13th of Septebmer 2015 by Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 2,011

SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER, 2015 www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

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Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, carrying a baby belonging to one of the IDPs in Shehu Umar College of Education camp, Borno State, during his visit.

MINISTERIAL LIST

APC leaders jittery pg2

Buhari orders DG DSS to take charge of screening Uncertainty pervades Tinubu, Atiku, Saraki’s camps

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Nigerian Tribune

Men I can never kiss

—Gbemisola

Father of 5 beaten to death in Ibadan •Landlord’s son allegedly used charm

pg4

Mecca crane disaster:

3 Nigerians injured pg4

•Hajj to go ahead —Saudi pg4 •Death toll rises to 107 •Buhari, Saraki condole Saudi govt

Terrorism, economy:

Western powers yet to fulfil promises to Buhari —Shehu

pg2

•Why president is going to France on 3-day visit

ia d n I n i e i d 9 8 t pg5

n restaura explosion

pg8

Govs who divert bailout funds should be impeached —Sagay

Scene of an accident at Ketu in Lagos on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

news

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

Ministerial list: APC leaders jittery

•As Buhari forecloses hints, orders DGSS to take charge of screening •Uncertainty pervades Tinubu, Atiku, Saraki camps T aiwo A disa - A buja

NCERTAINTY appears to be the name of the game in the camps of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu following the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to give clear insights into the composition of his cabinet. Insiders in the party told the Sunday Tribune that leaders of the party were becoming apprehensive that Buhari was keeping them in the dark about the composition of his cabinet, which is considered the most important assignment of the government for now. It was gathered that leaders of the party are worried that they are being kept in the dark over the ministerial list, as many of them had resorted to making frantic enquiries from allies who they suspect could be in the know. But Buhari, who personally handed over a list of 36 would-be ministers to the Director-General of the State Security Services, Lawan Daura, last week, gave an express order that the list must not leak to the media. In fact, it was gathered that Daura had personally taken charge of vetting the nominated candidates, leading to close monitoring of his close aides.

Some of those in the know said that the list is “practically in the mouth of the lion” as it was confirmed that a standing order was issued, indicating instant dismissal for the concerned operative who may be found to have leaked the list. It was, however, gathered that the “hoarding” would not take long as allies and associates of the concerned candidates would get to

know once the service start inviting them to take biometrics. “The authorities at the Yellow House (DSS Headquarters) are actually determined to keep the list close to chest. They have an order from the top to do so. In fact, the big man of the service is holding it close. He only appointed one senior hand and three other trusted aides. They were all warned of the consequenc-

es of a leak,” a source said. According to the source who informed the Sunday Tribune that the list is practically in the “mouth of the lion,” concerned members of the public might have to wait for the process to go through before they could have insights. Other sources, however, expressed worry for the fate of political leaders whose candidates might fail to make the list.

A source: “The leaders are actually in the dark as to the particular candidates chosen by the president. Remember that he took some names from the party and the vice-president also worked on some, especially those from the South-West. But the president took personal charge afterwards and handed over the final list only to the DGSS. The apprehension in the party is huge.”

Terrorism, economy: Western powers not fulfilling promises to Buhari —Shehu ‘Why Buhari is going to France’ T aiwo A disa - A buja THERE are indications that Western Powers are not forthcoming to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over their promises to assist his economic plans and the war against terror. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who stated this in a piece on President Buhari’s trip to France this week, hinted that the Western powers have kept Buhari waiting since the conclusion of the G7 summit where he was asked to present a wish list. He said that while there exists some collaboration in the area of intelligence sharing on the war against ter-

ror, the G7 nations have not really let out much. According to him, the country has not got commensurate responses from the world powers despite the fact that hopes were raised through the promises made by the world powers. Shehu said in the write up: “Since his assumption of office, President Buhari has squared up to the threat of Boko Haram terrorism with a single-minded determination. Without waiting for the envisaged foreign support and assistance, Boko Haram is near resolution. If they were correctly reported in their press conference a few days ago, the military has indeed declared victory in the war. But the world still needs to come together to help this country manage

its fallout. “In this regard, President Hollande needs to make his friends and allies in the G7 to sharpen their response and keep their promise of assistance for which President Buhari was requested to present a wish list. So far, there is evidence of that support in the areas of training and the sharing of intelligence but beyond these, it is hard to say that we are getting commensurate responses to the high hopes that we harbored in dealing with the war and reconstruction. “Such promises especially as regards to access to military hardware and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, donated or paid for should be pursued so that the victory over terror in our region is not a

temporary one but one that will usher in permanent peace, tranquility and wealth for our beleaguered populations and the part of the continent they occupy.” He justified the president’s trip to France, saying that the country has been faithful to Nigeria, while all of the nation’s neighbours are Francophone countries, whose allegiance to France is not in doubt.

THE Kogi Elders’ Council, a group of some leaders of thought in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the aegis of Kogi State Elders’ Council for Good Governance, has warned the party against fielding Alhaji Jubril Isah Echocho as its gubernatorial candidate in the November 21 election. The group, in a statement endorsed by its chairman and General Secretary, Ahmadu Ejiga and Sunday Olufemi, respectively, said that Governor Idris Wada has done more than required to secure the party’s endorsement for re-election. The group stated that Echocho has remained aloof to party affairs since he lost the bid to emerge the candidate in 2011, adding that

the governor had so far sustained the party. According to the statement, Echocho reportedly maintains a family relationship with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu, while also alleging that an unwholesome plot to deliver the state to the APC was being orchestrated by some PDP members. But the spokesman of the Echocho Campaign, Phrank Shaibu, stated that the claims by the elders were baseless allegations, insisting that the elders’ group was made up of persons who lost elections in their polling units and wards in the last election. Shaibu added that the elders have led the party to monumental losses, noting that under their guidance,

the PDP lost three senators to the APC, while the governor organised only one rally for the former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. The statement made available by the elders’ group said: “Let us not pretend for one moment that Alhaji Jibrin Isah (Echocho) is on a genuine mission in his quest for nomination as the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 gubernatorial election in Kogi State. Everybody on the street in Kogi State knows that Echocho, whose daughter is married to Prince Abubakar Audu’s son, has come on stage to do the bidding of his in-law, i.e. to deliver the state to the All Progressive Congress (APC) whose flag Prince Audu is flying as the gubernatorial candidate of the party. “In fact, it is an open se-

cret that Prince Audu has boasted that after his tenure (if he wins), he will hand over to Echocho on the platform of APC. It is, therefore, not surprising that in the last three months preceding the PDP Congress, Echocho placed posters, billboards and other campaign materials that did not carry the logo of PDP in furtherance of their grand design. The group further said: “We say on a good authority, and without any fear of contradiction whatsoever, that Echocho never participated in the activities of the party between 2011 and July 2015. He was never sighted at any meeting of the party, be it at the ward level, local government level, senatorial level and state level. The only evidence of his membership of PDP is the collec-

He further justified the trip to France, noting that with France’s investment on the African continent being the largest in Nigeria and still growing, the best outcome of the trip for Nigeria should reflect favourably on key prioties of the Buhari administration which are security, economy and the war against corruption. Read full text on page 51

Enugu gov decries high rate of tuberculosis in Nigeria J ude O ssai - E nugu GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has decried high rate of Tuberculosis (TB) in the country,

PDP primaries: Echocho‘ll sell PDP to APC —Kogi elders warn It’s a baseless allegation —Echocho T aiwo A disa - A buja

It was gathered that the composition of the ministerial list as well as that of Ambassadors, which could follow afterwards, would have serious implications for the fate of the APC as a party. “A number of leaders are worried. If they cannot make people ministers after all the struggle, it would be dangerous for their politics going forward,” a source said.

tion of governorship nomination form for the 2015 governorship election.” However, the Echocho camp have insisted that Governor Wada and the APC candidate, indeed, have a more chubby relationship than Echocho, adding that it was untrue that Echocho did not participate in the activities of the party until now. Shaibu argued that Echocho fully participated in the last presidential campaign, warning that the elders were, indeed, the ones planning to mortgage the PDP to APC in Kogi. “The position of an elder in the party goes beyond newspaper posturing. It is obvious that the said elders want to continue to have Kogi as their footholds without delivering for the party,” he said.

saying that Nigeria ranked third in the world in terms of number of people with TB, with 590, 000 of the cases detected in the country last year. The governor said 1,542 cases were detected in his state alone in 2014. Ugwuanyi made the disclosure at the weekend at Ogrute, Enugu-Ezike in Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state while commissioning a Chest clinic for Tuberculosis and Leprosy, built, equipped and donated to Enugu State by Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, a Chevron Company and Agbami co-venturersFamfa, Statoil, Petrobras and NNPC. The facility, equipped with ultra modern x-ray machine, male and female wards, laboratories, Gene Xpert machine, treatment rooms and other state of the art machines, is located inside Ogrute District Hospital. Governor Ugwuanyi, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sam Ngwu, said the government was delighted at the donation.

news

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Northern governors express worry about growing insecurity As don gives panacea for criminality From Muhammad Sabiu and Austin Ebipade

HE Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has raised the alarm over the growing rate of insecurity in the region. The forum observed that the region is now saddled with cases of kidnapping, cattle rustling and killing of innocent people by bandits.

Fayose dreams airport to open up Ekiti —Speaker Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti THE Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, has said that the state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, “is seriously considering construction of an airport in the state to open its potentials to foreign partners and investors.” Oluwawole stated this when the Assembly played host to the executive members of the Aeronautical Information Services Association of Nigeria (AISAN), led by their president, Mr. Shittu Babatunde, at the Assembly complex. “Your visit to Ekiti State is timely. Over the past weeks, I have been involved in discussions where the Executive governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, repeatedly expressed the desire to have an airport established in the state. A statement by Oluwawole’s media aide, Stephen Gbadamosi, said: “I also remember him telling the commissioner for lands and housing to begin the process of carrying out an area survey of the state to establish where is suitable to site a airport in the state. I also know of prominent citizens of the state who are concerned about the development of the state that have similar thinking. “Possession of an airport will open Ekiti State to the outside world. This dream, by God’s grace, will become a reality in the life of the Fayose-led government,” he said, adding that the awardee, Honourable Akerele, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, had distinguished herself in her duties in the Assembly.

The forum, which met for the first time since the last general elections, also condemned the bomb blast at the IDP camp in Adamawa State, which left eight people dead, while 16 others sustained injuries. In a communique read by the chairman of the forum, Kashim Shettima of Borno State, the governors expressed concern over the growing insecurity and resolved to collaborate towards tackling the menace.

The forum identified unemployment, drug abuse, arms proliferation, poverty, inciting preaching, boundary disputes, communal clashes and the almajiri phenomenon as the causes of insecurity in the region and resolved to take proactive measures to address the problems. It also resolved to set up a committee of Attorneys General of Northern states to look into the criminal justice system so as to prefer punishment to crimes such as cattle rustling,

kidnapping, rape and domestic violence. The governors commended the Federal Government for the successes recorded against the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in the NorthEast. The communiqué further commended the security agencies for the continuous onslaught on the terrorists and called on the federal government to recruit more security personnel to cope with the security challenges facing

the country. Meanwhile, as the whereabouts of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State’s abducted Political Adviser, Mr. Fyneman and his Assistant remain unknown, the deputy Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, Professor Tuemi Asuka, has outlined the ills of crimes and criminality in society, and traced their causes to the absence of growth and development at all levels of governance. Prof. Asuka mentioned

white collar crimes committed by professionals and public office holders in the form of bribery and corruption, as well as the conversion of government properties to personal properties as criminal acts. Asuka, at the Joint Security Summit, regretted that abduction of the governor’s aide and alluded that security should be a top priority to government at all levels to enable the citizenry contribute maximally to development.

news

13 September, 2015

Mecca crane tragedy: Three Nigerians injured •Hajj to go ahead —Saudi govt •Buhari, Saraki mourn

AUDI authorities said on Saturday that Islam’s annual hajj pilgrimage will go ahead despite a crane collapse that killed 107 people at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, where crowds returned to pray a day after the tragedy.nd more than 230 people were injured when a crane collapsed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This was just as the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) confirmed that three Nigerian pilgrims sustained minor injuries in the crash. Chairman of the commission, Mallam Abdullahi Mukhtar, who made this known at a news conference in Abuja, said that the victims were responding to

treatment. Mukhtar, who did not name the victims, however, said that two were from Kaduna and one from Gombe. A Saudi official said the hajj, expected to start on September 21, would proceed despite the tragedy. He said:“It definitely will not affect the hajj this season, and the affected part will probably be fixed in a few days.” The huge red crane crashed into a part of the Grand Mosque - the largest in the world - that was filled with worshippers at the time. The head of Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said strong winds and heavy rains had caused the collapse.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had already arrived in Mecca for the hajj, a must for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it, when the massive red and white crane collapsed during rain and high winds on Friday. Parts of the Grand Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, remained sealed off around the toppled crane, which also injured around 200 people when it fell into a courtyard. But there was little mourning among pilgrims, who snapped pictures of the wreckage and continued with their prayers and rituals. “I wish I had died in the accident, as it happened at a holy hour and in a holy place,” Egyptian pilgrim

Mohammed Ibrahim told AFP. The accident occurred only about an hour before evening mahgrib prayers. Indonesians and Indians were among those killed, while the injured included Malaysians, Egyptians and Iranians. An investigative committee has “immediately and urgently” begun searching for the cause of the collapse, the official Saudi Press Agency said. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with his Majesty, King Salman, the people of Saudi Arabia and the global Islamic community over the tragic loss of lives in the Friday crane collapsed in Mecca. Buhari, in a statement by

Anti-terrorism war can only be won with credible military —Buhari As Airforce places personnel on alert From Muhammad Sabiu, Clement Idoko, Chris Agbambu, Collins Nnabuife and James Bwala PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said the fight against terrorism cannot be won without a credible and effective military. Buhari gave the warning on the occasion of the passing out parade of 399 officer cadets of the 62 regular course and short service course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. He reiterated his government’s commitment to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society. “While I applaud the integrity and sterling record of the Armed Forces as an institution, this administration will insist on the rule of law, and deal with any proven cases of deviation from laws of armed conflict (LOAC), including human rights abuses. “The objectives of our fight against terrorism cannot be realized without a credible and effective military. On your shoulders therefore lies the mechanism to drive the junior leadership in our Armed Forces. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria have a worldacclaimed reputation for valour, resilience and loyal service. “Let me reiterate the administration’s renewed commitment to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society. Meanwhile, the president

also reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to the rule of law and warned that proven acts of human rights violation by the Armed Forces will be punished under his leadership. Buhari equally commended the determination of the Armed Forces to speedily end the Boko Haram insurgency that has become a sore to the nation. “We are committed to a thorough investigation of recent and any future occurrences of human rights violations by elements of our Armed Forces. “While I applaud the integrity and sterling record of the Armed Forces as an institution, this administration will insist on the rule of law, and deal with any proven cases of deviation from laws of armed conflict, including human rights abuses. “In operational conduct Nigerians expect our Armed Forces to keep law and order, and not to behave like bullies.

“Let me reiterate this administration’s commitment to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society. “Rule of law as an element of good governance applies to the Armed Forces as much as any institution in our country. It is therefore gratifying that all three Services have recently taken steps to emphasize strict adherence to rules in recruitment, promotions, procurement, project executions and civil-military relations,” the president said. Also, as the war on insurgency heightens, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has embarked on physical exercise for officers and men to ensure that they are healthy and battle ready. Addressing journalists at the end of the 10km road match by the officers and men of the NAF, the representative of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal James Gbum, reiterated

the need for the military to always be physically fit. According to him, “The Chief of Air Staff has put this exercise in place to ensure that officers and men are healthy. As you know, we are fighting insurgency and it behoves on the military to be ready at any time to be called upon for many operations against the insurgents.” In a related development, the Archbishop of the Jos Ecclesiastical province and Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Emmanuel Kana Mani, has said that no one in the country or outside can give a better account of the Boko Haram saga than the people of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, who have experienced massive bloodshed for over six years. Mani, in a statement commemorating his 25 years as a Bishop in Maiduguri, said academics and commentators were basically scratching through what was given to them as secondary materials.

Father of 5 beaten to death in Ibadan By Olakunle Taiwo FATHER of five, Mumini Muritala, 40, who lived at Omilabu Area of Odinjo, was reportedly beaten to death on Friday night, following a quarrel between him and his landlord’s son, Yusuf Adegbayi, Sunday Tribune has learnt. Wife of the deceased, Mrs Shakirat Muritala, who spoke with Sunday Tribune at a nearby hospital, said that she had just sent her daughter, Barakat,

out to buy her food, when the landlord’s sons, Yusuf and his brother, Habeeb Adegbayi, locked the main door to the house around 9.pm, an action which later caused uproar between her and the landlord’s sons. “When my husband and daughter came back home, Yusuf and Habeeb went inside their rooms, but my husband went to them to enquire why they locked the door so quickly. “This resulted in a heated argument and Yusuf

slapped my husband. My husband wanted to retaliate, but the two boys pounced on him and beat him blue abd black. “Later, Yusuf came back and hit my husband with an occultic ring he said he would use on him. Suddenly, my husband turned around and fell on the ground. We rushed him to the hospital, but he later gave up,” the wife said. However, when the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Oyo State

his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Saturday in Abuja, urged all Nigerians to pray for the continued safety of their compatriots who are currently in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj. Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Saturday, also commiserated with the Saudi Arabian authorities and the Muslim Ummah over the Mecca tragedy. This was just as he xpressed anguish over the bomb explosion that reportedly killed 14 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and injured 13

Sunday Tribune

others inside the Malkohi camp in Yola, Adamawa State. In a statement from his media office, Saraki condemned in strong terms, the Yola blast, saying the inhuman act could only have been perpetrated by sadists and evil people now facing imminent defeat. Saraki said: “My prayers go out to the victims of the attacks at the largest IDPs camp located in Yola. The IDPs in the North-east need our support now more than ever. The insurgents have resorted to cowardly methods because they are being routed by our military.”

Zik’s son, Chukwuma buried as FG, local chiefs absent Suzy Oruya -Onitsha THE Federal government and indigenes of Onitsha, Anambra State, on Saturday shunned the burial ceremony of late Chief Chukwuma Bamidele Azikiwe, the first son of the first president of Nigeria, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha. The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and his cabinet chiefs were also conspicuously absent at the burial, an action which did not go down well with the mourners and sympathisers during the burial. The late Chukwuma was a high chief in Onitsha. In his sermon, the Anglican Archbishop of Awka, Most Rev Maxwell Anikwenwa (emeritus), regretted that people politicised the death of Chukwuma, which could have caused the shunning of the burial by those who were supposed to be present. He described Chukwuma as a selfless and generous person that was not interested in acquiring earthly wealth but pursued service to God and man.

was contacted, he told Sunday Tribune that the suspect had fled, but efforts were ongoing to nab him, while his father, the landlord, was in police custody at the Idi Aro police station, from where the case would be transferred to the State Criminial and Intelligence Department for discrete investigation. He, however, used the opportunity to warn those who would like to engage in criminal acts to desist henceforth.

Speaking on the occasion, former national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Aliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, said “the most important thing is for one to achieve heaven,” adding that it was not the number of mourners that mattered but the heart with which the people received the demise of the person in question. He urged the brother of late Chukwuma, Ambassodor Emeka A. Azikiwe and the entire family to take heart, adding that God in His infinite mercies would grant them the fortitude with which to bear the loss. In his tribute, the Igbo spiritual Leader and Ogirisi Igbo, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, urged the family to take heart, while noting that the late Chukwuma fought the Igbo cau se. “He was not interested in acquiring wealth even if he had the opportunity as the son of the first president of this great country,” Ezeonwuka stated. Also speaking, Governor Willie Obiano, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special duty, Hon Uzoamaka Onuegbu, said that the state government had become an integral part of Zik’s family. “You can see how we kept the compound tidy for the burial and we hope the Federal Government will complete its work on the library project that is currently going on here,” he said. Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador Azikiwe described his late brother as a selfless and generous person that was not interested in acquisition of wealth.

news

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Boko Haram: North-East legislators seek special intervention for reconstruction

Former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), who is also the Deputy Baba Aladura of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Dr Harold Demuren, presenting an award of excellence to Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, at the just-concluded praise concert tagged: “Singing Unto Zion”, as part of the activities marking the 90th anniversary of the church on Saturday. PHOTO BY: SEYI SOKOYA

Govs who divert bailout funds should be impeached —Sagay By Olakunle Taiwo

s controversy trails the bailout for states owing backlog of salaries, packaged by President Muhammadu Buhari, a legal luminary and human rights activist, Professor Itse Sagay, has recommended that, any governor, who diverts bailout funds, should be seriously dealt with. Sagay, who stated this while speaking to the Sunday Tribune in a conversation, noted that the level of mismanagement of public funds by past administrations had informed the bailout package. He, however, said governors are not yet sitting on the funds, but might end up getting paucity of fund due to huge debts they owed banks. “I will not want to believe the claim that some governors may be sitting on the bailout funds released to them by the PMB-led government to pay workers. What is likely to have happened is that, some of the affected states are hugely indebted to banks and the moment any amount of money is dropped into such red accounts, it automatically goes to offset the negative balance. It’s what remains in such account as balance that the affected governor will be left to share; which of course will not be enough to pay the workers. He, however, attributed the mess, in which some governors have found themselves, to reckless withdrawal from the state treasury for their personal interest, noting that it would be hard for these governors to achieve much.

His words: “The trouble these governors have run into was created by their reckless withdrawals from the state treasury to finance different political campaigns in anticipation of recouping their money once they are voted into power. The effect of this is that many of them will find it difficult if not impossible to achieve much in their respective states during this dispensation. Sagay, who further stat-

ed that the situation has become pathetic, said that lawmakers, who ought to investigate and act fast on defaulting governors, are part of the mess. “If it were to be a decent society, they should be impeached but the lawmakers to carry out such a constitutional responsibility are all part of the mess. Also reacting, a former presidential aspirant, Chief Reuben Famuyibo, noted that the mismanagement

of public funds by some leaders while in office had silently killed innocent Nigerians, adding that death sentence should be the penalty for any leader found guilty. “I wholeheartedly support the death sentence. A lot of Nigerians had died due to the corrupt practices of our leaders. If the money stolen had been invested on health care delivery, a lot of lives would have been saved,’ he said.

Girls dominate Port Harcourt audition of Glo ‘Dance with Peter’ The women folk fought back what had seemed like oppression from the men folk at the three-week long auditions of the dance reality TV show, ‘Dance with Peter’ sponsored by Globacom, by winning the hearts of the judges in the quest for the available six tickets at the Port Harcourt audition of the show last Thursday night. The Port Harcourt audition was the last in a se-

ries of auditions in four major Nigerian cities and the capital city of Ghana, Accra. All the previous auditions were dominated by the boys who dazzled the judges with their brilliance. But at the Port Harcourt audition, the ladies put up a stiff resistance replicating nearly all the tricks up the sleeves of the boys. The development was applauded by dance star,

Fashola alerts public to compromised Twitter account Immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, at the weekend, drew attention of members of the public to the antics of hackers, who compromised his twitter account @tundefashola and posted four tweets in a language that resembled Japanese. According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Hakeem Bello, the twitter account must have been compromised on Friday,

as members of the public, who follow the former governor, started calling to draw attention to the strange tweets in the early hours of Saturday. It would be recalled that Governor Fashola also recently dissociated himself from a Facebook scam, whereby some unscrupulous persons use his photographs and ascribe fictitious statements to him on fake Facebook accounts aimed at defrauding innocent people.

Kaffy, who said the outcome would encourage more women to embrace dancing as a profession. The Port Harcourt audition presented the last opportunity for those interested in participating at the show. Consequently, many of the contestants, who narrowly missed securing qualifying tickets from the previously held auditions, travelled to Port Harcourt to try their luck for the final time. Contestants from Lagos particularly outshone their peers from other regions, including the host city. The Lagos boys and girls were the first to break the ice by securing the nod of the judges to go into the next round of the competition. This development made the promoter of the show, Peter Okoye of Psquare to jump up from his seat in exasperation at some point. He walked to where the dancers were waiting for their turns to climb the stage, and charged the local contestants to raise their game.

honourable Sidi Karasuwa, representing Nguru, Machina, Karsuwa and Yusufari Federal Constituency, said North-East legislators in the National Assembly had concluded plans to sponsor a bill for the reconstruction of the region. Karasuwa made this known, at the weekend, while speaking with newsmen in the Yobe State capital, Damaturu. According to him, the bill will seek the reconstruction, resettlement and development of the North-East region that has been devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency. “The North-East legislators’ caucus has tabled a motion in the House of Representatives for reconstruction and development of the North-East, the senators will also toe the same line.” He described the quantum of destruction by Boko Haram in the region as “unprecedented’’, saying that the economy, education, health, roads and other infrastructures had been destroyed by the insurgency. The lawmaker said that the bill would make provision for a development commission that would address the immediate and long term solutions to the destruction on infrastructures. The legislator, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his political will and commitment of the security operatives to end Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

Corps members arrested in Niger for robbery Adelowo Oladipo -Minna Three members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently serving in Niger State have been arrested and are now being investigated by the state police command over allegations of conspiracy and robbery against a Suleja-based female business woman. This was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen, at the weekend, in Minna, by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Niger State Police Command, Mr Bala Elkana. According to Elkana, “they were brought on the allegation that on September 12, the said suspects conspired and entered the shop of one Mrs Anyanwu Obioma of Halidu Gezu Plaza Suleja and robbed her of a cash sum of N150,000.00, one computer laptop valued at N140,000.00, recharge cards worth N159,000.00, three bags of rice valued N30,000.00 and eleven big size of milo valued N15,000.00’, said Elkana.

NUC approves UI’s School of Business

Authorities of the University of Ibadan (UI), at the weekend, said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment of its School of Business. This is contained in a statement by the University’s Director of Public Communications, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, and made available to newsmen in Lagos. The statement said the approval was conveyed to the university in a letter signed by the commission’s Director of Standards, Dr. G. Kumo. It stated that the approval was sequel to the recent resource evaluation visit carried out by a panel of experts from the NUC to the university on its proposed School of Business. It said the panel had assessed the human and material resources available for the establishment of the school. “The school will run executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in telecommunications, agribusiness, oil and gas, effective from the 2015/2016 academic session,’’ it said. The statement also stressed that further inclusion of options would require the express approval of the commission. “All programmes shall bear only the approved titles and nomenclatures (MBA Telecommunications), etc and any change will require the approval of the commission.” Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Isaac Adewole,has commended the NUC for the approval.

13 September, 2015

crimereports

Sunday Tribune

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

‘Getting new vehicle number plates for stolen vehicles is easy with…’

suspected buyer of stolen vehicles, Okeke Ifeanyi (36), has revealed to law enforcement agents in Ogun State Police Command that he never found it difficult to obtain new number plates for the stolen vehicles he was buying from a robbery gang because he was rightly connected with a lady (names withheld) at one of the licencing offices in Lagos State. Ifeanyi made the disclosure after he was arrested along with three suspected members of inter-state robbery gang which used to operate in Lagos and Edo States as well as Abuja, from where several vehicles had been stolen. Speaking with Crime Reports on the arrest in Abeokuta, Ogun State, recently, the state police image maker, DSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the suspects were nabbed following a distress call received by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that some armed robbers were operating at Ogun State axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway at about 6.30a.m. The PPRO stated further that the Officer-in-Charge, SP Mohammed Tijani, deployed a team of operatives to the scene where two suspects – Abiodun Taiwo (44) and Osazuwa Odion (23) were arrested. Crime Reports further learnt that on interrogation, one of the suspects, Taiwo, who said he was not an armed robber but a car thief, mentioned one Ola Ahmed (47) who is based in Benin, Edo State as a member of his gang. Adejobi said that Taiwo’s confession led to the arrest of Ahmed and Ifeanyi, while all the suspects confessed to the crime. “The Commissioner of Police Ogun State, CP Abdulmajid Ali, has directed that the suspects would be properly investigated, after which they would be prosecuted if found culpable,” the PPRO stated, adding that the police commissioner had vowed to go after hoodlums and criminals who had been

The suspects terrorizing the good people of Ogun state. In an interview with Crime Reports, Taiwo spoke thus: “I am from Oro, Kwara State but I live in Lagos State. I was an electrician before I joined robbery gang. I was introduced to the crime by one Francis but he is dead. We used to remove vehicles from where they were parked with keys. We were a three-member gang –Ahmed, Odion and I. I went to buy fuel in a petrol station when the police parked beside me and arrested me.” Odion also said: “I am from Edo State but I live in Port Harcourt. I joined the gang about four months ago through Taiwo. I knew him at a car wash in Port Harcourt where he used to bring his car for washing.

Sometimes, he would leave the car and ask me to bring it to him in his hotel or restaurant after washing. “After some time, I told him I was looking for a job and he promised to help me. Later, he introduced me to car theft. What we used to do was to go to where cars were parked at night. If a car had security alarm, we would leave it and run away. We would go for those without alarm and pick them with our master key. We never used gun to snatch any car; we were only into car theft. “Taiwo used to give me between N50,000 and N70,000 as my share. I have gone with him two times. The last operation was the one that led to our arrest. We were in the car we stole when SARS operatives arrested us at a petrol

station along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.” In his own confession, Ahmed said: “I am from Egbeda Local Government, Kogi State but I live in Benin, Edo State. I used to go to Cotonou, Republic of Benin to smuggle rice and vehicles into Nigeria. I knew Taiwo in Cotonou in 2012. We used to call ourselves thereafter, and we started relating. “At the end of 2012, the car I was bringing into Nigeria was seized by Customs officials at Kila town along Abeokuta-Ibadan road. I became indebted as a result of this and found it difficult to make ends meet. That was how Taiwo introduced the idea of stealing cars with master key to me in 2013. We have operated in Lagos and Edo States as well as

Abuja. “I have stolen about five cars with him. The last time I worked with him was in April; I was surprised that he brought police to arrest me.” Speaking bitterly, Ola said he had not really benefitted anything tangible from the stealing, stating that the action had only damaged his name. “The highest we got from the sale of the vehicles is N150,000. We would feed and pay hotel bills from the money, so at the end of the day, we would be left with N50,000 or thereabout. This was what made me stop working with Taiwo before he got Odion. I never worked with Odion.” The suspected buyer of the stolen vehicles, Ifeanyi, from Anambra State told Crime Reports: “Initially,

I didn’t know the vehicles were stolen. I knew Ahmed through a friend, Fidelis. Fidelis was a yahoo guy. Ahmed said he was a car dealer and I told him I dealt in Nigerian used cars. He promised to let me know if he got any cheap one. “One day, I called him that I needed a car and he returned my call that he had a Toyota Camry car to sell. He sold it to me for N150,000. I fixed it and started using it until I had an accident with it. I have bought up to 14 vehicles from the gang.” When asked how he was getting documents for the stolen vehicles, Okeke told Crime Reports that it was Ahmed who introduced him to someone at a licencing office premises in Lagos State, and he used to send money to the person to do his vehicle documents. The suspect further revealed that in the particular licencing office, his contact used to give him original papers with new number plates. When further prodded on the possibility, since auto registration would not allow that without changeof-ownership documents, Okeke said that the licensing official would remove the registration number of the stolen vehicle from the computer system and replace it with a new one being issued. Ola however said that it was likely Okeke was being given fake number plates.

New Kwara CP assumes office, parades suspects Biola Azeez-Ilorin

THE new Commissioner of Police in Kwara state, Mr. Esosa Amadasun, has paraded three suspected student cultists who allegedly belong to a cult group, Aye Confraternity. Speaking during the parade in Ilorin, the police commissioner, who just assumed office shortly before the press briefing, said that the suspected cultists were rusticated students of the Kwara State University

(KWASU), Malete, in Moro local government area of the state. Also paraded was one Daniel Usman who allegedly stole a brown Hyundai Jeep with registration number KTU 32 BZ, belonging to a Chinese construction company, Honggye International Limited based in Ekiti state. “He has since confessed to removing the vehicle from the company’s yard at Ado Ekiti enroute Abuja for sale. The suspect further said he was forced into crime by his

Chinese national site manager simply known as Mr. Xans”, he said. Speaking earlier during a courtesy visit to Corresspondents’ chapel of the state council of NUJ, Mr. Amadasun said that the command under his control would not detain any suspect beyond 24 hours, just as he reiterated zero tolerance for cultism and armed robbery in the state. The police boss, who promised to respect constitutional provisions on

human rights, said that the command would charge every suspect to appropriate court without undue detention. “As for armed robbers, rapists and cultists, I don’t have rooms for them in Kwara state. This is because personally, I don’t have a place for them in my mind. They are hereby advised to repent, relocate or get arrested and face the full wrath of the law”, he said. The police boss also commended the efforts of the

federal government at making life more comfortable and conducive for police personnel to serve, just as he condemned extortion of money by police personnel from members of the public and advised them to make satisfaction their priority. He also urged the National Orientation Agency, (NOA) to do more on education of citizenry over salient issues of national interest, said the step would further foster harmonious relationship among the people.

13 September, 2015

crimereports

Sunday Tribune

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

‘Getting new vehicle number plates for stolen vehicles is easy with…’

New Kwara CP assumes office, parades suspects Biola Azeez-Ilorin

news

13 September, 2015

Internet usage on Nigeria’s telecoms networks hits 93 million —NCC

igerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that the number of internet users on the country’s telecom networks increased to more than 93 million as of July. The commission made this known in its Monthly Internet Subscriber Data, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos. The data revealed that internet user on both the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks increased to about 735,239 in July. NAN reports that the number of subscribers that surf the internet in June was put at 92,816,572 but increased to 93,551,811 in the month of July. The data shows that of the 93,551,811 internet users in July, 93,403,147 were on GSM networks, while 148,664 users were on the CDMA. Moreso, of the 93,403,147 internet users on the GSM networks in the month under review, MTN Nigeria had 41,101,886 customers browsing the internet on its network. It stated that MTN had an increase of 616,216 internet subscribers in July after it recorded 40,485,670 users in the month of June. According to the report, Globacom had 19,330,549 subscribers surfing the net in July as recorded in June. Airtel Nigeria, it said, had

17,605,852 internet users in the month of July, as against 17,598,626 customers recorded in June. Internet users on the Airtel

Nigeria network increased by 7,226 in July, while Etisalat had 15,393,860 internet users in July, against the 15,285,079 in June.

Those browsing on Etisalat’s network also rose by 108,781 in the month of July. The NCC also revealed

that the CDMA operators (Multi-Links and Visafone), had a joint total of 148,664 internet users on their networks in July.

From left, Buki Sonoiki; Mrs Oyinlola Kongi; Mrs Biodun Igne; Mrs Tokunbo Ayodele; Mrs Omotola Sonoiki; Mrs Josephine Yetunde Sonoiki and Mrs Toyin Sonoiki at the burial service of Olugbadebo I, Lipa of Molipa, Oba Joseph Oluwole Sonoiki at his palace, Ijebu Ode on Saturday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

From left, bride’s mother, Mrs Olanike Adunni Okeleye; Mrs Aderemi Mobolaji Adesina, groom’s mother; newly wedded couple, Mr and Mrs Adeolu Adesina (middle); father of the bride, Mr Shamsadeen Alao Okeleye and groom’s father, Elder Stephen Adesina, during the wedding ceremony of their children, at Living Faith Church a.k.a Winners Chapel, Federal Housing Estate (FHE), Olomore, Abeokuta, on Saturday. PHOTO: SEGUN ADEBAYO

Tribunal admits certified evidence in Adeyemi, Melaye suit Taiwo Adisa, Abuja

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal holding in Lokoja, Kogi State at its last sitting in Lokoja, admitted the certified true copies of critical exhibits in the National Assembly election tribunal suit between Senators Smart Adeyemi and Dino Melaye. The duo are contesting the veracity of the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which gave victory to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Melaye. Counsel to Senator Adeyemi, Dr. J.A Olatoke, had moved motions before the Tribunal, asking it to allow INEC present report of the vote recounting as ordered by the court. The documents contained in 22 bags indicated that

parties to the suit had discovered over 3,000 votes considered as invalid, void and votes of other parties most of which were wrongly counted in favour of the APC. One of the documents also indicated that the candidate of the APC, Dino Melaye did not emerge through primaries in line with the Electoral Act. The Electoral Commission, which had three weeks ago changed its counsel and brought in Barrister Adeola Salako, who also withdrew the Commission’s earlier written reply to the petition filed in April, through an oral application. But the INEC also submitted two documents including a letter written by the Commission containing a report of the failure of the APC to conduct primaries

in Kogi West senatorial district. Counsel to Melaye, Ayotunde Ogunleye and that of the APC, Chukwudi Ani had opposed the submission of the documents, claiming that the procedure was against the Electoral Act. But the Tribunal headed by

Justice Akon Ikpeme ruled after a two hour adjournment that the documents be admitted as exhibits. The sitting also saw Senator Adeyemi’s star witness Fehinti Dada, acknowledging all the certified true copies of the results of the 21 disputed polling units in

Kabba/Bunnu; Ijumu;Kogi and Lokoja local government areas. He equally acknowledged the reports of alleged irregularities in the disputed 21 units, resulting from claim of irregularities, misplacement of votes and misuse of customised result sheets.

Sunday Tribune

82 killed in India explosion At least 82 people were killed and 35 others injured when explosives kept inside a building went off at Petlwad town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh today, police said. Earlier, police had said that the explosion was caused by a cooking gas cylinder kept in the adjacent three-storeyed building housing a hotel. Both the buildings were extensively damaged in the high-impact explosion compounding the tragedy. According to Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Petlawad, A R Khan, the explosion took place around 8.30 AM at Petlawad town, at a store in the building where huge piles of explosive material used for mines were kept. So far, bodies of 25 people have been recovered from the debris of both the buildings, Jhabua District Magistrate Aruna Gupta told PTI. Also, 35 people have been pulled out of the debris and referred to a nearby hospital, Gupta said. Many others are suspected to be trapped in the debris, she said, adding that the exact number of casualties will be known once the rescue operations are over. Senior officials from Jhabua including Superintendent of Police G G Pandey besides State Tribal Welfare Minister Antar Singh Arya have rushed to the spot. State Home Minister Babulal Gaur said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured. Meanwhile, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been dispatched to Jhabua to help in the salvage operations of the collapsed building. “A team equipped with gadgets to operate in collapsed structures has been sent to the accident site in Jhabua from Vadodara in Gujarat.”

Kogi guber: APGA picks Umar as candidate, pledges good governance Christian Okeke - Abuja

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), has picked Dr. Umar Akwu Goodman as its candidate for the November governorship election in Kogi State. It said the candidate was the best it could offer to the state, promising to inject new life into the state, predicated on good governance if elected. Unveiling Umar in Abuja at the party’s secretariat at

Wuse 2, national chairman of the party, Victor Ike Oye said the party did a meticulous search out of the many persons that indicated interest to fly the party’s flag and found that Umar met all the necessary requirements. Oye described the candidate as an astute politician, grassroots person, activist and champion of the cause of the downtrodden. He described APGA as a

political party with clean bill of health and only viable option that is committed to transforming the political landscape of the state by ensuring that politics is played with love, respect, dignity and constitutionality. The chairman said, “Our activity in the last couple of months has shown that we are going to win. Now that we have unveiled our candidate, candidates of other parties will scamper to

safety; we are ready to take Kogi by storm.” Speaking, the candidate, Umar, noted that the people of the state were already tired of recycled leaders and emperors. He vowed that the era of dictatorship was gone in the state, insisting that the era when someone governing the state would have bank account that is fatter than that of the state was gone.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

life&living

For money, fame… Story of children of the night

In recent times, young children have overtaken adult dancers at many nightclubs. OLAKUNLE TAIWO reports the challenges many of the kids face as night crawlers, and the implications for society.

A girl displaying stunt at a club in Ibadan

F course, anyone can dance. Dance is not limited to a particular age bracket or group, even children respond when they hear any kind of music. But not everyone can match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music or follow a sequence of steps, particularly break dances and stunts, which require a lot of rehearsals. But there is more to dancing than the normal twisting of the body. Professionals in the field have said that dance is a hidden language of the soul and it is functional, ranging from social, ceremonial and competitive, to erotic, martial or sacred activities. Therefore, dance can be categorised and described by its choreography, its repertoire of movements, historical period or place of origin. But Sunday Tribune noticed that, recently, in most nightclubs, it is not unusual to see children between ages three and nine dancing away and entertaining the crowd. These children are often the main attraction, as they entertain adult revellers and others who patronise such nightclubs. The kids appearing in different dance groups seem to be dictating the pace. In the past, adults, whether in

groups or solo formations, entertained audiences with a collection of trending and creative dance steps. Now, these kid dancers are fast getting attention and applause from audiences at shows more as a result of their ages than their advertised creativities. More of them can now be found around than before, probably because of the income and fame attached to being an entertainer. In many of the popular nightclubs in Ibadan, for instance, kids below 14 can be seen displaying mind-blowing stunts and crazy dance steps just to wow the crowd. This, according to a club owner, makes the rich in the crowd ‘go gaga’ and they begin to shower them with denominations of Naira notes. “A group of dancers can make a lot of money if it has a good baby dancer,” Sunday Tribune was told. While many people, however, see nothing wrong in children patronising night clubs, many view it as the height of society’s moral depreciation. For whatever reason, be it money or professional, children, they argued, have no business frequenting clubs at night when they should be sleeping and preparing for school. During a visit to some nightclubs in Ibadan, Sunday

Tribune learnt that kids of different dance groups often frequent clubs like Coded Lounge at Felele, GQ at Bodija, Koko Dome at Dugbe, Club 411 at Bodija and Echo Groove located around Ring Road axis, for special shows and on normal club days. It was also gathered that, most times, the dance groups don’t get paid by club owners to perform at their shows. Rather, the groups would have to prove that they are worthy to be showered money on by the big spenders in the audience. “In my own club, the dancers make effort to dazzle the crowd with special steps and stunts in order to collect more than what the clubs could offer. But they get paid on special occasions and still make more money,” the CEO of Coded Lounge, Mr Victor Mark, revealed. Challenges The main reason most of these dance groups are formed is to develop and showcase talents—and make money for the team. But things do not come easy for their handlers in continues on pg 11

life&living

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Subjecting children to negative influences their kids display on stage. Sunday Tribune, however, found out that some parents did not take things lightly with the handlers, believing that their children are being used for profiteering. “It is a pity that I will be returning one of my best dancers to her parents, because they believe I am here only to make money for myself,’ George Okoye, leader of Trinity Dance Group, lamented. One of the parents who simply identified herself as Mrs Mary and has four children among Golden Star Dancers, said she didn’t want to release her kids, because their father didn’t like it, but did after a lot of persuasion from Ogunse. “Although I know they liked dancing very much since they were very small—I even bought a tape and cassette for them to rehearse with—I didn’t want them to be taken out to dance in the public. Now that they are out, I pray God will continue to guide them and make the world see their talents,” she said.

Golden Stars Dancers

continued from pg 10

the first instance. It was challenging for most of them to persuade parents to release their kids for them. The coordinator of Royal Dancers, Alex Bright, revealed that his group started its outing early this year with nine dancers, including seven children below 12, three of whom are his younger brothers. According to him, he had to seriously plead before the parents could release their kids to join his team. “It has not been easy moving around in the night, but we just have to do it, because we have passion for it. Sometimes, we would leave home on time and trek to nearby clubs, yet we wouldn’t make money, even if we danced for the whole period of the show,’’ he said. Another group leader, Moses Ayanuga, also explained how he was able to gather about nine kids to his Mighty Glorious Dancers group. The okada rider told Sunday Tribune that it was difficult to realise his dream to develop kids with special dancing skills and make them relevant in the entertainment world. “But when God said it was time, our chairman in my okada unit at Oke-Ado got me three kids from his friends. I had to seriously beg and pledge that nothing would happen to them, but three among them are my siblings,’’ he noted. ‘I carry six kids on one Okada’ Sunday Tribune also learnt that many of the dance groups go for shows three to four times a week, but many of them are not financially buoyant enough to acquire their own vehicle for easy mobility. Rather, they hire commercial cabs to event centres at mid-night to be able to meet up. Yet, some of them still find it cool riding on an okada on a top speed in the night breeze. According to Ayanuga, “I could transport about six kids lined for a particular show on my okada from Oke-Ado to anywhere in Ibadan every time we attend shows, and back home.” ‘What education means to us’ If one witnesses some of these kids displaying on stage, one would see enthusiasm and happiness. One would then wonder if they paid the same attention to their studies. A chat with some of their handlers revealed that some had dropped out of school due to financial constraints, but some still attend different government schools. One of the handlers told Sunday Tribune that even

Dr Ekuase Sanusi though the kids always feel happy when they set out for shows, he usually encouraged them to also study hard. “They feel happy when they are going to school but happier when they are dancing. We know who Mary should go and who not to follow us when they have serious studies to do. In fact, I encourage them to go to school. I didn’t have the opportunity to do so, but I know that education is important,” Ayanuga said. ‘I still dance in my dream’ One of kid dancers, Hamud Adeniyi, nine, who could do 30 back flips at a go, told Sunday Tribune that dancing is a way of life. The Royal Dancer kid told Sunday Tribune that whether he was walking, eating, seating or standing, he was always moving his body to a rhythm. According to him, “the only time I don’t dance is when I fall asleep, but I still dance in my dream.” How they make and spend their income Some of the dancers revealed to Sunday Tribune how they spend the money they gather after attending shows. The group leader of Golden Star Dancers, Mayowa Ogunse, said: “We make up to N6,500 or more if we go to two or more clubs, depending on their club days when rich people come out to relax.” Asked what they do with the money, Ogunse said: “We use it for upkeep. We help parents of some of the kids to pay certain fees in school and take care of their kids, whenever we make much money.” Different parents with different views During a chat with parents of some of these kids, it was learnt that some of them even take delight in watching

Why kids should dance… Reports show that though dance helps children to develop physical fitness and teaches the values and skills of creativity, dancing at nightclubs has negative effects on their lives. It is also true that dance aids the development of kinesthetic intelligence and creates opportunities for self-expression and communication within the constraints of the medium of the body. However, beyond the joy of entertaining crowd at nightclubs, Sunday Tribune gathered that, for the youngsters, there are more pains than gains. The children are mingling with a crowd with bad influence which is capable of redirecting their lives in terms of moral behaviour, health, education, future plans, among others. According to an an Ibadan-based psychologist, Mr Ibukun Omoniyi, it may be hard for children who are attending clubs at a very tender age amid cloudy smokes, alcohol and prostitutes to restrain themselves from negative impacts where there are no parents. His words: “It will only take the grace of God for children dancing in various nightclubs not to be easily influenced negatively because they dance amidst negative impacts. They could end up becoming strippers, whores and alcohol addicts. But if they are dancing in an open competition, then they could become stars, not in the hell called nightclubs.” Of government, corporate bodies A talent developer and head at Develop Talents Nigeria, Mr Julius Onugbo, however, noted that kids who have the skills could continue to dance at places where there are no negative influences like alcohol, cigarettes and touts. He, however, advised that governments, individuals and corporate bodies could put together talent hunt competitions in different states, and so discourage kids from risking the dangers of dancing in clubs. A pediatrician, Dr Sanusi Ekuase, noted that children below the age of 18 years have no business going to clubs at night or in the day, citing that in the US, it amounted to child abuse. She told Sunday Tribune: “We need laws to protect our children from exploitation because they don’t know better and the adults that should protect them are not doing so. It’s a tragedy. They get exposed to early prostitution and alcohol that could create a downward spiral in their lives. They need education, not a nightclub career. “Night clubs need to be registered and regulated by the body set up by the state or local government to do that. Before you enter clubs in the USA, if you look very young, they “card” you (that means check out your date of birth on your identity card). If the clubs get caught with minors, that is children below 18 years, those night clubs pay heavy fines and could get shut down. The same goes for bars which sell alcohol to minors.” She, however, recommended that children should be encouraged to dance in their schools or join dance groups after school. According to her, these groups can entertain at events like weddings or stage plays, and can also participate in dance competitions for cash prizes. She added: “It can become a national championship where the winners can represent Nigeria abroad in contests or just for performance. That way, children make money and they stay in school. And the cause is good.”

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

13 Continued from

13 September, 2015 last week

HE Judiciary is the organ which enforces the Law in such an impartial manner as to ensure that every citizen - be he a labourer or Minister - is very conscious of his inescapable subordination to it. The Executive is, as its name clearly signifies, the executive organ of Government. It consists (I) of Ministers who initiate legislations and policies for the consideration of the Legislature; (2) of Officials who, under the surveillance of Ministers, execute such policies as have received the imprimatur of the Legislature; and (3) of the Police and the Army who assist both the Judiciary and the Executive in ensuring that the decrees of the Courts are obeyed and the directions of the Executive are complied with. Thus far I have outlined to you the functions of a State and the Organs which mankind has designed through, undoubtedly, a long process of trial and error, for the discharge of those functions. The satisfactory discharge of the functions depends on the efficacy of the Organs, which in turn depends on the form of a particular Government. If the Organs are defective the functions will only be feebly, partially or badly discharged to the annoyance, disquiet and discomfiture of the people. There are two forms of Government well-known in these modem times: Dictatorship and Democracy. In a dictatorship, all the organs of State are stifled and stultified because they are concentrated in the hands of one single man. He appoints as judges only those who will do his behest - right or wrong. He rules his territory by decree and without parliament. He administers the affairs of the people under his jurisdiction in accordance with his own capricious desires and will. The masses of the people are denied freedom of speech or any form of freedom the exercise of which is likely to conflict with the Dictator’s ideas or whims. The Dictator may attain office by various means including democratic ones. But he remains in office only by ensuring that the people are thoroughly subservient to his will, and inarticulate. The first casualty, therefore, in a totalitarian regime is, invariably and without a single exception to my knowledge, the Press. If the latter is free, it will continue to articulate the wishes of the people whose cause it has always espoused, and such articulation must necessarily undermine the position of the Dictator. In a Dictatorship, therefore, such newspapers as are allowed to exist are totally unworthy of the noble tradition of a free Press. They are muzzled and censored; and they become staunch allies of the Oppressor. In a Dictatorship the Organs of the State are defective. Consequently the

Awo’s thoughts VOICE OF REASON

The press in the service of the state A lecture delivered under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, West Nigerian Branch, on 14th June, 1958.

functions which they are expected to discharge are only performed in a most indifferent and arbitrary manner. Amenities may or may not be provided; when they are, they are hopelessly inadequate and are fashioned after the taste of the unquestionable ruler and master. Justice and liberty are vigorously suppressed; and the citizens are reduced to the status of slaves. In this evil ‘regime the Press is absolutely incapacitated from playing its traditional role in the State. In a Democracy, the position is different. The Judiciary is independent of the Executive and the Legislature. The Executive and the Legislature, on the other hand, derive their power and authority to rule from the masses of the people. An independent judiciary is one of the bulwarks of the liberty of the citizen and hence of the Press. A Judiciary which is subservient to the Executive and the Legislature will be bound to administer the law with partial affection for those in authority and to the prejudice of the governed. It is, therefore, a matter of the utmost and intimate concern to the Press whose freedom depends on that of the populace that the Judiciary should be free, independent and impartial, and remain so. Any glaring and unmistakable sign of defection must be promptly and vividly ‘spotlighted’ by the Press. It is perhaps not generally recognised among our journalists in this country that ‘criticism of the conduct of a judge

Sunday Tribune

in a judicial proceeding is permissible’. The only limitation—and it is an important limitation—is that the criticism ‘must not be such as to be calculated to obstruct or interfere with the due course of justice or to amount to personal scurrilous abuse of the Judge as a Judge’. I must admit that criticism of the conduct of a Judge in a judicial proceeding is an exceedingly delicate journalistic operation which only the most adept, the most polished, and the most sophisticated and constructive in the profession must ever dare to essay. The line, between criticism of the conduct of a Judge and personal abuse of the Judge, is very thin indeed. Besides, except in the very rare case of outrageous abuse of office, Judges and Magistrates must be left alone to perform their duties according to their right without interference or unwarranted imputations by the Press. Indeed, there is a good deal to be gained by proclaiming the dignity and impartiality of the Bench. In any case, nothing must be done gratuitously to shake the confidence of the people in that dignity and impartiality. To the extent that these attributes are detracted from, even so much will the liberty of the citizen and of the Press suffer impairment and derogation. In regard to the Legislature and the Executive, the Press is on a surer, more solid and less holy ground. ‘Without democracy,’ says Laski, ‘there cannot be liberty.’ In other words, if the Press wants to maintain its freedom which is inextricably interwoven with that of the citizen, it must stand unequivocally and irrevocably on the side of democracy. If this proposition is accepted, it is the bounden duty of the Press to ensure that the Legislative and Executive organs of the State derive their authority from the masses, and that the latter are in a position to review and, if need be, reassign their mandate periodically. In this connection I want to quote Laski again: ‘The right to franchise is essential to liberty; and a citizen excluded from it is unfree. Unfree for the simple reason that the rulers of the State will not regard his will as entitled to consideration in the making of policy ... There is no other way in which his wants, ‘as he experiences those wants, will receive attention.’ It is clear from what I have said that in a Democracy the Press has an important role to play, namely to ensure with unflagging vigilance that the principles of democracy and the Rule of Law are maintained absolutely inviolate. There are certain attributes, however, which the Press must posses in order that it may be able to render this service with wholesome, penetrating and lasting effect.

To be continued

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13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Remi Anifowose And Seyi Sokoya oluremi_anifowose@yahoo.com seyi_sky@yahoo.com 09090652322, 08141986123 08075166585

homes&interior s r

How to keep that small living room cozy, beautiful

OST living rooms are considered the social hub of a home. The pursuit of effective use of space, user wellbeing and functional designs are contributing factors for a perfect living room. So, many times, we need a little inspiration for our living rooms. Stylish decorative interior designs of a living room, to a large extent, define the quality and taste of either a flat dweller or home owner, as discovering new ideas would

A two-sette living room design

make a fabulous and perfect combo, especially in awkward, small spaces. Small spaces could be a major challenge in home designing. But they could also be a form of blessing for the home owner or flat dweller, if well designed and decorated. In cases of bringing about design ideas for small spaces in a living room, one could come up with simpler, Continues

pg 15

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15 homes&interior

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Quality furniture depicts taste —Siwobi

Mr Donald Maduabuchukwu Siwobi is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, MultiHome Furniture (Nig) Limited. He speaks with REMI ANIFOWOSE on the prospects, challenges of running a furniture company. Excerpts:

EW people know you as the brain behind a flourishing indigenous furniture company, Multihome Furniture, who is the face behind the mask? I am Donald Maduabuchukwu Siwobi, the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of MultiHome Furniture(Nig) Limited. I am from Umuezeala Ama, Oboh, in Osuama, Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. I obtained a Diploma in Educational Management from the University of Ibadan in 1998. I later proceeded to Ekiti State University where I obtained a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in Educational Management and also attended the Lead City University where I obtained Bachelor of Law (LL.B) in 2011. What made you to venture into furniture making? I started my furniture business as an outlet for only office furniture at Mokola, Ibadan, and this was as far back as 1990. I gathered my experience as an apprentice on training in a furniture company for about six years before I started my own business. I raised capital for the business by initially selling tricycles and when I was able to raise enough capital, I started the business with a small outlet where I sold only office furniture. The business started expanding from there. I later ventured into other kinds of furniture, including doors and interior accessories. I have so much passion for the business. Each time I went to big companies and institutions, even homes, and I saw the wide use of nice furniture, I feel motivated to be part of it. Also suitable training engendered the necessary passion and motivation for entrepreneurship in furniture and interior accessories in me. Anybody that enters a tastefully furnished office or home would want to imitate something. The fact that someone must see what to like or imitate in a furniture company motivated me into the business. The furniture sector is growing, with many people going into it. How do you source your customers? Multihome target customers are wide and it is anybody that appreciates quality and taste. Our guiding ethos and one of the main reasons for our success has been our collaborative approach to business. We continue to form long term and mutually beneficial ‘’ ‘‘win:win” partnership with our customers, suppliers and employees, thereby ensuring the highest level of satisfaction of all parties and a fruitful outcome. We partner with pioneers and leading international companies in order to provide world-class products and solutions to our customers. MultiHome is a household name in most institutions like IITA, NISER, UI, Lead City University, UCH, Fan Milk etc –one of our greatest strengths is our ability to assess, source and deliver the product and service of your choice. We work hand in hand with our partner’s brand to understand their unique requirements. Apart from manufacturing, we also have extensive operations in China, HongKong, Malaysia and Italy. We are in a com-

not friendly at times. The issue of double taxation is a major challenge and it is killing the business. We pay taxes to Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the state and local governments too. So we face a lot of trouble being overtaxed by government officials. Government should involve us when making policies, especially business policies, when making decisions, so that favourable policies will be made and executed and there will be no constraints whatsoever on either side.

Mr Siwobi petitive market with foreigners, so we also want to stand out by sustaining our relationship with our customers. We do a lot of follow-up to achieve this. We also constantly modernise any furniture bought from us if our customers complain they are outdated to meet the current trend, just for a token. What began in 1990 as a humble oneman trading enterprise, has today grown into a professional powerhouse, led by a highly qualified and globally experienced senior management team.

Are there challenges? Yes, there are challenges. Setting up a business like this is not easy. From financial challenges, government laws and policies to the challenges of meeting up with the needs and taste of our customers. The business is highly capital and labour intensive. To raise capital for the business has not been easy and the conditions attached to getting loans from banks are unbearable. There are a lot of financial constraints. Even government policies are

Message to upcoming entrepreneurs I will advise youths and upcoming entrepreneurs to be hardworking and dedicated. ‘’Thou shall not start big,’’ this is the general rule. It makes much sense and it is full of wisdom. In many cases, most new businesses are not only ‘’green’’ but they also have grey areas. “Thou shall not go into business because you are frustrated. When there is frustration, the mind becomes unstable. Decisions are taken on impulse and a lot of emotional aggressiveness is exhibited in one’s relationship with others. Such a condition is not favourable for business environment. ‘’Thou shall not quit your job to start a new one, except you have enough savings. Thou shall not start a business in which you lack competence. Thou shall not be overambitious. It’s sad these days that most youths want to make quick money. They don’t want to be patient at all, as they want to drive the best of cars and live in affluence at a tender age. Starting up a business is quite tasking and needs dedication and hard work, including passion for the business and perseverance. Expansion is a gradual process and it will definitely come if hard work and patience are put to play. Making it as an entrepreneur is gradual but that height would surely be attained through dedication, hard work and perseverance.

Why small living rooms should be simple A one-sette living room design

Continued from

pg 14

quieter and more connected designs. Living rooms with awkward, small spaces need not be too busy, too loud and too congested. In improving your home space, cleanly painted walls will be miles better than clumsy, scuffed magnolia. Colour, as advised by interior experts, should be used more as an accent than a base in creating airy spaces. White paints are, more often than not, recommended to keep a clean feeling , yet with interest. A display of nice bits on an open shelve could also do a lot in managing a living room space. For an uplift and tidy feel, an easy layout for a small living room is a sofa chair on one side and the TV on the other. Keep surfaces clear and get a nice rug that fits with the furniture. For your living and bedrooms to have a cozier and more intimate feel, wall hangings (pictures, mirrors, storage accessories) could be just the perfect technique in space saving, likewise keeping furniture low to the ground and picking styles with narrow legs. From the colour ideas to the living room design. We must, however, acknowledge that decorating the living room does not have to be grand, in cases of small, tiny spaces. A simple wall paper or feature wall, room lighting or even a rug could make a tasteful statement and also transform your space completely.

13 September, 2015

RIBUNE’S Online Editor, Mr Femi Osinusi, stoked a little fire last Wednesday. He posted a disturbing picture of a battered housewife with heart-wrenching visage that at first glance, portrayed a first-degree fire victim or lucky-to-be-alive Boko Haram bombing survivor. She was reportedly a victim of marital martial. She wanted to be guided in dealing with her alleged abusive philandering husband who still wants her despite frolicking with a mother of four. When you feed an emotional public its tastiest menu, the response could be assumed, with bull eye precision. Save for one, all responders encouraged divorce. Though I am more of a BackBook, I joined in the Facebook dialogue. Despite the temptation, I wasn’t going to yield to the flesh. I encouraged her in the spirit, assuring her that the allsufficient God can fix the shaky home and restore her smile, without grieving the Holy Spirit through divorce. My jugular became the operational arena of others. The deepest laceration was from my dear sister and pal, award-winning Tell magazine amazon, Stella Sawyer. She called my no-divorce “preaching” disgusting. I know sister Stella is a committed Christian and she possibly spoke to the content of her Christianity understanding of the scripturally-unacceptable syndrome. Marriage is a sacred institution and the religions portraying the sacredness of God should ordinarily protect it, especially Christianity that says “a man and woman”. The main challenge to persons of faith today is Christianity that is more about conveniences rather than the Mind of God as espoused by His Word. This convenience of service to God is also obviously responsible for the silence that greeted the decision of the Pope to further encourage divorce by religiously simplifying the process. In 2012, 50,000 marriages were officially annulled in Catholics, with Americans accounting for a half of the staggering figure. It is gratifying that the controversial annulment reform is called “motu proprio” (Latin word for “by his (Pope) initiative” because definitely that isn’t the mind of God. It is suspected that he took the step for higher rating in America which he would be visiting soon. But it is wrong to play politics with God’s agenda. Malachi 2:16 says “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel”, who is also the God of Pope. Why imposing his initiative on that of agenda Owner? In one breath, Pope reaffirmed the “indissolubility” of marriage bond, which is very scripturally and the church as a mother being close to her children, which is also scriptur-

TO the rich the poor count for nothing. They spare them no thought and have little consideration for their wellbeing. When there is a crisis, they use the poor as shield, treating them as expendables. The current non-payment of workers’ salaries underscores how valuable the poor are to the ruling class. While the poor and their offspring are exposed to the pangs of hunger and destitution, the binge continues in the state houses; their excellencies continue with their flamboyant lifestyles while their excellencies’ spouses still fly to Dubai for shopping and to fix their nails. This is neither a slip nor a gaffe; it is a deliberate act because the politicians believe that the populace is too weak to be a threat to their ambition. They are of the opinion that irrespective of their gross misdemeanours, blatant disregard for the electorate and flagrant waste of the nation’s resources, the masses are so poor that they will dance to the tune of the politicians. Therefore, as far as they are concerned, it is what they want that will happen, not the people’s wish. It is for this reason that politicians, in and out of government, are not bothered about reducing the poverty indices in the country. Despite the trillions of naira sunk into various poverty alleviation programmes of different governments at all levels; Better Life for Rural Women, DIFFRI, National Poverty Eradication Programme, YouWin etc, the number of the poor in the country has consistently been on the increase. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, at independence in 1960, about 15 per cent of the population was poor. This rose to 28 per cent in 1980. By 1985, it had risen to 46 per cent, dropping to 43 per cent in 1992. However, by 1996 poverty in the country had gone up to 66 per cent before climbing further to the current rate of 67 per cent. The belief of the nation’s ruling class about the poor is in tandem with the findings of a research conducted by a team at Princeton, Harvard, and the University of Warwick. According to the findings, poverty reduces the cognitive capacity of the poor because poverty-related

Sunday Tribune

oured by all and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” What can be more than God’s judgement?

Biu’s Beatification 0811 695 4647

olanreade@yahoo.com

Pope is wrong!

ally correct. Then the question is, how is the church as a mother getting close to her children by encouraging an act, disgusting to their Creator. In the thickening contradictions, the Papal concluded that all laws must aim at a central purpose, “salvation of souls”. The central purpose is correct but you don’t save souls by grieving God. Yes, the Word says a man can put away an adulterous wife. That passage has no vice-versa. Even for the man, the evidence must be strictest. But Jesus explained this seeming latitude for what God hates. He said in Mark 10:5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law” adding in Vs 6: “but at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female”. 1 Corinthians 7:39 makes it very clear to wives “a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives”, with Vs 11 saying “But if she does (divorces), she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.” Whoever marries her divorced, has a curse on him according to Luke 16:18 “the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery”. The Creator also knew the bestial demon would possess some men. He has His punishment. Malachi 2:16 says “I (God) hate a man’s covering himself with violence”. Hebrew 13:4 delivers the blow “marriage should be hon-

With Sulaimon Olanrewaju 08055001708

lanresulaimon@yahoo.com

Poverty as weapon of subjugation

concerns consume mental resources, leaving less for other tasks. The study concluded that poverty imposes such a massive cognitive load on the poor that they have little bandwidth left over to do many of the things that might lift them out of poverty. The poor are so consumed by their poverty that they cannot think about any great idea; they are so caged by their deprivation and destitution that their major concern is how to survive the day, not how to take a deci-

PROFESSOR Itse Sagay will always be Itsejuwa. Despite holding a presidential job on anti-corruption war, his rage was unmistaken penultimate Friday over Zakari Biu’s parole. The pallid rationale by the Police Service Commission, the same body that dismissed him from police over proven complicit in the escape of Boko Haram Madalla Christmas bomber Kabiru Sokoto, that the CommanderIn-Chief Muhammadu Buhari knew nothing about the national embarrassment of a volte-face, bounced off Sagay’s reasoning. I singled him out of the uproar because by Nigerian tradition, those in government hide the truth in the corner of their cheeks, making them bulge than necessary in order not to be seen as disloyal. Sagay mentioned nepotism, tribalism and Buhari’s unattractive past reputation. He wondered if Buhari had truly changed and not behaving to cast. I stay with Sagay on this. Once again, I remind Mr. Buhari that goodwill account could be in red. Biu’s beatification is an affront to the memory of the Catholic church bombing victims. The peace he didn’t have in dismissal, he won’t find in compulsory retirement. The full entitlements paid him? Those millions would continue to smell the stench of burnt flesh and forever crimson in colour. And Men of goodwill that kept quiet to be politicallycorrect? God dey.

Konga “kills” it PERMIT me to be vain a bit. Is there anyone who hasn’t seen the running Konga ad featuring entertainment sweetheart; Tiwa Savage? It is the best I have seen in ages. The perfection is perfect. The concept would put any international ad on the second row. The ‘it’ in it, is the starstruck delivery guy who lost it, seeing Tiwa as the customer. After all the negatives trailing online transactions for which I vowed never to join the party, the ad makes Konga believable on timeous delivery and I’m close to breaking my self-imposed moratorium, all thanks to the power of PR. I just hope...

sion that will effect a positive change in their lives. This explains why the poor have a low estimation of their self worth and have no consideration for personal dignity. Their concern is survival, not any exotic ideal. So, the strategy of the powerful is to keep the people so poor, bruised and incapacitated that not only will they be unable to think right and take steps that would improve their lot, but they will also be eternally grateful to the rulers for the crumbs that fall from their tables. The elite know that the longer they perpetrate poverty among the people, the better their chances of perpetuating themselves in power. Therefore, in Nigeria, the elite prefer to give the poor crutches instead of wings. They prefer to keep the poor eternally dependent on them than to liberate them from their poverty. Rather than give the poor enough to last a month, they give enough to last a day so that they will be back the following morning. The rich fancy having the poor line up in front of their houses daily for pittance rather than to give a few of them money to embark on a business that would make them become independent. This is why Nigerian politicians hardly set up employment-generating businesses. Less than 10 per cent of the nation’s wealthy politicians have a company employing up to 10 persons. Again, this is deliberate because they know that when a person is gainfully employed and earns decent and honest wages, his perception about himself and his environment would change. He can afford to ask questions and challenge the status quo. But this will not serve the purpose of the Nigerian politician who prefers to keep the poor mum so that he can continue to ride roughshod over them. But will this continue in perpetuity? The answer is no, because nothing lasts forever. Members of the ruling class should stop deluding themselves that the trend will never change. Those who are tempted to believe there will be no end to the injustice should remember the Occupy Wall Street poster sign: One day, the poor will have nothing left to eat but the rich.

13 September2015

Men I can never kiss

Sunday Tribune

P-Square, Soundcity latest

PMAN to investigate bribery allegation

COSON hosts digital summit

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Gbemisola Rave FM 91.7 hits the airwaves

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Tade Makinde tademt2@yahoo.com 08055001753

WAPTV receives new award WALE Adenuga Productions Television (WAPTV), Nigeria’s First Pidgin Channel, has added to its vast laurels as it received the“Excellence in Leadership” award this week. This is in recognition of the channel’s contributions to the development of youths across Africa. This award was presented at the 2015 edition of the International Campus Leadership Conference, which was organised by S.W.A.T. Leadership Academy at the Eko Tourist Resort, Lagos. According to Wale Adenuga, Managing Director of WAPTV, “over the past three years, WAPTV has received several awards, yet each one has been very special to us.” “WAPTV is the family entertainment channel, so our programme schedule has something for all age groups. African youths are very dear to us and we always go the extra mile to support youth-oriented endeavours and provide them with more than the necessary amount of information, entertainment and education to achieve their goals,” he added.

Henshaw, Akindele on stage for ‘London Life, Lagos Living’ By Abiola Oyedeji KATE Henshaw, Funke Akindele, OC Ukeje, Kemi Lala Akindoju will get on stage for Bobo Omotayo’s “London Life, Lagos Living” next month. The stage drama is a presentation of The Make it Happen Productions. “We have worked hard on this production,” said Kemi Lala Akindoju, CEO, The Make it Happen Productions. “Omotayo’s book captures the experiences of the Nigerian who lived in London and moved back

P-Square, Soundcity latest:

Stop bluffing, says T Mac

PMAN to investigate payola allegation We supported your career for 10 years —Soundcity By Tade Makinde And Segun Adebayo

F Wyclef, Akon, for GIAMA Awards THE official nominations for the 4th Annual Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA) is out. Wyclef Jean, Akon, Dorien Wilson and Nollywood’s Ken Erics, Nse Ikpe Etim and Uche Jombo were among those nominated. Presented by PEM Offshore, GIAMA celebrates the best of African entertainment and culture through filmography. Most of this year’s submissions came from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Canada, and the United States. Movies nominated are for “Invasion”, “While You Slept”, “Black November”, “Iya Alalake”, “Ojuju”, “Verdict”, “Stigma”, “When Love Comes Around”, “Red Rose”, etc. The ceremony will be hosted by AY Makun on October 17, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

home. The adaptation is hilarious and entertaining, we cannot wait to have it on stage,” she added. The play will be staged at the Agip recital hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, from October 1st to 4th between 3pm & 7pm. The last show will be a command performance and the gate fee is N10, 000. Red carpet will start at 6pm. The play also features a cast of A-list actors which, include Chioma ‘Chigurl’ Omeruah, Lami Phillips, Patrick Diabuah and Adebola Williams, is directed by Kenneth Uphopho.

ORMER PMAN national President, Tee Mac Itsheli, has urged the management of cable station, Soundcity, to stop bluffing over PSquare’s recent revelations about their soured relationship, saying that the musical station needs the award-winning duo than they need it. Reacting to the parting of ways by both sides, T Mac said if allegations of payola being levelled against some of the staff of the television station are true, Soundcity should be ready to face the wrath of the incoming PMAN executives as it would be probed for collecting money from artistes before playing their videos. “As we speak,” T Mac told R in a phone chat on Friday morning, “a young musician has written a petition to us that he was asked to pay a huge sum of money before his video could be shown on the channel. This is an illegal practice in the broadcasting industry and I hope the media will do something to correct this,” he told R. He added that: “The station makes money from advertisement so that it can sustain itself. I don’t love the station because of the pornographic contents it feeds the young ones. If they play such bad videos ten times a day, young viewers will begin to take bad for good because nobody is condemning Soundcity. Those you see their videos being played

on that station have paid heavily for it. What they do there is wrong. That is why the quality of music is reducing as they show thrash at these vulnerable young ones, while these sons of rich Nigerians continue to bribe their way to the top with their bad music. “The expensive cars and nude girls they feature in their videos are used to sell their bad music. You pay N500,000 to be played and someone will call you less than a month after that you must come and pay another money as your money had been exhausted. Sometimes these guys pay as much as N1m for three months,” he asserted. Facts emerged recently as to why Nigerian Soundcity has not

been airing the music videos of PSquare. The cable music channel stopped airing their P Square’s videos since January 1, 2015 after Soundcity reportedly approached the duo for its end of the year party last year, but they were turned down by P-Square who claimed that the music station had never supported their career. A statement, credited to PSquare’s manager, Jude Okoye, was said to have angered Soundcity management and it decided to stop playing their videos since the beginning of this year. Peter Okoye took to his social media handle during the week to explain to their fans who have been complaining about the continued absence of their videos on

Soundcity that their fans should ignore the music channel. “Dear fans, we see your complains (sic) about the absence of our videos on SoundCity TV. Just to clear the air, they refuse to play us. Ignore that channel and please keep watching us on other great channels,” he said. Reacting to the Peter’s message, Soundcity said it supported PSquare’s career for 10 years, right from their first video to the last in 2014, adding that most of their videos got massive airplay on its channel than any other music channel. “We have assisted the P-Square brand, toured with them over Africa at our expense, gave them ad-spots for their events/projects, prime time slots for their videos and included them in our array of programmes/programming”. It added further: “We invited them to one of our annual events last December 2014 and they insisted we pay a certain amount of money. Being reasonable, we asked what was the least we could offer and the feedback we got from their manager, Jude Okoye, was that “what has Soundcity ever done for P-Square? Tell me one thing Soundcity has ever done for P-Square.” As a result of this, Soundcity stopped airing P-Square’s videos since January 1, 2015. The station denied allegations that they collect money from musicians before their videos are played as raised by T Mac.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

COSON hosts digital summit

I can’t go with pant and bra on set —Precious Eke UPCOMING actress, Precious Chukwu Eke, has warned producers who are eager to see her nude to stop pestering her with financial inducement as she is not ready to go nude or topless on the set of their movies. Otherwise known as Orange Berry, Precious told reporters in Owerri, My Neighbor’s Wife, that she wouldnt do such for all the money in the world. Reiterating further on her stance for a nude role, she stressed that her colour finds it difficult to make exposing wears, as she is always wearing things that wouldn’t look too obvious on her. “Will I even say that I have a busty look that can’t fit such wears? But the truth remains that I can’t go with pant and bra on set.” Describing her role as being

challenging, she however said that her best got rendered. “It’s so hectic because I saw myself doing a role that is not part of me. It’s not in any way known to be my kind of person, as it involves the character, Suzan who happens to be a player. “I really love the character even with its challenge. I would want to play it over and over again, because it brought out the best in me. And guess what? It was a wrap for me, as my best was offered,” she said. The movie with its working name, My Neighbor’s Wife, and produced by Kingsley Okereke of the Divine Touch Productions received laudable praises from Precious who rated it as a big project just like the company’s previous and wave-making movies in the market.

Kool B drops ‘Jeje Life’ By Tosin Olarerin KOOL B is set to release another single entitled 'Na jeje I dey live'. Following the successful release of his first single, “Bere Mi”, which was released in 2012, the Adekunle Ajasin University graduate told R that he’s been off the music scene “shouldn't be abused even though as an artist, you have to be consistent. Music is around you, your everyday life. A song should be inspiring and people should be able to pick one or two messages from it that can impact their lives for good. A song shouldn’t always be about girls shake your bum bum, that's is why my fans can relate with me. My first single Bere mi is a good example of this. So is my new single, Jeje I dey live.

The song was released on Sept 11 2015, his birthday and was produced by Spellz.

ALL is set as Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), in collaboration with Growth & Employment Projects (GEM) Nigeria supported by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment and funded by the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID) hosts the Nigerian Digital Music Summit. The two-day summit,, which will take place at Eko Convention Center, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, on September 28 and 29, has the theme “Establishing the Basic Rules of Engagement in the Digital Environment.” COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji expects to see songwriters, performers, music publishers, music label owners, government regulatory agencies at the summit. “The summit is critical as the production and distribution of music has gone almost completely digital. New business models are emerging. The distribution process is changing rapidly. It is an opportunity to agree on how to move forward so that everybody’s interest is protected and the Nigerian music industry can grow and meet its true potentials,” he stated. Also speaking, Mr. Efe Omorogbe, CEO of Now Muzik said, “There have been complaints in several quarters that our industry lacks the basic structures to function properly. The Digital Music Summit is one key development that will make up for that inadequacy. Now is the time for all hands to be on deck as we set the future right for our music industry in this digital era.” The summit will have in attendance copyright experts from around the world such as Tarja Koskinen-Olsson, International Adviser at Olsson & Koskinen Consulting, Finland & Sweden and former President, International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO); Robert Hooijer, Inter-

national Consultant on Collective Management of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights and former CEO of International Confederation of Societies of Authors & Composers (CISAC) and current Coordinator of International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) for Sub Saharan Africa; Inger Elise Mey, Director of Online Media, Broadcast and International Licensing at TONO, the Norwegian Performing Rights Society; Nothando Migogo, CEO CAPASSO, the mechanical rights society in South Africa and former Managing Director, DALRO South Africa and Warrick Percy, Head Digital Licensing, CAPASSO, South Africa among others.

Audrey Silva releases trailer for ‘Suru L’ere’ By Seyi Sokoya FOLLOWING the success of ‘The Meeting’, The Audrey Silva Company (TASC) has released the trailer for its latest production “Suru L’ere”. The trailer is a sneak peek of what to expect when the movie is eventually re-

leased later in the year or early 2016. Set in Lagos, the movie depicts the life of a young, timid graduate desperate to overcome his financial woes. The protagonist, Arinze, played by upcoming talent Seun Ajayi, meets ambitious and beautiful Omosigho by chance and it sets off a chain of events that force him to explore a “get rich quick” idea. “This film is funny but it also shows the viewer how hard it is to make a decent living in our country” states the director of the film, Mildred Okwo. “Our brand of comedy is conscientious. We want you to laugh, love and above all, learn.” Suru L’ere was written by Richard Odilu and is packed with many young talented actors like Lala Akindoju, AMVCA winner Tope Tedela, Enyinna Nwigwe and Gregory Ojefua. Interestingly; producer Rita Dominic makes a noteworthy cameo appearance joined by Linda Ejiofor, Kenneth Okolie and Bikiya Graham Douglas.

I’m inspired by my magical mask —Gazby By Segun Adebayo AFTER taking a break from music for sometime, Gazby the mask man is back with something special. Gazby who started his entertainment career as a choreographer and dancer soon discovered his passion for music and gave it a shot. From his undergraduate days in the University of Ibadan (UI) where he teamed up with a group called Rockforce Entertainment crew, Gabzy had since been known as a bundle of talents-dancer, singer, choreographer and songwriter. Speaking on his come back, he said he was involved in a long battle with flesh, but he finally won. According to him “the flesh did a lot of hustling here and there to make ends meet, but I was always trying to take over. I actually wrote

songs for some artistes back then, such as Tony Tetuila, Tunde and Wumi Obe and some that didn’t sing my songs. I also did a number of radio and television jingles that are still being played till date”. Shedding light on his new songs, Bojuboju and Ebora, Gazby said they are songs from his new album, Black African Magic. “Bojuboju is a song to introduce the mask to my street fans, while Ebora is a song to let the world know that the living Spirit is finally alive, an incomparable artist with a lot of energy”. On why he wears a mask, “This is not an ordinary mask, it is magical. It is what gives me the confidence to be myself. Whenever I put it on like this, you should know its action time. So, without the Mask, there is no Gazby”, he said.

13 September, 2015

PEOPLE

places&parties

Kingsley Kuku relaxes

Femi Olabanji marries in style

IT was a day of joy for Nike Adebanjo, as she finally hooked Femi Olabanji in Ibadan penultimate Saturday in style. The wedding was solemnised at the God’s Power Evangelical Church, Liberty Road, Ibadan where dignitaries who had looked forward to the day came out to celebrate with the new couple. The reception which was held at Reverend Father Dollan Hall, Oke Ado, Ibadan, was a beauty to behold. The two families ensured that guests were well fed. Femi expressed his gratitude to God for making the marriage to happen, just as he thanked friends and families for their support towards making the ceremony grand.

Rave FM 91.7 hits the airwaves sounds while also stressing that youth culture is not defined by age but rather by an interest in new and innovative cultural expression. He added that Rave FM is committed to deepening the culture of public discourse through refreshing and objective debates on topical issues. “Our listeners will enjoy the best of up-to-date news, business, entertainment, traffic, sports, weather and much more through our carefully knitted programmes”. “We will serve the needs of listeners across the southwest region, as well as lis-

With Segun Adebayo

08116954644 email: tegbollistic@yahoo.com

Playhauz Tv unveils presenters

HESE times may appear rough for Kingsley Kuku, former special adviser on Niger Delta Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. For weeks now, his name has been coming up in the news for different reasons. From his alleged invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning to his reportedly frozen account. Kuku, though, has distanced himself from the report and declared publicly that he was open to investigation, those who should know even informed PPP that the dark-skinned, chubby politician is only interested in observing his deserved rest and concentrating more on his grass-roots projects for the underprivileged, especially widows and orphans.

RAVE FM a newly licensed radio station, will commence operations early next month as the first youth-orientedand urban digital equipped radio station in Osun State, on the frequency of 91.7 FM. Rave FM is a regional and commercial radio station, that will broadcast 24/7 and offer the best of amazing music and quality talks. According to a release made available to PPP and signed by the station Chief Executive Officer, Mr Femi Adefila, the station will target young people who are seeking new music, emerging artistes and alternative

Sunday Tribune

teners around the world via our online streaming portal www.rave917.fm and other platforms such as our IOS App, Android App, Blackberry App and Tune in Radio”. “We offer amazing music and quality talks in our carefully woven programme schedule that informs, educates, entertains and inspires your day. We will cut across a large and heterogeneous audience most of whom are made up of vibrant minds, innovative thinkers and all those craving to have the most exciting radio experience like never before”.

YOUTHS across the continent are set for more fun as entertainment gets redefined with the debut of “PlayHauz Television Show”, a new TV show created by LoSA Filmwox Studio, to entertain, educate and motivate youths. The show which is expected to hit the screens from October has unveiled the presenters to host different segments of the show. The presenters on the show include: Teefamous, a fast-rising crossover actor popularly known for his dunce role in KILANTA, a comedy sitcom aired weekly on Africa Magic Yoruba. Funny, spontaneous, ready to learn, Teefamous will be hosting the Streetwyz segment on Playhauz. Next is Mirah, Mirah is the host of the Noizmakers segment on Playhauz. A graduate of English Language, Mirah hopes to be among the 50 biggest youth influences by 2020. Her new television show, ORIRUN (Origin) is set to premiere on Africa Magic whilst pursuing her acting career with great vigour.Lope comes next as a media enthusuast, who believes media content is the directing force for the recreation & education of any society. She is a magazine publisher, celebrity publicist and content builder and will be hosting the Hauz lounge on Playhauz. The last on the role is FCrystal, the host of Hits and Misses segment on Playhauz. Born Osamoje Faith, the hourglass shaped chic is a great lover of fashion, music & literature. She is a graduate of Linguistics &

Communication and believes everyone has the wherewithal to excel.

Adeolu Gboyega gets ready IF there is one thing you can’t take away from on air personality and media guru, Adeolu Gboyega, that should be his commitment and dedication to his work. Not only does his colleagues in the broadcasting profession respect him for his wealth of experience on the job, they also appreciate his calmness and gentility, which has given him an edge above many and earned him laurels. Fondly known as Biggest Boy on Radio (BBR) of Orange FM, the dark skinned dude won the Most Outstanding Presenter in the South West (2014), at Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Award and appears set to clinch it again this year. With 15 years on the job, Gboyega has presented on about 13 radio and television programmes in stations across Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Kwara states.

13 September, 2015

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

T appears that you are running away from a celebrity lifestyle, because many people don’t know you are Wizkid’s official DJ. Who is DJ Mekzy really? I am someone who is making efforts to make the best out of the industry in terms of good music, apart from my normal Disc Jockey attitude. I attended Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and finished in 2005. How did you get signed to Starboy Records? Before I got signed, the first club where I used to play was owned by D’banj and that was Koko Lounge in 2008, where I worked as the residential DJ. Then, people saw me as a step to actually get to D’banj or Don Jazzy. Back then, I was the first DJ to play ‘Oleku’ by Ice Prince. He sent me the song and he was like he just dropped it, that I should help him play it. Then, I wasn’t expecting artistes to actually pay me; I only needed them to do good music. So, Wizkid was always coming around to the club, even before he dropped ‘Holla at Your Boy’. He was always coming with D’Prince, Wande Coal and others. I think that was the beginning of how we met, because when artistes come to the club, the only person you can talk to is the DJ so that he can have your song. I later became an official DJ to Rhythm Unplugged, a show in Lagos, for five years. So, there was a day I went for the show in 2010 and saw Wizkid at Eko Hotel. We both exchanged pleasantries and approached him to make a ‘drop’ for me and he said: “Wadup!!! It’s your boy Wizkid, repping EME zee, keep listening to DJ Mekzy cos Wizkid says so.” He mentioned me as his best DJ and that was like five years ago. So, three years later, I was just in my parlour doing my normal mix on my laptop when I received a call from his former manager, Osagie. She was like can you go to Liberia with Wizkid? I answered yes, why not? She then said she would get back to me. But before then, were you working with any artiste? Yes, I was working with Tiwa Savage as her official DJ in 323 entertainment. Back to Osagie’s call, did she later call back? I wasn’t too positive about the call, because I didn’t see myself as someone who would get that kind of a call at that time. There were so many DJs in town. But something told me they might have spotted something in me that they really wanted to pull to the world. I met them at the airport and we left for Liberia. How was the experience working with Wizkid for the first time like? There were some hiccups with the Liberia show, because that was the first time I would be working with him on stage. I hadn’t got his pattern of performance: what to play and what not to play, what to do and what not to do. But, it was awesome and since then we have been working together. Would you attribute your skills to being a battle DJ from the start or its natural? The passion of being a DJ is kind of

Emeka Dike, popularly known as DJ Mekzy, is the official Disc Jockey (DJ) of the top Nigerian act, Wizkid, and by extension the artistes signed to his label, Starboy Records. In this interview with OLAKUNLE TAIWO, the City105.1 FM residential DJ speaks about his career.

Why

D’banj’s songs can’t

make my playlist

—DJ Mekzy, Wizkid’s official DJ

different from what people see in others. Being a battle DJ doesn’t mean I can’t play what others are playing. It’s in-born. People always say I am sick. Are you really sick? Not in that sense, what people mean is that whatever point or scale you put me, I am equal to the task; I could deliver at any point in time. I was the first DJ to go for an international competition here in Nigeria, you can Google it. It was Disco Musical Concert (DMC) but they infused a little bit of DJ art into it. DMC party isn’t a playing party; it is about creativity and giving out what you are really made of. What is in it when DJs scratch? I learnt so many things on scratching. It is more than what many DJ just do. It will shock you if I tell you I write my own scratch. If I deliver some scratch patterns, people are always wowed because what they thought scratch is, is not what it is. It shouldn’t be noise and noise or when a DJ just wants to scratch, it should bring the real creativity in you. But technology has made things more difficult, because it was supposed to be otherwise. Technology ought to make it easier for DJs, but for me, I would say it has made it much more difficult, because upcoming DJs are very lazy and they lack the real rudiments of the turn-table usage. In those days, you go to shows with your bag of records and turn-table, but now, you can just put your laptop below

your armpit. You know, there are a lot of buttons on the turn-table with which you can work with, but now technology has made it ‘easier’ and when you do something, some DJs would say is that for real? The turn-table has more than 32 effects on it that you can create, but don’t let me deviate from your question. Who is your favourite artiste? Wizkid of course... Is it because you are working with him? No, most people believe that it is very easy to get to the top, if you have the money. But, it is difficult to maintain the top. For instance, Wizkid’s Ojulegba was even the least of the songs-most of us were like, let’s leave out this song and do it later when other songs might have been ready on the album, but look at what has happened now, the song is all over the world. There was no country that we went to, that people wouldn’t follow the song. I think Legendury Beat did a very wonderful production too, because the beat itself is tick, not just the lyrics. 2 Face Idibia was the number two I wanted to say before I diverted. P Square will be my number three, Davido number four. Out of the people you mentioned, why did you leave out D’banj, in whose club you started your professional career? Right now, any music that doesn’t

Right now, any music that doesn’t make my playlist is just occupying an unnecessary space on my laptop.

make my playlist is just occupying an unnecessary space on my laptop. I could have them in my back up though. What has happened to D’banj’s songs, you used to play them a lot then? Look, music is so circular. At that time when D’banj was reigning with Endowed, 2Face also had Implication banging as a song. Even when D’banj started to become popular, you wouldn’t find any song with high or up tempo, the highest was between 100 and 105bpm, and that is why people could listen to artistes like Eldee; he was reigning like Shasha too. Tongolo by D’banj was everywhere, because those were the kind of slow tempo songs people danced to in the club. Now, if you go to almost all the clubs, the people want high or up tempo music to ginger them. D’banj doesn’t have high tempo music, apart from the one he did with Akon entitled Feeling the Nigga. So, his pattern, I don’t want to use the word kind of out of fame, but struggling to compete with patterns people want now. Do you have issues lately? No, he is a very lovely person. If I don’t say anything, I will say this, if something is white, I will tell you it is, and if it is black, I will tell you it is. Sincerely, I love D’banj so much, but we are just trying to address issues here. If a song is acceptable, it is not me but the people. My job is to give them what they want. So, he is a very good person. I have met him and gisted many times, but the thing is he may still come back to drop what the people want. But that doesn’t mean people don’t like his song. In fact many people do, while some don’t. But I can tell you that out of 50 DJs, only one will say D’banj will make my playlist as at now. I can’t do a mixtape of one hour and put D’banj’s song, except I want to do a throwback.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

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

How I have survived in

broadcasting

for 25 years —Mr 2 to 4

Akinkunmi Alabi, also known as Mr 2 to 4, is a veteran broadcaster whose contributions to the profession speaks volumes on Osun State Broadcasting Sorporation (OSBC) and Ray Power FM. With 25 years on the job, Alabi’s popular programmes ‘Oyato’ and ‘Opon nla’ have become the delight of listeners. In this interview with OLAIDE SOKOYA, he speaks on his foray into broadcasting.

OU have spent a lot of years in broadcasting, how has the journey been? The journey has been full of ups and downs. A lot of challenges came up that almost killed my zeal. It was not smooth at the beginning but along the line, with the support of God Almighty, I crossed the line, through determination and burning courage within me, I trudged on, not minding the hitches and the profession- a l

hiccups associated with journalism. Journalism and broadcasting require natural ability to speak and for that speech to be coherent and generally accepted by the listeners. In this field, you don’t just talk, you speak. Talking differs from speeches. From nonsense, we bring out sense through our presentations. To your question, the journey has been smooth and rough; clean and dirty; pleasant and unpleasant; frustrating and challenging; pleasing and displeasing; turbulent and calm; violent and odd. That is the spirit of journalism and broadcasting. With your age-long experience what makes a good broadcaster and what really is broadcasting itself? There are many factors which must be inherent in the person who wants to take up broadcasting as a profession. One, a good broadcaster should not be forced into it. The readiness to be one must be a natural instinct. It is hardly impossible passing it from generation to generation. However, qualities differ. On that note, a good broadcaster should have an appealing voice that commands a good audience. A good voice, coupled with electrifying intonation, and speech decorum comes along with this. Try to be you. Try to be yourself. Mind your social life as a broadcaster. Be cautious of it as people you think are not interested in what you are doing are watching with keen interest. Be decent as you socialise. Moderation matters too. Watch it. Broadcasting in journalism transcends mere presentation. Your professional mannerism

If you are looking for money, don’t come into our profession, but if you want fame and popularity, you are welcome.

and idiosyncrasies are married together. As you broadcast, you teach, you inform, you counsel, you preach, you console, you heal, you mould, you lead, you reform, and you solve problems. Is broadcasting in Nigeria of global standard and acceptance? If not, what are the problems and what are the ways out? I want to say that broadcasting in Nigeria is averagely commendable and one will be sounding unfair if one progresses. Be that as it may, I want to say very boldly that quacks have almost hijacked this profession . You wake up day after day to see a non-professional anchoring a programme, all because he/she is related to the studio directors or some “ogas” at the top. People venture into broadcasting or let me say journalism probably after they have tried several jobs and failed. Without being biased, I see no reason why a non-broadcaster who has no professional training should present any programme. It is ethically wrong and professionally stinking. Look, the right pegs should be put in the right holes. Let Peter be Peter and Judas be Judas. This is really affecting this profession. What are the job hazards of a professional broadcaster ? We have to thank God that the military era is gone where the freedom of the press was always stampeded upon and thrown into the bin. During the military era, we had very terrible experiences that I do not want to recall. In fact, we lost some of our colleagues then. These day, we have our challenges. Some of us work very late into the night and we could be attacked by armed robbers. That is a risk. Most of us could be waylaid for certain utterances. Many of us are mobbed at parties by our fans and in the process, valuable items could be stolen. Some of us work round the clock, and our family members complain a lot. Some get sacked for speaking against the government policies, especially those working with government parastatals. Some have no job security; especially when private station owners have the power to sack or dismiss at will. What advice do you have for the upcoming broadcasters/presenters? Sincerely, broadcasting is not a profession you force yourself into. A lot of skills are required before delving into it. Be patient and don’t ever see it as the last option after all attempts have failed at other professions. If you are looking for money, don’t come into our profession, but if you want fame and popularity, you are welcome. However, your fame and popularity must come with impeccable integrity. Do not stray into broadcasting. Be sure you have the interest and zeal. Have dignity and honour. Be excessively hardworking and you should be ready to work round the clock. A lazy person will be an outstanding failure in the field of broadcasting if he ventures into it. Diligence matters a lot in broadcasting. Money is not everything in our profession. You should be contented with your take home. Engage not in shady deals. Do not support political parties while on air. You must be transparent. Be neutral, focused, decent, calm, cool, submissive, thorough and purposeful. Do not let money rule you or becloud your vision.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

makeover

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 rosarumese@gmail.com

be same shade as hair. Use concealers Using the appropriate concealer is of utmost importance. The concealer used should be one or two shades lighter than your foundation. Concealers are used to lighten under eye dark circles and for dark spots. Wear foundations that match skin tone Using a darker or lighter foundation does not give a connection with your skin.

Makeup tips to look

younger

Ijeoma Onuoha

By Omotola Oduola

ANY ladies wish they could look and stay young forever, and it is also in the effort to ensure that a man remains attracted. As Steve Harvey puts it, “One of the biggest misconceptions that a woman has is that a man has to accept her the way she is. No, we don’t. I don’t know who told you that. We like the bright and shiny. If you stop wearing the makeup, stop putting on nail polish, stop wearing high heels, you’ll lose us.” Professional makeup artiste and CEO of TrendIdeaz, Ijeoma C. Onuoha, shares a few tips

on how women can stay youthful with just the right makeup. According to her “The secret can just be as simple as using the right makeup products that suits your skin tone and knowing the techniques of makeup application. There are various simple and effective tricks that can achieve that youthful look.” Moisturise Almost everyone knows this vital step for a youthful skin but still do not follow it. A moisturised skin lessens the look of fine lines, giving the skin a smoother, plumped-up skin. Moisturising reverses dry and sensitive skin. The popular extra virgin olive oil could be used.

Hydrate This is achieved by drinking water every morning for a healthier looking skin. Cleanse your face at night This is very essential to remove makeup and to avoid clogging of pores. Wear anti-oxidant infused sunscreens This protects your facial skin from the harshness of the sun, avoiding sunburns. UV protected sun glasses could also be used. Fill brows with brow pencil/powder Full brows lift the face, define features and create youthful appearance. Brow pencils or powder should

Sunday Tribune

Avoid shimmery or frosted shadows This highlights wrinkles on the eye. A matte shadow which camouflages fine lines is a preffered option to pop out that youthful glow. Pop up the eyes This is done with eye pencils. The eyeliner is to be applied on the top and bottom of the eyelid close to the lashline. This step brightens up the eyes. Pop up colour with blush application Blush is applied at the highest point (apples) of the cheekbone in an upward motion towards the hairline. Wear a shade of blush that adds youthfulness to your face. Colours like bronze or warm pinks create an instant cheek lift which creates a younger look. Use makeup sponge This is used moist or dry around the eyes, mouth by gently blending and smoothening wrinkles. Use appropriate lipstick Use lipsticks that mimic your lip colour and line the outer edge of the natural border of the mouth with lipliner that matches the shade of lipstick or a shade darker. This takes away emphasis on the thinness, size and fine lines on the lips. Dark or matte lipsticks thin out the lips, drawing attention to fine lines around the lips. Though matte lipsticks have longer wear than gloss, it is suggested that lip gloss should be topped on the lipstick for youthful shine. P.S. The last tip is to wear less makeup.

7 items that make you more attractive AS proven by science, Digital Editor, Sarah Lindig, shares 7 items that can make a woman ensure better attraction. The Little Black Dress Black has been determined by sources to be the numberone colour associated with characteristics such as sexiness, confidence, and intelligence. Red The colour of passion, love and romance is a favourite of men for women and of women for themselves, proven by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Sunglasses While not technically supported by any official study, every fashion girl knows the power of a good pair of shades for making her look puttogether and hiding tired eyes. Not to mention adding a touch of mystery and intrigue that’s guaranteed to turn heads.

Off-shoulder styles Researchers at the University of New South Wales discovered that men were highly attracted to women's shoulders and arms.

Heels According to a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour, not only was heel height found to be directly proportional to a woman’s attractiveness to men, but men were increasingly likely to exhibit helpful behaviour and to spontaneously approach a woman the higher her heels were.

Lipstick Nothing provides the instant pick-me-up quite like a swipe of your signature shade — and apparently others will respond to it, too. Researchers at a French university found that waitresses who wore red lipstick saw boosted tips from male customers. Similarly, a study conducted by Boston University women wearing a moderate application of makeup were perceived as more attractive, competent, and trustworthy.

Bodycon silhouette There’s no denying the seductive appeal of a buxom hourglass figure. A paper published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour indicates that women with larger bustto-waist and waist-to-hip ratios tend to catch men’s eyes faster and keep their gaze longer. If you have curves, flaunt them.

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

relationships

. . . issues, family, sex

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 rosarumese@gmail.com

If you split up because your ex lost interest in you but now you have moved on and are getting on with your life they want you back, be very careful. People like this can drive you crazy.

Does your ex deserve a second chance?

ELATIONSHIPS end for varying reasons ranging from the serious to the downright mundane. There are successful relationships that have lasted close to eternity and the individuals involved have broken up and made up countless number of times. After all, as popular singer, Bob Marley states, “Truth is everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.” Relationships’ Therapist, Fran Creffield, shares some tips to consider before taking back an ex.

Put the relationship under the microscope It is important before you make the decision to give someone a second chance that you get a realistic perspective of what the relationship was actually like. This can be difficult to do, especially if a lot of time has passed since you were together. Depending on the type of person you are, you may remember only the good through the soft romantic focus of time and believe you

Random Fact

were really happy – or you may remember only the bad and still feel angry, hurt and resentful for the things they did to you forgetting all the happy times and good points of the relationship.

Ask the people closest to you In order to get a balanced and realistic view of what happened and how you were together as a couple, talk to friends and family and ask them their opinion of how the relationship was and whether they think you should give it another go. Sometimes people outside a situation can see it more clearly than those in it. Write it out Another way is to write out your memories of the relationship, both good and bad. An easy way to do this is to get a notepad and begin sentences with ‘I remember…’ and write anything that comes to mind. This is a powerful exercise as long forgotten memories might surface; it is advisable that you have some tissues and emo-

Love recognises no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope — Maya Angelou

tional support on hand! Keep writing over the course of a few days – maybe take the notebook around with you so when things come to mind you can jot them down – it can take quite a while especially if you were together for a long time. Stop when nothing more is coming to mind. This exercise will help you get a realistic and balanced view of the relationship and will also help you to clear out any old resentment or anger that you may have been holding onto, so that if you do decide to give it another go, it really will be a fresh start.

Making the decision Even once you have a realistic view of how things were between you and your ex, you still need to decide whether you want to give it another go so here are some useful questions to ask yourself. Have the reasons why you split up changed? – If you split up because they had a problem with drinking, for example, are you sure the issue has been resolved and won’t become a problem again in the future? Have you really forgiven them for what happened? If not you will be carrying the past into the new relationship and it is

Photo:www.townnetworks.com

likely to erode it over time. If your behaviour was the reason you split up are you sure that they have forgiven you? It is important that you talk to each other about it. What are the reasons for wanting to give it another go? If it is that you both realised that you made a silly mistake and actually really love each other that is great, but if it is that you can’t bear to see them with someone else, or that you are both lonely, then that isn’t the best basis for getting back together. Ask your ex what their reasons are for wanting you back. Sometimes people are attracted to the very thing that they can’t have and the minute they get it, they start losing interest and looking around for the next challenge. If you split up because your ex lost interest in you but now you have moved on and are getting on with your life they want you back, be very careful. People like this can drive you crazy. P.S. If this is not a second chance but a third or fourth, be wary of even considering it – it may have become a yo-yo relationship that is unlikely to lead to any solidity and you will undoubtedly be hurt again no matter how much they say they have changed. It’s time to move on.

13 September, 2015

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

How to tap into the benefits of new media engaged scholars and practitioners at the second annual conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals

When communication scholars, practitioners discussed new media

HAT’S the impact of new media on communication theory and praxis in Nigeria? How can communication theorists and practitioners benefit from advances in new media? Will new media be the end of traditional communication? These were some of the questions that members of the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals (ACSPN) reflected on at their second annual conference held on September 2 and 3 at African Sun Amber Residence, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. With ‘Communication Education and Practice in the Age of New Media’ as its theme, the conference attracted academics, professionals, undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities, polytechnics, print and broadcast media, public relations, advertising, digital communication organizations and government agencies. It was two fruitful days of deliberations as apart from a keynote titled ‘Nigeria and the Global Digital Media Economy’ by Mrs. Bukola Akingbade, Chief Executive Officer, Bytesize Digital Media and a special panel that discussed ‘Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Media Economy’, there were presentations by different

From left, Professor Nosa Owensibie; a participant, Professor Idowu Sobowale; Dr Bisi Olawumi and another participant at the conference scholars and professionals. Chair, Board of Trustees, ACSPN, Professor Idowu Sobowale; member of BOT, Prof. Dayo Alao; President, Prof. Lai Osho; Deputy President, Prof. Umaru Pate; Group Managing Director, Rosabel Advertising Group, Mr. Ayo Oluwatosin; Head of Public Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ichie Vincent Ifeanyi Omeokachie; and the General Secretary, Prof. Nosa Owens-Ibie spoke at the opening ceremony. Prof. Osho noted that new media posed challenges to praxis and theory of communication and that it is asking questions of journalism. “All areas of communication are being redefined through the

intrusion of new media. We must reflect on how new media has impinged on what we teach in class and what people are doing outside. There are things we must do to bring the classroom and the newsroom together. New Media has brought changes and challenges and we must respond to these through changes in the curriculum,” Osho said. In his own remarks, Prof. Sobowale expressed happiness at the level of attendance at the meeting and the growth of the association. He however warned participants not to relent in their membership drive because the association has not “arrived.” The eminent scholar also reflected on the beginnings

of communication studies and practice in Nigeria, noting that in a rapidly advancing world, time has come for academics and professionals “to shift the paradigm.” Oluwatosin disclosed that he was excited when he learnt about ACSPN and that the association will help in bridging the gap between graduates and the workplace. He noted that there is a decline in the quality of communication graduates being produced in Nigeria but expressed hope that the conference will highlight advances in theory and praxis. “The world is now very dynamic; some of the speakers’ presentations might be mind blowing but I want to tell you that is tomorrow today.”

Stolen Lives: Beautiful movie highlighting contemporary concerns THE taste of the pudding is in the eating. A couple of months ago when Emmanuel Williams spoke about his movie, ‘Stolen Lives’ that started screening at FilmOne Cinemas across the country on Friday, he sounded very confident about the work, saying he expected it to have the kind of reception that ‘30 Days in Atlanta’ and ‘October 1’ had. One had thought the young man was being over ambitious and had looked forward to seeing the movie, if only to cut him to size. But then, Williams was not just bluffing. ‘Stolen Lives’ is a well made film. In fact, this was the consensus of everybody at the press screening last week. The movie’s plot is tight, the photography is clean and crisp, the acting is competent- no over or under acting and the soundtrack is glorious.. Above everything, it is a very contemporary movie that par-

A scene from the movie ents should take their children to see. It will nudge them to stay on the straight and narrow path more than any religious instructor would. The beauty of the flick is that it does this without sermonising; it simply tells a story with contemporary thematic concerns; substance abuse, cultism, rape, sexually transmitted infections,

online dating and upholding family values. It takes on all these themes and doesn’t drop the ball on any of them. Amarachi (Owumi Ugbeye) is the main character who leads us into the movie. She is a secondary school leaver who failed JAMB once and didn’t make the cut off mark for medicine, her preferred

course of study the second time. She is at a loss on how to tell her parents, especially her tough mum. Instead of going home directly, she detours to her cousin, Janet’s house. Unlike Amarachi, Janet is already an undergraduate at the University of Lagos. She is a bubbly about town girl who moves with two of her type; Jumoke (Beverly Osu) and Anita. Janet is commiserating with Amarachi when her two friends arrive and take them on a ride to town. Expectedly, Amara’s mother takes the news badly when she eventually gets home while her father, a calm understanding man took it with equanimity. Her mother resolves that instead of staying at home for another year while waiting to write another JAMB, she should go to a computer school. It is in the course of attending the Continues pg 27

Prof. Pate gave an update on the growth of the association in the north, disclosing that broadcast journalists, Tonnie Iredia, Eugenia Abu and Ladan Shehu have become registered members just like popular newspaper columnist, Mohammed Haruna. But like previous speakers, he reiterated the importance of reviewing communication curriculum in schools because practitioners continue to complain about the quality of graduates. Prof. Alao and Amokachi spoke in the same vein. Alao expressed happiness that the conference will expose young members to how they can become thorough professionals while Amokachi noted that the role of communication in government has changed. “It is now about strategic communication; the problem with new media is that you can’t stop them. Sometimes they publish without verifying facts so you can’t stop them but can only manage them. Traditional media, on the other hand, is not a problem,” he said. General Secretary of the ACSPN, Prof. Nosa Owens-Ibie, briefed members on activities of the association in the past year across Nigeria. He touched on linkages with national and international organisations, charging members “to take the association seriously, take on responsibilities and discharge them. Nigeria is a huge resource, let’s tap into it.” Thereafter, the association’s website for mobile devices was unveiled. Delivering the keynote address titled ‘Nigeria and the Global Digital Media Economy’, Mrs. Akingbade noted that consumption, government spending and e-commerce are the main drivers of the internet economy. Akingbade added that the effects of a true digital economy will be felt by SMEs, music industry, job creation and business growth. According to the MD of Bytesize Digital Media, government needs to deepen Nigeria’s digital footprint by increasing budgetary allocation to IT and enacting good policies. Though she warned that cyber crime, data theft and invasion of privacy are some of the challenges of the digital age, she warned that businesses that fail to key into the digital economy will be excluded from the global market. Akingbade’s presentation was followed by a special panel which discussed ‘Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Media Economy’. The panellists were Continues pg 27

arts&culture

13 September, 2015

Colours as curtain fall on NTN’s creative station The training for children and teens aged 5-18 continues to fulfil its lofty goals of improving the creative skills of participants

IX years down the line, the Children and Teens Creative Station of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) has grown bigger and better. This much was evident at the command performance that ended this year’s training held on Sunday, August 30 at the Exhibition Hall, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Having been put through their paces in music, dance, drumming and storytelling among other activities for five weeks, the occasion afforded the children and teens aged five to 18 the opportunity to showcase all they had learnt during the training to their expectant parents, guardians and other guests. Fittingly, they acquitted themselves well from the off till the curtains fell on the evening’s proceedings. Apart from an increase in the number of participants compared to previous editions, the decision to use the Exhibition Hall as against Cinema Hall 2 used for past editions showed strategic, forward thinking on the part of the National Troupe management. Smaller and with lesser number of seats, guests always had to sit in the aisles or stand at the back in Cinema Hall 2 for past command performances. It was a different story this time around with the more spacious Exhibition Hall with enough seats and larger stage. The bigger stage in turn enhanced the beauty of the choral performance, the first offering from the participants uniformly attired in MTN branded t-shirts and black trousers. ‘Moyege’, an adaptation of Blackman Akeeb Kareem’s ‘Areke’, and Michael Jackson’s ‘Heal the world’ and ‘We are the world’ were some of the songs rendered by the choir. Next up were the children participants in the creative station humorously referred to as ‘Shakiti Bobo’ by compere, Shaibu Husseini. They mimed the song by Olamide. Following closely on the heels of

The children during the choral performance the Shakiti Bobo was the hip-hop group comprised mostly of teenagers. They did some eye popping dances that the audience loved before they later returned with Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, ‘Thriller’ and DJ Zeez’s ‘Atewo’. The Kpere-Daibo sisters, Sisan and Vera, foundation members of the creative station, presented a duet while a drum recital by an all female group was also well received by guests. Traditional dances were not left out of the menu as the participants presented Ijaw, Ibibio, Mpokiti, Yoruba and Hausa dances. There was a special appearance by a guest artiste, ‘IBK Youngstar’ before the children presented Mike Anyanwu’s ‘Akrifa’ (Amazons Empire) directed by coordinator of

the creative station, Ms Josephine Igberaese. Centred on slavery, human trafficking, leadership crisis, gender empowerment and reviving Africa’s agric potentials, ‘Akrifa’ is set in 1807, weeks after the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in Britain. The plot revolves around a slavery expedition by a band of British slave merchants who attack Akrifa during its annual thanksgiving festival. However, the British slave raiders couldn’t leave with their cargo because the captain of their merchant ship decides to sail before their arrival at the coast having heard that the British Royal Navy has began enforcing the Slavery Abolition Act by blockading slave ships in the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Azonga, a native and former interpreter of the white merchant who is also taken into slavery escapes, sparking a series of events including the regrouping of the women of Akrifa for a reprisal attack. The women fighters invoke the spirits of notable Akrifa queens; Makeda, Nefertiti, Amina, Idia and Moremi who assist them to defeat the slave merchants. The success of the female warriors leads to the social and political dominance of Akrifa by women. The change in roles also leads to the emergence of a young queen in Akfrifa that had been without a king for several years. No doubt an interesting play, the

Stolen Lives: Beautiful movie highlighting contemporary concerns continued from pg26

The children presenting a traditional dance. PHOTOS: SOIBIFAA DOKUBO

computer school that she follows her cousin and friends to a party at Ameen’s house. Rich and young, Ameen (Alex Ekubo) is neck deep in substance abuse with his girlfriend, Jumoke. He takes advantage of Amara’s naivety during the party in his house and rapes her. Unknown to Jumoke’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Segun Adeniran (Kunle Coker and Bukky Wright), their little innocent girl is also a junkie whose secret they discover very late. Meanwhile, Jumoke’s father is promiscuous and is having

When communication scholars, practitioners discussed new media continued from pg26

Prof. Pate; Prof. Innocent Okoye of Kwara State University; Mr. Oluwatosin; Mr. Matthew Okoduwa, Assistant Director, Broadcast Policy and Research of the National Broadcasting Commission; and Mr. Somieari Jumbo, Assistant Director, New Media and Information Security, Nigerian Communications Commission. At the end of the two day conference, a communiqué containing observations and recommendations was released. Some of the

recommendations include: Leadership in tertiary institutions across Nigeria should strive to ensure that the critical digital technologies are provided and also utilized for the advancement of communication education in their institutions. Communication scholars and professionals should endeavour to be trained in the use of new media to enhance their on-the job performance and keep up with the trends. Government must improve on the country’s digital infrastructure to enable more students, researchers and practitioners to use

the digital resource to improve on impactful research for the nation. This should also help to reduce cost of materials’ acquisition by students thereby improving equal access to education. In communicating information about disasters, managers of such situations should make use of the social media in disseminating the details as the people are very active on the social media. Citizen journalists must be made to subscribe to ethical standard of the profession like honesty, integrity, fidelity, fairness, respect for oth-

director could have reduced the length of the play which ran for almost two hours while there was a disconnect between the lights people and actors on stage. They left the lights on longer than necessary in some instances with other officials needing to alert them before the lights were turned off. There were also sound issues initially, arising mainly from the size of the hall. This was later rectified with the use of microphones. Speaking earlier before participants were presented with their certificates and the outstanding ones given gifts, chair of the occasion, Prince Yemisi Shyllon made a case for the development of Nigerian art. He said, “Our area of comparative advantage is the arts. The West has gone far in science and technology so we need to encourage those coming behind us to embrace the arts; we can use arts and culture to develop Nigeria.” The Managing Director of Sweet Sensation, Mrs Kehinde Kamson spoke in a similar vein. She reiterated the importance of culture and developing children so that they can become responsible adults. She said: “The children’s’ performances have rekindled hope in me that there is still hope in Nigeria. All we need to do is to help a child so that he or she can be what he or she wants to be in life. I am fulfilled to see that Nigerian children can demonstrate this level of entertainment”

ers, and responsible citizenship. Curricula of communication education should be enriched with courses in on-line journalism and the social media. E-COMMERCE sites must ensure that product quality and effective service delivery are fused with effective promotions in order to influence the target market. Government and the business community must actively collaborate with both the traditional and new media for effective and evenly distributed business and economic information.

an affair with Anita, her daughter’s friend. It gets to a stage that the lustful old man asks Anita to marry him. Anita, on her part is from a rich home. Her dad and her brother are into oil and gas and consequently starve her of attention and love while providing her with plenty money. She looks for the love her father can’t give her from older men around. After being taken advantage of by Diran as a jambite, Janet swears never to be hurt by another guy again and hence resorts to online relationships. She however faces a reality check when the condom breaks while making out with Anita’s HIV positive brother. Does she eventually contract the infection? There is also the sinister looking Badoo (IK Ogbonna) who turns out to be a gentleman and Amara’s helper when she falls into labour unexpectedly. The lives of the four ladies and their boyfriends are intertwined but it is in unravelling the connections that the viewer gets to see the simple beauty of ‘Stolen Lives’. Added to this is the dash of suspense as one of the quartet, unable to cope with the situation, shoots herself dead. Who is it? The answer lies in watching this simple but beautiful movie with a blend of established and upcoming artistes.

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

glamour

With Tayo Gesinde temiligali03@yahoo.com 08054727801

Actress, Gbemisola Adu, popularly known as Portable, is today a force to reckon with in the movie industry. In this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, the 22-year-old native of Emure in Ekiti State speaks on her driving force and weakness for perfumes. Excerpts:

OJOURN into acting My journey into the acting world has been challenging as well as awesome. I eventually realised that it is a platform to explore my talent. I know I am not there yet, but I am convinced that I am in for the game. I am not in a rush for fame, because I know God is there to order my step. I love acting; in fact, I don’t see it as a job, but what I love to do. It all started when my church called for an audition in 2011 and I picked interest in it. How acting has treated me It has been hectic but I have refused to let that discourage me. There is no profession that doesn’t have its bad side. I have made up my mind to succeed in this industry. It is not that I’m desperate. What has been giving me confidence is the passion and the love for the job. My greatest challenge There is no amount of challenges that will pull me out of this field. So, I don’t see challenges as a treat. In fact, I won’t give room for such. I don’t feel bad when I am not picked at

audition. I have never been bothered. I rather remain focused for more positive things to come my way. As an up-and-coming actress, I am ready to face any challenge of life, because I believe everything is possible through Jesus Christ. Distinctive things I brought into the industry I have brought class and better innovation into the industry. Good things are coming from me and I want my fans to be on the lookout. It is good that the industry gives room for exploration of talents and anybody can chip in his or her initiative, so far it will enhance the growth of the industry. I am poised to give my best in pursuit of my career, especially on set On whether I have been sexual harassed I am aware that this is one of the major challenges women face. It is not peculiar to the entertainment industry. It is in every sector. But we actors seem to be centred upon, maybe because of the nature of our profession. I am not in for sexual harassment and I

won’t tolerate any form of sexual harassment. Though I have encountered such, I won’t tolerate such rubbish again. Pardon me; I would not share such experience on the pages of newspaper because I feel it’s personal. Movies I have produced My personal movie productions are still in the pipeline, but I have featured in three films. One of them is entitled “Eve”. One whether I feel threatened among other female actresses in the industry Sometimes I feel threatened, but I have been able to develop my courage to face whatever I come across. However, it is normal for a starter to blend with the popular celebs who have established themselves over the years. This has not given me the yardstick to be carried away or intimidated, but a stepping stone to excel in the system. I respect all A-list and those that are there before me, because I am sure that I will be respected soon too.

My role models I respect this set of people so much because of their impact in my acting career. They have really given me the cause to rise. I see Mr Wasiu Eyiowuawi, popularly known as Papa and Olayiwola Awoyemi, a.k.a Keffy as my mentors. Also, I want to thank Uncle Yinka Qaudri for his impact and words of encouragements. My relationship with them is like that of a brother and sister; father and daughter. I always pray for them and sometimes get across them whenever I remember the good times we shared at locations together. They tutor me and get me jobs without anything attached to them. None of them asked me out or harassed me; I have never experienced such. I believe it is a rumour; you know some people are just in this world to tarnish other people’s names and the career they have built

children need us.

moral and I will never encourage such.

What I would have become if not acting I would have become a fish farmer, because my dad is a fish farmer and he raised me doing the business. I have wealth of experience in fish farming and I have passion for the business. I have full knowledge about catfish farming and I love the business. I won’t be surprised if I go back so as to sustain the family business.

Role I will not dare play in films Kissing scene; this is because of the fact that I will not want to deep my lips into someone’s mouth I don’t have emotional feelings for. I cannot kiss someone I am just seeing for the first time, talk less of acting it. I won’t mind what it will cost me. I would reject any script or scene that has to do with kiss

On whether I have the support of my parents Initially, they didn’t support me, but I got their full support when they discovered that my passion for acting was genuine. Definition of style My own definition of style is being classic and showcasing a unique taste at a given time. You don’t need to go to the extreme before you make a statement, but unique perfection will speak good volume of you.

My assessment of the movie industry For me, it is a haven of talented and nice set of people. It is a welcome development with the fact that the industry has been able to promote culture in all ramifications. Its output has also helped the country’s in economic growth and creation of job opportunity. I only need to sustain and build upon these achievements so as to have a complete industry.

I won’t be caught dead wearing Okirika... I dress provocatively sometimes because I am a very crazy lady

Men I can never kiss —Gbemisola Adu

Male actor I would love to work with on set

I think it will be Adetola Adedimeji Lateef. Yes, I have a crush on him, but nothing is attached to it. No, I cannot marry him. It cannot work because I am not planning to marry

anyone from the industry; my Mr right would be from outside the industry. I guess the home will suffer if we are both in the game. Nobody would be there, especially when the

Beauty secret My creator and my mum are the secret of my beauty. Tattoo I have a tattoo on my neck; it was inspired by Tonto Dikeh because she has something similar to her tattoo. It is just stars. Most nasty experience I have several, but the most nasty one was the day I got drunk and the funny thing is that I was with my ex-boyfriend, though nothing unpleasant happened.

Choice of accessories I love designer perfumes, especially the Turkey and USA wears. I also love gold.

How I unwind I usually take a breath at the pool side and swim a lot.

Philosophy of life I think life is good. Having discovered yourself; aspire to succeed and give a mark in putting all your best and leave the rest to God for perfection.

Where I would like to see myself in the next five years I desire to be one of the greatest female Nollywood actresess and to become a role model to others.

Opinion on toning and cosmetic surgery I believe it depends on individual’s choice; one man’s food is another man’s poison. Circumstances may demand for it too. So, it is not right to judge or condemn whoever tones. I think I would love to put my decision under wrap because I feel it is private. Most expensive item in my wardrobe Zara clothes, Gucci and designer perfumes. Favourite perfumes Tomford and 212 sexy perfumes; I love perfumes to a fault. Fashion item I cannot do without, especially when going out My mobile phone, I don’t think I can do without my iPhone because I am addicted to it. I feel empty when it is not with me. Also, I cannot do without my perfumes too. I really like to smell nice, especially in the public. I don’t go out without my perfumes in my bag. Fashion item I cannot be caught dead wearing That should be fashion items such as cloths or accessories that are fairly used. It is not my choice and I won’t dare go for them. I am painstaking about what I use on myself, especially when it comes to cloths. I won’t be caught dead wearing Okrika. Take on provocative dressing As an actress, I think the job requires this, but it has to be moderate and sexy. I think I like it and I am inspired by Kim Kardashin. I dress provocatively sometimes because I am a very crazy lady. It is also part of the fashion.

over the years due to selfish interests.

On what will make me pose nude in a movie There is no amount of money or drive for fame that will make me pose nude. It is not

aspire

13 September, 2015

Your Life Counts

BY OLAIDE SOKOYA 0807 449 7425 (sms only)

BB pin: 55CBFA49

How to avoid common mistakes in business

Apprentices working with their sewing machines

AUNCHING a small business can be risky and success is not always guaranteed. Businesses are most vulnerable to failure during the early years of trading, with 20 percent of new businesses folding within their first year and 50 percent within their first 3 years. These figures should not scare you off, but should prepare you for some of the challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a business. With hard work and an awareness of the issues, a new business can be a great success. This piece looks at the most common mistakes new business owners make and, more importantly, how you can avoid them. It also shows you how to improve the chances of your business idea. Poor or inadequate market research Research and planning are vital to ensure that your business idea is viable and that your pricing is both competitive in your market place and provides an adequate return. A common misconception is that entrepreneurs who have failed simply lacked sufficient funding or did not put the right team in place. However, many fail because they have not spent enough time researching their business idea and its viability in the market. Lack of proper market research is one of the key problems for new businesses. It's easy to get carried away with a business idea and set up a business without testing its viability. Weak financial planning Financial planning is extremely important for most new businesses. A lack of capital, lack of a contingency plan and reluctance to seek professional advice can all bring major problems. It is important to create a high-quality business plan to attract and secure the right type and amount of funding that you need to make your business successful. A business plan can: be used as a tool to structure the financial side of your business and can be updated and changed as your business grows. Keep your expectations grounded for what the business can deliver Setting sights too high It is important to make realistic forecasts about your business' potential. During the start-up phase, it can be easy to make over-optimistic forecasts, however there can be serious consequences for your business if your projec-

tions are not realistic. Inaccurate forecasting of market size is a common mistake when starting up. Cash levels can be quickly depleted if you recruit too many people, buy unnecessary equipment or spend too much on business premises. Effective cashflow and income forecasting can help you avoid this. Inaccurate forecasting is often linked to poor market research, so it is essential to get your research right. Taking your eye off the competition During the busy start-up phase it can be easy to forget to set aside enough time to monitor the competition. However, it's essential that you are ready to respond to competitors in your market place and to new developments. Competition is not just another business that might take money away from you. It can be another product or service that's being developed which you ought to be selling or looking to license before somebody else takes it up. Poor supplier and customer controls Common mistakes for new businesses include setting up unsatisfactory credit arrangements and not taking due care when choosing suppliers. Choose carefully as your business' profitability and reputation could be at stake. Finding a reliable and competitively priced supplier can be vital to the success of your business. This is because you rely on your suppliers to provide you with the goods and services your business needs to operate. And getting the best deals can have a significant effect on your business profits. Hiring the wrong people A large part of your new business success will be determined by the quality of the people you recruit. Taking on people will always mean some form of investment for your business and requires careful consideration. Taking this investment seriously can make it more valuable and improve your chances of success. Ensuring that you hire high-calibre people with the right mix of skills is not an easy process but one that will pay dividends. You need to explore all the options available to you. These include: recruiting permanent staff on a full or parttime basis, fixed-term contract employee, temporary staff, freelancers, consultants, contractors. Culled from http://business.wales.gov.uk

Sunday Tribune

by Tunde Jaiyebo 0803 406 2013

Justpower a thought The of (1) influence (I)

Many times, the things that really make a difference in life are small and seemingly insignificant but also free. Three of such things that come to mind are time, A power each human beingthree has and gets are affected by is air and thoughts. All these things free and influence. Influence is the capacity to have an effect every person on earth has an equal portion of it. on theHow character, or behaviour of a person, we usedevelopment these three things will determine how group or a thing. It is the power to affect people, events, we will turn out in life. If we waste our time and do situations or circumstances especially based onwastone’s not maximize our ability to think we are simply ing the air we breathe. For our lives to count we must position, prestige or power. learn maximize these things. Today wegood will have a Everytoaccomplishment in life, whether or evil, brief look at thoughts. is the product of influence. When influence is properly Theit beginning point and source our output in life used leads to transformation andofwhen it is negative is our thoughts. Everything we see in life is the prodit causes pain. uctEvery of a thought. Every great invention started in the facet of life demands the use of influence. realm of thoughts. Every outstanding achievement Without influence life will be grounded to a halt. Efstarted out as a thought. Great buildings and institufective communication is only possible through influtions were birthed from thoughts. ence. Governance through the channel of influence. Thoughts are soisimportant that they fashion how Every successful interaction is the result of influence. our lives will be. Our lives are the result of the way we Learning is the result of influence. Parents influence have related with our thoughts. their children. Siblings influence other. Teachers “As a man thinketh in his hearteach so is he” Proverbs influence students. School authorities’ influences and 23:7 Thoughts are potent and they have theinfluence power to set regulate student behavior. Politicians the in motion certain course of actions in our lives. “Sow electorate. aLeadership thought andand youinfluence reap an action; sow an act and youa are inseparable. When reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; person holds an office and cannot exert influence his sow a character reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo position is simplyand an you empty shell. Authentic leadership Emerson is leadership by influence. Inherent in an office or posiOur thoughts have a way of shaping our lives and tion is the power of influence. Leadership at every level determining our emotions so we need to be careful cannot be of divorced from influence. Influence only the kinds thoughts we allow into our minds.not “Man's comes with position and status but can also come from greatness lies in his power of thought.” Blaise Pascal who we are. We must develop ourselves that our potenIf we think defeated thoughts we open ourselves up tial for influence is not only released but maximally utito defeat in life. Thoughts of impossibility, failure, lized for good. Competence, creativity and lives. good If charweakness and depression will weaken our we acter all means bythoughts which influence is exercised. No thinkare great positive we position ourselves for success. Combining thinkmatter who we are and thepositive positionand we negative hold we all have ing is a way of polluting our ability greatness. influence. Every human being is an for influential person. “One of the new things people began to find We all carry a measure of influence. We all haveout the in thetolast that thoughts—just mere ability havecentury an effectwas on people and things. thoughts—are as to powerful as electric batteries—as “You don't have be a "person of influence" to be good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poiinfluential. In fact, the most influential people in my son. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your life are probably not even aware of the things they've mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ taught me.” Scott Adams get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has As human beings are get social beings weas daily got in you may never over it as so long youengage live... in relationships and relationship is the vehicle which surprising things can happen to anyone who,on when a influence travels. Every relationship carries disagreeable or discouraged thought comesa measure into his of influence our dailyto interaction with exmind, just hence has the sense remember in people time and push us it out by putting in annegatively agreeableordeterminedly poses to being influenced positively. courageous one.chameleons; Two things we cannot in hue one and place.” “We are like takebe our the Frances Burnett color of Hugdson our moral character, from those who are Whenus.” we John dwell Locke too much on negative thoughts they around become strongholds in our mind that hinder our As long as we have relationships with will people, directly success. When that happens, we see ourselves arguthrough personal interaction or indirectly through the ing more in favour of impossibility and failure more media (books, television, internet, radio etc) we are bethan in favour of possibilities and success. We will be ing influenced. In every relationship we are either bemaneuvered to thinking we are disadvantaged and ing influenced we are in influencing thewe other in cannot make or headway life. When get party to this the relationship. Influence is a power we all have. We stage people will write us off as impossible. “If you need to use ourpowerful power ofyour influence properly. realized how thoughts are, you would “Influence the application of power accomplish a never think is a negative thought.” Peaceto Pilgrim specific purpose. Research shows that people typically try to lead and/or influence others using ten positive influence techniques: logical persuading, legitimizing, exchanging, stating, socializing, appealing to relationship, consulting, alliance building, appealing to values, and modeling. There are also four negative or "dark side" influence tactics: avoiding, manipulating, intimidating, and threatening.” Terry R. Bacon. TO BE CONTINUED For enquiries/comments enquiries/comments please please send send email email For to charismokola@yahoo.com to charismokola@yahoo.com

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

thepolity Wada and PDP’s battle for the confluence state

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is again divided over the choice of a governorship candidate for the Kogi State governorship election slated for November 21. YINKA OLADOYINBO writes on the issues surrounding the ticket of the party and the incumbent governor, Idris Wada.

Governor Idris Wada, Kogi State

HE November 21 governorship election in Kogi State is gathering momentum, and the state has been in the news in the last few weeks as the people of the state prepare to go to the poll to either renew the mandate of the incumbent, Governor Idris Wada, or show him the way out of the Lugard House, Lokoja. However, events in the camps of the various political parties, particularly the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are pointers to the fact that serious democratic battle lies ahead. The APC had penultimate week elected a former governor of the state, Abubakar Audu, as its candidate for the election. But while the APC that had 28 aspirants was able to choose its candidate without any rancour, despite the noise that preceded the exercise, the same can not be said of the PDP. Like in many of its activities in recent times, the party is now reportedly enmeshed in crisis over the choice of its candidate for the election. Three members of the party, Wada, Jubrin Isah and Moses Amoto, had collected forms to contest the primary election, with the established tradition in democratic settings the world over as well as the PDP in its last 16 years, conferring the right of first refusal on the incumbent, a development

Alhaji Jubrin Isah Echocho, PDP governorship aspirant

which led many observers to conclude that the ticket was as good as taken for Wada. However, many of the party leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, members of the PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF), the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and the National Working Committee (NWC) are torn between Wada and Isah, who is widely known as Echocho. The failure of the party to hold its much-publicised primary election last Friday, Sunday Tribune gathered, was the unexpected fallout of the supremacy battle among the stakeholders over who should pick the ticket of the party. 24 hours to the September 10 date given for the exercise, with all machineries said to have been put in place by the state secretariat of the party, led by the chairman, Sam Uhuotu, for the conduct of the primary, news reached town that the exercise had been postponed. The party was on the verge of announcing through a press conference the modalities for the event, when news came from the national secretariat that the election would no longer be possible on Friday. The press conference called by the state secretariat had been abruptly called off when the state chairman was about to read his speech, as the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Bode Ogunmola, later announced to the curious journalists

that the press briefing would not hold because ‘the signals from Abuja were not favourable’. What began like a rumour was later confirmed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who said the postponement was as a result of “logistic problem”. Despite the insistence of the state secretariat to go ahead with the election on the grounds that it was not contacted prior to the postponement, the primary election failed to hold, with the party having to fix the event for Monday, September 14 (tomorrow) to beat the deadline of September 15 set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The development in the PDP has, however, left many to ponder on why the party took such a controversial decision to postpone its primary election given the fact that the election date is near. Could a surprise decision be lurking in the dark for the aspirants who have all expressed their readiness to go into the internal election prior to its cancellation last week? Sunday Tribune’s findings had shown that there were more to the development than the logistics excuse put forward by the national secretariat of the party, with the main reason the primary failed to hold may said to be Continues

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13 September, 2015

sundayinterview

Sunday Tribune

Cabinet: We’re taking our cue from Mr President —Lalong Plateau State governor, Simon Bako Lalong, at a parley with newsmen including ISAAC SHOBAYO, as part of the activities to mark his 100 days in office, speaks on some of the challenges confronting his government and what the administration has been doing to address them. Excerpts:

IR, why is Plateau State excluded from the first set of beneficiaries of the bailout to state governments considering the huge salary arrears begging for attention, among other pressing needs? Plateau is one of the states that made request to President Muhammadu Buhari for intervention, and when we got there, he said I have seen your debt profile of over N100 billion, what are you going to do? He further directed us to go and investigate to ascertain the actual figure. Indeed, it was more than that. For the bailout, we would have been among the 11 states to assess the bailout, because after fulfilling the requirements, you get approval from the House of Assembly and the EXCO. The House of Assembly was very timely; we submitted our request for bailout, but unfortunately, one bank did something. As they were processing and concluding, the bank wrote that we had not concluded agreement with them. So Plateau’s name was withdrawn from the bailout. We were withdrawn from the first list, because a bank came out to say we have not reconciled with them. But between us and that bank, we reconciled with them, the bank even gave us facilities after that, but I am sure it was because we transferred one account from that bank to another and the bank was not happy. After fulfilling the requirements, the bank went at the dying minute and told the Debt Management Office that we have not reconciled with them. We came back again but the bank said it was a mistake; we made another application believing that we have all agreed, but when we got to the last stage, the bank, again, withdrew the money that was given to us. It also tampered with the figure that was given to the Debt Management Office, so that was what affected us not that we were not ready to take the bailout. Even without bailout I am informed that we had paid six months salaries, so it is not our intention to delay salary. Just last week, some permanent secretaries were demoted and others retired from the civil service. What is responsible for this action that is generating ripples in some quarters? There were reports that some permanent secretaries were wrongly appointed. The rule is that when you are appointing permanent secretary in respect to civil service, you must follow a tradition of seniority, but what we saw was that many of those who the government did not like their faces were not promoted. You can imagine leaving somebody on level 16, and they would go and appoint somebody on level 12 as permanent secretary and those people are still hanging in the civil service. Ours is to do justice. The first case we had was the case of the Head of Service. She was the most senior person, but for one reason or the other, she was denied Head of Service. We brought her in and gave it to her. We saw so many of such cases in the civil service, where juniors were appointed above their seniors; those were some of the things that we rectified. We also looked at the local government and we discovered that there are many of those senior persons in the local government. So what was the criterion used for appointing junior over senior? What we did was to ask the junior ones to step down for the seniors. What I did was to pick the most senior person from each local government as permanent secretary, no matter his or her political leaning. As a government, when you come in, you need to investigate things around

Governor Simon Lalong

We are also pleading with Mr President to treat Plateau like the North-East, so that we can access some funds. If we can get this, it would help to mobilise more security men you. Many of them are already answering charges before the EFCC. They were on bail a lot of the permanent secretaries are on bail for investigation. So, we look at such cases, if we see that your case is a very serious one and is likely to affect us if we leave you, we retire such a fellow. Some of them were retired and we demoted those that were wrongly appointed. Assets declaration is part of the steps toward

ensuring probity and accountability in governance. Have you declared your assets? My deputy and I declared our assets before the Public Complain Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau. It is now left for them to go and publish the assets. When they said we should publish it, I said if you gave it to Code of Conduct, it is for public consumption. I am not aware of any law stopping them from publishing asset declaration. It is their responsibility to do so whenever they desire. If they publish mine like that of President Muhammadu Buhari, many people will be shocked at my declaration. Sir, 100 days after your inauguration, the State Executive Council is yet to be constituted. What is responsible for this? We have people that are waiting for political appointments, but we inherited a huge debt and salary arrears, so, we didn’t want to add to that. Even those that have been appointed are not on salary. None of us has been captured for salary, but I told them let us bear with the civil servants and clear all the outstanding salaries before any appointment. When we get our bailout, all the salaries would be paid and then we would know our capacity Continues

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thepolity

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Mimiko has made PDP a people’s brand in Ondo —Akinmade

Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, is a journalist and media manager. He speaks on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and how Governor Olusegun Mimiko turned around the fortunes of the party, among other issues. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, presents the excerpts:

HE PDP in Ondo State seems to be waxing stronger since the loss at the presidential election. What is responsible for the turnaround? I can tell you without mincing words that PDP is getting sure footed, fresher and more robust with members getting happier and more at peace with themselves and with the remarkable performance of its government, the sky is the limit. In fact, it could only get better because that is the way to and that is what is happening. The April 11 election showcased the true position of the good people of the state. It was an Ondo State affair and our performance in the election is a thing we will continue to celebrate the people of the state for. It was an unprecedented leap forward. We secured 21 out of the 26 seats in the state House of Assembly. This is a clear indication of acceptance of the PDP by the people. The result of that election speaks volumes, showing that the people of Ondo state have implicit confidence in the leadership of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and the PDP as a party. Our party is still the party in Ondo State, any other ones could be said to exist only in name as far as Ondo State is concerned. Is it possible for your party to repeat the feat of the state House of Assembly election in the coming elections in the state? As it stands today, the PDP is a mass oriented party in Ondo and it is well prepared. We have equally embarked on a mutually inclusive restructuring programme to give every member of our party, irrespective of his or her former political inclination a sense of belonging. The PDP is going through genuine integration. Look at the recent composition of caretaker committee chairmen at the various local governments; we have members drawn from major interests within the party. During the March presidential election, our party took so many things for granted, not knowing that some of our former leaders trusted with sensitive positions had planned to work with the opposition in order to wreak havoc on the party for personal aggrandisement. As soon as the election was done with, we went back to the drawing board and mapped out strategy for a quick come back. With the support of the people, we were able to cover those grounds within a period of two weeks. Fortunately, the black legs who manipulated and undermined our structures in the previous election came out in their true colours by defecting to the APC and that gave us the opportunity to re-strategise and the result shocked their bookmakers. Moreover, the issues that surrounded the state Assembly election made it absolutely difficult for our people to go beyond issues that connected with local variables. The local variables are that the Ondo people will determine who and who will represent them at the parliament of the state.

Mr Kayode Akinmade

It appears you are confident your party will continue to hold sway in the state, where is this confidence coming from? It is coming from the demonstration of love and loyalty of the people of the state who have always demonstrated that they appreciate the leadership and selfless commitment of Governor Mimiko in ensuring that they live a decent and painless life which is evident in the various programmes of the government. Take a look at urban renewal feats of the government. We have never had it so good in the state. It is not for fun that the United Nations awarded the governor UN Scroll of Honour Award for his achievements in urban renewal. Today, in Akure, major roundabouts have become tourist attractions of a sort with the water fountain and the new round-about providing beautiful scenery, while the greenery has become a toast to the environment, providing health benefits for the citizenry. We know what the infant and maternal mortality rate was in the state before the Mimiko administration. It was a thing of great fear to be pregnant in Ondo before the present administration came on board. Today, the government has eradicated maternal mortality. The programme is so profound that the World Health Organisation (WHO) took it upon itself to tell the whole world that governments should come to Ondo state to understudy its safe motherhood project (Abiye) which

gave birth to the Mother and Child hospital and the Agbebiye projects. Health care in Ondo under Governor Mimiko is free, despite all the cries of bad economy nationwide. That is why you see people from neighbouring states rushing to the state to access its free health care. But we are now streamlining and maximising this opportunity for the greater benefit of our people with the introduction and deployment of Kaadi Igbeayo, a multi-purpose smart card with limitless opportunities. If you are not resident in the state you cannot own the card and before you can enjoy our free health now, you must present your card. This is to ensure that the health and other benefits of our people in relation to education, microcredit, transportation, agric inputs among others are prioritised. Do we attribute the successes of the government in the health sector to the governor being a medical practitioner? No no no...but come to think of it, is Dr Mimiko the only governor who is a medical doctor? You see, the whole issue is about governance with passion, it’s about advancing the frontiers of governance. Before Dr Mimiko’s government, the only dualised road we had was the Oba Adesida road in Akure and it was without road furniture. The road between Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School and the road connecting to Ilesa-Owo road was only 15

per cent done when this government came in and this administration completed the stretch to FUTA express. To the glory of God and ingenuity of the Mimiko government, there are about six dualised roads in the state now. They are not hidden roads. Those who knew what Arakale road used to be in the past should be able to say what it is now, ditto for Owo, Ondo, Igbokoda and other roads that have been dualised and still being dualised. These are roads constructed with the full compliments including lights, drainage, millennium bus stops, in fact, with all the road furniture available in developed countries. Now, if you allow me, see the turnaround in our education system. Apart from the special attention the government is giving to the welfare of teachers, our mega schools have become a model in the nation and the continent. It is no secret that other governments have been visiting the state to understudy both its health and education model. The Ondo State University of Science and Technology that could be said to have been founded in Ondo South by the previous government did not take off until this government came in. There were no activities in that school. It was Governor Mimiko that came and said no, this university must start. In fact, the accreditation of the University had been withdrawn but for the timely intervention of Mr Governor. And today the students of the university are already approaching graduation. Only recently, the governor called the students to a meeting to hear from them what their challenges are. At the end of the meeting the governor approved all the requests the students tabled before him, and promised to fulfill the promises before the end of the year. Part of the things he promised to do in the school included tarring of the roads and he has promised to do that before the school reopens. He also confirmed to the students that process is going on to increase the number of faculties in the school and also put in place and complete necessary infrastructure. Mr. Governor also promised to stop unnecessary levies being paid by the students and assured them he was going to introduce affordable tuition fee operational in the school. As a matter of fact, he promised that a new Vice Chancellor will be appointed for the school as soon as the tenure of the current VC ends. This is part of the achievements of the present government that the people continue to appreciate . Ondo State University in Akungba Akoko is one of the best state universities, rated by the United States Transparency International Standard. The Imposing Senate Building recently commissioned by the Governor is the best in Nigeria. More importantly, Adekunle Ajasin University charges the least tuition fees in the country. This is what we call social welfare scheme of a responsible government and the people are better for it. This government has made a landmark Continues

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thepolity

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Wada in the eye of the storm Continued from

pg 31

connected with the resolve of many party bigwigs to stop the governor from picking the ticket of the party. The major decisionmaking organs of the party and some of its leaders are said to be sharply divided over the ambition of the state governor, with the majority of the members of the NWC said to have declared that their intention to stop Wada from returning to office. Apart from the NWC members, it was further learnt that governors elected on the platform of the party are also divided over the governor, with a majority of them expressing their preference for Echocho. Sources informed Sunday Tribune that although many of the governors have not come out openly to challenge Wada’s second term ambition, only the chairman of the forum and Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, was supporting the Kogi State governor. Mimiko was said to have canvassed support for Wada, noting that it would be wrong for the governors to abandon one of their own and support another aspirant for the ticket. The governors and the NWC members, who were against Wada, it was learnt, argued that it would be difficult for the party to win the election if he is allowed to run for a second term. It was gathered that their grouses about Wada ranged from alleged low performance to his failure to have a strong structure that can win elections. According to them, the state has not witnessed meaningful development in the last four years of Wada administration. But a new dimension was later discovered to the gang-up against Wada, with Sunday Tribune gathering that the governor’s battles transcended the NWC and governors’ forum, as he was said to have many battles to fight and more antagonists than he could imagine. It was gathered that the Kogi State governor incurred the wrath of loyalists former President Goodluck Jonathan over the result of the last presidential election, where Jonathan lost to the candidate of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, despite the state being in control of the PDP and being considered as its stronghold like many other North-Central states. The result of the election had also shown that Wada lost his unit, ward and local government area to the opposition, fuelling the suspicion that he sold out to the APC. According to sources close to the governor’s camp, his opponents within the party had been blackmailing him with this development, flying with the wrong insinuation that the presidency and the national secretariat of the party were convinced that Wada deliberately left Kogi State for Buhari, his Muslim brother and friend. But those who espouse the theory that the governor, indeed, did Jonathan in, are making reference to the fact that the party went ahead to win the majority seats in the House of Assembly, polling 14 to the APC’s 11 seats in the April 11 Governorship and House of Assembly election held two weeks after the party’s loss in the presidential election. Apart from the woeful performance of the PDP in the presidential election, it was also learnt that Wada had further offended the powers that be in the party by his decision to visit former President Olusegun Obasanjo after the general election in April. A source who pleaded not to be named informed Sunday Tribune

Former President Goodluck Jonathan

that some party loyalists saw the visit as an affront, because Wada, unlike other PDP leaders who made similar visits, did not inform the party leadership before visiting Obasanjo, who was a known antagonist of the second term ambition of the former president. The visit, it was noted, was seen as an attempt by Wada to continue to romance those perceived to be arch enemies of the PDP. The source said: “All these problems the governor is having over his second term ambition are because of two people, former President Jonathan and the former governor of the state, Alhaji Idris. Wada is being accused of supporting his friend and a Muslim during the presidential election. That is the card being played at the national headquarters now. Many of the players at the national secretariat of the party are Christians and they are using that to nail the governor,” he said. While the governor battles on one front with loyalists of the former president and the national leadership of the PDP, it was gathered that he is involved in another raging war with his predecessor, Idris. The battle between Wada and Idris was said to have started after the election of the governor in 2011. Though Idris was considered to have been the solid rock behind Wada before he could secure the ticket of the party and subsequently win the election in 2011, things had reportedly gone awry shortly after the latter became governor. It was alleged that after the election, Idris had demanded for a refund of his personal money used to prosecute the election, with the sum allegedly put at about N4 billion, but Wada was said to have been unable to pay back the money, a development which insiders noted made his ex-godfather believe the governor could not be trusted with power. Wada was also said to have offended Idris during the selection of council chairmen in the state. It was gathered that the governor refused to allow Idris nominate the chairman of his local government area, a development that was seen as a political miscalculation by the governor. Despite the wars reportedly being waged against the governor, however, political observers in the state have noted that the governor should not be written off, as some

Prince Uche Secondus, Acting National Chairman, PDP

of the premises of his antagonists were not only faulty but also non-existent. For instance, they argued that the allegation of abysmal performance levelled against the governor was a mere attempt to call dog a bad name in order to hang it, noting that Wada had impacted positively on the people of the state based on resources available to his government. Speaking on the barrage of allegations against him and the stumbling blocks being put on his way to prevent him from achieving his second term ambition, the governor through his Special Adviser on Media, Jacob Edi, said Wada had performed very well within the limited resources available to him. Edi said the immediate past governor signed a federal minimum wage agreement with the workers of the state and left a deficit when he was leaving office, noting that the state now has a wage bill of N3.2 billion, despite receiving a monthly allocation of N3.7 billion in addition to paltry N400 million as internally generated revenue. He noted that in spite of the difficulty, Wada had been paying salaries of civil servant as and when due. He also said there was a misconception in the state about local government

Will Wada scale the hurdles and win the state for another term or lose to a greenhorn in the PDP who will dim Audu’s hopes and reaffirm the PDP’s strong hold on Kogi or will Kogi State also fall to the change sloganeers in the APC?

workers receiving half of their salaries, noting that the people get their salary directly from the allocation from the Federal Government. He, however, blamed successive local government chairmen who went employed beyond the capacities of the local governments and could, therefore, no longer pay the salary of their workers. The governor also informed that despite the opposition to his second term ambition, he was ready for the primary, adding that the party should allow the delegates to decide. According to him, the PDP was not known for imposition, because “it is a party that gives equal opportunity to people to achieve their political ambitions. On our part, we are prepared, we have won before and we are prepared for victory again. The people of Kogi have the opportunity to choose between the past and the present; between a governor that has capacity and others.” With the election only weeks away, the situation in the Kogi State chapter of the PDP has led to many people questioning the seriousness of the party about winning the state again. Being the first election to be conducted after its dismal performance in the last general election, political analysts maintained that the Kogi election is of great significance to the survival and continued existence of the PDP as well as its resolve to bounce back to relevance, noting that the party should have learnt its lessons and do away with unnecessary crises that could jeopardise its chances. While some observers note that it is not too late for the PDP to retrace its steps and correct whatever faux pas it might have made in Kogi, the outcome of the primary election and the manner the party handles the post-primary crisis that is bound to follow the internal election, will determine its seriousness about winning the state again. Will Wada scale the hurdles and win the state for another term or lose to a greenhorn in the PDP who will dim Audu’s hopes and reaffirm the PDP’s strong hold on Kogi or will Kogi State also fall to the change sloganeers in the APC? These are the questions political observers ask, questions that only time can answer.

sundayinterview

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

‘Why we forcefully retired, demoted civil servants’ Continued from

local government autonomy, do you subscribe to this? Local government autonomy is a constitutional matter, but here in Plateau with or without local government autonomy, I have told some people that for me, since May 29 that we came in, we have not tampered with local government funds. I don›t tamper with local government funds, I don’t attend JAC meeting. I have said it several times, whatever is due to them will be given to them. I am one of those fighting against tampering with local government funds; if local governments have money, development would be at the grass roots and reduce the stress on the state.

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to appoint people; people should bear with us. Mr President is also showing us good example in this regard. As party men, we always want to take a cue from the president. We don’t want to rush. If the President is taking his time to do something, we would also follow the pattern, so that we don’t make mistake. There are allegations of complicity and compromise of security men deployed to curb the crisis in the Northern part of the state, precisely in Barakin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas. What is your government doing to arrest the situation? I have also heard about this, but each time we ask them to come and prove it, nobody would come up. In security meetings, we gave such information. We have had several changes within the security set up, because of those rumours. If you go to Barakin Ladi, they would say it is STF. Despite the changes, people are still being killed. I want to say that if anybody has evidence that the security has compromised its position, come and tell us. I will take it up with the security council and they know what to do. Above all, let us have confidence in the security, they are here to protect everybody. We are doing our best to arrest the insecurity in Barakin Ladi and Riyom. Sometime, what I read in the papers are not true reflections of the happenings. I heard that before we came on board, security men were not being paid their allowances. How do you ensure security when there is no motivation? After our inauguration, we quickly embarked on the payment of their allowances and assure them that they would not miss any month without their allowances. Based on the problem in Barakin Ladi, we made a request and the president assented to our request and sent in additional 150 mobile policemen to Barakin Ladi. I want to say that contrary to what people are saying that state government is not serious about insecurity in the state, on this issue alone, I have taken my representative to the president about four times and he has been

When are you likely to conduct the local government election, since the current ones had been dissolved? We have a case in court after the dissolution, so we are also waiting for the court to decide. When the court decides, we would conduct election. There are four different cases over this: some of them are in the Federal High Court and others in regular high court. We are appealing to the judiciary to expedite action so that those cases would be resolved. Immediately they are resolved, we will go back to the state House of Assembly to have a proper law that will enable us to conduct good election.

Governor Lalong doing his best. He has not relented in his efforts to curb the situation. We are also pleading with Mr President to treat Plateau like the North-East, so that we can access some funds. If we can get this, it would help to mobilise more security men. There are general complaints of illegal deduction of local government funds by the state government and the solution proffered by many is

The Fulanis are complaining of marginalisation or rather want representatives in your government what are you doing to ensure equal representation of various ethnic groups in our government? When we were campaigning, we went through the 53 ethnic nationalities in Plateau State. We gave them assurance that each of them would be included in government. We have not started appointment on that; the little we have done is to ensure that government functions. There are Special Assistants, advisers that would be appointed, board members, commissioners are coming up, federal appointments are coming up. We will soon have a meeting with all stakeholders, by that we should be able to get representation from all the ethic nationalities on the Plateau.

‘APC has lost Ondo for good’ Continued from

pg 33

achievement in the education sector no doubt. Look at our mega schools, the free school shuttle buses across the state. These are what give the PDP an edge and confidence of maintaining its control in the state. In the area of security, you will see that the state has witnessed peace and tranquility occasioned by responsible leadership in the state. Artisans were given loans easily, everything is working well. Some of our projects that the opposition is criticising are being copied in some of their states. Go to Osun and Oyo states, they are trying to follow our footsteps. They too are building markets, mega schools and even aping the school free shuttle buses and so on. In Ondo state, government creates job daily through mechanised agriculture. A visit to the government farm in Auga, Epe, Isuada and Ore will show how well this government has improved agriculture with many of our youths developing careers from these places. Even now, it has metamorphosed into Agropreneurs. Today, cocoa farmers in the state will tell you the transformation that has come into their trade as a result of the government revolution in Cocoa to the extent that our chocolate experiment won award in England. Are you aware that in Ondo state now, it takes just eight weeks to get a C of O and for as cheap as 15,000 naira, tell me which party will not continue to dominate with these intimidating achievements. The PDP in the state witnessed the exodus of some bigwigs during and after the general election, are you sure this will not haunt it in the coming election? Who are the bigwigs? Are you referring to those who

left our party at the eve of the House of Assembly election thinking that their exit will make a difference and got the greatest shock of their lives? Those you referred to as bigwigs are paper weight and are inconsequential as far as Ondo politics is concerned. You see, some of the so called bigwigs of the party defected before the Assembly election. At the presidential election, we had issues but we won bigger at the Assembly election after they had left. This means that those who left are inconsequential, they are not bigwigs as you described them. Their leaving has no effect on our party, in fact, their exit brought peace, progress, fresh drive and determination to excel into us and our party remains a strong party. You believe that the dominance of the APC at the national level will not rub off negatively on the PDP? Let me say once again that Ondo has never been hoodwinked by any bandwagon effect. The major consideration has always remained performance and commitment to collective goals and ideals. You will recollect that Ondo was in the opposition under the regime of Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and yet, the people stood by their mandate on account of their value system. Just as it was yesterday, so it is today, because the government of the day is delivering on its mandate with life impacting programmes through the nooks and crannies of the state. Within the first three months of the inception of this administration 80 Quick-Win projects were executed across 80 communities in one fell swoop. Today, 664 projects dot the entire landscape of the state. One unique thing is that all these projects were determined and chosen by the people in a

bottom approach manner. We should not forget the Olympic Size swimming pool that remained abandoned for more than 3 decades and was completed by this administration, the new semimechanised abattoir, the auto mart, first of its kind in Nigeria, the ultra modern motor park, the mechanic village, the independent power plant and so many Public Private Initiative like the new Shoprite in Akure, among others. Besides, government has concentrated efforts in the southern senatorial district, particularly the riverine area, the oil producing areas with very special attention. Apart from the regional markets in Okitipupa and Igbokoda, as well as the mega school in Okitipupa, the government immediately on assumption of office constructed the floating jetty and carried out the manual and mechanical dredging of river Yewa and Ofe in Apaluba, Okitipupa and Ese Odo. The dualisation of Igbokoda road is being carried out just as the construction and asphalting of Inikorogha/Oboro road has been completed and commissioned. The construction of 5 km walkway in various communities in Ilaje and Ese Odo have been executed. Let me also tell you that 1.7km concrete waterway was undertaken at Bologhwu, while the state government extended the national grid from AkiotubuwaAlape junction to Araromi. These are just some of the projects done either through OSOPADEC or directly executed by the state government. I must say the list is endless. What about the ongoing rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of the 33km Igbokoda- Ugbonla road, the construction of 2 million gallons per day water treatment facilities. This is beside the construction and asphalt overlay of Ipoke/Ojuala 6.5km road. Lest I forget the laying of 45.61km water rising main along Igbokoda- Ugbonla road.

interview

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Why we can’t stand unconcerned in Osun crisis —Omidiran

Honourable Ayo Omidiran is a member of the House of Representatives representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC). She speaks with BOLA BADMUS on the recently-concluded Stakeholders’ Conference on the State of Osun and other issues. Excerpts:

HAT can you say about the involvement of Osun Legislators’ Forum in the stakeholders’ conference that took place in Osogbo on moving the state forward? Osun Stakeholders’ Conference that took place in Osogbo recently was actually sponsored by Osun Legislators’ Forum. The Forum was set up in 2013 to forge a sort of camaraderie between our legislators at the state and the national levels. In 2011, we realised that all the lawmakers from State of Osun were then members of the ACN; all the 26 members of the House of Assembly, 9 House of Reps members and the three Senators. So when we started having this financial crisis in the state, lawmakers from the House of Representatives got together and tried to see how we could assist the state and then this idea came that we should get our people together and let them come out and brainstorm on the way forward. This is because when we say government, it is a known fact that government is made of people too. The belief in the public domain is that your association, the Osun State Legislators’ Forum, was formed in order to shore up the image of the state government. No. The Osun legislator forum was set up as I said earlier in 2013, to forge a bond between Osun legislators at the state and national levels. As of 2011, all legislators in Osun were Action Congress of Nigeria members and due to that, we felt that we must have the same ideology and manifesto. That was what led to the formation of the forum. So, when we started having financial crisis in the state, the caucus in the House of Representatives came together to see how we could make our own contribution. This was when the idea of organising a stakeholders’ forum evolved. We only want to put issues in their proper perspectives and this is why we drew stakeholders from all the sectors of the society. We got clerics, traditional rulers, students, artisans, commercial motorcyclists, taxi drivers, traders and other critical segments of the society to participate in the forum. The outcome was enriching as the interaction provided the opportunity to ventilate all forms of ideas, criticisms and commendations from the people. It was a forum where the governor answered all manner of questions in a no-holds-barred fashion. In the case of Osun, don’t you think the government has bitten more than it could chew with projects such as the purchase of free school uniforms, ‘opon imo’, school feeding and so on, which have rubbished the so-called financial engineering of the government? I disagree; things should be put in their right perspectives so that we can have a good understanding of issues. Our government is a welfarist government. The whole idea of feeding students, especially the junior ones, was borne out of an edu-

number of workers in the State of Osun.

Honourable Ayo Omidiran

cation summit the state held when the government was inaugurated. Professor Wole Soyinka was the chairman of the three-day education summit. Initially, the governor wanted to feed all the students in the public secondary schools but had to restrict the feeding to those in the junior schools as a result of the cost involved. At the summit, people proffered solutions to the educational challenges of the state. This was where the plan to encourage the enrollment of pupils started. This was where we conceptualised the idea of free school uniforms and free school meals. In Osun, we don’t just jump on the bandwagon. There’s value added to the uniform production chain in Osun as many people have been employed. Concerning employment, there is this belief in certain quarters that a state like Osun is not viable enough to employ as many people as you find in Lagos. Don’t you think government should just provide an enabling environment for people to invest? Yes, it is part of problems we have confronting us. But I want to say that if we had remained the way we were at the beginning of this administration when initially the government was getting close to N5billion at least for the first two months of this administration. I do not see any reason why we should not keep on employing and making sure that we get more people into government. Let me tell you, it is not all employees that are getting a lot of money; out of these 35,000 which the government says is the number of workforce, we have 20,000 O’Yes members. These are youths

employed by the state getting stipends of N10,000 each per month, but the way they work is as if they are getting N100,000 per month. They are happy to leave their homes in the morning to go and do the work. You see that it wasn’t difficult for them to do. At first, government thought they would be feeling shy because some of them are graduates of universities and polytechnic without jobs. And a big advantage with the O’ Yes Scheme is that at least before now, they were being recruited into the state civil service. Do you know that the government made it a point of duty to ensure that these O’ Yes graduates, all of them who are qualified to get civil service appointment in the state, were always considered first for such appointments? So many of them that were earning N10,000 per month have become substantive civil servants, earning what they are supposed to earn normally. So it became a short- cut avenue to get a better job. What about the allegation that the governor has been running away from doing audit of the staff in the employment of the state? Thank God for that, because it is part of what we gained on that day. Maybe people have been thinking along that line, the governor had no way of knowing. The governor also didn’t want to offend the workers by accusing them of maybe giving him wrong data. The workers said they wanted an audit and it has started. At least, that was one of the aspects of the communique that has started working already. They started from the local government level since that day of the conference and I know from there, it will get to the main civil service and then we would be able to come out clearly to say this is the actual

What in specific term was the outcome of the meeting? With the support of everybody, we were able to have a successful conference. I want to tell you that the attendance was unprecedented. We had people representing every area of Osun economically and traditionally. At the forum, the governor brought the Head of Service and the Accountant-General of the state, all his former commissioners, special advisers and special assistants. It was at the forum that he told the people of Osun how much the state has got as Internally Generated Revenue, excess crude revenue and so on. He allowed all questions to be answered. It was interesting, although we had some disagreements. Somebody said the workers were too many and that they should be pruned, but the labour unions also got up and started shouting, no. It became very interesting and became like a Town Hall meeting. Some non-government workers at the Forum were of the opinion that the state’s civil servants should not take a large chunk of the state’s revenues as salaries. The youth, market women, traditional rulers, businessmen spoke. What was adopted at the end of the day was put together as a report. Now, the report has been submitted to the governor. We heard that the bailout, which is a way of easing the pain of loans and debts, is going to start yielding benefits from this week on. We are hoping that the government would pay all outstanding salaries, at least, till June. It is the main emergency that we have. The payment would also enhance our IGR. These workers have to be paid. Then the workers would be buoyant enough to go to the market and patronise the traders; wealth would then spread. Non-payment of salaries affects all of us. I was surprised when people were saying it was not our job to put this kind of meeting together. They said that we were elected to make laws but we said: make laws for who? Do you make laws for hungry people? How sure are you that the governor will adopt the recommendations in the report? We have the governor’s word that the recommendations will be adopted and we believe him, because he is a man of honour. We went to him before we commenced this conference. There was no point going through all we did if there would be no implementation. He said he would abide by the outcome of the conference. To show his sincerity and commitment, he said he would take all the questions. He took all the questions thrown at him. When people were accusing his former commissioners of one or two offences, he said the commissioners should come and defend themselves. That was when we heard that they were collecting loans from banks. We didn’t know before. They too were hit by that cash crunch, so that settles it. So, we are banking on the governor fulfilling his promise and we are waiting and it is just a few weeks now since we concluded the conference.

opinion

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

100 Days of 8th Senate: Using visitation as problem-solving tool By Yusuph Olaniyonu

ET me quickly do a definition of term here. My meaning of visitation is the few visits that the Senate delegations had made outside their chambers as means to further advance the interest of Nigeria. On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, it will be 100 days since the Eighth Senate was inaugurated based on the proclamation by President Muhammadu Buhari. The upper legislative house started on a shaky ground as the issue of election of leadership became mired in a needless controversy, obviously being fuelled from outside the parliament. Today, the leadership headed by Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has shaken off the initial setback and demonstrated the ability to be the best the country has produced. While there are so many areas through which one can objectively evaluate the performance of the Senate in 100 days, I have chosen to limit myself to the three visits made by the Legislative house outside Abuja as well as the symbolism and significance of these visits as the premise on which to judge how well it has done. On August 3, the Senate decided to fulfil its earlier promise that it wo send a delegation to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and centre of the insurgency waged against the Nigerian nation by the Boko Haram group. The decision to send a delegation to Borno State came after an elaborate debate of the insecurity in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. During that debate, the Senate President allowed all Senators who wanted to contribute to the motion moved by Senator George Sekibo representing Rivers State. There were chilling reports from personal experiences, losses and deprivations rendered by Senators from the affected geo-political zones. The tale of woes narrated by the Senators made the Chambers to resolve to send a delegation to Maiduguri for an onthe-spot assessment of the security situation and the plight of the residents. Apart from the Senate President, other members of the Delegation include Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Deputy Chief Whip, Francis Alimikhena, Danjuma Goje, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Hassan Mohammed, Abubakar Kyari and the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Isa Galaudu. During the visit, Saraki, assured the people that the entire country was solidly behind them in this trying period . He said: “We have come to feel your pains, to hear what you have been going through first hand. To seek to understand the severe bloody struggle you have had to endure and go through emotionally, physically, financially and in many other ways which can hardly be put in words”. The Senate delegation, in company of Governor Shettima paid homage to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Khanemi where they assured the people that the Senate will do all in its power to ensure life returns to the state and the Zone. The team later visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps located at the Umaru Shehu College of Education in Maiduguri and the Government College, Maiduguri with over

4000 displaced persons respectively. They also visited the Dalori IDPs Camp housing over 18,000 displaced persons from Bama local government area of the state. The Senate President said the resolution of the Senate to send a high powered delegation led by himself was a demonstration of the commitment of the Upper Chamber to find a lasting solution to the plight of people in the North-East. “We have come to sit with you and listen to you and hopefully together on solutions that would significantly change your situation for the better. We believe that after this visit your situation will not be the same again. The mission of our visit is simple; we have come to bring you hope and to let you know that the Nigerian Senate has not abandoned you and real change is coming. We are determined to end this carnage, this senseless and sorrowful war. We are determined to defeat Boko Haram. The Nigerian Senate and indeed the National Assembly is willing to support you and your families to ensure that your lives return to normal. We could not in good conscience talk to you from Abuja. No. This new senate would rather come here and this is why we are here,” he stated. Saraki added: “We stand with you against Boko Haram and everything that stands against your security and against your welfare. We stand together with our dear President, Muhammadu Buhari whose singular devotion to ending these senseless killings gives us greater belief that together we will win the war. Our president has continued to work night and day to bring this evil of Boko Haram to a permanent end and we reiterate our resolve to ensure that together we succeed. We stand with our troops and will in the coming days show them that this new Senate will do all that is within its powers of authorization and approvals, support them and provide for them the necessary funding and oversight that will guarantee

that they defeat this insurgency. “The 8th Senate has made the security and welfare of our people priority number one on its agenda. We are very conscious of the level of carnage and destruction that has been wrought on the people here. We will be working closely with our counterparts in the House of Representatives to make sure that we rebuild the economy of the North-East. We will not rest on our oars until normalcy is returned to this troubled region”, he said. While welcoming the Senate President and his team, Governor Shettima who spoke in emotion-laden voice stated that the visit was historic and unprecedented. “I would like to express my sincere and profound welcome to the Senate President and our respected and distinguished Senators over this official visit to Borno State, which is the first of its kind by any Senate President since the advent of Civilian Administration in 1999. This is a clear manifestation of your concern for the plight of the people of the North-East region and Borno State in particular,” he stated. The Governor further observed that there are 26 IDP camps in Maiduguri aside those in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and other states in the country. He urged the National Assembly to pass a Bill that will create the North-East Development Commission to handle the issue of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of the IDPs and provide employment for the youths as was done in the Niger Delta. Shettima said: “The people of Borno State view this day and this visit as most apt and most significant. I have no doubt in my mind about the seriousness of this administration to putting a permanent end to this senseless bloodletting and madness of a few misguided elements, who hide under the canopy of religion”. The following day after this visit by the Saraki-led delegation, his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu also led another delega-

tion to Adamawa State, which is another epicentre of the Boko Haram war. The Senate delegation further gave hope to the people. Through the visits, the Senators empathised with the residents and encouraged the political, military and traditional leadership so that they can hold on against the marauders. After the visit, Saraki and his colleagues have almost become radicalised on the need to end this insurgency as fast as possible. Today, the Senate has become the evangelist of the gospel of peace in the North-east. Every opportunity the Senate President has, he uses to canvass international support for rebuilding, resettlement and rehabilitation of the people and environment in the North-east. The Senate President has, during his numerous meetings with envoys of foreign countries who pay courtesy visit to his office, urged for support to Nigeria to end the Boko Haram crisis. Between August 30 and September 2, the Senate made another visitation. This time to New York where a delegation led by the Senate President attended the 4th United Nations International Conference for Heads of Parliaments. The three-man delegation consisting Senators Saraki, Dino Melaye and Andy Uba, during the bilateral meetings with delegations from France, Germany and the United Kingdom continuously harped on the need for international support for Nigeria, both to end the carnage in the North-east and resettle the people. Saraki further used the UN platform while addressing the general conference to urge that insecurity issue in Nigeria be taken as a global crisis just like similar occurrences in other parts of the world. His message resonated well with the world gathering, particularly since he had equally utilised an earlier meeting of select parliamentary leaders with the UN scribe Ban Ki Moon, to canvass that Nigeria be supported to quell the Boko Haram insurgency. The same delegation also at the various bilateral meetings lobbied for international support for our economic revival plan. They were able to convince their colleagues in other countries on the on-going genuine attempts to rebuild Nigerian economy as represented by the policies and programmes of the Buhari administration and the solid support the legislature is giving the executive. With the New York visit, the Senate convinced the international community that all arms of government in Nigeria are united in the objective of fighting the war against insecurity, economic problems and youth unemployment. If in 100 days, the Senate has re-assured the people that the present efforts to end the insecurity in North-east has full legislative support, joined the executive in mounting international campaign to support these efforts and utilised all instruments like legislations, oversights and advocacy to further serve the Nigerian interests, then this eighth Senate has started well. I have no doubt that it will do better than many Nigerians ever imagined. • Olaniyonu is Special Adviser to the Senate President

EADERS and members of the Nigerian Labour movement under the banner of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) did the unexpected on Thursday as they embarked on a nationwide rally in support of the government’s anti-corruption drive. They were also joined by members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in a rally that took place in the state capitals and Abuja. Seeing the protests, one was bound to say they were unthinkable for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that the Nigerian Labour, in recent times, has consigned itself to pecuniary issues that affect its members. One of the issues paramount on the agenda of the current leadership of the unions is the search for a living wage for workers. They have declared their intention to secure a new minimum wage from the government. Thus, seeing workers on the streets, you would want to think it was one of the series of the planned protests to secure new pay. But the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba and his colleagues in the various states beat our imagination when they said they embarked on the protests to support the anti-graft drive of the incumbent government. The rally in Abuja saw Wabba himself leading protests to the high places including the National Assembly and the Headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). When he led his team to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Lawal Babachir, Wabba said: “Gone are the days when people that are corrupt will get perpetual injunctions restraining EFCC from prosecuting them. If we have such cases, Nigerian workers are ready to go to their residences and bring them to court and also interrogate the judge. “Our judiciary must sit up. Gone are the days when perpetual injunctions are issued, restraining agencies of government from prosecuting corrupt public officers. We must be on the same page and therefore, Nigerian workers are ready to invade the courts and challenge the sanctity of such judges. “We are also demanding that the penalty for corrupt public officers should be made very strict, including capital punishment. It has worked elsewhere and there is no reason why it should not work here. Therefore, all of us are here to try to present our position.”

ON June 23, 2015, the Osun State House of Assembly received a petition from Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, urging the House to investigate Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Titi Laoye Tomori for “alleged deliberate and criminal mismanagement of the state economy, culminating in non-payment of salaries and pensions and its resultant humanity crises.” Two Wednesdays ago, the Osun State House of Assembly dismissed her petition. Below are reactions from readers: I expected you, as a brilliant columnist, to have done more of investigative journalism before your submission this week. One Yoruba adage says ‘eko iwe wa loto, eko ile wa loto.’ The honourable judge lacks home training, considering that she is an Ijesha woman. We have a way to handle such issues at home in Yoruba land. —S.K. Oguntomi. Ilorin. Kwara State 08056678456 Your piece on Justice Oloyede tacitly captures how far away we are on our corruption fight. She needs all the accolades to boost confidence in people like her if President Muhammadu Buhari actually wants to fight corruption. What other qualification does she need for PMB to make her the minister of Justice/ Attorney general? —Toni. Lagos 09022676246 The woman has demonstrated to Nigerians that what a man can do a woman can do better. Having set up a formidable panel to investigate the matter Governor Aregbesola of Osun State should rise up and defend his integrity. Our fore fathers have a saying ‘’If someone has not slapped his younger brother, his relatives will not be afraid of him’’. If President Buhari has not made a member of his political party a scapegoat in the fight against bribery and corruption, the members of other political parties will not be afraid of him. —Taiwo Sangotikun. Iseyin, Oyo State 08056309372 When Folahanmi Oloyede is eventually thrown out of

13 September, 2015

the lynxeye with Taiwo adisa

08072000046 taiadisbabatj@gmail.com

NLC: Beyond the protest marches

President of the TUC, Boboi Kaigama, puts the issue clearly when he said that it was the first time in 20 years that workers would be unable to draw their salaries for several months. He attributed the development to corruption and looting. The workers carried placards with different inscriptions. Some of them read: ‘Payment of workers’ salaries is not negotiable’; ‘Stop corruption; Nigeria can create millions of jobs in agriculture alone’; ‘Invest in agriculture today’; ‘Corruption has damaged our communication sector, stop it’; ‘Recover our monies in the hands of past

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

Re: An amazon in the dock Osun civil service - maybe you and your colleagues will share with her your meagre salaries. Do you know about the laws of general order in civil service administration as entrenched in the civil service laws? Also, can you do what she did with your own management? Please enough of this stupidity. —Gbenga Olowolagba 08101763169 Expecting the investigating committee set up by the Osun State House of Assembly to give a report that will indict the state’s governor is like expecting a bastard to go against his father in the midst of his half brothers. While agreeing with your opinion about Honourable Justice Olamide Oloyede I wish to add that by her actions she has ensured that her names will live in the minds of the masses as a heroine like Mama Funmilayo Kuti. —Afolabi Agodongbo Oyo 08181600513 I read your write up on Justice Olamide Oloyede. May I appeal that no harm should come to the woman; rather, she should be commended for her boldness and showered with awards from different local and international organisations. Possibly, also, our President -President Muhammadu Buhari can make her a Minister. She deserves it for her brav-

Sunday Tribune

leaders now’; Corruption has increased poverty, fight it now’; ‘If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us; corruption promotes insecurity, stop it now.’ Speaking further at the rally in Abuja, Wabba said that Nigeria’s leaders must create a situation that would make corruption unattractive as it is the case in China and other countries, adding that leaders must use their brains to generate policies and programmes that will impact meaningfully on Nigerians. “We are here because our laws are very weak. Even if one steals N100 billion, he get two years jail term or part with a fraction of the money and is allowed to go and enjoy. The one that comes to mind is the case of Atiku Kigbo who stole billions from the pension fund and what he got was two years imprisonment and N750,000.00 fine,” he said. It is interesting to see workers embark on long walks, withstanding the sun in some states to participate in the protest. But the workers needed to be told that just as much of the corruption war has to do with the laws and the will of the government in place, a lot also rests on the shoulders of the workers. It is common knowledge that most politicians are taught “how to loot” by the workers. Since government money can only be earned through a process, workers in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies must collude with anyone in power before a kobo can be looted. A former minister once told me his experience in his first day in office. He held a meeting with the management staff of the ministry and relying on the government’s published budget for the year, he reeled out the next assignments. But he was shocked to see that a senior member of the ministry’s management was not enthusiastic about the discussion. He said he was shocked to see the officer show up in his house at night. The official simply told the minister, “Oga, all the things you are looking at exist on paper. The money is not there. In fact, there is no money to do anything again this year!” It was around July and the uninitiated minister was more than perplexed. He lived to imbibe the reality as time went on. What the NLC and TUC must also do, having sensitised us all, is to also embark on internal cleansing and rallies to tell their members enough.

ery, intelligence and transparency. I don’t know her but I commend her decision for fighting on behalf of the poor masses. Please, let us put up pressure on those concerned for her not to be unnecessarily vilified and punished. —Yomi Adedeji 07055011208 Thanks a lot for this article but I wish to add and appeal to Nigerians that we support this woman to save her job and career. She has done the unusual by taking a big risk to challenge her employer on a perceived injustice instead of engaging in the usual suffering and smiling that has led us to this point in Africa. By her rare action, she is keeping the governor and many others on their toes – that is - they must live up to their responsibilities. Wages must be paid as at when due, any government that fails to do this, has failed in all other areas and is operating irresponsibly. Someone must speak up on behalf of the people; Oloyede has picked up the gauntlet in Osun and she must be commended for it. —E.A.Rotimi, TAC Ketu, Lagos 08033796044 The panel of inquiry hurriedly put up by the Osun state house of assembly has equally hurriedly submitted its report. Expectedly, Aregbesola was not found guilty. If that is so, Justice Oloyede too is not guilty of any offence. The way this issue is being handled has passed a message to all Nigerians and the message is that as usual we are not yet ready to fight a war on corruption. —Reverend OLa Olaleye, Ile Ife. 08033815016 There is no doubt that Justice Oloyede knew the consequences of being a lonely voice of reason as a serving judge, especially that in a system where sentiment is allowed to override reason, she could be easily eased out of the judiciary. However, being a decent Amazon, and of a noble pedigree, she is not shaken by the shenanigans of those one expects to be reasonable. Unless a few committed patriots in Nigeria are ready to suffer for good causes, this potentially great country cannot move forward. —Yekini Oluokun (JP), Oyo 08058511378

opinion

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Ambode: On the march early By Akeem Soboyede

AGOS State has had 14 chief executives since its creation in May 1967. Some of those definitely made their mark in governing the state. Many more just arguably so. Most, especially the military governors, registered barely a blip on the good governance radar. One individual, who appears intent on making an enduring impact as governor of Lagos is Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State’s 14th chief executive, and the fifth among these democratically-elected into the office. Ambode literally hit the ground running on the issue of protecting lives and property in the state that is unarguably Nigeria’s economic nerve-centre and the most populous. The latter certainly makes the protection of lives and infrastructure a policy imperative in Lagos. Barely weeks after his inauguration as governor, at a dinner organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Ambode unveiled plans to strengthen the existing state anti-robbery squad, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), as well as create an integrated security and emergency control platform. Donations totaling over N1 billion was received or pledged at this event, by corporate organisations in the state, as well as security-conscious individuals. Ambode has equally focused on dispelling the myth of Lagos as a metropolis perpetually choked by slow-moving traffic, or the ubiquitous “go-slows”. Since coming into office, he has visited many areas of Lagos prone to traffic congestions, and announced initiatives aimed at reversing the trend. One of such has been directed at resolving the near-perpetual traffic gridlock that has made the Apapa area of the state a dreaded destination for motorists. The main culprits in this regard are the petrol tanker drivers who swarm the area’s 57 tank farms at all periods of the day to load their products. Perpetual traffic quagmires have been the long-running legacy of this “loading” activity. He took efforts to ameliorate the scourge by establishing a task force to ensure drivers waiting to load petrol did not park their vehicles indiscriminately along the roads to the tank farms, thus impeding traffic. He also emphasised that the Lagos Road Traffic Law that prohibited such activity on the part of the drivers in the first place would be enforced to the letter. Governor Ambode has not restricted his transportation

initiatives only to the Apapa-axis of the state. Within the first few weeks of being sworn into office, the governor embarked on inspection visits to many parts of the state, primarily to ascertain the state of the roads in those locations. Areas toured included those in the Ipaja, MosanOkunola, Oshodi- Isolo, Ikotun-Ejigbo and Somolu axis of the state. During his tour, the government also announced plans to rehabilitate roads that were in a deplorable state in those areas. Aside from infrastructural development, Ambode has also brought his impressive life and work experiences to bear in fine-tuning the levers of government in Lagos, and positioning the state for enduring and exponential growth. It is well-known that the governor retired as a permanent secretary in the Lagos State civil service, after 27 years serving the state. It was, therefore, no surprise that shortly on assumption of office last May 29, the governor met with Permanent Secretaries in the state, wherein he revealed his plan to reposition the civil service, in order to make it more efficient and service-driven. Such a vision, according to Ambode, would involve the streamlining of some ministries, departments and agencies to cut the cost of governance in the state. Ambode subsequently announced his decision to realign the Ministry of Rural Development, Parastatals

Monitoring Office, as well as Political and Legislative Powers Bureau. He also scrapped the Office of the Special Adviser on Taxation and Revenue in the Debt Management Office, while merging the Office of Works with the Office of Infrastructure, among other significant policy initiatives. Not everyone in Lagos has exactly lauded Governor Ambode’s exemplary policies in these first 100 days of his administration. Certain critics, particularly those in the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have criticised what they see as the governor’s desire to borrow his way through the fiscal challenges of a vast metropolis like Lagos. They cited his alleged move to obtain a N3.94 billion loan from the World Bank. Beyond the vagueness of such claims, such critics clearly underrate Ambode’s capacity for fiscal discipline and management of resources. They are clearly not aware that while Ambode served as a senior civil servant in Lagos managing the State Treasury Office (STO), he revolutionised how the state’s finances were raised, budgeted, managed and planned, all of which led to immense increases in the state’s receipts profile. The critics, certainly, cannot deplore the humanitarian face and demeanor already deployed by the Ambode government in Lagos. The governor has used the instrumentality of his office to bring smiles of joy to individuals across the state. From the victims of horrific petrol tanker explosions to state residents in dire need of medical interventions, especially outside the shores of the country, Governor Ambode has not only brought succour to the masses, he has established the necessary machinery, through the deft deployment of resources, to ensure long term solutions to similar problems when they occur in the future. Ambode has equally brought long-sought relief to retirees of various parastatals and agencies of the state; this past August, the governor approved the release of N11 billion to offset arrears owed to these former civil servants since 2010, not only for those employed directed by the state government, but those employed by local governments and parastatals within the state. With policies like this, Ambode will most likely achieve his unstated aim of being a former chief executive of Lagos that remains dear to the people’s heart, long after leaving office. Soboyede, a public affairs commentator, sent in the piece from Abuja.

Bindow: A prophet has emerged in Adamawa By Yohanna Mathias

HE Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary defines the word “prophet” as (1) person who declares publicly a message that he or she believes has been divinely inspired, (2) the writer of one of the prophetic books of the Old Testament (3) one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight, (4) one who foretells future events, and, lastly, (5) an affective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group. The Adamawa State governor, Senator Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow may not necessarily be a prophet in original biblical or Quranic terms, he has characteristics that draw similarities or comparison with the modern French seer and scholar Michelle de Nostradamus, well-known for his foresight and moral insight to foretell future events. People who know the governor well can testify that he is a prophet, even if he is recognised and honoured only at home in Adamawa State; his activities, his vision, his mission and current strive to transform Adamawa State and leave it better than he met it have portrayed him beyond the confines of the ordinary prophet. The governor is gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; he can foretell future events, and is an effective or leading spokesman for the poor and deprived people of the state. What more qualities of a prophet does he require? Must he be anointed and crowned by red-neck spiritualists before he is recognised and called a prophet? Governor Bindow was elected governor on April 11, 2015, and was sworn into office on May 29. 2015. In just 100 days, he has done what some of his predecessors could not do in seven years, touching on the different sectors of governance and setting the state on the path to restora-

tion. Within 100 days, he awarded road contracts worth N15 billion to open up urban, suburban and rural areas in the state in order to raise the tempo of economic activities. Today, he has become the toast of the masses, especially in Yola metropolis and suburban Jambutu, WuroJabbe, Bajabure and Labondo – where new roads have sprung up to the consternation of the people. The same prophetic work will soon be seen in the health sector where the deputy governor, Martins N. Babale and his Health Facilities Improvement Team have begun inspection of the Specialist Hospital, Yola, and four General Hospitals in Numan, Ganye, Mubi and Jada. Plans to visit the General Hospital, Michika, and the Cottage Hospital in Mayo-Belwa, Fufore, Guyuk and Hong for the purpose of renovation, rehabilitation and renewal are also in the pipeline. Though the governor met a disturbingly pervasive state of insecurity when he assumed office 100 days ago, today, the activities of insurgents who daily terrorised the state and wreaked unprecedented destruction on lives and property have been curtailed. Peace and harmony are gradually returning to the state, with some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) willingly returning home. The innovative Bindow Social Change (BSC) programme designed to change the psyche and provide employment opportunities to the teeming population of unemployed youths in the state will soon takeoff. Also, the micro-credit facility intended for rural dwellers, where the sum of N500 million will be disbursed in tranches of N30,000, N40,000 and N50,000 to beneficiaries will soon be started. All these are poverty eradication or reduction programmes intended to bring social change in Adamawa State. The change mantra cannot be felt when the people do not feel its positive impact. That is why the new administration in the

state has embarked on gigantic road construction projects and doing everything humanly possible so that, by the end of this year, all the nooks and crannies of the state will taste the Bindow pudding and determine whether it is palatable. But by any standard, Governor Bindow’s greatest achievement in 100 days is the bond of solidarity he has established with all the major sections of Adamawa society. Whether it is the southern, central or northern senatorial district, he has cordial working relationship with the people who have taken him as theirs and given him full support and cooperation. This is exemplified by the calibre of people that emerged and were sworn in as commissioners in the state. The governor had strenuously selected 22 illustrious sons and daughters of the state to become his cabinet members. The dream team is, therefore, composed of technocrat with exemplary records of service and they are ready to deliver the state from her gross underdevelopment and pervasive poverty. After 24 years in existence, with 16 of them under democratic leadership, Adamawa State should have been a shining example and role model in socio-economic development. However, she remains mired in gross underdevelopment, with every sector of the economy yearning for rescue. Fortunately, however, the Bindow administration emerged at a time of numerous challenges and critical need for rapid socio-economic development. The governor’s words and deeds will be correctly assessed in the next four years when they must have impacted positively on the lives of the citizens of the state. But one thing is certain, with a prophet like him around, the perennial cycle of underdevelopment and misery shall perish forever in the state. • Mathias is the Chief Press Secretary to the Adamawa State governor.

language&style

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

Of question and negation

AMPLE 1: “But how did NNPC established on April 1, 1977 as a merger of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel, came to the sorry past?... Although not much was known about its methods and processes due largely to high bureaucracy, the first attempt at unravelling the corporation began few years ago when the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI had revealed that the management of NNPC ran a largely opaque organisation whose guided secret was kept by a few men in the corridors of power...The ministry has its own budgetary allocation and it is unclear why the NNPC is paying for its expenses. The nature of some of the expenses are also unclear...” (NNPC: The Final Days of a Behemoth, The Nation, Sunday, August 2, 2015) I draw your attention to the verb came which occurs in the following context: “...how did NNPC...came to this sorry past?” Please note that the verb (came) is in its past form. Note, furthermore, that the verb did is also in its past form. There is a strong grammatical relationship between the position of the verb did and that of came. This is so not just in questions but also in negative sentences. That the two verbs in the structure under review are both in the past forms is a violation of a key grammatical principle. In positive sentences, the main verbs carry the tense or inflection for number. Please read the following sentences: 1) Haruna knew the truth. 2) Tijani made a request. 3) Dorcas accepted the offer. 4) James donated blood. 5) Ngozi disagreed with us. 6) Emeka attended the party. 7) Osita raised an objection. 8) Danladi discussed the matter with me. 9) Jumoke wrote an angry letter to the Governor. 10) Shola blamed me for the failure. Each of those sentences contains a main verb and the verb is in the past simple form. However, when the positive sentence is converted to either a negative sentence or a question, the verb DO is necessarily added as an auxiliary. In this case, the main verb is relieved of tense, and the tense is transferred to the verb DO. It is bad grammar to allow both DO and the main verb to carry the tense. Please read the following sentences: 1a) Did Haruna know the truth? 1b) Haruna did not know the truth. 2a) Did Tijani make a request? 2b) Tijani did not make any request. 3a) Did Dorcas accept the offer? 3b) Dorcas did not accept the offer. 4a) Did James donate blood? 4b) James did not donate blood. 5a) Did Ngozi disagree with us? 5b) Ngozi did not disagree with us. 6a) Did Emeka attend the party? 6b) Emeka did not attend the party. 7a) Did Osita raise any objection? 7b) Osita did not raise any objection. 8a) Did Danladi discuss the matter with me? 8b) Danladi did not discuss the matter with me. 9a) Did Jumoke write an angry letter to the Governor? 9b) Jumoke did not write any angry letter to the Governor. 10a) Did Shola blame me for the failure? 10b) Shola did not blame me for the failure. Each of those sentences obeys the rule highlighted earlier: It is only the word DO that is inflected for the past. The main verb remains in its simple, infinitive form. The following sentences are defective in that they violate the rule: 1c) Did Haruna *knew the truth? 1d) Haruna did not *knew the truth. 2c) Did Tijani *made a request? 2d) Tijani did not *made any request. 3c) Did Dorcas *accepted the offer? 3d) Dorcas did not *accepted the offer. 4c) Did James *donated blood? 4d) James did not *donated blood. 5c) Did Ngozi *disagreed with us? 5d) Ngozi did not *disagreed with us. 6c) Did Emeka *attended the party? 6d) Emeka did not *attended the party? 7c) Did Osita *raised any objection? 7d) Osita did not *raised any objection. 8c) Did Danladi *discussed the matter? 8d) Danladi did not *discussed the matter. 9c) Did Jumoke *wrote an angry letter to the Governor? 9d) Jumoke did not *wrote an angry letter to the Governor. 10c) Did Shola *blamed me for the failure? 10d) Shola did not *blamed me for the failure. The rule in question, as we have seen so far, is applicable to both questions and negative sentences. But the questions we have illustrated are only the type called Yes/No questions. The

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rule applies to wh questions as well. Wh questions are those starting with the wh words: what, when, where, why, which, who and how. Now read the following sentences: 1) When did you apply? 2) What did the chairman suggest? 3) Where did she spend her leave? 4) How did the men travel? 5) Which did the girl choose? 6) When did the conference start? 7) Where did they spend the night? 8) Why did she leave her husband? 9) What effort did they make? 10) Why did Janet reject the offer? 11) What did the protest imply? 12) Who did you meet? There are two verbs in each of the sentences: the main verb and the auxiliary DO. The form DO is in its past form and the main verb in its infinitive form. This obeys the rule we have been observing. Each of the following sentences is defective because both verbs are in the past form: 1a) When did you *applied? 2a) What did the chairman *suggested? 3a) Where did she *spent her leave? 4a) How did the men *travelled? 5a) Which did the girl *chose? 6a) When did the conference *started? 7a) Where did they *spent the night? 8a) Why did she *left her husband? 9a) What effort did they *made? 10a) Why did Janet *rejected the offer? 11a) What did the protest *implied? 12a) Who did you *met? The same principle applies when it comes to the third person singular form of the verb. The verb is usually inflected to reflect the third person singular subject. The relevant verb carries –s or -es or –ies. When the sentence is positive, the main verb carries the –s or –es or –ies as the case may be. However, when the sentence is changed to its interrogative or negative form and the word DO is brought in obligatorily, the inflection (-s, -es, -ies) is transferred to it (DO). Read the following sentences: 1a) The car belongs to one of the tenants. 1b) The car does not belong to any of the tenants. 1c)Does the car belong to any of the tenants? 2a) The diplomat speaks French. 2b) The diplomat does not speak French. 2c) Does the diplomat speak French? 3a) The man teaches English. 3b) The man does not teach English. 3c)Does the man teach English? 4a) He cares about the future of his children. 4b) He does not care about the future of his children. 4c)Does he care about the future of his children? 5a) Our boss encourages young people to strive for higher goals. 5b) Our boss does not encourage young people to strive for higher goals. 5c)Does our boss encourage people to strive for higher goals? 6a)Technology makes life easy for the modern man. 6b)Technology does not make life easy for the modern man. 6c) Does technology make life easy for the modern man? 7a) God forgives wicked sinners. 7b) God does not forgive wicked sinners. 7c) Does God forgive wicked sinners? 8a) She looks very much like her mother. 8b) She does not look like her mother at all. 8c)Does she look like her mother? 9a)The government supports that kind of project. 9b)The government does not support that kind of project. 9c) Does the government support that kind of project? 10a) The doctor examines her regularly. 10b)The doctor does not examine her regularly. 10c)Does the doctor examine her regularly? At any rate, the structure should read: “...how did NNPC.... come to this sorry past?” There are a few other issues requiring attention in the excerpt. The discussion continues next week by God’s grace.

line

life with

Niyi Osundare

Random Blues Book-burners Word-wasters I say, book-burners And Word-wasters Truth withers on their tongues Global League of Bile-tasters

They sow the wood And reap the whirlwood Hear? Sow the wood And reap the whirlwood Their twigs twine into scorpions Eyeless faces hide behind their hood

Our minds frightened Us into mindlessness Alas, our minds frightened Us into mindlessness When headless bodies roamed the streets And our comedy vaporized into tragic mess

Raise that tune And sin along Say, raise that tune And sin along Let the preacher place a redHot sermon on his holy tongue

Blessed are the Meek

…When the sentence is changed to its interrogative or negative form and the word DO is brought in obligatorily, the inflection (-s, -es, -ies) is transferred to it (DO)

For theirs is the kingdom of the slap Hear? Blessed are the Meek For there is the kingdom of the slap Other cheek-turning, divinely dumb Prim and pious in their tinsel trap

13 September, 2015

With Rita Okonoboh rosarumese@gmail.com 07039394917

tribunechurch

but some of them are not too good. I didn’t want to come and add to the confusion in Nigerian church politics. I thought I could support the hands of the people who are doing well who may need my help. However, if God gives me instruction to come to Nigeria to start a church, I will be willing. However, right now I want to contribute to the political and current affairs of Nigeria. And I do that now largely through my writings on Facebook and on my blog, www. sundayadelajablog.com .

Regarded as the most successful pastor in Europe with branches in over 50 countries worldwide, Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the Nigerian-born Founder and Senior Pastor of The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, shares with RITA OKONOBOH the secret to how he commands massive followership, what he thinks of Femi Aribisala’s recent criticism of him, why he endorses the Buhari administration, among other issues. Excerpts:

HAT was it like before the ministry? I was born in the village of Idomila Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria and raised by my grandmother. I received Christ 6 months before I left Nigeria, to study journalism on scholarship at the Belarusian State University in Minsk, Byelorussia USSR. After my studies in Belarus, I got a job in Kiev, where I worked for some time as a journalist before I eventually started the Embassy of God church. I started initially with just a handful people. Through hard work, we overcame all sorts of challenges and by the grace of God we are where we are today. What inspired you to embrace the pulpit? The pulpit is not something that you could just choose to embrace. It is not a profession as far as I am concerned. Becoming a pastor, a full time minister, is a matter of calling. I got my calling 6 months after I gave my life to Christ. I had just arrived in the former Soviet Union as a 19-year-old lad. Then I met someone we call Brother Paul Dahunsi from Akure. He was the leader of the underground church in Minsk Belarus at that time, 1986. I was complaining to him on why God allowed me to come to Russia, since I also got admission into University of Ife in Nigeria, and also Columbia University, USA. I thought maybe I had made a mistake coming here; no believers, no church and things were not as smooth and straight forward as I had thought. This man, who was also a student, advised me to pray to God and seek his face, concerning why he allowed me to come to Russia because God is a God of purpose. For about two weeks I was praying the same prayer, morning, afternoon, and evening on my purpose in Russia. Afterwards, I had an encounter with the Lord for three consecutive days; Jesus was coming to my room and showing me, basically all the things that I am doing today. I saw myself preaching to mainly white people and miracles happening and all sorts of things that we thank God for today. That was how my journey in the ministry started. What if you were not a cleric? I am a journalist and a writer, so probably I would have been doing that. I may also have been in business, politics or some international humanitarian projects. For my kind of person, no matter what I do, I will be successful. It’s not about what I do, but about the effort I put into whatever I do; just being the best in everything I do.

At convention, Osinbajo pledges national growth

Until God instructs, I won’t start a church in Nigeria —Pastor Adelaja You command one of the biggest followership when it comes to the gospel of Christ, especially outside your home country. What is your secret, seeing as Russia is largely Orthodox? I think is the grace of God. We put in the effort, God blessed it and probably that is the reason why we are having this result. My biggest secret is the fact that I am trying to be a friend of God, a lover of God and a lover of people. Those might probably be the most important secrets. Besides that of course, I put in a lot of effort into what I do. I had to study the Russian language very well so people will understand me when I speak; I had to know the mentality of the people; I had to be in the presence of God, so that he will be able to confirm his word with signs and wonders; I had to build a lot of people-relation skills, to be able to make me manage the church successfully; I had to raise a strong team around me, by which

‘True repentance will cause God to heal Nigeria’ Pg43

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the work expanded drastically. So in two words – hard work! You don’t seem to have your sights set on home (Nigeria). In the face of the many challenges Nigeria currently faces, why is that? Well, firstly that is changing now. If you noticed, I have started speaking to issues in my home country, Nigeria, starting from the last presidential election. The reason why I have not been involved in the issues of Nigeria is, because for a long time, I was not thinking of myself as somebody who could meddle into Nigeria’s current affairs. I thought the only way to contribute to the issues in Nigeria will be through what I do best – pastoring or church. However, since I was not coming to Nigeria to pastor, I just decided to forget about it. Another reason I didn’t want to come to Nigeria to start a church, is because I know that Nigeria has too many churches already. A lot of people are doing a good job,

CAC crisis will soon be over —Akinosun Pg43

Popular social commentator, Pastor Femi Aribisala, recently, lashed out at you. His words: “He tells his congregants that God is going to make them slum-dog millionaires, provided they give some of their hard-earned cash to his church. This casino-Christianity strategy has provided the basis of the success of many mega-pastors.” How would you react to this? First of all I do not know who Femi Aribisala is. I don’t know him, I have never met him. I don’t think I have ever heard of him. I don’t know, is he a pastor, a theologian or a social commentator? What does he do? I don’t think he knows me; he has never been to my church. I am sure he has never heard me preach, and he has never listened to my messages. So where he is getting his fantasy from, I don’t know. I think that is just the product of his fallacy. What he is accusing me of is the direct opposite of what I stand for. On the contrary, I am one of those who passionately oppose people who preach prosperity in our modern day churches. I don’t believe by bringing money to a church is how you get prosperity, even though giving is one of God’s principles of wealth creation. I rather teach that it is wrong to give people such false hope. I have a whole book written on that called “Money Won’t Make You Rich”. However, God bless him nevertheless. I guess he needs popularity. He probably needs to ride on someone else’s shoulder to get it. What is your advice for pastors who find themselves embroiled in negative press? The issue with false accusation in ministry, as regards to my situation, is something inevitable. If you are going to be popular and especially if you are already popular, there is no way you would avoid bad press. It is part of the package. It goes with the brand. Controversy fuels popularity. So the only thing that matters is that is not true. If people want to speculate, it’s their choice. We thank God that in my case, this accusation has remained what it is, an accusation and nothing more. For popular personalities generally, they should never be afraid of bad press. If you are afraid of bad press, that means you are not going to be willing to speak out your mind, and you are not going to be forthcoming with what God has called you to do. Just ignore it. People who believe you will believe you anyway. People who follow you know you. We don’t live for the gallery; we don’t live for public opinion. Anybody can think whatever they want about you, it is their right. But it is also your right to do what is right and to know who you are. During the last general election, you openly campaigned for the BuContinues on pg44

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True repentance will cause God to heal Nigeria —Olagunju Prophet Moses Olagunju is the visionary of Christ City of Peace Evangelical Ministries (CCOPEM). He speaks on the way forward for a better Nigeria. SEYI SOKOYA brings excerpts:

S a cleric, are you contented with the present state of the country? The present state of the country is not by any human’s making, but God. The peace we have enjoyed after the general election was beyond anyone’s imagination, because there had been speculations and fears that the country would collapse, but all these were averted through the cries of many Nigerians which God, in His infinite mercy, intervened. It is too early for us to relax or rejoice over nothing. I think it is time for us all to give our totality to God for a stable and peaceful country. Either we like it or not, Nigeria is still in a deep mess and it is time we all, irrespective of class, gender, religion or tribe, act fast to save her from sinking. So, how do you think we can overcome this? As I said earlier, we need to come together as one to collectively check ourselves, embrace holiness and always seek the face of God. Integrity and righteousness is missing among people. This has made God turned His face against us. Nigeria, which is so blessed with many mineral resources, has nothing to show for it. I thank God for the vision he gave me months back tagged: “By This Time Tomorrow…” The vision given to me about Nigeria is not far-fetched from what happened to Samaria in the scriptures. God is still showing us His mercy because of some people, but we cannot continue to hide under this shadow and expect a great transformation. What happened to Samaria then is what is happening to us now. The incident then really affected the king and Prophet Elisha. The famine was so intense, that people began to eat themselves to the extent that a woman had to betray her

friend after they both agreed to eat their children respectively. The king was saddened by the situation and knew that the only solution was God, so he beckoned for the head of Elisha. But Elisha quickly acted and prevented the demand for his head and prophesied that “by this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel…” and it happened. You will agree with me that Nigeria is also mourning and the solution is beyond the knowledge of any human. It is painful that many of the representatives and ambassadors of God in this country are asleep. Could you shed more light on the programme? The crusade tagged: “By this time tomorrow” still continues. The programme will hold at the prayer ground at Laulupon, Iyana Ofa in Ibadan from October 26 to 30. It will be a remarkable event that will liberate people. But it seems the country is getting it right, especially with the current development in the country. Is this a positive sign? God is angry with the nation this is why we are still seriously lagging behind and suffering despite our natural resources. Reasons these are happening to us is because many men of God are contented with the situation of things in the country. Nobody seeks the face of God on how to put an end to this problem. It is true that we pray to God for prevention of war and aversion of any form of crisis and these prayers are answered, so why can’t we pray for forgiveness. Why can’t we all men of God in the nation collectively seek the face of the God for forgiveness and stand to always preach the truth people? For instance, virtually all religious leaders prophesied that the immediate past president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was the solution to Nigeria’s problem, but that was not the case when he got to power, because the affairs of this nation is beyond human’s knowledge. Presently, people have started scouting President Buhari as the messiah, but that is not true. He can’t solve Nigeria’s problems. Even if Idiagbon comes back to life to run the government with him, they cannot save the country. They cannot be everywhere at the same time unless we pray and individuals have a change of heart before we can have a corrupt-free nation. Buhari is trying, but a single soul is not enough to transform this nation. Buhari can only succeed through the help of servants of God, because all the public office holders, politicians and entire Nigerians worship with us and we do a lot of teachings in the church. If all servants of God cultivated the habit of preaching the truth, they will have cause to become better people; they really need us and they know that. You will notice that things have begun to change because there is no more careless spending. He should not jail anybody in order to achieve his

goal, because punishments await the evil one. He should only collect what they have stolen to restore the nation. How have religious leaders contributed to nation building? I think we should stop pretending that all is well with us. This is why the church has witnessed a great setback. It is time pastors change mode of operations on the altar and discard the idea of pampering people; they should not be afraid to say the truth. This nation needs to know the truth and ask for forgiveness before we can totally enjoy God. These people are under our care; they rush to us for prayers and counselling many times, but many have refused to say the truth because of the fear of losing members, especially the wealthy ones. If countries overseas give Nigerians free opportunity to crossover, I am convinced that we would not find anybody left because we are not ready to make our nation better. These countries are poised to protect and better their nations; that is why they have experienced massive growth. Take a look at the administrations that we expected to have transformed this country, but all was in vain. I charge all clerics to make amendments and ensure people turn new leaves. How did things really go wrong and what do you propose as the solution? The whole problem started when we gained independence, but I noticed because there were lots of illiterates in the country then. We only saw the good side of the whole thing and never raised any objection about the bad things. Today, the problem has aggravated to what we cannot control, especially with emergence of education, sophisticated technology and internet. Exposure has made us go astray. We need to convince God through our fervent prayers and heart of repentance before He could heal this nation. It is painful that we no longer have bitter truth in the church today. Don’t let us give kudos or castigate anyone, but we should collectively call on our Creator to restore the nation in no time, because the revelation we have is scary; Nigeria may be forgotten when war comes. It is not as if other countries do not have their challenges but the citizens have their country at heart. This is missing among many Nigerians; we only have very few people who have love for the country. For example, when I visited Netherlands for ministration recently, the men of God who came to pick me at the airport refused to collect money from me when I dimmed it fit to appreciate them for the gesture. The white man told me that ‘please, I won’t collect it; I am pleased with my salary. I don’t need help because I’m doing all these for my nation and I am contented. Thanks Baba, God bless you. Give it to charity when you return to Nigeria.’ Honestly, I was challenged and speechless. I told myself this a true and committed citizen. Here, selfishness, greed and corruption have become the order of the day. The knowledge we have acquired is killing the country. Our resources are being stolen everyday and this has cost us great backwardness. What happened in Samaria needs to happen again; the king knew that the solution was only God and he subjected to the Him. Our leaders in the nation should know God. Clerics need to return to our primary calling and all citizens should be committed; then we can pull the hands of God for a great change.

Creative gospel icon, Tyler Perry, clocks 46 “I just want to tell the stories of the people I know, I want to tell those kinds of stories. I don’t want to leave this planet until I achieve everything that I was put here to do,” were the words of American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter, with specialisation in the gospel genre, Tyler Perry, in a recent interview Perry, who clocks 46 today, last week, met with a group of Tanzanian children with albinism who are living in a home the filmmaker helped fund. His representative, Keleigh Thomas Morgan, said Perry donated $200,000 three years ago to help build a four-bedroom house in New York for a group of children who had been mutilated for their body parts. As published on his website, www.tylerperry.com, he strongly supports charities that focus on helping the homeless. In January 2010, Perry pledged $1,000,000 via The Tyler Perry Foundation to help rebuild the lives of those affected by the earthquakes in Haiti.

Ondo CAN to host Portee for crusade Hakeem Gbadamosi -Akure NO fewer than 1,000 widows across Ondo state will be empowered by Bishop W.R. Portee in Akure, the state capital, during a 3-day programme tagged “Akure Prophetic Crusade.” The Chairman of the Christian Association Nigerian (CAN) in the state, Bishop Joshua Ketiku, stated this in Akure during a press conference in preparation towards the prophetic programme. Ketiku specifically said that the guest preacher decided to empower the widows in order to encourage them to be self reliant, and the meeting will commence with the conference of all ministers and church workers in the state, known as “Fire Conference,” where they will meet with Portee for fresh anointing which will come up on Wednesday, 16th September, 2015 and will be followed by the crusade in the evening around 5p.m. The clergy man said the crusade will bring newness into the life of the people of the state, churches and government.

13 September, 2015

With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews At convention, Osinbajo pledges national growth By Tunde Ogunesan

ICE President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, once again assured Nigerians that the present administration understand their very high expectations, promising that they will not let them down. He disclosed this at the closing session of the 33rd Holy Ghost convention of the The Sword of the Spirit Ministries, at its international headquarters, Old Ife road, Ibadan. Speaking with newsmen, he stated that, “we know that it’s been very good, I

think that the nation has high expectations and I know that things are just getting better by day, and I believe that by the grace of God, all of those expectations and beyond will met. So, we’re looking forward to more exciting times and great things for this nation. “We can’t talk about a policy direction in one year but I’m sure we all heard the President’s speech on the economy and what to expect in the next few days. A lot of work to be done in the next few months.” Prayers were also held in sessions for Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, the presi-

dent, vice president and their families by the president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), Reverend Dr Supo Ayokunle; Prelate Ola Makinde of the Methodist Church Nigeria, and the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) worldwide, Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara, respectively. Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeye-

mo read from the scripture, Isaiah 54:1-8 before the offering led by Reverend Dr (Mrs) Victoria Oke. Dignitaries in attendance include Apostle Lawrence Achudume, The representative of the Olubadan of Ibadan, High Chief Eddy Oyewole, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), UCH Professor Temitope Adeyemo, former deputy governor of Osun State Prince Adewuyi

Haastrup, vice chancellor University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole and the Commissioner of Police of Oyo State Leye Oyebade, among others. In his message, Bishop Oke disclosed that the Lord promised to use this year’s convention themed “Divine Enlargement” as symbolic of the season of supernatural enlargement on all frontiers.

God is still searching for true worshipers —Jonathan By Olaide Sokoya CHRISTIANS have been charged to praise God in every situation they may find themselves, for man is purposely created to praise God like the angels according to the scripture in Ps.10: 18. This was made known by the resident pastor of Living Faith Church, Winners Chapel, Dominion city, Jemo, Ibadan, Pastor Jonathan Enajefe, during an annual worship concert tagged ‘Shabach’ at the church auditorium. Jonathan, who also quoted from John chapter 4 verse 23, said when a man refuses to praise God, he has

also failed to fulfill the purpose of his creation. “God is still searching for true worshipers to praise him; man is not created to pray but to praise God,” he said. Jonathan, who defined ‘Shabach’ as a Hebrew word that refers to high praises unto God, continued by saying prayers move mountains but praises move God’s hands, and when God is moved, nothing can cease. He urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of praising God even in times of trouble because God dwells in the praise of his people. “It takes praises to touch the heart of God,” Jonathan stated.

Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi (right), at the birthday thanksgiving service of the Very Reverend Father Stephen Nwabuike, at the Catholic Church of The Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan, recently.

Don’t be scared to face trials, Ukaonu tells clerics By Olaide Sokoya THE President and Founder of Restored Bible Church, Evangelist Chibuzo Ukaonu, has advised fellow ministers of God, especially the up-and-coming ones not to succumb to challenges or trials whatsoever in the course of doing the will of God, as they would, no doubt, reap the fruits of their steadfastness and willingness in wining souls for Christ. Ukaonu, who stated that his source of inspiration is the Holy Spirit and Willian Mario Branham who lived a righteous life and was a forerunner of the second coming of Christ, gave this advice at a programme

rounding off a three-day vigil themed: “Taking Away the Garment of Reproach,” held recently. Speaking on the theme of the programme in his sermon titled: “The Word and Your Future,” the guest minister, Prophet Nonso of Elijah Faith Assembly, described God’s word as the spiritual seed and the seed is a cure for hard ground. Elijah added that the only way to avoid reproach is to look for a seed which is the answer for hard ground as well as guarantees the future, adding that, “people should build their faith on accounts that can never go dry and look for fat seeds which will afford them fat harvest.”

Sunday Tribune

From left, Pastor Dominion; Pastor Leonard; resident pastor of Winners Chapel, Dominion City, Pastor Jonathan Enajefe ,and Pastor Francis during a worship concert at the church auditorium, Ibadan. PHOTO: OLAIDE SOKOYA.

Abia Attorney General advises Christians to join politics Celestine Ihejirka- Umuahia THE Attorney General of Abia State and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Umeh Kalu, has frowned at what he described as low level of participation in partisan politics by Christians in Nigeria. Kalu made the call at the 3-day 7th Biennial National Conference/Workshop of the Presbyterian Ruling Elders Fellowship of Nigeria (PREFON) at St Peter’s Presbyterian Church, Ebem Ohafia, saying that the low level of participation of Christians in politics gave rise to most of the societal ills prevalent in the country and appealed to them to rethink their position. Speaking on the occasion, the Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly (GA), His Eminence, Most Rev (Prof) Emele Mba Uka urged Christians to be alive to their duties, while the moderator, represented by the moderator of the East Synod and the host, Rev (Dr) Okeke Ndu, commended members for turning out en masse. In his address of welcome, the National President of the PREFON, Elder M.E.U. Asanga said the purpose of the conference was to provide the participants with the opportunity to meet, review the state of the church, her strides, and challenges and how to meet them. Similarly, the synod Chairman of the PREFON, Elder Kalu Ngwobia, said the essence of the gathering was for the members to be updated on the church.

CAC crisis will soon be over —Akinosun Hakeem Gbadamosi-Akure THE President of the General Executive Council of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Pastor Abraham Akinosun, has assured members of the church that the leadership crisis rocking the church will soon be resolved, saying plans are underway by the two factions to put an end to the crisis. Akinosun, who state this during the pastors’ conference in Ikeji Arakeji, said those who are benefitting

from the crisis are behind the lingering crisis but assured that the two factions will soon come together to ensure that undesirable elements are shamed. He disclosed that the General Executive Council which he headed had selected five elders to meet with the five representatives of the Supreme Council to hold a reconciliation meeting in a bid to unite the two factions and end the 25-year-old crisis. Akinosun stated: “They

are blaming us that we did not give way for reconciliation, which is not true. They said we should bring five people to meet their own five people to deliberate on the way forward. Our five elders are ready but we have not see their own. So we are ready for reconciliation to move the church forward. “At this year’s conference, we initially thought we would do it together but unfortunately, we did not see them. Now we are ready for unity, but they are not ready

for true reconciliation.” Speaking on the state of the nation, he urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to make his political appointments lopsided and let all Nigerians feel the positive impact of his administration equally, irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliations. No fewer than 12,000 pastors participated in this year’s edition of the conference with the theme “The people of God return from exile.”

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Sunday Tribune

Fasting, prayer, divine power to fight evil —Abass Prophetess Margaret Omobola Abass is the Founder and Spiritual Mother-in-Charge of Imisi Oluwa Church of Christ International, Agbaje-Ijokodo Area, Ibadan, Oyo State. She speaks with TUNDE ADEGBOLA on her calling and the upcoming 13th anniversary of the church. Excerpts:

HY did you choose to be God’s servant? I was neither born a prophet nor do I come from a family of prophets. Being a prophetess now is not what I wished for myself when I was young. In fact, I can say it was God himself who called me in a forceful way to work for him. In 1998, I was still a student in Iwo, Osun State, when God first appeared to me. That particular year, I was planning to travel abroad, but I didn’t know that God had plans for me. That particular Wednesday night, I was asleep in my room, but as God would have it, I woke up at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for an unknown ailment. After several diagnoses, the doctor told my parents that the nature of my sickness was strange to them. My parents had lost hope but one particular night in my dream, God came to my rescue and healed me. One day, after I had left the hospital, I went to a mountain to pray. A prophet on that mountain told me a revelation that he saw me among the white garment people, adding that God wanted me to be one of His servants, but I did not pay attention to him because I didn’t want to become a pastor. During that period, my husband and I were living fine. I was teaching in a school, had a good business and even had three cars. But since I refused to yield to the word of God, all I had vanished before me. I lost almost everything; my job, the business and the three cars. At one time,

we could not afford N20 to buy drugs for my children. People started to mock us; they refused to borrow us money. As if the tribulations were not enough, we had to sell our belongings. We could not even afford to pay our house rent againand our landlord took us to court for our inability to pay the rent. When exactly did you start your ministry? I did not just started my ministry like that. I first worshipped at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church (Ayo ni o) located at Jemibewon Street, Sabo area, Ibadan, under the leadership of the Mother-in-Israel, Okunoye. It was there I had a message that that I should move on. Despite this, I still felt reluctant to follow her advice. I waited for some time to be truly convinced. When one of my spiritual fathers told me that if I refuse to do what God has said, whatever I am doing there will not be recognised and I may not be growing in the spirit as God want it to be, I started to give it

God has never forsaken me. He has used me in miraculous ways in the lives of the worshippers and in the development of the church.

serious thought. As I was thinking, I fell asleep and had a dream. I saw a man coming directly to where I stood. He has asked me to open my palms and he poured sand on it. The sand was so hot but he asked me not to pour it away. He then told me that the sand of his church is so hot that I should come and make it cool. I replied him that I don’t know you. And he said I should go to Agbaje-Ijokodo area, and ask for a church in which its prophet died a year ago. When I woke up, I went to tell my spiritual father what I saw in my dream and he said I should go and look for the church. In a nutshell, I looked for the church (Agbala Imisi). To my surprise, they were already expecting me. That was how I became the leader of the church, and since God has never forsaken me. He has used me in miraculous ways in the lives of the worshippers and in the development of the church. But in 2002, God led me to establish my own church at Powerline-Ijokodo area, Ibadan. You are celebrating the 13th anniversay of the church, how do you feel? Yes, we are celebrating the 13th anniversary tagged: “Asegun Day.” The Asegun Day signifies the birth, when God led me into a wilderness, to go and make joyful noise onto Him. I did this for several hours and people from nearby started tracing the voice to the wilderness. They joined me to praise the Lord and they enjoyed the grace of God. During the last

anniversary, God gave me messages to some of our members. Some of them will come to the anniversary to give their testimonies. And I believe God will give us more prophecies before the end of the anniversary. Our church is a prophetic church; we do things according to the message we receive from God. God has been using us to deliver people from their afflictions. Fasting and prayer is our divine power to fight evil.

‘I give Buhari kudos for delaying ministerial appointments’ Continued from pg41

hari/Osinbajo team, a position some Nigerians openly condemned, especially on the basis of your ministerial leaning. How would you assess the performance of the Buhari administration so far? My position was informed by what I know and the principles I stand for. I believe the Nigerian church is wrong, especially the leadership of the church, by keeping quiet about issues of the society. I think that if I as a leader know something is good for my country, it is a crime for me to keep quiet about it. I feel it is my social responsibility to speak my mind. Even though these people have the right do as they believe, it is their choice, I nevertheless must express my opinion in this regard. I believe in Buhari because of his past records. I believe in Osinbajo because I know him personally as a man of integrity. I know the integrity and the principles he stands for. I know that if these kind of people lead Nigeria, Nigeria can never get it wrong. The fact that I am a pastor is even the more reason why I think I should speak out. Because it is when the righteous people keep quiet that evil prospers, prevails and triumphs in a society. I will rather speak out, than keep quiet, because I know what is right. I speak out for what I believe is best for my nation and the Kingdom of God at a particular time. President Buhari is doing much better than I had thought he would. He is a very mature field marshal in politics and leadership. I am really proud of him. I am proud of him and his vice president. I think one of the best things he has done so far, is not being in a hurry to appoint federal ministers.

I believe that is one of the smartest things he could do. The fact that people call him “Baba go slow”, is one of the greatest compliments a leader could have. Because that tells me that he is not going to succumb to the pressure of people; this man wants to do a diligent work; he is taking his time to follow due process; that he is so meticulous he wants to make sure that he personally sees into every appointment and every major decision that is being taken on behalf of the country. A lot of kudos to him for that.

Pastor Sunday Adelaja

As a leader myself, I know that everything depends on meticulous preparation. People don’t do what you tell them to do, but what you monitor and control. I see that he is taking his time, not just blindly trusting his assistants to take decisions for him. I think what is happening is that he is working hard enough to make sure he is personally involved in all the major decisions that affect the destiny of the nation. He wants to make sure he is doing the best for the country. Nigeria is fortunate to have Buhari as President. I believe our destiny as a nation is going to be restored, thanks to this new government we have. To the people attacking and criticising them, I am very sorry that they don’t see the obvious progress that we are already making as a country. We must be thankful for their new style of leadership. I believe Nigeria’s time has come. It is not just change that has come, but Nigeria’s time to shine has come. Thanks to this new government. What do you foresee for Nigeria and your expectations of the Buhariled government? I am not a prophet, even though every believer could be used by God to tell some things that will happen in the future. In this case anyway, I don’t need to be a prophet. I just need to analyse and project. My projection is that, the Buhari government will stabilise our economy. I believe our fiscal policy would be much more improved. I think corruption will suffer a huge blow under his government. I believe people will be much more careful, with how they spend government revenues. I presume that there will be some

The fact that people call him “Baba go slow”, is one of the greatest compliments a leader could have. Because that tells me that he is not going to succumb to pressure form of order in the country generally. My feeling is that there will be more respect for the rule of law. I believe there will be a more rapid growth in our economy. I also hope that there will be improvement in electricity supply and other social amenities. Most of all, I believe that this government will put an end to insurgency of Boko all sorts. I also want to believe that the unemployment situation, will improve drastically. It is also my hope that Nigeria will be much more popular in the international community. This will eventually attract more investment to the country. It is also my hope that, with their new policies, our Diaspora will become much more involved in the management of Nigeria, leading many of them to come back home to help build Nigeria. A lot of hopes are connected to the government of Buhari and Osinbajo.

tribunechurch

with Most Revd J.O. Akinfenwa Bishop of Ibadan Diocese (Anglican Communion)

with Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, fradebadejo@yahoo.com

Promise-keeping God

The spirit of welcome and compassion

The call to charity However in all this the Christians’ call to charity remains paramount for love is the supreme law of Christianity MASTER. The apostle John taught: “... let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God for God is love” (1Jn 4:7-8). Paul, the apostle as well, declared: “If I could speak all the human and angelic tongues but had no love, I would only be sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and I do not have love I have nothing” (1Cor. 13:1). Perhaps at no other time than this are we all challenged on the imperative and true meaning of love on the global level. A number of days ago the United Nations celebrated what was tagged “The World Day of Charity”. The organisation chose an unforgettable personality to drive home that message of charity namely Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She, especially, had the motivation to care for the poor and needy simply and solely because every human being bears the image and likeness of God. Although the United Nations often jettisons religious themes and personalities it simply could not resist choosing Mother Teresa. Thus it

If truly all human beings are homo sapiens, called to live, not by instinct but by reason, we would do all we can to help others to live a life of dignity as God’s children

Sunday Tribune

dawnofanewera

firmfaith:rightreason

GIFTS and charism Christianity is a religion of the edification of the spirit and not the gratification of the flesh. The Holy Spirit empowers man so that he can dominate the things of the flesh. The apostle Paul cautioned in his epistle: “And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of God from the Spirit too use as a sword” (Eph 6:17). No one can claim to work with the Holy Spirit if his actions have no positive impact on his existence and that of others. In the seven peak moments or sacraments of Christian life, namely Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation Penance, Sacrament of the Sick, Holy Orders, the Holy Spirit plays a pervasive role. This is without prejudice to the special nature of Confirmation in which the seven gifts of the Holy spirit are highlighted. In it, Christians are initiated into Christian adulthood, a stage at which they are expected to burst forth with diverse charisma for God has given them diversely to everyone. “All these are the work of one and the same spirit who distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses” (1Cor. 12: 11) Christians are called to do this with wisdom, insight, good counsel, knowledge, power, piety and the fear of God.

13 September, 2015

hopes to revive in the world’s peoples, sentiments of solidarity and compassion and make more people their brothers’ keepers. This is certainly a commendable initiative because no matter how well-organized and well-intentioned world governments may be they will never be able to fully cater for all the needs of every individual needy person except every individual takes up the challenge. In the end all the technology of our world may make us neighbours but only love can make us brothers and sisters. Live and let live The World day of Charity could not have been more timely. Today the world is hemorrhaging from many tragedies and crises. Poverty, disease, war, bombings, explosions, ethnic clashes, air, land and sea accidents from desperate attempts to migrate to other lands present us with gory stories of human misery and challenge our collective sanity as a human race. The sea of refugees seeking sanctuary in Europe, reaching over 300,000 people with well over 20 thousand already killed in the attempt has left even the world’s top leaders scratching their heads for solutions. Millions are displaced and live in misery in many countries of the world Yet we live in a world that could well cope with the needs of everyone. What needs to be regulated and checked is the greed of countries, institutions and individuals, who steal the rights of others to a dignified existence. If truly all human beings are homo sapiens, called to live, not by instinct but by reason, we would do all we can to help others to live a life of dignity as God’s children. This is the call of Pope Francis to all parishes in Rome and all over the world to welcome refugees and migrants with compassion while respecting their individuality and religion. Heeding this call to compassion helps to re-humanise those who heed it for compassion is indeed the antitoxin of the soul. When I was hungry The refugee situation is indeed a recurring moment of history. For so many years the people of God in the Bible sojourned in foreign lands. However they were not mere parasites. They did contribute to the building of the nations who hosted them. Many great nations of the world today too are composed of migrants and refugees who, having been welcomed by their hosts, are now a great source of pride to those nations. Perhaps the final scorecard of Judgment Day is the extra incentive for Christians. The King will be uncompromising with his inquiry about those who show up in our space needing succour and love. That scorecard includes the obligation of giving shelter to the homeless, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. Jesus will say “The king will answer them: ‘Truly, I say to you, whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me’” (Matt 25). Maybe the final word here ought to be what has often been said. “The level of compassion in the world is equal to the level of cruelty. It is left for those who believe in the love to keep tipping the balance in love’s favour”. And that in itself is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Continued from last week WE are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” And so we must be assured that God has a plan to ensure that all things work well for us, notwithstanding how bad they may appear today. Of course, there shall be trials, persecutions and attacks, but we have his precious promises that he will not leave us alone in the battles of life. Matthew 28:19-20 states, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, 10, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Hebrews 13:5-6 states “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Therefore, we should remain confident at all times - especially in time of trouble. The Hebrews were persecuted for identifying with Christ and with Apostle Paul. This was Paul’s admonition to them: Hebrews 10:34-36 states “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” So, whatever our condition today, whatever the persecution, let us hold fast the word of God, as is stated in Romans 8:28 thus “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” As we hold on to him in faith, his promises shall be fulfilled in our lives. He says in Isaiah 55:11 that “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

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

Encounter with Destiny from His Book! (2) WE began this teaching series last week with the understanding that the Bible is a Book of visions for the redeemed and every encounter with the Word is an encounter with destiny. We also discovered that the Bible is a mirror that shows us God’s picture for our lives―who we are in Christ, what we carry, what we can do and how to do them. We explored the Eagle nature of every redeemed child of God as gleaned from scriptures. However, we must recognize that although being redeemed as eagles and ordained to soar comes with a cost. Therefore, what does it take to manifest as an eagle? Based on the characteristics of Eagles, let’s look at how to manifest our Eagle Root. The eagle has a unique strength developed through rigorous exercises: Through the unusual strength of the eagle, it has the ability to pick up any prey three times its weight. Concerning us as spiritual eagles, the Bible says that those who do know their God shall be strong and they shall do exploits (Daniel 11:32). But, where is this strength coming from? Proverbs 24:5 tells us that a man of knowledge increases in strength. This means that we build strength by insight and revelation. We don’t manifest as eagles by wishing, but by the rigorous exercises of searching the Word and other anointed materials, in order to build strength against the day of adversity. Therefore, the more insight

we encounter from the Word, the more strength we develop to defeat our adversaries (Proverbs 24:10). The eagle is a highly disciplined bird: Once every year, the eagle goes to the mountain and settles down for 40 days to shed its old feathers and grow new ones in preparation for the next year’s flight. Concerning us as spiritual eagles, the Bible says: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). When the ‘Eagle Moses’ came, he waited on the mountain 40 days three times. Jesus came after the order of Moses the eagle, and He also waited 40 days. We are coming after Jesus’ order and He said, “As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). Therefore, as spiritual eagles, we must be willing to pay the price of rigorous exercises (such as fasting), for the eagle in us to come alive (1 Timothy 4:8). The eagle is a highly visionary bird: Eagles see beyond the moment. We are told that an eagle can sight any threat to her eggs in the nest five miles away. Similarly, it was said about David that he being a prophet knew afar off. To be far-sighted as spiritual eagles, we must engage in untiring exploration in the Word (Deuteronomy 32:10, 12; Acts 2:30). However, the God’s Word is only accessible to those who are born again.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

specialreport That Nigerian women may no longer die at childbirth… Nigeria loses hundreds of children and women of child-bearing age on a daily basis during pregnancy and after delivery. SADE OGUNTOLA writes on the causes and solutions to the rising trend.

EMI Adeagbo is a 38-year-old mother of two. She lives in Ife, an urban settlement in Osun State. When she was pregnant with her second child, she decided, as with the first one, to deliver with a traditional birth attendant in her neighbourhood, who assured that this was as good as going to the hospital. Kemi’s second baby, a boy, soon came. She started bleeding profusely for about two hours after delivery. The traditional birth attendant tried her best, but the bleeding continued. When it was obvious that the bleeding won’t stop, the birth attendant asked that she should be taken to a private hospital. A taxi soon arrived, and Kemi was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors requested for N40, 000, saying she would need to have a surgical operation to remove her womb to stop the bleeding and save her life. But Kemi did not survive the ordeal. Many women like Kemi are not lucky at childbirth; they end up dying during or after childbirth. But experts say with the advancement in medical care, such deaths are majorly preventable. It seems unbelievable, but Nigeria still ranks high in global infant, maternal death rates. Information from the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) reveals that Nigeria loses about 2,300 under fiveyear-old children and 145 women of child-bearing age on a daily basis. Unfortunately, a woman’s chance of dying during pregnancy is placed at one in 42 in Africa, unlike the one in 25,500 cases in developed countries, all because of the low proportion of women that are attended to by skilled birth attendants during delivery. This was the finding of a study by Professor Friday Okonofua, a renowned professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Benin. Health experts explain that one in four maternal deaths is caused by pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, HIV, malaria, and obesity. These health conditions are usually aggravated by pregnancy. Other identified causes of maternal deaths include severe bleeding, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, infections and abortion complications. These identified problems, when tackled, Professor Oladapo Olayemi, a consulatnt obstertics and gyneacologist, said would resolve over 70 per cent of deaths in women. For many years, Nigeria has been moving forward and backward in the effort to reduce maternal mortality. Despite putting in so much in terms of police articulation, little reversal on the maternal mortality ration has been achieved. Social scientists believe partly the problem is due to increasing poverty which prevents many women from getting proper and adequate medical attention due to their inability to afford good antenatal care. Poverty, a multifaceted condition, has many dimensions, among which are poor access to public services and infrastructure, unsanitary environmental surrounding, illiteracy and ignorance, poor health, insecurity, voicelessness and social exclusion, as well as low levels of household income and food insecurity. In the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 30 per cent of Nigerian women cited the problem

of getting money for treatment, while 24 per cent cited the problems of accessibility to health facilities and transportation. World Bank data indicated that about 66 per cent of the Nigerian population now falls below the poverty line of about a dollar a day compared to 43 per cent in 1985. Dr Bolatito Lanre-Abass, Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, in a reappraisal of poverty’s link with

maternal mortality, declared that poverty greatly amplified every other risk factor for maternal mortality and morbidity from grotesque female oppression to maternal undernutrition and to inadequate medical and physical infrastructure. Also un-booked emergencies, which result from poverty, account for more than 70 percent of all maternal deaths in Nigeria. Continues

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interview

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Traffic robbery, cultism: Main challenges in policing Lagos â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lagos CP The Commissioner of Police in charge of Lagos State Police Command, CP Fatai Owoseni, in this interview, speaks with Deputy Editor, OLUWATOYIN MALIK on how his administration intends to tackle crime in the state. Excerpts:

AN you let us into your background? I had a modest upbringing. I enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Inspector in January 1984. I went through some of the necessary professional courses in the service. I did International Studies and Diplomacy at the degree level. My professional journey in the police cuts across the country and outside the country as well. I was moved from force headquarters as Commissioner of Police, Operations Administration to come to Lagos State Police Command. How will you compare where you were coming from with heading a command? Where I was coming from looks more of an administrative thing but working in the operations department and operations administration, I coordinate the activities of the sections in the department of operations under the guidance of the Deputy Inspector of Police in charge of operations. This gave me a wider picture of what is happening all over the country. I have worked as the Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police before so now it is like seeing on ground what I was seeing on papers. Police work is police work anywhere. For someone like who has served DPO, Area Commander, second-in-command, Operations coupled with such experience at the force headquarters, coming on ground to see things on the field is still the same police work. When you have worked in the operations department, it gives you a broader view of things happening all over the country. What are the things that you have noticed as challenges in policing Lagos State since you assumed duties as the Commissioner of Police? Every state in Nigeria has its own peculiar challenges. The first thing everybody coming to Lagos thinks of is the traffic. As a policeman and the police having the primary responsibility of traffic and crime management, the first thing I see as a challenge is: what can we do with other government institutions to decongest traffic and keep Lagos moving, knowing that motor vehicles are tools used in facilitating most of the crimes committed? Solving some of the problems in Lagos can also be tied to decongesting traffic. The commonest crime we are experiencing in Lagos presently is robbery in traffic. Once you move traffic in Lagos, you will be able to get robbers operating in the traffic out of business. Also, you will be able to keep hawkers who act as if they want to commit suicide by running after vehicles out of the way. Above all, when you are able to decongest the traffic, if you have distress calls, the response time for emergency agencies and the police will be improved upon. Another challenge is the problem of cultism and gangsterism which have moved from tertiary institutions to the streets. Everyone belongs to one group or

getting the community involved, it will be difficult for the police to do what they need to do. The focus is now more on communityled policing; intelligence-led policing, intelligence-led investigations and knowledge-based policing, where we are able to sit down and look at the patterns of crime and do crime mapping to know where we should divert resources in order to properly solve the problem of crime and criminality. We have been meeting with different segments of the society on the need for them to cooperate with us. And they have been forthcoming in approaching us on what they have seen. Policing nowadays is not about carrying guns; one of the most potent tools in policing is information. When you reach out to members of the public, they will come to your aid and assist. Talking about community policing, you will recall that civilian JTF and local hunters were employed to join in the fight against terrorism. Can we describe that as community policing? Is it not the same thing as decentralization of the police force? They are two different things. The police is already decentralized. That is why you have the 12 zones and state commands. You have layers of authority within the police. You have the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspectors General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, state commands headed by Commissioners of Police, Area Commands. This is breaking it into grassroots, until you get to a police post. That is what is called decentralization.

Mr Fatai Owoseni, Lagos State Commissioner of Police

the other in places like Fadeyi, Idi Oro. You have Abija, Eiye and all sorts cult groups called by different names which one would not have really thought of in those days. You have now artisans, secondary school students, primary school pupils in cult groups, with people that are supposed to be elders in a community sponsoring one gang against the other. It is something one finds difficult to explain. Somehow, we are clamping on them. Tied to that is the menace of the land grabbers. The same cult groups that disturb the peace of their community are the same people that land grabbers use to dispossess people of their legitimatelyacquired land. We have seen this to be rampant in Lagos but we are on top of it; we are trying our best and we will continue to see how we can partner with other security agencies and members of the community, especially the religious leaders, the baales and the obas to make sure that we reduce the menace to the barest minimum. What measures have you put in place to tackle these challenges, aside partnering with community and religious leaders? What are you also doing to prevent robbers

from accessing towns in Lagos State through the waterways to carry out robbery operation as witnessed in the past in Ikorodu and Lekki? In this business, it is not all your strategies that you reveal so that you will give yourself in to your enemies. But as I said when I took over, we will concentrate more on prevention. When you want to prevent, you ensure police visibility everywhere. We have been trying to increase police visibility, at least, to have response teams at strategic locations. Mere sighting of police can deter criminals. It also gives confidence to the people that law enforcement agents are around them. That is one of the things we have been doing, especially with the traffic. We have increased the number of policemen on foot patrols during traffic, aside decongesting the traffic. In some areas, we have been able to get motorbikes to move between vehicles when there is traffic congestion. With regards to accessing the city to rob through waterways, we have held meeting with private jetty owners and operators. If you have been following the trend, the focus of the IGP is that we should embark on partnership with communities in policing. That was the essence of the last National Security Summit in Abuja. Without

Does that mean there will be no need for state police? That (state police) is political. It depends on what someone thinks about it. It has been controversial. When you talk of state police, you talk of what it sets to achieve. People have come up to say it is for the state governors to have control of the police. Each of the governors already has control of the police because there is police council which is chaired by Mr President. And state governors are members of the police council. The police council is a forum through which the governors can raise whatever issue they have about the police contingent in their states. So they are already part of the institution that run and administer the police. When you talk of getting the community involved, as in the case civilian JTF, if you followed the National Security Summit, the IG appreciated what they have been doing. That is why the leadership of the Nigeria Police continues to canvass increased community partnership in policing. This is because the non-state actors are now being brought into policing and law enforcement and that is community policing. There is the perception by memContinues

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13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 0807 449 7425

children’sarena famousinvention

Saxophone

HE saxophone, also referred to as the sax, is a family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone family was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1840.Adolphe Sax wanted to create series of instruments that would be the most powerful and vocal of the woodwinds, and the most adaptive of the brass that would fill the vacant middle ground between the two sections. He patented the saxophone on June 28, 1846, in two groups of seven instruments each. Each series consisted of instruments of various sizes in alternating

transposition. The series pitched in B and E, designed for military bands, have been proved to be extremely popular and most saxophones encountered today are from this series. Instruments from the so-called “orchestral” series, pitched in C and F, never gained a foothold, and the B and E instruments have now replaced the C and F instruments when the saxophone is used in the orchestra.The saxophone is used in classical music such as; concert bands, chamber music, and solo repertoire. Also, military bands such as; military concert bands, marching bands, etc., marching bands, and jazz such as; big bands, jazz combos, etc. Saxophone players are called saxophonists.

Leopards •Scientific name for a leopard is PantheraPardus. •Leopards are in the cat family. •Leopards are mammals. •Leopards live mostly in Africa with some living in India, Malaysia and China. •Leopards are solitary animals, meaning they like to live alone. •A male leopard is called a leopard. •A female leopard is called a leopardess. •A baby is called a cub. •Leopards can be 4.5 ft. – 6ft long with

a tail that is 3.5-4.5 long. •Leopards are between 2-3 ft tall. •Leopard’s colour and rosettes patterns go with their habitat. •Leopards with paler coats live in desert habitats. •Leopards are great climbers and great swimmers. •They can leap up to 20ft. •Leopards like to spend a lot of time on trees. •Leopards are carnivores meaning they eat meat. •Leopards hunt for food at night.

poem

The reflection of an African Child All these women, Folake Solanke, Chimamana Ngozi Adichie, were faced with this same obstacle, But resolved to live above this wrong mentally, They came; they saw and are still conquering,

There and then I made up my mind, To think positively, To think of making a change and impacting my generation, If those women could make it, Then so can I, There is a big, nice and honourable seat waiting for me,

Waiting for me to shine, Waiting for me to stand out, Stand out to proudly represent, The gutsy tribe Of the African girl child. •Salako Oluwadamilola, Maverick College, Ibadan. SS 3A. (Concluded)

proverb ‘A hippopotamus can be made invisible in dark water’. –African Proverb Meaning: Ignorance can lead to potential danger. It is important to be informed and alert.

Words from the kids We are very hardworking in Nigeria

—Ajifowowe Blessing, J.S.S 2, age 11,

God’s Blessing Comprehensive College. MY country provides good roads and hospitals; we also have different newspaper publications such as This Day newspaper, Concord newspaper, Tribune newspaper and many more. The country provides good schools for proper education and it has good foods and fruits such as rice, banana. The people in my country are hard working.

We now have new president who is kind

Nigeria has good schools

—Baderin Heritage, J.S.S 1, age 11, Grace land Height School, Ibadan.

NIGERIA is a peaceful country, we live in love and unity; Nigerian’s care for one another. I like my country because we have a new president who is kind. We have different cultural attires and languages such as Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. I like the religions being practised in my country.

—Marvellous Badelin, Pry 5, age 9, J.U.I Staff School, Ibadan.

NIGERIA is a very big country with good people and good schools. We get news on a daily basis to know what is going on around the world. Our food is rich. We also have good culture heritage.

Compiled by Ilari Victoria

Our language is dynamic

—AladejanaTitobiloluwa, J.S.S 1, age 10, Oritamefa Baptist Model School (O.B.M.S).

MY country has good soil and resources. I like my country because when the British came and they were exploiting us, Chief Obafemi Awolowo realised that it was lack of education that caused it, then he built public schools which we are enjoying today. Our language is dynamic and we have good foods and cultures.

specialreport

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Older women risk complications during pregnancy —Experts Continued from

pg 46

Dr Yinka Omobolu, a medical expert with Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), said women preferred the traditional birth homes to hospitals because of the attitude of some of the health workers to patients due to rudeness, lack of funds to pay for hospital bills and extra charges demanded by the hospital, low care or no medical attention. Since poverty and mother’s level of education play a negative role in health seeking behaviour, Professor Emmanuel Otolorin, Country Director, Jhpiego Nigeria, stated that poverty needed to be eradicated, as well as girl-child education ensured. Otolorin added that in making maternal health strategies more effective, availability of skilled birth attendants was key to implementing all evidence-based high impact interventions that could help to reduce maternal mortality ratio. Although, there are myriad of barriers to accessing quality maternal health care services, he stated that addressing four of these barriers, namely, children born too soon, health facility too far or no transport; health care cost too much or skilled birth is not necessary, will improve access to skilled birth attendants by at least 80 per cent, thus reducing drastically the maternal mortality rate. Obesity is also a major problem when it comes to pregnancy, since it means the mother will have more of a propensity towards gestational diabetes and heart problems. A retrospective study, in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, shows that women who are obese before becoming pregnant and who go on to develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an even greater risk of developing adverse perinatal outcomes than their normalweight counterparts who develop GDM. They found that obese women who gained more than 0.6 pounds per week after a GDM diagnosis were also significantly more likely to develop hypertensive disorders than obese women who gained less weight. Even with advancement in medical science, experts say pregnancy in older women, due to pursuit of career, also puts them at a higher risk of developing complications. The older a woman, the higher the risk of being in poorer health and developing certain complications during pregnancy like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placental

abruption, and placenta previa. A gynaecologist, Dr Tomiwa Aduwo, stated that the biggest obstacle for women age 35 or older may be getting pregnant in the first place. He explains, “Fertility rates begin to decline gradually at age 30, more so at 35, and markedly at age 40. Even with fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation, women have more difficulty getting pregnant as they age.” According to Aduwo:”The ageing mom-to-be is at higher risk of developing certain complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia (a medical condition characterised by high blood pressure and significant amounts of protein in the urine of a pregnant woman), placental abruption (in which the placenta prematurely separates from the uterine wall), and placenta previa (in which the placenta lies low in the uterus, partly or completely covering the cervix). “Research also shows that the chances of having a lowbirth-weight baby or a premature delivery increases with age. Some studies show that older women are more likely to be induced, and most studies show a significantly higher rate of delivery by C-Section.” In addition, experts warn that women over age 35 are

more likely to have prolonged labour lasting more than 20 hours and excessive bleeding during delivery. With the little reversal in the country’s maternal mortality ratio, Professor Dosu Ojengbede, Director, Centre for Population and Reproductive Health (CPRH), University of Ibadan, said there is the need to reappraise strategies, policies that guide such interventions and institutional and organisational capacity in health care delivery to checkmating deaths in women from pregnancy and pregnancy-related problems. To achieve this, former chairman, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), Dr Yinka Abosede, suggested that Nigeria must adopt new approaches like public orientation and sex education in schools, training of traditional birth attendants, house to house service by community health extension workers (CHEWS) and training and retraining health workers on health interpersonal relations and communicators. Also, socio-cultural factors peculiar to the community of operations, good transport facilities and, two-way referral system in which feedback can be received between the referred and the referee of the patient must be addressed.

interview ‘Our focus is on intelligence-led policing’ Continued from

In addition to this measures have been put in place for members of the public to reach us, also for them to get report of incidence or distress call to us. Of course, we are also ready to listen to complaints against police action. The commanders also opened a twitter account, an instagram account, email for public complaints bureau. We are also on whatsapp and text messages. I can tell you that I read most of these things personally aside the officer that is kept in charge. My phone number is everywhere and members of the public can reach me on 08023265025. I pick my calls and read my sms myself. Knowing the power of the social media, we also have officers that will put on the social media to monitor the flow so that we can get the feedback to the members of the public quickly.

pg 47

bers of the public about the police on issues like corruption, bribery and stalling cases in court because money has exchanged hands. How are you tackling these in your state command? We have been making sure that all the actions of our policemen conform to the conduct laid down in the police regulations. We have been making sure that all our actions conform to the law of the country. In case of erring police officers and men, what happens? Do you have a monitoring unit in place to monitor the police officers to make sure they are conforming to the laws? That (monitoring unit) is an internal oversight mechanism that is put in place. The X-squad and provost units have been strengthened. In the police public relations unit, we used to have the public complaints bureau. That has also been strengthened in Lagos command. I have just appointed a Chief Superintendent of Police who has been tested to be credible and who has a legal background to help the public complaint bureau so that reports of incivility to members of the public would be tackled headlong.

Mr Owoseni

We constantly talk to our officers through lectures that we hold fortnightly on their conduct and the attributes of a policeman and the consequences of abuse of power and office. Erring officers are regularly dealt with in accordance with the police regulations. And Nigeria Police Force is one organization that has never condoned any act of indiscipline.

Policing is very tasking, especially with your position as the Commissioner of Police. How do you create time for yourself and family to relax? It is through the work that I earn salary to take care of the family. It is also a job that I signed to come and do. When the time for rest comes, we rest and when it is time to work, we work. A policeman is on duty 24 hours.

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news

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13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Columnist, Donu Kogbara, freed by abductors Dapo Falade -Port Harcourt

From left: Secretary to Ogun State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa; Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi; the state deputy governor and celebrant, Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; the state Head of Service, Mrs Modupe Adekunle and Permanent Secretary, Mr Sola Adeyemi; during the 55th birthday of the deputy governor in Abeokuta, at the weekend.

Poverty, underdevelopment in North should not define region’s future, says Osinbajo The Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday, said the present level of poverty and underdevelopment in the Northern parts of the country should not be allowed to define the future of the region. Osinbajo, according to the News Agency of Nigeira (NAN), gave the advice in his address to the summit organised by the Northern Re-Awakening Forum(NRF),tagged: “Building a Safe, Secure and Economically Inclusive Northern Nigeria.’’ Although Osinbajo expressed worry that the poverty level in the 19 Northern sates was high he, however, called on the people to evolve strategies to stem the tide. “The Northern states occupying about 70 per cent of the land mass of the country have the highest infant and maternal mortality rate as well as the lowest rate of child enrollment in schools. “They have the highest number of unemployed young people, and of course, faces the challenge of inter-

ethnic and inter-religious conflicts, including the Boko Haram terrorism.’’ According to Osinbajo, the National Bureau of Statistics 2015 figures showed that the poorest 10 states in Nigeria were in the North, with the exception of Ebonyi State. He, however, noted that dismal as some of the conditions and statistics might be,

“it should not define our future or that of our children. “We can point to the past to draw some inspiration from the lives of some of those who gave all to ensure that the vast majority of our people do not remain in want and poverty. “History reminds us of the visionary leaders in Nigeria, who fired our imagination through their vision,

Fayose showing zeal to re-position education in Ekiti —Afe Babalola The Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has said Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has shown and is still showing the zeal to re-position education in the state and restore its lost glory. The renowned lawyer, who commented on the Education Summit organised by the state government, said a similar one organised during Fayose’s first term, really improved the standard of education in the state and catapulted it to be among the best in the coun-

try. In a press release in AdoEkiti, on Saturday, by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Chief Babalola recalled that the governor organised a summit 12 years ago, which yielded fruits as shown by the performance of students from the state in public examinations. On why he is throwing his weight behind the governor and the summit, Babalola said: “I must say nobody must have any doubt about my position. I love this man, I love him be-

Jeremy Corbyn wins Labour leadership contest Veteran left-wing, MP Jeremy Corbyn, has been elected leader of the Labour Party by a landslide. Mr Corbyn, who began the contest as a rank outsider, saw off a challenge from front benchers Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall. He gained 251,417 or 59.5 per cent of first preference votes - his nearest rival, Mr Burnham, got 19 per cent. Ms Cooper was third on 17 per cent and Ms Kendall a distant fourth with 4.5 per cent of the vote.

diligence and selfless service. “Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Mallam Aminu Kano, J. S. Tarka, and countless others, who clearly understood the varied issues afflicting the region, thought over them thoroughly, laid out plans and worked selflessly to realise them.’’

Follow the latest updates and reaction to Corbyn’s victory A total of 422,664 people cast a vote - a turnout of 76 per cent. Former minister and Gordon Brown ally Tom Watson was elected deputy leader. Corbyn’s supporters chanted “Jez we did” as he took to the stage, putting on his glasses to deliver his acceptance speech. The left wing, who has spent his entire 32 year career in the Commons on the backbenches, promised

to fight for a more tolerant and inclusive Britain - and to tackle “grotesque levels of inequality in our society.” He said the leadership campaign “showed our party and our movement, passionate, democratic, diverse, united and absolutely determined in our quest for a decent and better society that is possible for all. “They are fed up with the inequality, the injustice, the unnecessary poverty. All those issues have brought people in, in a spirit of hope and optimism.”

cause we have something in common. He’s a man of action, I love him because he’s a realistic man. He’s dynamic, he’s fearless, and when he says yes, it is yes, when he says no, it is no, this man is energetic and you need an energetic person to carry out anything you want to do. “If you care to watch the television recently, particularly what Mrs Adeyemo showed us, you would agree with me that the 2003 Summit was a success, the follow-up was a success and Governor Fayose-led administration during the period was a success. “If you ever go to court of law, when a judgment is going to be read in respect of a case where five judges preside, the presiding judge will ask the person who wrote the judgment to read it, then he’ll ask the second, what’s your own view, if he agrees, he will say I agree, if the second one disagrees, he will read out his own judgment which is contradictory to the majority one. When everybody has been consulted and the majority of them say the plaintiff has won, that’s the judgment of the court.’’

Newspaper columnist and critic, Ms Donu Kogbara, early Saturday morning, regained her freedom after spending 12 days in her kidnappers’ den. The columnist with the Vanguard Newspaper was abducted by some unknown kidnappers from her Port Harcourt house, about two weeks ago. Kogbara, while speaking with newsmen at her residence in Nkpogu, thanked her organisation and members of the public for the concern they showed. “I am happy to say that I have been released. I am alive, despite all the things I have lost in the cause of the robbery that preceded the abduction,” she said. She denied the insinuation that her abduction was politically-motivated, adding, however, that her abductors claimed they had grudges against some politicians in the state. “No, I don’t see any politician behind the mask. Though, I have to tell you that these boys claimed that they had helped certain politicians win elections in the past,” she said.

Pastor Adeboye inaugurates RCCG C’River Province Ubong Anthony -Calabar

The General Overseer (GO) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has inaugurated Cross River 4 Province. This is even as the pioneer Minister in charge of the Province (PICP), Chidi Emmanuel, pledges to take the new provincial headquarters to greater height. The new province, Sunday Tribune gathered, had a total of 92 parishes, 20 areas and seven zones under it. Prior to its inauguration in Calabar, on Saturday, the new province was a zone under Cross River Province 1. It will be recalled that Adeboye had in February 2015, inaugurated the 2,000 seating capacity auditorium of the former House of David zone which has now metamorphosed into Cross River Province 4. While inaugurating the province, Adeboye prophesied that before long, the new provincial headquarters would give rise to several parishes in Cross River State. Represented by the Pastor in charge of Region 14 of the RCCG, Richard Adeboye, the GO admonished believers to always obey the instructions of God in all their endeavors, in spite of all odds. Speaking on the topic ‘Go Forward’, Adeboye said whenever God gave an instruction every form of potential destruction in the life of a believer disappears.

‘Give women priority in your cabinet’ Kabeer Gwangwazo -Yola

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to reflect women affirmative action in its next rounds of appointment, a female legislative leader, Honourable Justina Obadiah Nkom, has said. Mrs Nkom spoke to Sunday Tribune, against the backdrop of plans by the presidency, to address and balance the lopsidedness which greeted recent appointments made by the Buhari Presidency and reports that the State Security Service (SSS) may have started the screening of some political appointees. Mrs Nkom, who spoke in Yola, Adamawa State, while stressing the need for the next round of appointments being planned by President Buhari, to bring more women on board his administration, noted that doing so would, stimulate more women participation in politics. The member, who is the minority leader in Adamawa State House of Assembly and representing Lamurde Constituency, under the Social Democratic Party(SDP), also lamented women participation in politics, which, she said, had regressed because of their poor financial capacities, adding that the situation in the North-East was worst, because of the insurgency.

opinion

13 September, 2015

Buhari goes to Paris By Garba Shehu

UHAMMADU Buhari, the President of Nigeria says something almost sub-consciously that underscores the philosophy of the foreign policy of his administration: that it is more cost effective, politically and economically to be at peace with your neighbours. This, he once explained, “is something I learnt from the army”. President Buhari put this principle to immediate practice when he assumed office. On his fourth day in office after inauguration, he embarked on his foreign policy, visiting this country’s immediate neighbours, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, which was stood down at the last minute due to other pressing international engagements. It is important that we have a government at this time that realizes how country’s domestic progress is linked to how it conducts its foreign policy. Students of international relations will not, however, not give full marks to President Buhari in attempting to reset our relationships with the French-speaking neighbouring countries without talking to their metropolitan headquarters in Paris. Without meaning to belittle the flag and independence of the countries that surround us, history teaches that the safest, quickest and cost-effective way to an enduring relationship with them is the path that takes you through Paris. If President Buhari should therefore reshape the texture and contours of the relationship with France, Nigeria can alter the sub-regional dynamic to everyone’s benefit. Against this background, the oncoming three-day State visit to France by President Muhammadu Buhari starting on Monday should raise expectations of economic and strategic announcements. It is equally important that the French President, Francois Holland, who is one of the better performing leaders of Europe had been among the very early world leaders to call and congratulate our President upon his historic victory in the elections. In that conversation, he said two things that were noteworthy. One, he offered the friendship and partnership of France in President Buhari’s plan to rid Nigeria of terrorism and rebuild the country economically. His pronouncement that relations between our two countries are “strategic” has equally excited the Nigerian foreign policy establishment. It points to Nigeria’s opportunity. In my layman’s understanding of the internationalisation process, a strategic relationship between two countries presupposes that although they will keep their separate identities, the two states in that kind of relationship are ready to share almost everything. The second thing

President Hollande said to our then President-elect was, “come to France, and let us host you to a bilateral discussion.” From here, Hollande, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s David Cameron and Obama encouraged President Buhari to, on getting into office put together a “wish list” of his government and country and table it at the “G7” meeting in German early in June, with a promise to come to the aid of our country. In dealing with Europe as an entity, most foreign policy experts will recommend that you stay focused on France and Germany. The United Kingdom, though this country’s longest-standing partner, is not the one you can bet on because of their own ambivalence towards Europe. With one leg in and one leg out, the English are still debating among themselves whether to stay in Europe as a community or get out. It is equally fundamental that France’s investment on the African continent is the largest in Nigeria. And it is still growing. French interests here are strongly represented by such companies as Total, ELF, LaFarge, Societe-General, SCOA and so on. The best outcome for Nigeria during this visit should reflect favourably on key priories of the Buhari administration which are security, economy and the war against corruption. An added one would be the strengthening of cultural cooperation, that should hopefully be beneficial to both states. We as a country are in the midst of our French-Speaking siblings in Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin bordering this country to the north, east and west. The attitude of our authorities to this ground reality has not been very good so far. Past efforts to infuse the French language into our school and communications systems have largely fallen flat. The zeal with which French language was taught in the 60s and 70s in our schools is no longer there. This willful negligence, if I might call it one, has cost our trained and highly mobile manpower a lot

Sunday Tribune

of opportunities in the countries that surround us. Niger, for instance, has oil and it is the world’s second largest source of uranium. The currency utilized in these countries is a regional currency, itself backed by France. For their part, France is itself concerned about the world-wide decline of French as a spoken language against the rise of English language. It will be a good outcome for France to support Nigeria to re-establish French in our institutions of learning and as a language of doing business. Next is the issue of the diversification of the economy and the government’s plan to place emphasis on agriculture and mining as a way of moving from the singular dependence on oil as the mainstay of the economy. To create jobs and wealth, this country needs a massive inflow of foreign direct investment in agriculture, mining and manufacturing. The French have been loyal to Nigeria and have stayed back in, even when some of our dearer partners have decided to sell their assets and go away. This is an area the new administration hopes to build upon and it is clear from the structure of the bilateral discussions as well as the membership of the delegation are reflective of this desire. Lastly and more importantly is the issue of security in the country and the Lake Chad basin area. Since his assumption of office, President Buhari has squared up to the threat of Boko Haram terrorism with a single-minded determination. Without waiting for the envisaged foreign support and assistance, Boko Haram is near resolution. If thy were correctly reported in their press conference a few days ago, the military has indeed declared victory in the war. But the world still needs to come together to help this country manage its fallout. In this regard, President Hollande needs to make his friends and allies in the G7 to sharpen their response and keep their promise of assistance for which President Buhari was requested to present a wish list. So far, there is evidence of that support in the areas of training and the sharing of intelligence but beyond these, it is hard to say that we are getting commensurate responses to the high hopes that we harbored in dealing with the war and reconstruction. Such promises especially as regards to access to military hardware and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, donated or paid for should be pursued so that the victory over terror in our region is not a temporary one but one that will usher in permanent peace, tranquility and wealth for our beleaguered populations and the part of the continent they occupy. • Mallam Shehu is SSAP (Media & Publicity) to the President.

Bayelsa guber: It’s time for real change By Jack Kalio FOR an avid follower of Bayelsa State politics, the stakes this time, as they unfold, are higher than initially imagined even as the desired efforts needed to walk the path to the Creek Haven (Government House) are unpretentiously enormous. There is a feeling that something unusual and enormous is about to happen. The real change is about to be inaugurated. But that would depend on what happens on September 19. Bayelsa is not just like any other state conducting a governorship election. Here, the intricacies that usually trail every important political event or such a development are such that all eyes are focused on the state. Don’t forget, Bayelsa is an oil rich state. Bayelsa was the stronghold of militancy a few years ago until the coming of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. So, any election is Bayelsa state goes beyond the ordinary. Expectedly therefore, ferocious campaign issues, such that will brand the ‘rampaging’ All Progressives Congress (APC) as an anti-Ijaw political machinery are on the verge of being played up, if not already spreading in the state and beyond. But such an unfortunate development will only happen if a particular candidate of the APC with a popular appeal wins the APC primaries. If the result of the primaries favours an unpopular candidate, then PDP will have nothing to worry about. In other words, while the need to spread and deepen the CHANGE message to all nooks and crannies of the country becomes a necessity of sort, the means to achiev-

ing such objective carries very luring temptations. Whoever the APC leadership prefers must be someone that can keep the party afloat under the circumstances the party finds itself in the state. He must be someone who can win the state for the party amidst the prevailing scenario. This should be the guiding principle of APC leaders. If truly Bayelsans want change, could change mean to them, a contest between the immediate-past governor, Chief Timipre Sylva and his albatross, the incumbent, Seriake Dickson? The point to note therefore is this-could the APC leadership possibly consider the Benue option and field Chief Timi Alaibe as its candidate for the forthcoming governorship election? It sounds revolutionary but certain political steps and decisions are required when the extra-ordinary circumstances pose challenges to a system, especially one that has no formidable third force in place. Perhaps, this may have informed the decision of Senator John Kojo Brambaifa to lead a group of Bayelsa people to purchase the Expression of Interest and Governorship for Alaibe, the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). On the chances of Alaibe who joined the party recently, Brambaifa said “the APC guidelines do not stop anybody who is a member of the party from contesting an election. Even if you joined yesterday, you have the same right to contest the election as somebody who joined two years ago. Don’t forget that Alaibe has a track record of achievement when he was in NDDC. At that time, he managed

nine states. I don’t think one state will be a problem for him. So, we are confident that he stands the best chance to pick the APC ticket and win the election scheduled for December 5.” Sylva is said to be selling the idea that as the “founder” of APC in the state, he deserved to be allowed another shot at the job of governorship of the state. The same question re-echoes as a follow up to this assertion: what was the state of APC in Bayelsa state before Alaibe defected to the party in August? Was the party a force to reckon with? The question is not that Sylva is not qualified to contest. He is, as a Nigerian. But there are certain unresolved issues regarding his moral eligibility particularly in the areas of various investigations by some agencies after his first term. Sylva and his supporters are currently beating the drums of support and endorsement by the APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was reported to have thrown his weight behind the former governor. However, whether Tinubu said what he was reported to have said or not, the real decider in this game are the delegates who will vote at the primaries. They have a choice to make the best use of their vote in the interest of the state or otherwise. There is no doubt that they will decide wisely by voting for the candidate with a vision for state; a candidate with the guts to bring real change; a candidate capable of beating Dickson on December 5. They cannot afford to do otherwise. • Kalio, a journalist, sent this piece from Bayelsa State.

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13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

Assets declaration: CACOL knocks APC govs over stance By Moses Alao

Mr Tunde Opadotun and his wife, Opeyemi, during their traditional wedding ceremony held at Olomi Academy area, Ibadan, on Saturday.

Extend anti-graft war to military, police, others, ACF chairman tells Buhari Biola Azeez - Ilorin

HE chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), who is also a former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his anti-corruption crusade to all strata of the Nigerian society. Alhaji Coomasie, who is the Sardaunan Katsina, said the war against corruption should be extended to religious organisations, military, police, para-military and educational institutions. Speaking at the fifth convocation ceremony of AlHikmah University in Ilorin on Saturday, the former IGP said the crusade should also be extended to human rights associations and organised private sector. “The bold steps taken by the administration so far are highly commendable and it is our hope that these will be extended to other strata of the society. It is a fact that both Islam and Christianity abhor corruption under whatever guise.

“Therefore, it is the duty of every Nigerian to support the initiatives of the present administration so that the common wealth of Nigerians could be judiciously harnessed for the benefit of all citizens,” he said. Coomasie, who doubles as the Pro-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, appealed to the federal government to give financial assistance to private tertiary institutions in Nigeria. “With the establishment

of private universities in Nigeria, there has been a minimal pressure on government-owned universities. It is on this strength that I passionately call on the federal government to consider giving assistance to these private universities. “After all the bulk of the remittances into the purse of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is drawn largely from the organised sector, it will therefore be just and fair that private universities benefit from the

Ondo orders students to resume with parents’ Kaadi Igbeayo ONDO State Government will begin the implementation of its data collation initiative, the smart card, otherwise known as Kaadi Igbeayo in schools as pupils and students resume for a new session this week. As part of its strategy to ensure that residents comply with government’s directive to obtain the residency card, school authorities in the state have been ordered to request students to pres-

ent photocopies of their parents’ cards on resumption. To this end, a meeting has been held with heads of primary and secondary schools in the state, instructing them to collect photocopies of the Residency Cards of the parents of their pupils and students as they resume for a new session. Consequently, all parents and guardians who are yet to collect their cards have

Human trafficking: EU partners WOCON THE European Union (EU), in conjunction with a non-governmental organisation,Women’s Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON), has taken the fight against illegal migration to the Nigeria-Benin Republic border in Ogun State with a policy dialogue to manage and discourage the menace. The Executive Director, Mrs Bisi Olateru-Olagbegi, made this known at a press conference held at Oglogbo Kweme Hall in Seme border of Ogun State and Benin Republic,explaining that the

fund to execute infrastructural development, human resources development and training facilities.” On insecurity in parts of the North, former police chief said that “as a matter of urgent national calling, I propose that the federal government make religious studies compulsory in all our primary and post-primary institutions nationwide as a strategic way of inculcating the right values and God-consciousness in our youth.

project will also involve all relevant stakeholders,which include immigration services, police, religious leaders and traditional rulers among others. “It is pertinent to mention that the essence is not to discourage migration. Migration can be properly managed with proper sensitisation of the populace and by empowering the youth and vulnerable people, especially women and children, with information and knowledge on the risks occasioned by irregular migration and modalities for safe

migration,” she said. Olateru-Olagbegi further noted that the complexity of irregular migration issues involving many countries necessitates the collaboration of different stakeholders, both national and international, to address effectively, stressing that Nigeria needs to take its rightful leadership position in the comity of nations by erasing the notoriety of being the largest population of irregular migrants and most trafficked victims to Europe and other parts of the world.

been advised to do so before the resumption of schools. The State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, said already, a meeting had been held with members of the State Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) on the relevance of the cards in the task of revamping the education sector in the state. The Commissioner said the meeting which was followed up by a sensitisation and enlightenment programme was mainly to sensitise them on the relevance of the card which is in fulfilment of the governor’s promise during his inauguration in 2009 when he promised efficient service delivery to the people of the state, by using accurate data of every resident of the state. He mentioned that although smart card technology has been deployed by several governments for specific purposes, but till date, there has been no successful multipurpose smart card like the cards.

THE Coalition Against Corrupt leaders (CACOL) has fired a salvo at governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on their reported stand on public declaration of assets, noting that it was “preposterous and reprehensible” for governors who rode on the back of President Muhammadu Buhari’s popularity to win election to renege from following his step on asset declaration. CACOL, in its reaction to a statement by the governors that they were not bound to follow the example laid by President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in declaring their assets publicly, condemned the governors’ excuses that public declaration of assets is not constitutional and that they would not be pressured to follow the president’s action. The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr Debo Adeniran, in a statement made available to newsmen, said: “It is preposterous that governors who rode on the back of President Buhari’s integrity to victory could turn around to claim they are not under obligation to follow in his footsteps as regards public declaration of assets. It is morally wrong for any governor to hide under one ambiguity of the constitution to defend public declaration of assets.” CACOL argued that public assets’ declaration, a standard practice in the developed world, will increase transparency and the trust of citizens in public officials, adding that it is one of the tools that can curb corruption in the country.

Fayemi sues for meritocratic system of government in Nigeria By Seyi Sokoya FORMER governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has called on Nigerians to change their orientation to public service, just as he revealed that only meritocratic system can work excellently in Nigeria. He also added that it is a welcome development that the Buhari-led government has begun re-engineering and restoring sanity to the public service system where the country would really produce technocrats. Fayemi stated this through his representative, the Director of Publicity, South West Zone, All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Ayo Afolabi, at a symposium themed: “Our New Nigeria: The role of the professionals in the government” at the Advanced Media and Communications Academy (AMCA), held in honour of Ambassadors Yemi Farounbi and Ayoola Olukanni at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, last week. Chairman on the occasion, Dr Kunle Olajide, congratulated the ambassadors, describing their outing a success and outstanding in representing their fatherland in respective countries, adding that, “they should not hesitate to use their exposures to develop the country.” He charged the brains behind the initiative to re-engineer the media system and make it a responsibility to honour worthy Nigerians such as the two ambassadors. In their remarks, Farounbi saluted AMCA for the rare honour, adding that, “I’m deeply honoured. In spite of all her challenges, I still feel delighted representing the nation,” while Olukanni said “Nigeria is a great country; you won’t appreciate its great potentials until you are out of the country. I urge the nation to look into its solid minerals recourses so as to generate more wealth.”

Supernatural Turnaround 2015 THE Rod of Jesse Word and Miracles Global Ministry Inc. presents (5) Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays of Supernatural Turnaround prayer programmes with the theme, “Walking in the Prosperity” (Rinrin Ninu Iserere). The prayer programmes are scheduled to hold on Thurs- Prophet Emma Ajekiigbe days: Sept. 10th, 17th, 24th Oct. 1st & 5th, 2015: 8am – 11am; Saturdays: Sept. 12th, 19th, 26th, Oct. 3rd & 10th, 2015: 9am – 12noon; Sundays: Sept. 13th, 20th, 27th, Oct. 4th, &11th, 2015: 7am – 9am at Mercyland Cathedral, Opa Bus stop, Opa Jesse Street, Jagada Estate Ologuneru, Ibadan, with Pastor James Akinola as the Asembly Pastor.

13 September, 2015

Sunday Tribune

13 September, 2015

SUNDAY

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman 08053789060 tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com

Iheanacho scores winner for Man City

Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates after his goal against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. PHOTO: SPORTMAIL.

IGERIA junior international, Kelechi Iheanacho in his second EPL game netted the winner for Manchester City at Selhurst Park after his goal earned the Citizens full points at the expense of Crystal Palace. Iheanacho who also played as a substitute this time for Ivorian striker, Wilfried Bony in the 89th minute, was at the right spot to beat Palace goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy at close range after the latter spilled Samir Nasri’s shot. Before Iheanacho’s heroics, this clash would have been remembered for yet another ugly touchline spat between Manuel Pellegrini and Alan Pardew. The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner has received plaudits from the

Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh for his heroics as expressed through his twitter handle. “Kudos to Kelechi Iheanachor’s for his goal that gives Man. City the much needed three points,” Oliseh tweeted via @SundayOOliseh. City were handed a huge boost ahead of kick-off knowing victory would open up an 11 point gap between themselves and champions Chelsea following their loss at Everton. Raheem Sterling missed the encounter with a slight hamstring injury, yet Pellegrini resisted the temptation of handing Kevin De Bruyne an instant debut; the £54million starting on the bench. Meanwhile, Manchester City will on Tuesday battle with Juventus in the Champions League opener.

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13 September, 2015

Okagbare’s arrival boosts Team Nigeria NIGERIA’S sensational sprinter, Blessing Okagbare hit the Team Nigeria camp

Okagbare

as the athletics events of the ongoing Brazzaville 2015 start today at Stade Lumite, Kintele. Tribunesport gathered that Okagbare’s arrival in the camp has boosted the morale of other athletes who see her as a role model. Her arrival also laid to rest speculations that the Commonwealth Games double gold medallist opted out of the quadrennial Games. The heats for 100m, 200m, 400m male and female decathlon are expected to commence today.

Also, Blessing Ibrahim and Hope Idha will compete in the finals of the female triple jump today at the same venue, while the best for relay holds tomorrow at the same venue. Yusuf Ali, a former Team Nigeria captain and technical director, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) told Tribunesport that the Nigerian athletes are in high spirits. The 1990 Commonwealth Games long jump champion also expressed optimism that athletics would surely bring more medals for Nigeria at the Games.

Siasia blasts Dream Team after Senegal draw

IGERIA’S Dream Team head coach, Samson Siasia says he is angry with his players just as he described the match against Senegal as terrible. Siasia while speaking with Tribunesport after the team drew 1-1 with Senegal in the last group match at Stade Lumite in Kintele on Saturday, said he is not happy with the way the players played as they missed so many scoring chances. “This is terrible, we just need to up our game. How can they be missing chances, even they failed to make accurate passes? If we want to win that was not the way to go about it. I expected a better game than what we played today, this is not inspiring at all,” said the former Super Eagles coach. The man who led Nigeria to win the silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics said he had to speak to the players on the need to sit up. “We had to talk senses into

their heads and that was why we stayed a bit back in the dressing room to hold a meeting. Can you imagine they are making passes inside six-yard box? “Yes, I am angry with them (players). It’s not that we were better than Ghana but we had our chances and utilised them, but they

Yakmut responsible for our poor performance —Volleyballer THE Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut has been blamed for the poor performance of the national volleyball team at the ongoing Brazzaville 2015. The male and female teams failed to advance to the medal zone at the Games having performed woefully in all their group stage matches. An aggrieved member of the team told Tribunesport at the Games village in Kintele, that Yakmut should

Nigeria wins another medal in cycling TOMBRABA Griaba added to Team Nigeria’s medal haul at the ongoing 11th All Africa Games, Brazzaville 2015 by winning bronze in the master road race women’s cycling on Saturday. This now makes it two medals (gold and bronze) so far won by Team Nigeria cycling at the Games. The Nigerian team comprising Tombraba Griaba, Rosemary Marcus, Happy Okafor and Glory Odiase had earlier in the week won the country’s first gold medal in the team stand trial event. Secretary, Nigeria Cycling Federation, Samuel Aminu while speaking with Tribunesport commended his

failed to convert their scoring chances and that was why we won. “Senegal had one scoring chance and they utilised it, so what are we talking about here? They (players) did not just do well and the truth is that if we must do well and win gold medal we must score goals,” Siasia said.

wards for the feat, just as he is looking forward to winning another medal today in the men’s masters road race. “We are delighted to win another medal and I must commend Griaba for striving so hard to place third. I know it was not an easy task. I can assure Nigerians that this is not the end as we expect to win another medal, hopefully gold in the men’s master road race tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.

be blamed for their poor run. “He (Yakmut) denied us of the opportunity of going on a training tour of Japan when the chance arose. Our president Engineer Habu Gumel got a training tour offer through the Japanese Volleyball Federation at no cost- including free use of their facilities, free accommodation while the NSC will provide tickets and allowances for 45 days, but the DG failed to approve the offer,” said the athlete who craved for anonymity. “How do you expect us to perform when we only trained and camped together for just three weeks and they are putting us under pressure? “Team sport is not like individual sport where one can train alone. No long camping, no training I mean, we didn’t prepare to win. When the person who will approve our training tour said there was no money, this is the result to expect and he is to be blamed for our woes here because the players did their best,” he said.

11th ALL AFRICA GAMES SEPT. 4 - 19, 2015

Niyi Alebiosu

reporting

Sunday Tribune

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On August 28, soldiers attached to the Koko military base in Delta State reportedly shot a pregnant woman, one Loveth Odibo, and arrested her baby and a physically challenged man, after accusing her of being an associate of a suspect under military watch. Even if Loveth was guilty, what crime could her two babies, the arrested and the unborn, have committed?

Yoruba leaders must unite to defend their nation

am writing this morning about the pathetic failure of “Yoruba leaders” to protect, defend, and uphold the wellbeing (and even the existence) of their Yoruba nation in Nigeria. And by “Yoruba leaders” I mean not just politicians but also Yoruba traditional rulers and chiefs; Yoruba leaders and officers of political parties; all Yoruba current or past holders of executive or legislative positions in the Federal, State or Local government in Nigeria; all Yoruba persons who have ever received Yoruba votes to win any election – from the presidency of Nigeria to the membership of the smallest Local Government; all Yoruba owners and leaders of businesses; all Yoruba who head or serve in high positions in educational institutions in Nigeria and in the wider world; all Yoruba persons who hold positions as leaders in Christian, Muslim or indigenous religious groups in Yorubaland or abroad; all leaders of Yoruba civic organizations, professional organizations, trade organizations, trade unions, market women’s organizations, and youth organizations, etc. I assume that every person who qualifies to be regarded as a “leader” among his people is expected to take special interestin the well-being of his people. From that basic assumption, I wish to ask the “leaders” of the Yoruba nation in Nigeria a few crucial questions about the fate of the Yoruba nation in Nigeria: How many Yoruba leaders are aware that the Yoruba language is today regarded as an “endangered language” in the world – a language that is gradually dying out in its native homeland – a language that some language scholars and some international agencieshave sadly classified as one of the languages that could disappear in its homeland before the end of this century? How many Yoruba leaders are aware that, because of school curriculums prescribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the history of the Yoruba nation has been banned from being taught to Yoruba children in Yorubaland’s schools for some decades now? How many Yoruba leaders know that if the Yoruba language does become extinct and the Yoruba people forget their history, the Yoruba nation, as a nation, has thus effectively died in the world? These are only today’s chosen questions among very many crucial questions. All Yoruba are proud of their nation and their

sophisticated culture, their nation’s leading position in the history of Black Africa, and their nation’s proud achievements in pre-independence Nigeria. Most Yoruba have no doubt that their nation is well worth protecting and preserving. Therefore, theseother big questions must follow: Why is the Yoruba language declining so badly in Nigeria, in spite of the pride and capability of the Yoruba people?Why are Yoruba children no longer being taught the proud history of their Yoruba nation in their schools; and why are younger Yorubas therefore robbed of the knowledge of their history? What steps should the leaders and people of the Yoruba nation take to stop their nation

kind of agony about their Yoruba nation. Some months ago, I met some young Yoruba businessmen who are resident in Australia, and they talked with me for many minutes – all the time giving vent to their anxiety for their Yoruba nation back home. Most of the agony in each of these cases is about the decline of the Yoruba language and the loss of the knowledge of Yoruba history among young Yorubas. Are our Yoruba leaders back home – especially our political leaders, our governors and legislators – aware of the agony which most of their Yoruba people are living with concerning these matters? The failure of the Yoruba leaders to deal effectively with these threats to the existence

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from continuing to decline in these ways? These are question being passionately asked and debated by millions of Yoruba people today – at home in Yorubaland, and in the Yoruba Diaspora in all corners of the world. Everywhere, Yoruba people are deeply distressed about the growing threats to the very existence of their Yoruba nation in Nigeria – and about the perpetual failure of Yoruba leaders to rise up together and defend their nation. A couple of weeks ago, I had some reason to visit the state of Texas in the United States, a state where thousands of highly qualified Yoruba people live. In one of their cities, they were holding a meeting and they asked me to attend. One could see in their faces, their statements and their questions the agony which they feel in their hearts about the condition of their Yoruba nation back home. In the past week or so, some leading Yoruba citizens of Kogi State in Nigeria have had cause to send me mails, all expressing the same

of the Yoruba nation in Nigeria is simply inexplicable. How did it happen that highly educated, and enormously well informed persons like the Yoruba leaders have done nothing to resist the gradual decline of their native language in their homeland? The reason for the decline is easy to see – and it is quite easy to tackle and defeat. The reason is that a belief has grown among Yoruba folks that they need to encourage their children to speak English only, and to speak no Yoruba. Most believe that this is the way to give their children the strong command of the English language needed for success in Nigeria. Commonly these days, a Yoruba mother being helped by her little daughter in the marketplace forces the girl to speak only English to customers; and fathers do the same to their little sons in their workshops or on the way to the farms. More and more Yoruba children therefore grow up speaking no Yoruba, and the Yoruba language therefore declines steadily. But most Yoruba leaders must know

Ighalo’s goal gives Watford first EPL win By Ganiyu Salman

NIGERIA international, Odion Ighalo has set another record as his goal gave newlypromoted Watford its first win of the season in the English Premier League. Ighalo who has just signed a fresh fiveyear contract with the Hornets became a hero with his 59th minute strike off an assist from skipper Troy Deeney. The Super Eagles striker is now having

two goals in the kitty in the English topflight after his strike in the season’s opener against Everton at the Goodison Park. However, another Nigerian international, Juwon Oshaniwa bagged a red card in a 0-2 loss to Inverness CT in a Scottish Premier League game. The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner has since apologised for the unsporting behaviour which led to his first red card

in his career. “Obviously, I am not happy with the red card. This is never part of me, I am deeply sorry about the red card. I promise such a reaction won’t repeat itself. “I already put it behind me and looking forward to better days ahead. They should just keep faith and believing in the team,” the former Ashdod of Israel defender told AfricanFootball.com.

that this common belief about language among our people is false. All educationists say that any child is naturally capable of learning any two languages at the same time, without one interfering with the other – in fact, that a child can learn as many as six languages at once. Educationists also say that it is dangerous to interfere with a child’s natural effort to learn any languages to which he or she is exposed – dangerous because such interference can disrupt and confuse his or her natural language learning processes. Is this widespread interference by Yoruba parents the reason why young Yorubas speak and write almost no Yoruba and speak and write very poor English these days? The sensible approach is to leave the child alone; he or she will do quite well with both languages. Our Wole Soyinka and all prominent educated Yoruba men and women of his age grew up learning both Yoruba and English, and they write and speak both excellently today. In fact, Wole Soyinka is widely acclaimed to be writing the English language better than any other English writer in the world, and we know that he speaks and writes the Yoruba language better than most of us. Why have our leaders with all their influence never risen up to propagate allthis good information among our people? Also, why have our leaders, especially our politicians and our state governors and legislators, not resisted the attempt by the Federal Government to ban the teaching of our Yoruba nation’s history in our schools? Surely, many Yoruba leaders know that, in the universal laws of nations today, it is a crime against humanity to prevent any people from teaching and learning their language or their history. The right of every nationality to pass its language and history to its children is enshrined in the laws of the United Nations and of the African Union – to both of which Nigeria is a signatory. Why have we Yoruba (and other Nigerian nationalities) allowed the Nigerian federal establishment to inflict this crime on us without our rejecting it? The bottom line of what I am saying about Yoruba leaders here is that, even given partisan political differences, there is a lot they can, and should, be doing together for their Yoruba nation. And, in certain matters (especially the preservation of Yoruba language and history), there is great urgency for them to join hands and take action now.

English Premier League results Everton 3 Arsenal 2 C/Palace 0 Norwich 3 Watford 1 West Brom 0 Man U 3

Chelsea 1 Stoke City 0 Man City 1 Bournemouth 1 Swansea 0 Southampton 0 Liverpool 1

POOLS 6, 12, 14, 20, 22, 31, 39, 41, 42, 48, 49

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: sundaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON EDITOR: SINA OLADEINDE. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 13/9/2015