra five cases per 10,000 person-years. As such, you would expect an additional 20 cases of ischemic heart disease to arise from a combination of both risk factors as opposed to the 60 identified. Commenting on the findings, Allesøe says: “This implies that there is an additive interaction between hypertension and high physical activity at work. The two risk factors appear to work together, resulting in an even greater incidence of heart disease. It means hypertensive women with physically demanding work may be especially at risk of heart disease. To our knowledge, this has not been shown before among women.” While the team did identify a small increased risk of

ischemic heart disease for women with normal blood pressure who had high physical job demands, this was not statistically significant after accounting for other influential factors, such as smoking and diabetes. What explains these findings? While the researchers were unable to determine the exact reasons why high physical job demands raise heart disease risk for women with high blood pressure, they suggest it may be down to atherosclerosis - a hardening and narrowing of the arteries - triggered by physical exertion. They explain that physically demanding work can trigger a rise in heart rate and blood pressure, and an increased heart rate can cause a build-up of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis. What is more, the team notes that heavy lifting and carrying may cause a sharp rise in blood pressure that can be detrimental for individuals with hypertension. Though the study only included nurses, Allesøe says their findings may also apply to other occupations that involve high physical activity, though she notes that this needs to be confirmed with further research. “We need more information on which aspects of physically demanding work are harmful. Until then we cannot make specific recommendations on how much lifting, and for how many hours, is safe for women with hypertension,” she adds. “If our findings are replicated in other studies there would be grounds for occupational health counseling for women with hypertension to ensure that the physical aspects of their jobs do not increase their risk of heart disease.” Courtesy: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com.

12 March, 2016

The South-West Months afte r losing NASS election, oracle pick Professor a s s monarch

After about five years of interregnum, Professor Olakunle Adeogun Okunoye was installed as the new Eburu of Iba in Osun State. TUNDE BUSARI, who just visited the community, writes...

PPARENTLY fired up by the need to add value to governance in Nigeria, the new Eburu of Iba, Osun State, Oba Olakunle Adeogun Okunoye, left his United States of America base and joined the political train in Nigeria, hoping it would take him to his desired destination. Professor Okunoye committed his hardearned resources into the effort to become a member of the House of Representatives. As a green horn, however, he was treated to what could be called baptism of fire. The primary election favoured his opponent and Okunoye retreated to his base to have a deserved rest. No option, the monarch reminisced, was more reasonable at that point than to return to his anxious family already waiting in America to receive him. Coincidentally, some months afterwards, the Eburu’s stool was declared vacant following the transition of Oba Ibrahim Adediji Bamgbade. “When I received the news of the passing on of the late Eburu, my uncle, I told my son that something had happened at home and it would alter our course of history. I told him head or tail, our life would not remain the same again. It looked abstract to my son but he later understood,” he recalled. Oba Okunoye, who has travelled to about 23 countries, is reputed for his outstanding feat in academics, especially when he bagged National College of Education Certificate before he clocked 20 years and also at 35 became a professor of Computer Science, breaking new ground in the field of

Information and Communication Technology. What could have made the Eburu’s palace in the hinterland of Osun State irresistible to the globally mobile Okunoye was the questions his friends and associates were asking. Unfortunately to the concerned friends, none of them knew the professor beyond his shirt and trousers. Even those who might claim they knew him still didn’t know that his whole heart was 3,000 kilometres away back home in his Iba community. Now that Okunoye is preparing for his coronation, a good number of them are showing interest to be part of his history. The monarch revealed that he had no doubt in his mind that he was created for the royal stool of his community, an assurance he had seen as a teenager. Whenever his then Ibadan-based parents took him and his sibling home for Xmas and the kids went to Akute stream, old women would stop on the road and greet him with panegyrics reserved only for traditional rulers. “It was then I started asking myself question on why the old women were not greeting my mates same way. Then I knew there was something special in me and being from a royal house, I knew I would be the king in the future. This has guided my attitude

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throughout, within and outside the country. And coupled with sound training my parents imparted to us, I was prepared for position of higher responsibility,” he stated. Evidence of Oba Okunoye’s preparedness for the exalted throne is found in his humility and reverence to other traditional rulers with whom he sits at the Osun State Council of Obas and Chiefs in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Olayiwola Adedeji ranks among the topmost monarchs whose pieces of advice are invaluable to the Eburu. Until Osun State government, few days ago announced the creation of additional 31 Local Council Development areas, three area councils and two administrative offices in the state, Iba was a part of the former Ifelodun Local Government Council with headquarters in Ikirun. The arrangement, thus, conferred on the Akinrun the chairman of traditional rulers council in the local government. Equally sound and cultured, the Akinrun, to the Eburu, is a quintessential monarch, whose wealth of experience has always been an asset to his people and beyond. “The Akinrun is a traditional ruler with exemplary leadership that should not be forgotten. He is an Oba who is very easy to work with and always there to offer wise counsel. I personally and on behalf of my community sincerely appreciate his support during our interregnum. I am confident that our peaceful co-existence is assured,” he stated. Between August 2011 when Oba Okunoye was selected and February 19, 2016 that he was installed, Iba community passed through one of its challenging moments in history. At the centre of the contention was the stool. Even when a court of competent jurisdiction ruled in 2014 that Okunoye should be installed with immediate effect and the public expectation heightened, the installation had to wait. Governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola had to consider all the available variables before giving his nod because the peace of the state is closer to his heart and he could not afford to compromise it, especially at a time the nation is grappling with security challenge. Interestingly, Oba Okunoye understood this much and gave kudos to Aregbesola for his steadfastness in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the succession. “Our governor did his best to maintain a balance because the issue was sensitive. I want to, therefore, specially thank him for living up to his oath of office and upholding the truth. “I shall soon acknowledge all the people that are truly supporting our governor in re-

When I received the news of the passing on of the late Eburu, my uncle, I told my son that something had happened at home and it would alter our course of history.

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defining governance and in building a vibrant state. They are the men and women that ensured that our traditions and customs were preserved and justice prevailed, even though delayed,” he stated. Though a peace-loving monarch, who is seeking genuine reconciliation and whose door is widely opened to all and sundry, especially his co-contestants, he is not unmindful of the complexity of human behaviour, recalling the litigation that painfully punctuated the reign of his predecessor. He said, “As much as we want to toe the line of peace, we shall not hesitate to respond decisively to few anti-progressive elements in our midst within the ambit of the common and Nigerian law.” His frank talk notwithstanding, the Eburu has set the ball rolling for the birth of a new Iba, a town where every son and daughter, regardless of class, would have their voice heard. For instance, full operation of Iba Development Corporation, incorporated in the State of Ohio in the United States of America, according to Oba Okunoye, would soon take off. Besides, the blueprint for the new Iba, containing the detailed plan and strategy for development, would be finalised as a practical road map to the future of the community. The monarch argued that, contrary to the age of his ancestors when traditional rulers reserved the right to control resources in their domains, contemporary government is statutorily saddled with the responsibilities of managing such resources. As a realist 21st century king, Oba Okunoye pointed out that with the global economic recession, occasioned by the unfortunate free fall of crude oil price, government should not be left alone to provide all the needs of its citizens. “Development demands sacrifice, selfless service and dedication. We have to face the challenges of new world and take advantage of what globalisation and internationalisation of labour afforded a 21st century king,” he said. Strongly determined to walk his talk and lead by example, Oba Okunoye has promised to build his reign upon his Christian faith, ephemerality of life and philosophy of power. The role his late mother played in shaping his life right from childhood remains indelible in his memory, hence his use of Adeogun in the list of his official names. “My mother was a disciplinarian. Her Spartan life helped me to go all the way to compete in any space I find myself. I don’t believe second fiddle is my portion. So I work to always be on top. I shall also rely on Matthew 6:25-34 because I strongly believe in humanity and living a worthy life with fear of God as dictated by my faith,” Oba Okunoye, who married the last daughter of the immediate past Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Asiru Tadese, holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from University of Ibadan, Ibadan, with second class honor, Upper Division) in 1991.He also holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science (Group Technology) from University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland, with Eximia cum laude approabatur in 2001. In addition to the above, he has an M.Ed in Educational Administration from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, with 3.80/4.00 GPA in 2007 and Ph.D in Computer Science/Information Systems from University of Turku, Turku, Finland in 2003.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

Sharia court remands 21-year-old for abducting, impregnating teenager By Olumide Gbenga, Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna with Agency Reports

HE Magajin Gari Sharia Court 1, Kaduna, has remanded a 21-year-old man, Aliyu Bala in prison custody for abducting and impregnating a teenager, Nusaiba Aliyu. The 18-year-old teenager who sued Bala told the court that she left Kano last year with the intention of travelling to Abuja. However, she told the court that when she got to Kaduna, she met with Bala who brought her to his house on the pretext of offering her a drink before she would continue with her journey. She told the court that the suspect, however, drugged the drink he served her. “My Lord, when I took the drink, I dozed off immediately only to wake up and realise that he had slept with me,” Nusaiba told the court. The complainant also told the court that the suspect prevented her from going to Abuja as he deceived her to stay. “My Lord, as weeks turned into months, he turned me into a sex machine and eventually, I became pregnant. I am nine months pregnant and any moment from now, I may give birth. “I thus decided to sue him so that he will take full responsibility for my upkeep and the baby.” On interrogation, the defendant admitted that he was responsible for Nusaiba’s pregnancy and also promised to take care of the teenager and the baby when she delivers. In his ruling, the sharia court judge, Dahiru L. Abubakar ordered that the suspect be remanded in prison custody. He also directed that the girl’s parents should be invited in the next sitting. He adjourned the case till Monday 14 March for continued hearing.

A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has dissolved the tenmonth-old marriage between Usman Aisha and her husband, Ibrahim, who was accused by his wife of starving her of sex. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in his judgement, the judge, Mr Garba Ogbede, said that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and efforts to reconcile them were unsuccessful. “Since both parties consented to the dissolution of their marriage, this court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage. “The couple can no longer stay together because the marriage has broken down totally; both parties are no longer husband and wife, they are free to go their separate ways. “Both parties are to keep the peace all the time; any violation of the order should be reported to the police for redress,” Ogbede held. Aisha of Aco Estate, Airport Road, Abuja, had approached the court for dissolution of the marriage because Ibrahim refused to satisfy her during lovemaking. She said that she spent one month with Ibrahim after their marriage and he always aroused her feelings but refused to satisfy her when making love to her. “I pleaded so bitterly with him to satisfy me but he refused to change,” She said. Aisha said that whenever she called him so that they could sit and discuss the issue, he would threaten to beat her. She said that she had reported the matter to both parents but nothing changed. “I intentionally left our house for months after he refused to change but he never care to look for me. “Though, when I was with him for one month, he fed me well, when it came to sex matters, it would turn into fight. I am a woman and I have feelings for him. “He has failed in his matrimonial obligations, I am totally fed up, please sir, separate us. I am no more interested in the marriage,” Aisha added. She begged the court to dissolve the marriage because she did not want to offend God and to enable her to move on with her life. Ibrahim denied all the allegations but conceded to the dissolution of the marriage because he was also fed up with the union. “I take good care of her and provide all she wants. Please my Lord, do as she wishes, I have tried my best to settle with her but all my efforts proved abortive. I am also fed up,” he said.

I want to leave so that I can take care of my children —Wife Economic situation makes things difficult for me —Husband

A mother of two, Memunat Ibrahim has urged an Okuta Area court in Kwara State to dissolve her six-year-old marriage to her husband, Ado, to save the children from hunger. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Memunat , who accused the husband of not caring for the family, said the dissolution would enable her to seek means of feeding the two children. “I cannot continue to live in hunger. My husband is irresponsible; he never bothered about what we eat, what we wear and how we survive,’’ she said. The petitioner said that her husband had not been able to feed and clothe members of his immediate family, her and the two children of the union contracted in 2010. In his response, Ado refuted his wife`s allegations of being irresponsible. Ado, however, told the court that the estranged wife could not manage the meagre resources made available to her because of the prevailing economic challenges. “It was not like this from the beginning. It is the economic challenges that affected our means of survival and this affects everybody in the country,’’ Ado said. He urged the court to grant him more time to engage in a reconciliatory move with the petitioner. The respondent said that he still loved the wife and their children. “I will buckle up and ensure that things are back to normal,’’ he said. In his ruling, the presiding judge, Mr Ahmed Yahaya, adjourned the petition till March 23 for report of possible reconciliation.

He does not satisfy me in bed —Wife I’ve tried my best, she can go —Husband

He’s very abusive, violent and always threatens my life —Wife I caught her at different hotels with different men —Husband AN Agege customary court, Lagos State, has dissolved the four-year-old marriage between Sowemimo Nimotalahi and her husband, Olalekan, over threats to life. President of the court, Mr Philip Williams, in his judgement, granted dissolution of the union and warned the two parties to refrain from harassing and molesting each other. Williams ordered Olalekan to pay N5, 000 monthly to Sowemimo for the upkeep of their three-year-old child. He held that both of them would, however, be responsible for the medical expenses of the child.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the judge also ordered that the boy should remain in the custody of the mother as agreed by both parties. Sowemimo, 35, had asked the court to dissolve her marriage to Olalekan, because he was “very abusive, violent, drunk and was always threatening her life.’’ The petitioner told the court that they had been married since 2012 and the union was blessed with a child. She said she was fed up with the union and urged the court to dissolve the marriage based on what she called ‘irreconcilable differences.”

“My husband is a drunkard; he beats me up whenever he gets drunk and he’s also into extramarital affairs with different women. “He has been very violent, aggressive and abusive and several attempts have been made to resolve these issues but to no avail,” Olalekan in his testimony denied the allegations by the woman but told the court that he was no longer interested in the marriage. Olalekan alleged that he had caught her at different hotels with different men.

Saturday Tribune

He’s wicked and a womaniser, wife tells court

She left her matrimonial home to stay with her lover —Husband

AN Ado-Ekiti customary court in Ekiti State has dissolved the 15-year-old marriage between Temilade Bukola and her husband, Adeniyi, for adultery and lack of care for their only child. President of the court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, observed that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved it. Akomolede awarded the custody of the child to the petitioner and said the husband should be responsible for his education at all levels. She ordered the husband to pay a monthly upkeep allowance of N6,000 for the child. The court, however, granted access to the husband to see his child without any molestation. Bukola, 34, a resident of No 13, Olabedo Quarters, IlaweEkiti, Ekiti State, said she left her matrimonial home because her husband had started the process of marrying another woman. She said her husband once beat her and she fainted, adding

that the matter was reported to the police but their pastor intervened and it was resolved. The mother of one said her husband was a womaniser and that she had met him with another woman on one occasion. The petitioner said they used to pay the child’s school fees together but her husband stopped doing that three years ago. She, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage and award her the custody of her child. But the respondent, Adeniyi, 40, a resident of Abekoko Street, Obasanjo Lane, Ikere-Ekiti, accused the wife of attempting to abort his pregnancy. Adeniyi also accused the wife of dating another man, adding that that was the source of their fight. He said that she left her matrimonial home to stay with her lover and refused his plea to resolve the matter. He, therefore, prayed the court to grant him the custody of the child since both of them had remarried.

He always abuses, curses me, my family, woman tells court A Lagos housewife, Adeola Ake, has pleaded with an Alimosho customary court in Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, to dissolve her 10-year-old childless marriage. Adeola, 46, told the court that her husband, Toyin, who failed to appear in court after several summons, had evicted her from his house. “My husband threw out my belongings because I do not have a child for him. “Anytime he threw out my property, my parents would come and beg him, assuring him that God would still bless me with a child. “But finally, he threw out my property on February 12, 2013 and warned me never to come back and that anytime he sees

me in his house that day will be my last day on earth,’’ she said. The petitioner said she started noticing her husband’s behavioural changes six months after their wedding. “In fact, he has refused to take up his responsibility. “My husband stopped giving me money six months after our wedding. I feed and clothe myself. “He always rains abuse and curses on me and my family.” Adeola, however, asked the court to dissolve the marriage as there was no love lost between them. “Please dissolve the marriage that has nothing to show for now and in future.” President of the court, Alhaja S.O. Mumuni, adjourned the case till March 17 for judgement.

He makes love to me once in five months —Wife It’s due to my job —Husband MR Aderemi Ishola, a baker, has instituted a divorce suit against his wife, Joy, at the Grade ‘C’ Customary Court sitting at Owode-Academy, in Ibadan South-East Local Government area of Oyo State. Ishola prayed the court to dissolve the 11-year-old marriage between him and his wife over her troublesome nature and promiscuity. The plaintiff claims that he was a virgin when he married the defendant and the marriage is blessed with two children, namely Ayomide 11 and Ademide 6. According to him, “I want this court to separate us because the defendant is having an extramarital affairs. “Not long ago, I caught her with a man-friend she brought to my house, believing that I wouldn’t come home that day due to the nature of my work. “Aside, she is also a troublesome person. she always causes trouble in the neighbourhood. Due to her troublesome nature, I have sent her packing once and later reported her to the nearest police station. “My Lord, I don’t want her to kill me at a tender age. Please

separate us. While responding, Joy, a hairdresser didn’t deny the allegations and also called for the dissolution of the marriage. According to her, “I want this court to separate us because I am tired of the marriage with no happiness. “The plaintiff is a womaniser. He doesn’t sleep at home. He only has sex with me once in five months. He doesn’t care about the well-being of the family. “He always abandons his family for days. He is impotent. Our church members and family have intervened in the matter on many occasions, but all to no avail. “My Lord, I am no longer interested in the marriage. Please, separate us.” In his ruling, the court president, Mr Owolabi Oluokun, ordered the defendant and the plaintiff to bring the two children to court, while both of them should come with their parents and with possible evidence that could assist the court in establishing the truth in the case. The case was adjourned till March 16.

Man sues ex-husband for sleeping with his wife A middle-aged man, Halilu Jibrin, of Rido village, Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State has sued one Haira’u Yunusa for allegedly sleeping with his wife. When the case came up for mention at the Magajin Garin Sharia Court 1, Kaduna. Jibrin told the court that his wife refused to move into their matrimonial home when they were officially declared husband and wife. However, to his chagrin he found out the suspect was fond of coming to pick his wife at their family house where she was staying, even when he was aware that she was married to someone else. He told the court that the randy man was fond of sleeping with his wife which was why he sued the man to court.

However, when the woman at the centre of the crisis was brought into the witness box, she confessed that the defendant was her ex-husband. According to her, though they are divorced, she still loves him, saying, “he comes to our house and picks me any time he wants me.” She also told the court that she was four months pregnant for him (the defendant) when she got married to her present husband. In his ruling, the presiding sharia court judge, Dahiru L. Abubakar directed the embattled housewife to bring her representatives in the next sitting. He then adjourned the case till 21 March, 2016 for hearing.

12 March, 2016

voxpop

Saturday Tribune With Kate Ani

08071080888

anikate92@yahoo.com

Who would you rather choose as next of kin:

Your spouse or kids? An age-long adage describes love as blind. However, worldly realities demand that lovers should not only open their eyes but stand on toes in case of untoward happenstances. One of those steps taken to forestall eventuality is the nomination of next of kin. When it is up to them, KATE ANI asks Nigerians who - partners or childrenthey would rather trust. Mercy Balogun The mistake we make at times is that we do not know the difference between next of kin and beneficiary of funds. I work in a bank and I have seen lots of people coming to claim their spouses’ account balance just because they were next of kin. Next of kin simply is the person the organisation needs to contact immediately, should the need arise. Beneficiary of funds is the person you have categorically stated that in your demise (especially without a will) that person should have full title of your funds or whatever you have entitled him with. For instance, my next of kin is my husband, but the beneficiary of funds is our son. Marcus Nwagu My wife is my next of kin oh and I am quite hers too. Shayo Akinsehinde My husband should be my next of kin having been joined together to become ONE. Kazeem Obidipe My wife is the right person to be used as my next of kin. My point is that, if something happens to me, it’s my wife that will take care of our children. If you use your son as next of kin and it happens that you have more than

one son, it may simply mean that you are willing everything to him. If anything happens, other important family members may not have access to your money or whatever it is. So, I think your wife is the best option because she is the person that will take over the affairs of the family if you if you die. But again, unless you have the intention of divorcing your wife in future, then you can choose otherwise. Olayinka Adesanya If my child is a minor, whatever I write would just be conduit for those who would use the wealth anyway. However, if you use

my wife as next of kin, at least she can take care of my children while I am ‘gone’. On reasons why I may decide not to use her, if she is the type that would buy gold instead of paying school fees or unfaithful that I am just tolerating her because of my children, then I can use my mother as next of kin. Jesutofunmi Emmanuel Nominating someone in your family as your next of kin does not transfer a right on your property should you die. Next of kin simply means the person that could be contacted if need be on your behalf. If what you had in mind is who benefits from your inheritance

I would rather make my little son my next of kin. Don’t trust any woman, she can kill you quickly and enjoy your wealth alone while getting another lover to make her happy. when you die, I think that will be better addressed in a WILL because if you die intestate (without a will), an administrator shall be appointed to administer your property.

Sayo

Jesutofunmi

Kehinde Akala Assume that there is an emergency that has to do with your life and your employer, for some reason, needs to get in contact with your family, who would you want contacted in case of an emergency; your children or your wife? That person should be your next of kin.

Faith

Segun Wahab I would rather make my little son my next of kin. Don’t trust any woman, she can kill you quickly and enjoy your wealth alone while getting another lover to make her happy. Tunde Akinola My wife! Simply because she is my earthly partner till death separates us. If today your wife leaves you whatever she carts away would still be used to cater for your children except if there is no issue between you.

Kazeem

Faith

Mercy

Faith Acho My hubby is my next of kin in life insurance, account and everything that requires a next of kin and vice versa.

Saturday Tribune

12 March, 2016

With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, Mr Franklin Onwuenu, Mrs Patricia Akwashi, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi and Senator Bala Muhammed, exchanging pleasantries, at a recent meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former ministers in Abuja, recently.

Kwara State governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed (second right), laying the foundation for 1,000-Housing Unit Maigida Estate at Budo Osho, New GRA, Ilorin, on Monday.

Engineer Sola Alalade, author of “Walking with destiny book”; presenting an award to Engineer (Chief) Olumuyiwa Ajibola, during the launching of the book at the Lakeside lecture hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE.

Mr and Mrs Seun Akande recently wedded at FourSquare Gospel Church, Estate Missionary Zonal Headquarters, Ikorodu, Lagos State. Flanked by their parents, from left, are Mr and Deaconess Gbenga Akande are Reverend and Pastor (Mrs) Tai Sanni.

What we cannot stand during our wives’ pregnancies, men speak

voxpop

From left, Chief Michael Olawale-Cole, former President, Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce; Mr Akintunde Akinyanju, AGM, Marketing (Lagos/South West), Lasaco Assurance Plc and the Deputy President, NBCC, Mr Akin Lawore, at the first 2016 bi-monthly Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce members’ evening, sponsored by Lasaco Assurance Plc.

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From left, chairman on the occasion, Chief Olu Akinkugbe; Managing Director, Academy Press Plc, Mr Gbenga Ladipo; Chairman, Academy Press Plc, Sir Simeon Oguntimehin and the Vice Chairman, Mr Tunde Dabiri, during the 50th anniversary dinner of the company in Lagos, recently.

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Not all Edo State’s ladies in Italy are prostitutes —Sonia Oduwa Aimy thepolity

Supreme Court judgment has emboldened election riggers —Dakuku Peterside From right, Comfort Oluyemisi Akinfenwa, wife of The Most Reverend Joseph Olatunji Akinfenwa, Lord Bishop of Ibadan Diocese; Mrs A.B. Olagbaju (middle) and Mrs E.O. Adagbada, during the licensing of layreaders and lenten ordination of the newly ordained priests, held at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Nalende, Ibadan. PHOTO: D’TOYIN.

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12 March, 2016

Saturday With

O moment in the Nigerian national life is religion as pervasive as today. Religion, you will recall, has gone through several metamorphoses: from being an appendage of the state, compliment of the state, to its arch enemy. But, in real fact, religion is the general theory of the world. Some have called it an encyclopaedic compendium of the world that gives it its logic, explanation and within which life finds its meanings. Religion offers life its spiritual essence that makes it kick and indeed the enthusiasm that makes life worth living. Without religion, there probably would be a complex problematic of how to explain life, offer the moral sanctions that have kept it going and provide the universal basis of consolation and justification that we give the world today. The spiritual aroma of the world, what makes it have excitement and its human essence, is religion. You can imagine how difficult it would have been to live this life without religion. Complex issues like death, existence, humanity, etc get apt explanations from the metaphysical posturing of religion. It accommodates our frustration, even when it is not satisfactory most times, and helps to dud the complexities that would have arisen therefrom. In a Nigeria that is filled with existential dilemmas – government and governance sliding dangerously, economy hitting the canvas, ravaging sicknesses and diseases, inability to find solutions to otherwise simple problems – escape into religion as a buffer and hope is just more like it. For the religionist, no matter the tribulations we suffer here, hope awaits us in the hereafter. However, from the Marxian critique of religion as the opium of the masses and seminal theories of man as captive of religion, as well as submissions by philosophers that man created religion and by that very fact, God, in his own image, the givens of religion have come under very serious scrutiny. So, did man make religion or did religion make man? Is our going to church on Sundays and mosque to pray actually our cre-

Saturday Tribune

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

Time to give el-Rufai a Nobel ations to explain life? Did we manufacture those attributes that we give God so as to explain the inexplicable complexities of life? As Nigeria slides in virtually all respects, religion also slides phenomenally; as men of integrity become rare species, so are they endangered in churches and mosques. It is said that if you meet any Nigerian who introduces self as of the church/mosque, your alarm indicator should flash red, suggesting you are in the commune of con men. The impenetrable world of religion and the hopelessness that pervades the Nigerian life have lent themselves to easy manipulation for pecuniary gains and exploitation. Very few, if any, see religion as a pedestal for explanation of life nowadays, as it has become a means of putting food on the table. And trust Nigerians, they exploit it with acute concentration. This writer would be glad to be contradicted – the demographics of fraudsters in church/mosque today is more than there are outside. And because the motives of these con men, sometimes dressed in cassocks and beards of mullah, in innocuous portrayals and innocent miens, are less than noble, unusual energy is implicated in the process of accomplishing their aim, rendering religion a violently dragged accomplice on the way to their machinations. Because governments and members of the parliament are also overt and covert victims of the scam of religion, seeking, most times, superstitious and non-scientific explanations and justifications of their acts and fears, they become complicit in the tragic scam. They cannot legislate against the nuisances of religion. Now, churches/ mosques fleece us as a collective of multi-billion naira monthly basically from our fear of the unknown society and its socio-politics, while violating every known code of existence and good living, in the process of demonstrating their relevance. Loudspeakers from churches and

mosques have no regard for time and space and their nuisance is not locale specific. Where I live, a charlatan in Pentecostal robe ravages our peace early in the morning, as early as 5.00am, and continuing his onslaught until almost 7am. This comes on the heels of senselessly intermittent vigils from his accomplice churches throughout the night and the muezzin’s rant from 5am. We all fear these charlatans, believing that since they commune with the spiritual, they could barge in on us unnoticed, affecting our earthly existence negatively. But the truth is that they don’t have the mastery of the geography to God better than us. Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s bill to the Kaduna House of Assembly seeking to regulate religious preaching in the state thus needs our commendation. It is a bold move, indeed one of the boldest I have seen in recent times to put a stop to the charlatanism of religion. The bill entitled: “A bill for a law to substitute the Kaduna State religious preaching law, 1984” according to reports, is aimed at banning the usage of loudspeakers for religious purposes “other than inside a Mosque or Church and the surrounding areas outside the stipulated prayer times” among other things, while violators “shall be liable to two years in prison or pay a fine of N200, 000.” In Nigeria, religion is causing more harm than good to the polity. The earlier we let the bigoted traders in God’s name know we are aware of their fraudulence, the better for us all. Talking seriously, El-rufai deserves a pat on the back for perforating the dais of voodoo that is religion in Nigeria.

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12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

newsfeature

Continues from pg3

Lady Veronica could not fathom the rationale behind the constant invasion of her community by the Fulani herdsmen. According to her, “for many years now, no one has been able to sleep with their two eyes closed because of the constant attacks on our communities. They used to come on Sundays but the recent attacks occurred during the week. They came in droves and unleashed terror on us.” Lady Veronica appealed to the Federal Government to stop the attacks on the Agatu people, calling for adequate security in the area, particularly the riverine areas where, she said, the invaders always use as launch pads. Sunday called on the Federal Government to deploy naval men to constantly patrol the riverine areas and establish military posts so as to keep the invaders away from the communities. The chairman of the caretaker committee of Agatu Local Government Area, Mr Joseph Ngbede, appealed to the federal and Benue state governments to provide shelter for his people whose villages were destroyed by the invading Fulani herdsmen. Ngbede, in a telephone interview, disclosed that since the deployment of soldiers and mobile policemen to the affected communities, the internally displaced Agatu people, who are currently taking refuge in camps, have been willing to go back home but they have nothing to return to. He lamented that the presence of thousands of cows owned by the Fulani herders in the communities remains a threat to his people. “The situation now is that there are soldiers deployed to provide security in all the settlements but my people are afraid to return because there are no shelters to lay their heads under. Again, the cows are still grazing in most of the villages and they constitute threat to my people who are longing to return to normal life.”

Sorrows, tears, blood trail Fulani terrorists’ paths in Benue, Taraba

Taraba

Taraba is one of the most endowed states in the country with more than 50 mineral resources and a fertile soil that supports the cultivation of varieties of crops ranging from tree plants such as cocoa and avocado, palm tree to cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum, soybeans, millet and groundnuts. The favourable atmosphere in some parts and the land mass attract a lot of farmers to the state. The state, over the years, has suffered from communal and inter-tribal crises but this latest onslaught by the Fulani “terrorists” that has lasted for over two years now has been described by many as the worst in the history of the state. Since December 2013, armed Fulani men have been invading the state through the Nasarawa and Benue axis. They have killed more than 1,484 people in the state between December 2013 and June 2015, according to a report of the Nigeria Security Conflict and Analysis Network (NSCAN). The report indicated that over 500,000 people have been forced out of their homes and made to take refuge in neighbouring Benue State, even as over 2,400 others are living in camps in Bali and other areas across the state. A visit by Saturday Tribune to the four camps in Bali, located at Legislative Quarters, St. Paul Catholic Church, NKST Church and Tiv Traditional Council Hall where over 2,400 Internally Displaced Persons are currently living, revealed a pathetic story of Nigerians in their own land. Seventy-three-year-old Mrs Esther Nachigh lamented that life had become meaningless since the killing of her husband and two children by the marauding Fulani men. “Life has been terrible for us. Most of our people who were killed during the crisis were not buried because the attackers laid siege to our communities. Most women are now widows and children orphans. Many have been maimed and left vulnerable. Look at the condition of our children. Most of them are without clothes. We can’t even feed them. Our people are still being killed and we can’t even recover their corpses for burial. “Despite government’s efforts at ending the crisis, our lives are still not safe here. We are Nigerians, not foreigners and if we can’t be guaranteed security in our land, then it is unfortunate,” she lamented. Mr Adamu Magaji, a victim who lost three sons and two teenage daughters to the swords of the “terrorists,” narrated his ordeal to Saturday Tribune. “I have been in Taraba all my life. My seven children were born in the state. We started hearing about the attacks by Fulani herdsmen but we never imagined we could be victims since we

had not provoked them in any way. To my greatest surprise, they attacked our village in the dead of night and killed more than 50 persons, including five of my children. My children did nothing wrong. Our homes and farms were destroyed as we ran for our lives. Life has never been the same again. My wife died a little less than a year later because of heartbreak.” The Fulani herdsmen have been named the forth deadliest terrorist group globally, ranking next to ISIS, Boko Haram and the al-Qaeda. Their activities were hitherto predominantly herding their cattle and because of the nomadic nature of their lifestyle, they could be found in almost all parts of the country where there is grazing for their cattle. In recent years, however, they have

exhibited such a high proclivity to violence and other criminal tendencies such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other crimes. In Taraba, like other states, their path is simply trailed with blood and tears of helpless farmers and traders. When the terror group attacked Agatu village in Benue State, recently where it massacred over 500 people and sacked eight villages, the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, was caught and he visited the scene. There the IGP alleged that those perpetrating the dastardly acts were not Nigerians but foreigners who take advantage of the country’s porous borders to come in and graze their cattle. According to Ali Yohana, who narrowly escaped being killed

by the “terrorists” when his village was attacked last November, there is more to the problem than provision of pastures for the cattle. “What is happening now is a revival of the Uthman Dan Fodio jihad of over a century ago. Fulani people are very vindictive and could wait for any length of time to accomplish their demonic plans. You will notice that the worst hit areas are those around the then Middle Belt that resisted the jihad. That is why they are targeting Benue, parts of Taraba and other areas. “The attacks are on the increase now that Buhari is the president and you can see that his body language approves of what they are doing. He has not even come out once to condemn the attacks or at least condole with the families of the victims,” he said. Speaking in the same vein, Isaac Igbalagh, a secondary school teacher, alleged that the herdsmen were only carrying out the bidding of their bosses in high places. “It is only a fool that will think this is a simple issue. These people are heavily armed with assault rifles and other military class arms that should not be in individuals’ hands and nobody questions them. If they need these weapons to protect their cattle, farmers also need the weapons to protect their farms from destruction just as we all need same to protect our lives and the lives of our loved ones. They move with AK47 and AK49 pump actions and nobody questions them. “The IGP came out to make a mockery of us that these people are not from Nigeria. Yet they are killing Nigerian citizens in Nigeria and Nigerian government cannot do anything other than to take farmers’ lands and give them as grazing reserves. What happens to ranching of cows as is done all over the world? Just as they sell the cow to earn a living, that is how the farmers sell their farm produce to earn a decent living. One should not flourish at the expense of another. But since some people have interest in what they are doing, nobody is talking,” Igbalagh submitted. Recounting his ordeal, 13-year-old Anthony Ochakpa said he was at school in Daanacha when they were informed that his village was under attack. He lost his parents and three siblings in the attack. He is currently under the care of a distant relative but the memory of his injured father who died of the machete and bullet injuries he sustained in the attack at the hospital a few days later still haunts him. “When they told us that my village was under attack, I was afraid. All by siblings and my mother were killed and my father died two days later at the hospital. I still remember how they cut his body with cutlasses and the open wounds he told me were gunshots. I can’t forget that.” At Santa Maria Catholic Hospital, where many of the IDPs are still writhing in pain, it was one sad story after the other.

An eight-month-old baby, Theresa Tersoo, shot on the thigh with her mother when armed Fulani militia invaded their house on December 14, 2015 was lying hopelessly on her mat when Saturday Tribune visited the hospital. Her mother said that they were deep asleep when the gunmen invaded the house and opened fire on them, killing two members of the family instantly. The medical officer of the hospital, Mr Isaac Akperekpe, said there were three severe cases that needed immediate referral to tertiary hospitals but the hospital was just managing them because the victims could not afford to pay the required fees which run in millions of Naira. The medical officer added that they had treated and discharged over 400 victims between 2014 and 2015, out of which 23 died while on admission in the hospital. “Because ours is a faith-based organisation, many people preferred to be treated here. We had cases here that ordinarily we would have referred them to other hospitals, but they refused to go on referral because they can’t afford to pay. You know they have just return after attacks on them and they have nothing on them. “Our financial position is seriously coming down. We have exhausted medical stocks we have on victims of crisis and we can no longer cope because of the volume of patients we do receive on a daily basis following renewed attacks on the returnees,” he said. According to him, the hospital has received over 100 victims of attacks so far this year and the number is still rising as victims are being brought to the hospital on a daily basis. Mr Albert, a.k.a. Presidoo, a Nigerian Brewery distributor, also in Wukari, told Saturday Tribune that his consignment, which arrived in Wukari a day before crisis broke out in the town and others in store totalling N25.12 million, was destroyed by the attackers. Albert, who now ekes out a living selling recharge cards through a local restaurant around Takum junction in Wukari, said he had to start from the scratch to take care of his wife and three kids. “My family members have been putting pressure on me to relocate, but Taraba is like a home and I can’t just relocate. I am trusting in God that I will make it here again and I want to appeal to both the state and the federal governments to assist us,” he stated. The effect of the two-year-old crisis with pockets of killings still being witnessed in places like Gassol and Bali local government areas has left farms deserted and small communities like DanAnacha, Sabon-Gida, Ananum, Ibua and other towns are today not bubbling with human and economic activities on account of the crisis. Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, has consistently asked the people of the state to give him peace and he would give them development. On account of this, most IDPs have returned to their homes but not without challenges. There are cries from many returnees that their crops which they managed to plant to keep life going have become grazing fields of the herders who sometimes kill them if they dare to stop them. The state government recently suspended some traditional rulers in some of the troubled areas who were seen to be collaborating with the terrorists to continue the restiveness in their areas. Tiv traditional leader in Bali Local Government Area of the state, whose people were killed and forced out of the state, Zaki David Gbaa (the Ter-Bali), commenting on the condition of his people, lamented the challenges facing his subjects. “From November last year to date, we recorded over nine separate attacks with more than 16 deaths. Our children are out of school and most of my people are without food and shelter. We have cases of malaria and other diseases which are killing our children. “We commend the governor for his efforts to ensure that peace returns, but there are some people sabotaging his efforts because of the atrocities they committed during and after the crisis which they want to keep under cover. “Most of our lands have either been sold out or taken over by

other people. On a daily basis now, people are being brought in trucks and made to settle on our lands all in a bid to stop our people from returning to their ancestral homes. Senator Bwacha representing Taraba South in this Eighth Assembly has already raised a motion to this effect. “We make bold to tell the people behind this that they are day dreaming. We are compiling such cases and we will soon take them to court. We are indigenes of this place and nobody can intimidate us,” he said. The hinterlands of Dan-Anacha, Sabon-Gida, BornonKurku, Naguru and other interior villages, according to reports, are still regarded as no-go areas, especially for farmers. Torkula Dooior, a resident of Dan-Anacha, lamenting the loss of his farm to grazers, said the Fulani herdsmen had converted their farms into grazing fields. “We are back to square one because the Fulani herdsmen have grazed over our crops and any attempt to resist them is tantamount to inviting death. Just recently Mr Emmanuel and his wife, Mbawuan, were slaughtered after they resisted some armed Fulani men from grazing on their farms.” But the Fulani herdsmen denied any wrongdoing, let alone being behind the killings. According to the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Mafindi Umar Danburam, Tiv and Jukun have been rustling their cattle in the past years in Wukari and Takum. According to Mafindi, over 17,000 cattle belonging to the Fulani herdsmen were rustled between 2003 and 2015 in Wukari and Takum axis of the state, querying that “how do you take someone’s livelihood and you expect the person to be quiet?” “We have lost a lot. 500 cattle of my people were rustled in Jibu ward of Wukari around March last year. Same period, at Kashimbilla in Takum Local Government Area, about 200 cattle were rustled by people suspected to be Tiv. So, you see the problem. We are not criminals or troublemakers as we are being branded,” he said. Stakeholders in the state have attributed the persistent killings in Taraba on the issue of land, but Mr Freeman Tar disputed this narrative. Chairman Muslim Council of Taraba State, Inuwa Jauro, who is a Fulani man, said many people had mistaken the crisis in the southern and central Taraba for a religious crisis. “What is happening in Southern Taraba is not a religious crisis; it is on land that they are fighting. The origins of the area don’t want people coming from outside to come and settle on their land. Anybody who tells you it is a religious crisis is lying,” he explained. But Mr Tar Freeman, who is a scholar, argued that those killing people were from states like Katsina, Gombe, Kano and Zamfera among others and were bringing their people to take over land in Taraba. He insisted that there is a conspiracy of ethnic cleansing against the Tiv farmers in Taraba. While the blame game continues, stakeholders want the Federal Government to come to the aid of the people who have been abandoned to their fate with no hope of rescue in sight. The Catholic Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Charles Hammawa has said the killings in the state have adversely affected the economy of Taraba and Nigeria. Hammawa wants the Federal Government to intervene in the herdsmen/farmers crisis in the country and permanently bring the ugly development which has killed many to an end. “Taraba was badly affected by crisis between 2013 and 2015. Many lives and property worth hundreds of millions of naira were lost and even now, killings are still going on in Bali and Gassol local government areas. “Churches, Mosques and other precious property were destroyed. We the Catholic Church alone lost seven main parishes and over 3000 out stations were burnt during the crisis. The church has tried to reach out to the people affected by the crisis, by providing food and shelter and other things to alleviate their suffering. “But, you see, the Church and the state government cannot do it alone. I therefore, appeal to General TY Danjuma (rtd), who is an illustrious son of Taraba and chairman of the federal government committee on the rehabilitation of the Northeast affected by Boko Haram to include Taraba in the rehabilitation programme.” The bishop wondered why other areas in the state are relatively peaceful with exception of Gassol and Bali chiefdoms and called on the traditional rulers of Gassol and Bali to make more efforts to end killings in their domain and to foster peaceful coexistence among diverse religious, ethnic and political groups in the state.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

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Evil scripts of girl-child abductions in Nigeria By Oludayo Tade

HAT befell Nigeria as a result of the barbaric abduction of 14-year-old Ese Oruru to Kano by Yunusa Dahiru has further confirmed the notion that those in privileged positions of authority lack empathy. Their conspiracy of silence and non-challant attitude even when the family concerned made frantic efforts to secure the release of their daughter is synonymous with erecting social, political and religious fences which were too high for the hapless Orurus to surmount. If Ese can be pregnant under eight months, let us be realistic, with two years down the line, those who left as girls in 2014 must be mothers by now! This is the sad reality that we face as a nation which bends the law for politics and religion; the two subtle evils regularly deployed to underdevelop and divide us. The abduction of Ese must be seen as sharing fundamental similarities with that of the Chibok girls in 2014 by the ragtag Boko Haram vampires. The victims in the two cases are Christians. They are girls (maybe mothers now). Majority of the Chibok ‘girls’ were about writing their Senior School Certificate Examinations, while Ese was about to write her Junior School Certificate Examinations. While the Chibok ‘girls’ were abducted (and probably housed in Sambisa forest) and politics of denial ensued, it took only few days before the girls appeared in hijab on the internet as having been converted to Islam! Ese was also abducted and taken to another ‘Sambisa’ in Kano where her parents could not have access to her. Perhaps in the two instances, the girls were tricked to believing they were in safe hands. What is common in the two criminal episodes is the age of the victims; mostly below 18 years! This has health, psychological and social implications for the abducted girls. Their families and Nigerians have become victims. The motive for abduction, for me, is similar. Boko Haram leader, Shekau boastfully said in one of his infamous videos that the girls would be married to their fighters in their quest to Islamise and chase out infidels in a new territory to be governed under the Sharia law. In Kano, some bodies presided over the Yunusa/Ese affairs and pronounced them husband and wife.

They saw no wrong in endorsing illegality! Thus, I argue that such abductions are more ideologically based than it is being portrayed. It is about a war of conquest and increasing religious demography. Yunusa obviously understood his reasons for taking the actions. It was scripted and acted out very well. He was close to the family and still understood their routines, even when he fell out of favour with Ese’s mother. Working to answers, Yunusa sold his economic empowerment tool (tricycle), hypnotised/convinced/manipulated Ese and ran to Kano where he knew he would be welcomed as a victor! Why did he not marry her in Bayelsa if it was love-based? Kano is a safe zone since the Child Rights Acts is not domesticated there. He was, therefore, a ra-

tional criminal, who weighed the costs and benefits of his action. The treatment meted out to the Orurus in Kano was less dignifying. It portrayed a system of injustice against the powerless and unconnected. More so, the agencies of government saddled with the responsibilities of protecting lives and properties became handicapped. The Emir of Kano and Inspector General of Police have tried unsuccessfully to use techniques of neutralisation to show they were responsive to Ese’s plight. The State has lost its capacity when the IGP had to wait for the return of an Emir from Umrah to free a Nigerian in bondage. The emir claimed he only knew Ese was yet to be released when he was contacted by foreign media! Nigerian big men are good offshore not onshore. They are more responsive to foreign media outfits. Yunusa is already arraigned in court and charged for abduction, illicit sex, coercion and sexual exploitation. This must be well prosecuted. All co-conspirators must be legally sanctioned. Otherwise, we would be institutionalising a social order in which crime is the lower-class activity that is displeasing to the upper class and their cronies. Those who are to protect the vulnerable in our society are becoming collaborators with criminals; this is dangerous as it may lead to the rise of insurgent citizenship. Let those saying it is a tradition/culture in the North show me the daughter of a rich man that had been abducted and forcefully married as done to Ese! If such exists, it is only for the poor to obey! Winston Churchill may not be wrong after all when he said that “rules are made for the obedience of the fools and the guidance of wise men”. We must speak against the Taliban treatment of the girl child (and this includes rapist). Let those in forceful child marriage speak against this evil. On a daily basis, criminal scripts of kidnapping, abduction, child marriage, and rape against the girl-child are written and acted out. It is becoming an organised crime. Yet, we make a mess of victims of these evil scripts by the way our criminal justice system is designed. Ese and her family deserve justice and they must get it. Dr Tade, a sociologist, sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com

Memories are made of these... By Olusola Ajiboye A soap opera can qualify for a page in the Guinness World Records, depending on the following parameters; outstanding cast, unprecedented quality presentation, rich language, green memories of the soap on the public-mindview. The Village Headmaster, an epic serial television drama created in 1964 by Segun Olusola is in the league of green memory soap opera. Segun Olusola was the pioneer television producer in Africa. He later became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia before he was translated into higher glory in 2012. The Village Headmaster captured the fancy of television viewers across the country for over three decades. Viewers were glued to their television screens while the cast sent happiness and life into many homes. It was a television drama that promoted the potential of communal living and community environment, its value orientation and focus for societal ethos clearly made Village Headmaster the toast of all. The soap opera has been rested for a long time but its memory lives in the minds of Nigerians of the period between the early seventies and early eighties. The Village Headmaster is again in public glare with the death of Jacob Adu, one of its original cast at the age of 84. The popular actor and film director took the lead role of Bassey Okon, the quack chemist in the TV drama serial. His passage now adds to the list of stars

who have fallen in the Nigerian film industry. The Village Headmaster made such an invaluable contribution to theatre practice in Nigeria by creating a platform where professionals that could compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world were nurtured and established. It therefore pains the heart when a review of the fallen stars of Village Headmaster is made. Funsho Adeolu, the late Alaye of Ode-Remo who played the character Eleyinmi; Joseph Layode, the flawless Queens’ English speaker whose role of Garuba the assistant headmaster made him a delight to watch and Justus Esiri, whose fame took its roots from the now rested soap opera are all gone. So is Femi Robinson who brought finesse to village headmaster in his character as headmaster. Can ardent television viewers of the soap opera forget the bashful outspoken Councillor Balogun, a character effectively dramatised by Wole Amele, the late Alara of Aramoko-Ekiti? Where is Elsie Olusola, a lead cast who played Sisi Clara, the illiterate village seamstress in the rested serial television drama? The TV star and wife of Ambassador Segun Olusola is now resting with her creator. What about Chief Kokonsari, a character with that fetish touch so actively played by Leke Ajayi? He is also among the fallen stars of Village Headmaster. Where is Albert Olayemi, the Gorimapa of Village Headmaster and Enebeli Elebuwa, the police officer cast in the rested drama? Both men are now dead.

The passage of these icons is not peculiar to Village Headmaster. Other soap operas like Masquerade, Hotel De Jordan, Cockcrow at dawn, Winds against my soul, Koko Close, Kootu Asipa, Ile Iwosan, Bode Wasimi, among others have not only been rested but have experienced death of their lead characters. Therefore it could be assumed that the Nigerian theatre and film industry is in dire need of its original values concepts and professionalism which these pioneer soap operas initiated, nurtured and established. If this is true, it is thus appropriate that the regulatory agencies in the film industry make efforts to bring back the memories of these timeless and socially relevant television drama series. Doing this will restore the missing link between the old and the new generations of indigenous television serial drama productions, especially the professional standard exhibited in the drama series. So, let The Village Headmaster, Masquerade, Koko close, Hotel De Jordan, Cock crow at dawn, Winds against my soul, Kootu Asipa, Ile Iwosan and Bode Wasinmi return to the television screen in their original forms. It is the opinion of this writer that this will allow present generation of Nigerians learn and benefit from the true value of life which the rested soap operas successfully taught. Ajiboye is Director, Outstations, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

The velvet chocker, a 90s trend making a comeback

ISTORY tends to repeat itself—and the saying definitely holds true in the beauty and fashion world. This year’s must-have accessory is the velvet choker. It’s delicate, it’s different, and it adds a little bit of an edgy vibe to even the simplest of looks. Velvet chockers are statement pieces that can be worn for any occasion or look. They look gorgeous when paired with a low neckline blouse or dress. The neck is such a delicate and feminine part of the body; why not highlight it by wearing an unexpected choker.

style

Saturday Tribune

With Kate Ani 08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

Boxer braid: The hair style that is taking over Instagram! IF you’ve been scrolling through your Instagram feed lately, you would have noticed one particular hair style taking over. Seen on everyone from the Kardashians to other stylish American celebs, this simple yet stylish style is the ‘it’ hair game. In Nigeria, Mochedda, Eku Edewor, Yvonne Nwosu and other stylish celebs are also trying this hair style. Formerly called corn rolls, boxer braids are proving to be the hottest hair trend for 2016. Leave it up to the social media world to step into the ring with this athletic hair style that is ready to take over. The edgy yet elegant ‘do is the perfect style for anyone who wants to show the world that braids are indeed cool.

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-it-yourself

Studded chocker

What you need Silicon glue A ribbon of your choice Direction 1.Cut the ribbon according to your neck size. 2. Use the silicon glue to fix the studs on the ribbon; you could go all out and cover the entire length or just stick one or three in the centre. Silicon glue takes about half an hour to dry. If the studs have holes, they can be sewed on too. You can also use your creation as a hair band.

12 March, 2016

outofthisworld Like wedding cakes,

WITH FEMI OSINUSI

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

W couples now cut divorce cakes, hold

parties before quitting

Saturday Tribune

E have heard of wedding ceremonies where newly-wed couples celebrate their solemnisation. During these ceremonies, cakes are cut, parties are held before the couples eventually settle for their blissful lives. However, like the wedding ceremonies, there are now divorce ceremonies where splitting couples, for the last time, cut their divorce cakes and even host parties before finally leaving each other. According to Daily Mail of UK, since 2015, ‘divorce cakes’ are becoming more popular than ever before and hundreds of splitting couples even take photographs and post them on social media to celebrate the end of their marriages.

The cake showing a woman giving her husband upper cut.

The husband throwing his bride to the ground

‘I am free at last’ divorce cake.

The groom burying his wife.

Divorce cake with F..k that B...ch written on it.

The wife packing out the rubbish, including her husband.

12 March, 2016

businessextra

Saturday Tribune

Edited by Sulaimon Olanrewaju

lanresulaiman123@gmail.com 0805 500 1708

Foreign malls, a challenge to Nigeria’s agro-processing sector?

Chima Nwokoji - Lagos

ROCESSING of agricultural products (agro-processing) in Nigeria is a sector with high growth potential, despite the challenges of imports competition, loss of market, and the unstable currency and exchange rate. Agric experts say the agro-processing sector has the potential to become an industrial impetus that can create jobs and answer some of the country’s macro-economic questions. Among the imported goods excluded from the foreign exchange (forex) market by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are some agro-processed items. They include margarine, palm/palm oil, meat/processed meat products, poultry chicken, eggs. Others are vegetables and processed vegetable products, turkey, tinned fish in sauce, sardines, toothpicks, soap and cosmetics, tomatoes/ tomato pastes, among others. Being one of the measures aimed at encouraging local production and import substitution, what this implies is that, those who import these items no longer buy foreign currency from the official window to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather, they will have to source forex from the parallel market or Bureau de Change to pay for their imports. Incidentally, while the official exchange rate remained at N197 to a dollar, the exchange rate at the unofficial window has attained the level where a dollar costs N400 from below N200 it exchanged for earlier. To underscore how serious the matter is, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, even lent his weight behind the policy. By doing that, he ruled out the possibility of reversing this CBN’s policy which importers and manufacturers have seriously complained about. Saraki, while responding to a request by the Tomato Sub-Sectoral Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) seeking his intervention to lift the exemption on certain imported goods, said based on the present economic realities, difficult decisions were necessary to be taken to overcome the challenges. Pertinent questions are: has the policy stopped these products from flooding Nigerian markets? Are the local manufacturers comfortable with this policy, or are they still claiming that most of the items are raw materials to them? Leader of the MAN group, Mr. Femi Gbadegun, said they were not against the policy restricting forex to some imported items, but that they needed time to raise the level of tomato production in the country to eliminate the need for importation. But while Saraki and CBN are hoping to boost local production, manufacturers on the other hand are seeking more time to raise their level of production in the country, yet foreign malls stocked with these items are springing up on a daily basis. These malls are stocked with most of the items excluded from the forex market, thereby stifling agro-processing industry in Nigeria. A shop attendant at the Shoprite Ikeja told Saturday Tribune that though they buy from local producers, majority of items on display at the malls are mostly imported. A visit to any foreign shopping mall in any part of the country, reveals how Nigerians value foreign products. Janeth Udo, a regular customer at Shoprite said it is difficult for her to stop buying items from the shopping malls. “You see groups of children wandering inside, wide-eyed at the plenty. Teenagers and adults take selfies and group photos, raving about the convenience, the security, the leisure and, not least, the air-conditioning,” described Mrs. Udo.

The mall culture in Nigeria reflects broad trends on the continent, including a growing middle class with spending power and the rapid expansion of cities that are little known outside the region. Some analysts in Nigeria are concerned that this trend will continue to make nonsense of local production. According to them, Nigeria is a signatory to the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and cannot afford to close its borders to foreign made goods despite the harm it does to local production. GATT was a multilateral agreement regulating international trade. Its purpose was the “substantial reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers and the elimination of preferences, on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis.” By being a member, Nigeria agreed to open its borders for inflow of foreign made goods at a low rate of tariffs. This situation, according to experts, will continue to put low income countries at a disadvantage. For instance, Saturday Tribune checks revealed that the agreement on agriculture’s domestic support system currently allows Europe and the United States to help farmers by spending $380 billion a year on agricultural subsidies. These subsidies end up flooding global markets with below-cost commodities, depressing prices, and undercutting producers in poor countries, a practice known as dumping. In economics, production is complete when goods and services finally reach the consumer. Agricultural sector watchers are concerned that production of foreign made goods cannot be complete until they are in one way or the other dumped into Africa, and Nigerian markets in particular. This overproduction and dumping of subsidised produce in African countries is forcing local producers out of business. Some analysts, including Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent with a UK-based media Independent, once wrote that: “The £30billion-a-year EU agricultural subsidy regime is one of the biggest iniquities facing farmers in Africa and other developing countries. They cannot export their products because they compete with the lower prices made possible by payments. “Meanwhile, governments of developing countries come under intense pressure from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to scrap their own tariffs and subsidies as part of free trade rules. “Our preference for chicken breasts and legs means that thighs and wings are often frozen and exported to Africa where they are sold for rock-bottom prices. Chicken farmers

By being a member, Nigeria agreed to open its borders for inflow of foreign made goods at a low rate of tariffs. This situation, according to experts, will continue to put low income countries at a disadvantage.

in Senegal and Ghana used to supply most of the country’s demand - now their market share has shrunk to 11 per cent because subsidized imports are 50 per cent cheaper,” Frith noted. European farmers are guaranteed a price for their sugar three times higher than the world price and there are restrictions on foreign imports - backed up by import tariffs of 324 per cent. Export subsidies, meanwhile, allow surplus EU sugar to be dumped at bargain prices in African countries. In an exclusive interview with Saturday Tribune, the Executive Director, Finance and Strategy, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman said that banning things that take longer time to produce locally is not a good idea. “What governments all over the world do is to make such goods more expensive so that it is encouraging for those who want to produce them locally; and there are two ways to make imported goods more expensive. “One of the ways is to apply tariffs within the rules of trade like the World Trade Organisations, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The second one is to allow your currency to adjust, such that the imported goods are more expensive. That way, there will be motivation for those who want to produce it locally, because if the imported goods are cheaper, there is a problem because local producers can’t really compete,” he contended. But much as Sulaiman’s argument conforms to good economic principle, an economist and principal partner at B. Adedipe Associates Limited, Dr. Biodun Adedipe introduces yet opposing argument which seems to have all elements of truth about the taste of an average Nigerian. He believes that most Nigerians buy certain items to impress other people or to emphasize status in society. When the price of such goods rises, that is when Nigerians will demand more of it, and when the price of such goods fall, more people will be able to afford, the original purchasers will stop buying it (snob effect) because it will be considered substandard. As in America, malls in Nigeria have quickly become hangouts for the young and destinations for families. Their rarity also imbue a sense of exclusivity. Pushing a shopping cart full of food and the latest Chinese smartphone, bread, tomatoes among others is an experience most Nigerians love to cherish. Even older Nigerians who were skeptical about paying premium prices over traditional markets saw the mall’s value as a family outing. Emeka Dike, 25, was on his fourth trip to the mall — shopping for pants and foreign wines. He said, “I love the mall, the whole environment entirely,” he said. “I love the AC especially.” “There is anything you want. Shoes, medicine, there is cake, everything you want,” he added. A herd of policy analysts have insisted that it takes more than forex restriction to inspire domestic production. Apparently, power and transport are very critical factors, in addition to skills and capital. But they are also sceptical about the campaign that tends to suggest that free trade and devaluation will automatically solve Nigeria’s problems. According to the analysts, Nigeria can handle this situation more scientifically if President Buhari comes to the table with an open mind. There should be a proper study of the pros and cons of this policy. Facts and figures should be dissected so that the short-term, medium-term and long-term outlook would be examined.

12 March, 2016

ntertainment Society Gist

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Omionawele

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Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

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Celebrity Interviews

Flavour thrilling the crowd.

AMVCA’s night of celebration

of talents

Stories by Joan Omionawele

HE fourth edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) which took place last Saturday was a night infused with Africa’s richest cultures, fashion, glamour and talents. The entrance to the Ekpo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, venue of the event, was massively adorned with AMVCA plaques to lead guests from within and outside Nigeria into the hall, which was packed with high-profile and upcoming Nollywood acts. Celebrities from diverse backgrounds, admirers, stakeholders, producers and movie directors who have made significant impacts in the entertainment industry experienced a night of paparazzi and frenzy as Africa Magic, in association with MultiChoice, announced winners of the 2016 edition of the AMVCA. The show, which was broadcast live on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, began at 5.00 p.m. with exciting displays on the red carpet, culminating in a spectacular night for African cinema, replete with exciting musical performances, comic displays and emotion-laden speeches. The star-studded event, was sponsored by Amstel Malta and hosted by the award-winning radio host, IK Osakioduwa and South African TV host, Minnie Dhlamini. The stage was lit up by

Nigerian artistes, Flavour, Yemi Alade as well as live performances by dancers from South Africa as well as brilliant displays by Ugandan comic Salvador and Thomas Gumede, from South Africa. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the 2016 Industry Merit Award to Nollywood legends, Sadiq Daba and Bukky Ajayi. An emotional Ajayi broke down in tears as she received a standing ovation from the audience who acknowledged her contributions to African film and cinema spanning over 50 years. “To those who I have offended, please forgive me, and to those who have offended me in the course of this job, I forgive you. I wish I could stand up, but if I do, I will fall down. But I thank you all for standing up for me,” the veteran actress said, wiping tears off her face as she was wheeled away from the stage. Another big winner on the night was Daniel K. Daniel, who took home the award of the best actor in a drama category for his role in A Soldier’s Story. Screen starlet Adesua Etomi won the award of the best actress in a drama for her role in Falling. In the twilight of the event, Nollywood actress, Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju, won the 2016 Trailblazer Award, for which she was presented with a Sport-Utility Vehicle. Stephanie Linus-Okereke also won an SUV as her Dry won the award of the Best Overall Movie

Veteran Nollywood actress, Bukky Ajayi, with her lifetime award.

in Africa. Stephanie thanked her husband, Linus, as well as Diamond B a n k , for their support for her dream. “The movie, Dry, was Cross section of winners, from left, Adesua Etomi, Daniel K. Daniel, Stephen Linus Okereke; Regional produced to Director, MNET Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, MNET’s CEO, Yolisa Phahle and Kemi Lala Akindoju. address the issue of the abuse of the girl-child. We need to take care of the vulnerable in our society. Ese Oruru’s case is an example of what females go through. Also, 40 percent of women die every year during childbirth b e c a u s e they have no medical care. Yemi Alade thrilling the They are audience. voiceless and have no one to and because Nollywood is the give you quality programming speak for them,” she said. hub of entertainment in Africa, and we can only get better. While it seemed like Nollywood one of the things we encourage We had two spaces of judging dominated Ghollywood and other is for entries to come from more and the judges went through a African countries on the night, regions. However, all we did as rigorous process to select the Regional Director, M-Net/Africa a team was to up our game with votes which culminated in the Magic, Wangi Mba- Uzoukwu, a great team. Just as the Africa results. They are credible players revealed to journalists “The Magic-Mnet brand signifies, we in the industry.” AMVCA is truly pan-African

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Saturday Tribune

TIDBITS FROM AMVCA...TIDBITS FROM AMVCA...TIDBITS FROM AMVCA...TIDBITS FROM AMVCA...

Abuse of the girl-child should be taken seriously —Stephanie Okereke Stories by Joan Omionawele

THE moment of truth came knocking as the Best Overall movie was announced with Stephanie Okereke’s movie topping the chats. Looking radiant in her green dress, designed by Lisa Folawiyo, the actress, who was given

a brand new SUV by Gac motors came atop as her movie ‘Dry’ carted away the best overall movie award. Speaking on her movie, Okereke stressed that her movie dared to ask questions that people feared to ask, especially pertaining to the abuse

of the girl child. Some of us have been abused as children and this issue has opened a lot of people’s minds to see things from the eye of the girl-child especially with Ese Oruru’s case. We should take this issue seriously and help the helpless women and children in our society,” she stated.

Andy Chukwu resurfaces FOR ardent Nollywood lovers, Andy Chukwu is one name that rings a bell. The popular actor who is known for his gentleman ly roles in Nollywood in the late 90’s had been missing in action and got some of his fans enquiring about his whereabouts as he was no longer featuring

in movies. Saturday Tribune spotted the actor dressed in dark blazer and a pair of jeans at the Africa Magic viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA) last weekend, exchanging pleasantries with Mike Ezuruonye, John Okafor, Chinedu Ikedieze and a host of others.

Why I gifted my P.A a brand new car —Iyabo Ojo JUST recently, star actress, Iyabo Ojo gifted her personal assistant, Gbeminiyi Valentynoh with a brand new Toyota Corolla. While people thought it was a publicity stunt, the actress cleared the air on the issue, stating that she gave her the car because she wanted to reward her for her hardwork. Hear her: “She is a very humble and hardworking girl, she is dedicated to what she is doing and has made me proud. She is a graduate of biochemistry from the

University of Lagos, and when she started working with me, her parents were concerned about her moving around with a celebrity but I promised them that she would not lose focus, she listens to me and knows when to read and when it is time to go on location. She is very principled. I’ve always said I will give her a car before she graduates, and when I calculated that she will graduate in a month’s time, I decided to surprise her,” Ojo said.

Calibre of nominees scared me —Adesua Etomi NOLLYWOOD actress, Adesua Etomi has gained uncommon grounds in Nollywood with the royal diadem which was bestowed upon her during the last AMVCA. The fair-skinned actress, who clinched the best actress award, stated that she did not see the award coming. While receiving the award, she said: ‘‘It is not of him that runneth, or willeth, but of him that showeth mercy. I used to be afraid, but I’m not afraid anymore, you can do this.’’ She further stated that when she saw the nominees list, she was scared because of the calibre of names that made the list. But she affirmed that the award would not make her rest on her oars but would encourage her to do better and put up greater stuff.

Kate Henshaw, Omoni Oboli drop guard for Flavour IT was an unusual starstudded night at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards as African celebrities were treated to a night laughter, glitz and glamour. A few stand-up comedians lit up the evening with jokes which sent the crowd reeling with laughter, while award-winning musicians Yemi Alade and Flavour kept the audience in awe with their live performances. One thing that was ap-

parent was the extent to which the female actresses loosened up when Flavour came on stage. As he burst into his hit song “Ada Ada’, Nollywood actresses Kate Henshaw, Omoni Oboli and Funke Akindele who couldn’t hide their excitement, got on their feet to dance to Flavour’s song, not minding that there were people seated behind them. Well, it was an evening to have fun!

I considered myself an underdog —Daniel K. Daniel

AS the hosts announced Daniel K.Daniel as best actor, the audience’s reaction was nothing but mixed feelings, especially as he was competing with the likes of Mike Ezuruonye and OC Ukeje. Speaking with journalists, he revealed that winning the award was like a dream to him. According to him, “I want to thank God Almighty as well as my mum who

has been my father for over 12years.’’ He further told journalists at a brief press briefing that he came for the AMVCA’s as an underdog, ‘‘but now it has happened. It feels unreal, maybe when I wake up tomorrow, it will be different, but today, it feels unreal. I am very excited. I just want to thank all my fans, without you, I wouldn’t have made it.’’

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Saturday Tribune

I have a unique perception of movie production —Ohikhuare, multiple award-winning cinematographer

Stanlee Ohikhuare, is a multiple award-winning cinematographer, director and producer, whose emergence into the cinematic movie production has been marked as revolutionary. Born in Edo State, the graduate of Fine Arts from the University of Benin has won over seventeen awards and recognitions of excellence, both locally and internationally, for his works. Stanlee, who believes that moviemaking is an artistic expression, spoke with NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA about his transition to the movie industry.

S a cinematographer, you put the lights on actors, while you are rarely seen, what do you have to say about this? Yes, but someone has to do the job, you know, and you don’t have to see all of our faces. In fact, it is the preferred alternative for me. I’d rather prefer that people know my work more than my face (laughs). It works best for me. A good job does not need the face to speak for itself. For me, it is about the work. When did your career in the movie industry begin? I started in 2004. What I did then was an animated movie. But I started live-action movie in 2012. From 2004 till 2012, my preoccupation was on animated movies. I was also shooting TV commercials. Animation movies in Nigeria still has its challenges, how much of the challenges did you face? I think is an aspect of film production that people need to persist in, not necessarily because of the money, but because we need to keep the genre alive. I will still go back to animation when the time comes because it requires a lot of money. It is not something you do without having a lot of support. Lack of support, was that why you left? It was not exactly why I left animation. It was part of it, however. I was working on one project at that time with no support. All I did were presentations upon presentations. I didn’t get anybody to support the initiative. I had spent eight to nine years working on the same thing. All the money I made went into it. At some point I had to sit up and ask some vital questions, you know. I started working on the project before I got married and I continued working on it so many years after my marriage. I believe you can understand the reason for the transition into live-action movies. How would you define yourself, the animationist or the cinematographer? I am an artist. That is the most important part of who I am. I draw, paint just like any fine artist. I am an artist by training. I studied Fine Arts at the University of Benin. I specialise in painting. My filmmaking career as far as I am concerned is feeding off my training as an artist. So, it is not the other way round. My survival as a filmmaker is dependent on the fact that I have a background in fine arts. Now, let’s talk first about your transition from fine art to animation. At what stage did it occur to you to make the move? That was after I graduated. You know, painting entails images. After I graduated, I was always fiddling with computer graphics using Corel Draw applications as well as handmade graphics. It was more like I wanted to advance my profession.

I learnt how to use the computer myself. The interest for image design began to grow. One fateful day, I stumbled on a vacancy for a graphic designer. I sent my curriculum vitae. I was invited for an interview. After looking at my sketch pattern, I was employed. I learnt more about graphics on the job. That was when I became more comfortable with the computer. I started expanding my knowledge to animations. I kept trying until I got a good grasp of it. After that, I learnt how to do video editing. From there I started servicing advertising agencies in terms of shooting commercials from story boards to animated commercials. I was doing animated commercials at that time. I think I practically worked with all the agencies at the time. From animated commercials I started shooting live-action commercials and directing them. After a couple of years doing live-action commercials, I decided to do live-action movies. I just wanted to stamp my presence in the industry. And no sooner had you come on board than you began to receive recognitions and awards, would you like to highlight some of your awards? It is hard to highlight really. But I have won seventeen awards since 2012. The most popular award is the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). In my first year in the industry, I did two jobs, ‘The Deadwood’ and my online series called ‘Prayers for my Nation’. ‘The Deadwood’ won the AMVCA for the best documentary. The next year I did a couple of jobs. I did the animation for my movie ‘Verdict’. Humphrey Day, another work that year, was nominated as the best comedy AMVCA. My short movie, ‘Oblivious’ won the best short movie of the year. ‘Verdict’ won a number of awards, and I won the award of the Best Cinematographer of the year, AMVCA. Last year, my movies got a total of 49 nominations. And from across the world I won fifteen awards. My movies generally won seventeen awards. I personally won

But things are changing, no doubt. I think this is the time we must begin to expand our scope. Generally, I think that is what happens with effective crossbreeding.

fifteen awards, twelve of which were international awards, while two were local awards, that is the AMVCA and GIAMA awards. The rest were international awards. How much would you attribute your background as a fine artist to your huge success in the movie industry? My being an artist, like I said earlier, is a very important aspect of my filmmaking. It gives me a different perspective about movie production, a perspective that no one else in the industry shares. I make movies like an artist. I use the same artistic style of painting images in my making movies. This helps me see the entire production differently. From the lighting, cinematography, art direction and even the directing itself, for me is art. If you introduce the basic elements of art into filmmaking, there is no way you can do things that will be seen as ordinary. The attribute of every art work like detail things as toner, the temperature in the scene, lighting and understanding how light work beyond what the lens can do and understanding colours, when all of these are taken into consideration the outcome will not be usual. For instance, you can use colours to tell stories. Beyond using colours, you can use different hues of colours and different temperature of the same colours to tell stories and they will all mean different things. However, it takes someone who is vast in these things to appreciate your work. Would you say that we are waking to a brand new approach to movie production? I don’t know how much that is true. But things are changing, no doubt. I think this is the time we must begin to expand our scope. Generally, I think that is what happens with effective cross-breeding. Do you have a message for your movies besides money making? First, no one is into the movie industry without the aim of making money. That is always the goal. However, there are movies I do with the mindset of addressing things. We call them conscience movies. It could have comedy in it on the deep level is the message. As a painter the style of my painting is called surrealism. It’s all about the world of fantasy, of imagination, and not necessarily the things that hit you in the face. In most of my movies you will see that a lot. There is a lot of mysticism and surrealism and imagination going on in my movies. The images are all representations of things that are hardly direct. What is your philosophy about what you do? I think I am one of the people who believe that just like painting, filmmaking is a form of art. I believe that we can use films to provoke change and initiate paradigm shift from the norm and about the way people see things. Like three of the awards I won last year were based on that. I won the filmmaker of inspiration award in Indonesia during the World Peace Day for Film Festival for my movie ‘Verdict’. I think people actually pay attention to movies that address issues. And for me, I shoot movies just to express myself; and so, majority of my movies address something in the society.

entertainment

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘How I handle

my stubborn male stalkers’ Continued from pg2

There is an argument between actors and producers who think that some form of royalties be paid as Africa Magic dwells on some of these films, what do you have to say about this? A labourer deserves his wages. If we can have a platform where we can work out a synergy to make sure that things work out properly and if you put in your best to do a work, you can always learn from it, because talent is priceless, there is no amount of money that is worth whatever talent that is given to you, so it is not a bad thing, but we can approach it in a better and proper way, by having a better plaform to get it all planned out. If you had the opportunity to change Nollywood, what would you do? I think Nollywood is doing great, but one thing that I would love to look into is our distribution method. A lot of efforts need to go into this. How would you want to change it? Well, that idea is entirely mine because I wouldn’t want to make it public, so if you really want to make things better, I think you would need to consult me privately. Are you thinking of settling down soon? I will settle down whenever it is right. It is a thing of the mind, so when you think your mind is ready to settle down, you will. For me, it could be now, it could be tomorrow, next year or next five years. What is keeping your mind busy? Well, work, work and work. Are you seeing someone right now? Hmmm. I should be dating, don’t you think so?

‘camera, action,’ you would break down in tears effortlessly?

What has been your most challenging role? I have done quite a lot of movies but I haven’t done a job that is so challenging. But I will always talk about my first popular movie, ‘A cry for help,’ because it was the first time I was facing the huge stage because I was a teenager, I was young and new. It was my first experience. But right now, I wouldn’t look at that job and say it was challenging, because I have done some bigger and better movies and will still do more.

Right now, yes, but initially, I had to learn to do it.

You are known for crying on set, what puts

I will settle down whenever it comes, It is a thing of the mind, so when you think your mind is ready to settle down, you will. For me, It could be now, It could be tomorrow, next year or next five years.

you that

mood? I had to learn how to cry, because I don’t think about anything before bringing out the tears, I just learnt how to do it. Is it true that some actors use mentholated ointment? Well, some people could actually do that but it is not healthy, because it could harm you. So, right now, once you hear,

The industry has been rocked with various celebrity quarrels, do these have to do with the personalities involved or social ego? I think it’s the social media. The social media is a kind of demon, because everyone wants to talk about their private affairs on social media, well, some people say its publicity strategy, but I think it’s really’ really not good, but people have problems, must you now talk about it on social media? When you get slapped by a friend, must you come out to say your friend slapped you? There are better ways to settle issues than taking them the social media. What are you doing about piracy from your end?

Well privacy is something that you can never get right until you get the distribution method right. Once you get the distribution method right, you get piracy under control. What would you like the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to do for Nollywood? What every entertainment industry would want is a conducive atmosphere and platform to work and exhibit their talent and so we ask for a friendly environment and platform, and once we get that, we will be good. It is about we entertainers putting things right. How do you fend stubborn male fans off? They will always come, it is part of living, but you have a polite way of saying no and If I say no, it is no. Have you ever had an experience with a stalker? I don’t give chance to stalkers and I won’t give them the chance to stalk me, they won’t even see me to stalk me and when you see me to stalk me, I know how to put you right, I will hand you over to the authorities that will handle you.

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12 March, 2016

Caroline, Musa Danjuma, Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Joseph Yobo storm Stalker premiere THE premiere of recently released movie, Stalker, recorded an outstanding success last weekend as Nollywood big wigs, pop idols and crème de la crème of society convened at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island venue. Celebrities, who were present to give their support to one of Nollywood’s finest producers, Moses Inwang and returning actress cum producer, Caroline Danjuma, include stunning actress, Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Alex Ekubo, Don Mope, Dabota Lawson, singer Splash, Joseph and Adaeze Yobo, Yaw among other socialites. Caroline made a stunning appearance on the red carpet, clad in Toju Foyeh’s made lacey blue jumpsuit and in company of her family, including estranged billionaire husband, Musa Danjuma and their two kids. The mother of three, who made her first-in-ten-years appearance on a movie screen in Stalker, told Saturday Tribune that she was delighted to return to the movie industry, stating that she is back for business. “It was a tough but important decision I had to make for my family, but I’m delighted and happy to be back. It is business time and I will be making up to my fans who have missed me,” she said. Caroline, in a supporting role, acted alongside Jim Iyke, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Ay Comedian, Musa Danjuma, Niyola, Omawumi, Moses Inyang among others in a movie that has bagged 12 nominations and an award.

D’banj, Oprah Winfrey, Yemi Alade, Others join ONE Campaign’s Call for Global gender equality Stories by Newton-Ray Ukwuoma and Tunde Ayanda

N commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, influential figures across the world has urged world leaders to act on promises to end extreme poverty faster by investing in girls and women. Top among the influential figures who have added their voices to the campaign are Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali, D’Banj, Melinda Gates, Femi Kuti, Charlize Theron, Yemi Alade, Bono, and many others. Other numerous influential figures including Selmor Mtukudzi, Vanessa Mdee, Victoria Kimani, Amy Poehler, Danai Gurira, Angelique Kidjo, Shonda Rhimes, Jessie J, Colin Farrell and Robert Redford have also signed ONE’s open letter which shows the incredible strength of feeling across the global community for leaders to step up for girls and women everywhere. New analysis in ONE’s 2016 Poverty is Sexist report ranks the toughest countries in which to be born a girl, with Republic of Niger topping the list, followed by Somalia and Mali. Compared to their brothers, girls here have less education, lack access to opportunities, such as opening a bank account, and are less likely to get paid work when they grow up. Sixteen of the 20 countries that top the list are found in Africa, making it imperative for African leaders to fast-track efforts in improving women’s development. Thus, Pop star, D’banj said it will be very pleasant if more girls playing host to the launch event had the chance to grow up to be with over 3,000 guests excited to empowered women, where all meet #TheSpecialOne- Guinness women went to school and were not forced into early marriages. “Extreme Africa Special. Burna Boy, Simi, Ycee, Kolas- poverty is choking the potential of oul and Magnito thrilled guests generations of young women in the with Bovi and Jimmy keeping developing world. Poverty is sexist. the crowd hyped and energised It hits girls and women harder than anticipating the excitement of it does boys and men, creating a real the night. Super star DJ Spinall urgency that world leaders must brought down the roof with his address. Women need to be better music line-up, Godwin Strings empowered, especially in areas such stole the night with his amazing as agriculture and healthcare, so that talent, while Osa 7 used live graf- they can contribute their best to the fiti to bring alive the famous Eyo development of Nigeria. Women image that is synonymous with need better access to land, inputs, better maternal healthcare, among the people of Lagos. #TheSpecialOne party had others. That’s why I’m raising my earlier toured the cities of Port voice and asking others to do the Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, Benin same.” Popular singer, Yemi Alade said and Ibadan. “We live in a world where women Made of Black ambassadors, Olamide and Phyno were in their and girls are most disadvantaged by elements and the crowd went extreme poverty – on a continent wild, especially when they per- where women and girls are parformed Iranu Abacha together. ticularly marginalised - socially, Olamide even lost his shoes to economically and legally. Every the excited crowd! Olamide and day, in every corner of the world, Enimoney also took the fun a they are stopped from reaching bit higher when they performed their full potential. That is why Oyadab getting everyone to I was part of ONE’s Strong Girl pose with their Guinness Africa campaign and that is why I continue to join other leaders to raise Special. my voice today.”

BurnaBoy, Simi thrill as Guinness launches latest innovation, Guinness Africa special FOLLOWING successful launches across different cities in Nigeria, the iconic beer brand, Guinness has introduced its latest innovation,

Guinness Africa Special to the people of Lagos. ‘The Go Karting’ track at GET Arena, Lagos was transformed into a colourful, and vibrant space

Flavour donates musical equipment to home church NIGERIAN high-life superstar Chinedu Izuchukwu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour N’abania, recently paid homage to his church community in Enugu, the Church of God Mission, where he donated a variety of musical instruments to the church from where he started his music career. The now super star, who began as a church drummer, on arriving

Saturday Tribune

his community church last week as part of his West African Tour, was received by the resident pastor, his wife and handful of members of the church who prayed and wished him well. Speaking on the occasion, the 2nite entertainment recording artiste highlighted the purpose of his West African Tour stating that he was happy to give back to

the society. He said: “As well as being recognised as a successful musician and artist, the priority of my music has always been to make positive impacts on the lives of others and the communities from which I belong. For me, giving back has been an imperative part of my career, and I am now happy that I am in the position to do so consistently. “I love the fact that I am able to interact with as many people and communities in my personal time and during my time on tour. It’s all about touching lives with my music and I would like to extend my gratitude through helping those less fortunate and privileged in society, with the hope of encouraging and motivating them to not only work hard to help themselves, yet to also be conscientious of helping others.”

Lagos hosts first burlesque show, a night of magical entertainment All is set for the first ever Burlesque show in the city of Lagos. The maiden show tagged “The Spice Route Burlesque Party” will feature a variety of Broadway burlesque show and a vintage inspired style

that fuse Broadway burlesque shows with comedy and beautiful dancers. To be regarded as a night of magical entertainment, the nouveau party concept will be held at the Spice Route on Fri-

day, 25th March, 2016. Performing the famous Broadway musical “Cell Block Tango” at Spice Route this March, will be a cast of highly entertaining, fast-paced and unique variety female dance-performers.

12 March, 2016

achievers

With Ronke Sanya (Winner, NMMA Innovative Reporter of the Year 2015) 07036050161 | sanyaaderonke@gmail.com

& Oyeyemi Okunlade | 08056834515 | ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Mene Blessing:

Roller coaster of laurels

Mene Blessing, in this interview with RONKE SANYA, narrates how his innovation in agriculture has earned him 15 international awards and six international honours.

OUR company Aleph Tav Limited/UNFIRE was recognised by GES Tech 2015 for tackling one of the biggest problems confronting Nigeria’s poultry/aquaculture sector, i.e. the high cost of poultry/livestock feeds. How did you do this? Aleph Tav Limited/UNFIRE focuses on the manufacturing of animal feeds. We aim to help farmers increase their profits by making high quality and low-cost feeds input needed for growing livestock animals such as chickens, fishes and pigs. We do this by first producing feeds using IITA Aflasafe corn and also employing a string of proprietary processes that enables us to utilise water hyacinth as a key raw material for production of protein-rich feeds input that will substitute for expensive and imported wheat, soya beans and fishmeal in the formulation of feeds diet. Water hyacinth is a highly invasive aquatic weed and abundant environmental resource in the Niger Delta and Lagos waterways. It constitutes a nuisance to fishermen, ships and canoes navigating the waterways. By innovatively using them, we are poised to create thousands of jobs for youths and women, improve the livelihood of farmers in low-income parts of Nigeria and the Niger-Delta and help make chicken, eggs and fish more affordable for Nigerian citizens. How did you feel when you won the Laureate Global Prize of the International Youth Foundation, University of Cambridge Sustainability Leadership Awards, US Department of State’s Global Innovation in Science and Technology Prize and the Global Good Fund Fellowship? And how has this been beneficial to your work? I felt really good! Winning always stirs up terrific emotions in my heart. I have encountered and defeated competitors from the world’s best universities, including Harvard University, Stanford University and other Ivyleague schools from Asia, Middle East, Europe and East Africa. I see these prizes as a win, not only for me, my team or my start-up business but also for the young people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These prizes have significantly contributed to my life and business in terms of entrepreneurship and leadership

Saturday Tribune

development. These prizes have also provided financial rewards/grants to my business. You have won many accolades and international awards. Tell us about the various awards you have won, the years which you won the awards and the most memorable of them all. By God’s grace, I have won over 15 international awards and received six international honours from reputable institutions including the University of Cambridge, London Business School, University of California Berkeley, Makerere University Business School, University of Washington, and others. In February 2016, I was elected as an Ashoka Global Fellow, 2016 Grand Prize Winner of Professor Pat Utomi Business Plan Competition and I am expecting other prizes to follow suit. In 2015, I won the Laureate Global Prize of the International Youth Foundation USA, US Department of State’s Global Innovation in Science and Technology Prize and the Global Good Fund Fellowship USA. In 2014, I won awards from the University of Cambridge Sustainability Leadership Program, United Kingdom; Unreasonable Institute Global Fellowship, USA; Social Entrepreneurs Transforming Africa Fellowship, Uganda. In 2013, I won the Indiafrica Business Plan Competition South Africa and Switzerland; Pitch Awards at the Global Social Venture Competition and became the first and only Nigerian team to win the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition, USA. Other prizes include the UNESCO Commitment Award,

Winning always stirs up terrific emotions in my heart. I have encountered and defeated competitiors from world’s best universities including Harvard, Stanford and other Ivy-league schools 2013 Global Enterprise Experience, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The most memorable have been the Global Good Fund Fellowship, the Laureate Prize and the Global Innovation in Science and Technology. I mentioned some of my awards here primarily to inspire the hearts of other Nigerian youths so that they can believe in their Godgiven ideas, talents and life’s purpose, so that they learn to surmount the limitations of life through their faith and wisdom and live above the fears of financial lack. My second purpose is to encourage the Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigerian universities to learn and perfect the art of identifying high-potential youths, supporting them to unleash their entrepreneurship potential and investing in them to translate their viable

innovations into lucrative business opportunities that will create jobs, boost the Nigerian economy and encourage local production activities. Let’s stop losing our Dangotes, Bill Gates, Washington Carvers and Oprahs. League of Extraordinary Young People Accelerator (LEXY) is another of your innovation, tell us more about it. It vision and some of the success recorded so far. LEXY was born out of giving back (CSR) to other Nigerian youths and entrepreneurs. It is a five-day accelerator program where I mentor young entrepreneurs on Entrepreneurship, Idea and Product Development, Rapid Prototyping, Business Model Validation, Investor Preparedness, Effective Fundraising and Leadership. It is a 100 per cent practical learning experience. 2015 participants came from across Nigeria and they included Ibrahim Haruna of NextPage Fashion and Incomparable Model outfit, Ogunbowale Olugbenga of EPower Empowers - an ICT and Digital Media Company Ife, Oredola Ibrahim of FinoFund Ventures - a crowdfunding website for young people with creative projects, amongst others. Share with us your secret of winning local and international awards? Really! (laughs)! Well it’s very straightforward. First, I look up to the grace of God as my only source of winning! Through His life, death, burial and resurrection, Christ has already supplied me resources, opportunities, awards and other good things, I need to excel in life and based on this foundation/pattern of thinking I apply for competitions and win! Secondly, because I believe I am blessed, I have a solid work ethic and; I study and research for thousands of hours - on scientific, entrepreneurial, leadership and socio-economic issues. My secret is 100 per cent reliance on the grace of God and ensuring that, that grace is taken advantage of by being excellent at my work. Tell us about your childhood years. Have you always exhibited leadership and entrepreneurship traits as a young child? I grew up in Sapele, Delta State. And as a child I have always had an aptitude for the sciences, especially mathematics. I began studying Further Mathematics Project 1 Textbook from JSS 2 and by JSS 3, I was selected to represent my school, Ufuoma Secondary School at the Oluwole Awokoya Memorial Chemistry Competition before I proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), where I graduated in Chemistry. My parents - Mr Freeborn Okotie and Mrs Endurance Okotie - have been supportive of my educational pursuits and I remain eternally grateful for this. Words of advice to other young people full of dreams and aim to be successful like you. I would encourage young people to see life as first spiritual before seeing it as physical. As much as possible pay more attention to the development/processing of your ideas, talents and inner convictions instead of running around the place looking for investors or financiers for your unprocessed ideas. Give attention to your faith, your character and your convictions and without struggling, the wisdom and circumstances needed for you to breakthrough will locate you right where you are. Continually attempt the impossible. Do not fear failure, for it is preferable to fail at big things than to succeed at insignificant things.

12 March, 2016

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

Adeeko Olusegun adeeko.olusegun@yahoo.com 0811 695 4638

Just a Laffing Mata

National anthem

Segeluulu was arrested by the police and taken to court. Magistrate: You were arrested on the expressway for abruptly stopping your car in the middle of the road and causing about ten other vehicles behind you to run into one another, thereby causing damage and injuries. Are you guilty or not? Segeluulu: I’m not guilty, my lord. Magistrate: What is your defence? Segeluulu: I heard the National Anthem being played on the car radio and as a good citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I stopped immediately and stood at attention.

POLITICO

Mi nd yo ur b usi n ess

Segeluulu was in a taxi eating chocolate. He took another one and the man next to him said, “Do you know that eating chocolate can damage your teeth?” Segeluulu replied “My grandfather lived 123 years.” The man asked “Was it because of eating chocolate?” Segeluulu replied, “No, because he was always minding his own business.”

Muumu

FUNOLOGY

Segeluulu lost his cheque book. He decided to go to the bank after two days to report. Here is the conversation between him and the bank manager. Bank manager: But I warned you to be careful with your cheque book, because anyone can forge your signature. Segeluulu: I am not a fool, I have already signed all the cheques, so they won’t have space to forge my signature!

Romantic shopping

The following conversation ensued between Segeluulu and his father. Segeluulu: Daddy, why do you always hold mummy’s hand whenever you visit shopping malls? Father: Because if I leave her hand, she’ll pick almost everything on the shelves. Segeluulu: That’s romantic, dad. Father: It looks “ROMANTIC” but actually, it’s “ECONOMIC.”

BOOB JOB or PUSH-UP BRA?

seniorcitizen

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune WITH KATE ANI

anikate92@yahoo.com 08071080888

No Banking Day: Why Nigerians could not stay away from banks on March 1— Remi Omotoso

Seasoned administrator, industry leader in Nigeria’s financial sector and chairman of the board of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Sir Oluremi Omotoso (MFR), in this interview by KATE ANI, speaks on the Nigerian banking system as well as the economy. Excerpts:

AN you share with us your early days? I was born a little over 70 years ago, precisely on August 28, 1945, in a small town called AyedunEkiti. I grew up in that environment until my early adulthood. For the first 16 years of my life, I lived virtually in that environment. My parents were from a very humble background. They were illiterate but I helped my mother to get through adult education. When I was in Modern School, she was attending adult education class and was able to read the bible but she never was able to write. Neither was my father any better, but I lost him when I was about 17 years old. My parents were not able to buy me a pair of shoes until I was 14. I had to walk barefooted to school but they cared so much about my education. From Modern School, I proceeded to Grade III Teachers College, where we were taught to teach lower classes in the primary school. After completion, I was posted to Baptist College, where I taught for two years. I also schooled there. When I finished, I decided not to further to grade two because grade three was very torturous, as I suffered at the hands of my seniors. I studied GCE ordinary level at home, while still teaching. By 1966, I was given admission to the universityies of Ibadan, Ife and Lagos but I eventually chose Ibadan and studied Geography. When I went home for holidays during my second year, my mother wouldn’t allow me to concentrate on my project. She still saw me as that little boy she used to send to hawk matches, cigarette and kerosene. She asked me to be splintering woods and make sheds for her and I felt it would disturb my project and refused. She was very upset and wondered what education had done to me that I refused to run errands for her anymore. She chased me around with a cane to beat some sense into me. While wielding her long cane at me, she would say ‘what is this thing called ‘university’ that would not allow you to obey me, your mother?!’ You were chairman of various multinational companies like Asset Management Greenwich Trust and DN Meyer Plc. You were Group Managing Director, Odu’a Investments and currently chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, your mother must be proud of you now… Yes, she was. My first stint in the corporate world after my university education was at Lever Brothers Nigeria (now Unilever). I was one of their best employees in Africa and Middle East. I worked there for 20 years after being appointed a director. I left Unilever because I was headhunted to become the Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investments. They were looking for someone with my own kind of experience rather than a civil servant converted at the later part of their life or close to the exit of their career. They sourced for me because Odu’a Investments ought to be about business, not politics. I got there and gave it business orientation and aligned it with modern management practices. I was there for six years and I left to be the Director-General\Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Because of the conglomerate nature of Odu’a, while still working there, I was privileged to get into companies like Nigerite, Lafarge and Guinness. I played a role in corporate governance in those organisations. Based on the various experiences I have had, I became readily appointed to boards of a number of companies like BN Meyer. I got to Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria as their independent director and later became the chairman of the company. I am also the Group Chairman of Greenwich Trust. As the chairman of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, what is your take on the frivolous charges Continues pg39

While wielding her long cane at me, she would say ‘what is this thing called ‘university’ that would not allow you to obey me, your mother?!

politics&policy

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune With Saheed Salawu 0811 695 4643

yinkadejavu@yahoo.com

Nigeria runs a ‘street beggar economy’ —Ogunlewe Former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, in this interview by BOLA BADMUS, speaks on various national issues. Excerpts:

HE administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has so far focused on its anticorruption crusade, how would you assess the government’s success in this regard? I appreciate the determination of President Buhari to fight corruption but he should make it all-inclusive. The perception of the people is that he is targeting the [Peoples Democratic Party] PDP members. He should not allow that to happen because there are several members of his own party that are also corrupt that we know of. All he can do is to make a law of general application, that is, everybody should declare his assets. This is the way they fight corruption all over the world. It is not an individual matter. It can be through Board of Inland Revenue. He can make a law asking all Nigerians to, between January and March, fill asset declaration form. That way, they are able to assess what you have and determine who is corrupt and who is not. Anything you forget to declare every year to pay tax on belongs to the government. That is what is done all over the world. That is the way to fight corruption through legislative means. In England and America, if you refuse to fill your tax form every year, it is six months imprisonment. So, anywhere an American is, he must fill his tax form. We must get to that stage. If you cannot explain the source of your wealth, you are caught. But there are so many people who are still stealing. You cannot fight corruption by arresting people alone. Let us make it a legislative matter. All Nigerians, anywhere, must fill their tax forms between January and March. Even if the American president doesn’t fill the form in a year, he goes to prison. Tax evasion is the most serious crime anyone could commit against a nation. We must get there now. Whoever has N10 billion in his bank account or has 20 houses, he would declare them, but if you forget to declare them, they would go to the government. It is a law of general application. That is how far we should go. Do you think that only PDP members are being targeted in the ongoing battle against corruption? No, I don’t. Buhari is doing what we ought to have done years ago. Corruption has been with us for years and the perpetrators are still with us. Buhari is just showing that he is determined and that is makes a difference. It takes a courageous leadership to tackle corruption. Are you not concerned that the majority of those that have so far been accused of corruption are PDP members or people who have one thing or another to do with your party? The PDP was not the only party in government; there were also governors that belonged to different parties. Many people think that corruption is only at the federal level but there is massive corruption at the state and local government levels, too. If you realise how much the Federal Government has been allocating to each local government, you will weep for this country. Where is the money? Let us be a little bit scientific, how much money has the Federal Government been giving to each local government? Let the [Economic and Financial Crimes Commission] EFCC go to each local government and ask them to account for what they have been taking. In fighting, let us target institutions, not necessarily individuals. They [the EFCC] should also go to each state and ask them to render account of what they have been collecting and how they spent the money. Then, you will be constructive in how you fight corruption. This is what the EFCC should do. If the agency targets individuals, they will take it to court and drag on the case, but if you fight institutions, it is easier to retrieve stolen or misappropriated money. But there are insinuations that the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) is working towards the annihilation of the PDP before 2019. That is a defeatist argument. I am not someone who is afraid of a momentary thing. The person that is going to be our candidate in 2019 election is what is important. There is nothing to be afraid of, but the PDP must produce a candidate that can fly. We are not going to vote for party in 2019, we are going to vote for the person that can lead us. Some Nigerians have accused President Buhari of concentrating too much on anti-corruption crusade and starving other sectors of due attention to the detriment of the country, what do you make of the accusation?

Do you know what a street beggar does? He puts a bowl in front of himself in the morning, have people throw in money, takes the money, spends it and comes back the next morning to repeat the process. That is what we have been doing. Honestly, let’s give it to him. The members of his cabinet can lead us to the Promised Land if they are serious, but the only person I can see now is Buhari. They should work as a team, formulate policies on the different sectors and revive the economy. But our budgeting system is faulty. How? Why would you make revenue from the customs service as part of your revenue? Is that wrong? It is wrong. It means you are encouraging importation. If you target import duties as one of biggest sources of income, it means you want to import more to get additional revenue. Is that your policy or you want to substitute import with export? So, it is excise duties that should be your revenue, not import duties. That is number one. Number two, we are running what [the sage, Chief Obafemi] Awolowo called ‘street beggar economy.’ Do you know what a street beggar does? He puts a bowl in front of himself in the morning, have people throw in money, takes the money, spends it and comes back the next morning to repeat the process. That is what we have been doing. Income from oil goes to Abuja, they share it and everybody goes away. And then they come back the next month. In some other countries, they don’t do that. The national budget is not supposed to be about income and expenditure if you must develop the country with the budget.

What they do all over the world now is to run a knowledge-based economy by investing 20 per cent of their income in research. This will move us from ‘street beggar economy’ to knowledgebased economy, which is what drives North Korea, India, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. We are not investing enough in knowledge. We must invest more in science, innovation and research. We have many universities and research institutions but we don’t use them. But a serious nation uses research to develop its economy. Research and innovation are more important to a country than any other thing. Fortunately, we have researchers in this government and we should use them. They should not be allowed to just sit down there; they must use research to develop our economy. What must they do? Two things. One, they must establish a national commission for science, research and innovation and put all research institutions under that commission. They must establish national research fund and 20 per cent of our revenue should go into that fund. Only Bill Gates and the Ford Foundation are now funding our researches. The Nigerian government only uses TETfund to do research. This country is not serious. They must make research the first option for our national development. They talk about the naira sliding, but that is from the economic point of view. They listen to the economists alone who would tell them about income and expenditure but they never listen to researchers. Go and look at the indices of all the countries that are at the top, it is true knowledge. We must remove ourselves from all these types of economy and go into knowledge-based economy, where it is only your intellect that would determine what you get, not all these 419 people that are talking of economy, no. Only intellectual people should talk about the national economy. How do you think the PDP can come back in 2019? It requires planning. It is not by words of mouth but I believe it is doable. I have been doing some research and it points in that direction. You can see that the margin of defeat in the last election was not bad. The 2015 election was manipulated. We should look at that too. But five of our [PDP] states control 52 per cent of the revenue of this nation so, we are not shortchanged. Look at the 12 states we are controlling, we have N46 billion that is allocated to them every month out of N112 billion for the whole federation. Looking at the percentage, we are not doing badly. The total Federation Account allocation for January was N112 billion and for 12 PDP states, N46 billion was allocated. We have the resources. We have the people to fight the battle in the future, so, I am not afraid. I am confident that 2019 will be different.

39 interview

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Banks can stop politicians from diverting public funds —Remi Omotoso proficiency.

Continued from pg37

by banks, which was the reason for a call recently to boycott banking halls? The call for that boycott doesn’t make sense. I mean, banking is not done for free; it is a business that has to be sustained. It doesn’t get Federal Government allocation. It depends on utilising the investment of shareholders to do its business. Now, what is business? Adding value and giving returns to investors on their investments. No bank will ever go out of the regulated rate to charge any atrocious charge. The most regulated business in the world is banking because they know that if the business is not regulated, there can be a ‘shylockish’ approach to it. It is a free enterprise. If you don’t like what I charge, what do you do? You move to another bank. At a time when banks were charging Commission on Turnover (COT), the Central Bank of Nigeria said no, COT would no longer be charged and from then, banks stopped charging COT. Any bank caught charging it would be penalised. Aside from being a chairman, I am a bank customer. I am also charged maintenance of this and that. Apart from the maintenance charges, the central bank also said we will be charged N50 for stamp duty on every transaction.

What would you say about banks that keep politicians’ loot? If any bank is caught keeping money from dubious sources, it should have itself to blame because they have sufficient room to ask questions. When I went for anti-money laundering training, there is what we called political post people, either in terms of credit that politicians ask for or when you know your customers. If somebody suddenly comes with billions of naira to deposit in their accounts and you don’t ask questions and the bubble bursts, you have yourself to blame. Had it been that some banks complied with these rules, the issue of politicians diverting billions into their accounts would have been nipped in the bud.

Nigerians are also not happy with that… It is not the fault of the banks. The money goes to the Federal Government. Banks are just agents and I don’t even think they are paid any commission for handling the charge. I am not saying we should allow ourselves to be exploited. I like the new spirit of Nigerians, standing up for what they think is their right. I support that any day but we must find out more about what we are fighting for or against. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) made a public announcement about this charge, why fight the bank that is an agent and not turning your attention to the principal? That call for protest didn’t eventually work and it couldn’t have worked because banking transaction is a major lifeline. I think what we need to do is to organise ourselves better, create a forum with the bankers committee to air their grievance on behalf of the masses. What is your definition of a good bank? A good bank gives optimum service to its customers, supports the economic growth and development of the country. It gives good return of investments of the shareholders, pays its tax as and when due and does not support corruption. Do you think Nigerian banks fall within that category? I can’t say so because I don’t inspect. The CBN and the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) are the ones that are charged with the responsibility of certifying the health and responsibility of every bank. How would you react to allegations that competition among banks is driving staff members crazy with many of them not having time for their family and social life? I have heard it from several quarters where bank employees complain that they spend so much time at work and have no time for their private lives. Without generalising, let me now narrow it to the bank where I am chairman. The way we work in Standard Chartered Bank gives room for a more reasonable balance between work and life. There is what we call work and life management. It is a very critical issue that needs to be addressed. In today’s corporate world, there is no longer a nine-to-five job because there is so much to do. Employers must create an enabling environment for work; they must not be exploitative or set targets to employees that are not easy or realistic. They should deviate from driving workers crazy. On the side of the employee, they must learn to not only work hard but also smartly. How do you mean, smartly? They should employ a higher level of intellect to handle their job and also develop themselves and their skills. Your skills should help you to resolve issues that are put before you. There is this perception that there is no job security in banks, it is believed that one could be fired without prior notice, why is this so? As far as job security is concerned, I was expecting you

to say that people are losing their jobs to computers. A lot of jobs that were being done by hand in the days before ICT advanced to the level where it is today have been taken over by machine. If some banks are just getting into that phase, some people would go and it is not a one-time issue. That ICT advancement is continuous; we are bound to have human beings losing to equipment. It is like people in the manufacturing industry, particularly in the automobile, losing jobs to robots. Secondly, there is the need for bank employees to upgrade skills. Although they are given internal training, they are also expected to get into self-development. If your performance is no longer equal to expectation, there is no doubt that you will be shown the way out to give room for those who can deliver. If a few people lose their job, you cannot equate it to mass disengagement. In the bank where I work, that does not happen. Just as people go when the business is being re-engineered and we also have people coming in either because of the skills they have or their potential to be developed to match the bank’s needs. It is not a case of job insecurity. It is systemic and also related to level of

If any bank is caught keeping money from dubious sources, it should have itself to blame because they have sufficient room to ask questions.

In the last few weeks when the exchange rate skyrocketed to an unbelievable rate, Nigerians believed that there was a cabal behind it. Do you also share that belief? Even if there are people behind that happening, we are the ones that put ourselves into their hands to be manipulated because everybody is looking at the effect, instead of the cause. The cause of all this is that we have been extremely careless, lacking foresight or just negligent about the danger of relying on one commodity, which is petroleum oil. We have neglected diversification and refused to utilise the resources we have in the country. We spend billions of dollars importing commodities. That is why I said we played into the hands of those who are responsible for manipulating the exchange rate. They have seen our weaknesses and are exploiting it big time. I will not be surprised if one day, a dollar to a naira would be N1,000. We need to be self-oriented and work on our needs. Do you think the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will get it right, given the state of the economy? You can’t cure a problem that has lasted for over 40 years in four or eight years. What he can do is to lay the foundation to re-orientate Nigerians away from import dependency. I am happy that I am witnessing this development because we saw it coming. In my days in Unilever, I helped initiate about five or six industries producing materials that we were formerly importing. When you import, you are encouraging exportation of labour. In Nigeria, We are suffering from huge unemployment rate and its social consequences. For everything you import, you are helping to sustain employment of the countries where those things are being manufactured. Youths of this country can’t be employed on the basis of importation of goods and services. I am not saying we should be totally self-reliant but at least we must aim at providing 70-75 percent of our requirements locally. Indians were like us before, now they make their own automobiles. They have over 3,000 plants making motor spare parts in India. A lot of the military trucks imported here like Tata are made in India. It is so easy for us to import but we don’t have the patience, discipline, restraint and endurance to get things started and sustained in Nigeria. It is a shame. The payback time is now. We are going to go through a very excruciating period which may produce good result in future, if we begin to relay the foundation of our economy.

feature

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

How Glo celebrated Olubadan’s coronation

RIDAY, 4th March, 2016 was a day that Ibadan and its esteemed indigenes will not forget in a hurry for its importance. It was the day the 41st Olubadan of Ibadan ascended the throne of his father. From the day of the announcement of the death of the immediate past Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade on January 19, the city had been agog with activities as indigenes waited with bated breath. Soon after the departed Oba was interred, the city broke out in pomp and circumstances as all fingers pointed to the man in line for the exalted stool. Then Otun Olubadan, Saliu Adetunji was the apparent monarch-in-waiting having risen since 1976 when he became the Mogaji of his extended family through 32 chieftaincy lines before the D-day when he assumed his new role as the Olubadan. Early hours of the D-day witnessed a huge turnout of Ibadan indigenes and their friends from all walks of life who converged on the Oja Oba-Mapo axis of the city to catch a glimpse of the new man of destiny. The coronation which was held at the Oja’Ba Square had prominent Ibadan indigenes as well as traditional rulers State Manager, Oyo 1, Globacom, Mr Tunji Omoworare; member, Olubadan Coronation Reception Committee, Prince Lanre Ogundipe; Zonal and captains of industry. Oba Adetunji, Business Director, South West Globacom, Mr. James Akpomiemie and State Manager, Oyo 2, Globacom, Mr Adeniyi Adesanya at the royal banquet. an erudite businessman and record label owner whose clout had sired notable musicians, including late awurebe singer, Alhaji Dauda Akanmu Epo Akara and King Wasiu Ayinde K1 who had stuck with the Olubadan at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan home since the coronation was announced. In its character as a reputable supporter of cultural and traditional events, next generation network, Globacom, was at the forefront as main sponsor of a royal banquet which was organised to celebrate and announce the radiance of the brand new Olubadan and what better event centre to host the banquet than the historic Ibadan Recreation Club! Speaking on its rationale for sponsoring the royal banquet, Globacom said that it remained proud of the cultural heritage of the Nigerian people from all the geopolitical zones, adding that it was committed to promoting their cultures through robust support for celebrations of festivals and events with strong traditional values. The company also added that it felt proud to associate with the tradition of unity and stability which the Olubadan of Ibadanland’s stool symbolises. Popular Fuji artiste King Wasiu Ayinde K1 and sensational pop-gospel singer, Lanre Teriba, popularly known as Atorise, treated their fans to good music at the royal banquet. The royal banquet pulled a massive crowd of fun-lovers from across the city to the Recreation Club Sabo, Ibadan, where talented Ibadan-based compere and OnAir Personality, Yemi Sonde functioned as Master of Ceremonies as Taiye Obama Lanre Teriba, a.k.a. Atorise, on stage at the banquet. supplied rib-cracking jokes. The royal banquet which was organised Chief SL Lagunju, lawyer and Ibadan-born 90-year-old displayed its commitment to the welfare of Nigerians by in collaboration with the Olubadan Coronation Recepchildhood friend of the new monarch could not resist the not only making its products and services available but by tion Committee was to add music, dance and comedy to urge to dance as he walked gingerly to the podium where providing an atmosphere of glee and euphoria at such an the camaraderie engendered by the coronation of Oba he moved rhythmically to the beats to the admiration of epochal ceremony as the king’s coronation. Adetunji a day previously. Oba Adetunji had expressed appreciation to the goverattendees at the banquet. K1 is a long-standing associate of the Olubadan who Mrs Banke Ajao, an indigene of Ibadan who attended nor of Oyo State, Senator, Abiola Ajimobi whose leaderwas signed to the traditional ruler’s record label in the the banquet gave kudos to Globacom for its support for ship culminated in the colourful and unprecedentedly early 80s. His beats got sons and daughters of the city the coronation and especially for the royal banquet which classy coronation ceremony where the governor presented from all walks of life shuffling their feet while some apthe staff of office to the Oba. He similarly thanked Globashe described as a breath of fresh air in the town. preciated the Fuji king by pasting crisp naira notes on Ahmed Apampa, another Ibadan indigene expressed ap- com and other corporate organisations which added glitz his forehead. Earlier while Lanre Teriba was performing, preciation to Globacom and noted that the company had and glamour to the historical event.

41 feature

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Bad day for fraudsters, as mob attack them, destroy their operational car

The suspects and the operational vehicle vandalised by the mob. PHOTO:OLUWATOYIN MALIK The victim, Mrs Aminat Gafar. By Oluwatoyin Malik

he month of February did not end well for the trio of Ayobami Akintunde (50), Niniola Abiola (48) and Monsurat Kareem (40), as they were almost lynched by an irate mob at Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State, over suspected kidnapping. They were, however, saved by policemen from Sango Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, one SP Joyce, who was joined by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Oyo State Police Command. Saturday Tribune’s findings, which were confirmed by the state Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, during a press briefing on Monday, March 7, however revealed that the suspects were conmen who belonged to a syndicate popularly called Gbajue or 419, who fraudulently obtained money from unsuspecting victims by playing on their psychology. According to the police commissioner, the four-member syndicate operated in a Honda Saloon car with registration number BDJ 913 DB. One of them, Abiola, accosted a 28-year-old woman, Mrs Amina Gafar at Sango area on the fateful day, asking for direction to a non-existing area. From that point, other suspects, who pretended to be passersby, joined, while Abiola started making revelations about each of them. Swallowing the bait, albeit reluctantly, Mrs Gafar, who had a polythene bag containing N5,000, dropped it so that she could walk a distance to pick a stone without looking back, as instructed by Abiola. Gafar, however, went against the instruction at a point, only to discover, to her consternation that the ‘prophetess’ and the two ‘passersby’ had boarded a car, about to move away with her money. She raised the alarm and people who came from different directions descended on three of the members while one of them escaped. Not only were they pummeled, the Honda car they operated in was vandalised and turned into scrap metal by the mob which insisted on setting them on fire. One of the suspects, Abiola, had her right eye pierced with an object, making it drip blood. The three suspects still bore the wounds and bruises that resulted from the mob action as of the time of filing this report. Narrating her experience, Gafar, a mother of six, said: “That day, I came to Sango area from Olomi area where I lived. On my way back home, I decided to go to Oritamerin market to buy soya beans that I was using to make cheese for sale. As I stood waiting for a commercial bus, a woman (whom I later knew to be Kareem) asked me for direction to a place but I replied that I was not familiar with the area.

“She approached another woman and she also gave the same reply as I did, unknown to me that they belonged to the same syndicate. The next thing she said was that I should pray very well so that I would not cry over my first child. I thanked her and made to go but she called me again and said I should buy three edible things like sugar cane, orange and aadun (a corn delicacy in Yorubaland) as alms so that I would not die before seven days. I became afraid. “She also spoke to the other woman and told her that she had twins, one of whom was dead. The woman confirmed the statement. She then asked the woman to pray for twins for me. Inwardly, I wondered what I needed twins for. She asked the woman to drop all the things she was holding and moved forward to about three poles without looking back and bring a stone back. “Kareem asked me to hold her purse for her while she obeyed the instructions given to her. I told her I could not, so that I would not land in trouble in case she claimed anything was missing. But she insisted and pushed the purse into the polythene bag I was carrying, just to win my confidence. “She went and came back. I was then told to do the same thing. I had a feeling that I should not go. I hesitantly moved a few steps and stopped. The woman came to me and said it was as if I didn’t believe her. She asked me to spit into my palm and I did. To my surprise, the saliva appeared at the back of my hand. “A man also appeared and the woman told him to go and release the two people he put in cell. The man introduced himself as a policeman and said that the people he locked up were thieves. He then advised me that I should not doubt what I was told.

This is my second outing and I have never gained from this crime; I have always been at the receiving end. I believe that the beating I went through was God showing Himself to me that He was not happy at the path I have toed.

“His status gave me confidence and I moved forward to pick a stone as I was instructed. I was told not to look back but a spirit asked me to look back and I did. I saw that the two women were already in the car with a man. The other man who called himself a policeman was standing, and as I started shouting thief, thief, he ran away. “The suspects quickly threw my polythene bag at me. The crowd stopped me from leaving the scene so that I could narrate my experience to the police.” The woman vowed never to respond to any request from any stranger, saying that she learnt a hard lesson through her experience. One of the suspects, Abiola, an Ibadan indigene, who confirmed the victim’s narration, confessed to Saturday Tribune thus: “Yes it is true we collected a woman’s money, but immediately she raised the alarm, we threw her money back at her. But the mob descended on us and beat us silly until we were rescued by the police. I just started the fraud business about a month ago. It was one Sunday who escaped arrest that introduced the idea to me. The government should forgive me; I will never be involved in such a thing again. Another suspect, Monsurat Kareem (40), who came from Lagos State to join other members of the syndicate, said she was also invited by Sunday. “I knew Sunday in Lagos. I was greatly indebted as a result of money I borrowed from a microfinance bank. I invested in business but it collapsed. When I explained to him, he said I should come and join a group. That was how I got involved,” she explained. Monsurat also disclosed that she had once been arrested over a similar case and spent three months in remand at Agodi prisons before she was released. “Please, help me appeal to the government not to take me to the prison because it would be like a death sentence. “This is my second outing and I have never gained from this crime; I have always been at the receiving end. I believe that the beating I went through was God showing Himself to me that He was not happy at the path I have toed, which is a path of destruction.” The third suspect, Ayobami Akintunde (50), an Ikire indigene who resides in Abeokuta, also claimed that he decided to be a fraudster because he could not pay his children’s school fees. “I use my private car for commercial purpose but it was not yielding much money for me. My role was to convey the syndicate members with my car. I just thank God for the timely arrival of the police. If not, I would have been a dead man now. It is now that I know that police is our friend.” Oyebade however said that the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.

12 March, 2016

motoring I

NNOSON Nigeria Limited is currently blazing the trail as an indigenous auto manufacturing company in Nigeria. The blue chip company, which engages primarily in the importation, assembling and marketing of automotive components and accessories in the country, also deploys same operational mechanism into assembling of motorcycles and its spare parts and sales to both within the country and West African sub-region. The auto company which started in 1986 as a trading outfit of Honda motorcycle parts and later major dealer of Honda Motorcycle parts, has now grown to become a market leader in made in Nigeria cars. The company recently made headlines when it made public display of its products, and especially, became a trending issue on the social media, when it delivered its vehicles - Sporty Utility Vehicles (SUV) to Senator Ben Bruce, who has been spearheading the campaign for patronising made in Nigeria products with the slogan “Buy Nigeria to grow Nigeria.” Innoson only began to localise its products in 1994, which according to the company, was after it acquired “vast knowledge and experience in the motorcycle business,” it decided to entered into joint venture of assembling motorcycle in Nigeria with a Chinese Motorcycle manufacturer. Initially, the company began assembling

Saturday Tribune

With Seyi Gesinde seyigesinde@yahoo.com 08116954632

Innoson: Blazing the trail in made in Nigeria vehicles

its products manually, but as a result of high cost of production and low profits, it diversified into mass production of its products. “We never relented in our efforts in breaking through our dream in making sure that motorcycles are sold to the masses at affordable prices hence, in 1995, we installed a fully automated assembly plant which can produce up to 1,000 units of motorcycle per day,” this, the company said it achieved at its earlier stage of production. Now based at Nnewi, Anambra State, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company (IVM) was commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, as part of the Innoson Group of Companies founded by Mr Innocent Chukwuma. To make its vehicles accessible to general consumers, Innoson, in partnership with auto firms in China, Japan and Germany, source for products from these countries to make the vehicles in Nigeria. Innoson’s product line includes heavy duty vehicles, middle and high level buses and special environment-friendly vehicles. The company said it carries out optimisation design and assembly according to West-African road condition so as to produce suitable products at affordable prices. The company said it also provides good services for repairs and parts supply. “All these actions are engineered to meet the customers’ special requests, attain the highest possible performance and safety standards and also make the vehicles suitable for the West-African market,” the company said.

Nigerian-made Peugeot 508 high in standard, emission control PEUGEOT launched its flagship in the country, Peugeot 508, 2016 model, which it said is unique for its adherence to latest automobile standard, especially in efficiency and emission control. The all-new Peugeot 508, 2016 edition runs on Euro 5 engine, which according to global standard, is known for its extremely pure efficiency and high standard in emission control. Another feature which makes the vehicle different is the fact that it was locally assembled at the company’s assembly plant in Kaduna, succeeding the Peugeot 508 2013 model, which the company said was built with 100 per cent quality comparable to Peugeot factory in France and in accordance to global quality standard of the Peugeot brand. Peugeot 508 was unveiled in Abuja, and during the ceremony, the company said this latest model, an improved version in Peugeot line up, is “fully automated and has the highest standard in efficiency, emission and environmental compliance.” The automaker said: “The new edition has met stringent environmental emission regulation standards in terms of functionality, outlook and the design, the new 508 is

a lot better; the front has been redesigned to give it more elegance and better customer experience. The new Peugeot 508 also comes with a touch screen control panel which helps in limiting the driver from being distracted, with permanent safety features which is a standard for every Peugeot car. To make it affordable for buyers, the automaker said the new Peugeot 508 has a marginal three per cent difference with the former version and 10 per cent cheaper than its competitors, while it also competes favourably with other

brands in its category. Peugeot 508 has good fuel economy which gives it longer mileage, as its fuel runs on 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres. One of its userfriendly features is the vehicle’s touch screen, while the National Automotive Design and Development Council has also applauded the vehicle in terms of its interior designs and improvements in the engine management system. In essence, the breakthrough the Kaduna-based auto manufacturing company has recorded over the years has positioned it as a leading

manufacturer of automobiles in Nigeria. Incorporated in 1972 as a joint venture between the Federal Government and Automobile Peugeot of France, the Kaduna factory was commissioned in 1975 and production commenced the same year. Now, the factory has an installed capacity to produce 90,000 cars per annum in three shifts. The company said it still has space for future expansion and can generate direct employment for over 5,000 people.

From production of 160 cars per day in two shifts in 1981, the Kaduna plant now has a capacity of producing 250 vehicles a day, assembling two models Peugeot 301 (with four variants) and 508 (two variants). To produce its vehicles, the auto company relies primarily in outsourcing products locally in both material and human for production of vehicles, yet, it said locally made Peugeot vehicles maintain standards to the highest international standards in automobile manufacturing.

news

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Planned sack of over 1,000 staff of LAUTECH unwarranted —Osun JOHESU Oluwole Ige -Osogbo

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade (right), being presented with an award by the National Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Dr Faruk Maiyama.

PCRC honours Oyo CP with ‘Most Community Policing Compliant’ award By Oluwatoyin Malik

N recognition of his contribution towards effective community policing since his assumption of duty in Oyo State, Commissioner of Police Leye Oyebade has been presented an award by the national council of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), as the ‘PCRC’s Most Community Policing Compliant Commissioner of Police 2015’. The presentation of the award took place on March 4, 2016 during the PCRC 2016 national conference held at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre, Gwarimpa, Abuja. In a letter sent to the police commissioner to notify him of his being chosen for an award, it was indicated that the nomination “is sequel to your innovative partnership approach with community folks, which has inspired public confidence and support for the police in your command, leading to massive crime reduction in Oyo State.” Speaking during the award ceremony which was part of the activities that took place at the two-day conference, the national chairman of the PCRC, Dr Faruk Maiyama described Oyebade as the

people’s idea of a modern day police officer, saying that he had portrayed himself as someone who sees himself as part of the people. The chairman noted that the police commissioner had met with residents of the state even at rural areas, which he said had made it easy for community people to trust the police more than in the past. Other awardees included the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase; the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of logistics and supply, Mamman Tsafe; the Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commandant, Police Staff College, Mbu Joseph Mbu; and the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Musa Katsina. The PCRC said the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ given to Arase was borne out of the innovations he created that would outlive him, citing the creation of complaint response unit and www.stopthebribes, as well as his insistence that suspects should not be arrested without evidence, among others. The reason behind Tsafe’s award, according to the PCRC, was his closeness to the Committee, exhibited in the hall he constructed for the PCRC in Sokoto

State when he was Commissioner of Police. Mbu’s award, the body added, was based on his intimidating achievements and personal commitment to leave every posting better that he met it through crime busting, building construction, staff’s welfare, among others. Katsina’s zero tolerance for criminals, which made his entry into a state to spell doom for criminals, was the reason for his being given the award, the PCRC also stated. In his keynote address at the conference, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, noted that the police community partnership approach to crime was not only germaine to solving crime, but also necessary for crime prevention. Arase, who was represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Patrick Dukumor, pointed at the PCRC as one of the key and strategic partners of the police, saying that they had lived up to their billing in providing logistic support and timely information that helped in unraveling criminal incidents. He enjoined PCRC members to continue to be at the forefront of expounding partnership values, prob-

lem solving approach, empowerment and accountability, to complement the efforts of the police towards quality service delivery. Expressing his appreciation of the award given, CP Oyebade gave glory to God and dedicated the award to the officers and men he had worked with. He noted that two of the policy thrusts of the Inspector General of Police were intelligence-led policing and community partnership, saying that the award had encouraged him to do more so as to further gain the confidence of the public. He praised the efforts of PCRC members whom he said had been sacrificing their time and energy without any allowance or reward, describing them as the backbone of the police’s partnership with the public. Oyebade also expressed his gratitude to the media which he said formed part of whatever achievement is attributed to him, saying that it would have been difficult to appraise him if he had not been projected. Oyebade assured that he would continue to welcome constructive criticisms from members of the public, as it would help his command in knowing its inadequacies and shortcomings.

Court orders DSS to release detained Ekiti lawmaker Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital has ordered the immediate release of a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, representing Efon Constituency, Hon Afolabi Akanni from the detention of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja. Hon Akanni was whisked away on Friday last week, when armed men of the DSS invaded the Ekiti State

House of Assembly complex and he has since been held in the DSS headquarters in Abuja. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, while delivering the ruling yesterday, in suit number FHC/ AD/CS/8/16 filed on behalf of Hon. Akanni by his counsel, Obafemi Adewale, said the DSS did not meet all the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The judge, who also restrained the DSS from further arresting and detaining Hon Akanni, ruled that

warrant to produce Hon Akanni in court should be served on the DSS. Justice Taiwo said the court heard the application urgently because of the life and liberty of a citizen was at stake. In the motion ex parte, a member of the state House of Assembly, representing Oye Constituency II, Hon. Adetunji Akinyele, had deposed to a 21-page affidavit, bordering on the infringement of Hon. Akanni’s fundamental human rights.

Apart from seeking the immediate release of Hon Akanni from DSS detention, the appellant also sought an order of injunction restraining the DSS and its representatives from further arresting and detaining him. Justice Taiwo, who ordered the DSS to release Hon. Akanni immediately, further ordered that alternatively, the DSS should produce the lawmaker in his court in Ado-Ekiti next Wednesday, March 16.

FOLLOWING the Osun State government decision to sack over 1,000 staffers of Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Osogbo, workers in the hospital, under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on Friday described the development as unwarranted and against the recommendation of the staff audit committee. Irked by the mass retrenchment, the aggrieved workers on Tuesday demonstrated within the complex of the hospital to register their displeasure against the decision of the government. The JOHESU also forwarded a petition to the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Hon Najeem Salaam calling for the reversal of the mass sack. According to the petition, signed by the chairman and secretary of JOHESU, LAUTECH chapter, Comrade A. Afolabi and Comrade V.I Ayano respectively “in reference to government gazette No 1, Vol. 26 of 12th January, 2016 page 9 and 10, JOHESU wishes to bring to your attention the executive order of Mr. Governor to implement mass retrenchment of over 1,000 workers in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo”. “Your Honourable will recall that forensic auditors were employed to carry out auditing exercise in the institution. The report of the audit gave favourable recommendations to Mr. Governor, however none of the recommendations were honoured. Mr. Governor gave contrary instructions that workers should be sacked”. “We hereby appeal that your Honourable will investigate the matter for your possible intervention as a matter of urgent importance while we expect that the entire House will prevail on Mr. Governor not to implement his decision to sack. But, the government in a statement signed by the director, bureau of communication and strategy to the governor, Mr Semiu Okanlawon said the forensic audit of LAUTECH staff revealed unapproved recruitments. The statement reads in part, “government cannot act outside the outcome of a forensic audit of the staff of the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital Osogbo which has identified cases of irregularities in the recruitment of some staff” “The audit panel set up in 2015, revealed that about 678 staffers were illegally employed without government approval. Besides, some of these staffers were just administrative officers not urgently needed for the growth of the hospital. “Available statistics also showed that some of the administrative officers in question with Bachelors Degrees and Higher National Diploma holders were recruited as security and Ward Assistants on Grade Level 02 only to be promoted to Level 07 within three months of their unapproved appointment. “Government thus noted that it discovered over 500 staff that are Executive and Assistant Executive Officers more than triple the number of available doctors and consultants. What sense would it make for hospital with 34 administrative officers; 56 consultants and 154 Resident Doctors to employ 426 Administrative Executive Officers,” the statement queried.

Strike paralyses activities at JUTH Isaac Shobayo -Jos THE Joint Health Sector Unions, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) chapter, on Friday, paralysed activities at the hospital following a strike embarked upon by the union over non-implementation of memorandum of understanding with the management of the hospital for provision of consumables and other needs of the hospital. After the expiration of the 14 days’ ultimatum given to the management, the union pulled out its members yesterday to embark on an indefinite strike until the management accedes to their demands. The workers barricaded the entrance to the teaching hospital, chanting anti-management slogans while others carried placard with various inscriptions denouncing the management. The chairman of the union, Comrade Mustapha Kabir said consumables were raised as dominant issues in their demands but were treated with levity by the management, adding that consumables such as drugs, stationeries, laboratory re-agents gloves were lacking while MRI CT Scan machines were in bad shapes. Responding to the allegations, the Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, Professor Edmund Banwat, said the management of the hospital had been discussing with the unions to make them see the reason why activities must not be disrupted.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Super Eagles’ Prince Aggreh (right) battles for ball possession with a Guinean player during the last AFCON 2016, held in Rwanda.

Amodu charges Flamingos to beat S/Africa

Egypt:

Siasia sends Aggreh, Bassey, others packing S UPER Eagles head coach, Samson Siasia has pruned his squad of home stars, underlining the fact that preparation for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Egypt has moved up several levels. Five players have been released from the camp, while another one has been sent to the U-23 team also preparing for an international friendly against Brazil. Defenders Christopher Madaki and Oke Ogagatewho, midfielder Hassan

Yau, attackers Prince Aggreh and Ezekiel Bassey have been told to return and stay with their clubs, while petit winger, Bright Onyedikachi has been asked to report to the Dream Team. Super Eagles media officer, Toyin Ibitoye told thenff.com that only 13 players are now expected in camp next week as the coaches strive to raise the stakes ahead of the crucial games against Egypt. “The coaches are gradually cutting down the numbers,” Ibitoye disclosed. “Next week, more play-

Vital’O will fall

—Enyimba striker ENYIMBA FC striker, Stephen Chukwude believes his side can get the season right on track by defeating Vital’O of Burundi in tomorrow’s CAF Champions League encounter at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt. The People’s Elephant were stunned 0-2 by ElKanemi Warriors at the Karkanda Stadium – a result which keeps them in the relegation zone. “It’s a below average start for us in the Nigeria Premier League but we have

played just three matches so far,” Chukwude told Goal. “We have to stand up, show the character in other games and this situation has to be a good example for the future.” The seven-time NPFL winners will host Burundi’s Vital’O in a first leg CAF Champions League in the Garden City. “We are ready to score many goals in the Champions League game against Vital. It is a game which I believe will help us to revive our season.”

ers will be released to their clubs and some others will be transferred to the Olympic team also in camp ahead of the international friendly against Bra-

zil. I am sure the coaches already have an idea of those home stars that will join the foreign legion for the final phase of the preparations in a week’s time,” he added.

THE Nigeria national team technical director, coach Shuaibu Amodu, has charged the U-17 national women’s team, the Flamingos, to remain focused as they face South Africa’s Bantwana today and get the required result that will render the second leg a mere formality. The Flamingos will host the first leg of the final round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifier at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Abuja. Amodu, a four-time Super Eagles head coach, who attended the team’s training session during the week, urged the girls to continue with their impressive performances which got them to the final round of the qualification. The Flamingos, it would be recalled, mauled the Baby Gladiators of Namibia 9-0 on aggregate. Amodu told the Bala Nikyu-piloted side to maintain discipline and remain focused. “I encourage and thank you on behalf of the Ni-

geria Football Federation (NFF), for all the sacrifices you have made. We have heard reports of your discipline and dedication, and all I have to add now is for you not to relent. Try and sustain the discipline and also determined that every team that comes across you would be crushed. The Federation will continue to fully support the team to achieve greater heights,” said the former Orlando Pirates of South Africa handler. Captain of the Flamingos, Rasheedat Ajibade thanked Amodu for the visit, just as she promised that the team will not let the country down saying “We will do everything to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Jordan.” Only three spots are reserved for Africa at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan. In the other qualifiers to be decided this weekend, Ghana will face Morocco, while Cameroon takes on Egypt. Nigeria has featured in all previous editions of the World Cup since it began in 2008.

Falcons will bounce back —Nwabuoku SUPER Falcons captain, Evelyn Nwabuoku has assured that the reigning African champions will come back to their best form. The seven-time Africans queens are in camp preparing for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifying clash against either Senegal or Guinea. Falcons were drawn bye into the second round of the qualifying race, but must wait for the outcome of the Senegal and Guinea clash later this month to know who to face in homeand-away contest next month. Nwabuoku said the coaches are working tirelessly to put the players in perfect shape for the AWC qualifiers. “I know that we’ve not trained for long but with the turnout of players since we resumed and the kind of training we’ve been going through I know definitely we will make Nigeria

proud by qualifying for the AWCON later in the year in Cameroon,” the BiiK Kazgurt player told thenff. com. Nwabuoku said though the home-based players have done exceedingly well in training they still need the experiences and services of the foreign-based professionals to make a perfect team. “In terms of experience, we still need the foreignbased players. I am looking

forward to their arrival so that they can use their experience to help the team. The home-based players will be able to learn one or two things from them as well,” said the former Rivers Angels player. Nwabuoku agreed with the coaches that there will be no automatic shirts for any player. “That’s football, the coaches are right in saying there won’t be an automat-

ic jersey for any player. “When the foreign-based players arrive they will have to prove that they deserve the shirts. They have to show that they want to play and that they are good enough to play too,” said Nwabuoku. Falcons defeated neighbours, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in the 2014 final in Namibia to claim their seventh title of the bi-ennial football showpiece.

From left, the line up of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) FC; the match officials and the line-up of the Oyo State government FC before the Lagelu Cup football final at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Wednesday, in commemoration of the 2016 Oke’Badan Festival.

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune With

outofplay

Dipo Ogunsola 081 169 54 641

Neymar flies home for sister’s birthday bash

EYMAR flew to Brazil to attend his sister Rafaella’s Walt Disney-themed 20th birthday party - after gaining special permission from Barcelona. The Barcelona star missed out on his club’s 4-0 win against Eibar last Sunday through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. He received special dispensation from manager Luis Enrique and the club’s four captains to attend the

Gerrard, Keane on Los Angeles Night Out

celebration in Sao Paolo instead. Brazil international Neymar showed his own sense of style by ignoring the Neymar and sister theme, turning up to the event on Monday in his trademark hat. Neymar clearly had fun at the event, judging by his Instagram post afterwards. He wrote: ‘This photo shows how happy I was yesterday. Watching my sister SERENA Williams and Caroline grow up and reconnecting Wozniacki were among the tennis with friends is priceless. I stars who gathered in New York long for yesterday, what a last Monday on the eve of World moment.’ Tennis Day - shortly before Maria Sharapova stunned the sport by announcing she failed a drugs test.

Serena, Wozniacki pose for selfie

Mayweather witnesses shock win

Mayweather (left)

IT was supposed to be a routine win for the reigning NBA champions but it was anything but good in Los Angeles last Sunday. The DailyMail spotted Floyd Mayweather as one of those in attendance at the Staples Centre to witness the Los Angeles Lakers secure a surprising home win against the Golden State Warriors. The boxing legend had courtside seats for the all-Western Conference affair and would have enjoyed the encounter in what was the biggest shock of the season to date.

STEVEN Gerrard and Robbie Keane celebrated LA Galaxy’s convincing win on the opening day of the MLS season with a night out at an exclusive Los Angeles lounge bar. Both of the former Premier League stars were involved in last Sunday’s win over DC United, in which Ashley Cole also starred, with Keane netting from the penalty spot. And afterwards the pair headed out to celebrate together, toasting their side’s perfect start to the season. Gerrard and Keane were spotted by The Sun outside The Nice Guy, a lounge in Los Angeles which describes itself as something between a bar and a nightclub. Hopefully the two Liverpool legends weren’t cracking open the champagne though, as a bottle of bubbly at the establishment can cost up to $1600 (£1120).

But while Williams and Wozniacki posed for selfies at Essex House in New York, over on the west coast of the United States, Sharapova was preparing to make an announcement which would shake tennis to its core.

Serena (left) and Wozniacki

Gerrard (left) and Keane

Rooney pets the tiger Rooney

WAYNE Rooney’s warm-weather break to Dubai was a chance for recuperation but the Manchester United captain still found time to keep himself busy. The 30-year-old was in the Middle East last week as part of his recovery

from damaged knee ligaments suffered in the Red Devils’ defeat at Sunderland last month. Sports Mail reports that Rooney put his injured right knee to the test on holiday as he petted a tiger during a visit to a private farm.

12 March, 2016

Chikatara returns against Rangers

BIA Warriors striker, Chisom Chikatara has said he will dutifully campaign against oriental neighbours, Enugu Rangers in tomorrow’s Nigeria Premier League match day six clash at the Umuahia Township Stadium. The 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) sensation who is among the Super Eagles sweating it out under coach Samson Siasia for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) double header against the Pharaohs of Egypt on March 25 in Kaduna and 29 in Alexandria respectively recently completed a switch to the Moroccan side, Wydad Athletic Club (WAC). The lanky goal poacher was handed jersey number 10 at the Brotola Moroccan league leaders. Chikatara boasted that his side will puncture the Coal City side stellar performance in the six-week old Nigerian top league. “Of course, I will be heading home to Umuahia right from the Super Eagles camp to play in the oriental

Sunshine is on trial —Olorundare

SUNSHINE Stars striker, Dele Olorundare has admitted that the club is facing difficult times, just as he called on the club’s fans to remain behind them. The former Nasarawa United striker also maintained the Akure club will bounce back soon and need the prayers of their fans. “We are just facing hard times for now, by God’s grace we will soon get over it. “I want to call on our fans and supporters to keep praying for us and give all their support, with this we will surely overcome the trying period,” Olorundare said. Sunshine Stars are yet to win a game in the five-weekold league with two draws and two losses.

derby against Enugu Rangers on Sunday. “Yes, I have completed my move to the Moroccan side, Wydad Casablanca but will wait till July to commence league action with the North African side. “Part of the contract deals is that I will continue to play for Abia Warriors until I finally join Wydad so, you will see me in Abia Warriors colours against Enugu Rangers on Sunday. “Well, Enugu Rangers

Saturday Tribune

Iyaye dangles N1m bonus before Rivers Utd to beat Tornadoes

Chikatara have done creditably well for themselves this season but on Sunday, I think they will be there at Umuahia merely to honour the league clash as we will turn them back empty-handed. “It’s a derby largely to be difficult as expected but we will come out tops. “We must win the three points at stake to chance claiming the top spot so, the three points are not negotiable,” Chikatara told Supersport.com.

RIVERS State Commissioner for Sports, Honourable Boma Iyaye will reward players of Rivers United FC with N1 million if they record their first road win of the season tomorrow. United will face Niger Tornadoes at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, in a Nigeria Premier League match day six fixture. Iyaye says the financial incentive represents “good motivation” which should spur the lads to “a handsome win” tomorrow. “The people of Rivers

State love Rivers United and we want the club to do well in all competitions this season. “We are yearning for that first away victory in the NPFL which we believe will

Rivers Utd keeper, Sunday Rotimi

be the first of many to come. “This move represents good motivation for the players and technical crew and we believe the result on Sunday will be favourable. “If the boys get a draw against Tornadoes, they will be rewarded with N250,000. I also want to use this medium to announce that the sponsors of the club have paid all winning bonuses to all players and we also strictly adhere to the ‘enhanced salary structure’ in line with regulations of the League Management Company (LMC),” Iyaye told Rivers United media. Rivers United sits in sixth place on the log with nine points.

sport

12 March, 2016

Saturday Tribune

I deserve national merit award

—Ladipo

Dr Rafiu Ladipo, President-General, Nigerian Football Supporters Club has lived all his life dancing and singing in support of the country’s various national teams and some football clubs in the land. ‘PG’ as he is fondly called, speaks with NIYI ALEBIOSU and OLAWALE OLANIYAN on his passion for the club, experience, his dream of a national award and the relationship between the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the immediate past Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh. Excerpts:

HAT is your view about the crisis between Sunday Oliseh and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)? Our football should not be run with controversies and we should not be fighting each other, whatever that has happened, you must learn from it. Though Sunday Oliseh was wrong to have called his critics unprintable names and that is not good for his job, his job is about criticism, when you are a coach you must learn how to accept criticism because some of this criticism will help you to direct yourself and also in other way round which will help the team, so for me, when Oliseh said what he said I agreed he was wrong but good enough he has again apologised. That apology should be taken in good faith, we do not have time on our side, we have less than a month to play Egypt in Kaduna and few days later we will play the second leg in Cairo. We should realised that Egypt are now topping the table and we are second, anything that will bring crisis to the team we should be wary of it, we should all accept Oliseh’s apology and forgive him and give him another chance. We should all go to Kaduna and support the Super Eagles, those who will not be opportune to go should be praying for the team because if the team qualifies, the victory is ours and if other things happen it is Nigerians’. Having been the President-General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club for many and as someone who rose from ordinary member to the Director General Worldwide, what do you think you still or aspire to be? For me I want to be a supporter for life, whether you are a minister, whether you are the Nigeria Football Federation president, whether you are a journalist and whether you are Mr President, you are still a supporter of sports, thank God I am not just a supporter of football alone but supporter of all sports. I am into boxing, basketball, judo, weightlifting, tennis and the rest but having done it creditably for 40 years I think Nigeria owes me something because I have given my best, my time, energy, my money, even at the risk of my life selflessly to support Nigeria,

I think the government of Nigeria owes me something. For the fifth time, they have nominated me for a prestigious national award, I have a letter from the Senate, letters from the House of Representatives, letters from the Sports Ministry and I even have an official recommendation of our late President Musa Yar’Adua but up till now I am still waiting, I don’t want to have a posthumous award for what I am doing. I don’t think anybody has done it for this country more than me and my members, I am not paid for what I am doing but I have been using my time and money to organise supporters for Nigeria in the last 40 years and there is no country of the world that we don’t have supporters club. The supporters has offices in all countries of the world, we have chapters in all countries of the world, I went there personally to put them in place, that is why you see Nigerians supporting our national teams in any country of the world during championships or competitions setting them up to promote the image of the country and give the country positive image. So if I get it fine and I hope I will get it one day and very soon too. It’s been my dream and I believe it will come to reality. Sponsorship of supporters club, how has it been aside Globacom? It has not been easy at all, here is the country where corporate bodies don’t support us if not for Globacom, we would not be where we are today, we have approached so many companies and all they do is to promise but they will never come to fulfill it, go to South Africa, England, Italy, Spain and other countries in the world when you make money as a corporate bodies you will still have something to do by way of giving back to that country. So I want companies to emulate Globacom by supporting us so that we would be able to give a hundred percent support to our teams at any of the competitions they attend. To travel for competitions is very expensive, yet we try our best to be there but we can do more if we have sponsors, it’s on this note that I am appealing to corporate bodies to support us.

For 40 years I think Nigeria owes me something because I have given my best, my time, energy, my money, even at the risk of my life selflessly to support Nigeria

Ladipo

There is a rumour that the NFF has been scouting for Oliseh’s replacement, do you think this is the right time for this? I am not aware of that, all I am saying is that for now, we cannot afford to fight Oliseh, let Oliseh handle this two double header and let us see where he will lead us for now, I still support that they should keep Oliseh pending the results of the two matches we are going to play. What will be your message to the supporters in the domestic league in order with regards to hooliganism at match venues? The League Management Company (LMC) has done beautifully well by organising the last league but there is one thing they need to do, they need to reduce hooligalism and thuggery. ...How? They need to encourage the various teams to register their supporters with us because we are the only group of people who can boast of organised group of supporters and we can monitor the activities of various supporters club members. LMC should be able to work with the Nigerian Supporters Clubs so we can be able to educate members of supporters’ clubs of various clubsides and train them the way supporters across the world behave. And to bring crowd back into the stadium, we are seeing a little hope that fans will come back but there are some certain things they need to introduce to encourage fans to come back into the stadium, we want to work with the various clubs, suggest to them what they can do to get their fans come back to stadium. Do you see the Super Eagles qualifying for the AFCON 2017? Who says we cannot? It is not impossible and that’s one of the reasons I am not in support of any crisis with the rank and file of the NFF and Oliseh, because all that we need now is total concentration because any form of distraction will cause crisis for us, the players, coaches and officials should work as family members, all in the interest of the nation. And if this is done, surely we can do well. As for us in the supporters club, we are ready to give our full support as usual all for the nation. Majority of our members will be in Kaduna for the first leg and as well in Cairo for the return leg, and I am so sure we shall qualify. •This interview was conducted before Sunday Oliseh resigned as Super Eagles Coach.

FA CUP FIXTURES

Saturday, March 12 Everton vs Chelsea 6:30pm Sunday, March 13 Arsenal vs Watford 2:30pm Man Utd vs West Ham 5:00pm

NO 1142

N150

SATURDAY, 12 MARCH, 2016

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP Saturday, March 12 Norwich City vs Man City 1:45pm Stoke City vs Southampton 4:00pm Bournemouth vs Swansea City 4:00pm Sunday, March 13 Aston Villa vs Tottenham 5:00pm

Odemwingie

Countdown to Nigeria-Egypt clash:

Siasia blows hot By Oluwabunmi Ajayi

Odemwingie joins Bristol City STOKE City forward, Peter Odemwingie has joined English Championship side, Bristol City for the rest of the season. The Nigerian international would be hoping to revive his faltering career having failed to get tie down a regular at the Britannia Stadium owing to incessant injury woes. Odemwingie joined the Potters in January 2014 as part of a player-exchange with Kenwyne Jones from Cardiff City and ended his first six-month period with five goals in 15 games, but then missed the majority of 2014/15 due to a knee ligament injury. After securing a further year’s contract in Staffordshire, the forward who played for the Super Eagles at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has made eight appearances this season without a goal from Mark Hughes’ men. “I’m looking forward to working with him,” Bristol head coach, Lee Johnson told club website. “I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring someone of Peter’s quality in; he’ll provide us with experience and hopefully goals in one form or another.”

Benitez lands in Newcastle RAFAEL Benitez has been named as Newcastle’s new manager, following the sack of Steve McClaren. The former Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Valencia boss takes over with the Magpies a point from safety with 10 games left. Spaniard Benitez, 55, has signed a three-year contract and brought in coaches Fabio Pecchia, Francisco de Miguel Moreno and Antonio Gomez Perez. “C’mon Toon Army. The club and I need your total involvement,” he said. Benitez was sacked in January after seven months as Real Madrid boss. He spent six years as Liverpool manager, winning the Champions League in 2005. He also had an interim spell with Chelsea, guiding the Blues to Europa League success in 2013. “I have the pleasure to confirm I have committed to a legendary English club, with the massive challenge of remaining part of the Premier League,” he said. “It will be a challenge not just for me and my staff but for the players, the club and the fans. “All of us must push together in the same direction and with the same target in mind. This is the reason why I’m going to ask for your total support to successfully complete this task.”

IGERIA head coach, Samson Siasia has challenged the Super Eagles home-based stars to show they can be relied on to deliver the goods in crucial matches whenever the need arises. Siasia was unimpressed with the players’ performance after they struggled to a scoreless draw on Thursday evening against a Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Katsina United in a friendly played at the National Stadium, Abuja. The home-based stars have been in the camp in Abuja ahead of their foreign-based colleagues who are expected to start arriving in the country tomorrow, for preparations for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Pharaohs of Egypt later this month. “We have to step up our commitment level and show more seriousness,” the Bayelsa State-born coach begins. “I am yet to see that hunger in all of you in all the friendly matches we have played so far since we opened this camp. We are

facing Egypt in about two weeks and we will not stand any chance against them if we do not change our attitude,” Siasia told thenff. com. The man who coached Nigeria to win silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, noted that his team has remained clueless in the past test games. “How can we, the Super Eagles, play against this NNL team and fail to create one clear–cut goal scoring opportunity? If we cannot create chances in this kind of game, when and where will we be able to create them? “I know we are far better than this performance and will improve but we have to do so very quickly because there is no time,” Siasia said. Since opening camp last Sunday in Abuja, the Super Eagles home stars had played three friendlies, two of them against the Rio 2016 Olympics–bound Nigeria U-23 team. They have managed to score twice and also conceded two goals, a situation that the coaches would want changed as preparation shifts to a higher level in the coming days.

Siasia

Yaya out of Norwich game

Yaya

MANCHESTER City star midfielder, Yaya Touré has been ruled out of their trip to Norwich City today, with a heel injury sustained in their League Cup final against Liverpool. Back in action in their 4-0 win over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, the Côte d’Ivoire international suffered a relapse in his recovery. “Yaya Toure has a problem in his heel, he has also the same problem, why he couldn’t play against Liverpool,” City manager, Manuel Pellegrini told reporters.

“We’ll see next week how he improves.” The four-time African Player of the Year could also miss the return leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash with Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday. “We don’t know, we must see. It’s a pain in his heel. Sergio had one month ago the same problem. He delays a little bit more, [so] I hope that Yaya can return sooner.” The Citizens are lying fourth on the Premier League table on 50 points with one game in hand.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: LASISI OLAGUNJU. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 12/3/2016.