16th October, 2016

NO 2,068

SPECIAL TREAT

SUNDAY, 16 OCTOBER, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

Making your business succeed with OPM

Abuja court ruling has nothing to do with Jegede, says PDP •As civil defence corps denies training thugs

Nigerian Tribune

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pg8 pg43

Judges plan mass resignation pgs4,19&45

ns o s a e r l a Re C DSS, NJ r a are at w

@nigeriantribune

•Over DSS’s raid on homes •The memos that enraged NJC •Onnoghen, CJN nominee, to undergo screening

Buhari visits ailing Brigadier General Mohammed Aliyu in a German hospital.

(See story on page 5)

Nigeria in difficult, pg4 dangerous situation, but... —Bishop Ademowo

Again, Saraki pg5 writes Buhari over recession I offloaded and I’m now

reloaded —Hilda Dokubo

The Ido Ekiti Police Divisional headquarters which gunmen attacked on Friday night. PHOTOS: SAM NWAOKO

Gunmen kill inspector, loot pg41 armoury in attack on Ekiti Police Division

AISHA BUHARI’S REVELATION:

How a man diverted 65 trailers of grains ordered

by President Buhari for IDPs

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16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

DSS raid: Judges plan mass resignation Plus: Onnoghen for screening this week Lanre Adewole - Lagos

N

IGERIAN judges are planning an unprecedented mass resignation to protest the alleged assault against the independence of the judiciary by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday Tribune has learnt.

The mass discontent running through the system over the arrest of seven of their colleagues by the Department of State Services penultimate Friday, is now reaching a climax with an ongoing mass mobilisation nationwide to resign enmass.

In the plan being hatched, the Federal High Court could end up being the most affected if the protagonists went ahead with their plot.

Incidentally, suspended talks at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) on whether the Federal High Court should be phased out or retained, had not been concluded. Sunday Tribune was told by multiple senior sources that judicial officers who had been materially successful in legal practice before opting for the Bench as a form of service, aren’t finding it funny that even properties acquired before joining the Bench are now being tagged proceeds of alleged corruption by both

the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the DSS, probing alleged malfeasances in the justice system.

A particular DSS-interest was reportedly infuriated that after acquiring a Doctorate degree in Law at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom (names withheld) and making a fortune practising law abroad with multimillion naira worth of properties to show for it, he is now being smeared with corruption allegations all because he wanted to serve

his country as a judge.

A total of 31 top judges of superior courts of record are being investigated by both agencies (DSS and EFCC), including two justices of the Supreme Court.

Three of the said judicial officers have recently been exited from service by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

While the DSS is handling cases of 23 judges, EFCC said it was probing eight judges and two court registrars.

Apart from the initial seven, busted in the mid-

night raid by the DSS, the service had disclosed that eight other judges were to be picked before a reported presidential directive halted all operations as public disavowal hit the exercise.

Another set of two judges were reportedly arrested days after the midnight raid, while the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was said to have sent another six petitions against six judges to the DSS. While reacting to a report of loss of confidence

in EFCC, commission said eight judges are under its own belt, with one of them, also in DSS’s net.

The eight initially planned for the second round of arrest, are all said to be justices of the Supreme Court.

A top source confirmed that the apex court was aware of the project, allegedly targetted at giving the court a new beginning with new entrants who are not necessarily from the Court of Appeal as it is the tradition.

A cabinet minister dur-

Nigeria in difficult, dangerous situation —Ademowo Olayinka OlukoyaAbeokuta

THE Bishop of Lagos Diocese, Anglican Communion, The Most Revd.

(Dr) Adebola Ademowo, has said that Nigeria is in difficult and dangerous situation, insisting however, that the country is too great as a nation to shred into pieces based on nepotism and greed.

He said this on Saturday in his sermon at the thanksgiving service in honour of the Most Revd.

(Dr) Olusina Fape, the Archbishop of the Province of Lagos, held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Sagamu, Ogun State.

Ademowo, the Dean

Emeritus, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), decried the present state of country, submitting that the country is on dangerous and difficult situation.

He attributed personal aggrandisement, greed, corrupt practices as some of the clogs in the wheel of progress of the country.

The cleric also pointed out Nigerians must inculcate the virtue of selflessness, fairness and justice for its overall development.

“We need to pray for divine intervention over Nigeria. Over 70 millions are living below poverty level. We are in a difficult

and dangerous situation.

“We experienced insecurity, killings, kidnappings, unemployment, greed, avarice, insincerity and poverty. This country is too great to shred into pieces, all in the name of greed, corruption, nepotism and self-aggrandizement.

“In this country, we are lackadaisical. We drag our feet. Our future are growing in a prison environment. Pray more for our country, that there will be a turn around.

“There must be inculcation of restoration of values, virtues of truth, fairness, selflessness and justice,” he stated.

The service was at-

tended by eminent Nigerians including the cochairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, Publishers of Tribune titles, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu; business mogul, Sir Kessington Adebutu; Chief Segun Osunkeye; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Sir. Olaniwun Ajayi and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel.

Others include the House of Bishops, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN; Dr. Erastus Akingbola; Honourable Ladi Adebutu; Professor Theopilus Ogunlesi; Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi; Chief Adeleke Adesina; Chief Oyedele, among many others.

Unite to solve national problems, Abdulsalami tells Nigerians FORMER Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Saturday, said the solution to Nigeria’s challenges was for the citizenry to unite and collectively evolve solution to the problems.

Abubakar stated this at the 8th Convocation of Crescent University, Abeokuta.

He cautioned political leaders to avoid making frivolous promises to the people in the face of the prevailing difficulties, and for the credibility of the fledgling democracy.

He remarked that fulfilling promises made by political leaders enhanced the credibility of leadership and raised the integrity of leaders.

The former head of state maintained that in times of difficulty, leaders would be measured by the promises kept.

He admonished the people to be moderate in their expectations, saying that there could be no quick fixes to all national challenges.

He explained that challenges were not strange to the country and recalled that collective resolutions to such challenges had seen the nation through in previous times.

“We must accept that Nigeria has always had social, economic and political problems and it will continue to have them to varying degrees of intensity.

“The real joy lies for us in our determination to pursue them and solve them as brothers,” he said.

Abubakar stressed the need for government at all levels to institute monitoring teams on higher institutions in the country in a bid to discourage education tourism of Nigerian students.

He explained that the step would also enable Nigeria to return to its lost glory among the comity of nations in the area of education.

He called for continued monitoring of academic performances of all tertiary institutions, especially the private ones, in order to improve the quality of education in the country.

Abubakar, who bagged Doctor of Science degree (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration of the university, described the award as one he and his family would cherish forever.

Similarly, the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who was invested as the Chancellor of the university, was also honoured with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration.

In his acceptance speech, Adeyemi expressed grati-

tude to the management of the university for the honour.

The traditional ruler recalled how he, as the former Pro-Chancellor of the Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, helped to build the institution from the scratch.

He, however, promised to try everything at his disposal to position Crescent University at an enviable height.

He commended the proprietor of the institution, Chief Bola Ajibola (SAN), for his contribution to the development of education in Nigeria by investing his assets in the establishment of the university.

In his remarks, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, said that involvement of the private sector was the only way to improve the nation’s economy, with education inclusive.

Amosun reaffirmed that his administration would not relent in ensuring that the sector remained accessible and affordable in the state.

Announcing automatic employment for the firstclass graduating students, the governor advised them to strive to become self-reliant and avoid over-dependence on white collar jobs.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, had charged the graduates to be good ambassadors of the university and use their training to contribute to the growth and development of the society.

The convocation, which produced 28 First Class graduates from the 435 graduating students, saw Miss Rasheedat Modupeola of Accounting Department emerge as the overall best graduating student.

ing a private media briefing refused to confirm or deny the identities of the targetted judges.

The minister also refused to confirm if Justice Walter Onnoghen, the CJN-designate, is among those to be arrested. It was also revealed at the interface that the current administration had resolved to bust anyone with huge cash at home and such would be considered proceeds of crime if the owner could not convincingly explain how he or she came about the cash.

According to him “if your cash is clean, you will put it in the bank.”

Before embarking on the raids, they had written a series of memos to the NJC. On 26th February, 2016, the DSS sent a memo with Reference No DGSS.71/3161 to Justice Mahmud, accusing Justice Muazu Pindiga of Gombe judicial division of alleged corruption on his involvement in the Rivers State election petition tribunal as the former chairman before he was removed.

In another memo from the DSS dated 5th August, 2016 with Reference No LSD.158/2/31, the Service accused Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court who had earlier ruled against the DSS in its case against Umar Mohammed, of alleged corruption, recommending to the NJC “to urgently investigate the compromise and gross misconduct by the judicial officer as his conduct falls short of the expectations of the profession and defeats the culture of probity, transparency and equity which this current administration stands to entrench”. The memo was signed by Ahamed Ahmad for Daura.

Meanwhile, Onnoghen who was last week recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari as the next CJN, is reportedly primed to go through his security screening this week at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.

He is the sole nominee to the president.

The security screening is expected to establish his suitability for the job, before his name will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.

He is the first CJN-hopeful from the South in 29

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16 October, 2016

Again, Saraki writes Buhari over recession Taiwo Adisa -Abuja

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HE National Assembly has again formally written President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to address a joint session of the legislature in respect of the economic recession currently bedeviling the country.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who doubles as the chairman of National Assembly, had on Thursday formally communicated the decision of the two chambers of the parliament to the president.

Sources in the legislative chambers told the Sunday Tribune that the National Assembly left the date open for the president to choose.

A source privy to the development said on Saturday that, “The Senate President, who is the chairman of National Assembly, has in his capacity and in fulfilment of the resolutions of the Senate and the House of Representatives, written to President Buhari, asking him to come and address a joint session of the chambers on the plan by his administration to end recession.

“The president is to pick a date of his choice for the address,” the source said.

The House of Representatives had on September 22 passed a resolution seeking to invite the president to address a joint session of the National As-

sembly on his plans to end recession.

The Senate agreed with the House resolution on October 6, paving the way for a joint resolution which has now been communicated to the president.

After two days of debates on the issue of recession, the House of Represen-

tatives in September resolved to reach out to the Senate to invite Buhari to a joint session.

Most speakers during the House debate identified the Treasury Single Account Policy, Foreign Exchange policy and infrastructure management in the country as some of the

issues the president needed to address them on.

The Senate, which also devoted three days to debate the economy, arrived at a 20-point resolution which they believed would move the economy forward.

Senate’s motion was entitled: “Concurrence to

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, acknowledging cheers from the indigenes and tourists, during the Olojo festival, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Saturday.

THE Defence Headquarters has described as unfounded and baseless, insinuation that there is disquiet in the military rank and file over last week’s release of 21 of the 217 remaining abducted Chibok girls.

A statement by acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, said the Nigerian Armed Forces was working in concert with other security agencies to conclude the war on terror.

Abubakar explained that the war on criminalities could be executed covertly or overtly, stressing that the most important thing was to achieve the objective of the anti-terror war.

The Defence spokesperson reiterated the military’s earlier position that “negotiation with terrorist or any other group rests purely on our respected political leaders.

“The military operations to rid our land of

that it was imperative for the president to clarify the true state of the economy to the lawmakers to enable them propose necessary amendments to the laws.

Some of the resolutions passed by the Senate included the rejection of the planned sale of national assets to shore up revenue and the need to ensure meaningful dialogue between the Niger Delta militants and the government.

The resolution read in part: “Government must engage in meaningful and inclusive dialogue with the aggrieved Niger Delta militants to avoid escalation of the unrest in the region and ensure protection of Nigeria’s oil and gas assets to facilitate increase in oil production and boost revenue therefrom.

“That the president should, as a matter of urgency, appoint a senior special assistant who should lead a team that coordinates the government’s engagement with all stakeholders in the region, specifying that the team should include senators from the zone.”

Huge crowd in Ile-Ife as Ooni celebrates first Olojo festival Oluwole Ige -Osogbo

Ile-Ife in Osun State stood still on Saturday as a mammoth crowd thronged the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, for

the commemoration of the historical Olojo festival.

Amid pomp and ceremony, the crowd including traditional worshippers, natives of Ile-Ife, tourists, among others, stormed

major streets, especially Enuwa, Iremo road, Oke’Mogun, Ilare, Oduduwa, where they struggled to catch a glimpse of the Ooni, with the ancient “Are Crown,” worn by the tradi-

No unease in military over Chibok girls —Defence HQ

By Dare Adekanmbi

House resolution” and its key objective is to “Invite the President, Commander-in-Chief, to address a joint session of the National Assembly to intimate it on plans to get the country out of recession to enable the House take further legislative action.”

The Senate had resolved

terrorists continue… The military wishes to state unequivocally that the Armed Forces will continue to work closely with our sister security agencies to achieve more feat in this direction.

“It is important to state that

not all information is meant for public consumption due to processes which are purely political. More so, the ongoing military operation is making unprecedented progress with the rescue of many captives held by the terrorist.

“While the Armed Forces holds the media veritable partner, it urges the media to be mindful and clarify with the military when reporting security and defence issues bordering on sensitive national matters,” the statement said.

...ACF commends Buhari Muhammad Sabiu -Kaduna

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HE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has commended the Federal Government on the release of 21 Chibok girls out of the 217 female students abducted over two years ago at Chibok Government Girls Secondary School in Borno State by the Boko Haram terrorists.

The commendation was contained in a statement issued to newsmen by the ACF Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, in Kaduna, Kaduna State, on Saturday.

ACF described the release of the 21 girls as a welcome and reassuring develop-

ment, which clearly demonstrated the commitment of the Buhari administration to not only tackle the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, but also to rescue all persons abducted by the insurgents and in particular the Chibok girls.

The release of the 21 girls has certainly gladdened the hearts of the affected parents, relations, the nongovernmental organisations, Nigerians and in particular the Bring Back Our Girls organisation (BBOG).

“It will be recalled that the BBOG not only initiated and sustained the campaign but also mobilised the whole world, putting pressure on the Federal Government to intensify

efforts in search of the abducted Chibok girls.

“Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has also been in the forefront in condemning the attitude of the past administration over the abduction of the Chibok girls by the Boko Haram terrorists and its consistent appeal to government to deploy all security apparatus at its disposal to search and rescue the girls.

“The cheery news that the Federal Government has secured the release of 21 Chibok girls from Boko Haram captivity has rekindled our hope and confidence in the Buhari administration that it is committed to the security and welfare of its citizens,” the statement said.

tional ruler once in a year.

Checks by Sunday Tribune indicated that Saturday’s Olojo festival was significant, being the first Oba Ogunwusi would celebrate on the throne.

Ooni, who was crowned and presented with staff of office on the December 7, 2015 had performed necessary traditional rites before wearing the crown from his palace to Oke ‘Mogun and Idi-Aje spots, which were critical to the holding of the festival.

Before he emerged with the “Are Crown,” the Emeses, otherwise known as pal-

ace emissaries, performed the roles of Lokoloko, wielding canes to herald the arrival of Ooni in the traditional Are crown.

Oba Ogunwusi, accompanied by mammoth crowd while leaving the palace greeted the Sookoos and also offered prayers to the gods for the peace of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria and the entire world.

At the frontage of his palace prayers were also offered, before releasing two doves to symbolise peace, after which the monarch proceeded to Oke ‘Mogun shrine.

Buhari visits ailing General to end Germany trip Clement Idoko -Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, ended his three-day official visit to Germany with a visit Nigerian military officer receiving treatment in a Berlin hospital.

The military officer, Brigadier-General Mohammed Aliyu, the acting Commander of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, survived a ghastly road accident in the course of a duty tour in the North-East.

The head of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Yusha’u Abubakar, who was in the same vehicle,

was not so lucky as he died in the auto crash on Maiduguri-Damaturu Road.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, on Saturday said Buhari ended his “intensely busy three-day official visit to Germany ended on a compassionate note.”

Buhari, accompanied by the Governors of Borno and Imo, the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Interior and that of Foreign Affairs, congratulated General Aliyu for the progress he has made in his treatment in the last six months in hospital.

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Sunday Tribune

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Physically-challenged mother, 100 others renounce cultism in Rivers

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30-year-old physically challenged singled mother, Nnena Nwamuru, was among 100 people who, on Friday, renounced membership of secret cult groups in Rivers State.

Nwamuru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after she renounced her membership of Iceland Cult group in Uberi, Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, that she joined the cult group in 2006.

She said that the amnesty offered by the Rivers State government to cultists was an opportunity for her to further her education to tertiary level.

“I wish to go to school. I want the Rivers State government to assist me to further my education because I am tired of the kind of life I am living.

“I am very happy that today we are out from the bush to live a new life. I thank the Rivers government for this opportunity,” she said.

Nwamuru said she joined Iceland to get money to feed herself by supplying hard drugs to the gang but regretted that it brought more pains to her life.

“My role is to get Indian hemp and supply the group and they pay me to survive.

They can’t trust you and deal with you if you are not their member.

“So, I joined them and started supplying the dope.

Sometimes, I do spy work and give them intelligence information, but sincerely our activities are ungodly,”

she said.

The physically challenged single mother said that she gave birth to her son in June, 2008 and was abandoned by the father of the child.

Also, over 100 youths renounced membership

of cult groups in the local government.

Mr Iheanacho Chile, leader of Iceland cult, told newsmen after his group submitted their guns in Eberi, headquarters of the local government, that they were involved in crime be-

cause of unemployment.

Chile said that they would not return to their former ways again and thanked the state government for granting them amnesty.

Mr Richard Amadi, leader of Dey Well cult, apologised to the people of Omuma on

behalf of other groups for all the atrocities they committed against them.

Amadi said that he was delighted over another opportunity in life to draw closer to God and make good use of his life.

Leader of the Osisikanku cult, Mr Okuchi Onyemachi, said that his group would not abuse the op-

portunity offered them.

Mr Ken Chinda, Chairman, Rivers Amnesty Committee, urged the youths to show true repentance and not to return to crime.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that arms and ammunitions submitted were 13 dane guns, eight locally made pistols, 18 cartridges, among others.

Man machetes girlfriend’s sister to death Isaac Shobayo - Jos

Plateau State Commisioner of Police, Mr Peter Ogunyanwo (right), inspecting items recovered from suspected criminal in Jos, the state capital, on Saturday. NAN Photo

PLATEAU State Police Command has apprehended a middleaged man for killing his girlfriend’s sister and also for inflicting machete cuts on his girlfriend for informing him of her two weeks old pregnancy which he said he was not responsible for.

The state Commissioner of Police Mr. Babatunde Ogunyanwo, who disclosed this to newsmen in Jos, said one Justina Dusu and her sister, Simi Dusu, both of Bukuru lowcost, visited one Stephen Luka to inform him of her two weeks pregnancy.

According to the commissioner of police, while they were in Stephen’s room, he asked Simi to leave and was left alone with Justine and in the process, an argument ensued between them over the pregnancy.

While this was going on, Stephen allegedly picked a machete and attacked Justina.

He further stated that

Justina’s cry for help made Simi to force her way into the room, adding that Stephen overpowered the two.

It was neighbours who came to the rescue of both Justina and her sister, and forced Stephen to take them to the hospital.

According to the commissioner, Stephen took them to Holwshe Medical Centre in Tundun Wada area of Jos for treatment where Simi later died.

Though Justina survived the incident, the police boss said that a machete was recovered at the scene of the incident.

Stephen told Crime Reports that he did not know what came over him when he attacked the two in his house.

The Commissioner of Police said that the command had observed in recent times the new trend of crimes in Plateau State, particularly in the Jos metropolis. He added that majority of those behind the crimes were teenagers.

2 militant leaders arrested with 3 human skulls inside shrine in Niger Delta THE Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Delta SAFE, has arrested two militant leaders and discovered three human skulls in the ongoing military operations.

Lieutenant-Commander. Thomas Otuji, spokesman of the taskforce, said that troops raided a shrine used by militants and discovered the three human skulls.

Otuji, in a statement made available to news-

men in Yenagoa, said troops raided five shrines at Debe and Ikot Ofing in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.

He said that troops, on covert operation in Esighi waterside of Cross River State, apprehended a suspected militants’ leader found with charms, while another suspected leader was picked up at a hideout in Ikpa Road, Uyo State.

Otuji also said that the

air component of the Operation Delta SAFE during a reconnaissance patrol at Onne in Rivers State, sighted barges of 15,000 litres of petrol concealed with green grass.

The troops also arrested three oil thieves operating illegal refineries at Bennet Island, Asugbo, in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said that the oil thieves had connected a hose linking the site to a

wellhead from where crude was siphoned.

Otuji said that a locallymade gun, five live cartridges, a crude-oil-laden wooden boat, storage tank, seven speedboats with outboard engines were seized at the site.

He said that a kidnap victim, Mrs Roseline Duku, who was abducted by gunmen at Afiesere junction in Ugheli North Local Government Area, was rescued by troops in response to a

distress call.

Otuji said the victim’s Toyota RAV 4 car was, however, abandoned by her abductors along Ejode Road in Ughelli while being pursued by troops.

“Troops in conjunction with the police and local vigilance group rescued the victim at Ekapkamre, Ugheli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

“Furthermore, troops deployed at Koluama in Bayelsa State trailed and

arrested a notorious pirate known as Labiesta, who attacked innocent citizens at Ogubene creeks,” he added.

Otuji said that the militant had been on the wanted list of security agencies.

Otuji noted that the successes recorded by the troops in the ongoing operation were traceable to the timely information provided by members of the public and resilience of the troops.

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THANKSGIVING SERVICE OF THE MOST REVEREND MICHAEL OLUSINA FAPE AS THE PHOTOS: D’TOYIN ARCHBISHOP OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE OF LAGOS

The Most Reverend Micheael Olusina Fape and his wife, Toyin, singing during the thanksgiving service as the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, held at the Cathedral Church of St Paul, Sagamu, Ogun State.

Bishop Gideon Olajide (retd) and Most Reverend Fape.

Co-Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Ambassador (Dr) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (left); Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Wole Oanipekun (SAN).

The Right Reverend Micheal O. Akinwale with Right Reverend (Dr) S.G. Kuponu.

Former Ogun State governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel, exchanging pleasantries with Chief Solomon Onafowokan, while Sir Kessington Adebutu (middle) looks on.

The Most Reverend (Dr) Adebola Ademowo (left); Archbishop Fape with his wife, Toyin.

Chief Micheal Oyedele and Prince Emmanuel Adesanya.

Pofessor Gabriel Ogunmola and his wife, Ronke.

Mrs Esther Olajide and Olori Omolola Adekunle Aromolaran.

Cross section of bishops with Archbishop Fape and his wife, Toyin.

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16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Keep your business afloat with OPM

By Bayo Alade

I

N these days of economic recession, most business owners complain of poor cash flow occasioned by potential customers holding on to their cash, be they salary earners or self-employed, because they don’t know when the next pay would come.

At such times, most businesses suffer and may even fold up if the owner does not think out of the box to keep the head of his business above water.

It is not a secret that most rich people do not invest in just one business, as having a variety of business portfolios is the rational and most sensible thing to do, from

which ‘streams of income’ flow.

The advantage is that, let’s say, for instance, that there is an egg glut and the poultry business is not doing well, property may be experiencing a high, same for hotel business and some others.

Now, with such an array of businesses, poor cash flow arising from economic recession may take those businesses down and unless something urgent was done, the businessman is in trouble.

It is a common saying in Nigeria that one needs money to make money. Therefore, using money is the only way to make more money to keep an ailing business afloat and the following

steps could do the magic.

1.

Asking customer to pay upfront One of the ways out, according to experts, is using Other People’s Money.

Michael Dell, the technology giant, back in the ’90s, while almost running out of business, had to device an ingenious effort to keep afloat.

Dell himself set out to reinvent a positive cash flow for the company by charging customers upfront on every computer ordered.

By so doing, the company’s poor cash flow was reversed and he was able to use his customers’ money to fuel its growth.

Your company only needs to stand its ground by in-

sisting that charging upfront is its own way of doing business.

2. You can borrow from a bank With high lending rate operated by Nigerian banks, borrowing may be a difficult thing to do for most businessmen. Unfortunately the options are few and borrowing from your bank is one of the best options, especially if one has been a good and reliable customer.

Your bankers are not likely to turn down your request, especially if your business is a thriving one but only needs a financial push through funding to keep it running.

3. Borrow from family and friends

There are times when it is not possible to obtain funds from traditional sources like banks and cash advance companies. At times like this, many entrepreneurs turn to the only other source of money available to them — their family and friends. Borrowing cash from relatives, or others whom you are close to, may sometimes not be a good idea, but once you are able to convince them with a good business plan and the commitment to pay back, you might eventually have your prayers answered.

While telling his story, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, said he borrowed his initial capital from his father. Many other multimillionaires also started

that way too and you too can.

Be committed to paying back the loan in order not to injure the family bond. Pay back on time, do not overborrow or take advantage of the closeness.

4. Borrow from your cooperative society In case borrowing from a bank is difficult and raising money through family and friends seems impossible, but you belong to a cooperative society, go for it. In most cooperative societies, the money is repaid within one year, sometimes a little less.

Whichever way the money comes, this all-important lifeline is surely going to insulate your business through the recession.

Aisha Buhari’s revelation: How someone diverted 65 trailers of grains ordered by President Buhari about?

People like Ogbonnaya Onu, Amaechi, Fashola. After the merger, it was a huge group that came together and started the struggle again. It is sad that very few are in the system now. Though I heard that they are about to announce like 3000 names as board members, we feel that those who started the struggle should not be limited to board members. They should be heading agencies that will impact positively on Nigerians. Knowing what we had campaigned for, only for us to bring people that are busy telling people that they are not politicians, is a huge disrespect for politicians. Knowing that we are just starting, we have not got to 2017, not to talk of 2018 and then 2019 for us to go back to the polls. You understand what I mean?

Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna IT’S almost two years that President Muhammadu Buhari was elected as the country’s president and it appears things are not going well. What do you think is the problem?

There are lots of problems. I used to tell him what the people are saying about the administration. People who have worked for our victory are not happy. I am also not. However, I think security wise, we have relatively achieved more than 100 per cent. Being someone that comes from the NorthEast, I knew when almost nobody slept in his or her house.

But now, people sleep with their eyes closed. On hunger that is prevailing in the land, you can’t expect government to put food on the mouths of every Nigerian. What government is supposed to do is to provide the leeway that will allow people to have access to what will improve their lives. So, the hardship that people are going through now was anticipated.

Knowing what we inherited, it is not going to be a smooth journey. But I think so far so good, the only thing that almost everybody is not happy with, including myself, is about those that really suffered on this journey but now, people who do not even have registration cards are ruling us. This is so unfair and unfortunate for the journey that we started more than 13 years ago.

As a wife, have you been advising him?

Yes. I am always telling him that the people are complaining. My prayer is to see that he is able to meet the yearnings of the people of this country.

What can you say of the problems at the IDP camps?

This is entirely government business. I don’t have any mandate to say anything on that. My duty is to tell government about what I hear that is not going smoothly. I have an NGO that is working there (North-East). We don’t have much problem because they are being run by women. Just last week, the president ordered for the release of 65 trailers of assorted grains. Unfortunately, just one man was said to have diverted the whole trailers. To worsen the situation, we heard he was released on bail.

But some say the government should think of tackling the economic problems of the country instead of concentrating on appointment?

Yes, but if you look at the journey that we had, after the merger, we didn’t call it merger or APC again, we called it a movement because it was a collective effort of millions of people, only for us to find out that the government is being operated by a few people, very few. About four to six people who started the journey with us are in the system. Unfortunately, the people that are occupying the seats, I don’t think they have any expertise that our supporters in APC do not have. We have supporters all over the world. Those who re-

Aisha Buhari

Life has not been easy anymore. We are feeling the impulse of the entire nation.

Every day for 18 hours, one has to attend to the needs of Nigerians ally supported APC and felt that enough was enough, that we should have sanity in the society, are out there. It was a real collective effort. Nobody will say that ‘it was as a result of my hardwork that I brought this government, it was a real teamwork and we wish that the teamwork should continue.

Everybody knows what my husband wants to achieve in four years. But having new set of people on board that were not part of us, they don’t really know what we promised Nigerians. That is the thing we are facing now.

Who are these four to five people you are talking

Who are these very few people surrounding President Muhammadu Buhari and have you spoken to him about this?

Yes. Not only me in person, because after receiving complaints upon complaints, I decided to tell him. But all the same, a lot of people have been coming on their own, and also collectively, to tell him that things are not going the way they should when it comes to putting people in certain positions.

Most of those that are occupying positions in agencies, nobody knows them and they themselves don’t know what we campaigned for. They were not part of us. People were sitting down in their houses, folding their arms, only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position. They don’t have a mission or vision of our APC. Somebody listening to this will feel like President Muhammadu Buhari is not in charge of this government.

It is left for the people to decide whether he is in charge or he is not. People actually accepted his ideology and decided to follow him for the past 13 years. That is what brought him to this current position.

Are you saying that if things continue like this, you will not support his re-election bid in 2019?

Yes, I will not support him like I did before. I will not mobilise any women group. If it continues like this, I am not going to be part of any movement again because I need to work with the people that we started the journey with so that we can achieve what we planned to achieve.

How has life been since you became occupants of Aso Villa?

Life has not been easy anymore. We are feeling the impulse of the entire nation. Every day for 18 hours, one has to attend to the needs of Nigerians. One squeezes our time to pray and eat.

•This is the concluding part of the wife of the President’s interview with BBC.

9

life&living

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Awaiting delivery

How prisons take care of pregnant inmates On the heels of recent revelation by National Human Rights Commission on the plight of Awaiting Trial Women in prison across the nation, BIOLA AZEEZ and LEKAN OLABULO write that this may be few, and far between, but times external factors may be responsible.

R

ECENTLY, the National Human Rights Commission revealed that 90 per cent of women awaiting trial in prisons across the country are either nursing mothers or pregnant.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Bem Angwe, said the figure was arrived at after the commission’s recent prison audit across the country.

“In our prisons today, we have a lot of nursing mothers who are being locked up with their children and are nursing these children in the prison cells.

“We also have instances where such women who are still carrying babies in prison are also pregnant.

“It is also sad to note that more than 90 per cent of these nursing mothers are still awaiting trial. These are women that should have been released on bail while awaiting their trial. But they are kept there in prison with their children who are made to serve prison terms when their mothers are not yet convicted,’’ Angwe said.

Before leaving office, former Comptroller General of Prisons, Zakari Ibrahim, was said to have ordered a pregnancy test to be carried out on some female inmates of Owerri prisons following rumours of sexual relationship between female inmates and male prison officials, and the discovery by parents of a young lady awaiting trial that their daughter was pregnant.

Abusing warrant issues A prison source in Lagos, who spoke with the Sunday Tribune under the condition of anonymity admitted that there are pregnant and nursing mothers in some of the prisons in the South-western part of Nigeria, but quickly pointed out that warders were not responsible for a “majority of the cases.”

The prison source said: “You know that I don’t usually hide my feelings on wrongdoings in the prison, but I must tell you the fact on this. Most of those pregnancies are from outside of the prison. “ Let me tell you, a majority of such cases happened with the Awaiting Trial (inmates). Hardly will you find that with any convicted female prisoner. This is because the female prisoners have warderesses and hardly can

you find any man around them, except in cases where they are being taken to court and in those cases, they go with warderesses,” the source added.

Speaking further, the source continued: “Some influential and powerful male prisoners can have women brought from outside for them to sleep with, but that is not the case with female convicted prisoners.

“The few cases (of pregnant inmates) were done from outside of the prison, whether from the police station or the inmate might have been pregnant before she was sentenced. There is always a close monitoring of the female inmates by the wardresses.

“There was a situation like that in Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, where a police inspector was using the reproduction warrant to sleep with a female awaiting trial inmate. He would get a reproduction warrant and take the inmate out of the prison. He promised the inmate that he would help her, but he did not. He was just using her by sleeping with her.

“However, one day, the inmate deliberately left her underwear under the policeman’s bed and that was how the whole secret was exposed. The policeman was sentenced to prison.”

On the health services available for nursing and pregnant mothers at the prisons, the source said further that

The few cases like that (of pregnant inmates) were done from outside of the prison, whether from the police station or the inmate might have been pregnant before she was sentenced

“they have a sick bay and when the condition is serious, they take them to the hospital.

“The pregnant ones, who are due for delivery, are often taken to the General Hospital in most cases. The health care for them is not bad.”

Not like that here At the Ilorin Prison Service a competent source told Sunday Tribune that it is a different ball game altogether there, because a pregnancy test is mandatorily conducted on every female inmate on arrival at any of the prison facilities in the state.

The source, who said that the test would ascertain if the female inmate was pregnant or not, added that it would also prepare the service for required health care services to be given to such inmates.

“We first compulsorily do pregnancy test for any female inmate here on arrival. That’s what we must first do. After, we will inform the relations of the inmate of her condition, particularly her husband in order to know how we can take care of the inmate,” the source said.

The source, who said it’s not easy having sexual relations with any of the female inmates in any of the prison yards in the state, added that there can’t be common agreement or united front among warders, talkless of wardresses to encourage any sexual relationship between a warder and a female inmate.

“The secret will eventually be revealed if such thing happens here. There’s no single wardress that will allow any warder to enter the female side. That can only happen in the event of serious problem or an issue that may warrant the invitation of a warder,” he said.

The source added that the state command has only five female inmates at present in its custody and they are at Oke Kura prison in Ilorin.

“That’s the only yard with facility to take care of female inmates among the prison yards in the state. There’s proper health care facility for them. However, if there’s a bigger health challenge or child delivery, they are taken to government hospitals outside the prisons,” the source said further.

10

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

feature

Reaping without sowing

Welcome to the world of copyright thieves Copyright infringement is rampant in Nigeria as it is in several other countries of the world. BAYO ALADE and TADE MAKINDE report that while owners of intellectual property in other countries get compensated eventually, those in Nigeria still get next to nothing despite existing laws.

R

ECENTLY, the ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign of the Muhammadu Buhari administration was almost overshadowed by controversy over the ownership of the original concept of the material which came to be used for the campaign targeted at giving Nigerians a new orientation about certain behaviours which put the country in bad light.

A version of the controversy was that one Akin Fadeyi, a creative artiste and former Head of Communications at Airtel Nigeria intimated Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of information and Culture with the concept late last year.

The minster was said to have initially declined the proposal wholesale but asked for a fine-tuning of the concept.

“They submitted the final version of their proposal to him after ending each episode with ‘Change Begins with Me’ as he directed,” one of Fadeyi’s associates was quoted to have said adding that “He (thev minister) just suddenly disappeared since then and made it very difficult for Mr Fadeyi to reach him for updates about the proposal,” he alleged.

Months later, the ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign began and according to Fadeyi’s associate, its video skits bore striking similarities with Fadeyi’s ‘Not In My Country’ concept.

“The minister just sort of made a little change here, a little change there, and ran to town with the concept,” he said even as the controversy continued with both side is threatening law suits.

As if that was not enough, President Buhari’s speech at

the launch of the campaign came under scrutiny as it was said to have contained a rehash of President Barack Obama’s victory speech of November 4, 2008.

President Buhari has reportedly sacked the unidentified writer of the speech.

All these put together bring to fore the issue of copyright infringement on intellectual property and what the law says about it.

The provision of the Copyright Act of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, chapter 68 is entitled: “An Act to make provisions for the definition, protection, transfer, infringement of and remedy and penalty thereof of the copyright in literary works, musical works, artistic works, cinematograph films, sound recordings, broadcast, and other ancillary matters.”

Part 1, sub section 1 of the Act says: Subject to this section, the following shall be eligible for copyright- (a) literary works;(b) musical works;(c) artistic works; (d) cinematograph works; (e) sound recording; and (f) broad-

casts.

Section 14 sub section 1 of the Act also states how a copyright infringement could be carried out before the person concerned is found liable. It states: Copyright is infringed by any person who without the licence or authorisation of the owner of the copyright(a) does, or cause any other person to do an act, the doing of which is controlled by copyright; (b) imports into Nigeria, otherwise than for his private or domestic use, any article in respect of which copyright is infringed under paragraph (a) of this subsection; (c) exhibits in public any article in respect of which copyright is infringed under paragraph (a) of this subsection; (d) distributes by way of trade, offer for sale, hire or otherwise or for any purpose prejudicial to the owner of the copyright, any article in respect of which copyright is infringed under paragraph (a)of this subsection; (e) makes or has in his possession, plates, master tapes, Continues pg 11

11

feature

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

‘It is shocking to hear Pirates say they are free to produce Achebe’s work because he’s dead’

Dr Okediran

Afam Ezekude, DG NCC

Continued from pg 10 machines, equipment or contrivances used for the purpose of making infringed copies of the work; (f) permits a place of public entertainment or of business to be used for a performance in the public of the work, where the performance constitutes an infringed of the copyright in the work, unless the person permitting the place to be used is not aware, and had no reasonable ground for suspecting that the performance would be an infringement of the copyright; (g) performs or cause to be performed for the purposes of trade or business or as supporting facility to a trade or business or as supporting facility to a trade or business, any work in which copyright subsists.

Suffice to say that chapter 15 of the acts deals with how the copyright owner could

seek for damages and part of it is that “the court, in assessing damages for the infringement, shall have power to award such additional damages by virtue of this subsection as the court may consider appropriate in the circumstances.”

On the Nigerian entertaqinment scene examples abound of copyright infringements.

There was the case of ‘Osondi, Onwendi’, a song originally made popular by the Late Osita Osadebe in the 60s. New group, MC Loph, remade the hit song which also became a hit. Osadebe’s estate fought back as his children sued MC Loph. Attempts were made to settle the case out of court, but it died a natural death when Loph was killed in a ghastly car accident some years ago. Obviously, the musician did not seek authorisation from the Estate of the late musician.

In the case brought by Late IK Dairo against Juju musician, Dele Taiwo, over the unauthorised use of “Mosoriire o’ in the 90s, the court, in awarding damages, ordered Taiwo to pay into Dairo’s account proceeds from sales of all the albums he would release for 20 years to Dairo. In a way, the court had sentenced Taiwo to 20 years of servitude as the royalties due him would go to Dairo.

Dele stopped releasing albums to escape working and not getting paid.

On the international scene In 1988, the duo of Rob Pliatus and Fab Morvan, a.k.a Milli Vanilli, were cleaners at a record label. Most times, song producers or label bosses don’t have the time to listen to all demos that got to their tables, so they throw most away. Going through one of the many trash cans that were always filled with unheard demo tapes one day, one of duo saw the one that belonged to a group Milli Vanilli. They liked the songs in the demo and made concerted efforts to convince the label boss to listen to ‘their’ demo. The man did and he signed the Germans on. The album was an instant success. “Girl You Know Is True” and “All Or Nothing” won awards. The

two cleaners became millionaires within months and were made brand ambassadors by several conglomerates.

Upon investigation, it was found that Fab and Rob had used, without authorisation, all the songs of the authentic American owners. They were immediately stripped of their several honours, including the Grammies and Platinums, Gold plaques. From hero, they became villains overnight. On April 2, 1988, Rob was found dead in a hotel in Frankfort from drug overdose.

Nigerian writers are also not immune from the menace of copyright infringement.

Dr Wale Okediran, former House of Reps member, writer and former president of Association of Nigerian Authors, bemoaned what writers go through at the hands of those who steal their intellectual property.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune, Dr Okediran said copyright infringement is a big problem for writers, just as he enumerated three major areas which engenders copyright infringement. He named them as economic factor in which people prefer cheap books produced by pirates who find it easy to simply photocopy the original copies and reproduce for the market.

He also mentioned disloyal staff of publishers who steal the plates of the published works and take them away to reproduce their own copies for sale. The third one, he said, has to do with publishers who could not meet the demands of customers thus giving pirates the opportunity to pirate the books.

“One should commend the efforts of the Nigerian Copyrights Commission, but nevertheless, the laws establishing the NCC should be revised and the punishment should be more stringent,” he told Sunday Tribune, adding that a penalty of between N400,000 and N600,000 for offenders would not deter others from infringing on the rights to intellectual property of others.

Speaking on specific cases, Dr, Okediran mentioned the case of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God when only very few copies of the book could be found but some pirates called from Kano and Onitsha promising to supply as many copies of the book as needed.

“We were told that since the author of the book was no more, they were free to reproduce the book for their own personal gains. That was their thinking, but that is

very bad. Many writers cannot go to court.

In fact publishers would prefer to settle out of court; that is the sad part of it.

“In other parts of the world, yes, writers can take unauthorised publishers of their works to court. There was the case of Chinua Achebe and Penguin publishers but the publishers settled out of court. In Nigeria you hardly have such a case, writers don’t get any compensation,” he said.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune on the sanctity of copyright law, Mr Gbenga Makinde, a legal practitioner said evidence of infraction is very vital as disputes could arise over the question of actual infringement of copyright.

“The copyright holder is the work’s creator. Holders routinely invoke legal measures to prevent, and penalize copyright infringement. If a work is infringed, and claim to copyright is disputed, i.e. in plagiarism case, evidence helps to prove claims and can be provided by Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) registration service that provides verifiable proof of the date and content of work.” he stated.

Mr Makinde of Olujimi & Akeredolu Law Firm in Ibadan said further that the world’s first copyright law was enacted in England in the 16th century to secure the rights of authors and inventors. As books became easier, faster, and cheaper to produce and distribute, especially in Europe and America, it became clear that enhanced protection of authors and uniform international copyright standards were required.

Mr Akinjide Sadiq, a legal practitioner while speaking on the issue with Sunday Tribune said in the area of musical works, the lifetime of any creative work is 70 years, whether the original owner is alive or dead. What that means is that “nobody has the right to use, in any form, the intellectual property (IP) of anyone without authorisation, mostly written.”

“There are various elements that must be considered for an infringement to occur,” he said adding that “the infringer must have had access to the copyrighted work and the copyright holder must have a valid copyright to his work. There are others, but these two are required. The Federal High Court can order that illegal works be impounded and the infringer can go to jail, but copyright infringement disputes can be settled through direct negotiation, a notice and take-down process.

If all fails, then it was to be a litigation in civil court. Copyright protection is automatic under international law, but in the event that work is infringed, evidence may be required to support the claim.”

To buttress Mr Sadeeq’s statement, Makinde said supporting evidence falls into two categories: Evolution of ideas and Watermarking. The first is actual proof of the progression of the work. These include synopsis, rough recordings, early drafts, sketches, etc. All these can be used as evidence on how the work has progressed over time, rather than being copied from elsewhere. Although it is possible to fake such evidence, it is often time-consuming to do so, so it can be fairly good evidence to demonstrate that one has created the work from scratch over a period of time.

Watermarking is evidence inserted into finished documents that will identify the author in some way, such as deliberate mistakes, or hidden data that can be read using special applications.

12

interview

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

If my feet couldn’t take me to places, my arms would —Gbenga Daniel’s son Adebola Daniel is the son of the former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, and the founder, Debola Daniel Foundation. Confined to the wheelchair, his recently launched organisation is committed to ending the stigma attached to people living with disabilities. He speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on the Nigerian environment and policies and how these affect the physically-challenged, among other issues.

W

HAT are the visions and objectives of the Debola Daniel Foundation?

The thought of starting something to inspire a change in the mindset of Nigerian citizens popped into my mind sometime last year. Although I did not particularly know how I wanted to spark a change at the time, I knew I had to do something about the unending attitudinal scorning of people living with disabilities.

So the vision of the foundation in the long term is to seek an end to the stigma attached to being physically-challenged and to change the mindset of both disabled and non-physically-challenged citizens to push the notion that disability is not inability. Our objectives are to promote education, employment and entrepreneurship within disabled Nigerian citizens, while taking a top-down approach to discussing and influencing policy that affects disabled citizens.

So who stands to benefit from the foundation? Will a three-year-old disabled from a local indigenous area be inspired by this cause?

This is not just another foundation that gives wheelchairs, crutches, walking aids and the likes to beneficiaries, as there are possibly hundreds of other foundations that do that. We are here to remove the word ‘disabled’ from the mindset. We are more interested in the future of the threeyear-old. The foundation is here to ensure that their future is bright. We want to make it their constitutional right to get an education that can enable them to get a job so they can take care of themselves.

We want to make it their constitutional right to be able to visit places of leisure and work without being excluded because of inaccessibility, or by the judgment and prejudiced notions of others. In my opinion, stigmatism to disabled citizens is a hate crime and it should be treated with the severity that it deserves.

You mentioned that the condition started when you were diagnosed with paraplegia at five, with no medical clarity. Have you tried to find out medically what went wrong?

I did do some researches and I have a clearer understanding. As the days progress, my understanding increases. I will not delve into more details though, as this movement is less about me, it is about every citizen’s mindset.

Disability in Nigeria is often associated with poverty, and the mentality is that a physically-challenged person needs to beg to survive…

It is a mentality that needs to change. It is the case because disability is looked at in Nigeria as a charity situation and not a welfare situation. It is unfortunate that some people see it as a means of livelihood

I will always be dedicated to selfless public service however form that comes in.

Did you have any fears while growing up; did the disability make you feel any different?

My initial fear was not being able to achieve my full potential because of the limitations of society both in Nigeria and internationally. So, yes, I did feel there were untapped capabilities within me that I could have exploited more. The important thing is to concentrate on what one can do and do it extremely well.

Have you personally ever been discriminated against because of your disability?

I have, a lot of times, especially in Nigeria in both government and private institutions. However, I will not go into specifics.

Adebola Daniel

through begging for alms. Your dreams or talents should never be buried or forgone because of a physical setback. We should move away, as a citizenry, from the shackles of charity to the pursuit of welfare of disabled citizens.

What are your views on Nigerian policies and the physically-challenged?

There is a starting block that has a lot of potential to be built upon. The foundation hopes the bill being debated in the House now gets passed and ratified into law. The important issue here is to always seek to constantly update laws that enable Nigeria’s disabled citizens to have equality of opportunity.

How supportive is your family?

My family has been very supportive. I could not have wished for more.

Are there things that you would have loved to be more involved in that you felt your condition restricted you from doing?

I feel that disability generally removes spontaneity from an individual’s life. One has to plan and be very aware of the surroundings and accessibility in a way an

abled person does not even consider.

How involved were you or would you have loved to be in your father’s political campaigns?

My father and I are extremely close.

While he is focused on creating an egalitarian society with eyes on the welfare of the masses, I am focusing on the people with disabilities.

Would you love to go into politics someday yourself?

At what point did you develop the passion to speak and fight for your own?

I would say at about 17 years old. The journey to being independent and trying to live my life took a turn for the positive when I forced myself to learn how to drive.

I told myself that if I could conquer this, I would truly discover independence. Once I succeeded in learning, I realised that the world was my playground and I promised myself that if my feet couldn’t take me to places, my arms would take me and if my hands won’t take me to places, my brain would take me, if my brain couldn’t take me to places, my words will go places.

Educational background I had my primary and the first half of my secondary education in Nigeria. I was at St. Judes in FESTAC, then CTC in Lagos where I finished my primary education. I started off my secondary education in Atlantic Hall before I moved to the United Kingdom where I finished my secondary education and A Levels at Caterham School. Finally, I attended the University of Surrey, achieving a Barchelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and finished off with an MSc at University College London (UCL) in 2016.

Are you married?

No, I am not married yet.

I told myself that if I could conquer this, I would truly discover independence. Once I succeeded in learning, I realised that the world was my playground

What are your dreams? What are your future goals?

I have a private passion for technology and I want to be part of a team that would one day be responsible for modernising the infrastructure of Nigeria while simultaneously pushing the whole civil service into a digital and largely automated age.

How do you relax?

I personally enjoy a good book. Reading an engaging book can really help me unwind.

13 Continued from

T

16 October, 2016 last week

HE second quotation is taken from the great didactic Sermon Oil the Mount: “Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl. You will know them by their deeds. Do you ever pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from prickly plants? Never! Any sound tree bears good fruit, while a decayed tree bears bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit any more than a decayed tree can bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You can tell a tree by its fruit. None of those who cry out, (Lord, Lord) will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. When that day comes, many will - plead with me: ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not exorcised demons by its power? Did we not do many miracles in your name as well’?’ Then 1 will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Out of my sight, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7. Verses 15 to 23) With these quotations in mind, my sincere and serious verdict is that, whether he believes in heaven or not, and whether he likes it or not, Tai Solarin, because of the pureness of his heart, and because of his innumerable humanitarian and Christlike deeds, will find himself in paradise, while some self-righteous clergy will be on the other side of the unbridgeable ethereal Divide - which is Hell. Someone who speaks more nonsense than sense outside the narrow confines of his professional communion with worms and such like things, has told us that four walls don’t make a school!

The same person told us twenty-five years ago that the primary classrooms in the then Western Region were so badly constructed that they were tilting and would all soon collapse. Twenty-five years have passed, and they are still standing and fulfilling their mission which is to provide adequate shelters for those who teach and receive instructions in them.

Our Stand In the crusade against ignorance on which the UPN through our Governors have embarked, we will not be deterred by factious and carping criticism such as Archbishop Okogie and other ill-motivated people like him have mounted.

The objectives after which we of the UPN strive are

Awo’s thoughts PATH TO NIGERIAN GREATNESS

On the campaign trail Charter of stability and progress* clear before us. We are unflinchingly resolved to help every Nigerian to assume his true heritage as the image of his Creator. It is to this end that our four cardinal programmes have been fashioned. Education is to give him a sound mind. Preventive and curative health care is to give him a sound body. And by preventive health care we mean something more than prophylactics. Suitable and adequate food and shelter, decent clothing, and a wholesome environment are vital aspects of preventive health care. But whilst Government must provide preventive medicines free of charge, it cannot be expected to provide food, shelter, and clothing free.

However, it goes without saying that no one can procure these things without adequate income. It is for this reason, among other reasons, that it is incumbent on the Governments of the day, acting in concert, to ensure that every Nigerian is’ able to earn a minimum national living wage or income.

It is only by achieving the objective after which we strive that our people can reflect the real but dormant Godhood in them and cease to be the helpless and hapless victims of superstitious and religious dogmas, and assert their freedom from pagan, clerical, political and economic exploitations.

I would also like to seize this opportunity to pay public tribute to all the UPN members in the National Assembly

Sunday Tribune

and in the eleven State Assemblies of Bendel, Cross River, Gongola, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, and Rivers. From all accounts, they have all done us proud: Our members in the House of Representatives and those in the Senate under the enlightened and indefatigable leadership of Chief J. A. O. Odebiyi have shown beyond any cavil what a dedicated non-government party can and is expected to do in a presidential system. It is the duty of the Legislature to see to it that it governs well. It is a happy thing to observe that UPN members of the National Assembly together with their friends in the GNPP and PRP have, in all their utterances and doings, demonstrated unflagging vigilance, devotion to our election pledges, constructiveness, and a high and unimpeachable sense of responsibility. The NPN members in Kaduna State Assembly should go to our people in the National Assembly and learn.

It is too early to pass considered judgment on Shagari’s infant administration. Because of his in action, there is really nothing to write home about. Recently, however, he chose to pat himself on the back for what he described as his achievements in sixty-one days of office. For a habitually slow pedestrian like him, even the pace of a fast walker is still too much. But Nigeria wants to move at a jet speed to recover grounds that have been lost in the past nineteen years, and to move forward to take its rightful place in Africa and the world.

It is, therefore, the duty of our members in the National Assembly and indeed of all of us in the UPN to impart an impelling and accelerating impetus on Alhaji Shagari, to the end that he may develop the desired speed. If he fails to respond, then we should uncompromisingly expose him far what he is. In either case, we will be the gainers - as the pacemaker of the slow-beating heart of Alhaji Shagari’s administration, and as the unmasker of his cleverly disguised but utter inadequacy ...

Here I stand, I can do no other. These are the famous wards of Martin Luther, the initiator of the Protestant Movement, when he stood defiantly before the Diet of Warms to answer a charge of heretical activities arising from his opposition to the “sale of indulgences.”

In this address, I have presented to you the outlines of a Charter - a charter of stability and progress. And I believe I can proclaim on your behalf and on behalf of the masses of our supporters throughout the country: On this charter we stand; we can do no other.

Concluded

AFRICAN NEWSPAPERS OF NIGERIA PLC Founders: CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO GCFR, SAN (1909 - 1987)

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14

foreignfeature

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Rise in Nigerian sex slavery in Italy fuelled by violence and “juju” magic

By Tom Esslemont

W

HEN Nigerian teenager, Beauty, arrived in Sicily after crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa last year, she had only hours to phone the man who trafficked her - or risk lethal repercussions for family members back home.

Before her journey through Niger to Libya, a spiritual priest practicing a form of black magic known in Nigeria as “juju” had forced her to swear an oath of obedience to her trafficker.

The threat of a “curse” if she broke her oath and the possibility of violence by her traffickers at home in Benin City, a southern Nigerian hub for human trafficking, were enough to trap her into sex slavery.

“If I had reported him to the police, my family would have been in great danger,” said the 19-year-old girl, fiddling with blackand-blond braids as she recalled the events of last summer.

“At the (migrant) camp a man came to pick me up in a car. I got into the car and I was taken away.”

Beauty, who uses a pseudonym and declined to reveal her full name, is one of around 12,000 Nigerian women who reached Italy by sea over the past two years, official data shows.

That’s a six-fold increase over the previous two-year period, with the majority - almost 80 percent - of the young women victims of trafficking, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Young, exhausted and vulnerable, many victims report being told that prostitution is the only way to repay hefty debts ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 euros ($28,000$112,000) to their traffickers, Italian charities say.

Fear plays a large part in the juju rituals, with pubic hair, fingernails and blood

collected from the victim as she is made to swear never to report her situation to the authorities, rights groups say.

In some cases, fearing the juju “spell” may be turned on them and they may die, Nigerian parents insist their daughters obey their traffickers, testimony from Italian court documents shows.

Beauty only learned later that she had been trafficked - and that the man who had brought her to Europe, a friend of her father’s, now demanded she pay back 25,000 euros ($28,000) by working as a prostitute.

“My pimp was a nice man. I think he was a good man,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the security of the safe house where she now lives.

But as she provided sex services for dozens of Italian clients in a town in southern Italy, a tyranny of abuse unfolded, she said.

“The man pimped me. His girlfriend beat me.”

“OUT OF CONTROL” With numbers of Nigerians rising in Sicily, prostitution is a thriving business, campaigners say - though nobody knows exactly how many women end up plying their trade on the streets.

Close to the vibrant cultural centre in the island’s southeastern port city of Catania, six or seven African women posed outside shuttered-up shops at night as teams from a local charity, the Penelope Association, offered support and advice.

“The women need help to reintegrate in society,” said Oriana Cannavo, head of the charity’s Catania branch, nodding towards a woman in a short turquoise dress sauntering up and down the pavement.

The offer of support is a delicate one, Cannavo said, because the girls are already in the psychological clutches of their traffickers.

The number of Nigerian women arriving in Italy is accelerating - complicating the task

of law enforcement agencies determined to keep tabs on the location of pimps or their female brokers known as “madams”.

Dozens of Nigerian men and women have been arrested in Italy in recent months on trafficking related charges, prosecutors say.

More than 13,500 unaccompanied minors - some from Nigeria - were “reached” by social workers in 2013 and 2014, with around 9,200 taken into Italian state care, according to a report commissioned by the interior ministry.

The Italian government did not respond to repeated requests for the number of adult victims of trafficking supported or granted asylum.

“Female victims of violence are granted special protection similar to that accorded to refugees,” the Italian interior ministry said on its website.

The new arrivals of trafficking victims are stretching the workload of the IOM, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and local charities, aid workers say.

“It is reaching a stage where it is out of control,” said Margherita Limoni, a legal advisor with the IOM in Catania.

The number of Nigerian women arriving in Italy has almost doubled in the past year, surpassing 6,300 in the first eight months of 2016, up from 3,400 for the same period last year, according to the IOM. Unaccompanied children from Nigeria some as young as 10 or 11 - have also flocked to Italy. Around 1,700 arrived in the first eight months of this year, while 1,000 came during the whole of 2015, the IOM data shows.

PIMPS AS “BENEFACTORS” Although minors are offered state protection, Beauty was not eligible for this as she was already 18, she said.

After running away from her pimp late last year, she fled to the local office of the Penel-

ope Association, which found her a place in sheltered accommodation late last year.

Beauty is one of 45 people the charity aims to support this year by finding them a place to live and employment in restaurants, well away from the preying eyes of traffickers, Cannavo said.

But the assistance is not always accepted.

Seven of Beauty’s friends slipped back into prostitution out of fear of their pimps, or loyalty, the teenager said.

“Many times the girls see their pimp as a benefactor who is trying to improve their lives,” said IOM’s Limoni, who briefs newly arrived migrants about the dangers of trafficking. “They trust them 100 percent.”

Victims are also put off from fleeing pimps by actual stories of families being targeted or killed back in Nigeria - a reminder of the need to fulfil their obligations or stick to their juju oaths, another Sicily-based campaigner said.

If a girl breaks her juju oath then she loses the spiritual protection, or so they believe, said Vivian Wiwoloku, president of the charity Pelligrino della Terra.

“There was one Nigerian girl some years ago who abandoned prostitution. Then someone was really sent to her home in Nigeria to kill her brother,” said Wiwoloku in his small office in the island’s main city of Palermo.

Wiwoloku, also from Nigeria, said his charity work - helping more than 400 women abandon prostitution since 1996 - was not without its dangers. His car has twice been set on fire.

“When you try to help somebody not everyone will be happy,” he said.

The IOM’s Margherita Limoni agreed that the strong spiritual and psychological grip of Nigerian pimps, madams and traffickers makes it harder to support the victims.

“The traffickers are getting smarter and smarter by the day,” she said.

Thomson Reuters Foundation

15

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

I offloaded and I’m now

reloaded —Hilda Dokubo

Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo, is a filmmaker, activist, entrepreneur, life coach and Executive Director, Centre for Creative Arts Education (CREATE). Dokubo was a popular face in the movie industry for many years before she took a break to focus on other engagements that reshaped her focus in life. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, the light-skinned actress said she had not lost the aura that made her the toast of many people years back.

I

T’S been a long time since we heard about you or your work but you have returned to acting after a long break. How have you been coping with your return to movies?

The truth of the matter which I have been trying to explain is that I never left acting completely. I actually went to school. I decided to set up a school. For the records, I went to work with my community and I went to serve in the state.

It was not that I left, I took a break to serve the nation. But now that my break time is over, I have come back to concentrate on my acting career and I can tell you that it has been one interesting journey. It is has been said over time that when you take a break from something, you come back a better and stronger person.

Continues on pg16

Today’s set of Nollywood actors are not grounded —Segun Arinze

Supremacy war:

Wizkid is bigger than Alikba —Manager

I don’t know why I’m Nollywood’s new bride —Obesere

16

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune With Segun Adebayo &Seyi Sokoya tegbollistic@yahoo.com seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08116954644 08053789034

have been seeing around?

There you go again. I have always been an advocate of the more the merrier, the better.

If you are the only candle in a room, when you burn out that is the end of it. But together, the light is brighter and more people can see what we have all got to offer. Nothing moves me. I am not competing with anybody. I have been around for a while, so at this point, what could I possibly be proving again?

Continued from pg15

A lot has happened since you left.

Some of your contemporaries have moved up the ladder while some new faces have taken over the industry.

How are you finding your way back?

Your question sounds interesting because you don’t know how much I like what I do.

This is something that I was trained to do and even in the course of my break, I was doing other things that engaged my mind and brain in order to get better. I don’t have to find my way back into what I understand very well, I just have to do what I know how to do and leave the people to tell if truly I have found my way back or still struggling to catch up. As far as I know, stars only shine and that is what I do. Just wait and see what I am up to. I know a lot of people want to know what took me away and how I have been coping with life without acting. At the right time, they will begin to hear from me.

How easy was it for you to walk away at a time when your name was on the lips of many home video lovers?

You are missing the point. I didn’t walk away. That is the point I have been trying to let you understand. I did not walk out. I only moved into something else. As I said earlier, what stars do is that they throw light and just shine. I am not in any struggle either with myself or with anyone. There is no competition going on; it’s just me doing my work with my team. Yes, decisions are not easy, but you need to also look at what your options are at the time and what satisfaction it presents. What gains, what losses and reach a decision. That was what I did. It was something I thought about extensively. I needed to give back to the society. I have enjoyed so much love. I had won every single award at that time. I mean there is a level at which you get to and you would want to do something new. I just needed to give back to the society. You offload a bit and reload, and that is what I have done. I am back, bigger, better, extraordinarily stronger. It is not that I did nothing for three years. After staying away for three years, I came back to do one or two and left again.

How rewarding was the thing that took you away?

If you talk about monetary reward, I will say no but it was mind-rewarding. It provided emotional satisfaction that I can’t measure. I am happy about the quality of people that I have built around me, I can’t measure that. That is just immeasurable because today people want young people who are strong, good character and everything.

People call me up and say Hilda send me a young person between this age and this age that I can engage. So now, people trust that I have trained proper people. And they take my recommendation seriously. So I think I have tried.

Now that you are back, what do you think about the jobs that have been coming?

The producers know my typical style. If a job is not good I don’t do it. I don’t care how much you want to pay. Once you have a good script and I can see that you are ready for the job with the availability of other things on ground, I will jump at the script.

What is your next project now that you are back?

Asawana.

What does that mean?

Asawana means a beauty retort. All the people know about Niger/Delta; its oil vulnerability, restive young people, restlessness but I have a different story to tell. I want to be able to tell a different story. The region is not about restiveness, illegal oil bunkering, oil tap, sacking of communities alone. It is also about our community, philosophies and people’s way of life. I want to talk about the aspirations of the people of that region.

‘I opened doors of political appointments for my colleagues’ You have featured In the CEO and Stigma, what was it like working with the producers?

These two movies were great. I mean everybody knows that they stand out and I am very happy to be part of the cast. It was really awesome.

I was going to ask you about CEO, how challenging was the role?

Of course it was a very challenging role to play. I am not a man. It was a role written for a man. It was written for a police officer; there is nothing military about me. I am 500 per cent civilian in my mind but being military, a police officer, playing the role originally written for a man was quite tedious.

Yes, it took a lot of hard work. I was also working with a superlative man; Kunle Afolayan. If you know Kunle, he would make you play the role that you are comfortable in. He wants you to express yourself the best way you can, so it was nice.

What do you think about the development that has taken over the movie industry in the last few years?

Well, we have different kinds of development; some are positives while others are not. For the positive ones, they were late in coming, they should have come earlier.

They should have come during your

time?

Who told you this is not my time? I enjoyed every moment back then and I am still here today with a very high degree of relevance, if you know what I mean. The industry is wide and those who dare to fly can do so without any hindrances. There are negative developments too but what I would say is that it happens in every industry. There would be that time when everyone thinks that this is a cash cow; we need to get our cash. With time, it also begins to fall off. So, the truth is that I don’t worry myself with this kind of thing; I worry myself with the positives.

I think about we can better what we already have. I think that should be the focus of every stakeholder.

When you were away, was there any time you felt like coming back?

Yes, it happened to me virtually every day, especially when you watch a movie and you think this could have been better. There were those moments.

The movie industry has changed from the way you left it. There are new actors and actresses on the scene doing very well. These people don’t appear to be letting any moment pass away. Do you really think you have come back at the right time and what do you think about the new faces you

For somebody who was once in government as a special adviser, will you rule out full-time politics in the nearest future?

If you talk about the politics of Nigeria as it is today, I will say no. But politics when it becomes politics, yes I will be there to contribute my quota to the development of my people.

Why not now? Your colleagues are there and they are doing fine…

Don’t forget that I was the first entertainer to be given government appointment. As a Special Adviser to the governor on Youth Affairs. It was after my appointment that other governors felt comfortable appointing entertainers. They knew that it had nothing to do with the fact that we were appearing on the television. These people had something in their heads. Today, it is easy for any governor to pronounce an actor SA, Commissioner, whatever it is. I beat my chest and say thank you for doing everyone proud. And I am proud for setting that pace.

Having said that I want people to also know that because of the office that I held, I was so close to government structures, council and saw a lot of files and letters. If politics is as it today, I don’t want to be part of gunrunning but if it is service to humanity, trust me, I will be there.

What do you have to say, about the economic situation, of the country?

When you get to the end of the road. You have no other option than to find your way back and convert that to ... the choices are ours. But you know as a Christian.

I always say to myself, in times of hardship, God always raises... If he could do it then with someone, he can do it now with someone. Yes we are where it seems like nothing is working but don’t forget we are still thinking creatively. This is where creative people are making the money. This is where people are beginning to say where the creative minds around us are. What can we do? People are beginning to think outside the box. So it won’t be for long. I told someone that I have made up my mind not to talk about how bad it is but how good it ought to be.

17

razzmatazz

16 October, 2016

P-shantel out with ‘Iheoma’

Omoni Oboli’s Okafor’s Law gets another honour

By Segun Adebayo

A

FTER shining at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) weeks back, Omoni Oboli’s latest movie, Okafor’s Law, has been selected for Stockholm International Film Festival (SIFF).

The film, voted as the best in the competition section, received the Bronze horse (Bronshasten). Since its start, the festival has focused on bringing forth and supporting new talents through competitions and scholarships. A third of the films selected for the festival are made by a debuting director.

Okafor’s Law reportedly gulped about N40 million in production and is coming after her third movie in cinema, Wives on Strike sold N70 million, making it the third highest grossing Nollywood movie at the cinemas.

Okafor’s Law stars established acts such as, Richard Mofe Damijo, Ken Erics, Ufoma Mcdermoth, Blossom Chukwujekwe, Gabriel Afolayan, Tina Mba, Toyin Aimakhu, Halima

Abubakar, Lala Akindoju, Betty Irabor, and others.

With experienced crew members comprising Yinka Edwards (cinematography), Pat Nebo (Set Design), and Tomi Adeoye (production manager), the movie is expected to be an instant hit with the audience.

According to the artistic director of TIFF , Cameron Bailey, Okafor’s Law is about a slick serial seducer who placed a bet with his friends that he could bed three old flames in six weeks.

The law that says that straight men and women can’t be just friends; Okafor’s Law argues that once friends get benefits, those benefits last for life. Rooted in the eternal lessons of lust.

This romantic comedy movie further established Oboli as Nigeria’s answer to Nancy Meyers and Lena Dunham.

Terminator (Blossom Chukwujekwu) is known by his best friends Fox and Baptist to be a successful serial seducer, but even they are shocked when he ends up in bed with an old flame right after her engagement ceremony to another man.

when she met Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.

Phiona becomes fascinated with the game and soon becomes a top

By Seyi Sokoya P-SHANTEL, a fast rising female Port Harcourt- based gospel music minister is ready to take the music industry by storm. The artiste who early this year, released a song entitled: “Sozo” which was a success, is out with another hit entitled: “Iheoma”.

According to the artiste, “I have paid my dues in the music industry and now set to take my rightful place in the industry. I am doing everything possible to hit the top of the chart in the music industry with my latest effort. Unlike ‘Sozo’, ‘Iheoma’ is a fusion of contemporary sounds and the traditional Eastern fast paced high-life beat locally called ‘Ariaria’.”

EMCOAN organises workshop for members staff THE Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN) is set to facilitate a workshop for its members staff to bring them up to speed on the recent trends in the production and post-production space.

The essence of the workshop is to avail all staff of the latest

‘Queen of Katwe’ hits Nigeria HOLLYWOOD movie, Queen of Katwe, finally made a strong debut in Nigerian entertainment industry last Friday.

Queen of Katwe, a Disney movie featuring Lupita Nyong and David Oyelowo, both of African descent, was premiered to select audience comprising 125 pupils from Radiant college, Emmanuel College, Corona Schools, Tenny College and Victorious College in Lagos State.

The premiere was facilitated by Blue Pictures, representing Crimson Multimedia in Nigeria.

Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) and her family. Her world changes one day

Sunday Tribune

player under Katende’s guidance.

Her success in local competitions and tournaments opens the door to a bright future and a golden chance to escape from a life of poverty.

set of skills in production world as this would be one of the final programmes EMCOAN would be embarking upon for it members for 2016.

President of EMCOAN, Mrs Debbie Odutayo, is of the opinion that the training would equip staff with better production quality as the body approaches 2017.

She is also of the view that ‘EMCOAN members are known for their top-notch content programming, so this training would continue to put us ahead of the pack in terms of better production management skills and creating better content

ahead of 2017. There could not have been a better time to hold such training.

Chairman of the Programme’s Committee, Mr. Paul Igwe, who is also the Managing Director of Whitestone Media Limited, said,” Sound and audio challenge has been one of the key areas a lot of content in this part of the clime is battling with and, oftentimes, it marred the entire production process. So this workshop/training would address that and further sharpen our skills and enable us keep up with latest happenings in production management.”

People with sickle cell to display talents with MCS

By Seyi Sokoya AN entertainment outfit, 4sight Productions and Nirvana Initiatives, a non governmental organisation on sickle cell advocacy are set give of sickle cell patients a leverage through a Musical Campaign Show (MCS), which is also designed to be an anti-stigmataisation campaign.

Speaking at a press briefing held at Roaster Burger building, Lekki, Lagos State, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of 4sight Productions, Mr Michael Baba, disclosed that the need to support and protect the sickle cell patients from societal stigmatisation and discrimination informed the decision of the two organisations to plan a musical public show of collection of notable Nigerian artistes and celebrities to create

awareness on the need for the public to rally round people with disease.

“Sickle cell patients were just like other normal people and should be encouraged to live a rewarding and fulfilled life. The awareness campaign, tagged, “End Sickle Cell in Our Generation”, is slated to hold later in October at Victoria

Garden City’s park at Ajah in Lagos,” he said.

The Communication and Media manager of Nirvana Initiatives, Mr Micheal Ayodele, also said that “his organisation found the initiative of 4sight Productions of using musical show to create awareness and educate on sickle cell disease, hence their decision to partner with

them was vital.

“Catering and caring for people with sickle cell through the creation of conducive environment for them to achieve their goals in life are also our priority. Already, our organisation has put in place a resource centre where sickle cell patients can get free medical consultation, advice and treatment,” he said.

From left, Media Manager, Nirvana Initiatives, Mr Michael Ayodele; Communication Manager, 4sight Productions, Miss Dieko Adewole; Chief Executive Officer, 4sight Productions, Michael Baba and Dr Mahesh Shetty Medical Director, Vedc Lifecare Hosiptal during a press briefing in Lagos State, on Sickle Cell Musical campaign show.

18

Sunday Tribune

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Segun Adebayo tegbollistic@yahoo.com 08116954644

Seyi Sokoya seyi_sky@yahoo.com 08075166585

Supremacy war:

Many Nollywood actors are social media stars —Segun Arinze

Wizkid is bigger than Alikba

VETERAN actor, Segun Arinze, has taken a swipe at the current crop of Nollywood actors and actresses, describing them as social media stars who are not well grounded in the arts.

Arinze, who was a guest on Emannuel Ugolee’s TV show, The Gist, maintained that it was becoming worrisome for him and some veteran actors seeing what is now being descibed as new Nollywood by today’s thespians.

The actor said it was wrong for the new set of actors to claim that new Nollywood, displaced the old Nollywood aside, adding that he was taken aback reading such comments coming from

—Sunday Are

By Segun Adebayo

T

HE last may not have been heard about the supremacy war that played out between Nigeria’s Wizkid and Tanzanian star, Alikba at the Mombasa Rocks concert, which was staged in Kenya. Wizkid and Alikba had been billed to perform at the event which was headlined by American pop star, Chris Brown.

Problem was said to have started when Alikba and his team got wind of the fact that Wizkid would perform before the Tanzanian artiste, a development that did not go down well with the Tanzanian star, who has also been nominated in MTV Europe Music Awards (MTV EMA) 2016.

He had insisted that he would perform before Wizkid because he felt

his brand of music is more popular than Wizkid’s, who is also a nominee of MTV EMA 2016.

When reacting to the seeming supremacy battle that was said to have delayed the show for more than two hours, Wizkid’s manager, Sunday Are, told R on Friday that it was “childish for Alikba to attempt to perform before Wizkid,” adding that Wizkid’s brand is bigger and larger

THESE days, hardly will you see a movie of Nollywood stars without the Fuji icon, Abass Akande Obesere, popularly known as ‘New Alhaji Agba 1’, being featured.

But the popular fuji artiste has said he does not know why he has suddenly become the most sought after Fuji artiste who almost top Nollywood actors want on their set.

Speaking in a chat with R during the past week, Obesere said he has lost count on how many movies he has featured in the last few months.

According to him, “My brother, let me be sincere with you, I have lost count. One of the top Nollywood actors (names withheld) just left my house now, and I have given them a date. “I pray I meet up because other actors want me on set everyday.”

Asked what they saw in him, he replied I don’t really know why I have become Nollywood’s new bride. But I know they must have seen something in me because two years ago, they never called me. Maybe I act better. It’s Lord’s doing anyway.”

He, however, said the fact that he

don’t understand why he would think that he could perform before Wizkid at such event. I make bold to say it that Wizkid is bigger than Alikba.

There is no supremacy war between Wizkid and anybody. Wizkid is the biggest brand in Africa, there in no controversy about that,” he said.

I stand for versatility —Dice Ailes

By Seyi Sokoya AFRO pop artiste, Damilola Shasha Alesh, otherwise known as Dice Ailes, is one of the fast rising artistes the music industry must

I don’t know why I am Nollywood’s new bride —Obesere

By Segun Adebayo

than Alikba’s in Africa.

“I really don’t want to talk about the issue because the guy in question is only looking for cheap publicity. I

had been enjoying acting does not mean he would remain there permanently.

“It is not as if I am quitting music for acting. Music is my calling but as an entertainer, you must be versatile and creative.”

watch out for not just because he’s signed to Chocolate City Record label, but because of his versatility and his brand of music.

The rapper, however, has got his sight set for glory in the competitive music industry as he is getting better by the day and utilising the instructions and wise counsel from his record label management led by the rapper exponent, MI. Dice Ailes, whose new video entitled: ‘Miracle’ is currently enjoying airplay has also cleared the air on why she featured a lady in his video which he described as instrumental and that she represents ‘miracle’.

The prodigy who is increasing his fan base on daily basis through is works; especially ‘Machinery’ is not relenting in his effort as he also revealed his plans to engage in collaboration with Wande Coal.

Sifter’s ‘Ibadi’ makes wave BUGATTI Records act, Moses Komolafe, better known as Sifter, is gradually winning the hearts of many music lovers with his songs.

Since he broke into the music scene a few years ago with his popular track, Ololufe, which featured Gongoaso crooner, 9ice, Sifter has not looked back.

He would later release Chop Am, another track that pushed his music career to another level and stamped his presence on the music scene as one of the fast-rising acts in the music industry.

Sifter, a US-based Nigerian-born singer, has continued to churn out new singles and videos to the much delight of fans, his new song Ibadi signposts his readiness to

keep his name on the lips of his fans.

The new single, which is an admixture of dance and love, was released last week Friday with its video and has gone to top a number of music chats for more than a week.

Directed by Bugatti Records video director, IFE and shot in the United States, the new single in true to his commitment to keep raising the bar with his music and keeping Africa and the rest of the world entertained.

Speaking with R from his US base on Thursday, Sifter hinted that he was moved by the show of love and appreciation from his fans towards the new single and video, adding

31

that “I am excited with the respeonse I have been getting from my fans since I dropped the audio and video of ‘Ibadi.”

today’s acts in the English version of Nollywood. Arinze, branded the new set of actors as pretentious, saying “Today’s set of Nollywood actors are not grounded. What they know how to do is to speak phonetics.”

According to him, any serious actor will never rule out training. He said that constant training was important to bring out the best in any actor that wants to fly above his colleagues.

Arinze, who said talent is not enough to take any actor far in the entertainment industry, added that “I am sorry to say this but the truth is that today’s crop of Nollywood actors are not grounded. Talent is not the only thing you need, you also

have to be grounded.”

He added that the current structure of Nollywood does not portray one as a serious actor, but one that wants to be popular.

“Most of these guys are pretentious. They are only interested in who has the highest number of likes or followers on their social media platforms. Most of them are not even disciplined and they lack the knowledge. They only want to be popular,” he said.

Celebrities praise crew, cast of ‘93 days’ movie

By Segun Adebayo ENCOMIUMS have continued to pour in for ‘93 days’ movie.

Blogger, Linda Ikeji and other celebrities like Uche Jombo, Omoni Oboli, Chinedu Amah and Chioma Akpotha lauded the quality of the movie.

Ikeji, who posted on her popular blog few days ago said 93 days “Is an amazing movie and it’s the first Nigerian movie she’s ever had to pay to watch at the cinema”.

“93 Days is the only Nigerian movie I have ever paid to go watch in Nigerian cinema and what a movie; amazing cinematography, storytelling and acting. It’s based on the story of the people who saved lives of many Nigerians by containing Ebola that came to their hospital-First Consultant Medical Hospital and the hero, Dr Ameyo Adadevoh who made sure the Ebola carrier, Liberian Patrick Sawyer didn’t leave the hospital and spread the disease. Amazing movie” she said.

Chioma Akpotha, a Nollywood actress, said 93 Days will wow the audience. “Have you seen 93 days?

Please go and watch it this weekend. You will love it. These actors will wow you. (It is a ) Fantastic movie, Bimbo Akintola was phenomenal,” she said.

A compelling human story of dedication, sacrifice, resilience and survival, the movie which is directed

by Steve Gukas, and produced

by Bolanle Austen-Peters, Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas, has been in cinemas across Nigeria since September 16.

T h e movie demon-

Beautiful Nubia adopts new method IN his quest to take advantage of trend of the new technology and also to create a platform for his fans to have access to his works without stress, Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, has adopted a new method to spread his musical works to the public.

The folktale musician has introduced an additional means in getting his music across to fans through a new device form, a branded USB sticks which contains over 200 songs of the musician.

According to Nubia, the initiative was part of his effort to answer the demands of some of his fans and also follow the direction of the trend of the innovation of new technology.

“I think the development is currently

...with Lalacious

Actress turns to stealing for survival WELL, this actress is not very popular but she is a member of the English version of Nollywood. She is based in one of the Oyel states but is actually from Ebeano state.

However, things are becoming so bad for this actress whose surname is the same as that of a former Senate President who later became the secretary to the topmost government.

The news Olofofo is telling us is that this yellow-pawpaw lady is in trouble, a serious one for that matter. Things were so bad for her that she resorted to stealing, taking away a male friend’s N400,000.

In fact, after she was discovered to have stolen the money, the said man contacted the police who promptly arrested her.

As you are reading this, the lady , who was said to have lived a very extravagant lifestyle befriending ex-militants, illegal oil bunkerers, among others, is currently remanded in prison after she was charged to court for stealing another man’s money.

She caused confusion with her chest at movie location

strates the bravery of the late Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh and her colleagues. From their encounter with the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who was the index case of the Ebola virus, to ensuring that the right medical procedures were in place to stop the spread of the disease in the country.

By Seyi Sokoya

Nosey Parker

achieving its purpose because it will not hinder the steady form of producing songs, the CDs and cassette. Don’t let us forget that some people still use cassette.

But we need to introduce new medium such as this. Most cars and home appliances today now have USB port and it is easier to operate. It will rather enhance the regular mediums and not displace them,” he said.

Nubia, who is currently on a school tour within and outside the country, also told R that plans are ongoing to hold this year’s EmuFest in a big way.

SINCERELY speaking, we don’t really know how to describe her. She claimed she is an actress but no one has seen her in any serious movie, another time, she said she is a musician but we are not aware of any of her album. What we know is that she is in the entertainment world.

She came into limelight when she featured in a reality television show where thousands of dollars are won. She caused commotion in the show when she allowed a young man that has ‘Angel’ on his name to eat her yam right in the full views of millions of people.

The news Olofofo, told Nosey Parker about this lady is that she decided to throw caution to the wind at a movie location by wearing a cloth that totally revealed her chest region which had already gone ‘south-south’ despite her young age.

According to Olofofo, the lady, apparently in order to show the latest tattoo she did on her chest region, decided to wear a very bad cloth to a movie location and everyone at the location, including ladies, felt shocked and scandalized at the cloth which left nothing to imagination.

You still don’t know this lady? Well, her first name sounds like that of a popular hill in Obama’s country while her surname sounds like the name of the university in a south-west state which just had an election recently. The university’s name was also changed a few years ago.

Cat scare throws producer into confusion

IT seems the witches in our country will not leave this popular producer alone as there are reports that they have sent some cats after him in far-away Obama’s country so as to get him at all cost.

In fact, it was the producer himself that raised the alarm after he saw one, two, three cats disturbing him in his apartment and being a Yoruba man, he said he quite understood the message.

According to what Olofofo told Nosey Parker, trouble was said to have started for this producer, whose marriage to an actress, whose surname sounds like that of one of Jesus disciples, packed up some years ago, and who was rumoured to be dating another actress whose name has something to do with the capital of Syria, when he returned to his apartment one day only to see three cats hanging around his windows.

According to Olofofo, the man has since started praying ‘by fire by thunder’ and has begged whoever sent those cats to desist from their evil act.

Please, remember, no be from our mouth you hear this o!

Polity The

President Muhammadu Buhari

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

X

Columns

19

On the Lord’s Day

Lesson from Edo gov election —p28

The Lynxeye

So, we have only received six percent of Abacha’s loot?

—p27

Justice Mahmood Mohammed, CJN

DSS vs Judiciary

Who will Judge this case?

Last weekend, operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) swooped on some judges across the country, claiming they allegedly found huge sums of money in their possession. Though the affected judges have been granted administrative bail by the DSS, the action of the security outfit has continued to generate different reactions. SUNDAY EJIKE reports.

M

ORE than six decades ago, John Austin gave a series of lectures that later formed the foundations of the Speech Act Theory contained in his seminal work, How To Do Things With Words.

According to him, when people speak, they don’t just utter words; they also perform certain actions with the words uttered.

In doing things with words, certain conditions or contexts must exist. One of such is that the person performing acts with words must be qualified to do so. For instance, at a wedding ceremony,

only the priest joining a man and a woman together in a holy wedlock, after observing the necessary rites, is conferred with the power to say, “I declare thee husband and wife.” The parents of the bride or the groom or any other person cannot so declare.

Perhaps of weightier import are such performative utterances as are uttered in the court rooms by judges. After considering the evidences before him or her, a judge pronounces an accused person guilty or otherwise, depending on the facts of the matter or other extraneous considerations.

It is in this regard that the words from the mouth of a judge are said to have the power

What Nigeria needs to do to get out of recession —Buhari

—p24

of life and death. Should the accused be convicted, jailed or sentenced to death, the mere sentence from the judge to that effect changes social reality until such verdict is set aside by a superior court.

But what happens when the words from the mouth of the head of a security agency become potent enough as to cause the arrest and detention of seven judges on allegation of bribery, corruption and sundry fraudulent practices?

That is the puzzle that probably confronted the seven judges rounded up and detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) last week. The night of Friday

and Saturday morning of the weekend will not be easily forgotten in the history of the country in general and in the nation’s judiciary in particular.

Acting upon allegations of official misconduct and corruption, the DSS stormed the houses of two Justices of the Supreme Court and five other judges. The seven judges are: Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court; Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja; Kabir Auta of the Kano High Court; Muazu Pindiga of Gombe High Court, Mohammed Tsamiya of the continues on pg 20

With TSA, Nigeria can’t get out of recession —Doherty —p25

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16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

The DSS axe on judges continues from pg 19 Court of Appeal in Ilorin, and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, I. A. Umezulike. They were detained for some days and granted bail on self recognition by the DSS. This was, perhaps, the first time the DSS would be making such sweeping arrests and some sections of the country believe that the action of the service was an usurpation of the responsibilities of the police.

Since the incident, there have been several reactions from various sections of the society, most especially, those in the legal profession.

The umbrella body of lawyers in the country, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), gave the first dose of the criticism.

The NBA president, Abubakar Mahmoud, at a press conference in Lagos, said the “harassment” and arrest of the judges was absurd, unacceptable and declared a state of emergency in the Judiciary over the incident.

The NBA boss, who was joined by four past presidents of the association, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN); and Augustine Alegeh (SAN), condemned what he described as the Gestapo-style of

the DSS. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had, in his address at a valedictory session held in honour of a retired Supreme Court justice, Justice Suleiman Galadima, on Monday, condemned the incident and said “it was regrettable, sad and unfortunate.”

But a legal practitioner, Jiti Ogunye, did not see anything wrong in the manner in which the DSS executed the arrest in the early hours of Saturday, explaining that Section 148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act states that a search

The condemnations of the raid in the Senate were sequel to the adoption of a motion by Senator Joshua Lidani, who raised questions about the arrests. The senators also urged the president to call all security agencies to order and direct the full observance of the rule of law in the discharge of their duties.

While leading the debate, Lidani had said: “The Senate notes with dismay and disapproval the recent criminal invasion, assault, intimidation, indiscriminate arrest and harassment of serving judicial officers by the operatives of Department of State Security Services in a widely reported national operation.

“The Senate is also invited to note that the DSS in a press briefing held on Saturday claimed that the affected judicial officers were arrested based on allegations of corruptions and other forms of misconduct, matters which are under the constitutional responsibility of the National Judicial Council as set out in paragraph 1 part 1 with the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Also aware that it is on record that the

warrant can be issued and executed at any time of the day, including a Sunday or a public holiday.

He was reacting to the claim by constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, who had described the arrest of the judges as “most condemnable by any right-thinking member of the society.”

Ozhekhome faulted the timing and manner of the arrest, claiming that the law does not allow for homes of suspects to be searched during the night or for doors to be broken in order to gain access.

Ogunye berated Ozekhome for quoting an old law which, according to him, had since ceased to be relevant. “People are not familiar with the law and those who should enlighten the public manipulate the law and they don’t disclose what the law has said.”

On the “Gestapo” manner in which the arrest was done, he went further to say that Section 149 of the Act permits law enforcement agents to “break open any outer or inner door or window of any house or place of the suspect to be arrested,” if access to such building cannot be obtained or is denied.

Ozekhome had also earlier argued that democracy only thrives on its adherence to the rule of law and the Nigerian government, by allowing the arrests, had gone against the values of democracy and the DSS had gone beyond its constitutional mandate.

“The DSS by our constitutional organogram has its own functions and these are to take care of the internal security of the country.

“Its counterpart the Directorate of Intelligence Agency (DIA) is in charge of matters concerning military, while the NIA, Nigerian Intelligence Agency, is in charge of security matters that extend beyond the boundaries of Nigeria.

“The three legal entities that are allowed by our laws to go into corruption matters are the EFCC, the ICPC and the Nigeria Police, particularly under Section 4.

“So, their action is faulted fundamentally on the grounds that they were going beyond their constitutional and statutory mandate,” he said.

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), in his reaction, criticised the NBA for shielding corrupt judges despite having information about their activities and described the failure of NBA to deal with corrupt officials in the judiciary as an embarrassment to the “incorruptible members of the bar,” adding that it was responsible for the current state of the country’s judiciary.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Jibrin Okutepa, in his reaction said, those condemning the mode of arrest of two Supreme Court justices, and others ignored the substance.

Okutepa said: “When justice is bought and sold, there is no more hope for the society.

What our society needs is an honest, trusted and trustworthy judiciary. Those of us who genuinely practicse in our courts know what goes on in some courts.

“Some of us don’t go to some judges’ courts, not because we don’t like doing our jobs, but because it appears you don’t know the law in some of these courts. The language of the judgment depends on what is offered and not the settled principle of law.

“While I will always defend the judiciary, it will be difficult to offer the best of defence in favour of a judicial officer whose conduct and lifestyle suggests evidence of corruption.”

According to him, a corrupt judge is a danger to the country, adding that lawyers must join hands to rid the judiciary of graft

continues on pg 22

continues on pg 23

NASS: How not to violate separation of powers

Senate President Bukola Saraki

Lawan Daura, DG DSS

Yakubu Dogara, House of Representatives

Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, examines the position of the National Assembly and the resolve to amend the enabling laws of DSS and other security agencies.

T

HE raid on the homes and arrest of some judges of the Supreme, Appeal and High Courts is a discourse that will not go away quite soon, with different questions already being raised and anticipated regarding what many have described as a new development in the polity of the country.

There are questions of the law; there are questions of corruption and issues of procedure. Surprisingly, however, the judiciary, which is the at the receiving end of the raids and the questions, have appeared to be divided over the matter.

But the National Assembly, through its actions following the reported sting operation carried out by the men of the Department of State Security (DSS), has appeared not to be shying away from its oversight functions on the matter. On Tuesday, the two chambers rose from their sittings with different verdicts that all the same pointed at the same direction—condemnation of the decision of the DSS to raid and arrest the judges over corruption allegations.

The House of Representatives, which came hard on the development, decided

to summon the Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), Lawal Daura.

The lawmakers, following the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent national importance, set up an adhoc committee to investigate the clampdown on the judges and asked the DG to appear before them for further explanations.

In a motion moved by Hon. Chinda Ogundu and supported by his colleagues, the House resolved to probe the arrests and prevent the government from sending wrong signals to the third arm of government, while some lawmakers asked that the principle of separation of powers should be respected.

At the Senate, the debate was more exhaustive though the lawmakers refused to summon the Director-General of DSS. Senate President Bukola Saraki, who presided over the sitting, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on security agencies to abide by the rule of law in their operations.

After the debate on the issue, the Senate, among other issues, resolved to amend the laws that establish some security outfits including the DSS.

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16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Raids on judges

Experience from other lands KUNLE ODEREMI looks at the situations in other countries and how they have been dealing with allegations of corruption in their judiciaries.

T

HE Nigerian judiciary is not an island. Like the other arms of government, it has had a fair share of the twists and turns in the evolution, development and history of the country.

From the era of military dictatorship to civilian dispensation, the judiciary constantly came under serious scrutiny, culminating in the setting up of either panels or commissions to X-ray the judiciary painstakingly and recommend appropriate reforms that should be carried by concerned authorities.

The most-talked about of such initiatives was the one presided by the famous and courageous jurist, the late Justice Kayode Eso, whose far-reaching recommendations included a holistic purge of the judiciary, especially the Bench, of a few bad eggs. The late iconic lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), lived the greatest part of his last days on earth leading a crusade for selfcleansing by the Nigerian judicial system.

From information emanating from official quarters since the raging controversy trailing the arrest of some judges by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) for alleged corruption, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has been invoking its powers on erring judicial officials, as empowered under Section 153 of the Constitution.

In other lands, many judges have received severe sanctions over wide ranging offences based on due process, as well laid down rules and procedures. Apart from losing their revered positions as judges through sudden retirement, some were arrested and prosecuted by appropriate agencies of the state, a few of which are highlighted below: Indonesia The Chief Justice of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court, Kil Mochtar was arrested by anti-corruption officials for allegedly accepting at least $250,000 (£154,000) in bribes in respect of a regional election. The Constitutional Court, established in 2001, enjoys a similar status with the country’s Supreme Court.

Its responsibilities include hearing cases concerning the constitution and making decisions on election-related cases. Mochtar was once a member of the Golkar Party before joining the Constitutional Court. According to the Corruption Eradication Commission, he was arrested at his home in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital after a businessman and a lawmaker allegedly handed him money.

The case was linked to a disputed election on Borneo Island.

FIFA Héctor Trujillo, a Guatemalan judge and soccer official was charged by the United States last December with accepting and laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. He was held in solitary confinement at a detention centre in Brooklyn until he was released on a $4 million bond. But part of the stringent bail condition was that Trujillo must wear an electronic monitor and remain within 50 miles of the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

Trujillo was arrested on December, 2015, when the Disney cruise ship he was on with his family docked in Port Canaveral, Fla. For

Indian flag

Barack Obama, US president

Guatemalan flag five years, he had served as the SecretaryGeneral of Guatemala’s soccer federation and a judge on Guatemala’s Constitutional Court, and was indeed, one of the 41 defendants in the United States’ criminal case against FIFA. After his arrest by customs agents, Trujillo spent three weeks in the custody of United States marshals at a central transfer facility in Oklahoma. After arriving in New York, authorities placed him in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn for his protection because of his judicial position. He later appeared in court with his wife and their son. Trujillo pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

United Kingdom A report by the Sun newspaper of London on August 28, 2011 indicated that a total of 29 members of the judiciary were sacked, including one coroner and six tribunal panel members in the United Kingdom.

Their offences ranged from “inappropriate behaviour or comments” to professional misconduct or getting into trouble with the law themselves. Another 25 resigned while under investigation, including two judges, and 18 magistrates. One judge was accused of

having an affair with a male prostitute, while a number of magistrates were axed for being at the centre of fraud investigations. Judge Gerald Price resigned during the disciplinary process into claims he had an affair with a male prostitute.

India The Press Trust of India reported that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) allegedly arrested a senior judge of Tis Hazari court while she allegedly accepted a bribe from a lawyer. Rachna Tiwari Lakhanpal, Civil Judge, was allegedly caught in the act with an advocate, who was appointed as local commissioner by her in a case before her court. It was alleged that Rs 4 lakh was the first installment of total demand of Rs 20 lakh demanded by the judge.

Taiwan In 2010, three high-court judges and a prosecutor were reportedly detained over allegations of collecting bribes to fix the outcome of a high-profile case. With time, Taiwan’s highest-level judicial official, Lai In-jaw, who was in charge of the island’s supreme and lower courts, chose to resign because of the public outrage over the case.

The case was said to be Taiwan’s biggest judicial, corruption scandal in more than

a decade and involved Ho Chih-hui, an ex-lawmaker with the ruling Kuomintang.

He was convicted in 2006 by a lower court for taking kickbacks over the building of a science park. He was given a 19-year sentence. Taipei District Court documents indicated that contacts of Mr Ho allegedly tried to bribe judges sitting in a higher court, in an attempt to buy his freedom. Earlier in the year, the judges handed down a not-guilty verdict to Mr Ho, but on July 13, members of an anti-corruption task force stormed the homes and offices of the judges and the prosecutor in the matter. Because of the case, the then president of the country, Ma Yingjeou, commenced moves to establish a new commission to battle corruption and votebuying.

Guatemala Guatemalan authorities arrested three lawyers representing defendants in a massive customs tax fraud case known as Caso SAT. The scandal forced Vice-President Roxana Baldetti to resign. The UN Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala—CICIG), which investigated the La Linea corruption network, accused lawyers José Arturo Morales, known as “Chepito,” Jorge Luis Escobar and Ruth Emilsa Trigueros of allegedly running a “law firm of impunity” that bribed corrupt judges to make unjustified decisionsin favour of organised crime groups.

A total of 27 individuals—including the director and former director of Guatemala’s Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (Tax Administration Superintendency—SAT)—Álvaro Omar Franco Chacón and Carlos Enrique Muñoz Roldán, were also apprehended. Wiretap recordings showed how six other leading defendants in the case allegedly used the continues on pg 22

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16 October, 2016

NASS, DSS and the raid on judges continues from pg 20

Senator Akpabio NJC under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, His Lordship, Hon. Mahmud Mohammed, GCON has been creditably discharging his constitutional responsibility of exercising disciplinary control over judicial officers as a result of which a number of judicial officers found wanting in the discharge of their duties were recommended for various disciplinary measures including dismissal.”

He cited the National Security Agency Act, adding that: “the DSS has abandoned its primary responsibility of prevention, detection of crimes against internal security as stipulated under the national security agencies Act and now veered into arbitrary arrest of judges contrary to processes and procedures on discipline of judicial officers as applied under paragraph 1 part 1 third schedule to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He further said: “The general duties of the National Security Agencies, subsection 3 says that State Security Services shall be charged with the responsibility for one: “The prevention and detention within Nigeria of any crime against internal security of Nigeria and two: The protection and preservation of non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria.”

Senator Dino Melaye who seconded the motion also told the Senate that “while I support the fight against corruption, it is a misnomer; it is absurd for the Department of State Security Services to operate outside its mandate. The responsibility of the State Security Services is clearly defined in the National Security Agencies Act 2010, Cap 350, which states clearly that the state security services shall be charged with the responsibility for the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against internal security of Nigeria. I emphasised the “Internal Security of Nigeria.

“The second responsibility as enshrined by the law setting up the DSS states that

the protection and preservation of nonmilitary classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria,” Melaye said.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Utazi also told his colleagues that the raid had painted Nigeria black before the international community. He stated: “This last weekend was the most difficult the country has had. My spirit is very hurt. I can feel the pulse of Nigeria over what has happened. I do not know how the international community will see us after this. It appears the DSS is following the body language of the president of this country rather than following the rule of law.

“To go in the wee hours of the morning and use force to break into a judge’s house is condemnable. The whole world is watching the Senate to see how we will

react. This is pure dictatorship and it should not happen. Enough is enough.

This is unguarded dictatorship. We should not treat this issue likely.

“We have always condemned corruption in this 8th Senate. The NJC has powers to do what the DSS is doing right now. To take this approach the DSS is taking is condemnable.”

The Senate Minority Leader, who is also a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in his contributions, also said that the current anti-corruption war has painted former governors as corrupt people, warning that such toga should not be extended to the judiciary.

Akpabio said: “We know that there is separation of powers; that is why in the judiciary, we have NJC. This is a very touchy issue and so many people run the risk of making comments and having security agents surround their houses tomorrow. We must not speak

Experience from other lands continues from pg 21 three lawyers to bribe the presiding judge, Josefina Sierra González de Stalling, in exchange for obtaining release on bail and unguarded house arrest instead of prison.

The members of La Linea periodically met in a clothes boutique owned by Mendizábal, a controversial figure. As part of a separate investigation conducted , the Supreme Court agreed to impeach Judge Jisela Reinoso, who was accused of money laundering and illicit enrichment.

The President of the country, Otto Perez Molina, was also forced to quit because of the scandal. He resigned after a judge issued an order to detain him in a customs fraud case, which already had led to the jailing of his vice-president and the resignation of some Cabinet ministers. The judge’s order dealt the most serious blow to entrenched political corruption in the country, as it was not for arrest alone but also for Molina to appear before Judge Miguel Angel Galvea, who granted the request from Attorney General Thelma Aldana. Prosecutors claimed they had reason to believe that Molina was involved in a fraud scandal involving bribes funneled to a chain of officials, who allegedly helped businesses evade import duties. The scandal claimed the job of former VicePresident Roxana Baldetti, whose former personal secretary was named as the alleged ringleader.

United States On January 31, 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested nine judges for “conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, perjury, making false statements to the FBI, and aiding and abetting.” One of the judges, Willie Singletary, was seen in a video meeting with a motorcycle club called the Philadelphia First State Road Rattlers, saying: “There’s going to be a basket going around because I’m running for Traffic Court judge, right, and I need some money.

I got some stuff that I got to do, but if you all can give me $20 you’re going to need me in Traffic Court. Am I right about that? … Now you all want me to get there, you’re all going to need my hook-up, right?”

Some of the accused judges — who were on the Bench between 2008 and 2011 — are

William Hird and Michael Sullivan. They faced hundreds of years in prison.

On November 4, 2015, the agency arrested a superior North Carolina court judge for bribery and corruption. The judge, Arnold Jones II allegedly attempted to bribe an FBI agent for information on what he described as a “family matter.” He faced about 37 years in jail. Prosecutors said he approached the unidentified FBI officer in October 2015, and the two subsequently met in Goldsboro to exchange $100 for a disk supposedly containing the text messages. Jones initially offered to give the officer “a couple cases of beer” for his help but later agreed to $100 in cash.

Also, on May 30, 2014, FBI arrested a superior Puerto Rico court judge for bribery.

Manuel Acevedo Hernandez, the judge, was accused of accepting bribes to pervert the cause of justice in a fatal drunk-driving case. He was detained at his home after the FBI concluded its investigation. The suspect was detained at his home in Aguadilla. The indictment also charges that the judge agreed to acquit Lutgardo Acevedo Lopez, a certified public accountant, in exchange for help in being promoted to appellate judge and to find employment for two of relatives. “In my 35 years of experience, I’ve never seen anything like this,” US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said at the time. The judge pleaded not guilty and received a $50,000 bail.

After judiciary, where next in Nigeria?

While ripples created by the DSS action against some judges spread, Lilymjok, the Senior Special Assistant President Muhammadu Buhari on Legal Matters, Research and Documentation, has hinted that the authorities planned to step on more toes in the coming days. He said the current war on corruption would at the right time be taken to the Executive arm of government. His words: “The current onslaught of the war on the judiciary is only a phase in the anti-corruption war. This being the case, the judiciary should accept the eventuality of the war in its hallowed chambers instead of going to town by itself or through the lawyers crying foul,” he said.

Sunday Tribune

from both sides. While supporting the fight against corruption, we must bear in mind the need to safeguard our democracy. Today, it is hard for a former governor in Nigeria to be respected outside Nigeria. They believe that every former governor is corrupt.

“They have extended the toga to the judiciary and this means a lot. It means people will not take seriously any judgment from our courts. If this government fails, it means we have all failed. We have to advice the government on what it must do. I am very worried about the method. We must speak out.

If we do not speak up and we think it is okay, one day, the rain will fall on another roof,” Akpabio said.

Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi also supported Melaye’s position, adding that every agency of government created by law must operate within the ambit of the law. He said: “This chamber and the National Assembly, from which this statue of the DSS originated, must call on other agencies to remain within the mandate provided by law. The fight against corruption is for every patriotic Nigerian. The National Assembly cannot provide the law with one hand and look the other way.

“Every agency should operate within the ambit of the law; this misnomer that has now emanated provides the National Assembly the opportunity to stress that corruption has assumed a new dimension.

However, nobody will justify the procedure or method used in prosecuting corruption,” Hunkuyi said, adding that “we must not forget the fact that the country is run under the principle of separation of powers. The judiciary needs to be independent in order to safeguard the sanctity of the country’s democracy.”

Senate Deputy Leader, Senator Bala Na’Allah, however, asked for caution, saying that his colleagues need to investigate the alleged invasion before taking a final position on the issue.

“The massive support of Nigerians to change government in 2015 was because of their belief that corruption will be fought. I am saying this to buttress the fact that the National Assembly is fully in support of government’s efforts to fight corruption. There is a reason why the discipline of judges is domiciled with the NJC. If the framers of our constitution thought it wise to deal with the issue of judiciary misconduct, we should respect it. Something somewhere has gone wrong.

I will reluctantly support the move that we should condemn it.”

In his ruling on the motion, the Senate President stated that the war against corruption must be fought with all fervor, but insisted that the war must follow the rule of law. “Yes! We must eradicate corruption from all spheres of our society and this is a matter that we must continue with. I think the National Assembly has been playing its role to continue to support government in its fight against corruption.

“We must ensure that this fight against corruption is within the rule of law, any act of anti-corruption that goes against the rule of law does not help the anticorruption fight. That is why this action, as has been seen in this manner is condemned by the Senate and all agencies of government must ensure that they act within the rule of law,” Saraki said.

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DSS vs Judiciary: And the arguments continue... continues from pg 20 rather than shying away from the real issues.

He said:“I am really bothered as to why we devoted arguments on the propriety or otherwise of the method used by DSS to expose corruption on the part of some judges of our superior courts.

“I am not in position to say these gentlemen did or did not do what they were accused of.

I am also not in a position to say the money recovered was theirs or planted.

“But I am in a position to be worried as to why it had to be them that money was planted on. I am worried that we talk more of the process used to let the Nigerian public know that all is not well. Have we all not agreed that all is not well?”

In another reaction, a constitutional lawyer, Sunday Ogboji told Sunday Tribune that the arrest of the eminent Jurists in the middle of the night was not a palatable decision, saying that security agencies had the right to arrest erring judicial officer or any Nigerian.

According to Ogboji, Section 148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, arrest can be undertaken at any time and on any day, including public holidays. He, however, faulted a situation where security operatives go to houses of persons that are not security risks and are not in a position to dispute the authority of the Service and will not do anything to impede the search in the middle of the night.

The lawyer said the action of the DSS showed a predetermined intention to do something beyond what they might have gone to do.

“My take is that, in as much as we support the fight against corruption and the routing out of corrupt judges in the judiciary and anything that will bring sanity in the judiciary, due process of the law must be followed. The principal function of the DSS, by virtue of Section 3 (2) of the National Security Agency’s Act CAP 74 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, the DSS was primarily set up for internal security and the protection of VIPs. “That is their core responsibilities and I don’t know how you are going to share the responsibility of fighting corruption to the DSS, when you have established federal bodies set up primarily to fight corruption.

“No lawyer in this country will say he is not in support of the fight against corruption.

No lawyer will tell you that there is no corruption in the judiciary, but what we are saying is that there are procedures and ways to go about it. The law establishing DSS has no room for them to intervene where there is bribe, because there are the EFCC, ICPC and the Police which are established to do so.”

On the implication of the action of the DSS on the democracy of the country, he said the action was a threat to democracy; the judiciary is an independent arm of government, created exclusively by Section 6 of the Constitution, just like the legislature was created by Section 4 and the Executive

by Senator 5 of the ]1999] Constitution.

“The judiciary is an arm of government where the personnel there are like demiGods, because it is a Judge that can take life in Nigeria, even the President cannot give an order for the death sentence of an individual.

“It is an arm of government that people to go with a solemn belief that they will get justice. Agreed, there are bad eggs, but when you go after them, let it not be as if it is an attack on the institution, because I cannot see any justification for the invasion

Justice Ademola Adeniyi

Justice Liman

Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice

Mike Ozekhome, SAN

of Justice Onnoghen and even on Justice Dimgba,” he said.

Ogboji added that the NJC was charged with the responsibility of sanctioning judicial officers, explaining that some judges were recently retired by the council.

He said the DSS, EFCC or the ICPC could commence investigation of the judges after their retirement for corruption or other misconduct.

He said the intention of the DSS to rid the judiciary of corrupt judges was good, but that the way and manner they were going about was what people became worried about.

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose described the act “as an invasion.” The governor said, “It should be obvious to all Nigerians and the international community that democracy is under threat in Nigeria and Nigerians must rise to save democracy from being truncated,” he said.

But President Buhari had countered saying the raids on the judges’ residence were an assault on corruption and not on the judiciary.The president, in a statement by his media adviser, Garba Shehu, described the raids as ‘surgical’ saying due process was followed in the arrests.

“The Presidency has received assurances from the DSS that all due processes of the law, including the possession of search and arrest warrants were obtained before the searches,” he said.

“To this end, the president will not do anything to undermine its independence.

The Presidency assures that the president reserves his highest respect for the institution of the judiciary as the third arm of government and added that the president will not do anything to undermine its independence.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), however, on Tuesday,said no Nigerian “should be above the law”. The AGF spoke after he inaugurated an Expert Review Committee on implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Abuja.

When the AGF was asked of his view on the raid and subsequent arrest of the judges, including two justices of the Supreme Court, he asked if there was an allegation of crime.

“Was there relevant provision of criminal procedure responsible for

investigation? Is there an allegation of corruption? If there is, no body, no matter how highly placed will be spared.

“The right to investigate has not been taken away from the constitution. The allegation borders on criminality and no one is or should be above the law. Neither the judiciary or the executive will be exempted from investigation”, the AGF stated.

The NJC, in an emergency meeting convened specifically to discuss the issue of the arrest, condemned the invasion. The Council considered the action as a clear attempt by the DSS to humiliate, intimidate, denigrate and cow the judiciary.

The NJC, in a statement by its acting Director of Information, Soji Oye, viewed the action as a threat to the independence of the judiciary, which portends great danger to our democracy.

NJC reiterated its confidence in the Buhari administration and its unwavering determination to uphold the principles of democracy, separation of powers and the Rule of Law enshrined in the constitution and the United Nations Charter, which Nigeria is a member, adding also that it shall continue to support the Federal Government in its fight against corruption in all its ramifications and in cleansing the judiciary of corrupt judicial officers, just as it expressed grave concern on the action of the DSS and condemned it its entirety.

“Council is constrained to inform the general public that all petitions and complaints forwarded against judicial officers bordering on corrupt practices and professional misconduct, have been attended to and investigated, where applicable, by Council since year 2000 to date, within the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

The Council said any judicial officer that was reprimanded by it or recommended for removal from office by compulsory retirement or dismissal to the president or governor, was done in compliance with the constitutional power, rule of law and due process.

The statement reads in part, “That no judicial officer shall be invited by any institution including the DSS, without complying with the Rule of Law and due process.

“That explains why when the DSS wrote to the Council by letter Ref. No. LSC.960/4 dated 14th September, 2016, to direct Justice Mu’azuPindiga to appear before it, The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC directed the Chief Judge of Gombe State to ask JusticePindiga to report to DSS, which His Lordship did.

“That the NJC has never shielded nor will it shield any Judicial Officer who has committed any misconduct. The DSS is an Agency in the Presidency and its functions as specified in the statute establishing it is primarily concerned with the internal security of the Country.

“That the action of the DSS is a denigration of the entire Judiciary, as an institution.

That by the act of the DSS, Judicial Officers are now being subjected to insecurity, as criminals might take advantage of the recent incidents to invade their residences under the guise of being security agents.

“The Council vehemently denounces a situation whereby the psyche of judicial officers in the federation is subjected to a level where they would be afraid to discharge their constitutional judicial functions, without fear or favour, intimidation, victimisation or suppression”, the NJC stated in its official comment over the incident.

24 interview

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

What Nigeria needs to do to get out of recession —Buhari Senator Abdulfatai Buhari represents Oyo North Senatorial District in the Senate. He speaks with WALE OJO-LANRE on the proposed sale of national assets, how Nigeria can get out of recession and the roles that the National Assembly and telecommunications industry can play.

M

ANY Nigerians are of the opinion that the change they voted for is not bringing positive and productive changes to their lives and the country just celebrated its 56th independence anniversary, do you think there is anything to be happy about?

Well, the situation we have found ourselves in this country is really sad and unfortunate. The level we find ourselves in this country as of today, economically, is sad. It is true that people are expecting changes; the change that they are expecting they quantify in monetary terms but that should not be the only things they should look after or they should look for. The reality in this country today is that at the time the present administration came on board, there was a very serious problem. The only source of income we have in the country today is the oil and from $120 a barrel it has dropped to $52 a barrel; the different is so much that to sustain the economy becomes a very big problem. It will take time but the only thing I can assure the people is that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We are very impatient in this country, very impatient in the sense that we cannot say within one year, things should turn around and we should be back in the boom. You see, managing the economy either during recess, depression or the boom is not a guesswork; you need experts who can handle the situation to be able to turn things around. A country that did rely heavily on importation to the extent of even importing toothpick, rice and even things that are not necessary, things you can do without, ostentatious goods, until you are able to get yourself disciplined and reorientate your people like the way it happened in Singapore during Lee Kuan Yew’s era, things will not change.

There is also the insinuation that legislators have not done enough to contribute to this change. As one of the actors in the legislative arms of government, how will you assess National Assembly’s contribution towards achieving transformation and desired change?

One thing that we need to change and accept in this country is that many people, even the elite, do not understand legislature. There are three arms of government; the luckiest is the judiciary, nobody concentrates on the judiciary or ask for contribution to the government except on their judgments. People allow them to face their jobs; the same thing should be done for the legislature. The legislators should be allowed to do their legislative duties; it has nothing to do with the economy. It is a triangular thing; the executive raises the bill and sends it to the National Assembly, the assembly passes the bill and takes it back to the executive for assent and when it comes to the issue of implementation or interpretation, that is where the judiciary comes in.

We should learn the way these three arms work. Now coming to our performance, you can only assess us based on how many bills, how many motions we have been able to pass and how many good or impacting motions did we pass during our tenure. You can only assess that after the four years of

Senator Abdulfatai Buhari the tenure of the eighth assembly. You can only assess us vis-a-viz what happened in the seventh assembly, sixth assembly or the fifth assembly. You can do that comparative analysis after our tenure comes to an end on the 3rd of June 2019.

But the notion many people have about the lawmakers is that they concentrate more on constituency projects than their primary assignment of lawmaking because that is where the money is.

No, I disagree with you; the constituency project is a constitutional matter. In fact, it came to be during [Former President Olusegun] Obasanjo era. It is just a part of the situation that we are facing in this part of the world, where people will assess you not only on what you do on the floor but also on the projects you are able to influence in your constituency. And since the money is not available anywhere; by the time you influence a project, it is not only about one person. I think we need to reorientate the people about constituency projects and that is why the media comes in; we must be able to tell the people that they don’t give a legislator money for constituency projects. Since 1999 till date, there is no legislator who has been given any money to go and develop his constituency.

But who gets the money?

The money comes in from the budgetary allocations through the ministries. So you say ‘in one area, we are having problem of water scarcity, or in my area we are having problem of electricity, road network and others’ and it must be identified that I Buhari Abdulfatai was instrumental to these projects. What we need to concentrate on and that is where we need the service of the press, is the need to orientate people; legislators should not be the ones carrying their bills, my child is going to school, I want to

get married, I want to pay my rent and other things. Ordinarily, it is their problems but the moment you don’t do it, they charge it against you.

What is your position on the proposed sales of national assets and what are the implication of selling national assets?

Well, my position on that issue is that no matter what happens, our national assets must not be sold, particularly our prime asset like NLNG and our refineries; we must not allow that to happen. Recession or trying period, the only thing that it requires is how we handle the situation and we can only handle the situation by facing the reality. For God’s sake, how can you say you want to sell your NLNG? It’s a pride of the nation, what will you tell the children yet unborn and it doesn’t even mean when we sell it we will be able to solve the problem. We are in recession now; there are a lot of ways through which we can solve these problems.

One is learning from other countries that have gone through it before; hardly is there any country in the world that has not gone through recession and we have many that have gone through it and come out of it.

Take Ghana for instance, at times I laugh, probably because I was born in Ghana and I know the orientation of a typical Ghanaian. During the recession, the Ghanaians were going everywhere; the ones that could not get visa to go to London or America were rushing to Nigeria, Ivory Coast and other African countries. At a point, they called themselves together and faced reality.

They looked inwards; fought corruption to standstill and took loan from IMF and they invested part of it on electricity and agriculture. We now see companies from Nigeria, most of the multinationals, moving back to Ghana to go and set up, In Nigeria today, since the time I was in the House of Repre-

sentatives, we’ve been saying we generate between 1,500 and 2,000 megawatts and we need 10,000 megawatts, imagine over 10- 12 years ago and we have not been able to generate additional 1,000 megawatts?

Why can’t we just discipline ourselves and say ‘okay, in this year’s budget we are not going to do any other thing but solve the problem of electricity. It is solvable, let us sacrifice other things.’ Immediately we are able to solve the problem of electricity, people will see us as a serious country. There are some countries that can do it for us, China will do it very cheap, they’ve done it in other countries. By the time the issue of electricity is solved, 50 per cent of our problem is solved.

As the chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, how can we utilise telecoms in reducing the effect of recession?

I believe that this subject you just raised, we have a significant role to play at the National Assembly. Our laws are not forceful and impactful enough. Take for instance the mobile telecommunication outfits and all the service providers; they are not using our satellite on the flimsy excuses that we only have one. Patronise us either to use us as a backup or as one so that we will be able to get some sufficient money and inject it to get more satellites to make it stable but when you now patronise a South African country and you are now getting your profit here to raise other countries’ economies because our law permits it, that is not fair enough. I am now trying to lobby because it is the intention of the Senate President, as he said we should try to go and sit up in the telecommunication sector and call the stakeholders to get their inputs for us to bring a bill to the National Assembly that will make the service providers to look into what we have and patronise us instead of sending our country’s money to boost another country’s economy. It is capital flight, and we want to stop it; we want whatever is being generated from here to be reinvested in Nigeria.

Looking at the level of infrastructure in Oyo North Senatorial district, which you represent, and in other part of the country, what efforts are you making to put your constituency at par with others?

Let me tell you two things that if God permits and these things happen particularly during my tenure, the sky will be the limit for this country. If we are able to draw the attention of the Federal Government, the way we are trying to rush to get their attention on the Okerete project in Saki, I mean the international border market; it becomes a very great opportunity for foreign exchange. The Federal Government has asked the six geopolitical zones to identify areas where we can do agriculture and in Oyo State, the only place where we can do it is Oke Ogun where we have arable lands. I have talked to the chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture and we are lobbying the Ministry of Agriculture so that when we are going round, we will follow them to see the opportunities in Oyo North. When they are able to see that opportunity, all that is required from us is to push to the ministry of agric and what they need to do too is to go over it and give it the necessary assistance and see if they will be able to feed this country through it or not.

25

interview

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With TSA, Nigeria can’t get out of recession— Doherty Former acting national vice-chairman, South-West, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adedeji Doherty, who was also a governorship aspirant in Lagos State in the last election, speaks with BOLA BADMUS on the recently concluded Edo governorship election, among other national issues.

W

HAT is your take on the recently conducted governorship election in Edo State?

I am not comfortable with the outcome of the election and my reason is predicated on the excuses given by the returning officers that came from different local governments for cancellations of votes.

For instance, an average of cancelled votes in each local government was about 2,000 votes and all of them had reports of violence and ballot snatching. One even said he had an accident and the results were damaged. The report we had on television and the statements made by the returning officers showed that there was a symbiotic relationship between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and those officers [security operatives].

But definitely something was faulty and not transparent and I call on the tribunal to do something about it.

Also, considering the level of preparedness by the police with a deployment of 25,000 officers and other security operatives, coupled with the postponement of the election by two weeks, there shouldn’t have been any hitch because the excuses for cancellation of votes and reports of ballot snatching made a mess of all the efforts put in place by the security operatives and INEC. And we should not forget that these reported situations also negated the reports we got from observers and voters, who, in their opinion, revealed a peaceful exercise. To me, the cancellation only undermines the preparedness and gallant effort of our police for letting all these happen and not being able to prevent them.

Much emphasis has been placed on anti-corruption war of the current government. What do you make of the crusade?

In every society, there are a lot of corrupt people and I believe in Nigeria today, we can applaud the president on his efforts. However, I believe there should be a different direction in the manner the anti-corruption war is being fought. I believe it is appearing gradually. The problem of corruption bothers everyone, but the net of the anti-corruption crusaders should be cast wider.

Having said this, I must say that the issue of corruption has always been fought by past administrations, maybe in a different way. But the way they have fought it has yielded results and we have seen what the money recovered were used for.

During the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Umaru Yar’adua and GoodluckJonathan, we had a list of people that were accused for corruption. We had the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Joshua Dariye, James Ibori, amongs others, who were accused of corruption and were tried in the past administrations. And most of the convictions that are happening now are cases mentioned in the Jonathan administration. I haven’t seen any new case of conviction in the last one and a half years of the present administration. The thing that stands out is they were mainly

cy and the Central Bank of Nigeria?

My take is simple. But before that, let me hint on this. One, we have the fiscal policy and the monetary policy. For the monetary policy, I expected the CBN to withdraw the higher denominations, namely the N1000 and N500 notes, change the design so that all those who have stolen the money won’t have access to them any longer, instead of using them to run after the dollar that is not there. Those stolen money should be rendered useless.

Adedeji Doherty from the ruling party then, and there was nobody from the opposition. Remember that it was the ruling party then that created these anti-corruption agencies-the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). So, the instrument of attacking corruption and the processes were all created by the PDP. It is unjust to tag PDP as a party of corrupt people. The notion of PDP is ‘we clean our house first before we clean others.’

But in this present administration, the reverse is the case. You are trying to clean the opposition figures, which has not yielded anything to the benefits of the people.

You might say you have recovered three trillion naira from looters in previous administration, but what has been done to the money? How has it impacted the lives of the people? We have been fighting corruption on the pages of newspapers, on the podium, on the international scene; the resultant effect is bringing our economy down and that is the major problem today.

Nobody wants to come here and do business because of uncertainty; because of the way the president has painted us before the international community. The foreign exchange crisis can also be linked to this ugly development. Let us weigh all the options.

Are we better off today than in the last administration? Nigerians can decide. We have crisis in virtually all the facets of our society: religion, ethnic, political, finance and others.

But many have accused past administrations of reckless spending

of the country’s foreign reserves leading to current economic crisis in the country.

In every situation where you have recession, there will be some things which the past administrations did not do right or failed to do. So, every subsequent administration will always have a part to play. If this administration leaves, the next administration will fault it for not doing the needful. So, there is no one that can exonerate himself from whatever could be happening.

Whether PDP provoked the problem by 50 per cent or 20 per cent, as far as the new government is sitting at the helm of affairs, it has to take responsibilities of some sort.

You said in one of your submissions that multiple defects should be contained. Could you hint further on this?

Yes, I see a situation whereby President Muhammadu Buhari is fighting corruption and most of the APC gladiators are from the PDP and till tomorrow we hear the likes of Dariye saying he’s crossing to APC. Dariye is under investigation for a long time. Why is he going to APC? When another party wins at the national level, these politicians would move again. I think there should be some kind of sanity, allegiance, patriotism and moral support that should be upheld. I am not saying politicians should not cross carpet, but the constitution should stipulate a control system to this revolving door.

As an industrialist, considering the high exchange rate of the naira to other major currencies, what is your take on the Nigeria’s monetary poli-

But that will gulp a lot of money in designing and printing the newly designed notes.

But is it not better than to have our money going for an exchange rate of 500 naira to a dollar? If that money has been changed, the pressure on the dollar will be minimal because the looters will not be able to take it to banks because the EFCC will be waiting for them. And that is the way to cleanse the system. When that is done, it will reduce the pressure on the naira.

Secondly, there is the fiscal policy. In this regard, I believe the government should have stepped in. Instead of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), we should have a Treasury Ministry. I pressed for this during the Jonathan government. Without a treasury ministry, we can’t move economically. The Treasury Ministry is an audit-cum-statistical ministry that will be able to determine the income of the country at any time. It monitors, collects and predicts what the income should be. This gives the president a clear picture of what the income and expenditure are.

The TSA, as an account in CBN, sucks out all public funds from the commercial banks, giving rise to inadequate circulation of money in the system, whereas government cannot do business with itself. As it stands today, the government is doing business with itself. The creation of Treasury Ministry gives rise to audit, transparency and accountability. When treasury speaks, it affects the economy of the country. Hence, we need a Treasury Ministry and not the TSA. Jonathan created it but could not implement it because of its implications on the economy as it was noted that it would strangulate the commercial banks and that is what this present government has done, strangulating the commercial banks and in return cannot move the economy because the private sector is are the major stakeholders in moving the economy forward. I am afraid Nigeria will not come out of this recession until we jettison TSA, and if we continue to maintain it, we will go into the hyper-inflation to depression and finally to a collapsed economy.

Can we get your view on the crisis rocking the PDP? The party’s crisis is not outside the ordinary. If that didn’t occur, then it is not democracy and politics. However, what is important is the diplomacy to come out of the crisis. Other parties are having theirs, so it is not only limited to PDP.

26 Did you watch Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye, popularly known as Mummy G.O weep over Nigeria at the last monthly Holy Ghost service while taking the usual prayer for the nation and other nations of the world? It has been her usual spiritual assignment during Holy Ghost programmes, but the October version came with a deep spiritual difference. Even infants know Nigeria is in a deep trouble and despite the assurances of the leaders, even when purpose is genuineness; there appears not even a thorny path out of the nation’s misery. Parents can’t even hide the hard times from children again. The questions to be asked in homes are so too obvious, starting with drastic change in family menu. Atheists may see it as spiritual escapism, but what do you do when all known solutions are defied. Is it not to run back to the All-Knowing One? With Mummy G.O’s undiluted conviction that only the Divine can get us out because whatever happens in the physical is already settled in the spiritual, she went into an agonising plea for the nation.

The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Is it not obvious that the nation is practically dead in all facets? She wailed to God as real mothers would do, to seek forgiveness for the children of Nigeria. As she knelt there, sorrowfully repeating, “Father, please have mercy on Nigeria and forgive our sins.” Do mothers of nations come more caring, concerned and worried? She groaned so much both in spirit and delivery to leave no one in doubt she was weeping for a nation, seemed abandoned by God. Man’s efforts are always fruitless without Divine assistance and backing. If God appears to be looking away from this land, we are in deep trouble because there is nothing any man can do to fix it. But the One who is plenteous in mercy seems to have harkened to our pleas. Between that agonising night and now, a pocket of positives is visible. Lagos stolen teachers and students retrieved; 21 Chibok girls negotiated out of someplace.

For some, both can be explained away as products of cause and effect; they aren’t miracles because something was paid for their freedom. Maybe. But aren’t there countless cases of such negotiation gone awry? An engineer friend was kidnapped around Akoko axis. Ransom was paid in millions. He returned a body-bag. And for Chibok

16 October, 2016

0811 695 4647

olanreade@yahoo.com

Mummy G.O’s and Aisha Buhari’s tears unending saga. Yes, many questions still beggar convincing answers. But isn’t it cheering that some girls, separated from their parents somehow, whether there was truly a Chibok kidnap or not, are reuniting with their loved ones? Logic and politics can worry about the disappearing act involving these girls, while humanity concerns itself with the joy of having them back, flesh and blood, though they are not likely to return the same way they went to wherever they had been or kept. Today, I’m not for logic and politics.

It is the same way I’m dumping logic regarding the sizzling political advocacy embarked upon by Aisha Buhari, the tenderly-delectable wife of aging President Muhammadu Buhari. For one, I’m not shocked by her London exposé, but grateful she went on that voyage. By that singular act, she has transformed from a rumbustious First Lady who equated a sitting governor to a dog, to a genuine mother of the nation in the mould of Mummy G.O. Without doubts, their styles are different. But does it really manner how you do it to save this dying nation?

While Mummy G.O sent her tears to God for healing in the land, Aisha is sending hers to Nigerians, at home and diaspora, and the world beyond our shores, ready to give her a listening ear.

It is doubtful if Buhari is shocked by Aisha’s grudge excursion. He should have known a young woman he married about 27 years ago, except he wants to be untruthful.

Sunday Tribune

Apart from her beauty, Aisha really sank in my consciousness moments after her husband’s election when she described herself as indomitable. I had squirmed then, praying she won’t be an extreme version of Mama Peace. When she went after Governor Ayo Fayose reportedly against her husband’s wish, I knew it won’t be long before she will completely dump the mascara for an ugly fight with anyone.

But how pleasant her “ugliness.” A true radical for purpose. By turning their bedroom in Aso Rock over to the public “to see,” Aisha is saving the nation and her people, because major governance decision is always from that part of any government house. Now, we know the kitchen cabinet is in disarray. Nothing emanating from it can be tasteful. Opinions are surely going to be divergent over her decision to wash the First Family’s dirty linen on London street, but it takes courage to so do, in view of the security volatility surrounding the office of her husband. She deserves more kudos for discountenancing the political implications of this uncommon sting operation. Buhari is trying to water down the exposé by saying Aisha belongs to his kitchen and bedroom, but the president himself knows those are the two most important places to the “core” of a leader, regardless of whether made of steel, iron or fish jelly. Leaders are also forged in the crucible of these two wings of any government house. Having been around power for so long since his military days, Buhari would be feigning cheap ignorance by condescending Aisha’s frustration into serve-my-food and warm-my-bed comedy.

It was a rare peep into how we are being governed; disparately so, considering the discordant tune coming from the inner recesses. Aisha may be seen as cantankerous.

Buhari, being who he is, is likely to restrain her seriously after this courageous outing. He may even divorce her or withdraw all the benefits and paraphernalia of office, but whatever happens, Aisha has booked her legend as a heroine of Nigerian people. Her frustration may be personal but her tears are washing the nation. Buhari further increased her stock with the kitchen allusion. There should have been a better way of responding instead of sounding outrageously chauvinistic. It is dangerous if this speaks his mind about women. It takes away a lot from him.

opinion Change begins with me is working at the Presidential Villa

By Adebayo Briggs Aso Rock, the Presidential Villa is an exclusive preserve of the Nigerian president known with an overwhelming power, conferred on him by the constitution. Nigerians from a distance have always looked towards the seat of government as a most revered and well-fortified hallowed territory. To many, the Villa is a place meant only for a tiny clan of elected eggheads; the privileged few or rather, the ruling elite. Anyone not called into the business of governance may find the place very impenetrable.

In the immediate past, the Presidential Villa failed to live up to its name and status. More than a year ago specifically, the seat of power lost its natural ecclesiastic reverence, glamour and unrivalled pride. Driven by kindred spirit, the last chief occupants, allegedly threw the doors wider open for their own and special cronies.

The Villa then suddenly became a huge attraction for power mongers, political jobbers, gold diggers and general favour seekers. It got so bad when men and women of little relevance had field days competing for attention in attempts to cut huge deals.

Unbelievably though it seemed, wanted oil heists and drugs kingpins had unrestrained access to the President!

In no time, the Villa was completely violated! Before Nigerians could realise the tragedy involved, the seat of government became a coven where their commonwealth was freely butchered and frittered away. The consequence of poor crowd management in the Presidential Villa ended up a monumental disaster, not only for the over exposed past President, but also for the rest of Nigeria!

The level of violation of the Presidential Villa, as reported had required some serious physical and spiritual cleansing. That happened before President Muhammadu Buhari moved in. From then on, sanity increasingly returned as the new managers took time to lay very solid standards that are more difficult to subvert and which promises to endure. This is happening as the Change promised by the president is beginning to take its cause.

Lately, President Buhari launched a fresh campaign to promote attitudinal change in Nigerians; Change Begins With Me. Indeed, those who work closely with the President conclude that he is the number one purveyor

and mirror of the Change mantra his government has been trading in. That change is starting right from the Presidential Villa, given the way the power zone runs now.

In essence, any visitor to the Presidential Villa today can attest to the improved standards and the changing atmosphere. The crowd that had hitherto been the permanent feature in every department and waiting rooms in the president’s office has thinned out most drastically. The arrangement in place now offers all the officials most especially the president, the right breathing space to engage in serious work. For the president and others, effective management of time and space are a huge opportunity for cutting off distractions, while settling for the arduous business of governance.

It is said that under the now relaxed atmosphere in the villa, the president is in charge and works more efficiently, contrary to general belief. An interesting dimension to the new orientation in the Villa is that the president works sometimes with body language that makes all his aides sit tight to excel in their work schedules. No one loafs around when the president is on his desk attending to pressing national matters. The president is an avid reader as explained. He reads anything in black and white meant for his attention, and with stunning thoroughness. Unknown

to many, President Buhari is a writer too. That reflects often in the manner he minutes on memos requiring his attention.

Many in the Villa are of the view that the president is a delight to work with. He cracks jokes to ease off tension when attending to visitors. Many had attested that the president is respectful, open, avuncular and affable.

There are reports that the president often times locates old friends and acquaintances from the crowd and had visibly made efforts to bring them closer. He had stunned many with that attribute described as infectious. To keep pace with events within and outside the villa, the president reads newspapers, watches television and listens to radio, his tight schedules notwithstanding.

Surprisingly, the president attends to state matters even on weekends. In all, he is said to be a stickler for time.

From findings, those enjoying the new lease of life in the Presidential Villa owe the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari and his immediate lieutenants in the protocol department some gratitude. Any day, the management of the president’s complex routine of work is an enormous task. Yet, the president’s protocol seems to have mastered the art while leaving little or no fault lines for attention.

Notwithstanding criticisms, the Office of Chief of the Staff and Protocol Department, from disposition gets more diligent in mounting fool-proof arrangement to keep the villa running effectively to give the President less hassle.

Experience and full dedication to work drive the conduct of officials in the protocol department of the Presidential Villa.

Under President Buhari, any willing visitor to the Villa must be put on schedule. Nobody, no matter how influential can bump on the President, unlike before.

Even visitors to the President’s residence must be on schedule, and registered in black and white. Indeed, foreign visitors to Nigeria rate the Protocol Department in the Presidential Villa high in efficiency.

In essence, the effective running of the Presidential Villa and a good management of the president’s programmes, time and agenda are a first indication that governance in Nigeria is on the right track again.

•Adebayo Briggs a business consultant and media analyst lives in Abuja.

27 interview

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

We must reconcile to save APC in Kogi —Former acting gov Honourable Clarence Olafemi was an acting governor of Kogi State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

In this interview by YINKA OLADOYINBO, he speaks on the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict on the governorship election in the state, among other issues.

A

S a chieftain of the APC in Kogi State, what is your feeling about the judgment of the Supreme Court over the governorship election in the state?

There have always been litigations after any major election; the unfortunate aspect of it is that the period of litigation is always difficult for the incumbent governor to fully perform. This one (the case of Kogi State) took about six months from the time the governor was inaugurated to the time he got the Supreme Court verdict. My submission is that the governor should now sit down and concentrate on governance and development. Like a football match, after a game, no matter how critical the match is, immediately the final whistle is blown, the people shake hands and embrace themselves and go back to the drawing board to prepare for another contest.

What should be paramount now is that everybody should sheath their swords and restrategise for the next election as this one is over because the Supreme Court is the highest place anybody can go. However, the governor has to be accommodating; he should not throw away people’s criticism.

He should see it as an opportunity to make amend; there is no perfect human being on earth. Whatever anybody is doing in government, he is only trying his best. If such a person is criticised, he can only look at the criticisms and filter them to know which one is fair, political and holds no value.

My major concern as a principal stakeholder in APC is that it took some of us full time work, physical and financial commitments to build the party and we will not want it destroyed or scattered. So, if there are genuine complaints as to the governor allegedly marginalising the founding members of APC, he has to adjust. I am his supporter since he was inaugurated. I took the position to support him because that was the decision of my party. The judgment was not strange to me; I saw it like that from the beginning and I said it loud.

Are you saying there have been complaints of marginalisation from party members?

Yes, I have heard complaints. I am a member of the APC Board of Trustees and with the death of Alhaji Abubakar Audu, I am not too sure if there is anybody more senior to

Let’s start by congratulating the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for securing the release of 21 Chibok girls whose lives had been turned upside down in the last two years by the insurgents who stormed their school premises to kidnap them. And we must also remember to pray for quick return of the remainder of the girls, who have become pawns in the hands of their abductors for years now.

That said, I need to tell it quickly that the Chibok matter is not the main offer here this week. I was taken aback by a revelation contained in an interview I conducted last week and have to share portions of it. It is all about the loot credited to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. It was shocking to hear that thus far, Nigeria has only retrieved less than six per cent of the identified loot and to tell you, we have had about $1 billion repatriated thus far.

Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), who spoke of the development in passing during the interview apparently had soaked in the shock and was no longer terrified by the fact. According to him, the details all emerged at a conference in the United States of America where a representative of the World Bank attempted to justify why Nigeria cannot possibly retrieve her stolen money.

Here is an excerpt from the interview: “Just about two and half weeks ago, we were in Washington. The issue of corruption in Nigeria came to the fore and throughout the six days (of the conference) the issue of corruption came up. It was not limited to Nigeria; it was widespread and I remember Femi Falana and I standing up to defend our president and the modus operandi in faraway Washington. Not that we love some of his tactics but we thought that a drastic problem requires a drastic solution. In fact, right there I suggested that Nigeria should withdraw its signature to all the Treaties that are hampering the fight against corruption, ICC treaties and what have you and I gave example of United States of America.

“My posture at the conference over that issue was necessitated by the World Bank representative who presented a paper and told us to our face the difficulties we will be facing to get our (Nigeria’s looted ) money back and he went on to the extent of saying that

a mindset; some people believe that the mindset is not political enough to make the party cohesive. When he was inaugurated, a lot of us, including a high percentage of those that are opposed to him, now supported him; they were at the stadium for his inauguration. The genesis of the problem is when it comes to appointments, he is an executive governor; he sees himself as an executive governor. But democracy is the government of the people for the people and by the people.

Clarence Olafemi

me in APC. Only six of us started the meeting of how to form APC in Kogi State in Audu’s house and, since then, I have been working tirelessly for the party. I was a member of the presidential campaign committee. With the deaths of Audu and James Ocholi, it remains only me and Ramatu, who is the National Woman Leader, as members of the presidential campaign committee from Kogi. So I have a lot at stake.

Those complaints are genuine but they are not sufficient to abandon the party or abandon the governor. That is my own differences with those that are alleging marginalisation.

You don’t stay outside to fight a war that is inside; it must be fought from inside. But when you stay outside and you throw missiles inside, you will destroy both the good and the bad. The appeal I have for our members that are aggrieved is that we should find a meeting point to iron out things.

What particular effort did you make to resolve the complaints of marginalisation?

The problem we have was that the governor came in with

the lynxeye with Taiwo adisa

08072000046

So, we have only received six percent of Abacha’s loot? we must fight corruption with human face and I stood up to say look, why play the ostrich.

“Here in Washington, the capital of United States of America, you have adopted a system peculiar to you by establishing a place where you are keeping prisoners without following the rule of law. Nobody is questioning you for that for the fact that you are the father of democracy all over the world. But you knew you could not do that within the four wall of United States, you moved them to somewhere else and people are dying every day for twelve years running. Nobody is castigating you for that. In fact, United States is not a signatory to the ICC convention so as to escape being accused of war crimes. And I said are you expecting Nigeria to comply with all these protocols limiting our efforts? ”You have just told us to our face that we have gotten less than 6 percent of our looted funds from Abacha alone.

Abacha died since 1998 and almost 18 years now, and our money is lying down in the World Bank.”

That is it. Nigeria has only retrieved six percent of Aba-

How do you think reconciliation can achieved in the party in the state?

It is a very simple thing; we know ourselves, we know the principal actors. I cannot talk of reconciliation with PDP, but it is still possible because there are some people in PDP today that, if we talk to them, they will join this government.

That was what former Governor Ibrahim Idris did when he brought the likes of Senator Ohiare and Senator Ohize who were strong opposition to our government from the Central Senatorial District and they made us lost the whole district.

We went to Abuja four times to hold meetings and negotiate settlement with them. There is always a road to peace, except you decide you don’t want to take the road. We will start from our own party first: we have the Faleke group; we have the Dino camp and the Yahaya Bello camp. These are the three major camps now that are flexing muscles against themselves.

As it stands today if we don’t do the reconciliation, it will bounce back on APC in the future.

What do you think should be the role of the APC national secretariat, having been accused of taking side in the crisis rocking the party in the state?

If we are talking about reconciliation, we are not talking about who is wrong or who is right. We are talking about how to make peace. The past is necessary so that we can design the future. Yes, the national secretariat played some roles, but today we have no other option other than that national secretariat; it is the administrative head of APC; it is the one vested with the power to set up committees, especially a committee of this nature. It is the composition of the committee that now matters.

cha’s loot thus far.

The questions on the lips are many but the reality out there is for Nigeria to find its way. It is he who the shoe pinches that runs to the cobbler for assistance. If the country is only battling to receive six per cent of loot traceable to Abacha in 18 years, how many more years will it need to devote to make appreciable impact? How many more years would we need to tackle the myriads of other looters out there?

The reality out there is that the countries harbouring these loots are making good use of the funds for their economies. They are definitely going to sit tight on the loot for as long as possible.

I suggest that if the government needs to sign any treaty or agreements to get the loots returned to Nigeria, so be it.

Except that treaty does not condemn the country to tampering with the social psyche like introducing pro-gay laws.

But the matter should not just be about how to retrieve the loot. What do we do with the money? The plans should be well laid out long before the loots are retrieved.

The plans, which should be backed by appropriate legislation, should also be shown to the countries where the loots would originate.

So far, there are questions raised about the use of the loot recovered under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. I recall the former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala replying one persistent civil society group that records of the expenditure incurred on Abacha loot are with the World Bank. The truth of course is that citizens are at a loss as to how the funds were used. It is not enough to tell us that they were utilized to enhance transparency and accountability in governance. Those words point to some bottomless pit.

I have said this before and will still repeat. Let the government arm itself with legislations and amendments to the laws in aid of accountability in this country. When that is done, specific money can be spent in clear ways. The current Federation Account that we run doesn’t give hop to judicial use of any returned loot.

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16 October, 2016

ON THE

lord’sday

Sunday Tribune

With Bolanle Bolawole turnpot@gmail.com 07052631058

Lessons from Edo governorship election

I

“

thought we would just allow the sleeping dog to snore. It was the same candidate of yours who accosted the CO (Collation Officer) in Unit 11 with about six guns and drove him (CO) to the corner of the collation centre, forcing him to mutilate. I did not mutilate any paper; my papers are here. Number two: this same candidate went to the office of INEC to repeat the same thing on the electoral officer and later came to the collation centre, where I served, with 10 gun-toting men, threatening to kill all of us. I want to say that this same candidate several times told the man who handled that Ward 11 that he was a dead man. He repeated it three times and that was why we managed to put him (electoral officer) on the security vehicle to get him to Benin City here... For the case of the man who handled Ward 11, all the security men deserted him. For the EO, he was locked up in his room. In our own case, we were rescued by the men of the Quick Intervention Force who drove the Auchi vigilante people out of the place. They were actually coming for me when the men of the Quick Intervention Force came in. So the police are aware of it” -Prof. Adewole Atere, Collation Officer for Etsako West Local Government Area, in the just-concluded Edo State governorship election.

Above was how we introduced “The shenanigans of Edo governorship election” last week, with a promise to conduct an analysis of it this week. Today, we seek to draw useful lessons from that election using Professor Atere’s comments above as a peg. Now, a professor is not a small person; he is someone deemed to be of immense stature in academic training as well as in comportment and character. I should think that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) goes to the great length of contracting the services of such highcalibre staff, even on ad hoc basis, for the competence it believes they can bring to bear and also for the integrity it thinks they have. These are part of the elite that we call stakeholders, who know what is at stake to all those concerned –INEC, parties/candidates in an election, the state, the good health of our renascent democracy, as well as the reputation and integrity of the ad hoc INEC staff himself and the institution that he represents. By “institution” we mean not just the university where he teaches but the academia as a whole. Therefore, a high standard of performance as well as impeccable behaviour is expected from this calibre of people. He is expected to rise above the pettiness that has characterised the electoral system and shun the temptations that have wrecked the successful conduct of elections. Even by our present parlous condition, a professor is reasonably well paid, has tenure, and is supposed to have a name and reputation to protect.

INEC ad hoc staff is clothed with the authority and power of the commission to perform an assigned responsibility, which we all know is onerous. He is expected to exercise this power and authority on behalf, first of all INEC, and, by extension, all of us. To do this, he and others involved in this very serious business of supervising elections are given what is considered to be full and adequate security. Knowing elections for what they are in this country, we already know, a priori, that some people would want to compromise the integrity of the election by various means, one of which is pecuniary inducement; to discourage this, we went for a high-calibre staff that we believe is not likely to, or will not easily fall for such inducement. Violence is another means of compromising elections, which is called political thuggery. To prevent or arrest this, our elections are militarised. To underline the central place of security in elections since 2015, the possibility or otherwise of adequate security has suddenly become the deciding factor

as to whether or not an election would hold. The 2015 presidential election and after it Edo, were postponed on the advice of security agencies to allow them adequately prepare for the election. Imagine, then, our pain if after all this precaution and deferring to the security agencies, the security breaches reported above by Prof.

Atere still took place in broad daylight, with someone as high as a deputy governorship candidate being the one fingered!

Now, the implications of this for everyone are many and, I dare to say, dire. A hand lifted against those sent on an election assignment by INEC is a hand lifted against INEC itself. INEC, therefore, must be ready, indeed is obligated, to defend its turf or it will soon be unable to perform its sacred functions. INEC must take offences committed against its staff seriously; especially those meant to encumber them in the exercise of their onerous electoral responsibilities. Failure, INEC will soon become a toothless bulldog and laughing stock.

It will find it difficult, if not impossible, to perform its constitutionally-assigned duty. This duty, we all know, is very sensitive. So much passion and resources are invested in elections by everyone concerned – the state, politicians as well as the electorate. Indeed, our collective future as a vibrant democracy rests on the conduct of free and fair elections. If INEC staff are viciously violated and the integrity of elections they have been mandated to superintend are compromised with impunity and INEC does nothing firm and decisive to ameliorate the situation, then, this is capable of many interpretations which, I dare to say again, are dire. One is that it could mean that INEC is compromised and a compromised umpire can never be an impartial and unbiased judge. Elections conducted under the auspices of such an umpire can never be free and fair. When elections are not free and fair, they ultimately wreck the democracy project. For a country like Nigeria that has suffered terrible maladministration, to put it mildly, under all manner of military goons, any attempt to consign us to that ignoble past again is a disservice of monumental proportions.

Two is that INEC will soon find it difficult to attract quality and honest ad hoc staff. Those who manage to work for it will now be afraid to stand on the truth and dutifully and dispassionately discharge their onerous responsibilities. If they could be roughened up, their life

threatened, and are prevented from performing their sacred duty and nothing is done by the organisation that had sent them, then, they will be left to their devises and resolutions. If electoral offenders\aggressors can be as brazen as Professor Atere had graphically revealed above and are pugnacious and audacious enough to tamper with elections as well as threaten to kill INEC staff and nothing happens; then, it must be noted by all that such offenders/aggressors have the upper hand.

Why, then, risk your life? Why maintain fidelity to an organisation - in this case INEC - that is not able or willing to defend its own staff as well as punish the violators of its own laws?

Three is that it calls to question the raison d’être for the avalanche of security men that are deployed to man elections. If electoral officers are still not given adequate protection by the security agencies even when “they full ground like sand,” what, then, is their use or purpose?

It is either they are irrelevant or they have other purposes for manning elections. If elections are postponed at the instance of the security agencies so they could adequately prepare and give adequate security, how come they reportedly stood akimbo while the shenanigans detailed above by Professor Atere unfolded? No one was cautioned! No one was arrested! No one is being prosecuted! We must investigate to confirm or deny Professor Atere’s allegations and mete out appropriate punishment. Did he cry wolf?

The conclusions that can be drawn are ominous. The outcome of some elections could have been pre-determined. Some elections could have been deliberately compromised, with the agencies of state meant to secure them the self-same that are used to truncate them.

Those who rig elections may never be brought to book but will continue to smile their way to power. Those on election duties will, over time, learn the hard way the body language of the powers-that-be; and if you cannot beat them, you join them. The gains of free and fair elections under the past administrations of the late Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan may recede badly if no urgent action is taken to stem the tide. Revelations from the umbrage reportedly taken by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) against the Department of State Services (DSS) invasion of the premises of some judges as well as his alleged remarks about spirited efforts made by some of those in the corridors of power to influence election cases and pervert the course of justice, if true, point in the same direction of perilous times ahead.

RE: Douglas Road refuse dump

Hurrah! The Douglas Road eyesore of a refuse dump in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, which was mentioned here last week, has been cleared! Ifeanyi Uzuegbu, an Owerri-based businessman, informed this columnist that Senator Samuel Anyanwu and House of Representatives’ Honourable Ezenwa Onyewuchi “and other PDP leaders cleared the dirt” on October 11th and 12th. Politics is in the air! Anyway, good riddance to that bad rubbish but why wait until Rev. Canon Uche Chinamerem dramatised the matter and this column specifically called their attention? And come to think of it, is Owerri not in Imo State where Rochas Okorocha holds sway? And what is this I heard about his reason for not clearing the refuse? However, a serious error crept into last week’s write-up when Onitsha (Anambra State) crept in unnoticed instead of Owerri (Imo State).Two friends and professional colleagues, Simon Iro Ibe and Chucks Iloegbunam, were among the first to draw my attention to the error. Thanks, folks. Many thanks also to Chuma Okere, Ph. D. and Chidiebere Amadi for their comments. The error is regretted.

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feature

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Again, Ambode deepens community spirit at town hall meeting a major achievement of his administration, disclosing that in the next three weeks his administration would commence the process of bid invitation for the construction of additional 114 roads across communities in the state.

In addition, the governor had more cheering news for the people. Governor Ambode said he was going to boost employment opportunities and security in the state by recruiting additional 5,000 neigbourhood watchers into its Neighbourhood Safety Agency. He said he would begin this in November.

Analysts believe that this move would scale up maintenance of law and order while depleting the labour market.

“The government,” he said assuredly, “will pay them salaries and allowances that will attract graduates too to be recruited. We are hopeful that this move will reduce criminal activities such as incessant kidnapping, invasion of any part of the state by militants, ritual killings, gang war and domestic violence among others.”

T

he Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, along with top members of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), at its fifth Town Hall meeting on October 11, presented its score card to citizens since his administration came into office on May 29, 2015. Those who listened to him were drawn from all the 57 councils spread across Lagos, market women; school pupils; artisans, etc. Also in attendance was Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akinolu, senators Oluremi Tinubu and Ganiyu Solomon.

Governor Ambode reeled out achievements that included roads, streetlights, hospitals, environmental regeneration, urban developments, transportation, education, poverty alleviation, housing and youth and social development, employment, women empowerment and so on.

On works and infrastructure during the period under review, the governor revealed that the State Government continued with its aggressive commitment towards infrastructure development to ease the movement of vehicles, pedestrians and commuters. So far, it has delivered on the following; the completion of Agbe Road in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, and Adisa Ajibulu Road with Bridge in Oshodi-Isolo; it completed Ojodu-Berger Pedestrian Bridge; awarded the construction of Ago-Palace Way-Jakande Estate Link Bridge, foot Bridges at Itogbesa-Irewe and Okunudun-Erekun, Ojo LG; the repair of Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway (Ilasamaja Segment) amongst others.

The gathering also heard of impressive strides in wealth creation and employment. The governor informed stakeholders about the commencement of the training of the first batch of 100 youths in the Open Andela Training in ICT in software development culminating in applicants receiving Google and Microsoft Certification. He said government also organised an 8-week training on capacity building for 500 tradesmen and artisans at all the five Technical Colleges across the state namely Ikeja, Ado Soba, Ikorodu, Ikotun and Ekpe. In a similar vein, the government registered 18 zonal bodies from the Trades Association, issuing 638 identity cards to artisans. Observers have taken note that this has led to a spiraling effect of self-employment leading to the alleviation of poverty in many homes and generally in the society.

The government also completed the construction of drain for effective free flow of water at places like Odomola Senior Secondary School, Epe and at Education District VI, Oshodi. In this regard the administration carried out landscaping and beautification of a strip of land at MobolajiJohnson Avenue. 104 trees were also tagged at Freedom Park, Lagos Island for record and identification purposes while more than six million treeshave been planted to dateto upgrade the face of Lagos.

Governor Ambode disclosed that the government had spent N166.8 billion on capital projects in the last nine months of 2016.

He declared: “A review of the 2016 budget shows that our state generated total revenue of N97.3 billion in the

last quarter and had a total expenditure of N110.2 billion considering the fact that our cash reserve has remained positive. We expended N55 billion on capital expenditures in the last quarter”. Ambode said the completion and handing over of 114 roads across the 57 local governments and local council development areas in the last quarter was

Ambode put smiles on the faces of the citizens when he promised that his administration would work harder and support re-presentation of a bill that seeks a special status for Lagos State as the commercial capital of the country. It would be recalled that Senator Oluremi Tinubu on October 5, 2016 presented the bill to the upper legislative chamber. But the law makers turned down the request. Now hear what Ambode says: “The bill was suspended and not Continues

pg30

Poverty: When Dangote empowered women in Nigeria

There is no other issue in Nigeria that reflects federal character in almost equal proportion other than poverty. Even at the peak of her economic buoyance occasioned by the high price of the crude oil in the international market years ago, there has not been any commensurable change in Nigerians’ lives.

Despite being one of the three biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria ranks around 160th out of 177 countries on the scale of the Human Development Index (HDI). and having about 80 per cent of her population living in abject poverty. Of this, 60 per cent are said to be women.

Though poverty cuts across Nigeria landscape, women have been the most engendered specie. In fact, despite every efforts made towards poverty reduction in the country, this problem has continued to mitigate women from living happily and contributing their own quota to national growth.

It is against this background that the Dangote Foundation, a grant-making vehicle which supports interventions in critical sectors such as education, health, population and community giving decided to intervene to bring the helpless women out of the dingy life of animal existence.

Endowed by foremost entrepreneur, Aliko Dangote, the Foundation would have been injected N10b to revive the

economy of some one million women. Already, the grant has been disbursed in seven states among which are Kano, Yobe, Adamawa, Jigawa, Borno, and Kogi. Presently, the foundation is disbursing in local governments in Lagos State.

Explaining the rationale behind the Foundation’s decision to help women with the grants to do petty business, Alhaji Dangote said the Foundation believes that empowering women to be key change agents is an essential element to achieving the end of hunger and poverty.

According to him, “we thought of a response to the widespread poverty in Nigeria and how can we help in our own way and in 2011, we came up with this idea. So we instituted the cash transfer intervention. We call it the Dangote Foundation Micro-grants Programme, to provide cash transfers to select poor and vulnerable women and youths. The grant is to enable beneficiaries meet immediate family and livelihood needs by providing a one-time fund to start up enterprises that will boost their economic and consumption activities. He explained that the cash transfer intervention focused on women who bear the greatest brunt of poverty.

Said he “Our Programme provides a one-off grant that enables recipients to grow or start an enterprise, invest in product assets, improve the health of their families, and/or take on new activities that reduce their vulnerability and enhance their economic standing. It has successfully assisted women and their families in the states where we have made disbursement.

“I have always believed that one of the surest ways of alleviating poverty is through job creation and that the kind of jobs that the masses in Nigeria need could be created through such grants. We need this kind of empowerment especially for our women because when companies are established jobs would be created but not on a large scale again because the Continues

pg 30

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opinion

16 October, 2016

Dss and the brazen assault on judiciary

By Femi Fani-Kayode

F

“

irst they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.” –Martin Niemoller (18921984).

If there were ever a time that Niemoller’s words were appropiate in the Nigerian context, it is now. The cold claws of persecution, victimisation, terror and marginalisation have certainly taken grip on our nation.

Yesterday, it was the politicians, members of the opposition, presiding officers and key members of the National Assembly, dissenters, government critics, bloggers, journalists, Shia Muslims, Christians and carefully selected serving and former military and security personnel. Today it is the judges.

Their homes were raided by hundreds of fully armed DSS commandos between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Friday night/Saturday morning. Their streets were surrounded and sealed up. Their gates and front doors were smashed open and they were forcefully and violently arrested and detained. Their families and loved ones were traumatised and terrorised. Their staff and members of their household were sent scampering for cover under their beds.

When those that are constitutionally charged and empowered to protect us from tyranny and the abuse of power by a violent, government and its murderous security agencies are themselves under siege all hope is lost. If the judges cannot protect us and if they themselves have become victims of barbarous tyranny, then it is time for the people

to rise, resist the evil and fight against our oppressors. Sons and daughters of Nigeria, we must not give in to fear and we must not be silenced.

We must defend the rights of our people and fight for our homeland.

If anyone doubts, I urge them to kindly consider the following words, entitled “a brief score card on ‘corrupt’ judges,” which were sent to me by a friend. He wrote: “Justice Liman gave judgment against Modu Sheriff and that hurt the APC. Justice Liman also restrained INEC from announcing any results or figures howsoever generated or compiled purporting to be result of the re-run election for any or all of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Eleme and Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State or any part of the re-run election scheduled for March 19, 2016, which election was subsequently suspended or postponed. Justice Liman narrowly missed been “stinged” by the DSS. “Justice Pindiga insisted on due process in the Rivers State governorship election tribunal sittings. He was removed midway during the sitting of the tribunal when APC saw that PDP was having the upper hand. The rest is history. Justice Pindiga has just been “stinged” by DSS. Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a brilliant judge, eldest grandson of a great former CJN of Nigeria, Adetokunbo Ademola, was a judge who knew his onions. He came from a tradition. He could not be pushed around by powers that be. He ordered thrice that Dasuki be released. This did not go down well with Buhari and his government. They disobeyed his

Sunday Tribune

orders and concocted a new offence to rearrest Dasuki.

“Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja also in May 26, 2016 dismissed Buhari’s preliminary objection in a suit filed by an Abuja-based legal practitioner Mr. Nnamdi NwokochaAhaaiwe concerning Buhari’s certificate (WAEC). Justice Ademola has just been “stinged” by DSS. “Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, a brilliant judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, was the judge who warned DSS to stop disobeying orders of court and told them not to come to his court again if they would not obey court orders. DSS was angry with this. They wanted to “sting” him but got a wrong name.

However, they succeeded in breaking into his house and beating up his brother only for them to look into the paper they had on them to discover that it was not his name that was on the paper. That sure hurt them.

“JSCs Ngwuta and Okoro sat on appeals that gave decisions against APC interest.

They have just been “stinged” by DSS. Nigeria, I hail thee”. The author is absolutely right and whichever way the government and its numerous friends seek to spin it, there is cause for concern.

Yet, sadly, it gets worse. The Greek tragic dramatis and philosopher, Aeschylus (525 BC - 456 BC) said “in war, truth is the first casualty”. It is in this context that one has to view the absurd claims by the DSS that massive sums of cash ranging from 2 million dollars to hundreds of thousands of euros and pounds sterling were found in the homes of

all the judges that were arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning. If anyone honestly believes that such large sums of cash were found in the homes of any of those judges then that person needs to have his head examined. The DSS has to say these outrageous things and tell these shameful lies in order to attempt to justify their illegal actions before the world. It is called disinformation and misinformation and that is their stock in trade. That is what intelligence and security agencies all over the world are paid to do.

They destroy their victims before the world with lies and baseless allegations, knowing that most Nigerians will believe anything and everything that the government says.

It is sickening and pathetic. In any case nothing can possibly justify the Gestapo tactics that the state has employed in this matter. The storming of people’s homes in the middle of the night and the brutalisation and traumatisation of their families, loved ones and households is archaic and barbaric.

And let us be clear: none of the judges were sent letters of invitation before the incident.

Worse still, the security agencies refused to go through the lawful, acceptable and timetested route of calling serving members of the judiciary to order, which is the issuing of a query to the National Judicial Council (NJC) before whom they are supposed to present any credible evidence of wrongdoing before criminal proceedings are initiated.

The DSS, and by extension our government, not only ignored due process in this matter but they have also treated the Chief Justice of the Federation and the National Judicial Council with utter disdain and contempt. Clearly, Nigeria is saddled with authorities that are a cross between Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, King Leopold 11 of Belgium, Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, Papa Doc Duvalier, Augusto Pinochet, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, Mobutu Sese Seko, Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun, Count Vlad Dracula and Idi Amin all rolled into one.

•Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation

venue in crutches, Mrs. Moronkeji Oshikoya, on receiving alert for the grant, described the grant as life-saving and profusely prayed for Dangote Foundation and its Chairman, Alhaji Dangote.

Another beneficiary, Mrs. Augustina Chukwu said they did not believe it initially but were surprised it was true. “We thought it was a joke, because when they mentioned Dangote he is the one who wanted to give us money. We said it was a lie because he is not a politician, so why would he give us money.

But now we have seen that he is a man of

God. He just pitied us and our condition and decided to give us from what God has given him, God will continue to add to his wealth.

Tell others too to help the poor” Speaking on the micro grant and other activities of the Foundation, the Chief Executive Officer, Zouera Youssoufou said the Dangote Foundation was concerned about the plight of the Nigerian women who are most vulnerable under the present economic quagmire and therefore the decision to empower them to compliment the various poverty alleviation programmes of state governments.

Day Dangote empowered women Continued from

pg29

machines are automated and would only require few hands.

“Its only in agriculture that the opportunities are massive”, adding that this was the reason he is investing in sugar plantation and refinery where thousands of people can work and earn living. He said agriculture is the solution.”

Explaining the partnerships with state governments, he said, “This is in keeping with Dangote Foundation’s belief in working through partnerships for effectiveness, scale and impact in tackling the challenges that we face as a nation. This is a key feature of the Programme which aims to support and compliment state governments’ poverty reduction efforts.”

The state governors have taken turn to commend Dangote foundation’s initiative to complement the poverty alleviating efforts of the states describing the gesture as godly and unprecedented.

The Kogi State government while expressing its appreciation to the Foundation recalled the intervention extended to the state during the deadly flooding across some states for which the state was given money relief items to cushion the effects on the victims.

Acknowledging the Dangote Foundation’s philanthropic gesture across the country and even internationally, the Kogi government enjoined other rich Nigerians to emulate Dangote and share part of their wealth with the masses.

In his comment, Lagos state government said Alhaji Dangote’s decision to share his wealth with the people is an indication of his love for the people and should be emulated.

“He has decided to support our programme of regeneration in Lagos state, we are grateful to Dangote Foundation. “This empowerment

programme will cover all deserving in the 20 LG and 37 Development Areas in the state. We will ensure that nobody is denied this grant not minding the political or religious leaning.

We will continue to give the required environment to make business thrive in Lagos.”

However, a new dimension has been added to the disbursement in Lagos as beneficiaries are also provided with free customized hand held phones, thorough which they receive alert for the disbursement.

At Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos, one of the beneficiaries, brought to the

As Ambode deepens communal spirit Continued from pg29 rejected. It means that we have another chance to work harder and re-activate the bill to ensure it succeeds for the overall interest of Nigerians.”

Speaking on the bill, the Oba of Lagos claimed that ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo was responsible for Lagos not being granted special status. Oba Akinolu said Obasanjo had the opportunity to have granted that privilege during his eight-year tenure. “If Obasanjo had done so, the issue of the National Assembly turning down Oluremi Tinubu’s bill would not have arisen,” the Oba argued.During an interactive session, most of the questions posed by the citizens centered on the upgrade of the state chiefly through good roads.

Pastor Gbenga Oyebode of Surulere, Jimoh Olawale (Apapa Iganmu), Alhaji Saliu Ibrahim (Aguda) among others, sought the intervention of the governor on the state of the roads in their areas.

For Mrs Bisola James (Ifako-Ijaiye), the concern was for attention to be given to the

professional women in Lagos.

The gathering was moved with compassion when a visually challenged student of the Pacelli School for the Blind Master Kelechi, in his petition, thanked the governor for his support for the school. But he pleaded with Ambode to provide the school with a bus.

Responding to their questions, Ambode said he would promptly handle the requests of the student of the Pacelli School. “We’ll deal with the flooding of the area as part of our structural support to the school.”

The deputy governor at the meeting also spoke of new model schools in the offing. She disclosed that a secondary school would come up at Sari Iganmu. She said N10 billion had been set aside for the new model schools, adding that by November, the projects would kick off. She described what was unveiling in the education sector in Lagos as a “New Dawn”. She concluded: “If your area is not captured now, you will be accommodated in 2017.”

As the program got to a close, Desmond

Olusola Elliot (Surulere 1) thanked Governor Ambode and his cabinet for meeting the people. He described the event as a wonderful Town Hall meeting in a wonderful state.

The attendees milled out, spilling into the streets with the scene again coming close to what you would expect after a big football match with supporters of winning and losing teams exchanging comments. This time, there was no vanquished side. All left hailing the Town Hall meeting as a fulfilling one that had not disappointed them.

Those who spoke out what was going on in their minds said they looked forward to the next Town Hall meeting, even as some would be expected to monitor the promises of the governor on his vows to help an old woman, build model schools beginning from November 1, recruit neighbourhood security watchers and prevent flood where the Pacelli School for the Blind is located.

Ojewale, a journalist lives in Ota, Ogun State.

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16 October, 2016

makeover

Rita Okonoboh 08053789087 tribunemakeover@gmail.com

A

Nail clipper As the name implies, it is used for trimming the nails. Clippers come in various forms and some even come with a small nail file and sometimes, a pocket knife.

They are also available in various shapes and sizes, giving you the option to carry it around. They are a vital tool fr many fashion emergencies including clipping of hanging, broken nails, and cutting hanging strings and threads off outfits. When clipping nails,

Nail clipper

work in steps and do not cut the nails too low to prevent damage. Also, many people take for granted cleaning clippers, forgetting that the nails are a breeding environment for germs. To clean, soak your cleaning brush in alcohol for a few minutes, then add liquid anti-bacterial soap and scrub. Rinse off and ensure you dry properly.

Nail file They are used for sharpening the nails, especially the edges after clipping. They may come in glass, stainless steel, metal emery boards or even ceramic materials and perform the basic function of smoothing.

Nail buffer A nail buffer comes in various forms such as a small rectangular block or a flatter shape and has different sides for polishing the nails. They are the next tool to use after filing. Some products come with an instruction leaflet

Nail files

Photo: www.llobeautiful.com

What to do to make your nails beautiful

S insignificant as they may seem, a person’s nails serve many benefits including making the hands beautiful and detecting a person’s health status. For fashion enthusiasts, caring for the nails by visiting a pedicurist, sometimes, twice a week, is an obligation not to be handled with levity. So, it is necessary to have a grasp of the right tools to use that will ensure in strong, healthy nails as listed below:

Sunday Tribune

on how to use. However, because of the effects of buffing, it should not be done too often to avoid weakening the nails which can lead to damage. Allow the nails a few weeks to grow out before using the buffer again. Note that some products do not support buffing the surface part of the nails but just the sides. A nail buffer has four sides for a purpose. For products that do not provide directions, start with the roughest side and work your way to the smoothest part of the buffer. The trick is to smoothen out edges and unevenness till you get a fine, polished result.

Cuticle

pushers,

Nail buffer

cutters

and removers One of the most important rules of nail care is not to tamper with your cuticles, that is, do not cut them. They are the skin at the base of the nails and are there for a reason. However, there may be times when dead skin may hang of the nails and your fingers can’t reach them. That’s what the cuticle cutters or removers are for.

Cuticle pushers are used to lean the cuticles away from the nails before applying polish.

Toe separators They are usually used for spacing the toes, especially during the application of nail polish to prevent spilling. They come in foam,

Toe separators

Many people take for granted cleaning clippers, forgetting that the nails are a breeding environment for germs

gel and other materials. Apart from for pedicure purposes, they are used by women who wear tight shoes for the better part of the day to stretch their toes out.

They are also ideal for letting injury on the edge of the toes heal as they will prevent the next toes from rubbing into the injury too often.

P.S.: invest in quality products and always endeavour to sterilize your nail care tools at home.

Also, when you visit the nail salon, always ensure the manicurist/pedicurist have their tools sterilized.

33

16 October, 2016

With Akintayo Abodunrin akinjaa03@yahoo.co.uk 08111813058

Maafa: A look back into slavery The stage play spotlights the evils of slavery and why Africa will go nowhere without unity

W

“

HY is Africa always fighting against itself? They invaded our land but we gave them the key,” the narrator began mournfully. It was a day after the 2016 Independence anniversary and Cinema Hall 2 of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos was filled with guests who had come to watch ‘Maafa’(Point-of-No-Return) , a free stage play the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) was marking the occasion with.

Given its focus on slavery, one had suspected that the play written by SegunOlujobi and directed by MakindeAdeniran would be dark. However, we were totally unprepared for what transpired as sniffles could be heard among the audience as the tear jerker unfolded.

Though extensive researches have been done on slavery and its impact on peoples and communities across Africa well documented, the debasement and privations our ancestors suffered in the hands of Western slave masters continue to hurt and haunt, judging by the reactions to the play.

In telling the story of the great warrior, Osusu, ‘Maafa’, a joint production of the National Troupe of Nigeria and Eda Theatre International, details the bestiality of Europeans to Africans. It shows how gullible African chiefs, dazzled by the mirrors and schnapps the Westerners brought, gave their kingdoms away. It shows the deceit and betrayals that characterize relationships in Africa and why the continent continues to be the theatre of some of the most horrificconflicts humanity has ever witnessed: Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Northeast and the Lake Chad region and Al-

A scene from “Maafa’ Shabab in East Africa are examples. Most importantly, it touches on the lack of unity on the continent and the need to address this.

Renowned for his courage, Osusu is a great warrior who defends his people with his band of fighters. So accomplished is he that the king does not hesitate to give him his daughter, Ademowura as wife. But success breeds envy. Soon, the village elders and the king conspire to sell him alongside his pregnant wife, daughter and son into slavery because of his fame.

Unfortunately, Osusu and his family fall into the hands of a despicable slaver and subhuman, Captain Alex, who like most Europeans, came first as a trader before transforming into a missionary and eventually a slave raider. He subjects Osusu and slaves from other tribes into series of abuses including beatings and raping one of the female slaves right in front of her husband. His abuses are not limited to the slaves as he does same to

his wife, Araminta for daring to speak up for the slaves in general and Osusuwhom she appears to have a fondness for. He orders her to be tied up and flogged.

“I owe you; I owe your identity, you black monster,” Alex declares contemptuously in a scene while humiliating the slaves and would later justify slavery with some Bible passages and the story of Esau and Jacob in another scene when Osusu had rebelled against him.

He does unspeakable things to break Osusu and turn him into a wreck of a man.

Despite all being in bondage and locked together in a cage, the slaves would still not cooperate. They refuse to work together to gain their freedom and even turned on Osusu and members of his tribe because the warrior refused to help when Captain Alex ravaged the female slave. They resort to trading accusations which ultimately leads to a fight amongst them. Responding to allegations from the woman’s husband that he turned

Lorot, founder of InstitutChoisuel, to meet Nigerian filmmakers FOUNDER of the Paris, France-based InstitutChoisuel, Dr. Pascal Lorot, will meet with filmmakers and other players in Nigeria’s movie industry in Lagos in November.

The meeting will be part of the 4th Choisuel 100 Africa event happening for the first time in Sub Sahara Africa. Aside the filmmakers, Lorot, who visited Nigeria two weeks ago, will also interact with the Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode and the Choiseul 100 Africa Laureates, a number of whom are Nigerians.

They include Chief executive officer of House of Tara International, Tara Fela-

Durotoye and general manager of LEAP Africa, NdidiNwuneli. Others are Abayomi Awobokun, general manager, Oando Downstream; Ada Osakwe, CEO, Afrolat Ventures; Rotimi Williams, CEO, Kereksuk; Ladi Delano, general manager, Bakrie Delano Africa; ChinweAjene-Sagna, West Africa Director, Jones Lang LaSalle and KamilOlufowobi, director of Acceptance Development, MasterCard, West Africa.

The InstitutChoisuel’s top 100 Africans are people of 40 years old and below who will play a major role in the development of Africa in the near future.

The list comprises young African business leaders, successful entrepreneurs and investors across various sectors ranging from oil and gas, finance, mining, entertainment, the creative sector, ecommerce, agro-business and information technology amongst others.

The top five Africans on the list are Tanzanian Mohammed Deweji, Morrocan Mehdi Tazi, Zimbabwean Busisa Moyo, South African Zukie and Nigerian IghoSanomi of Taleveras During his visit to Nigeria a fortnight ago, Lorot met with ex-Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, French Consul General in Lagos, Laurent Polonceaux and chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, amongst others.

a blind eye to her plight, Osusuechoes a line from President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration speech. “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,” the warrior explains in impressing the importance of unity and hiding their strengths from their slave master on his fellow slaves.

Though depressing at points, especially the scenes where Osusu gets to lick Alex’s smelly foot and later when the slave master beats and kicks Ademowura, who is in labour to death for Osusu’sintransigence,the play also has its light sides.

It toes the total theatre path by featuring good music (produced by a seven-man live band) and dances and can hardly be faulted production wise. The costumes and props were appropriate while one scene paid tributes to Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, whose memorial is currently being marked with the annual Felabration.

“I learnt your nation is one of dances; you have dances for every occasion. Dance for me,” Alex ordered the slaves at a point and they promptly broke into a stirring Afrobeat number. The marriage scene between Osusu and Ademowura where the actors displayed their dancing and singing skills was another good one.If the play can be faulted, it’s the scene where Ademowura dies; it’s a tad too long and all weepy. Then, it is not quite clear if the slaves travelled from the coast, where most of the action takes place, to the Americas.

Though it later emerged that they had less than 12 days to rehearse, the actors gave a good account of themselves. SobifaDokubo, the Narrator (and Osusu’s son), modulated well and was mournful and encouraging as when needed. KunleOmotesho who played Osusu was equally good as was Omosehin, who played the ultimate jerk Alex. GinikaChinedu (Araminta), Joy Igbinedion (Ademowura) and Alex’s native sidekicks, James Samuel Femi and AdemuyiwaAdewale also gave competent performances.

Appraising the play after the curtain call, a former General Manager of the National Theatre/National Troupe, Professor Ahmed Yerima, said “[Hubert] Ogunde’s spirit [in the national troupe] has not died; [Bayo] Odunneye’s spirit has not died. It’s a wonderful play; fantastic play. I think it is ready for Broadway. It willpreserve history and educate our grandchildren about occurrences of the past.”

Staged barely a month after the grand finale of the creative station where teens and children thoroughly entertained the audience, ‘Maafa’, a Swahili word which means disastrous, is another indication that the NTN is rediscovering its spark and reverting to its tradition of marking national events and milestones with quality productions.

Ego-Alowes presents book on civil war

From left, Ken Etete, Tara Fela-Durotoye and Dr Pascal Lorot at an event in Lagos

A new book, ‘How and Why the Yoruba Fought and Lost the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War’ written by Dr. Jimanze Ego-Alowes, will be presented on Thursday, October 20, 2016, at the Best Western Starfire Hotel, Joel Ogunnaike, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.

The book re-evaluates the roles of major characters in the war and the events that followed. It focuses on Generals Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu and Yakubu Gowon, the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Professors Wole Soyinka and Ben Nwabueze, amongst

others.

Intellectual and journalistic elites, including Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, Eric Osagie, Odia Ofeimum, Ikeddy Isuguzo, Henry Boyo, Steve Nwosu, Tony Onyima and OnuohaUkeh are some of the guests expected at the presentation.

Ego-Alowes is the author of books including the ‘Minorities as Competitive Overlords’, ‘Economists as Assassins: The Nigerian Connection’ and ‘Corruption in Africa: Resolution through New Diagnosis.’

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16 October 2016

children’sarena • Every zebra has a unique pattern of black and white stripes.

• Common plain zebras have tails around half a metre in length (18 inches).

• Zebra crossings (pedestrian crossings) are named after the black and white stripes of zebras.

A

• Zebras have excellent eyesight and hearing.

• Zebras stand up while sleeping.

• Zebras eat mostly grass.

• The ears of a zebra show its mood.

• A zebra named Marty starred in the 2005 animated film Madagascar.

Tongue Twister

• There are a number of different theories which attempt to explain zebra’s unique stripes with most relating to camouflage.

Jaguar

You’ve no need to light a night-light On a light night like tonight, For a night-light’s light’s a slight light, And tonight’s a night that’s light.

When a night’s light, like tonight’s light, It is really not quite right To light night-lights with their slight lights On a light night like tonight.

Z

EBRA are part of the equidae family along with horse and donkeys.

• Zebras run from side to side to being chased by a predator.

Forgive and forget?

MAR and Alok , two friends, set up a business venture together. Both invested a lot of money in the business and spent all their time trying to promote it.

For a few years everything seemed to be working out fine. Then Alok wanted to diversify. He persuaded Amar to invest their profits in another venture. Amar wasn’t so sure – what if the venture failed? – but agreed after much persuasion by his friend.

The two went ahead with the venture. Unfortunately, the new business did fail. They incurred very heavy losses. So they poured in all the money they had made till then to keep the business from sinking. But it was no use.

Their venture was still destined to doom.

Amar, who had been persuaded to throw in his money, could never forget that the idea to invest came from Alok. He couldn’t forgive his friend’s lack of judgment, for he had never doubted it once. He was deeply shocked.

After a few days, the shock turned to fury.

He was sure his friend had betrayed him.

So he was determined to take revenge. One day, he went quietly to Alok’s house and set it afire. There was nobody inside the house so no deaths occurred. But everything was burnt to a cinder. Alok was left with nothing.

While running out of the house after setting it on fire, Amar had been spotted by Alok who was returning home. But he could never prove the fact. He too, burned with rage. And decided to take revenge his way.

He set up a business on his own and made some money with it. And then he began systematically to destroy the business of the man who was his friend once. There were so many ways to do it – a few calls to the clients his

em

Daddy Fell into the Pond Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.

We had nothing to do and nothing to say.

We were nearing the end of a dismal day, And then there seemed to be nothing beyond, Then Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone’s face grew merry and bright, And Timothy danced for sheer delight.

“Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!

He’s crawling out of the duckweed!” Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee, And doubled up, shaking silently, And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft, And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.

Oh, there wasn’t a thing that didn’t respond When Daddy Fell into the pond!

Zebras stand up while sleeping

• Wild zebras live in Africa.

Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 0807 449 7425

P

Fun Fact

Sunday Tribune

friend had, a few nasty rumours.

Because he was in a better position than Amar, he could do a lot of damage too. The other tried to follow his example but couldn’t – he was in too weak a position.

It happened that in a few months Amar lost everything else too. He went to Alok’s house one day. “Let’s stop this madness.” he said. “We’ve hurt each other enough.”

“I don’t particularly enjoy taking revenge either,” agreed the other. “But you asked for it”.

“I was only reacting to what you did. Your judgment cost me my entire life’s saving. But maybe it’s possible to put all of this behind and become friends again?”

“No”, said Alok, who had lost his house. “You’ll never forget what happened to your money and I’ll never forget what happened to my house. There’s really no way we could become friends again. For while people might learn to forgive after a while, they can never forget the wrongs done to them.”

Famousinvention

Flashlight ALTHOUGH a flashlight is a relatively simple device, its invention did not occur until the late 19th century because it depended upon the earlier invention o f the electric battery and electric light. A flashlight, or torch (as it is known in the United Kingdom), is a handheld portable electric spotlight. A typical flashlight consists of a small electric light bulb with associated parabolic reflector, powered by electric batteries, and with an electric power switch. The compo- nents are mounted in a housing that contains the necessary electric circuit and provides ease of handling, a means of access to the batteries for replacement, and a clear covering over the light bulb for its protection.

In 1898 the National Carbon Company introduced the first D cell electric battery, designed specifically for use in a flashlight. The National Carbon Company was founded in 1886 by the then Brush Electric Company executive W. H. Lawrence. The company would supply carbon items needed in electrical devices such as carbon-arc electrodes, motor brushes and rods used in carbon-zinc batteries.

By 1898 the electric light was in wide spread use and provided a practical light source for the flashlight.

The electric light with a carbon filament invented by Thomas Edison in 1879 was able to provide about 1500 hours of illumination. The industry had matured and was controlled by General Electric and Westing house.

35

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Rita Okonoboh tribunechurch@gmail.com tribunechurch@yahoo.com 08053789087

tribunechurch Persecuted yet persevering:

People stand in front of the partially destroyed St. Theresa Catholic Church after a bomb blast in the Madala Zuba district of Abuja on December 25, 2011.

PHOTO: SUNDAY AGHAEZE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Christian victims share chilling tales of encounter with terror

It’s been years since terror first visited the Christian community in Nigeria, yet the attacks are still on. International Christian organisation, Open Doors, after a recent visit to Nigeria’s worst hit area of terror, the North-East, shares the stories of two Christian victims, Hannatu and Deborah, and how they are standing strong in their Christian faith, in spite of the torment they have suffered.

T

O state that terror has become a reality for many Christians would be stating the obvious.

This is all the more so when Christians are tortured for their faith, a reality many believers outside the frontline of insurgency may not understand.

However, for Hannatu and Deborah, the experience is all too real.

Hannatu’s story Hannatu (not real name), is a 16-yearold lady recovering from a very traumatic experience. In June 2016, she was kidnapped, forcefully Islamised and married off to a middle-aged Muslim extremist.

Nigeria’s restoration is very near —Cleric Pg36

At the time of her kidnapping, Hannatu lived in an IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camp in Maiduguri, Borno State, with her widowed mother, Ladi, where they faced great hardship due to insuffi-

cient water, food and shelter.

According to Open Doors, Christian families are under constant pressure from Muslims who try to use these difficulties to lure them to Islam. It was no different

Though I have a lot of fear about the fate of my children who are in the hands of Boko Haram, these messages have kept telling me that millions of believers around the world are praying for me and my children

Global attacks on Christianity is fulfilment of prophecy

—Revd Adeyele

Pg37

Bishop tasks clerics on commitment Pg38 to duty

for Hannatu and her mother, but they kept resisting.

But that fateful day in June, Hannatu was running errands for her mother when Muslim men, who had made advances earlier, kidnapped her. When Ladi couldn’t find Hannatu anywhere, she was worried. Little did she know that Hannatu had been forcefully converted to Islam and married to a Muslim.

Hannatu’s captors forced her to study the Quran and some Islamic books. Because she resisted, they took her to the chief Imam for instruction and initiation rituals. When Hannatu told the imam she was not a Muslim and was married against her will, he informed Ladi. He said if she wanted her daughter back, she needed to go to court.

There was no way Ladi could afford that, but an Open Doors partner informed the Christian organisation about their Continues on pg39

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16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

With Olaide Sokoya ollydesanmi@yahoo.com 08074497425

churchnews

Nigeria’s restoration is very near —Cleric A cleric has declared that Nigeria will soon be restored to its glory and things will improve as the prevalent scarcity and poverty in the land would soon be a thing of the past.

Pastor Joseph Noruwa Edokpolo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chosen Generation Parish, Agege, Lagos State, made this declaration at a special prayer programme organised to pray for the country’s 56th Independence

anniversary.

According to him, though there had been many prophecies to this effect in the past and many had lost hope, the spirit of God is one and it does not lie.

He added that he was sure

that the time for restoration in Nigeria is now.

Pastor Edokpolo stated that though he was given this vision personally, his conviction was strengthened when he stumbled on the record of the prophecy

of a British missionary, S.G. Elton, who gave the prophecy concerning restoration in Nigeria years back.

He added that Elton had said then that Nigeria would become a thing of ridicule as it will stink of

corruption and it will be despised by all after which restoration would come and all countries of the world would want to identify with the country for its righteousness.

Pastor Edokpolo enjoined

Cleric laments degradation of the earth

At 25th anniversary, priest awards scholarships

Celestine Ihejirika - Umuahia MUNICIPAL and industrial pollution has been identified as a major environmental problem in Nigeria, as most cities lack proper solid waste management schemes.

Presenting a paper entitled “Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Nigeria in Line with ‘Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis Encyclical on the Environment” at the Kolping Society of Nigeria (KSN) auditorium, Umuahia, Abia State, during the 2016 Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji’s annual public lecture organised by the Kolping Society of Nigeria, the Mater Dei Catholic cathedral administrator and lecture presenter, Very Reverend Father Paschal Okechukwu Opara, stated that the monitoring and control of industrial waste was inefficient.

He pointed out that, “in many cases, effluents from industrial processes are simply allowed to flow into public drains and rivers where they can percolate into surface or ground water.”

In order to achieve environmental sustainability in Nigeria, he stressed the need for environmental education among the populace.

Earlier in her address, the KSN Executive Director, Mary Genevieve Okoro, stated that Kolping encourages individuals to take active part in the social, political and religious activities in their locality and using their God-given talents to serve the church and society in which they live.

all Nigerians to key into these prophecies of MrElton and continue to pray ceaselessly for the restoration of the country.

According to him, Mr Elton who was regarded as the father of the Pentecostal Revival Movement in Nigeria, had foreseen the current situation of things in the country.

He said even if people still harboured unbelief, it would in no way stop what God wants to do in the country.

Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti

Reverend Canon Johnson Olusegun Faleye, his wife, Olayinka and children with officiating ministers (behind) during Faleye’s 50th birthday service held at Emmanuel Anglican Church, Ekotedo, Ibadan, Oyo State, recently. PHOTO: OLAIDE SOKOYA

Members of Manna Prayer Mountain, distributing copies of Our Daily Manna, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 56th Independence anniversary in Lagos State.

MPM reiterates commitment to improving lives MANNA Prayer Mountain Ministry and the publishers of Our Daily Manna (ODM), a devotional material for spiritual uplift, has again reiterated its commitment towards impacting lives.

This was made known at the church’s headquarters in Lagos State ahead of a walk for the propagation of the initiative tagged “One Nigerian, One ODM” – a concept created in commemoration of the 56th Independence Day. Speaking on behalf of the founder, Bishop (Dr) Chris

Kwakpovwe, the resident pastor, Dan Egbo, said the vision of the church was to positively affect lives, hence the need to reach out to people.

He also noted that the rally was important to the church as it was held at all the branches of the church across the country which conformed with the its mission to spread the gospel and affect lives.

On feedback of the initiative generated since inception, Egbo said: “When we started two years ago, we

had a single truck going to locations, the second year we had two, while today we have five trucks going to different locations and that is an impressive feedback because of the demand as many were requesting that we should come to their area. This shows that more people are demanding for it.”

Egbo further stressed that the initiative had been extended outside Nigeria, as he noted that some African countries had embraced it.

Speaking also, the admin-

istration pastor, Mrs Eunice Ibeni, said the ministry, in its drive to touch lives, would ensure that the initiative through ODM became a household name in the country.

Head, Board of Deacons, Ibrahim Adegbe, in his remarks said: “Instead of limiting it to only the members, we felt we should go out to all Nigerians and we are glad that the goal was achieved three years back.

We are affecting lives positively and liberating souls.”

A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Michael Omojola, has given out scholarships and other educational aid to some indigent members of the society as part of the celebration of his 50th birthday and 25th priestly ordination anniversary.

At a programme preceded by a Mass at St. Monica’s Catholic Parish, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, recently, Father Omojola said about N500,000 was expended through his foundation, the Joan Omigini Educational Trust Fund.

He said: “There are nine recipients. One in primary school, an orphan; six in secondary school and two in higher institutions. Each of them got something that can, at least, take care of their school fees. Then we gave them relevant textbooks in Mathematics and in English Language, exercise books, pens and shirts of the foundation.

On how he raised the funds, he said: “it was money that friends gave me during the celebration of my anniversary. I didn’t want to go cap in hand, at least for now, to beg for funds to help me to help the poor. They gave me money and other things and I felt I could share from what people gave me.”

Father Omojola, who is the Dean of Seminarians Affairs at the Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele, Ekpoma in Edo State, said: “I decided to help one or two people go to school to improve the society, that’s what informed the action.”

37 tribunechurch

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Global attacks on Christianity is fulfilment of prophecy —Revd Adeyele Religion is a matter of the heart.

Reverend Gideon Oluseyi Adeyele is the minister in charge of the United Christians Evangelistic Ministry, a body that unites Christians of all denominations and a prince of Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He speaks with RITA OKONOBOH on the task of preaching without denominational barriers, how tradition doesn’t clash with his faith and his vision for Nigeria.

Has God told you anything about Nigeria?

Even if God tells me anything, I won’t tell you. There are forces people don’t recognise and every spiritually-conscious cleric must be very careful when saying ‘thus says the Lord.’ For instance, if a cleric wakes up one morning and says he had a dream in which he saw Nigeria disintegrating, I will say such a person is wrong. I will go back to God and will give Him reasons that should not happen. In the spirit, there are hierarchies that control the spiritual atmosphere. When God shows you something and in the spirit realm, you are not superior to me, I will use my spiritual superiority to annul what God told you. This is what obtains with genuine clerics. We can approve and disprove. God has given us that authority. That is why we are calling clerics to come together to use that spiritual authority God has given us over the power of satan that wants to destroy this country. My vision for Nigeria is peace. The present recession will soon end.

We just need to persevere.

H

OW did you find yourself in the ministry?

I started as an itinerant evangelist and that is what I have been doing over the decades. I wanted to work as a church pastor. You know in those days, being a minister of the gospel was not as financially rewarding as it is now. So, those of us who were called were regarded as ill-lucked and truly speaking, things were so rough in those days. An itinerant evangelist in those days did not attract financial support unlike pastors attached to churches. It was hard to make ends meet.

I was called when I was working as a sales supervisor. Then I made five pence on each product that was imported. However, I left all to answer the call. I had to work as a minister and as a labourer because I wanted to protect my integrity. I engaged in menial jobs to make ends meet. Still I thank God for everything.

Didn’t your family support the call into ministry?

Parents then didn’t really support their children going into God’s work because it wasn’t financially rewarding. I have been very attached to the ministry right from my secondary school days. My parents even hid the calling because they knew. What they told me was that when I retired from active service, I could come into the ministry.

I was a little over 22 when I came into the ministry. They didn’t support my call into the ministry at the initial stage, but things are different now. I am now their son.

Are you affiliated to any church?

I belong to Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) worldwide. However, UNICEM is connected to all Christian denominations in the world. I’ve worked with orthodox and pentecostal churches. UNICEM is a gathering of all Christian churches to evangelise.

If you were not a minister?

Maybe, I would have become a king. I am of the Osikola ruling family in Ile-Ife and our royal compound is Akui in Ile-Ife. How did UNICEM start?

It began as a result of the vision which God gave me and which I was trained to realise.

At the beginning of the ministry, God said I must not join any denomination and must not become a paid staff to any Christian denomination. Although, it involved much suffering, perseverance, endurance and faith in God for my supply. However, God has never disappointed me and He has sustained me. UNICEM started in 1984 with seven young men who had the same vision to promote the gospel. Then, I was in Lagos.

Now it has become a global ministry.

Now, you’re organising a ministers/ workers retreat. What is the significance of such event?

I don’t just do things because it has been done before. One thing that I am very attached to in the ministry are the ministers of God because the rise and the fall of the ministry rests on their shoulders. If they are righteous, so will their congregation be and

but by example. Clerics impact lives and our lives speak louder than what we say. When a cleric lives as a true Christian, no matter the portfolio, that is equal to one million souls.

One can only give what one has. That is how we arrived at the theme “the church before the watching world.” On a global level, it is as if the devil has gained entry into the church through the altar, that is, through clerics. Corruption, immorality have entered into churches and members are jettisoning spiritual ordinances because of the actions of clerics. We want ministers and workers to realise that heaven and even unbelievers are watching us. We want us to come together and reason together. So, the retreat is to call ourselves to order and help us understand what we should be as clerics.

How would you react to the statement that Christianity is under attack?

The global attack against Christianity today is in fulfilment of prophecy because when Jesus was still with us, He said that the time would come when people will state that killing Christians and destroying churches is in the name of God. That shows that it is a fulfilment of prophecy and there’s nothing anyone can do about it because it is a pointer to us that Jesus’ second coming is at hand.

How do you get funding?

By the grace of God, we have combined church planting with evangelism. We have a church building in Ile-Ife. It is the children of God that sponsor UNICEM. Even with the number of clerics in the country, moral standards seem to be on the decline. What would you say the church isn’t doing right?

I will not agree with that because it is not the fault of religion. The problem is not with religion but religious practitioners, especially those who preach and teach. The problem is with religious leaders. Even in Nigeria, we have good resources but the problem is leadership. So it is with religion. That is why the retreat is important because we want to make ourselves realise what we have contributed to negatively affect the good image of Christ.

Does your affiliation to a traditional ruling house not clash with your faith as a Christian?

We misinterpret tradition and culture. Tradition and culture is different from idolatry.

In Yorubaland, our tradition is very rich and it doesn’t mean idolatry. We respect culture and that is why in politics, when our elders say this is where we are going, we follow. As a royal son in Ile-Ife, my tradition doesn’t contradict my faith. I am a Christian and a Yoruba man. I am a Christian leader and I am a prince. Do you know we have clerics who are traditional rulers? They don’t destroy their tradition in the name of religion.

You’re a cleric with the CAC but you’re a Reverend. The CAC uses just Pastor. How did you come about that?

Many other denominations wanted me to minister in their churches, especially the Baptist churches. They said they loved the ministry and so they gave me the title Reverend. So also the Anglican Communion and the Methodist Churches. They gave me the title of being called a reverend so I would be able to minister in their churches. It’s just a title, it’s not an unction. The unction to minister is spiritual and that is why I can minister in any denomination.

38 tribunechurch

16 October, 2016

Sunday Tribune

Bishop counsels on unity, tasks clerics on commitment to duty

By Rita Okonoboh

T

HE Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Trinity, United States, Right Reverend Amos Fagbamiye, has called on Christians to rededicate themselves to the task of unity.

He also called on clerics to be committed to the work of spreading the gospel, an action which he said would ensure that their good works would speak for them long after they had gone.

Bishop Fagbamiye stated this in his sermon at the valedictory service for Bishop Samson Olusegun Adekunle and his wife, Marian, of Ile-Oluji Diocese, held at The Cathedral of St. Peter, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, last week.

According to Fagbamiye, “there is time for everything. However, whatever the case, we must all come together for the growth of the diocese and for the church in general.”

The event, which also featured the launch of a book in honour of Bishop Adekunle, witnessed the presence of bishops within and beyond Nigeria.

In his review of the book, Venerable

Bishops of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican communion, praying for Bishop S.O. Adekunle and his wife, Marian, during the valedictory service held in honour of Bishop Adekunle and his wife last week Olufemi Oyawale extolled the qualities of Bishop Adekunle, stating that his life was a testimony to other clerics and should serve as example for others to follow.

Also present at the event were Bishops J.O. Akinbiyi; James Popoola; Nathaniel Ogundipe; Samuel Ogundeji; S.O. Borokini; Williams Aladekugbe; Joseph Olusola;

Isaac Olubowale; Isaac Oluiyanu; Michael Oluwarohunbi; James Odedeji; J.A. Ajetunmobi; Samuel Egbebunmi; Abel Ajibudu; Akin Atere, among others.

Be true defenders of the faith, Father Ugwoegbu charges Knights of St. Mulumba Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti THE Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Ilupeju, Bodija Express, Ibadan, Oyo State, Very Reverend Father Benedict Ugwoegbu, has charged members of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria to focus on their faith in God and ignore side talks as they work to help the church and defend the faith.

Father Ugwoegbu gave the charge in his homily at a Mass where seven of the knights were elevated to the second and third degrees in the Order, held at the parish.

He noted that KSM Nigeria had been of immense help to the church in numerous ways, and charged the knights to, like the Apostles asked Jesus, always seek to increase their faith for a sustained fervour in the work of God and His church.

Father Ugwoegbu said: “You are not knights and ladies of the church because of what you wear but because of what you do and how you do it.

“Your colours of green (symbolising productivity); purple (royalty) and red (love) show that these should be your banner.

You must therefore be productive, act with humility and carriage of royalty and live with love. Fan into flame your faith.”

Speaking on behalf of the Metropolitan Grand Knight of Ibadan Metro Council, the Coordinating Grand Knight of the Ibadan Sub-Councils, William Otoba, reiterated that the KSM Nigeria was not a secret cult, stressing that it was founded by a priest and monk, Father Anslem Ojefua on June

14, 1953 to actually counter evil/secret groups.

He said one of the activities of the KSM Nigeria was to defend the faith and support in the development of growing parishes, and called on the faithful to also support the church in their own little way.

Otoba said: “The Order is not a secret cult but a lay organisation approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). As a matter of fact, our bishops are de facto members of KSM. And they cannot be members of a group that is ungodly.”

Members of the Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria with the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Illupeju, Bodija Express, Ibadan, Very Reverend Father Benedict Ugwoegbu, in a group photo after the investiture of second and third degree members of the order, at a ceremony held at the parish recently. PHOTO: SAM NWAOKO.

‘Whatever the challenge, I’ll remain a Christian’ Continued from pg35

plight. A lawyer was provided and the background information needed for the court case.

The case was heard for the first time on July 6. During the subsequent hearing on September 2nd, the case was won, and Hannatu publicly denounced Islam and was set free!

When Open Doors was recently in Maiduguri, they saw Ladi happily reunited with her daughter.

“Thank you very much for rescuing my daughter from the lion’s den. I now believe that angels still exist. If not for you, I don’t know where I would have gotten help from. Just as you rescued my daugh-

ter, may God continue to meet your needs,” her mother stated.

Deborah’s story Deborah (not real names) has lived in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, throughout the insurgency that has gained momentum since 2009. It is a miracle that she has survived the constant battles, suicide bombings and targeted attacks. It is an even bigger miracle that this woman has survived spiritually after losing all of her family members in Boko Haram attacks.

On the afternoon of April 25, 2012, a group of Boko Haram attackers stormed Deborah’s house. They shot and killed

her husband in her presence and then abducted her two daughters, Tabitah (7) and Sarah (9). Deborah begged them to leave her daughters, but the only response she received was a blow to the face that left her nearly paralysed on the floor.

Three months later, another group of Boko Haram followers broke into her home. This time they killed Deborah’s only son. These devastating events left Deborah deeply traumatised and everyone wondered how her faith could possibly survive.

Deborah had converted to Christianity from Islam and married her husband against the wishes of her family. She expected no help from them, and was not a

surprise when they tried to use her vulnerability to get her to return to Islam. Her Muslim neighbours also threatened her.

Instead of giving in to their demands, she decided to move away. She left behind the house her husband had built, which was now overflowing with painful memories, and rented an apartment elsewhere.

“I have been living a difficult life,” she stated during a previous visit from Open Doors. But she showed no signs of giving up her faith. “I have decided to accept Christ. I will, for as long as I live, remain a Christian. It doesn’t matter the threat,” she bravely declared.

Continues on pg39

39

tribunechurch

livingword

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

Encounter with the power of the Holy Spirit for exploits! (3) Joseph’s love for God, he refused to have an affair with his master’s wife and this culminated in his imprisonment. However, that love later catapulted him to the palace and he became a personality to be reckoned with in Egypt. Daniel was also a certified lover of God and his accusers could not find any fault against him except against the law of his God (Genesis 39:9; Daniel 6:5; Songs of Solomon 8:6).

Furthermore, Apostle Paul was an addicted lover of God and we see in scriptures his adventure in the world of exploits. In fact, he wrote two-third of the New Testament and today, it is impossible to preach the full gospel without referring to his sayings in scriptures (Romans 8:3539). In other words, when we operate the Spirit of Love among others, we begin to manifest strange order of exploits. However, until we are born again, we cannot access any of the operations of the Holy Spirits. Are you born again? This means, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? If you haven’t, you can do so as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

‘I take comfort in knowing that people all over the world are praying for me’ Continued from pg38

She displayed a mature outlook on her suffering when she declared, “Life might not be very easy with me, but the grace of the Lord will keep me going. My situation doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care about me. He does. Therefore, I will praise Him even in this situation. Who knows?

He may change my situation for the better. He loves me and I will never let Him down.”

There was no suggestion of self-reliance in her demeanour; rather, she marveled at her own survival and it all only made sense when she heard about the many believers praying for her around the world.

When Open Doors visited Maiduguri recently, the team went to visit Deborah.

She was so excited to see the team, but for the visitors it was upsetting, in a sense, to see her.

The past four years have taken a heavy toll on Deborah. She looked tired and worn out, and she lost a troubling amount of weight.

“I have been crying anytime the thought of my girls comes up. I have cried my eyes out. My heart is aching and every night my eyes remain widely open, waiting expectantly for God to come to my rescue, to show me His mercy over the situation, to connect me in this life with my daughters again. This has been my expectation and plea to my loving heavenly Father,” she said.

An additional challenge is now facing her: her lease has expired and the landlord has doubled the rent. He is threaten-

Sunday Tribune

dawnofanewera

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

IN last week’s teaching, we examined the Spirit of Vision as one of the vital operational dimensions of the Holy Ghost that engender exploits. This week, we shall look at another manifestation of the Holy Ghost that engenders exploits, which is: The Spirit of love: It is the Holy Ghost, Who empowers us to love God unreservedly. The Bible says: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5; see also 2 Timothy 1:6-7) It takes power to love God above all else, including self and until we are able to love God more than ourselves, we are not in love. This is why we need the Spirit of love.

I once said, “You may have read all the books I wrote but you have not found my secret until you discover my heartbeat for God.” The secret of my ‘little life’ is a product of my heartbeat for God (Luke 14:26).

Every certified lover of God is ordained for exploits. That means every certified lover of God is a pacesetter, a pathfinder and a trailblazer. As it is written: …Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

When we become certified and anointed lovers of God, we become commanders of exploits. For instance, as a result of

16 October, 2016

ing to eject her.

“Where would I get the money? I can’t go back to the house my husband built. There are just too many painful memories. I feel stranded and confused,” she sobbed.

Open Doors is helping her pay the rent now, and has promised to keep a close eye on this development.

Astonishingly, her spiritual knees did not appear to be buckling under the constant pressure. It seems the love Open Doors and believers around the world had shown over the years is still contributing to her survival. The team was surprised to see cards they had delivered earlier pasted on her walls.

“Though I have a lot of fear about the fate of my children who are in the hands of Boko Haram, these messages have kept telling me that millions of believers around the world are praying for me and my children. I might not know where they are or what their circumstances are, but I believe your prayers may reveal where they are and even cause us to be reunited.

But I also take comfort in knowing even if I may not see them again in this life, we will meet at the feet of Jesus.

“I can wholeheartedly say that Open Doors has been the best companion in my troubles. Though life has not been easy for me, your concern and prayers have kept me. Sometimes I am fed up with life, and I desire death more than life. But then I read a card and I’m simply reminded that people are praying — and then those feelings change. Then I look at the world differently. It is a blessing. Open Doors has been a Godsend to me personally.”

Go forward

IT is another day of the Lord, so we rejoice and we are glad in it. Today presents us another opportunity to express the praise of God, and to mirror the image of God to a needy world. Thus, every believer in Jesus Christ should spend this day in heart-felt worship, and also in deliberate acts of love towards the needy. Ask yourself; how can I be a blessing to someone in need today?

Acting on the answer to that question is always well pleasing to God. It is understandable that the prevailing situation in the country could make people disinclined to show love to others. There is no surplus; and the convenient thing to do is to keep the little that is available for personal use. However, Christians are encouraged to show love unconditionally and at all times. The state of the nation notwithstanding, let us be charitable enough to share the little that we have with the needy. As we do this, God shall bless our little resources as He blessed the five loaves of bread and two fish in Matthew 4: 14 – 21.

Today, the word of God addresses us on a very contemporary issue. Exodus 14: 15 says: Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: One of the special privileges that God has given us is the ability to move. And human beings move a lot. In fact, movement is so central to human existence that

generation after generation, we keep inventing new methods and instruments for moving around. After the invention of the airplane, it was thought that nothing else remained to be discovered about how to move on earth. Even if there has been no new invention, there has been so much innovation since then; innovations that have improved all means of transportation. Today, we have railways that can travel almost as fast as an aeroplane; which means that people are forever thinking about how to move faster, better, and more comfortably.

Why do we move around? *We move around because what we need or want is located somewhere beyond the reach of our arms and legs (Gen 24: 1-4). *We move around because sometimes the place where we are becomes uncomfortable, and unless we move, discomfort may graduate to danger (Gen 12: 10, Gen 42: 1-3). *We move around to meet our needs as social beings. We move to overcome loneliness, to find love, or to give loving attention to those we care about. (Gen 45: 13, 17-19) *We move around to find what people call greener pastures. In other words, there is nothing basically wrong with where we are; the pasture is green. But there is a greener pasture somewhere ahead, and we leave where we are to go to that better place.

To be continued next week

theapostolicmessage

By Pastor (Dr) G.O. Olutola JP.

Grace for living Continued from last week Grace can also give insight that leads to creativity. It works out wisdom. Joseph never studied Agronomy or Management but the grace of God in him enabled him to manage the economy of a whole Nation.

The ingenuity and power of creativity were supplied by this grace (Genesis 41:47 – 49, 53 – 57). Without God’s grace, you operate in futility. The creativity that the Bible writes in Genesis 30:37 – 43 concerning Jacob had to do with the measure of grace upon his life. Genesis 25:23 confirms this grace that was shrouded in mercy on Jacob even when he was still in the mother’s womb.

Biographies of great men are awash with great success they made through the grace they received having accepted Christ into their lives. Such grace they received opened them to creativity. One of such persons is Michael Faraday.

Michael Faraday was as good as an illiterate. He had only primary education but when he had encounter with Jesus as a Laboratory Attendant (working with Humphrey Davies), in no time he became a vast reader of spiritual matters. He sharpened his spiritual mind on the spiritual rock of grace that brought him creative mind. He found an understanding life’s purpose by studying and believing the teachings of the Bible which made him grow in godliness.

He became a leading man of science. So devoted was he that he became an Elder in his church. Grace made him the investor of electricity and an outstanding physicist.

According to Proverbs 8:12, “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.”

New things, new life, new product, new strategies, good business, successful marriage are all possible through divine wisdom that grace supplies.

However, there are people who receive this grace, yet do not live it. Such live a life of frustration, disappointment and despondency while they carry this grace, they do not activate it, as such it becomes dormant in them.

Paul in I Corinthians 6:1 admonished the Corinthians not to take the grace of God in vain hence he urged Timothy to “stir up the gift of God in him.”

Grace is a vital force according to the Amplified Bible. It makes you impactful, successful and fulfilled. It also makes you creative. It is the vital force in every redeemed man. With it in you, you are not supposed to live an ordinary life because it is the force in you that produces excellence in every realm of your life. It will make you shine. It is the gateway of fulfillment. Your mind can be creative like God. If you come into contact with Jesus, growing daily in godliness and renewing your mind at the same time for a transformed life. Job 32:8 tells us that “…

There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding” (KJV). The Amplified version renders it thus: “There is co-vital and the breadth of the Almighty gives man understanding.”

It is time to seek for the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus in order to live a successful life. It is time to charge this vital force in you, and you will begin to enjoy amazing deliveries of favour – the grace of God. You need grace of God to be able to make it in life.

Concluded

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16 October, 2016

language&style

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

T

Consider the following sentences: 1) I go to school every day.

2) We go to school every day. 3) They go to school every day. 4) You go to school every day. 5) He/She goes to school every day.

In each of those five sentences, the verb to go is in its present simple form. There is a correlation between the form of the subject and the form of the verb. In the first sentence, the subject is in its first person singular form. The assumption here is that

g

rammar jokes

Do you know these English words exist?

There and their (III)

ODAY, we continue the analysis of the excerpt that has served as the basis for our discussion for the past two weeks. That excerpt is presented as sample 1.

Sample 1: “…he has not picked up any local dialect or the national language, English, which are dominantly spoken by indigenes…Been a light sleeper, I only had one opportunity to look through the window before ducking through the back door and escape into the bush…There remains were deposited at the Bishop Shanahan Mortuary at Nsukka…The reality is that the menace of the Fulani Herdsmen is real. In fact it has become a routine exercise in many farming settlements in the northern parts of Nigeria…Fulani herdsmen don’t understand any other language other than their own…Fulani people places premium attention on seniority, rank and class…They also learn to live under harsh weather conditions while tending to their wares…For AlhajiLukmonMafindi, chairman of Miyetti Allah in Taraba, rustlers are the biggest treat to herdsmen…Needless to add, Fulani herdsmen will attempt to dominate it environ if given the opportunity…While farmers are skeptical about the idea on the strength that vacant or free land is hard to come by due to expanding farming…He added that education is also key in order to teach host and renters that mutual understanding and social integration will keep us together than isolation and mistrust.”(Grazing Reserves: Lasting Solution or More Problems? The Nation, May 1, 2016) We note the verb are which occurs in the following context: “he has not picked up any local dialect or the national language, English, which are dominantly spoken by indigenes” The verb in question (are) comes immediately after the relative pronoun which. Which noun is the antecedent of that pronoun (which)?

Obviously, it refers to “the national language, English.” It cannot refer to both “any local dialect” and “the national language, English” An important word in the reading of this aspect of the text is the word or which separates the two nominal entities. Whenever two nominal entities are separated by the disjunctive element, or, the concord is determined by only one of the entities, usually the one closer to the verb. In this case, the nominal entity closer to the verb is “the national language, English”, an entity that is obviously singular.

It is equally obvious that the verb under consideration (are) is in its plural form. There is, then, no correlation between the singular nominal item and the plural verb form. This is an instance of breach of concord. At any rate, the plural verb-form, are, should be changed to its singular form (is) in consistency with its singular nominal antecedent.

Next, we note the verb places which occurs in the following context: “Fulani people places premium attention on…” We should note, in addition, the final –s in the verb (places). In that context, should the verb be presented as place or places?

Notice that the nominal phrase that the verb (places) is meant to be in concord with is plural: Fulani people. That being the case, the verb-form should be without its final –s. What is the principle supporting this pronouncement? We shall return to it later.

Similarly, the choice of the verb-form, live, breaches concord in the following context: “Port Harcourt-based Soibi Max-Alalibo also live to tell his encounter with Fulani herdsmen in the Garden City.” Note that the verb (live) is without a –s. In this context, should the verb be presented as live (without a final –s) or lives (with a final –s)? It is important to note that the subject of the verb here is singular: “Port Harcourt-based Soibi MarxAlalibo”. Given the fact that the subject is singular, the appropriate verb-form is: lives.

From the two instances considered so far, it is obvious the reporter has no knowledge of concord at all, of the difference between the form of the verb with a final –s and the one without it.

It becomes necessary in the light of this to revise an aspect of our previous discussion of this matter.

Sunday Tribune

there is a speaker who uses the pronoun I. The speaker is regarded as the first person. Since the speaker is only one person, the pronoun I is said to be a singular one. A first person singular pronoun I takes the form go when the tense is present simple.

The subject in sentence (2) is a first person plural pronoun, we. Since it is assumed that two or more persons are speaking, we say that the pronoun is in the plural form. As it is with the pronoun I, the verb-form that goes with this pronoun is go when the verb is in its everyday form.

In sentence (3), the pronoun they, which is the subject, is in the plural form. Besides, it is the third person form. What do we mean by the third person? A first person---say I---speaks to a person directly about another person. That other person is a third person. In our case, the third person is plural---they. The verb-form that goes with the third person plural subject is go.

The subject of sentence (4) is you, a word that can either be singular or plural. In English, it is only the context that shows whether the pronoun you is intended as singular or plural as the following sentences illustrate: (6)(a) You are a fool. (6)(b) You are fools. In those two sentences, it is the complement that indicates the number. In (a), youis singular; in (b), it is plural.

Now we come back to sentence (4). Whenever the pronoun you occurs, whether as singular or plural, the verb-form it takes is go. Youis a second person. A first person--I—speaks to a second person—you—about a third person.

Sentence (5) has he (or she) as its subject. This form is a singular one and it is a third person. A first person—I—speaks to a second person—you—about a third person—he. The third person singular number-- represented as he—invariably takes the verb-form goes. Of all the persons and numbers we have considered so far, it is only the third person singular number—he—that takes the verb-form that ends in s or es as the case may be. All other persons and numbers take the verb go—without the s or es. This distinction is very crucial and a failure to understand it has resulted in many users writing ungrammatical sentences.

The distinction is a very clear one and you should make effort to grasp this elementary detail before you go on.

The other point we need to make is that the verb go has been used only as an illustration to avoid confusion. Any other verb in English behaves in exactly the same way as go, relative to the persons and numbers discussed so far.

The following sentences illustrate the point: 7) He speaks good English. 8) He writes a lot. 9) She loves the man. 10) He deceives most people. 11) It wags its tail. 12) He drives dangerously. 13) She possesses a balanced mind. 14) She sings beautifully. 15) She works round the clock. 16) It surprises me—this sudden change of mind. 17) He comes from a wealthy family.

Unlike the third person singular number (he, she, it), all other persons and numbers take the form of the verb without the s or es: 18) They speak good English. 19) We love each other. 20) You write a lot. 21) I work round the clock. 22) They possess balanced minds. 23) You drive dangerously. 24) We sing beautifully. 25) They surprise us. 26) You come from a wealthy family. 27) They deceive their friends. 28) They wag their tails.

The discussion of the excerpt continues next week by God’s grace.

Douceur: Financial inducement or bribe Edacious: Fonds of eating Emacity: Fond of buying things Eucatastrophe: Happy ending to a story Famulus: An assistant or attendant Gasconade: Extravagant boating Hoddy-noddy: A foolish person Ingurgilate: To swallow something greedily Lactarium: A dairy Logomachy: An argument about words Lollygag: To spent time in an aimless or lazy way Luculent: Clearly expressed speech or writing Meacock: A coward or effeminate person Misogamy: A person who hates marriage Momism: Excessive attachment to one’s mother Mouse Potato: A person who spends too much time on computer Natation: Swimming Noctambulist: A sleepwalker Noyade: Execution carried out by drowning Nugacity: Frivolity or triviality Omophagy: Eating of raw food, especially meat Orectic: Having to do with apetite Pantagruelian: Enormous Pilgarlic: A bald-headed man Piscatorial: Connected with fishing Pre-loved: Second-hand Previse: To foreee or predict an event Rawky: Foggy, damp and cold Rumpot: Heavy drinker Scofflaw: A person who flouts the law Screenager: Teenagers who are fond of using computer and internet Scrippage: One’s personal belongings Skycap: A porter at airport Snollygoster: An unprincipled person Sternulator: Something that causes sneezing Superbious: Proud and overbearing Transpicuous: Transparent

• Source: oxforddictionaries.com

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Gunmen kill inspector during raid on police division in Ekiti, loot armoury Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti

I

DO Division of the Ekiti State police command came under attack by yet-to-be identified gunmen in the night of Friday, who killed a police inspector on duty and looted the armoury of the police station.

Sources at the police station told newsmen in Ido-Ekiti, headquarters of Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday that the gunmen numbered about 40 and shot indiscriminately on entry to the police station premises, causing exten-

sive damage.

The source at the station also said that the gunmen attacked the station with dynamite, which destroyed doors, equipment and the roof of the station.

The police source said: “They drove in through the gate. Some of them scaled the fence and took over the entire police station. Some of them even scaled the fence and took strategic positions around the station, shot into the air and destroyed virtually every room and office. They went straight to the police station and the armoury.

“They looted the armoury and took every-

thing. Our suspicion was that they came only to loot the armoury and that was why they first attacked and demobilised our men. In fact, they emptied the entire place.”

Asked if some crime suspects were being detained at the station, which could be the reason for the attack, the source said “if that was the motive, then they should have attacked the cells; they didn’t attack the cells.”

The source said the policemen on guard during the raid were overpowered because the attackers were fierce.

According to him, “they

rained bullets on the police inspector and he died on the spot.”

Sunday Tribune gathered from sources that two guns were stolen from the armoury.

Reacting to the development, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State described it as sad and unfortunate, saying it was disheartening that such an attack happened in the state.

He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Etop John James, had briefed him, saying measures were already being put in place to forestall future occurrence.

From left, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Vice Chancellor, Crescent University, Professor Ibrahim Gbajabiamila, during the conferment of a honorary doctorate degree on General Abubakar as part of activities marking the eighth convocation ceremony of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday.

Suicide bomber gunned down while attempting to kill soldiers Chris Agbambu - Abuja TROOPS of Operation Lafiya Dole, on Saturday morning, intercepted and neutralised a male suicide bomber at Madagali, Adamawa State.

The suicide bomber attempted to infiltrate troops forward defensive line along Madagali-Limankara road.

He was however gunned down by the sentry as he failed to stop when asked to do so.

The shot detonated the improvised explosive device vest and he was blown into pieces.

According to the army spokesman, Colonel Sani

Usman, in a statement in Maiduguri, Borno State, “Vigilant troops of Operation Lafiya Dole intercepted and neutralised a male suicide bomber at Madagali,

Adamawa State.

“The suicide bomber was spotted by a vigilant duty sentry attempting to infiltrate troops forward defensive line along Madagali-

Limankara road.”

He stated further that “the accurate shot also detonated the Improvised Explosive Device vest and he was blown into pieces.”

Ajimobi salutes Alaafin at 78, hails his appointment as Chancellor Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has described the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, as a quintessential traditional ruler and custodian of the culture and tradition of the Yoruba on the occasion of the monarch’s 78th birthday.

A congratulatory message by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Yomi Layinka, also congratulated the traditional ruler on his appointment as Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The governor thanked the founder of Crescent University, Prince Bola Ajibola, and the varsity

management for the appointment, saying it was an honour done, not only to the Alaafin, but also to the entire Yoruba.

Ajimobi said that the contributions of the traditional ruler to the preservation and promotion of the Yoruba culture at home and in the Diaspora, his efforts on the unity and progress of the Yoruba as well as the promotion of traditional institutions were commendable.

Ajimobi said: “Kabiyesi deserves to be celebrated.

He is an epitome of intelligence, culture and intellectualism in royalty. I particularly salute his commitment towards ensuring the unity of the Yoruba.

“The university has made

the right choice in Alaafin.

He deserves the appointment by all standards. He is a repository of knowledge and symbol of intellectualism.

“All these, I am sure, he will bring to bear in the performance of his responsibilities as the chancellor.

As a stickler for excellence in character and learning, I trust that Kabiyesi’s impact will be roundly felt in the institution.”

Ajimobi further stated that “as Baba continues to age with grace, candour and resplendence, I wish him long life and sound health in the service to humanity. I also pray that Crescent University attains greater heights during his tenure as Chancellor.”

Sunday Tribune

Bauchi govt seeks EFCC’s intervention to recover N6.577bn

By Saliu Gbadamosi IN order to ensure compliance with the positions adopted by the White Paper Drafting Committee on the report of a committee set up by the state government to investigate activities of some ministries, departments and agencies, the Bauchi State Executive Council had decided to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover over N6,577,703,420.07 from some past officer holders.

The council took the decision to refer the matter to the anticorruption commission at a special meeting held last week, resolving to take all necessary measures with a view to ensuring that those involved in misappropriation of state resources were brought to book.

The Governor Muhammed Abddullahi Abubakar administration had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Commodore Ahmed Tijjani Baba (retd) to investigate activities of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Ministry of Local Government Affairs, the Bauchi State Orphan and Vulnerable Children Agency and the N2 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan to small and medium scale enterprises.

Ogun to partner private sector to reposition education THE Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle. Amosun, has said his administration would partner the private sector in its determination to reposition education in the state.

Speaking at the eighth convocation of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, the governor emphasised that his government placed high premium on education and promised not to relent in his efforts to ensure qualitative, accessible and affordable education.

The governor, who announced automatic employment for the first class graduating students into the state public service, advised the graduates to strive to become self reliant and not depend on white collar jobs.

In separate remarks, awardees, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who were both honoured with the award of Doctor of Science in Public Administration, appreciated the management of the institution for the honour bestowed on them.

In his address, proprietor of the university, Prince Bola Ajibola, noted that the institution was determined to ensure that the graduates continue to be noted for exemplary character, excellence and sound morals.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, who noted that the graduates were found worthy in learning and character, disclosed that the university had equipped them to succeed, charging them to look to the future with confidence.

CNPP praises INEC over Edo poll The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Edo State has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and President Muhammadu Buhari for conducting what it termed one of the best elections in the country since the exit of Professor Attahiru Jega.

It also said maximum security was provided across the state which made the election devoid of killings unlike what happened in Rivers State in 2105.

Chairman of CNPP, Roy Oribhabor, who spoke at a press briefing in Benin City, Edo State, said the APC administration provided an enabling environment for opposition parties to campaign across the state without intimidation.

Oribhabor, who described the election as peaceful, credible, free and conclusive, congratulated Godwin Obaseki on being victorious at the polls.

NGO partners stakeholders to train youths on leadership

By Dapo Falade AN Ekiti State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Divine Motivation for Positive Impact Initiative (DMPII), is set to partner with stakeholders in the state to train about 500 Nigerian youths on good leadership.

President of the NGO, Mr Gbenga Emiloju, who disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, listed the stakeholders to include the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), religious institutions, schools and other civic organisations.

“Our NGO, which is borne of the desire to positively impact Nigerian youths, will train no fewer than 500 youths across the country in November. In the face of the current social, political and economic situation in the country, our youths needed to be taught how to take their destiny in their hands.

“The 2016 Positive Impact Summit (PIS) will imbibe in the nation’s youths the ways to take up leadership challenges that will see the country reclaim her lost glory,” he said.

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Why I can’t take people’s support for granted —Fayose

•‘My enemies are suffering, lamenting in silence’ Sam Nwaoko - Ado-Ekiti

E

KITI State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said he will never take the love and the support that the people of the state are showing to him for granted because it is not in his character to repay good with evil.

He said this had always prompted him to give his best to the people despite the economic rating and condition of the state.

He spoke in Ikere-Ekiti on Friday night at the inauguration of the extended and dualised Ado-Ikere Road.

In a statement on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Ade-

lusi, the governor said he would take the extension and dualisation of the road deep into the centre of Ikere.

This is just as he promised that no project would be left uncompleted by his administration.

He added that work would start next January on the further extension of the road project.

Fayose also said the rehabilitation of the College of Education Road in the town would commence next week. ”I am really overwhelmed by the support of the people for our administration. The turnout today is touching and moving. This is the reason why enemies are suffering and lament-

ing in silence. They know the people of the state are behind us. The people have given me a rare opportunity to lead them for the second time, the first in the history of the state.

“We are doing our best by giving you needed amenities and services despite the economic recession in the country.

“People are comparing notes. They know and see what goes on in other places that are richer than us and are convinced that we are trying our best.

We will not disappoint you. Our enemies are confounded because they don’t know that God’s calling is without repentance.

“God is making the way for us and we have the will to perform and when there is a will, there is a way.

History is recording everything we are doing. None of the projects we are doing will be taken away by me when leaving office, but those coming after us will say it was Fayose would did this project and that,” he said.

The governor solicited further support and cooperation of the people, saying the second half of the administration’s lifespan would witness further developmental strides.

In his remarks, the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, described Fayose as a promise keeper.

Sunday Tribune

NGO partners stakeholders to train youths on leadership

By Dapo Falade AN Ekiti State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Divine Motivation for Positive Impact Initiative (DMPII), is to partner with stakeholders in the state to train about 500 Nigerian youths on good leadership.

President of the NGO, Mr Gbenga Emiloju, who disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, listed the stakeholders to include the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), religious institutions, schools and other civic organisations.

“Our NGO, which is borne of the desire to positively impact on Nigerian youths, will train no few than 500 youths across the country in November. In the face of the current social, political and economic situation in the country, our youths needed to be taught on how to take their destiny in their own hands.

“The 2016 Positive Impact Summit (PIS) will imbibe in the nation’s youths, the ways to take up leadership challenge that will see the country reclaiming her lost glory.”

Navy warns bombers, saboteurs of national assets in Bayelsa Austin Ebipade-Yenagoa THE Nigeria Navy has again reiterated its desire to rid the Niger Delta of illegalities, warning those who were responsible for the weekend bombing of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline.

The warning was coming on the heels of another destruction of an NNPC pipeline by a group of militants, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM).

The group had, on Friday, claimed responsibility for blowing up NNPC oil pipeline a few days ago in Warri, Delta State.

Commander of the Nigeria Naval Ship (NNS) Soroh, Commodore Habib Usman, who spoke at Yenagoa, said the military was ready to deal with the miscreants.

He said, “the recent bombing we are experiencing is part of miscreants trying to bring to disaffection among the various communities and the government.

We on our part, are ready for them. Any form of illegalities will not be tolerated in this state. We are looking out for them and God’s willing, we will catch them with help of the communities.

APC publicity secretaries okay arrest of judges Bola Badmus-Lagos

From right, President Muhammadu Buhari, with Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorochas; Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, at a business forum in Berlin, Germany, during the President’s visit to Germany. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

45 Shiite members arrested as Plateau govt bans sect Isaac Shobayo - Jos SECURITY operatives in Plateau State have arrested 45 members of the Islamic movement, Shitte, for unlawful procession that led to a clash between members of the sect and some residence of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

This came as the state government has banned all activities of the movement.

Addressing newsmen in Jos, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatunde Ogunyanwo, who condemned the procession, said the state government banned activities of the sect to avoid breakdown of law and order.

“Before the violence that led to the clash with the some residents of Jos

North, we invited them to my office, they signed an undertaking to be law-abiding but to our surprise, they still went ahead to organise a procession that turned violent,” he said.

The commissioner further stated that 44 of the 45 people arrested have been detained while an underage arrested along with them had been released, adding that the 44 would

soon be charged to court after investigation.

It would be recalled that Anguwan Rogo part of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State was thrown into confusion last Wednesday and a structure belonging to the Islamic movement was burnt down by some youths within the area.

It was gathered that the incident followed the annual Ashura procession by

the Shiites to mark the Islamic festivity.

An eyewitness said most of the residents who attacked the Shiites belonged to a gang called Yan Daba who had vandalised the facilities before setting them on fire.

Meanwhile, the state government has banned activities of Shiitte in the state to avoid any act that may affect the prevailing peace,” he said.

UN scribe hails release of Chibok girls UNITED Nations Secretary-General, Ban Kimoon, on Friday, welcomed the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls after more than two years in captivity.

Ban, however, said he was concerned about the safety and well-being of

the remaining girls and other victims of abduction

by Boko Haram still in captivity.

The Secretary-General urged the international community to continue supporting Nigerian government in its efforts to secure their release, reha-

bilitation and reintegration.

He called for increased efforts to ensure additional humanitarian access in the north-east of Nigeria, and reiterated the continued commitment of the United Nations in this regard.

CONFERENCE of All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretaries (CAPS) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for what it described as its “demonstrable will to clean up the judiciary and take it out of the commercial market” through arrest and detention of some indicted justices of Supreme Court and judges of other courts in the country.

This was just as the conference said it would welcome voluntary resignation of judges who were convinced that their conduct, past and present, no longer fitted into the tolerable judiciary that Nigeria needed.

The conference gave the commendation on Saturday in a statement issued by its chairman, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, saying irrespective of the sentiments that might have been expressed on the clampdown, the government had so far been vindicated by the fact that no one who was accused or placed on trial had been found to be framed among the affected judicial officers.

Delta governor wades into market feud Ebenezer Adurokiya-Warri

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has waded into the crisis rocking Ogbe Ijoh and Agbassa communities over Ogbe Ijoh market in Warri South Local Government Area.

Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG), Mr Ovie Agas, represented the government on Saturday during a fence mending session with the warring parties.

He called on the two communities to embrace peace, saying government was determined to find a home-grown solution to the crisis.

Agas disclosed that the state government would ensure the speedy completion of the market and take necessary steps to secure lives and property in the property.

The interactive session was attended by various stakeholders in the market and was presided over by Agas and the Warri Police Area Commander, ACP Muhammed Mu’azu, who also inspected the market.

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Sunday Tribune

FUT Minna partners foundation on cancer Adelowo Oladipo - Minna

THE Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Professor Musbau Adewumi Akanji, has raised the alarm that the institution has lost some of its staff to cancer in recent times.

He stated this during a Walk for Cancer awareness by the Raise Foundation, a pet project of the wife of the Niger State governor, who is also a consultant gynaecologist, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello, on Saturday morning, in Minna, the state capital.

Prof. Akanji pledged that the university would partner with the foundation in its sensitisation programmes among the general populace on the disease.

Also in her remarks, Dr. Bello called on Nigerians to go for cancer screening, highlighting that early detection and prevention was the only available cure for cancer.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State (left), exchanging pleasantries with the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Colonel Muhammed Mustapha Abdallah (retd), during the anti-drug agency chairman’s visit to Abakaliki, at the weekend.

Ondo 2016: Abuja court ruling has nothing to do with Jegede —PDP chair As NSCDC denies harbouring, training thugs

By Hakeem Gbadamosi

F

OLLOWING the ruling of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Chief Clement Faboyede, on Saturday, said it had nothing to do with the party’s governorship standard bearer, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, describing the ruling as a mere distraction.

Faboyede, who stated this during a press conference in Akure, Ondo State capital, however, said the party had petitioned the National

Judicial Council (NJC) over the ruling.

The PDP chairman cleared the air over the speculation that Lagos businessman, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, had been given the party’s governorship ticket by Friday’s court ruling in Abuja, explaining that neither Jegede nor Ibrahim was a party to the suit, which has so far yielded two rulings from the same court, noting that the ruling was misinterpreted.

He, however, said legal steps had been taken to affirm the validity of Jegede’s candidature, describing the ruling as an unholy alliance

to subvert the will of the people. He added that the suit sought to determine the tenure and membership of the State Executive Committee of the party in the SouthWest zone.

He said: “the suit sought to determine the tenure and membership of the State Executive Committee of PDP in the SouthWest zone and in addition sought directions in respect of party primaries for 2019 general elections.

Essentially, the claimants sought, inter alia, a declaration that they were the people entitled to

One killed, 10 injured in fresh youths, Shiites clash in Kaduna Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

AT least one person was reported killed while 10 people were injured in a renewed Shiite and youths’ violence in Kaduna State.

This was coming barely four days after youths killed three members of the Shiite sect at Zango road, Tudun Wada, Kaduna.

The Saturday violence, it was learnt, started when some youths reportedly attacked some Shiite members at the Unguwar Muazu area of Kaduna metropolis.

Narrating the incident to the Sunday Tribune, the spokesman for the movement, Abdulmumini Giwa, said that based on the recent statement credited to the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, condemning the attack on the members and calling on the people to remain law-abiding, “some of our members whose property were destroyed started rebuilding their ruined houses.

“Unfortunately for them, today (Saturday), some youths holding offensive weapons attacked them.

This attack happened at Unguwar Muazu area. The

hoodlums also went to other areas like Kinkinau and Tudun Wada,” he added.

Giwa also disclosed further that their workers who were trying to rebuild the school that was destroyed were “attacked under the watchful eyes of the police,” saying that one member was killed, while about 10 people sustained serious injuries and they are currently receiving treatment at various

hospitals in the state.

When contacted, the police image-maker, ASP Aliyu Usman, dispelled the claim of the group that the police aided the youth to unleash mayhem on Shiite members.

In a related development, the Kaduna State Police Command, on Saturday, warned that it would deal with those taking the law into their hands.

deal with nomination of candidates for 2019 general elections. It should be noted that the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for 26th November, 2016 was not part of the plaintiffs’ claim and no reference was made to it in the claim.

In another development, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has responded to the face-off between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State over the alleged training of political thugs in the state, denying that it was training and aiding political thugs to cause trouble in the forthcoming election in the state.

A statement issued and signed by the state commandant of the NSCDC, Adeyinka Fasiu, who described the allegation against the command as unfounded, baseless and untrue, said the only training exercise conducted by the command, which took place within the premises of the command recently, was that of the men and officers of the command.

400 Ondo pro-farmers graduate, get loan to mark World Food Day THE Ondo State government will, tomorrow (Monday), mark the 2016 World Food Day with the graduation of over 400 young university graduates trained to become pro-farmers and agropreneurs.

The ceremony will also witness the disbursements of about N25 million loan to the graduands who are the first batch of beneficiaries of the government’s Wealth Creation Fund being executed through its Wealth Creation Agency (WECA).

According to the Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, in a statement issued in Akure

on Saturday, the profarmers are young graduates engaged in 2014/2015 by the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko-led government and trained in modern system of farming at the four agro business cities across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He said the beneficiaries were also trained in maize and cassava plantation, fish and egg production with chicken processing, beekeeping, honey production as well as vegetable production, among others.

Submitting that N30,000 was given to each of the graduands as monthly sti-

pend while in training, Akinmade added that all facilities such as hostel accommodation, farm implement, recreational centre and land preparation among other facilities were provided for them by the state government.

He said for the success of the programme, the government entered into partnership with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Federal College of Agriculture, Partnerships Initiative in the Niger Delta Development (PIND) FADAMA III Project, and other international organisations.

Woman’s place no longer in the kitchen —Benue governor’s wife Johnson Babajide - Markurdi

WIFE of the Benue State governor, Dr Eunice Ortom, has asked parents to obliterate the notion that the place of the woman is in the kitchen, calling on them to give their female children good education.

Mrs Ortom, who spoke at this year’s celebration of the International Day of Girl Child organised by her Nongovernmental Organisation “Eunice Spring Life Foundation (ESLF), called on Nigerians to rise to the training of girl child, saying female children now compete favourably with male children in social, economic and political ladders of the society.

She also called on stakeholders in the country to assist in removing all roadblocks that prevent the girl child from getting formal education, saying “the full potential of the girl child will be unlocked to enable her contribute her own quota to the nation.”

While dismissing the belief that the place of a woman is in the kitchen, the wife of the governor said that these days, with adequate formal education, “women are occupying leadership position in all spheres of life.”

NDE empowers 120 with equipment, cash in Edo Banji Aluko - Benin City

THE National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Edo State has injected 120 new Small-scale businesses into the economy of the state through the Vocational Skills Development Programme (VSD) of the establishment.

The beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, who were recently presented with N20,000 each and other basic tools, had earlier been trained to provide technical and vocational skills to unemployed youths and other persons.

In an address on the occasion of the empowerment programme, the Director- General of the NDE, Olukunle Obayan, said 700 graduates were being empowered in the country inclusive of those in Edo. He said it had become critical for the NDE to empower trained persons because the traditional family fund sourcing has disappeared, adding that the situations made many skilled persons to slip back to the unemployed category.

He said the situation spurred the NDE into action by introducing many schemes such as the Artisans Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme (ARMS) with a view to empowering artisans.

NDLEA takes campaign to Anambra Shola Adekola - Lagos

THE Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) has taken the anti-drug campaign to Anambra and Ebonyi states.

The NDLEA boss, during an advocacy visit on Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Chief Willie Obiano of Anambra State, said that it was important to form strategic alliance with governors who are the chief security officers in the states.

Abdallah had a closed door meeting with Umahi at the Ebonyi State House at the weekend over proactive measures aimed at preventing illicit drug production in the state, Sunday Tribune was told.

The focus of the meeting was on drug prevention, particularly the control of methamphetamine production laboratories as well as how to prevent youths from engaging in drug trafficking.

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Sunday Tribune

Real reasons DSS, NJC are at war

T

HE purported LANRE ADEWOLE takes stock of a raging constitutional fight in which all may be cleansing of the judiciary of corrup- losers when the war is over. tion that saw the Department of State Services erything he knew about all Until Buhari, who obvi- logjam, with nearly all the leading lights in Lagos, days (DSS) invading the homes the bribe-for-judgement ously endorsed the initial stakeholders in the justice after the raid, confirmed of senior judges of superior saga to him (Buhari)." The raid, gives the go-ahead sector agreeing on the un- that ceteri paribus, the courts of record penultimate media had been awash with for the next line of action, constitutionality of the raid Buhari administration was Friday midnight and arrest- the said report, though the the serving judges under and usurpation of the func- not disposed to having Oning a total of seven, has now claims on the said content, alleged corruption probe tions of NJC by the DSS. noghen who has been nomare condemned to be makTo buttress this point, inated by the NJC to Buhari narrowed into a contest of have been slightly varied. supremacy between the DSS Armed with the said re- ing the daily appearance arguments have been as the next CJN, starting and the National Judicial port, Buhari reportedly di- ordered by the DSS leader- made to the facts that of from Novembe 10.

"Honestly, we were adCouncil (NJC), a judicial rected the DSS leadership ship at its headquarters in the seven justices invaded body, incidentally empow- to reply to the issues raised Abuja, spending close to by DSS, three have already vised to get our own CJN been exited from service elsewhere" the minister said ered by the 1999 operational therein and halt further 10 hours on daily basis.

Expectedly, the public is recently by the NJC. to the chagrin of a media constitution to, among other actions, especially on the The argument was further owner from the South-South functions, fight corruption four serving judges, includ- divided on the propriety or within the judiciary. ing the two from the apex otherwise of the midnight made that the raid was al- who queried if the judiciary Though DSS is a depart- court, among the arrested raid. Issues have been raised legedly targeted at stopping had become an annex of the ment in the presidency, seven. The presidential concerning the constitu- the most senior justice of executive which can foist the contention with the directive is also said to be tionality of DSS's involve- the Supreme Court, Justice anyone on it (judiciary) as NJC, is yet to fully snowball responsible for the stay of ment, mode of arrest of the Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, the head. The media owner into executive/judiciary action on the fresh six new judge, timing and execution from becoming the CJN in asked the minister to contango, considering the co- petitions sent to the DSS which was likened to the November, by deliberately vey the total disapproval of vert collaboration between by the Attorney-General of condemnable Gestapo style. discrediting the judiciary, the Nigerian media to any the two heads of the arms the Federation and Min- Stakeholders in the judi- particularly the Supreme of government since the ister of Justice, Abubakar ciary, particularly the Bar, Court, controversial arrests took Malami SAN, against serv- h a v e place. Before President Muhammadu Buhari travelled abroad, Sunby the counviously rejected ob t es qu re e day Tribune learnt ergency meetns of th 11th October em e relations its the expectatio at of l t ci or sh e that two separate "fruitur lls fa what th the cult started their is a pointer to and defeats g, in on si es ful" meetings took place ty tions would of ui SS and NJC pr eq 26th ency and e two institu on ar th sp n tly an ee tr ac tw ex y, be it ob between him and the ion tango Without mincwhen of pr t administrat going forward. en 16 e, rr 20 lik cu rtok , is lo ry th ua outgoing Chief Justice Febr o was which JC wasn't a pa ch". The mem ds, DSS said N nt a memo en or se n, tr w g tio er en in up rm to rr fo . ds co of Nigeria (CJN), Justice ra e tian th ad for Dau 61 to st s on the an 31 es hm A gr 1/ .7 ro ed -p SS m G in th ha rD A No by r ne and of e Mohammed Mahmud. detailing thei with Reference , accusing Justice signed making a dem ts le en hi m w cu en do ev s ud er, has been The outcome of the first Other d colJustice Mahm e council, howev glittering greements an be judicial Th sa l. di om ci G n, un co of tio sa a er ig and second meetings penconv e NJC idered a Muazu Pind ed that while th the flaunting what it cons uption on his ow rr sh co n d diciary, tio ge le ra ultimate Saturday and last al bo fight in the ju elec- la ting with n division of e ra at tio bo St up lla s rr co er co iv to tiR the Monday, was said to have ests an sal of 12 judgas given involvement in g in the dismis e former w most of its requ in th to at as in ng di al lm ce cu un ac ib tr been responsible for the ged SS by ed and 82 reption petition removed. D who were drag mpulsorily retir on, caution es as co w dg 38 ju , he o es tw re e fo nth delay in the last Monday ensi ctio chairman be person- on d through susp l, it found obje agraph memo, SS. rimande planned arraignment of the fore the counci D be e th al of er In the 18-par en ne G g to ng). the Director arrested seven judges, inuncil speakle the dictatin ced in communi- or warni ally signed by ra, CJN ab so a defiant co in al au m D as t w no an It e m er w am M cluding two justices of the its spokesperWords n it reof the DSS, immediate ugh Soji Oye, e Service. Whe at ro th th th tly to d g e se in m vi sa ad g y Supreme Court, who are catin e coun ncil vehemen was "strongl oceedings of th ould son that "the Cou e and judicial e iv pr th at at tr th by is d re in te m he es now on administrative bail. w ad qu necessary e judges sh cluding a situation re in s th , ce m ng un hi iti dno ex fe on g e de n th ke a eetin News had filtered in while cial officers in measures be ta l to set cil m to it, NJC replied that only psyche of judi tions and tria l where nc nt ve l. sa le ci se the valedictory service for e a un be at to co ri e d op th te appr s like." is subjec d so direct hi n ul io of co at rs w harge er la he ot of di t its to retired justice of the apex afraid to sc e raid, said h be- cour a precedent be rt th g fo ld in d ou ify w an st ck ju ey ba while n th cial funccourt from Nasarawa, JusThen began a d broken dow titutional judi another DSS ha h ns it JC co w N , r ei ith JC w th N d ally vour, intimitice Suleiman Galadima relations tween DSS an not seen as an hout fear or fa igh Court, it as H w w l l s, n. ci ra on ti un de co Fe was on that the DSS was as the ouncil or suppressio judge of the t corruption. C , victimization compromise a being addns ai on gb ti ag im da ht D fig di e rt m th about moving the judges to in depa will not Justice Nna DSS, a mere "The Council of the tion. plied that the a Chief Magistrates at Life ng to re yi tr h as d impartiality 5t w , d an ed to the equa cy y te it en da gr id te es SS in D pr e e th th om t in Camp, Abuja for arraignIn a memo fr ence of the juce No men uay the independ government Judiciary." with Referen aw 16 ke ment with a view to procur20 ta mending exec t, d us se Aug ice accu ded by recom te arm of rv ra g en in Se pa It w se e ro a th th y, 1, ar n, /3 ci ing proper detention order utive. , Onnoghe ruled di LSD.158/2 ec ay ex r aw e ie trl th an . ea of w SS le e d D tiv ha the who ith the to keep them in Kuje prison the DSS dated Dimgba who against like t in the ring w om ha fr se t e ca es tir s go qu it en re ns in its st tio SS e The la for a minimum of 21 days. yielding institu against the D d cord signed by th As the two un med, of allege only hold er 10, 2016 an n ob di am ca , ct The leadership of the judioh n O ra M tio au D na ar JC r e m N th U ad fo the head-to-head, age.

Ahamed Ahm mmending to ciary had quickly mobilized itely suspend e corollary dam com- same ruption, reco fin th r e de fo th in th e to ea at JC ig br N st e its ve th in g a , in ly id ct the national leadership of nt re ra e in th "to urge uct by judges arrested gross miscond the Nigerian Bar Association t all serving uc nd promise and co s hi ficer as arrangement or reform that (NBA) and other senior lawthe judicial of paving the way for a total would deny the Southern yers available at the event, been ferocious in their sup- clear-out of nearly all the se- part of the country the headto go and defend them and possibly secure their bail, ing judges. The alleged ar- port for the NJC which is nior justices of the court, for ship of the judiciary after though the judges were rest of two of them, could now seen as the symbol of new blood, mostly senior a 29- year wait and seven the struggle for judicial in- lawyers as allegedly advised consecutive CJNs from the granted administrative bail not be officially verified.

Not to be left out, the dependence which the CJN by a professor of Law who Northern part. the Sunday after their arrest.

In recommending OnnoghThe arraignment was Economic and Finan- said the executive through is very close to the Buhari reportedly halted by Bu- cial Crimes Commission the DSS tried to undermine administration. He report- en last Tuesday, NJC headed edly referred to nearly all by Mahmud described him hari having been briefed by (EFCC), whose function with the raid.

Sunday Tribune can the apex court justices as as "the most senior, most able Mahmud of certain alleged the DSS had been accused indicting moves, acts and of usurping, has also dis- confirm the unflinching "rotten heads". The profes- and most competent to be the consultations of some key closed that eight judges support of former NBA sor was also very critical next CJN." The minister, however, cabinet members, including are being investigated and president, former Chief of some of the judgements would soon be charged to Justices of Nigeria among emanating from the court in said nothing was sacrosanct the raiding security agency. about NJC's solo recomSunday Tribune was court, one of who is among others. Efforts are also recent time.

Incidentally, a cabinet mendation, adding that told that "Baba (CJN) the arrested seven. Two ongoing, going by Sundidn't mince words with court registrars are also day Tribune findings, of member (names withheld) the final security clearance the president. He said ev- said to be under the radar. a peaceful way out of the at a meeting with media expected to take place this

egan b e l t t a b e h t How

D

week at the DSS Abuja office, would determine whether Onnoghen would be or not.

In normal times, an average CJN-nominee reportedly keeps date with the DSS for about two hours, but with the unusual times in the polity, a Supreme Court source who is the know told Sunday Tribune that "there are real fears concerning his outing at the DSS." Despite the concerns, Onnoghen's headship of the judiciary for the next four year when he would be 70 years is almost a fait accompli, except something extraordinary is unearthed against him during the security screening. Even the minister conceded that the likely hues of ethnicity and religion which he said, had been the bane of the nation, and the perceived biases that would be read into a Southerner being stopped from ascending the position, could be a major consideration in letting the position go to the South. He however insisted that Buhari as the appointing authority holds the aces and could reject the nomination. He then threw a question that appears innocuous to the exclusive gathering "what if the new CJN is from South-East?", with a couple of the media chiefs saying, "let them follow the pattern they have been following when seven Northerners were appointed". That pattern is succession-by-seniority.

On the night of the raid, Onnoghen's home was also invaded by the DSS officers, but the defending minister argued that it was a mere mistake. His argument wasn't really bought by the gathering. As of last week, a car was visibly parked some metres away from Onnoghen's home. A source confirmed to Sunday Tribune he was under security surveillance.

As the controversy rages, both the DSS through other agencies of the executive arm and NJC have been trying to outpoint each other in getting the public to be on their side in the burgeoning crisis.

Apart from other media and public outlets, both parties were invited by the leadership of the NBA on Thursday to make their cases. The executive was represented

by Malami while the secretary of NJC, Halilu Danladi spoke for the council.

Danladi reportedly made a mince-meat of all Malami's arguments that the minister had to quietly excused himself from the meeting. Having failed to convince the NBA to shift position.

46 sport

16 October, 2016

sport

SUNDAY

Sunday Tribune

Editor: Wale Emosu tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08111813054

Dele Alli saves Tottenham from defeat

Moses in an acrobatic display after scoring against Leicester City. PHOTO: DAILYMAIL.

Moses scores in 3-0 demolition of Leicester

By Ganiyu Salman

N

IGERIA international, Victor Moses was on song for Chelsea on Saturday as the Blues hammered reigning English Premier League champions, Leicester City 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Moses who missed last weekend’s Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier in Ndola against Zambia owing to injury returned with a bang.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner hit the back of the net after he cashed in on the assist from substitute Nathaniel Chalobah in the 80th minute to give the Blues a comprehensive 3-0 lead.

It was Moses second goal this season in the EPL. The winger was later replaced amid a standing ovation by 20-year-old Londoner, Ola Aina, who made his Premier League debut on the day.

Interestingly, compatriot, Ahmed Musa, left the pitch a loser after he and his teammates fired blank for the Foxes.

Musa, Leicester City’s record signing was later replaced in the 67th minute

by Islam Slimane.

Chelsea had taken the 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Diego Costa (7th minute) and Eden Hazard in the 33rd minute.

Leicester manager, Claudio Ranieri defended his decision to introduce Ri-

yad Mahrez and Islam Slimani late.

“I’d take the same decision,” he said afterwards.

“We have a tough match on Tuesday (versus FC Copenhangen) and the Champions

League is two months, in our out. We want to get to the knockout stage and we need all our players fit so I prefer to preserve them.”

Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte was excited by the

DELE ALLI’s 89th minute goal on Saturday at The Hawthorns earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-1 draw in the premier league clash with West Brom Albion.

The England player managed to salvage something from what looked like being a damaging afternoon for Mauricio Pochettino and his players, yet the point that Alli rescued came at a cost.

Toby Alderweireld, who has been so outstanding for Spurs since joining last year, was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half in considerable pain and with a potentially serious injury.

The day then went from bad to worse for Spurs when Nacer Chadli scored against his former club in the 82nd minute, firing into the roof

of the net from six yards.

While Chadli’s celebration was restrained to say the least, it was tempting to wonder what was going through Pochettino’s mind as the Belgian was mobbed by his West Brom team-mates. It was Chadli’s fourth Premier League goal in five matches since swapping Spurs for Albion in August.

Tottenham, however, were not finished and their unbeaten Premier League record remains intact courtesy of Alli’s predatory goal. It was a rather different blow to the one the England international landed against Albion in April, when he punched Claudio Yacob in the stomach and was given a retrospective three-match suspension.

display of his men.

“We played very well. High intensity, good passing between the lines. We were also very aggressive when we lost the ball, he said.

Walcott nets brace against Swansea Theo Walcott scored twice as 10-man Arsenal won its sixth Premier League game in a row, despite a spirited Swansea City display in Bob Bradley’s first match as manager.

England forward, Walcott now has five goals in eight games, taking advantage of a heavy Jordi Amat touch for his first and a poor Jack Cork header for his second at the Emirates Stadium in the game which ended 3-2.

The Swans looked de-

jected after the quickfire double, though Gylfi Sigurdsson pounced on a Granit Xhaka error to curl in and give them hope before the break.

Mesut Ozil volleyed in an Alexis Sanchez cross to restore a two-goal lead for the hosts, but substitute Borja Baston tapped in a cross from the impressive Modou Barrow to set up a tense finale.

Arsenal saw Xhaka sent off for a petulant trip and despite seeing Walcott squander two late chances,

they held on as Swansea equalled their worst start to a league season.

Manager, Arsene Wenger described Arsenal’s triumph as a hard-fought victory.

“I have some mixed feelings because it looked at some points comfortable and then it never was. We finished with good solidarity and we made it over the line,” the French tactician submitted.

Swansea manager, Bob Bradley blamed poor start and porous defence for the defeat.

Theo Walcott celebrates his first goal against Swansea.

Alli

City drops points after two penalty misses GOALKEEPER Maarten Stekelenburg saved two penalties for Everton on Saturday as his side escaped with a point against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

It was the first home draw recorded by the Pep Guardiola side this season in the English Premier League.

Kevin de Bruyne was the first to miss in the opening period, seeing the Dutch goalkeeper push his effort away, and Sergio Aguero saw the same outcome in the second half.

Despite dominating possession, City went behind as Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring with a cool finish in the 64th minute.

Nolito’s 72nd minute’s header off David Silva’s inchperfect cross drew parity for the City, but De Bruyne had a drive brilliantly saved by Stekelenburg, as City failed to find the winner.

Nigerian international, Kelechi Iheanacho, who has been consistent in terms of scoring in the last six

games (including international games), fired blank this time. The starlet was replaced by Aguero in the 56th minute.

The Citizens’ manager, Guardiola laments after the game.

“We did absolutely everything. Everton created just one chance which was a goal. I’m a little bit sad and disappointed for the players.

But it’s a big compliment to Everton and Ronald Koeman so I say to them ‘well done’,” the former Barcelona manager said.

Meanwhile, Everton manager, Ronald Koeman says he is leaving the Etihad Stadium a happy man.

“I am satisfied with a point because not many teams leave this stadium with a point. You need to be a little bit lucky and a goalkeeper to have the match of his life, and you need a work-rate from your team. A big compliment to the team because we fight,” Koeman said.

47

Sunday Tribune

16 October, 2016

sportmatazz Huge fish challenge for Pacquiao W Pacquiao faces his huge breakfast and that terrifying fish.

HEN it comes to meticulous preparation, few can claim to be more focused than the eight-division world champion boxer, Manny Pacquiao.

After retiring from boxing in April to concentrate on his political career, however, he will certainly have some sharpening up to do if he is to beat the WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas on November 5.

Perhaps that is why the Filipino chose the breakfast he did on Friday morning. The 37-year-old posted a picture on his Instagram account showing a meal that looks a lot scarier than it does tasty.

“My breakfast today after jogging,” Pacquiao nonchalantly declares in the caption, but there is nothing understated about the razor-sharp teeth on the fish he is about to tuck in to. Not only that, but the fish appears to be one of a number of courses in a breakfast fit for a sumo wrestler.

Mayweather on a horse enjoying the African weather in Egypt.

Mayweather in Egypt to enjoy Africa’s weather

RETIRED flamboyant boxer, Floyd Mayweather has a little more spare time

How Maradona clashed with Veron at charity match RONALDINHO and Francesco Totti were among the star names who joined Diego Maradona in a charity match in Rome on recently.

The ‘United for Peace’ game, organised by Pope Francis, took place at the Stadio Olimpico, its importance underlined by the huge number of former players who made the effort to attend the match.

Former Argentina star, Maradona was unsurprisingly the headline act, with local hero Totti and former Barcelona and Brazil forward, Ronaldinho also making the headlines.

And Maradona showed his fiery temper is still intact as he clashed with countryman, Juan Sebastian Veron, a player he once coached, during the charity match.

Maradona coached Veron when he was in charge of the Argentina national team but that did not stop them exchanging words on the pitch in Rome.

The soccer legend had to be stopped by security guards after the game as he continued his row.

Ronaldo during Friday’s training.

Team-mate embarrasses Ronaldo at training

Maradona (right) and Veron during the match. Inset: Maradona having altercations with Veron.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo has spent his career embarrassing opponents but the Real Madrid superstar got a taste of his own medicine in training on Friday ahead of the La Liga clash with Real Betis - and he didn’t like it.

Brazilian right back, Danilo perfectly executed a superb nutmeg on the Portuguese forward whilst playing a Rondo at Real’s training complex in Valdebebas.

Ronaldo momentarily carried on chasing the ball with Gareth Bale, but then just seconds later, he realised just what happened to him and was far from impressed.

The 31-year-old then continued to throw his hands up into the air and appeared to be especially annoyed with Marcelo, who congratulated Danilo and kept laughing following the nutmeg.

Meanwhile, Wales star Bale looked on awkwardly in the middle, not knowing what to do with himself.

on his hands after retiring from boxing.

The five-division world champion has been making the most out of life away from the ring since he hung up his gloves last year and posted a photo on social media of him enjoying the culture that Cairo has to offer.

The 39-year-old, so regularly outspoken, had no specific message for his fans: ‘Cairo, Egypt #Africa #pyramids #camel.’

Despite riding a camel through the streets of Cairo, Mayweather rarely, if ever, got the hump during his illustrious boxing career.

Mayweather retired after his fight with Andre Berto on September 12 last year with a career record of 49 wins and zero defeats.

But ‘Money’ did have a bone to pick with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been kneeling during the playing of the American national anthem before games.

Kneeling is Kaepernick’s protest over what he believes is wrongdoings against African Americans and other minorities in America, but Mayweather believes it is time for him to ‘stand up’.

“Kaepernick needs to try and get the starting job,” Mayweather said in a recent interview with the Boxing Voice.

“Stand up, and get the starting job. That’s what he needs to focus on,” he added.

SIDELINES NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

16 OCTOBER, 2016

NO 2,068

www.tribuneonlineng.com

N200

One Mr Abdul-Hammed has narrated to a Lagos State customary court how he once caught his wife watching TV in a neighbour’s apartment. And while trying to make her go home, her wrapper came off and her naked body was in the full glare of the public. Couples should learn from their experience, so that they won’t air their proverbial dirty linen in public.

The 30 nominees:

Mikel

Aubameyang

1.Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Leicester City) 2.Andre Ayew (Ghana & West Ham) 3.Aymen Abdennour (Tunisia & Valencia) 4.Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient) 5.Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal) 6.Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns) 7.El Arabi Hillel Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb) 8.Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United) 9.Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax) 10.Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City) 11.Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs) 12.John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea) 13.Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli) 14.Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns) 15.Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City) 16.Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns) 17.Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk) 18.Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus) 19.Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal) 20.Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma) 21.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund) 22.Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City) 23.Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool) 24.Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor) 25.Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & PSG) 26.Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham) 27.Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland) 28.William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club) 29.Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton) 30.Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune)

Iheanacho

Mikel, Musa, Iheanacho battle Aubameyang for CAF award

Eto’o, 25 others also in contention

By Oluwabunmi Ajayi

N

IGERIA stars, Kelechi Iheanacho, Mikel Obi and Ahmed Musa are among the 30 players nominated for the Confedera-

tion of African Football (CAF) African Footballer of the Year 2016 award.

This is Iheanacho’s first-ever nomination for the continent’s top individual accolade after he enjoyed a breakthrough season with Manchester City in the English Pre-

Federation Cup: Nasarawa Utd for final Beats Enyimba 1-0 NFF rules on Crown/IfeanyiUbah next week

By Nurudeen Alimi and Olawale Olaniyan NASARAWA United on Saturday booked a place in the final of this year’s Federation Cup following a 1-0 victory over Enyimba FC of Aba. The semi-final match of the competition otherwise known as the Challenge Cup was played at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

Seun Sogbeso scored what turned out to be the match winner in the 29th minute when he converted a penalty kick awarded his side after Bashir Abdulraman had been fouled in the box.

Enyimba goalkeeper, Theophilus Afelokhai saved his side from further embarrassment as the Solid Miners went on the rampage to ensure their qualification for their first-ever Federation Cup final.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Fed-

eration (NFF) will decide on the inconclusive Federation Cup semi-final match between Crown FC and FC IfeanyiUbah next week.

Head, Federation Cup of the NFF, Adesanya Emmanuel, told Tribunesport in Ibadan on Saturday shortly after the Enyimba -Nasarawa United fixture.

“We are aware of the fact that expectations are high on the outcome of the disciplinary committee report on the match.

I can say authoritatively that the committee will come out with a decision before the date of the final, specifically in a week’s time and that will definitely douse the tension that has been brewing all this while,” Adesanya said.

Tribunesport recalls that the match was disrupted in the 88th minute after a goal scored by Crown FC was disallowed by the centre referee, a development which elicited wild reaction from football fans at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

mier League.

The youthful striker has also established himself at full international level after he had represented Nigeria at U-17 and U-20 levels.

Iheanacho, who was adjudged the 2013 FIFA U-17 Most Valuable Player (MVP), clinched the BBC Goal of the Week award, after his stunning goal gave the Super Eagles a 1-0 victory over Taifa Stars of Tanzania in a deadrubber 2017 AFCON qualifier in Uyo. The Imo State-born lad was also on song when Nigeria defeated Zambia in Ndola 2-1 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier with a strike that made nonsense of three defenders as well as goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene.

Chelsea midfielder, Mikel inspired Nigeria to win bronze at the recently-held Rio 2016 Olympics, while Ahmed Musa shone with Russian champions, CSKA Moscow before his record move to the reigning English Premier League champions, Leicester City, this season.

It will be recalled that Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won the award last year in a colourful ceremony held in the city of Abuja, Nigeria.

Abuja will again host the 2016 awards on january 5, 2017.

Chelsea West Brom Bournemouth Arsenal Stoke City Man City C/Palace

3 1 6 3 2 1 0

Messi scores on comeback as Barca whip Deportivo 4-0 It took three minutes and three touches on Saturday at Nou Camp, and second half substitute, Lionel Messi was back in the old routine a month after his last game and just in time to take on Manchester City on Wednesday.

Barcelona’s talisman got his side’s fourth goal in a 4-0 win over Deportivo in which Luis Suarez also scored. While City had to roll their sleeves up against Everton, Barca strolled through this one.

Messi came on in the 55th minute to the loudest cheer of the afternoon. He took a couple of easy touches deep in midfield and then ventured into the area for the first time.

Neymar played him into space and he shot past German Lux. It was as simple as the victory itself.

Five-time World Player of the Year, Messi has now scored 44 goals this year.

The only man who has scored more in the calendar year is Suarez and he wrote the story of the first half with a goal, an assist and a thumping shot on to the post before being taken off at the break.

EPL RESULTS:

Leicester Tottenham Hull City Swansea Sunderland Everton West Ham

0 1 1 2 0 1 1

Pools: 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 39, 41, 42, 48. Today’s matches: 04, 06, 07, 15.

EPL MATCHES TODAY: Middlesbrough Southampton Monday, October 17 Liverpool

vs vs

Watford Burnley

vs

Man United 8:00pm

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: sundaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 16/10/2016 MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR : SINA OLADEINDE. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712.

1:30pm 4:00pm