21st November 2015

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

NO 1,126

SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMBER, 2015

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

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Nigerian Tribune

Defence contracts: Jonathan replies Buhari Says ‘I did not award any $2bn weapons contract’

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Sardauna’s last talks with Akintola pg8 Served his killers soft drinks Late Northern region premier’s driver reveals secrets of 49 years

Drummers and family groups dancing round Ikenne on Friday morning in continuation of funeral ceremonies for the late Yeye Oodua, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo.

Nigerian men more romantic than Europeans —Oyinbo Princess

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Dangote: I am not among Mali’s hostages

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Boko Haram is world’s deadliest group —US report Dance, drumbeats rock Ikenne for HID Awolowo pg5

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Kogi election: Police battle-ready, to use

phones to record violent activities

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CHIEF (MRS) HID AWOLOWO (1915-2015)

21 November, 2015

PHOTOS: ALOLADE GANIYU, SYLVESTER OKORUWA and D’TOYIN

ODE IYA ILU DANCE IN IKENNE

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1. From left, Prince Remi Onakade, Reverend Odubela, Reverend Tola Oyediran, Adeolu, Barrister Omosanya Solaja, Molara Onakade and Ronke Solaja.

2. Residents of Ikenne at the ode iya ilu.

3. Reverend Omotola Oyediran (fifth from left), Mrs Kemi Aderemi (fourth from left) and other women, during the traditional dance (ode iyalu), in honour of Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, held in Ikenne, on Friday.

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4. The Dosunmu Association, Egbe Alafia Omoleye.

5. From left, Prince Sunday Awobajo, Sina Adeniyi and Mr Sola Odumosu.

6. Ebi Ligu Ogodo Adebowale at the traditional dance.

7. Residents of Ikenne during the ode iya ilu.

8. Drummers in action during the ode iya ilu.

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entertainment

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

What Mama HID did for Nigerian entertainment —KSA

King Sunny Ade has been on the Nigerian music scene for over five decades. In this interview with JOAN OMIONAWELE at the Tribune House where he had come to pay his last respect to the late Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, Sunny Ade speaks on his relationship with the deceased, his private life, among other issues. Excerpts

H

ow do you feel upon winning the copyright case in which N500million was awarded to you?

I am most grateful because it is something that we laboured for as we have been on this case for 30 to 40 years. This shows that justice will come for each person at the right time. I am particularly happy, not because the money has come, but because justice has prevailed. I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerian musicians to keep fighting for their rights and royalties because we have laboured for the entertainment industry.

What will you do with the N500 million when you get it?

(Laughs) Hmmm‌Let me get it first.

Then I will think about it.

Are you being paid royalties for any of your songs?

Well, I am not a member of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, but they invited me. I am a member of the MCSN and the government just ordered them to release money to us, but no one has been giving me royalties. I pray, sooner or later, they will start giving us what we deserve.

You were at the Tribune House

today to pay respect to Mama HID Awolowo, what is your most memorable moment with her?

I have many memorable moments with mama because she was like a mother to me. She is an unforgettable woman who sought the wellbeing of everybody. And she particularly supported entertainment in Nigeria by supporting our content as Nigerian artistes. She never stopped encouraging us and patronising us. Nigeria as a whole will miss her goodwill.

You announced last year that you Continues on pg30

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news

21 November, 2015

Kogi election: Police battle-ready, to use phones to record violent activities Yinka Oladoyinbo - Lokoja

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LL arrangements have been concluded for today’s governorship election in Kogi State as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of operations, Sotonyo Leroy, read the riot act to troublemakers that the police would be up to the task in the election.

He said the police had gathered intelligence reports that some people were planning to bring in arms and political thugs into the state to cause crisis.

Besides, he said restriction has been placed on movement from 6.00 in the morning of Saturday till 6.00pm after the casting of ballot.

This is coming just as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and an Army officer (name withheld), of colluding to rig the election.

However the DIG, who was deployed for the election, told newsmen at the police headquarters, Lokoja, the state capital, on Friday that police officers drafted for the election have been mandated to use telephones and still cameras to record any violent activity observed at any point.

According to him, the force would then analyse the videos and pictures and pick the culprits who might have escaped from the scene of the incident at a later day.

He said the move is aimed at enabling the police to have concrete evidence against perpetrators of violence during the election.

Apart from this, Leroy said such recordings would be useful for prosecution of cases at the election petition tribunal, adding that it would also aid the police to trace the sponsors of the suspects.

He explained that the police have the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of people, including the electoral materials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) being used for the election.

Leroy, however, warned those planning to foment trouble during the election to stay away from the state in their own interest.

He also said since Kogi is a route to nine other states, travellers should be wary of the restriction on movement and use alternative routes or postpone their journeys till a later date.

The DIG noted that it would be difficult for anybody to impersonate the police during the election as efforts have been made to give different identifications to officers deployed in each senatorial districts of the state.

However, the PDP, through the Chief Communications Manager to the state governor, Phrank Shaibu, alleged that the APC is involved in the deployment of security operatives and INEC officials for the election.

He said an army officer was deployed two weeks ag o in K og i state and posted to Dekina Local Government area of the state, which is the local government origin of the state governor, Captain Idris Wada, with specific instructions.

Shaibu said: “We have received extremely disturbing information about the desperate plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Saturday’s governorship election using t h e s e c u ri t y a g e n c i e s , particularly the Nigerian Army and some unscrupulous INEC personnel.

The grand plan which is already being executed is designed to impose the APC candidate against the will of the electorate of Kogi State.

“Specific intelligence gathered by our campaign committee indicates that the APC is involved in the devious strategic posting and deployment of security and electoral personnel in order to achieve their diabolic plan.

“In this election the army officer has been deployed to Dekina LGA the home base of Governor Idris Wada, the PDP candidate with the specific mission to terrorise voters and stalemate elections. To all intent and purposes this officer has become an experienced election contractor, obviously in cahoots with some of his cohorts,” Shaibu said.

He also alleged that several attemps of inducement and bribery have been made by the APC to compromise electoral personnel, saying that the electoral officer posted to Koto without any

known reason unilaterally dropped 40 ad hoc staff that have received INEC training to conduct the elections and supplanted them with unknown persons who were ferried in from Benue State

in three buses.

“Convinced that all these desperate efforts of manipulating INEC and security personnel will still not snatch victory for them, the APC has orchestrated sev-

eral petitions against PDP stalwarts and supporters across the state, prominent among which is the indefatigable Honourable Friday Sani, aka Makama.

Beginning from tomorrow,

Saturday Tribune

security agents working for the APC plan to commence the mass arrest of PDP supporters to pave way for the unpopular APC to have a field day in rigging on Saturday,” he said.

Mali hotel attack: ‘170 hostages seized’ in Bamako Dangote: I am not among Mali’s hostages the scene along with some BILLIONNAIRE businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Friday dispelled rumours that he was among hostages held by gunmen in a hotel in Mali, although he was in that country some hours before the hostage taking.

“Rumour about me being held hostage is false.

I was in Mali yesterday.

Thank you for your concern. My prayers with those involved,” he said in a tweet through his verified Twitter handle @ AlikoDangote.

The Dangote Group, also in a tweet through @DangoteGroup, stated that he was “safe and fine in Nigeria.”

Gunmen on Friday had launched an attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in the centre of Mali’s capital, Bamako.

“Two people have locked in 140 guests and 30 em-

ployees in a hostage-taking situation”, the hotel’s owners said in a statement.

Police surrounded the hotel, which the gunmen entered shooting, and shouting “God is great!” in Arabic, a security source told Reuters.

The US-owned hotel is popular with expatriates working in Mali.

A Chinese guest told China’s state news agency Xinhua via a mobile app that he was among a number of Chinese citizens trapped there.

The security source told Reuters that some hostages, including those able to recite verses of the Koran, were being freed.

The AFP news agency reported that security forces escorted two women from the besieged hotel.

In August, suspected Islamist gunmen killed 13

people, including five UN workers, during a hostage siege at a hotel in the central Malian town of Sevare.

France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in the country in January 2013 when al-Qaeda-linked militants threatened to march on Bamako after taking control of the north of the country.

The US embassy in Bamako tweeted that it “is aware of an ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel”.

All US citizens were asked “to shelter in place” and “encouraged to contact their families.”

“It’s all happening on the seventh floor, jihadists are firing in the corridor,” a security source told AFP. Malian soldiers, police and special forces were on

UN peacekeeping troops and French soldiers, the agency reported.

Some reports said about 10 gunmen in total were involved in the attack.

Other reports suggested the gunmen drove into the compound in a vehicle with a diplomatic number plate, the BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy said.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, which owns the Radisson Blu, said it was in constant contact “with the local authorities in order to offer any support possible to reinstate safety and security at the hotel”.

The UN force in Mali took over responsibility for security in the country from French and African troops in July 2013, after the main towns in the north had been recaptured from the Islamist militants.

Defence contract: Jonathan replies Buhari FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan at a forum in Washington DC, Thursday, replied President Muhammadu Buhari on the arms procurement scandal surrounding the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, saying his government never awarded any contract in the range of $2 billion dollars.

“I did not award any $2 billion contract for procurement of weapons” an online newspaper, Premium Times quoted Jonathan as saying categorically, querying, “Where did the money come from?” and repeating emphatically that “I did not award a contract of $2billion for procurement of weapons”.

A presidential investigations committee into arms procurement under the administration of President Jonathan revealed in its interim report that it found extra-budgetary spending by the Jonathan administration to the tune of N643.8 billion and an additional $2.2 billion in the foreign currency com-

ponent, all managed and supervised by Sambo Dasuki, a retired army colonel.

Dasuki had said in a statement Wednesday that all contracts and accruing payments were made based on the approval of Jonathan, adding that due process and military procurement regulations were followed in all the transactions.

“Nigerians should note that all the services generated the types of equipment needed, sourced suppliers most times and after consideration by the Office of the NSA, the President will approve application for payment,” said Dasuki.

But Jonathan said he never awarded any $2billion arms contract, suggesting that the claims by the Buhari administration were false and unsubstantiated.

Dasuki had also argued along that line.

The former president was speaking at an event titled: “Presidential elections and democratic consolidation in Africa: Case studies on Nigeria and Tanzania”.

The session was co-hosted

by National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) with Jonathan as the sole speaker.

Jonathan touched on the contract issue after he stated that he was aware of allegations of huge sums of money that were said to be missing from the Nigerian treasury, but he claimed that some of the figures mentioned were not believable. “Sometimes, I feel sad when people mention these figures,” he added.

Speaking pointedly about his successor, Jonathan said, “When the president (Buhari) paid official visit to the US, there were some figures that were mentioned that I don’t believe.”

He drew attention to figures like the $150billion alleged to have been stolen in previous Nigerian administrations, but Jonathan scoffed at the probability of “$150 billion American money” being missing and “Americans will not know where it is,” adding that at

any rate President Buhari did not accuse his administration.

“He didn’t say my government, he said previous administrations… “$150 billion is not 150 billion naira,” he stated, suggesting, “People play politics with very serious issues.”

The former president was equally dismissive of people who alleged that the sum of $59.8 million was misappropriated within a 12-month period while he was in office.

“In Nigeria, if you lose $59.8 million in a year, federal and state governments will not pay salaries,” he said, adding that there was no way Nigerian budget can accommodate such a loss without the country coming to a standstill.

“Of course we brought international audit teams, forensic auditors and they didn’t see that,” he said.

The former president said he did not want to join issues with the new government, “I wanted to keep away from the public for at least twelve months.”

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Why we failed —Kaduna PDP conference Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

People fleeing the area around the Malian hotel where hostages were taken and automatic gunfire could be heard, yesterday.

Boko Haram is world’s deadliest group —US report

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OKO Haram, the militant group that has tortured Nigeria and its neighbours for years, was responsible for 6,664 deaths last year, more than any other terrorist group in the world, including the Islamic State, which killed 6,073 people in 2014, according to a report tracking terrorist attacks globally.

The death toll mounted on Wednesday with a bombing in Kano State, not even a full day after Boko Haram was suspected in an explosion that killed and injured dozens in another nearby region.

The report, released during the week from the United States’ Institute of Economics and Peace, said the Islamic State and Boko Haram were responsible for half of all global deaths attributed to terrorism.

This is the third year the economics and peace institute has released its Global Terrorism Index, a study of terrorist activity around the world. The index is based on data collected as part of a program run by the University of Maryland, United States, dedicated to the study of terrorism around the world.

Last year, the deaths attributed to Boko Haram alone increased by more than 300 percent, the report said.

The report found a drastic increase in terrorist attacks last year, with the majority occurring in three countries: Iraq, Syria and Nigeria, where other militant groups besides Boko Haram operate.

“In Nigeria, private citizens are overwhelmingly targeted, most often with firearms resulting in very high levels of deaths per attack,” the report said.

Security experts, regional authorities and Western military officials have credited President Muhammadu Buhari’s ren ew ed p ush ag ain st Boko Haram for scattering the group, which gained notoriety in the United States when it kidnapped scores of schoolgirls and seized entire towns in northern Nigeria.

They say the string of recent attacks on various public places is evidence that the group is grasping to gain real ground and is no longer as capable of holding territory. Still, attacks in crowded spots like schools and markets, long a staple of Boko Haram’s mayhem, can be extremely deadly.

The report estimated that $117 billion was spent

worldwide to fight terrorism.

It said that two countries, Cameroon and Ukraine, experienced no terrorismrelated deaths in 2013 but that each had more than 500 deaths from terrorism the following year.

In Ukraine, the spike in deaths came largely from militants in the region who are suspected of shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane, killing all on board.

In Cameroon, the report said Boko Haram had expanded its reach into the country with bombings.

In Kano State, the authorities said that two female suicide bombers detonated vests at a cellphone market at about 4 p.m., killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens. Witnesses and Red

Cross officials said that as many as 50 or 60 people died, though the number could not be independently confirmed. Officials accused Boko Haram in the attacks.

President Buhari has announced recent victories against Boko Haram, including seizing bombmaking materials and winning battles in the forest.

But still the bombings have come at a rapid clip in recent weeks, bringing death to a food market in Kano, areas of Niger and Cameroon and a village in Chad, prompting officials to call a state of emergency there.

Boko Haram has pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State, but it is unclear what support the group is giving Boko Haram beyond assisting with publicity.

Dance, drumbeats rock Ikenne for HID Awolowo From Olayinka Olukoya, Tunde Ogunesan And Joseph Ajayi IT was another day of honour for the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, on Friday, as different age grades and family houses honoured her with traditional dance.

The dance started at the Awolowos’ residence as early as 6.00 a.m. with Reverend (Mrs) Omotola Oyediran, Mrs Kemi Aderemi, Barrister Omosanya Solaja, members of the Ligu-OgodoAdebowale family and Egbe Alafia Omoleye.

The dancers, clad in traditional Aso-Oke with beads to match, danced to traditional drumbeats to Mama Awolowo’s ancestral homes at Itun Ikija, to Moko, Moro Street and

Dideolu Store, all in Ikenne township.

Speaking on the essence of the dance, Chief Solaja told Saturday Tribune that the Ode Iya Ilu dance was a highlight of the ceremonies lined up for the burial of Chief (Mrs) Awolowo.

He said, “It is a traditional outing. Ode Iya Ilu is the peak of the burial ceremony, especially for the elderly people. It is a demonstration of what the children will do when one departs.

“It is the hallmark of the essence of having children.

Everybody is very happy because Mama had not come to this world for nothing. She achieved a lot and we will remember her with a lot of feelings.

“She has done a wonderful work for humanity and that is why we are thanking God on her behalf by dancing

round the town so that everybody will know that this was a heroine who did wonderfully in her lifetime.

“She has left a very good legacy and that is why we are celebrating her. We feel very happy to survive her.

“We, members of the LiguOgodo-Adebowale family, are very happy that we survived our special mother who, until her death, was the head of the family. In fact, Mama presided over our family meeting held in here the very day she breathed her last. We are proud of her. Today, we are celebrating those wonderful things she did for us.

“We danced to her ancestral home at Itun Ikija, Moko, Moro Street and Dideolu Store, along Tai Solarin Way. We have gone round to honour our departed heroine.”

A conference of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has identified the defection of five of the party’s governors and other stakeholders on the eve of the 2015 general election as one of the factors responsible for the defeat of the party in the poll.

A communique at the end of the party’s first conference, in Kaduna, on Thursday, signed by the chairman of the stakeholders forum, Alhaji Rabiu Bako, observed that the defection affected the fortune of the party and, therefore, called on leaders on the party at all levels to guard against such an occurrence in the future.

The communique also blamed lack of internal democracy for the defeat.

“Lack of internal democracy and a level playing field, whereby some party leaders hijacked the process and imposed their candidates also caused a great damage,” the communiqué said.

The meeting also noted that at the end of the primaries in 2014/2015, the party did not take the issue of reconciliation seriously.

To this end, the conference advised the party leaders at all levels to set up machineries for genuine reconciliation.

The communique also advised party executives to remain until the next party’s congresses in order to avoid rancour and disunity.

Ngige lists FG’s agenda in labour sector REPOSITIONING the Ministry of Labour and Employment to meet the challenges of unemployment and maintaining industrial harmony in the labour sector is a major agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

A statement, in Abuja, by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Mr Samuel Olowookere, said the Minster of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, made the remark when heads of departments in the ministry briefed him on their activities.

It said that the briefing, which also had in attendance, the Minister of State, Mr James Ocholi, was convened with a view to providing efficient labour administration in Nigeria.

According to the statement, the minister used the occasion to affirm the government’s readiness to work with labour unions and employers of labour to ensure peaceful industrial environment.

It quoted the minster as saying, “maintenance of industrial peace and harmony and job creation is a cardinal point of this administration.

“We will partner with organised labour unions and employers of labour to ensure the creation of decent employment for teeming Nigerian youths.”

Ngige, the statement said, pledged that the ministry would leverage on advancement in information and communication technology to resuscitate centres for job placement.

He said that the ministry would ensure the provision of social security to the vulnerable through the development of social security and ratification of International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention.

FRSC begins ‘ember’ months campaign in Edo THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has flagged off its 2015 ‘Ember’ Months Campaign in Edo State, tagged “Operation Safety, Drive Safely into 2016.”

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, the Zonal Commanding Officer of FRSC RS5, Benin, Mr Shehu Zaki, noted that the campaign was aimed at ensuring safer roads during the last four months of the year, a.k.a ‘ember’ months.

He said the campaign was also to consolidate the success of the 2014 End of the Year Special Patrol which recorded 42 per cent reduction in road accidents nationwide.

He said aside from Boko Haram insurgency, road accidents were the main cause of violent deaths in the country.

Zaki said Nigeria was recently ranked as the third with the highest rate of accidents and fatalities among 193 countries, adding that all hands should be on deck to curtail the menace.

Also at the event, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said his administration was committed to reducing road traffic crashes in the state.

Oshiomhole said the government had decided to embark on the construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state to ensure safer roads for lives and property.

The governor, represented by his Commissioner for Transport, Mr Isimeme Iriogbe, said that the state had also been sponsoring road safety jingles on the media - on the need for motorists to obey traffic rules.

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21 November, 2015

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newsfeature

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Here is Kogi’s Day of Decision!

Yinka Oladoyinbo -Lokoja

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HE final hour for the governorship election in Kogi State is here. The people of the Confluence State will today make a decision as to who leads them from January 27, 2016. One thing that is certain is that a governor will be elected today. It is either the mandate of the incumbent, Captain Idris Wada, is renewed for another four years or another person is elected to pilot the affairs of the state.

Stakeholders in the election, including political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and civil society organisations, had in the last few weeks intensified efforts at ensuring that the election is held without hiccups. While the umpire, INEC, had focused on how the election will be an improvement on the last general election in terms of organisation and the final outcome, the parties had heightened their campaigns and sold their candidates to the electorate.

In the face of the fact that today’s election is the first to be held under the leadership of a new INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, the commission has make spirited efforts at making the exercise a reference point.

The commission, during the week, alongside police authorities, held a stakeholders forum where they assured the people of their readiness to conduct free and fair election.

Speaking at the event, Yakubu said because of the seriousness attached to the election, the commission would deploy three National Commissioners and 11 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC). Yakubu, who said the officials would be drafted to monitor the conduct of today’s election in the state, explained that the deployment was in line with the commission’s resolve to ensure free, fair and credible election.

According to him, each of the National Commissioners would be based in each of the three senatorial districts, while the RECs would be in charge at the local govern-

ment level. The INEC chairman said the commission was determined to make a success of the Kogi election, being the first to be conducted under his leadership. He stressed that all necessary arrangements had been made to ensure a credible poll.

The INEC boss, at the parley, said the Professor Attahiru Jega-led INEC had raised the bar of the electoral process in the country and Nigerians were desirous of an improvement in the process.

Given the improvement recorded in the last general election with the use of the smart card readers and Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), the commission said the same items would be used for today’s election. He stressed that people without PVCs would not be allowed to vote. Yakubu, therefore, urged eligible voters that were yet to obtain their PVCs to do so to prevent being disenfranchised.

He promised that there would not be failure of the card readers during the poll as those to be used had been charged, configured, tested and confirmed okay. The INEC

Today’s election provides an avenue for the people of Kogi State to make a true choice of their governor. They are expected to make the most of today’s exercise and contribute to the democratic development of the country.

boss added that the commission had made provision for over 700 smart card readers as back-up in case any of the machines malfunctions.

Just as INEC has left the people in no doubt as regards its preparedness for the poll, the police have given assurances about the resolve of their officers and men to participate in the election and provide adequate security for voters and INEC officials. The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, was emphatic when he told the people of the state not to entertain any fear as they go out to cast their votes.

He said 21 units of mobile policemen had been deployed to provide security in each of the 21 local government areas of the state, in collaboration with the 6,000 policemen that were already on ground. Arase warned those alleged to be sewing police uniforms to use to commit electoral malpractice to steer clear of polling units as anyone not properly accredited to monitor the election as a security agent would be dealt with.

Arase, however, clarified that the military would not directly involve in election duties but they could assist in protecting some critical national institutions on Election Day. As a confirmation of the fulfilment of the IGP’s promise, the people of Lokoja, the state capital, woke on Thursday to a heavy presence of regular and mobile policemen that had been drafted from various formations across the country to augment the security arrangement for the election. The major IBB Way in the city was filled with men loaded in numerous vehicles, waiting to be deployed in their areas of operation.

As INEC and the security agencies perfected their plans towards the election, the political parties also made lastminute efforts to woo the electorate.

Today’s election provides an avenue for the people of Kogi State to make a true choice of their governor. They are expected to make the most of today’s exercise and contribute to the democratic development of the country.

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interview

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Sardauna’s last discussion with Akintola —His driver

Ali Sarkin Mota lives at No 5 Baure road, Unguwar Sarki,Kaduna. Now 89 years old, he was the official driver of the late premier of the Northern Region,Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto. He was one of the few eyewitnesses to his death. He spoke with Saturday Tribune’s MUHAMMAD SABIU on the assassination and the last moments of the late premier.

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S it true that the late premier had a premonition of his death?

I think he had. Before his brutal assassination, the late premier had been receiving death threats.

Unidentified people would call his line and threaten to kill him. Some would even write and drop threat notes in his office. Funny enough, some even sent their threats by post. At the beginning, the premier was very concerned but later, he became strong and fearless. Later, some of his actions and utterances convinced me he had a premonition of his death. The late premier received over 100 death threats before he was finally killed. May Almighty Allah bless his soul.

On the eve of his brutal murder, we learnt the then premier of the western region, Chief Samuel Akintola came to tell him that he should go on exile? Were you aware of that?

For those of us living in Kaduna at that time,we knew soldiers carried out their rehearsals at Capital school,Malali, whenever there was a special ceremony or event. But on the eve of the coup, we were curious to see them carrying out such rehearsals without any special ceremony coming up. Nevertheless, on Friday, the 14th January,1966, a colleague, Hassan Lemu, told me that we were expecting a special guest from the Western part of the country. Later, I was told that it was Chief Samuel Akintola, the premier of the Western region. We were told that he would be landing around 11.30am. So, we left for the airport. The late premier and his ministers were all at the airport. We were waiting for Akintola’s arrival. Sardauna looked at his wrist watch and asked one of his Ministers to ask the control tower why the plane had not landed at the stipulated time and the control tower people told the minister that it was due to bad weather. By 12.30pm the plane was expected to land. However, at 12.30pm there was no sign of the aircraft. The late premier asked again when the plane would land and the control tower said the plane would land at 1pm. When it was 1pm, there was no sign of the plane again. The control tower said the plane would land at 1.30pm. At this point, the late premier told his second in command, Aliyu Makaman Bida to stay behind and receive Akintola, while he hurriedly observed the azahr (noon) prayer. But Makama responded jokingly to the premier ‘yaya zaka zama dani kafiri(meaning why would you turn me to an atheist). And the late premier responded that he was not turning him into one but he felt since he was his deputy, he should wait on his behalf.

But the premier contended since he felt otherwise, he (Sadauna) would stay behind while he (Makama) observed the noon prayer. It was when the late premier and his ministers were observing the noon prayer that the plane conveying Chief Akintola landed at the airport. After the prayers, there was a short ceremony where the premier introduced his cabinet members to Akintola. However, as we were driving out of the tarmac, we sighted Major Chukuma Nzeogwu in complete military regalia. The late premier then wondered what Nzeogwu was doing at the airport. Akintola asked Sardauna what was the problem and the premier responded that he just sighted an army officer at the airport. Then, the two leaders just laughed over it and I drove them to one of the government guest houses where they had a private discussion and later had lunch. On our way back to the airport, after the two leaders completed their discussions, Akintola gave me money and the orderly was asking me for his own share. People were saying that Akintola told Sardauna that they should go on exile but honestly speaking I did not hear that on our way back to the airport. If he had told the premier about that, it could be when they were having their private discussion at the guest house. Again, as we were approaching the tarmac, Nzeogwu came running at the convoy as if he had something to tell the two leaders. Thereafter, Akintola boarded the plane and left.

When Akintola left, you were with the premier uptill the time the soldiers struck, can you tell us what happened?

As we were returning back to the state house, the late premier noticed that Nzeogwu was still trailing their convoy. So instead of going back to the state House, the late premier said we should go to the town where he usually played fives(a local game). The present Hamdala hotel was where the premier usually played the game at his leisure time. On reaching the field, the premier, directed that I

Ali Sarkin Mota

He said he was fed up with the world. Then, I told him, that, why should he be saying such a thing when we were always praying for him to live long. I told him, if he died now, everything would crumble before our eyes. should drive him to the house of then Commissioner of Police, MD Yusuf. When we got there, the commissioner was not in the house. We met a policeman at the gate of the house and when the policeman asked the premier who he was, he told him ‘when your oga comes back, tell him that a tall man with long mustache came and he was not around. The premier then gave the policeman either one pound or two pounds. From MD’s residence, I asked him, “where are we going,” and he told me to drive the car to Kakuri. When we got to Kakuri he told me that he wanted to visit DIC(Defence Industry Corporation). As we were approaching the gate, there was a big signboard which carried the inscription, ‘No Entry by Order’. Then, I told the premier jokingly that we have to be careful these soldiers could shoot at us. It was during fasting. He did not utter a word. I was watching him at the mirror and our eyes met, the premier then asked me whether I thought he was sleeping? I told him but you put your hands on your chin as if something was disturbing you? He said he was just thinking about the world and I asked him what was the problem? He then told me that if only he knew what would happen to him when he died,he did not want to spend more than five more years in this world. He said he was fed up with the world. Then, I told him, that, why should he be saying such a thing when we were always praying for him to live long. I told him, if he died now, everything would crumble before our eyes. He still insisted that he didnt want to live longer than necessary. From there he asked me to drive back to the state house. This time it was something past 5pm. When we got to the state house,as he was about to enter his residence, he called one of his aides, Maman Bakura and told him once it was time of breaking of fast, they should go ahead and they should not wait for him. The aide was surprised with the sudden adjustment because we used to break the fast with the premier. All of us his aides would dine and wine with him.

After isha(evening) prayer,the premier came down from the upstairs and told us that we could leave for our respective homes because he wanted to be alone. But one of the aides,we called him ‘Jarimi’(warrior) refused to leave

saying jokingly to the premier that he would stay behind if need be, he was ready to die protecting him. I was staying in the quarters within the State House with my wife and son, Ahmadu. So around 1am, I was cleaning up the cars, when I heard the premier calling his barber to hurry up that he wanted to shave. Then he asked me that he saw me talking to some people. I told him yes it was the security guards or rather, the policemen guarding the house. Alas! I was wrong. I didn’t know they were soldiers who had succeeded in getting access to the State House and positioned themselves in strategically. The premier then sent Bakura to buy him ‘kilishi’(dry meat) and ‘suya’(processed meat) .

He then called me again,and asked me to go upstairs and pack some soft drinks(tango) for the so-called policemen (who turned out to be his killers). At this point, we didn’t know that these so-called policemen had already killed and dislodged the real policemen guarding the premier’s residence. Then they came to me and asked me to leave the scene but before I could leave, one of them asked me ‘where is Sir Ahmadu Bello?’ I pretended that I didn’t know what he was talking about. It was around 1.30am.

Then he asked me in Hausa ‘ina sardauna?’, I told him since we returned from playing fives (game) I have not set my eyes on the premier. They were three of them, and one of them told me that they gave me five minutes to tell them where the premier was or they would kill me. I told them they could go ahead and kill me because I was ready to die. They left me and started searching for him all over the house and they did not see him. Then, they went to his wives’ quarters and chased them out of their rooms. The premier’s wives joined my wife in our own quarter. The soldiers were shooting. I counted over ten bullets that entered my room. They broke the door to my room and smashed the window thinking the premier was hiding inside my room. They bent down and removed the mattress in my room. Helpless and frustrated, the soldiers were just shooting sporadically. At this point, the premier’s wives were just shouting and wailing, one of them Inno, was just reciting ‘inna illahi—’. Then one of his wives saw him in jallabiya (long gown) without a cap. She gave him a wrapper to disguise and run away but he refused. He told her that ‘what they are looking for is here’. I moved to where the premier was standing and I held his hands.

My intention was to take him to my room but the sound of a gunshot fired at our direction separated the two of us.

They cut off the electricity in the house. Inno again saw him and she ran towards him. The soldiers followed her, and one of them shouted, ‘where is Ahmadu Bello? And the premier responded “I am here!” he was standing just close to the toilet and one of his wives, Hafsat, held him tightly and the soldiers were asking her to leave him and run for her life but she refused . She told the soldiers that she preferred to die with him. That was how they killed the premier and his wife, Hafsat. The time was around 4am.

I fainted. I lost my memory. I did not know were I was. It took me a complete month before I regain my memory.

(The interview ended abruptly as Sarki Mota started weeping uncontrollably.)

9

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

newsmaker

Dasuki and the pounded yam of 20 years

By Abiodun Awolaja

S

ometime in the early 1990s during the Sani Abacha military junta, the fiery public affairs commentator and nationalist, Colonel Dangiwa Umar, told TELL magazine: “Vindictiveness does not pay, not even in war.” Umar, incidentally one of the four majors (the others being Sambo Dasuki, Lawan Gwadabe and Abdulmumini Aminu) who ousted General Muhammadu Buhari from Dodan Barracks on August 27, 1985, did not have the ordeal of his colleague, Sambo Dasuki in mind when he made that epochal declaration, but times have and tide may be confirming the acuteness of his vision.

For one thing, Dasuki, the closest to date of the 1984 mutineers to Buhari’s successor, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) and immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), is at the centre of a political storm that, media trial notwithstanding, many would locate strictly within the mutiny of 1985. The Federal Government, now headed by Sambo’s 1985 victim, is currently calling for his head over alleged shady dealings as NSA. For another, Sambo, the son of a deposed Sultan, looks like the classic Wa Thiong’O case of the hunter becoming the hunted, and it is not yet clear what monster the current war of attrition between former and present wielders of power will birth.

Since Dasuki released pictures of military hardware procured during the Goodluck Jonathan era, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has loaded the public space with his alleged monumental infractions as Nigeria’s security manager.

Dasuki, a former managing director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Limited (NSPMC), was accused of awarding fictitious contracts between March 2012 and March 2015. On Tuesday, President Buhari ordered his arrest for allegedly siphoning billions of dollars earmarked for arms purchases, saying he had brought the nation to international ridicule as the failure to procure the arms incapacitated the military in its fight against Boko Haram.

The president had, on August 31, set up the 13-man committee to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, noted that the committee analysed interventions from some organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.

Adesina said the amount of foreign cur-

rency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East, that Dasuki paid

N3,850,000,000 to a single company without documented evidence of contractual agreements, awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219, 188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. “Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the CBN to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions. The revelations immediately precipitated indignation nationwide, with many on social media platforms calling for the execution of the former NSA for treason.

However, the revelations left many questions unanswered. The committee was supposed to have investigated arms purchases from 2007 to date, but only Dasuki’s name featured in its treatise.

Was the government attempting to shield the other accused persons? More disturbingly, while it claimed that the former NSA awarded fictitious contracts between March 2012 and March 2015, it was General Owoye Azazi who actually was the NSA in March 2012. In any case, financial infractions were not the basis for Dasuki’s initial arrest by the Department of State Security (DSS) shortly after President Buhari assumed office. The DSS had charged the former NSA with possession of five vehicles in his compound “which were probably obtained

through looted funds,” and one or two rifles with which he intended to commit treasonable felony. The DSS did not state who the former NSA’s accomplices might be, but it laid a siege on his residence and harassed his visitors, including some prominent figures in days gone by.

Predictably, Dasuki did not take the matter lying down. In a statement on Wednesday, he regretted that the AVM John Ode-led panel did not invite him to put up an appearance before it, promising to tell Nigerians a lot. Pointing out that he was not the NSA in March 2012, the Sokoto prince said he could not have awarded any contract in whatever name.

The conclusions of the panel, he submitted, were presumptive, baseless and lacked diligence. Hear him: “In a memo to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), referenced NAF/905/D/CAS of November 28, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Adesola Amosu acknowledged the receipt of the 4x Alpha jets attack aircraft and the helicopters. On 10/21/14, the Chief of Air Staff also confirmed the receipt of F-7 N1 aircraft combination of 250kg bombs and accessories at $2,894,000 with the cost of freight at $1,200,000.

The same Air Force confirmed getting 2xTri Shield 36DG Tactical radars. In another letter of December 1, 2014 signed by L.S. Alao, the Air Force said it received five containerised fuel storage and dispensing units with equipment. The

Nigerian Army wrote to the ONSA to acknowledge the delivery of 14 armoured tanks. In a December 13, 2014 memo, the Brigade of Guards thanked ONSA for releasing N30m for RCA, Operation allowance for Troops on Op Urban Sweep II for third and fourth quarters of 2014.”

While battling Dasuki to a standstill, the Federal Government is surprisingly embroiled in another war with the judiciary.

It wants the court to jail the former NSA but chooses to flout its orders. Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court who, on November 3, granted him permission to travel abroad to treat his ailment, promptly invited the Attorney-General of the Federation to appear before him and explain why the government had jettisoned his order, describing it as lawless. Dasuki had, in a 13-paragraph affidavit, claimed that following the order permitting him to go abroad for medical attention, operatives of the DSS acting on behalf of the Federal Government, barricaded his Asokoro, Abuja residence.

Is there any harm in Dasuki’s planned foreign trip?

In the Dasuki-Buhari drama of the absurd, certain disturbing undercurrents have emerged. By pushing for a secret trial after making a public flourish of the allegations against the former NSA, President Buhari has left no seasoned commentator in doubt that he intends to have his pound of flesh, and Dasuki certainly realises that the pounded yam of 20 years can still scald the fingers. Sadly, even if the allegations against the former NSA are true, the presidency’s refusal to obey a court order is giving weight to the description of the country as a zoo by the Biafra agitators that he has to contain at another level.

Both the accused and the accuser are advised to pick up a copy of Obafemi Awolowo’s books and engage the national morality versus individual morality paradigm. In evidence, really, are narrow minds upon whom greatness has been foisted. The nation need not have a December of regrets.

feature

entertainment

interview

health&fitness

Home still not safe from Boko Haram —Refugees

Any musician without female fans is no musician —King Sunny Ade

Nigerian men are more romantic than European men —Oyinbo Princess

Why childhood diabetes is on the rise

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Pp32

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10

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

‘Though a special needs child, my dad believed in me’ Dr Dolapo Ogunbanwo grew up as a child with special needs: she didn’t learn as fast as others.

But with the support of her father, she rose above her challenges to become one of the most sought-after educators in the world. Having recently retired from a senior management position at the Institute of Education of the University College, London, she returns to Nigeria to manage Lekki British International High School, Lagos, at the invitation of the owner, Mrs Biodun Laja who is now retired. In this interview with NAZA OKOLI and other journalists, Ogunbanwo speaks of her passion for children with special needs among many other issues. Excerpts. the curriculum.

T

he Institute of Education of the University College, London, has produced many notable figures including Nigeria’s Tafawa Balewa. What was it like working there?

I worked at London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education, University College, London. The Institute of Education is the number one educational institute globally. People come from far and near and they beg to work for them without pay, just to have the experience.

But for me, it was more like the crowning of everything I have done. I saw it as a broadening of my horizon-as a way to really understand what happens at other places.

I was the Programme Leader for National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), Leadership Pathways (LP) and Equal Access to Promotion (EAP), all of which are leadership development programmes for senior school leaders. My work had in-depth coverage of all London schools, local authorities and other agencies, while EAP had national coverage.

I am now retired. I returned to Nigeria this year and came here because Biodun Laja called me. She said she is thinking of stepping down. She believes she has done this up to a level where she can now hand it over to somebody to take it to the next level. I see that as unique because most Nigerians would not call an outsider. She’s got biological children of hers, and she’s got relatives that she could have put there.

But I must say that she knows me thoroughly; she knows the quality of my work.

Have you always been a teacher?

I’ve been a teacher all my life. I know you won’t find many students in school today or even in my time who would say they want to be a teacher. In my own case, I have always wanted to be a teacher.

Also I see myself as a trainer, because all through my teaching life, I was also involved in training teachers. I got to where I am through self-development, because when I finished my education, and became a practitioner, I knew I cannot just stop there. Yes, there is no more degree

after PhD, but there is what we call continuous self-improvement. If there happens to be any training, any workshop, any conference, in any part of the world, I am ready to put down my money and go and develop myself, because I believe you must be current.

As the new head of Lekki British International School, what is your full designation?

I am the School Development Manager.

What advice can you give the new Minister of Education in order to revive the education sector?

I was educated in Nigeria. I started school in 1962, just when we were out of independence. So, most of the schools were still missionary schools. And I attended missionary schools from my primary to secondary school. It is the dedication that people had towards their jobs as teachers that I think is missing today.

You will find from the quality of graduates from the faculties of education and even from other faculties that there is something missing. It is teacher-training. That is the reason I started running trainings for teachers since 1987. Teachers need retraining. If the new minister of education must get it right, he needs to call those who know what to do to review the current teacher-training practices, as well as

And my dad would tell me, “What you should know is that if there is somebody in your class who does well and studies for two hours, you may need to study for five hours.

But don’t worry, I will sit with you and we will study together.”

What new things do you hope to bring to Lekki British International School?

The school has done extremely well. I bring to a system that is already good what would help promote it from good to outstanding. I remarked that I came from the Institute of Education; and it is the number-one education institute in the world.

I bring two main things: to make Lekki British School the number one school of choice in Nigeria. The second thing is to make Lekki British School an outstanding school globally. In the UK, I was the person writing, developing and training UK teachers, senior school leaders as well as teachers. But my work at the institute has given an edge. If I could be training UK principals, I think I can do something about my own country.

You said you have a passion for people with special education needs.

Tell us about this.

I have always had that passion for special education needs. You may want to know why. I am somebody with special education needs myself. I grew up finding learning very difficult. I was smart, make no mistake about that. But smartness is not what it takes to learn. “Special education needs” just means you learn differently. In every classroom, there may be one or two children who cannot learn at the same pace as the rest of the class. And at the time I was in school, nobody knew anything about special education needs – not just in Nigeria, but globally. It would be either you were lazy or you were a dullard. And they would beat you and force you to learn. So struggling through my own education is not something you grow out of. I knew I had to find out what was wrong with me. So that is why, when I went on to do my Master’s and PhD, my area of specialisation was educational psychology – simply to understand why I found learning so difficult, and to be able to help children who, like myself, find learning challenging. And in every school that I have worked, I always made sure I established a department of special education needs. That is another area that the government isn’t putting enough attention to. There needs to be more support, more research, done about that. So in September 2016, we will open our own department here at Lekki Bristish School.

How did you overcome your challenges as a child with learning problems?

I had somebody in my life who believed in me. And that was my father. I would get home and tell him that my teachers were not happy with me… that they kept asking: “What is the matter with you?” And my dad would tell me, “There is nothing wrong with you. You are the most beautiful in the world. You are the most perfect in the world. What you should know is that if there is somebody in your class who does well and studies for two hours, you may need to study for five hours. But don’t worry, I will sit with you and we will study together.” And true to his word, he sat with me. He taught me diligence, hard work, and perseverance. And that was why I dedicated my PhD thesis to my father. I did it for him; I did it because of him. The day I got my PhD from the University of Ibadan in 1988, I handed my certificate to him and gave him a handshake and called him “Baba Doctor.”

Did your choice of education help you to adjust further?

By the time I began my PhD I knew what was wrong with me. I am of the autistic spectrum. And I knew that what is wrong with me is likely to be inherited by any child I might have, because it is genetic. So I have a better understanding, and so by the time I had my son, I was better prepared to give him the attention he needed, and with that you can see why “special education needs” is so important to me.

What makes schools abroad better than schools in Nigeria?

Funding. The government overseas puts a lot of money into education, and our government does not. That is the simple missing link.

For schools in the UK, education is free. But there is no free lunch or dinner anywhere. If they tell you something is free, somebody is paying for it. Any child in a maintained school (we call them maintained schools when they are sponsored by government), the government puts down nothing less than 4000 pounds per term towards their education. Children with special needs require additional resources, and so they get more money; children whose parents cannot afford to feed also get more money.

Our government should invest heavily in education. Nigerians are eager to learn; but learning requires money.

11

food&drink The kings of food in Naija (2) For most people, Northern Nigeria is the hub of indigenous snacks and drinks. Think suya, kilishi, tsere, danbu nama, masa, kuli-kuli, kunun, zoboroto, fura de nunu etc. But did you know that this part of the country also boasts of a variety of delicious native delicacies guaranteed to whet your appetite any day?

From the far North down to the southwestern Nigeria, one culinary observation that is sure to stand out is the many varieties of bolus popularly called ‘swallow’. These range from the northern tuwo in all its belly-filling forms (tuwo shinkafa, tuwo masara, tuwo dawa) to the Yoruba’s epic amala, lafun and iyan. Of course, these are accompanied with soups made from all ingredients imaginable, but are equally sumptuous and lip-smacking. BLESSING EKUM looks at some native dishes that rule in the some select parts of northern and southwestern Nigeria.

O

koho: The food basket of the nation celebrates this dish in its festivities.

Especially common among the Idoma and Tiv of Benue State, Mr Adams Onoja says “if you haven’t served an Idoma man with okoho soup and well pounded yam, then you haven’t served him any food. The way to an Idoma or Tiv man’s heart is okoho soup.”

Ikokore or Egusi Ijebu: For Kikelomo Adekoya, CEO Aunty Kay Kitchen and Consult, Odo Ona Elewe, Challenge, Ibadan who hails from IjebuIgbo, Ogun State, the secret to a successful Ijebu party is serving Ikokore or Egusi Ijebu. Where this egusi stands out is the condiment ogiri Ijebu which is used.

Burabisco: Among the Kanuri people of Borno State, burabisco which is a delicacy made from cous cous or grit is one that can be eaten everyday owing to its sheer deliciousness. Miss Fatima Sani, a food enthusiast, says “burabisco is best enjoyed with miyan zogale which is a rich sauce made from moringa leaves and peanuts. It’s an everyday meal.”

Ofada: In the Ofada community of Ogun State, Ofada rice rules and has spread its influence all over the south west. Mrs Adedunmola Ajayi, a business woman from Ogun State says “ofada rice, is delicious, nutritious and the most preferred rice. It is the main dish in most celebrations.”

Ebiripo. Few things in a party excite the Ijebu and Remo people of Ogun State as much as ebiripo does. Mrs. Adebunmi Adebusuyi, manager of African Kitchen and co-owner of Rotbum International Catering Services who hails from Ijebu and Ogun State says, most people from Remo can’t do without ebiripo.

Tuwo with miyan kuka or miyan taushe: In the North generally, tuwo in any form with miyan kuka (baobab leaf soup) or miyan taushe (pumpkin leaf soup) is the go-to delicacy. Alhaja Hadiza Hassan says, “there’s hardly any home that this dish is not prepared at least twice a week. It’s very popular in the North and celebrated too.”

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

Ewa Aganyin: Ewa Aganyin derives its name from the Aganyin people of Lagos and it’s such a celebrated delicacy that it has become the food identity of Lagos. “No other beans can take the place of ewa aganyin. It is the perfection of beans preparation and true Lagosians love it,” Mr Tokunbo Balogun, an engineer says.

Tuwo and ezowa (bean soup): Among the Nupe in Niger, Kwara, Kogi and parts of Kebbi states, ezowa is a must-have during any festivity. Made from beans and similar to the Yoruba gbegiri, it’s the toast at most parties.

Obe Imoyo. For those from the coastal area in Lagos like Mrs Elizabeth Olugbolagun Palmer, the first chief dietician of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State who lived close to the lagoon, imoyo is a well-celebrated delicacy. It’s fresh fish stew with lots of seafood.

Margi Special: Mostly made from fish and vegetables, this dish takes the lead in Adamawa and Borno states. Miss Aisha Adetunji, a student in Adamawa State says, “I was born and have lived in Adamawa and one of their special delicacies and my favourite is Margi Special.

It’s tasty and you can’t help but love it.”

Koko and egbo. From Oyo State, Mrs. Titilayo Kolade who lectures at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State, and is the proprietress, en-Joy Schools, New Garage, Ibadan, Oyo State says this dish is the king, especially during the harmattan. Koko is simply pap but made in very watery consistency and egbo is made from corn grit. She says the dish is great, for the harmattan mornings which are very cold and are also good for pregnant women and the elderly.

Iyan (Pounded yam) with egusi or efo riro. In Ekiti State, Ondo State and Igbajo, Osun State, iyan and egusi or efo takes the lead. Mrs. Foluke Fanowopo, principal, Oluyole Private International Comprehensive College, Oluyole, Ibadan, Oyo State, who comes from Igbajo says what makes this dish special is the specie of yam used which is yellow yam called igangan.

Amala with ewedu or gbegiri soup. Ask the average Ogbomoso or Ibadan, Oyo State indigene and they would tell you nothing tastes as good as amala with ewedu or gbegiri. Mrs. Oluwayemisi Adegbite, a Principal Lecturer, Department of Social Studies Education, Federal College of Education, Special (SPED), Oyo, Oyo State, says it’s the favourite in Ogbomoso where her husband is from. “In fact, my husband loves it so much that he can eat it every day,” she says. Mrs. Kofoworola Kola-Olugboye, the Chief Executive Officer of Merveille Cakes, a confectionery at Surulere, Lagos says it’s also the dish most enjoyed among the people from her place in Kwara State.

12

21 November, 2015

08055001741 (sms only)

Saturday Tribune

yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

Re: Help me before this issue destroys my life!

I

brahim, I appreciate your transparency. Let go of regret, pity and blame. Face the challenges before you with a mind of getting them solved. You need to sit down your wife and her daughter and tell them some hard facts. Does Amina know that you are not her biological father? If no, she needs to know. It is not possible to love someone else more than yourself. Marriage is a game of give and take. Angela should understand that she cannot continue to atone for Amina’s childhood deprivation. Amina is old enough to stand by herself. Going by what you said, she should be okay by herself. I wish you speedy recovery. If it will help, go on leave to get your grooves back. Life is for living and I wish you the best, Folake Aremu, Oyo, 08152121538.

Ibrahim, you need not run away from your wife, but make sure you send her daughter away. Let her mother allow her to go and marry, 09023019897.

Ibrahim, all you need to do is to call the two families together along with your spiritual head so that the issue can be settled amicably. This will enable you to send Amina away with no sentiment. Shallom Mosodun, Osogbo, 08038531866.

Ibrahim, I see nothing wrong with that girl being your step daughter. I wonder a man of your calibre joining your family with parents and other relations; what if a poor girl who did not know her father takes you as her biological father? Who knows tomorrow? This is selfishness; let her feel her mother and brothers, Stephen Omirigwe, Akure, 08161387628.

Ibrahim, I would advise you take legal action in law court to end the marriage, you should pray fervently since you still love Angela. Hope you were not blindfolded in the first place? Your situation demands spiritual bailout; you should not allow Amina to remain under your roof. You have done your best for her. Is it a crime to help her at infancy? Ibrahim, you should pray well. Allah will surely take you out of your predicament. Don’t run away and leave your property which you have laboured for. Best of luck, Mr Uthman babatunde Ogunwusi, 08050986345.

Ibrahim, I can understand your plight, you can travel out. Your problem has become psychological which I think if care is not taken can lead to longtime illness. If you can run away from your wife and stepdaughter they will come back to their senses, you too will have peace.

My major concern is your sick son, will you take your son along? If not, he should go to a living church for counselling, deliverance and prayers, Doreen, 08095219678.

Ibrahim, you have tried your best to take care of Amina.

Advise Angela to allow her daughter to go to her parents’ home. Then, she should go and marry and settle down.

Please, do not kill yourself; if you die, those people will live their lives. Pray about what you are passing through and God will save the situation, D.O, 08077352090.

Ibrahim, not until you are ready to forgive Angela and accept her ‘cargo’ Amina, you will not be at peace. You should swallow your pride and the so-called family honour. You should receive the Prince of Peace, Jesus, into your life. This is the only way you will discover true love and peace, Pastor OmoOlorun J.O, 08058737314.

Ibrahim, I really appreciate the fact that you have done a lot for your stepdaughter, but I won't forget to let you know that you are the reason for your present predicament. The tone of your message portrays the fact that

deep down you really didn't accept your stepdaughter as your own daughter. If not, at this stage, you should have built father to daughter relationship that will enable her to confide in you with you also giving her fatherly advice.

Instead of running away to start another life, please, make your stand known to your wife and talk to the other party in a fatherly way. By now, I believe you should have your way of convincing your wife on certain issues. Don't let this spoil all you have laboured for. I pray the Lord will visit your family. Sheyi Flourman, Ibadan Ibrahim, please, swallow your pride and take Amina as your daughter. To her, she does not see anything wrong in calling you daddy, but your pride will not allow you call her your daughter. You must first work on yourself before working on her. I am very sure that this girl is not the bad type, why don't you show her love? Make her like yours, see her as your first seed, remove sentiment, pride and hatred.. After you have done all these, call her, sit her down and ask her questions about her plans for the future and explain the dangers of not having a future to her. She will love you for it.

For your wife, she can never wish her daughter away no matter how she had her. Suppose the child is yours and your wife is not showing love to the child? Support your wife to give meaning to this girl's life and you will also have peace and joy. The Bible says ‘a joyous heart does good like medicine’, just allow the love and peace of God to rule your heart, your health will be restored, you and your home will be heaven on earth. I wish you the very best sir, Shobayo Grace, shobayograce@ gmail.com Ibrahim, your story is pathetic, disturbing and unfortunate. I won't apportion blame rather, I'll advise you to exercise more patience and be more tolerant than ever before. Issues like these are bound to happen in the family, but one's attitude towards them determines the effects they have on one physically, emotionally and psychologically. You should consider relocating overseas as the last option, considering your son’s health and yours. Your health should be of utmost concern to you, leaving Angela to her nagging, excesses and stiff-neck. You should be more spiritual and should devote more of your time to the things of God. You should be prayerful, more tolerant, patient, understanding and devout. With God all things are possible, Ben Fortune Camics Garden City, Sobi- Ilorin, benatfavour80@gmail. com Ibrahim, do not kill yourself because of Angela.

Since Angela and Amina refused to listen to live a better life - Amina, the ‘snake’, get your health challenge corrected and do not travel out. With your better health, get another wife to marry. Angela will lie low or divorce you. Take your children, legally from her and Amina will find her feet! Their case is not worth the challenges confronting you, Lanre Oseni, 07064181043.

Ibrahim, just take it easy, Amina will soon leave, she will get married and as for your family, go to them and mend your ways and for your son, God will grant him quick recovery. If your wife does not support her daughter leaving the house, you can as well rent a good apartment for her. God bless. Horllaboday, 07052698381.

Ibrahim, people see you as a handsome person, fortunately, you came across a beautiful lady you have married. Then both of you with your children are making progress. Your home is one of the best in human life. Let me quickly share with you my take on human existence, we are just like a group of messengers sent individually to execute God’s projects. These projects we do not know, but will come our way as we make our journey on earth.

Pleasure, comfort and desire can’t be the purpose of human existence. No, it cannot be. What you are experiencing is part of your mission, accept it. Your plan to flee is not the solution, but a call for total breakdown. You have done so well for God to reward you, the care you give to your wife, children, Amina and parents are service to God our creator. God will then pay you bountifully. You should continue to love your wife and bear her cross. Treat Amina as your biological daughter. After all, they have your wife as their mother! An important fact of life I take seriously is that the more you show love to all human beings, the more your joy. It is a law of love that reciprocates your generosity. You should care for your brothers and siblings, but limit your discussion on your home with them. Let them know that you are committed to take all responsibility with prayers. Finally, you have every reason to be grateful, brilliant and have promising life – a life of fulfillment of purpose. You have used God’s endowment to prepare yourself for more services beyond your home. Think about this and not your challenge. You should not destroy your precious life for humanity service, Humble Depo Onifade, 07061362450.

Ibrahim, I will advise you leave the house for the time being. Ensure you go with your sons, don’t leave them with your wife. I support your looking for another single lady for marriage. God bless you, Thomas Glory, Lagos, 09033681991.

13

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

intimacy STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

Your sexual satisfaction in a relationship starts to fade after one year — Study

By Lea Rose Emery

science says about your sex life in a relationship.

he seven-year itch doesn’t look so bad now.

A new study shows that our interest in our partners starts waning well before that time.

Ludwig Maximilian University looked at 3,000 participants between the ages of 25 and 41, asking them to rate their sex lives and determine when they were the most sexually satisfied. It turns out that sexual satisfaction in relationships peaks at around the one-year mark. Which means that your one-year anniversary must have been hot. Claudia Schmiedeberg, who authored the study, pointed out the surprising finding that sexual satisfaction did not seem to vary in relation to the number or age(s) of children a couple has, which in previous research has shown to have a high impact on sex lives. Instead, the more decisive factor was arguments — more fighting was tied to less sex.

As The Telegraph points out, this is one in a long range of studies looking at sexuality and libido within relationships. There’s a complex interconnectedness when it comes to sex, happiness, relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, stress, and pretty much any other facet of life you can think of. So maybe The Telegraph is right to say “perhaps the Ludwig Maximilian study is simply the latest retort in the still raging, but ultimately unsolved argument about the complexities of sexual satisfaction.” In other words: No, you’re not doomed. But here are some other things

1. No matter how much you want each other, chances are it’s not at the same time.

Anyone who’s woken up next to a man knows that there’s a very physical manifestation of their desire for morning sex, while women tend to prefer sex at night. But it’s not a little difference — it actually can be pretty problematic. One study showed that 80 percent of couples had wanted sex at different times in the past month, and another showed this happened five days a week. Five out of seven days of wanting sex at different times is a big discrepancy!

T

Anyone who’s woken up next to a man knows that there’s a very physical manifestation of their desire for morning sex, while women tend to prefer sex at night.

2. Women with lots of male friends are more likely to have a lot of sex (with their partners) OK, so this is a little weird. It’s called sperm competition. According to one study of heterosexual couples featured in The Journal of Comparative Psychology, if a woman has a lot of male friends, her man will attempt to have more sex with her. And he might not even be aware that he’s doing it — it’s a subconscious perception of other men as threats, and an attempt to combat that threat. Just a reminder that we’re all essentially cave people.

3. Sexual incompatibility isn’t necessarily a deal breaker I think that everyone should be sexually satisfied, and that a lack of satisfaction can totally be a deal breaker. But that still leaves loads of room to meet in the middle, even if you’re predisposed to wanting different amounts of sex, or sex at different times.

A study by the University of Toronto Mississauga found that people are more likely to engage in sex (even when their desire was low) when they thought about how sex improved their relationship, because they expect they’ll feel more satisfied with the sex overall. So basically, even if you’re not really in the mood, if you realize the benefit to your relationship, then you’ll enjoy the sex more. Then it’s a great little cycle of enjoying sex more and your relationship getting better. Sounds good to me.

Courtesy:www.bustle.com.

14

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Work or further studies

Respondents are pupils of BrightVille College, Ashi-Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State.

after secondary school ?

Opeyemi Senge, 15 yrs old, SSS 3 After secondary school, I would like to work until I gain admission to a higher institution. I would do this in order not to be idle. An adage says “an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.” I believe that I can acquire some skills that might not be taught in school.

But I plead with students who may also like to do this to be careful so they don’t lose focus.

Victor Owolabi, 14 yrs old, SSS 2 Working after secondary school has discouraged many children from furthering their education. I cannot engage in any work because I see it as abnormal but some do this because of their environment or the kind of family they have. It has been observed that school leavers who go into jobs immediately after school suffer from low self-esteem in the long run.

Abigail Babatunde, 14yrs old, SSS 2 Lack of parental advice or wherewithal causes some students to decide to work before proceeding to a higher institution. As for me, I cannot work after finishing from secondary school. Work has to wait until I earn a degree because I don’t want any distraction. A danger is that a school leaver may change his/her mind about further education having developed other interests after working for a while.

Boluwatife Okesola, 15 yrs old, SSS 2 My intention is to work while I await my SSCE result.

Whatever I earn will reduce my demands from my parents. This, I feel, they will both appreciate. No matter how little the money I earn is, it will be used to meet some of my needs when I gain admission. I don’t blame students who choose to work for some time and then further their education because some parents may not be able to provide them all they needed throughout their secondary school, so working is their best option.

TONGUE TWISTER

Abimbola Lewis, 15 yrs old, SSS 3 Everyone that works before proceeding to a higher institution have their reason. Some do so because they want to save some money for their upkeep apart from what their parents will give them. But I prefer to face my studies squarely because there is tendency to get distracted by some things.

JUMBLED WORDS

Answers to last week Jumbled Words

Compiled by Omotayo Fabusua and Opeyemi Oladipupo Oluwatobi Fijabi, 15 yrs old, SSS 3 Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the only weapon which we can use to change the world.” I don’t want any break in my education, no matter what. I feel that if I work for some time before acquiring higher education, I may not achieve some of the goals I have set for myself. More so, time waits for no man.

J

ke

A grandma went shopping with her grandson.

The grandson picked up a toy and the grandma shouted, “Degree, put the toy back!”

A woman who was also shopping heard the statement and asked the grandma, “Is that his name?” The grandma replied, “Yes. I sent his mother to university and this is what she brought back.”

James OnwukweJames, 13 yrs old, SSS 2 I would process my admission to a higher institution straightaway after secondary school. Yet, I am of the opinion that working to earn some money is also good.

There are reasons some students choose to work a little before they carry on with their academic pursuit in a higher institution. By the time I complete my higher education, I would have acquired appropriate skills to work effectively.

SLAT - SALT MTOAoT - TOMATO CRRYU - CURRY IOL - OIL ERPPPE - PEPPER ONIOSN - ONIONS

B r a I n Te a s e r

Redeemed

Oladipo

1

Clocked

recently

15

21 November, 2015

health&fitness

Why childhood diabetes is on the rise

By Blessing Ekum

Y

ears ago in Nigeria, it was quite rare to hear of children living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

In fact, it was usually perceived as a disease for the elderly.

On occasions where a young person was diagnosed with the disease, it usually was the Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus which was also called Childhood-Onset Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes.

However, in recent times, there have been increased records of young people, including children, being diagnosed with the Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and this has raised concerns in medical circles. This has led the World Health Organisation labelling the disease a global epidemic.

Though the actual cause of diabetes mellitus in both children and adults is not clear, it is widely speculated that diabetes occurs when inherited genetic characteristics are triggered by environmental factors such as diet or exercise.

Diabetes mellitus describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.

According to an online health source, the digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into a type of sugar called glucose. The pancreas secretes the hormone, insulin, that moves glucose from the blood into the cells where it’s used for fuel. In type 2 diabetes, the cells in the body don’t respond to the insulin, and glucose builds up in the bloodstream (insulin resistance). Eventually, the sugar levels in the body get too high for it to handle and in children, this could lead to other conditions like heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.

In an event organised by the Evelyn-Emmanuel Health

and Social Welfare Foundation, Ibadan, Oyo State, during the week to mark the World Diabetes Day, held recently, Chief Public Health Nursing Officer, University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State, Mrs Grace Adekoya, said, “childhood diabetes in Nigeria is not exactly new. It has been in existence but there wasn’t much awareness and parents didn’t know that the health complaints of their children were linked to diabetes. So, they treated for malaria, typhoid and the like and when the child’s health is not improving, they resort to religious or traditional medicine. When that doesn’t work, they now come to the hospitals and by then it’s too late. However, there are now increasing cases of Type 2 diabetes in children and this can be attributed to lifestyle changes. Nowadays, children are not as physically active as they used to be and are more sedentary. Rather than move around and be active, they spend time on phones, video games and other gadgets that allow for a sedentary lifestyle. Even in school, they don’t take part in physically active extracurricular activities.

In fact, some schools don’t even have fields for them to

Saturday Tribune Blessing Ekum

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

engage in physically active activities. Moreso, the diet of the average child today is filled with processed, synthesised and fast foods. There is nothing wrong in occasionally visiting these fast foods restaurants, but it shouldn’t be a frequent habit. A child’s diet should be balanced with fruits and vegetables. This lifestyle affects not only the health of children and increases the chances of obesity, but it also raises the risk of having Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.”

How does a parent know his/her child could be diabetic?

The key is in periodic blood sugar level checks.

Parents also have the duty of being observant to a child’s health complaints and signs of ill-health.

Mrs Adekoya said the symptoms experienced by older diabetic patients also present in children but with slight variations.

According to Mrs Tunrayo Anifowose, a dietician, “in adults the symptoms are excessive thirst, frequent or increased urination, especially at night, excessive hunger, fatigue, blurry vision and sores or wounds that won’t heal.”

Mrs Adekoya, however, said, “The symptoms are almost the same however in children, you would additionally observe tiredness and massive weight loss. And within a few months of the onset of the disease, if treatment does not begin, the child could go into a coma. This is called a Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) coma.”

For those living with the disease, whether as adults or children, it’s not a death sentence. The key to successfully living with the disease is in proper management and lifestyle modification.

Mr Emmanuel Oladejo, a social worker and Director, Evelyn-Emmanuel Health and Socical Welfare Foundation, said living a normal life with diabetes requires “nutritional care and support, health education, psycho-social counselling and support as well as spiritual care and counselling.

As diet plays a huge role in managing the disease, Mrs Anifowose said, “though each person should consult with his/her doctor, the general dietary guideline for those with diabetics is to ensure adequate balanced diet; include fruits and more vegetables; avoid all forms of fried foods; control the use of oil and salt in cooking; taking about six sachets or more of water daily and exercise such as 30 minutes brisk walk per day.”

Diabetics in Nigeria do not have to go through it alone.

There is an existing association, the Diabetics Association of Nigeria, that caters for the welfare of diabetics in the country.

According to the Oyo State chairman, Diabetics Association of Nigeria, Mrs Modupe Salami, “being diagnosed with diabetes is not a death sentence. There are people who have lived with the disease for over 30 years and have lived a normal life. All it takes is proper management. People need to be informed about the disease, especially in the rural areas and grass roots because there are many who are diabetic and they don’t know they are. Although in Oyo State, there is just one functioning Diabetic Association of Nigeria branch which is in the University College Hospital (UCH), that centre is overwhelmed. There is the need for diabetic care centres in the state hospitals and primary health care centres as well as more trained doctors to be posted to rural areas to cater for the health needs of diabetic patients. Being part of the association would enable one to have access to more information about the disease and meet with others who have successfully lived with it.”

However, there are now increasing cases of Type 2 diabetes in children and this can be attributed to lifestyle changes.

Nowadays, children are not as physically active as they used to be and are more sedentary.

16

healthandfitness

21 November, 2015

My painful menses

I usually have painful menses which is usually brownish in colour. Kind-

ly help me with a cure.

Bosede (by SMS)

Dr. Wale Okediran There are many reasons why your menstruation is painful and brownish in colour. Apart from the possibilities of the presence of fibroids in your womb as well as other pelvic abnormalities, pelvic infection can also lead to brownish menses. Some women who use intra uterine contraceptive devices for family planning can also complain of brownish menses. In view of the very sensitive nature of your ailment, it will be advisable for you to see a doctor for a proper examination and treatment.

My rushing menses My menstruation has been rushing more than before since August. Each time it does so, I usually buy drugs from the chemist. This makes the menses to be normal but I don’t want to be using drugs every time since I am still a virgin.

Mariam (by SMS) You are right. It is not good to be using drugs frequently in order to reduce a menstrual flow. It is important for you to figure out what happened to you in August before this problem started. Since you are still a virgin, the likelihood of an abortion has been ruled out. The next thing to consider is infec-

tion as well as fibroids.

You may need the assistance of a medical doctor to unravel the cause and treatment of your problem.

Yes, you can use contact lenses. The most immediate economical means of maintaining good vision without using prescription eyeglasses is to switch to contact lenses. Modern

08055069356 (sms only)

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

How to wash the vagina My Biology teacher said that it is not advisable to wash the vagina with soap, instead, we should use water. Is this true?

Ngozi (by SMS) Your teacher is right. A healthy vagina is naturally acidic and contains rich quantities of beneficial bacteria that help fend off infections and maintain a normal pH level. Any interference with these normal conditions, and you may face vaginal irritation or infection.It is a good idea to avoid perfumed

soaps, gels and antiseptics as these can affect the healthy balance of bacteria and pH levels in the vagina, and cause irritation.Use plain, unperfumed soaps to

wash the area around the vagina (the vulva) gently every day. The vagina will clean itself inside your body with natural vaginal secretions (discharge).

Can my husband be circumcised?

Can I use contact lenses?

I have been using eye glasses since I was ten years old. Now that I am 30 years old, I am tired of the glasses. Can I use contact eye lenses or something else?

Haruna (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

contact lens technology has been around since the seventies and eighties. Contact lenses are not one size fits all, and they need to be prescribed by a qualified optometrist or ophthalmologist. Contact lenses are an effective means of vision correction for almost every eye prescription. However, they also have their disadvantages, and their long-term costs may make contact lens very expensive.

My husband, a handsome loving 30-year-old man was not circumcised as a

If your prescription has been stable for a number of years and you do not have a personal or family history of serious eye disorders, then you may be a good candidate for more permanent forms of vision correction.LASIK eye surgery is becoming increasingly popular as a method for producing permanent improvement in the clarity of a person’s vision without the use of glasses.

child. Although this has not negatively affected our love making in any way, I read that uncircumcised men usually develop some infections, including cancer. My question is whether my husband at 30 years old can still be circumcised? Thanks.

Anuoluwa (by SMS) It is true that male circumcision is very desirable since it can markedly reduce the incidence of infections as well as cancer.

If you can convince your husband to have the circumcision, the procedure

can be safely carried out by experienced surgeons under general anaesthesia.

Antibiotic resistance: World on cusp of ‘post-antibiotic era’

By James Gallagher (BBC News)

T

he world is on the cusp of a “post-antibiotic era”, scientists have warned after finding bacteria resistant to drugs used when all other treatments have failed.

They identified bacteria able to shrug off the drug of last resort - colistin - in patients and livestock in China.

They said that resistance would spread around the world and raised the spectre of untreatable infections.

It is likely resistance emerged after colistin was overused in farm animals.

Bacteria becoming completely resistant to treatment also known as the antibiotic apocalypse - could plunge medicine back into the dark ages.

Common infections would kill once again, while surgery and cancer therapies, which are reliant on antibiotics, would be under threat.

Key players Chinese scientists identified a new mutation, dubbed the MCR-1 gene, that prevented colistin from killing bacteria.

The report in the Lancet Infectious Diseases showed resistance in a fifth of animals tested, 15% of raw meat samples and in 16 patients.

And the resistance had spread between a range of bacterial strains and species, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

There is also evidence that it has spread to Laos and Malaysia.

Prof Timothy Walsh, who collaborated on the study, from the University of Cardiff, told the BBC News website: “All the key players are now in place to make the post-antibiotic world a reality.

“If MRC-1 becomes global, which is a case of when not if, and the gene aligns itself with other antibiotic resistance genes, which is inevitable, then we will have very likely reached the start of the post-antibiotic era.

“At that point if a patient is seriously ill, say with E. coli, then there is virtually nothing you can do.”

Resistance to colistin has emerged before.

However, the crucial difference this time is the mutation has arisen in a way that is very easily shared between bacteria.

“The transfer rate of this resistance gene is ridiculously high, that doesn’t look good,” said Prof Mark Wilcox, from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

His hospital is now dealing with multiple cases “where we’re struggling to find an antibiotic” every month - an

Bacteria becoming completely resistant to treatment - also known as the antibiotic apocalypse - could plunge medicine back into the dark ages.

Common infections would kill once again, while surgery and cancer therapies, which are reliant on antibiotics, would be under threat.

event he describes as being as “rare as hens’ teeth” five years ago.

He said there was no single event that would mark the start of the antibiotic apocalypse, but it was clear “we’re losing the battle”.

‘Untreatable’ The concern is that the new resistance gene will hook up with others plaguing hospitals, leading to bacteria resistant to all treatment - what is known as pan-resistance.

Prof Wilcox told the BBC News website: “Do I fear we’ll get to an untreatable organism situation? Ultimately yes.

“Whether that happens this year, or next year, or the year after, it’s very hard to say.”

Early indications suggest the Chinese government is moving swiftly to address the problem.

Prof Walsh is meeting both the agricultural and health ministries this weekend to discuss whether colistin should be banned for agricultural use.

Prof Laura Piddock, from the campaign group Antibiotic Action, said the same antibiotics “should not be used in veterinary and human medicine”.

She told the BBC News website: “Hopefully the post-antibiotic era is not upon us yet. However, this is a wake-up call to the world.”

She argued the dawning of the post-antibiotic era “really depends on the infection, the patient and whether there are alternative treatment options available” as combinations of antibiotics may still be effective.

A commentary in the Lancet concluded the “implications [of this study] are enormous” and unless something significant changes, doctors would “face increasing numbers of patients for whom we will need to say, ‘Sorry, there is nothing I can do to cure your infection.’”

17

21 November, 2015

mediascope

With akin adewakun

akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk 08054683584

In this interview with Akin Adewakun, the Chief Executive Officer, Twenty First Ltd and Secretary General of the Outdoor Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Mr. Femi Ogala bares his mind on the state of outdoor advertising in the country today, noting that unless urgent steps are taken the numerous challenges facing the sub-sector may be its death knell.

year, you probably do not see the billboard of any particular communication company or you just see two or three, and that is the way it will go all over Lagos.

But the interesting thing is that in spite of all these, the regulators that we have all over the country will still expect you to be paying for all these boards that are not occupied, and the question is: where will the money come from?

Are they expecting you to go the bank to go and borrow money to come and pay? They should understand the industry they are regulating, because it is through that they will know how to do their things, and not to begin to look for money that is not there.

H

ow would you describe the journey of outdoor advertising till date in Nigeria?

I think outdoor advertising has gone far. We started from the days of the plywood, the small formats, the four sheet, the eight sheet, 16 sheets and the highest we used to have then was the 96 sheet, but now we have the digital billboards and other huge structures coming around. Then clustering was a major issue, but now things have changed, the outdoor space is now better than what we used to have in those days. Right now, people are being made to apply, and by applying it brings some sanity into every thing. We don’t see the clusters that we used to see in those days. It has really gone very far, from an industry that used to be controlled by carpenters in those days to an industry that has PdD holders working and running it now, gives eloquent testimony to how far it has gone.

The number of vacant billboards in Lagos is increasing by the day, with some even putting it at 70 percent of the total billboards in the state, what does this say of the industry?

It is alarming and that is the worst fear anybody can have. It is alarming because when you look around, you discover that it is a function of the state of the economy itself, because for you as a businessman to even get forex for your business, it is so difficult. Right now for a private person, the maximum you can have is $1,000 a month. The industry needs to apply for their foreign exchange inputs materials. And now the exchange rate has also gone up by about 35 to 40 percent of what it used to be. Now as a business person, that alone has already increased your cost and what you would be thinking of next is how to cut your cost, and the first place you will look at is advertising. Your question will be why are we spending this much for this medium? Let us reduce this for now until things improve. Unfortunately, it is this same industry that our regulators believe that whether the clients are there or not, we must go and look for the money to give them. It is a huge challenge in the industry because the advertiser who owns the money that we spend is the owner of the budget, and whatever we spend is from that budget, not our private money. Interestingly those jobs no longer come as they used to, and even when they come we have become so beggarly because we do not want our billboards to be vacant. We sell it at a give away price so that something can come in to enable us to meet our daily expenses and also pay the regulators. It should not be like that. Most of the companies that operate in that sphere are operating maybe between 10 to 15 per cent less that the capacity they used to operate in those days when we had staff. And I believe that the position of every government is to create an enabling environment for the small scale, that is people like us to be able to create jobs for people. But when the government wants to take all your revenue, then how do we create the jobs? We are shouting unemployment, we thought under this new government, we would get some policies that would favour those areas like the outdoor sector, so that everybody can advertise their products and use our medium. Unfortunately this is not. You see the major cause of that vacancy that you spoke about is because the budget is no longer there. The advertiser needs to divert their money elsewhere. The question is what will he be advertising, when he can not get foreign exchange nor have goods to sell? You don’t create demand for something that is not available.

When you have the product that is when you have to start advertising. When you have to wait for CBN three to four months before you get allocation, what are you advertising?

He would prefer to try other channels of advertising, such as activation and experiential marketing, that he sees as less expensive. So that is the problem, and that is why the billboards are becoming increasingly vacant.

Of late, regulatory agencies in the country seem to have suddenly woken up from their slumber, with brands being fined heavy sums of money for infractions. What do you think are the likely

Saturday Tribune

Outdoor advertising is dying…

—Femi Ogala, Secretary General, OAAN effects of this on the nation’s Integrated Marketing Communications industry, especially outdoor advertising sub-sector where you operate?

To start with, if that is the law, that is the law. We may see those fines as being arbitrary, but I’m sure they were not just slammed on them. There are ways at which the fines were arrived at. I’m sure there are guidelines that must have stipulated such fines for such act. It is now left for the operator to tamper justice with mercy by being magnanimous, but that is not to say, the fine they’ve given them is not right. If you commit an offence and you know the consequences, the judge could look at you and say being a first offender, instead of you to go to jail, he is giving you an option of a fine.

But in terms of implications for the industry, it will surely have serious implications. It portends so much danger for the sub-sector. 2016 may likely see a downward review of budgets of these brands, especially the affected ones.

And when budgets are being cut, the first place they will look at is the advertising budget. Don’t be surprised if next

Why would you charge us so much money and we would still have to pay the omo oniles, street urchins?

There is no time we will go to our billboards to do anything, we must pay them. If you are going to post a uni-pole, you must give them N50,000.

There is a clamour for environment-friendly billboards such as solar powered ones, instead of the ones we presently have that is being powered by generators, how prepared are we for such innovation?

It is a welcome idea, but we need to look at the cost too. For instance, solar is not popular in this country, not because we don’t like it, but the cost. For instance, if you want to power a three-bedroom flat, you probably need to come up with about N600,000 as the initial capital that you need to drop. But to power that same house with a generator, you probably need about N60,000 for you to buy a generator. It is therefore easier for you to come out with the N60,000 to buy the generator than for you to be looking for N600,000, though you will still spend that N600,000 at the end of the day on fuel and maintenance of the generator. The issue is that the initial outlay on solar is too heavy, that is why it is not yet popular. Besides, I don’t think you can power those LEDs with solar.

Besides, the issue of safety. You don’t put your solar on the road and expect it to be safe. If you are putting it on top of your roof at home, it is safe. But if you want to use it for billboards, you have to put it on the road or put it on the billboard itself, which is not safe. So that is why the issue of solar has not really caught up here.

How have you been able to cope with the activities of street urchins and area boys in Lagos, especially those that disturb whenever billboards are being installed?

Those are the issues we thought the regulators would be able to handle for us. Why would you charge us so much money and we would still have to pay the omo oniles and street urchins? There is no time we will go to our billboards to do anything, we must pay them. If you are going to post a uni-pole, you must give them N50,000, if you also go there to change the material, you also give them N50,000. If you are not with that money, don’t go there because you are not safe and the material you are putting there is not safe, because they are the ones there.

If you go there with soldiers, they will stay away, but when you leave, they will damage the thing. So the problem is still very much there.

How does it feel managing the secretariat of an association that oversees activities of members in an industry that is increasingly becoming endangered?

I tell you we came in at a time when things are tough, July this year, when the country does not have money, when the economy is bad. This becomes worrisome because in spite of all these challenges, regulators in the industry still make almost impossible demands from us; since all they are concerned about is how to enhance the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). We seem to be the only sub-sector in that advertising clan that is faced with this challenge. The television is there, the press is there, they are not being charged any excessive fees. But we are.

The billboards we erect are ours, maintained by us, the only difference is that probably we take a space on the land and erect our boards. The money we are charged on those space, they do not pay such tenement rate even in any house in Ikoyi. Our medium used to be number one in advertising spend, now we are number four, because it is the only window that is free and no one has the circulation that we have. So managing the association’s secretariat at this time is quite turbulent because of the factor enumerated above.

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21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

He rented a flat for our maid, while we occupy a room —Wife She should learn to be tolerant, but I still love her —Husband Stories by Oluwole Ige, Ayomide Owonibi, Taibat Alimi and Omotayo fabusua with Agency Reports

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middle aged woman, Kairat Jimoh, has told an Oshodi customary court in Lagos State to dissolve her union to her husband, Sefiu, over allegations of adultery.

She told the court that when she travelled, her husband started having an affair with their 18-year-old maid.

Kairat said on her return from her journey, the teenager started misbehaving.

“Whenever I asked her to do a chore, she would look at me in the eye and tell me that she was tired. Whenever I threatened to take her back to our village, my husband would threaten to deal with me,” she said.

Urging the court to dissolve their 17-year-old marriage, which is blessed with three children, Kairat said she had to send the maid packing due to the development and noted that her husband threatened to kill her.

“When I sent the maid away to the village, my husband went behind my back and got accommodation for her three streets away.

“He has become very wicked. He beats me up and would not stop until I get injuries. One night, he came back home drunk, got a knife and almost slit my throat. I had to run out of the home to save my life. My life is endangered and as far as I’m concerned, this marriage can no longer stand because it has already broken down.”

Narrating her ordeal, she said they stay in a one-room apartment but her husband rented a flat for another woman.

“When I challenged him, he told me he would chase me out of his house because I brought him bad luck.”

Responding to the allegations, Sefiu told the court that he took Mayowa (the maid) as a daughter and would never try such a thing, adding that all his wife’s allegations were lies.

“I still love my wife. She should understand that men can change. But she should learn to be tolerant. I respect her and urge this court not to separate us,” he said.

President of the court, Mrs. R.I. Adetola, after hearing both parties warned them to maintain the peace pending the determination of the suit.

The matter was adjourned till January 16, 2016 for further hearing.

He packed out to another woman’s house —wife

97 Idemo, Ado-Ekiti, told the court that he had been performing his duties as a father to his children.

He said his wife got pregnant for another man under his roof and he did not take any action till she gave birth to the child.

“I did the naming ceremony of the child under the pretence that I am the father of the child, but later got to know that the child was not mine,’’ he said.

He told the court there was a day he came back from work to meet a man he was told that always visited his wife.

Kehinde said the man was responsible for the pregnancy of his wife, adding that he also rented an apartment for her.

He prayed the court to grant him the custody of his three children.

The President of the court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, after hearing from both parties adjourned

31

I’m no longer safe in the marriage —Wife I’ll change for the better —Husband A 45-year-old man has pleaded with an Ejigbo customary court in Lagos State and also offered to sign an undertaken as a condition to keep his wife and marriage.

The man, Waidi Yusuf, was brought to the court by his wife, Busayo seeking dissolution of their 13-year marriage that has produced three kids.

Busayo had approached the court on the grounds that she no longer loves Waidi because he maltreats her despite the fact that she had children for him.

An embittered Busayo said that apart from maltreating her, Waisu abandoned her and her children and does not take care of them.

She told the court that she was no longer safe in the relationship and wanted the marriage to be dissolved so that she can move on with her life.

In his response, Waidi told the court that he was not

ready to separate with his wife as he knew the consequence of divorce which will affect their children.

He pleaded with his wife and the court that he was ready to amend his bad ways and treat his wife and children with love and care.

He asked the court to discontinue the trial so that he could resolve the matter with his wife.

But when the wife insisted that she wanted divorce because of the attitude of her husband in the past, he offered to sign an undertaken to assure both the court and wife that he meant what he said before the court.

President of the court Mrs Bolajoko observed that there was need to see if the parties will reconcile and live happily again.

She consequently adjourned the matter to enable the couple to make peace and report to the court.

Husband gets bail for dragging wife on floor An Ogudu magistrates’ court in Lagos State has granted bail to a 52-year-old electrician, Esho Johnson, for dragging his wife on the floor.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reported that the magistrate, Mrs O. Sule Amzat, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Amzat ordered that two sureties should provide evidence of tax payment and that their addresses must be verified by the court.

Johnson of No 18, Bosun Anifowose Street, Ojota, Lagos, was arraigned on a two-count charge of assault occasioning harm, which he pleaded not guilty to.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Lucky Ihiehie, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on November 15.

Ihiehie said the complainant, Funmilayo, 45, reported that at about 1:30 a.m. Johnson dragged her on the floor, beat her and she sustained serious injury to her right eye.

He told the court that the complainant had been married for 25 years with five children.

“He always assaults his wife and at one point threatened to disfigure her over a misunderstanding they had.

“The couples’ parents and church members have intervened but all to no avail,” he said.

‘He broke his promise to take care of me and children from my first marriage’ ‘I’ll change ’cos I don’t want a divorce’

She got pregnant for another man under my roof —Husband

A 35-year-old housewife, Azeez Yemisi, has urged an Ado-Ekiti customary court in Ekiti State to dissolve her 15-year-old marriage to her husband, Kehinde, for alleged desertion, lack of care for her and the children.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Yemisi, a resident of No. 10, OdoAdo, Ado-Ekiti, told the court that whenever she had no money, it was their neighbour that always assisted to transport her children to school.

The mother of three said that she had been responsible for the feeding of the children as well as the payment of their first daughter’s school fees.

She said her husband packed out of the house, adding that there had been a dispute between her and the husband over the paternity of their fourth child.

Yemisi said her husband claimed that he was not the father of the fourth child.

She told the court that Kehinde had remarried and had also packed to his second wife’s house.

She, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage.

The respondent, Kehinde, 45, a resident of No.

Saturday Tribune

the case till January 25, 2016 for judgement.

He masterminded my abortions, no to divorce —Wife

If not God, her boyfriend could have killed me —Husband An Ile-Ife customary court in Osun State has dissolved the six-year-old marriage between Sunday Adelakun and his wife, Rasidat, over fornication and pride.

President of the court, Chief Abioye Olatunbosun, in his judgement, dissolved the marriage, but ordered that the dowry should not be refunded.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Olatunbosun awarded the custody of the two children to the defendant and advised her to take them to government hospital whenever any of them fell sick.

He also ordered that the plaintiff should pay N3, 000 every month per child for the children’s upkeep and take full responsibility for their education.

The court advised both parties to give peace a

chance and desist from causing trouble henceforth.

The husband, had on November 2, urged the court to dissolve the union for alleged fornication, uncooperative attitude, pride and constant fighting.

He told the court that they got married in 2009 and the marriage was blessed with two children, namely Seyi Adelakun, 5, and Imole Adelakun, 11 months.

“My wife is fond of fornication, giving me no rest of mind since we got married and has no respect for me and my family.

“I am tired of her, there was a time her boyfriend attacked me. He would have killed me, if not God, to the extent that I was hospitalised.

“If I delay the divorce, she would eventually kill me and marry her concubine, the earlier the better for the safety of my life,” he said.

A dealer in building materials, Amudat Lukman, has asked a Grade ‘C’ customary court sitting at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve her four-year-old marriage to her husband, Adeleke Lukman, on the grounds of breach of promise.

“He did not pay my bride price when he married me as I had children from my first marriage. He agreed to take care of my children and me before he married me, but he did quite the opposite when I eventually married him.

“After he got to know my parents, he requested I quit where I was staying with my children which I agreed. Then he started pestering me to take the children to their father [ex-husband].

“I cried and begged him but he refused, so I returned the children to their father. I got a call later from my ex-husband that I should come and take the kids so they would not suffer because his wife did not accept them. He eventually returned them to me.

“My husband then said that for the children to live with us, my ex-husband should sign a contract with him that all the kids belong to him. The children were later taken to their father’s mother’s place and were then shared among their father’s siblings,” Amudat said in tears.

“He does not like seeing me visiting my children. The day I spent a night with them he changed his attitude towards me and cared less about what I do. This made me sick because my children are not happy and he is not worth leaving my children.

“Though, I have a son for him, I want to divorce him in order to be alone with my children to take good and proper care of them.”

Mr. Adeleke Luqman, a carpenter told the court that he did not want to divorce his wife and promised to take care of the

children.

“I told elderly people about my actions on the children but I was blamed for what I did. I want the court to help me beg my wife because I am sorry for all I caused her.

“I was scared because I do not want problems with the children in future, hence the court’s intervention. I promise to take care of them and hand them over to their father when he wants them back.

“I am ready to make amends because I do not want a divorce.”

President of the court, Alhaji Amusa Makinde adjourned the case till 23 November for both parties to have a rethink.

Ihiehie said that the incident happened on November 10 when the accused woke his wife up at 1.30 a.m. and asked her to get out of the house as she was irritating him.

He said the complainant gently went out and lay down on the floor but the accused came to her, dragged her on the floor and rained blow to her face.

The offences contravened Sections 170 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which provides for three years imprisonment.

The case has been adjourned till December 10 for mention.

I want the court to quickly dissolve this marriage, man tells court A Grade ‘C’ customary court at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State has granted a petitioner, Mr. Emmanuel Alabi his request for the dissolution of his 20-year-old marriage over lack of peace of mind.

The old man sought a divorce from his wife, Oluranti, whom he accused of maltreating her stepson and depriving him of peace of mind.

He prayed the court to dissolve the union, saying he was no longer interested and could not tolerate his wife anymore.

Emmanuel told the court that the 20-year-old union was blessed with a son, aged 16.

“She does not give me peace of mind. She maltreats her stepson whose mother is late and does disheartening things to me.

“The children tried their best to settle the matter but all their effort has proved unsuccessful.

“She is currently in my house as I speak in this court. I want this court to dissolve the marriage so that she can pack out as soon as possible.”

Oluranti, the wife , did not appear in court, in spite of her awareness of the sitting date.

President of the court, Alhaji Amusa Makinde told the defendant to pay the wife a sum of 10,000 to enable her to pack her things and leave his house by December without breach of peace.

His cruelty is driving me crazy,wife tells court

Dissolve the marriage,God’ll provide me bone of my bones —Husband An Ile-Ife central customary court in Osun State has dissolved the nine-year-old marriage between Saidat Ayantola and her husband, Adam, over lack of care.

President of the court, Chief Abioye Olatunbosun, in his judgement, dissolved the marriage and ordered that there would be no refund of dowry.

Olatunbosun awarded custody of the two children to the petitioner, and urged her to take them to government hospital whenever any of them fell sick.

He also ordered that the husband should pay N3, 000 every month per child for the upkeep of the children as well as take full responsibility for their education.

The court advised both parties to maintain the peace and

keep away from trouble henceforth.

The petitioner had on October 26, urged the court to dissolve the marriage for alleged lack of care, maltreatment, threat and cruelty.

She added that they got married in 2006 and the union was blessed with two children, Modinat, nine, and Rauf Ayantola, five, respectively.

Adam denied the allegations, noting that “I have been trying my best in caring for my wife and the two children, but it seems that my wife is not contented.

“Please dissolve the marriage and let her go, the Lord would provide the bone of my bones, that would cooperate with me and feel contented with whatever I can afford to give her for me,’’ he told the court.

19

Voxpop

21 November, 2015

Amarachi Emeruwa I would inform my friend about what happened and if she wants to continue with the wedding, all well and good. The fact he has raped me before does not mean he is still a rapist, but the most disheartening thing is that I would not be comfortable with my best friend marrying that kind of person.

Saturday Tribune

Toyosi Ajibade I would not be happy. I would let her know about the incident.

If she does not listen, it is left to her to decide on what to do.

I would not be close to her anymore because I would hate the guy who once violated me.

How would you react if your best friend is getting married to a man that once raped you?

Rape offenders are rarely punished just because victims are too timid to report them to law-enforcers.

This situation explains why we have those who had sexually exploited the opposite sex still walking free. Is it wise to keep mum if somebody who had forcefully taken advantage of you sexually is planning a marriage to your best friend. MOSUNMOLA AKANO asks readers.

Odetunde Tobi I would feel bad and would try to stop the wedding from taking place. I would go to any length to put an end to that wedding because my friend would be getting married to someone who once raped me. But if my friend insists on going ahead with the ceremony, when we get to the church and the pastor asks the question: ‘who does not want the marriage to hold,’ I would simply raise my hand and state the reason why.

Omojojuola Babalola I would call her attention to the incident and if she insists on marrying the rapist, we would cease to be friends.

Regina Afolabi Rape is a big deal because it traumatises the victim. It also affects the person psychologically. I would not feel good about the idea of my best friend getting married to a man that once raped and traumatised me. I would definitely not remain friends with my best friend if she insists on getting married after I have informed her on the incident. I would keep a distance from her and her family.

Oluwaseun Oni I would feel bad because there might be an assumption that he has changed his attitude but hasn’t. I would reveal the secret to her and if she still wants to go ahead with the wedding plans, I would not oppose to it. Everyone has a past.

Gbemisola Famose On the one hand, I would not be happy with the man and would feel sorry for my best friend and on the other hand, wedding is supposed to be a thing of joy and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardise their plans. I don’t take things too hard because I believe in moving ahead.

Though it might be hard, I would tell her to ask her husbandto-be if he knows me and what transpired between us. If he denies it, I would then confront him. After all the revelation and she still wants to go ahead with the marriage, I would gladly be her chief bride’s maid if she asks me to

Zainab Oyindamola I would feel awkward and would tell her, just in case. If she then decides to marry the person, it is her problem, but I won’t be friends with her again, if she goes ahead with her plan.

Monsruroh Adefioye I would feel bad because he might do same to my friend even in marriage. I would make her understand the kind of man she is getting married to. Though it might be hard, I would tell her to ask her husband-to-be if he knows me and what transpired between us. If he denies it, I would then confront him. After all the revelation and she still wants to go ahead with the marriage, I would gladly be her chief bride’s maid if she asks me to.

20

Saturday Tribune

21 November, 2015

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6 1. Wife of the vice-president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo and the national president, Nigeria Union of Tailors (NUT), Chief Wasiu Taiwo, at the lying-in-state of Mama HID Awolowo in Ikenne-Remo, on Tuesday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE 2. From left, Director General, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mrs. Roli Bode George and her husband, Chief Olabode George and Senator Akin Odunsi, during the funeral service for the late Engr. Omosola Awosika, held at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral in Lagos, recently.

3. From left, Etisalat Customer, Raphael Osamon; Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone; Etisalat customer, Chizoba Okpala-Atsu and the Director, Customers Care, Etisalat Nigeria, Plato Syrimis, at the Etisalat customer Forum held in Lagos, recently.

4. From left, Frank Daria, Programme Director Pronet; Olajumoke Aleoke-Malachi, guest speaker; Dr Dennis Inyang, president/founder Pronet and Engineer Chuks Ahiakwe, guest speaker during the business seminar organised by Professsionals Network International, held In Lagos.

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6. From left, Mrs Uzo Okechukwu, Professor Adesoji Fasanmade and Dr Jokotade Adeleye, at the World Day of Diabetics programme, held at St Anne’s Church, Molete, Ibadan, last Saturday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU

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21 tribute

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

HID: Gone in a blaze of glory A tribute by Professor Bamitale Omole, Vice Chancellor, on behalf of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in honour of Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo (nee Adelana): 1915 – 2015

Say not in grief that she is no more but say in thankfulness that she was.

A death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), an Indian poet. (The first Asian poet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature).

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life and times of Late Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo (nee Adelana); a woman who cannot be summed up in just a few words or sentences. Mama H.I.D, as she was fondly called, could be well-described as an outstanding Matriarch of the entire Yoruba race. From humble beginnings in Ikenne Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, Mama Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo rose to become a Sirius, both nationally and in the international community. At Obafemi Awolowo University, in particular, we rightly refer to her as our mother. Our university was renamed in honour of her late husband, Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo on 12th May, 1987 as he was considered as the most distinguished founding father, statesman and the first Chancellor of the University from 1967 to 1975. He was also a recipient of the University’s Doctor of Science degree (Honoris Causa) in 1967.

Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo was a woman of impeccable character, a mother per excellence, an astute politician and a shrewd businesswoman. As a strong supporter of her husband’s cause, Mama was the first lady of the Old Western Region. We all know her as a woman who, in the face of tribulation, tyranny and trial as well as intense persecution, was able to weather the storms of life with dogged determination with her husband.

Permit me to say that Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the chief mourners of Mama’s

demise in her centennial year. At the same time, our hearts are filled with gratitude for a life which could not have been better spent.

Mama, we remember, with pride, that Papa referred to you as his “Jewel of inestimable value”, which you really were. While noting that you were a recipient of numerous

awards in your lifetime, the most prestigious and valuable of these awards as far as Obafemi Awolowo University is concerned, is the Doctor of Civil Law (Honoris Causa) that was conferred on you by our University in 1989.

For us in Obafemi Awolowo University, your demise is a great loss as we are now left without your motherly and valuable counsel and wisdom that you gave us in times of crisis and in times of peace in our University.

Mama, you were a woman of great fortitude, resilience, unconquerable spirit and indomitable will, great attributes that will be difficult to find again in the land.

Our beloved Mama, we wish we could have you with us for much longer. Your optimism, perseverance and enthusiasm for life made you stand out conspicuously among others. We, indeed, wish we could drink longer from your fountain of wisdom and knowledge.

However, we continue to draw inspiration from the excellent, remarkable and enduring legacies, which you left behind. Indeed, you are not dead; you have only gone to rest in a blaze of glory for eternity. We understand that you departed while singing and praying; we are therefore rest assured that you have joined the Saints Triumphant. We know that we shall surely see you on the resurrection morning.

The Governing Council, Senate, Staff and Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, and indeed members of the entire University community, pray that God will bless, protect and preserve all that Mama has left behind.

Adieu Mama! Rest on in the bosom of our Dear Lord, Jesus Christ.

Goodbye and Goodnight!

Professor Bamitale Omole, Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

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21 November, 2015

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newsfeature Memuna was held captive by Boko Haram in Bama for several weeks. She managed to escape and she now lives in the Girls College Camp in Maiduguri with four of her six children.

Global Terrorism Index: Nigeria is world’s number 3

A leaflet the Nigerian government has been distributing in Adamawa State, urging IDPs to return home

IDPs in northeastern Nigeria often share overcrowded rooms. PHOTOS:IRIN.

Home still not safe from Boko Haram —Refugees

By Fragkiska Megaloudi (IRINnews)

M

emuna was four months pregnant when Boko Haram attacked her village on the outskirts of Bama, some 60 kilometres southeast of the Borno State, the capital of Maiduguri.

Her husband was killed during the September 2014 raid.

She was captured and thrown into a cage by the militants after becoming separated from her five children.

They released her after discovering she was pregnant and Memuna, 35, was eventually reunited with three of her children in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Government Girls’ College in Maiduguri. She does not know if her oldest two sons are still alive.

Life in the camp hasn’t been easy but at least they’re safe.

Soon, however, Memuna and the 4,500 other women and children she shares former classrooms with may be forced to return to the very place they fled from.

The Nigerian government has announced plans to start closing IDP camps by the end of December in Adamawa State, and, in January, in Borno State. A campaign led by the government’s National Emergency Management Agency is urging all IDPs to go voluntarily before they are forced.

“With the increased pace of rebuilding all destroyed communities by the state’s Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, all the displaced people are expected to return to their homes in the next six months,” said Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima.

Is it too early?

Victor Lahai, head of Borno operations for the UN emergency aid coordination body OCHA, told IRIN it is only sustainable for IDPs to return to their homes if the security situation has improved sufficiently, and if the communities they are returning to have the infrastructure and means to absorb them again.

“If those conditions are not met, there will be another secondary displacement, thereby causing more humanitarian [need] in the state,” he said.

Since the escalation of the conflict in 2009, more than two million people have been displaced in northeastern Nigeria.

While fewer than 10 percent are estimated to be living in camps, with the rest staying in host communities, nearly 200,000 people could soon be forced to take refugee elsewhere if the government goes ahead and closes the 23 IDP camps scattered across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

According to the Nigerian authorities, Boko Haram has been pushed out of most of the northeast by the Nigerian military and a regional force. The government says the insurgents hold only two of the 20 areas they once controlled in Borno State.

But Boko Haram is still a threat. There are daily reports of armed attacks by groups of insurgents or suicide bombings on communities and markets, especially in Borno and Yobe states.

Babachir David Lawal, the secretary to the government of the federation, said the recent increase in terrorist attacks in public places was a sign that the group is losing ground territorially.

“Knowing that their days are numbered, it is clear that they [Boko Haram] have changed their styles and strategies and have now resorted to bomb blasts, even at religious centres.”

Want to go home, but can’t While the vast majority of displaced people wish to go home, eight out of 10 said they didn’t feel safe enough to return, and 17 percent said they would need more money to do so, according to surveys conducted by the International Organisation for Migration.

Many of the women IRIN spoke to at the Government Girls’ College camp expressed similar sentiments.

“There is no life for us here,” said Fanta, a 35-year-old mother of four. “But when I think of going back, I remember the attack and my heart beats fast. I don’t think we are safe to return.”

The Protection Sector Working Group, co-led by the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, and the National Human Rights Commission, says all IDPs should be told the extent of the destruction in their communities in order to make informed decisions. Should they decide to return home, they must be given reintegration

There is no life for us here. But when I think of going back, I remember the attack and my heart beats fast. I don’t think we are safe to return.

support, including cash and household necessities.

“We appreciate the Nigerian government’s efforts in supporting IDPs and the desire to help them get back to their normal lives,” Enira Krdzalic, IOM’s chief of mission in Nigeria, told IRIN. “The majority of IDPs would like to return to their places of origin, but IOM reaffirms its commitment… in ensuring voluntary, safe and dignified returns for IDPs.” NEMA officials declined to comment on the security situation or the relocation campaign, but continue to post flyers that read: “Come back home” and distribute leaflets to IDPs that assure their safety if they return.

Nothing to go back to Some 320,000 people have returned to Adamawa State during the past five months, following the government‘s recent push. The majority are farmers or traders.

Some hid stocks the attackers didn’t find. Others saved enough money to buy provisions or tools to till their land again. Most are having to start again from scratch. Houses have been destroyed, shops looted, schools burnt and fields lie barren. Many return to find water sources polluted with the bodies of people or animals killed by Boko Haram.

Until infrastructure and sanitation systems are restored, people have no choice but to boil up the contaminated water and drink it. Children remain idle as schools are closed, and the sick have nowhere to go as the hospitals are still not operational.

“The humanitarian response in the northeast has improved over the past year, but significant unmet needs remain, particularly in nutrition, health, food security and protection,” Yannick Pouchalan, head of mission for the French NGO Action Against Hunger, told IRIN. “There is a need to scale up the response to meet these needs to allow IDPs to live until they feel safe enough to return.”

Fifty-six-year-old Mustapha had enough of living in an informal settlement in the capital of Adamawa, Yola. He decided to go back to his village in Mubi, together with his six children and his wife, only to find his land burnt to the ground and his home half destroyed. He now lives in a makeshift shelter in the ruins of what used to be his home.

During his displacement, his family survived on help provided by NGOs and distant relatives. Once back in his village, he lost this support. He earns a little by working on other people’s farms, but any joy at returning quickly turned to frustration.

“I used to farm my own land and now I am dependent on others to feed my family,” he said. “I cannot send my children to school. Sometimes we eat only wild grass,” he said, covering his head with his hands.

“We need help to buy tools and seeds for our land and materials to build our homes. If not, then why did we come back?”

Courtesy: economics&peace.org

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21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

views.com

The president will always have his way by eric teniola

T

o date, of all ministerial screenings by the Senate, the most controversial has been that of a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Richard Osuolale Abimbola Akinjide SAN. And that was as far back as 1979 – about 36 years ago. I covered the proceedings in the Senate at that time. Chief Akinjide contested the gubernatorial election of Oyo State on NPN [ National Party of Nigeria] platform in 1979 but lost to Chief Bola Ige of the UPN [Unity Party of Nigeria].

In the 1979 presidential election tribunal case instituted by Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the then UPN, Chief Akinjide was a counsel for the eventual winner in the tribunal, Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari.

On Thursday, October 18, 1979, President Shehu Shagari included the name of Chief Akinjide along with the 33 ministerial nominees to be screened by the Senate. The President of the then Senate was Dr. Joseph Wayas, from Ogoja.

Twenty- four hours later, the Senate rejected the nomination of Chief Akinjide along with that of Chief Paul Unongo from Benue State. On November 17, 1979, the then Monday caucus of the NPN which was then the most powerful body in the country met at Dodan Barracks residence of the president and decided to fight back so as to ensure that Chief Akinjide’s candidacy as minister was approved by the Senate.

It was agreed at the meeting that for President Shagari to lose so early in a battle while his presidency was still young would send a wrong signal.

The Monday caucus was made up of the president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari; the vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; the chairman of the ruling NPN, Chief Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye; the secretary of the party, Alhaji Suleiman Takuma, the Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas and the Deputy Speaker of the then House of Representatives, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim, from Minna, (since the speaker Chief Edwin Umeh-Ezeoke was from NPP). The NPN had no board of trustees. The Monday caucus was designed by Alhaji Shagari to carry his party along on national issues so as not to appear as if he was a sole administrator.

On November 28, President Shagari wrote a letter to Dr. Wayas re-presenting Chief Akinjide and Mr. Unongo. For over fifteen days, the Senate slept on the letter from President Shagari. At 4.10 p.m. on December 13, 1979, the Senate constituted itself into a committee to decide on the fate of Chief Akinjide. The then Senate leader, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki from Ilorin/Asa, moved two motions that afternoon.

The first was for the Senate to rescind its decision of October 19 in rejecting Chief Akinjide as a minister of the government of the federation. After much heated debate, the first motion was approved when Senator Victor Akan from Eket pressed for a division with 48 senators approving the first motion and 39 senators rejecting the motion. It was the second motion moved by Senator Saraki requesting the Senate to approve the nomination of Chief Akinjide as a minister that brought the firestorm. The then leader of the UPN in the Senate, Senator Jonathan Akinremi Olawale Odebiyi, from Egbado, opposed the motion as well as the leader of the NPP in the Senate, Senator Jaja Anucha Wachukwu from Aba, even though there was an existing NPN/

NPP accord. Senator Wachukwu and Chief Akinjide had been political rivals under the then Prime Minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, when they were both ministers between 1960 and 1966. Senator Odebiyi argued that Chief Akinjide was not fit to be a minister with reference to his past misdeeds. He alluded that it was against the rules of the Senate to reconsider a decision that had been taken earlier by the Senate.

In moving the motion for Chief Akinjide, Senator Saraki said that Chief Akinjide was well known throughout the country and that he was one of the best Nigerians that could be a minister. He said: “We should not allow any political vendetta. Chief Richard Akinjide should not be a victim of circumstances. I would like to appeal to each and everyone of us in this Senate this afternoon that the right course for us to take is to rescind the decision and confirm the nomination of Chief Richard Akinjide to be a member of cabinet of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In his reply, Senator Odebiyi argued that Chief Akinjide was not being persecuted because of his role in both the campaign and the election of 1978 and 1979.

He declared: “Now, it has been said by some people that Chief Richard Akinjide was being victimised because of the part he played in the question of the election petition of Chief Awolowo. You know, we have heard it said in the Holy Writ: They shall have eyes and not see, they shall think they understand when they do not understand. The facts are quite clear Sir. Chief Richard Akinjide is not the author of 13 states. The author of 13 states and of twelve two-thirds is the Ministry of Justice, to whom a request was made by the Federal Electoral Commission for a proper interpretation of the meaning of two-thirds of 19 states”. He was only used as a ploy to sound public opinion by announcing it. We know the facts, because we have pieces of evidence in support.”

In his contribution, Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka (Benue East-Central) said: “May I say, Sir, when we look round this Senate, we see distinguished senators as strange, people will take it upon themselves to make true or wild allegations to destroy the character of their old friends, friends of today or even brothers. I know that my Yoruba is not perfect. If it were, I would have referred to a Yoruba saying which is very common. However, I hope you will forgive my poor poor

intonation. It reads: “Gambari pa Fulani ko lejo ninu.” The meaning is this: When an Hausa man kills a Fulani man, there is no case. If Akinjide’s brothers want to destroy him, that is their own business. But then it has become a national issue so we are all concerned with it. If we go by the Jewish law which is being propounded today, a pound of flesh for a pound of flesh, I would ask you to let no blood. An eye for an eye, I would say a tooth for a tooth. I would like to say, Sir, that as far as we are concerned, Akinjide has not been prosecuted, he has not fallen within the new period of dispensation which we are now discussing. Therefore, any destructive argument adduced against him should be regarded by all senators as a nullity.”

After Senator Tarka’s speech, the Senate became rowdy for more than fifteen minutes with senators shouting at each other. The Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas kept on shouting “order, order, order, order” which fell on deaf ears.

It was at this stage that the senators from the UPN, led by Senator Odebiyi, walked out of the Senate chambers. Senator Mahmud Waziri led the GNPP senators to walk out too, while Senator Barkin Zuwo also staged a walk-out with the PRP senators. Only one UPN senator, Ademola Adegoke, stayed behind.

In refusing to go along with his UPN colleagues, Senator Adegoke declared, My sitting down here does not make me a black leg, but various distinguished senators here have reasons for joining politics and one of the reasons why I personally have opted for it is that it is a calling to contribute in a small way by which there could be peace and stability in this country. If we look back at this country, we find that nineteen years ago we had independence but virtually we have achieved nothing. It is always a confusion caused by tribalism or one form of allegation or the other. Now, all of us cannot speak alike, otherwise we would not have prophets, we would not have spiritualists and we would not have all this type of people around.”

The Senate President ordered the clerk of the Senate, Mr. A.A. Coker to take a roll call of the senators that stayed behind to ensure whether a quorum was formed. Chief Akinjide was eventually confirmed as a minister by 48 votes, all from NPN senators and only one dissenting voice – Senator Ademola Adegoke. Those who abstained were Senators Isaoah N. Ani, B.C. Okwu, U.L. Barma, L.Z. Zing, E.P. Echueruo, Jaja Wachukwu, Garba Matta and Obi Wali _ all of the NPP. Chief Akinjide later became the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and served between 1979 and 1983. He was succeeded by Chief Kehinde Sofola (SAN), from Ikenne in Ogun State. As for Chief Paul Unongo, he too was confirmed by 28 votes with six abstentions. The Senate then adjourned at 8.00 p.m.

The simple lesson to be learnt since 1979 is that as long that you have a president who carries his party along with him and with a majority so united in the National Assembly, so long will such a president have his way in the National Assembly, no matter what. Such a president will always get what he wants.

The opposition can bark but can never bite. The opposition can have their say but the president will have his way.

Teniola, a former director at the Presidency, resides in lagos.

Celebrating Senator Abdulfatai Buhari at 51

By Tosin Omojola When he was born on November 21, 1964, little did his parents as well as the entire family know that a star, destined for the top had arrived.

Baby Abdulfatai Tayo Buhari’s arrival was greeted with the normal celebrations associated with the birth of a new born child but ahead of him was a bright future laced with greatness.

He would not have known then that he had been bestowed with a mission to lead and to touch lives through service to humanity and philanthropic gestures.

Today, Abdulfatai Buhari, now a serving senator of the Federal; Republic of Nigeria, is an accomplished businessman and a politician of repute.

His journey to the top, like many other successful persons, started with the zeal to be surefooted academically.

He had his primary and secondary education in Ghana, Nigeria’s West Africa neighbour before returning home to attend the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Ilorin for his tertiary education.

Not done, Abdulafatai Buhari, an indigene of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, returned to Ghana for further academic studies,

enrolling at the Real Amass, Kumasi. The accommodating and lively politician holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration (B.sc), in addition to other qualifications.

During the mandatory national youth service to his fatherland, Buhari’s diligence was never in doubt and that explains why he shone brightly at Allied Bank, Benin City, where he had his youth corps service.

He also worked as a management trainee with the UTC Motors between 1986 and 1988 after which he rose to the position of Sales Manager, occupying the position for two years - 1988 to 1990.

In 1990, he joined another notable company, SCOA Motors, where he was a branch manager for two years and later became a zonal manager of the company between 1992 and 1995.

Ever since he ventured into politics, Senator Buhari has also been outstanding.

As a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his political career took a big leap in 2003 when he contested for a seat in the House of Representatives. As fate would have it, he scaled every hurdle and became an hon-

ourable member of the lower house.

On the floor of the house, Abudlfatai Buhari’s sterling qualities were conspicuous leading to his appointment into various committees.

After he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the PDP, Buhari served as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA), later as a commissioner, during the first term of the Abiola Ajimobi-led Oyo State government, the soft spoken lawmaker decided to take a shot at a seat at the upper chamber, the Senate.

Going by his previous performance in various positions he has held, the people of his constituency made up their minds to reciprocate his good and kind gesture as well as reposing their confidence in him by entrusting him with higher responsibilities through their massive votes with which he emerge victorious in the March 28 2015 polls.

As Senator Abdulafatai Tayo Buhari, a detribalised Nigerian, lover of the young and old, a journalists delight and a devout muslim adds another glorious year to his years, it is worthy to give a shoutout to this man of the people whose sole goal and joy is to see his fellow human being live well and to see the people enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Omojola sent this piece from Ibadan.

24

Saturday Tribune

21 November, 2015

st yle

Saturday Tribune With Kate Ani 08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

25

Photos By: Olawale Olaniyan

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-it-yourself:

Flower and leaf ring

A

Styles, swags — all for HID

s part of activities marking the burial ceremonies of the chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Chief Mrs HID Awolowo, a lying-in-state was held at the Tribune House, Imalefalafia, Ibadan, on Monday, which had celebrities, the Awolowo family and Tribune staff members dazzle in different styles sewn with their aso-ebi.

Here are some of the styles that stood out.

26

outofthisworld

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune With femi osinusi

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

Tattoos in the eyeballs!

S

HOULD we call this a new trend or sheer madness? It is gradually becoming a fad nowadays for some people to do tattoos in their eyes. This is done by injecting inks that will colour the white part of the eyeballs.

According to newscorps.com, this practice involves injecting red, blue, yellow or any other colour ink directly into the eyeballs which will eventally spread and colour the white part of the eyeballs.

In fact, reports said this fad called ‘eyeball tattoing’ has become so common in Australia that thousands of people have had their eyes permanently inked, with more people planning to do the same to their eyes.

Blue with being injected into the eyeball Blue ink eyeball tattoo

He had some things written in his eyeball

Yellow ink eyeball tattoo

Green ink tattoo

Pink ink tattoo

Black ink tattoo

Red ink tattoo

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21 November, 2015

businessextra

Saturday Tribune

Edited by Sulaimon Olanrewaju

lanresulaimon123@gmail.com 08055001708

Tackling corruption in the construction industry

Gbemi Solaja – Lagos

F

rom the public sector to private establishments, bribery, fraud and embezzlement are common practices in Nigeria’s construction industry. Some conditions and regulations have made its fraud - environment quite unique. Corruption in the construction and real estate sector is all-encompassing. Unethical behaviour pervades the entire construction life cycle from top to bottom, corruption amid.

Many stakeholders are of the view that disguise and cover -ups, bribery in obtaining planning approval, and other documents are the most worrying fraudulent practices prevalent in the sector. It is widely accepted that corruption in the construction industry takes place at almost every phase of its processes However, some of these practices have been identified as employment of illegal workers, cover pricing, bribery to obtain planning permission, concealment of bribes, collusion between bidders for market shaping purposes, bribery to obtain contract, favouritism, godfatherism, production of fraudulent timesheets, production of fraudulent invoices, leaking of information to preferred bidder, false or exaggerated claims against a contractor in order to withhold or reduce payment, inclusion of false extra cost of contract claim, and bribes from the building contractor to also win operation and maintenance and so on.

Nearly all aspects involved in construction process are bedeviled by corruption, with different stages known for its own peculiar and ‘branded ‘corruption. From pre-design stage to the post-construction stages, corruption remains the greatest threat to success of project delivery.

But the Deputy President, Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Akin Oyegbola, blamed the incidence of corruption on past governments which, he said, had failed in leadership and given room for lawlessness and impunity in the industry. He added that corruption had taken a new dimension and it was imperative for the government to come up with strategies to control fraud and associated crimes in the industry.

During Saturday Tribune’s investigations, it was observed that apart from scarcity of imported materials, the

cost of materials in Nigeria is generally higher than those obtainable in other countries. What many refer to as clients preference is also prevalent in the sector, a situation whereby prices are inflated thereby increasing construction cost.

This is mostly observed when dealing with clients, like government, where it is often believed that a share of the national cake should be taken.

Artificial scarcity of materials has been observed to be another channel of corruption, a situation whereby building materials are hoarded, only to become twice their amount when they are finally made available. Touts, land vendors, or ‘omo onile’ factor is a major form of corruption that poses a serious threat to the existence of a sane construction sector.

Paying protection fees and other sundry charges add to overall construction cost. It is a known fact that many construction projects have been abandoned because of this. Rebagging of cement, all forms of mischief, disguise and cover ups are not left out of the construction sector. The construction industry accommodates it all.

Immediate past president, Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIOB), Charles Omeife, regretted that inflating prices of building materials was now a regular occurrence in the building environment. According to him, various prices of building materials combine to form the bill of quantity, which

Corruption is at a very high level right now, and it is growing everyday. You should know that even the cost of building roads in Nigeria is almost the highest in the world.

ordinarily is the first principle, but this in reality, is different from what obtains in the country at present, emphasising that pricing in the built environment was based on assumptions.

“Corruption is at a very high level right now, and it is growing everyday. You should know that even the cost of building roads in Nigeria is almost the highest in the world.

“There is no where that they spend so much money on projects and most of these building materials are over inflated so the starting point is to look at the cost of projects, which means that the cost of materials must be looked into, and labour should be added, which gives the actual cost of the product, but if we look at what obtains in the industry, you will see that the cost of these things are inflated and in Africa, we pay highest for housing simply because of corruption.

“Most of what we have in the country are based on assumptions”, observing that these practices had worsened pricing and affordability problems in housing delivery He, however, noted that if corruption must be checked, the starting point was to look at the cost of projects, stating that if any government could control the level of corruption in the built environment, orderliness will be restored to the industry “We must be able to ascertain the cost of a one- bedroom apartment. We should be able to know how much it costs to build a one bedroom apartment; how many workers are on a site and this is the only way cost can be ascertained.”

In his own submission, Deputy President, NIS, Akin Oyegbola noted that impunity had remained in the industry and corruption had thrived because leadership was not up to the task.

He expressed optimism that the problem of corruption would soon be a thing of the past, noting that the present administration’s effort at combating corruption would herald change and hope.

“Corruption exists in every country, but what we are saying is that ours is so bad and when it is on a manageable level, nobody talks about it, but we thank God for the kind of leadership that we have now, when the body language of a government is positive and strong, it will trickle down, and you see that all facets of the society falls in line and especially when there is indictment on the other side. When there is no reprimand, just letting it go, there will be impunity and people do what they like. This is the system that is used to maintain the society.”

“Over the years, things have gotten so bad that contracts are not just inflated, but the corruption taking place in recent time is such that it makes people to double and triple the value of contracts and now you could even issue out fake contracts and when you then come into the construction industry, you see that anything goes because of what is happening on the side of government. You get wobbly jobs because those who are even to monitor are part of the corruption process, which is also affecting the buildings that are built in recent times. For cutting corners and using substandard materials, we have buildings collapse simply because the regulatory agencies are also corrupt and not doing their jobs and because people now know that there is no supervision, they choose to do anything they like and give the jobs to unqualified people not caring what happens According to him, the flaws in the construction sector are an indication of inadequate supervision “because if there was supervision and indictment, and people knowing that certain things are not allowed, no one will do the wrong thing because they know it is not allowed and that there are consequences; so it is correct to say that these things only take place because they are allowed. The impunity has gone a long way to worsen the situation that it has taken a new dimension, now when you say bribe, there is a better way that is more palatable to the ear” He charged professionals to uphold the ethics of the profession and avoid anything that could malign their reputation and diminish the image and standards of the industry “But as professionals too, we cannot afford to sit back or be indifferent, we have to seize the opportunity to straighten things out and I can assure you that we will have the right environment and working conditions. In this profession, it is not that we don’t know what to do, but the leadership isn’t doing the right thing, and now that they are saying let’s do it the right way, we have to fall in line, we have no choice because there is reprimand” he stressed.

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21 November, 2015

ntertainment News

Society Gist

Saturday Tribune J

with oan

Omionawele

jistwtjoan@yahoo.com Twitter:@joanbajojo 08059793705

Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

newtray2002@yahoo.com 08052271251

Celebrity Interviews

—P32

—P32

—P32

Falz releases sophomore album, Stories that Touch

Omoni Oboli emerges number one Nollywhood box office actress

Piracy flourishes because of the inefficiency of the distribution system —Juju singer, Taiwo Omotunde

Nigerian men are more romantic than European men —Oyinbo Princess —P30

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21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

‘Any musician without female fans is no musician’

Continues from pg3

are now a man of God, what were those things that you were doing in the past which you do not do anymore?

I am still a man of God and I have always been. I have always believed in Him because I know He has helped me tremendously and I am under His protection, what I have been doing before is what I am doing now and that is what I will continue to do. I am praying to be closer to God. What pranks did you play as a young man?

I cannot remember the number of pranks I played, but I remember when I left Abeokuta, I told my parents that I was going to the University of Lagos. I told my mum not to look for me because I wanted to discover my true purpose in life. I believed I was talented then, but I did not know the particular talent [I possessed then]. So I came to Lagos with a man called Idowu Owoeye, but unfortunately, we got stranded in Abeokuta but I managed to find my way to Lagos, because I couldn’t bear to face my mother if I returned to her in Osogbo. So when I got to Lagos, I did so many things. I became a footballer, I designed too, and I was also a mechanic and a spray painter.

So you were once a mechanic?

Yes, I was a motorcycle mechanic and I also sprayed cars for a living back then. I was doing all that before I discovered that music surpassed all other talents [in me], so I went for it. To God be the glory, here we are today.

But I confessed what I did and made my children promise

that they will never play such pranks on me.

Is any of your children trying to be a musician?

Yes, there are many of them, but I want them to complete their education first, because I did not finish university and I don’t want that for them. When they graduate from school, they can come back to that. I don’t even mind being their manager, if they won’t mind that I’m old, but they are doing fine and showing that music is in their blood, as my 10-year-old son is already singing on stage.

I told my mum not to look for me because I wanted to discover my true purpose in life. I believed I was talented then, but I did not know the particular talent [I possessed then].

How does KSA relax?

I relax with music basically. Whenever I listen to music, I try to take a nap with the little time I have. I also swim in the evening and play golf, table tennis and lawn tennis.

I have facilities for all these in my compound, so I try to exercise my body with these sports whenever I have the time.

Do you have any regrets in life?

No, I won’t say so. I don’t believe I should start telling you I did not study something or graduate from school, but I do not regret it. In the olden days, musicians were seen as dropouts, but now you can see me shaking hands with governors and world leaders. I will not forget when Papa Awolowo shook my hands and told me to sit down with him while Mama Awolowo was calling me “Sunny Mi” and I believe if it wasn’t for music, nobody would know me, but I thank God today because I have no regrets.

You are still a handsome man, how do you cope with the women and female fans in your life?

I thank God because that was how I was created. Any musician that has no female fans is not a musician. It was there even during the time of my ancestors and so shall it be forever, because musicians keep springing up every day and females are there, generation by generation. I see women as glory of God that have to be admired and taken care of. The moment they admire you and love what you do, believe me, you will be blessed.

32 entertainment

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Pidgin English deserves more recognition She is a Briton, but very proficient in pidgin English with which she entertains Nigerians. JOAN OMIONAWELE had an online interview with the British comedienne popularly known as Oyinbo Princess, (She would not disclose her real names), who reveals why she loves Nigeria so much, her career, personal life and other issues.

Y

OU were recently nominated for an award in London, can you shed more light on it?

As I received the news of being nominated, I was ‘over the moon’. It was not just the thought of being chosen, but being recognised within the Nigerian society that really touched me. I do what I do for the love and passion I have for Nigeria, so to have been nominated counts, it means such a lot to be to have been chosen. The award is ‘Woman Of Influence 2015.’

When last did you visit Nigeria for a show?

I have been to Nigeria on a number of occasions, in fact, too many times to keep a count! However, I am yet to anchor a show in Nigeria and I am currently working towards this. I am also hoping to be able to be a part of a Nollywood film soon, this also is work in progress, so by God’s grace, the time will soon come, What’s the funniest thing you first noticed about Nigeria while you were trying to learn the language?

As I cast my mind back to when I first started to learn the Nigerian Pidgin English, I think the funniest thing I encountered was the pronunciation. At first I sounded very ‘English’ when trying to pronounce certain words, such as ‘how far now’ as opposed to ‘ow fa na,’ I just love the way you can describe yourself or something in such an elaborate way and so concisely in Pidgin English - in fewer words yet more descriptive.

Do you have a Nigerian lineage or you just decided to adopt Nigeria as your home country?

You may be surprised to know that I do not actually have a Nigerian lineage, I literally just fell in love with Nigeria, stemming from the music, then to visiting the country and meeting such inspirational people along my journey, from all walks of life within Nigeria. From day one, I have been fascinated by all the country and people of Nigeria have to offer, from the general beauty of the landscape, the cultural differences, the areas which are in need of restoration and the large skyscrapers within the bigger cities. The hospitality of people, the general welcoming culture and acceptance I have felt all lead me to promote Nigeria and Nigerians in the positive light that I do.

Didn’t your parents object to you becoming an entertainer/comedian who loves to speak pidgin?

I am actually very blessed to have parents who are always very proud of my achievements and who will support me in anything that interests me. They are very aware of my true passion for Nigeria, including pidgin English.

Although they do not understand what I say when it comes to talking in pidgin, they are very much behind my dreams and aspirations to break onto the Nigerian entertainment scene. From

a young age my parents enrolled me in many local productions and I was a member of the BTDDA (the British Theatre of Dance and Drama Association) due to my passion and flair for acting.

Where are your parents now?

My parents are here in the UK, not too far from me in London. The were both born and raised here and have spent their whole lives living in and around England. They travel a lot and love to visit places with cultural differences from the English culture, which I guess was where my love for travel also began. As a baby, they would carry me to many countries, believing that allowing their children to see what the world has to offer would inspire us as adults, which indeed it has done.

How many times have you performed in Nigeria?

I have hosted and attended a variety of events

in Nigeria, however as much as performing goes, I am still yet to explore this avenue. I feel that success is not a place we should aim to be, yet a never ending journey we need to be prepared to ride. I am in this for the ‘long haul’ and very much welcome opportunities to spread my wings in Nigeria. As I have mentioned in a previous question, acting is my strength and I wish to be able to embark on a journey within the movie industry as and when the right role arises.

From day one, I have been fascinated by all the country and people of Nigeria have to offer, from the general beauty of the landscape, the cultural differences, the areas which are in need of restoration and the large skyscrapers within the bigger cities.

You are based in the UK, do you teach your countrymen pidgin English?

(Laughs) I have and still do try, on a regular basis. A lot of my family and friends find it very difficult to pick up the pidgin - however I do believe that where there is a will, there is a way! I think pidgin is such a descriptive language and should be more widely used, to this end, I will forever keep promoting it and teaching others who have the wish and want to learn. I feel that alongside the learning, it is very important the people also have an understanding of where the language developed and an insight into the beautiful country and culture Nigeria possesses.

Have you sought out to help women of your kind to find their passion?

I am always keen to help women of my kind Continues on pg37

33 entertainment Falz releases sophomore album ‘Stories That Touch’

POPULAR musician and son of legal luminary, Femi Falana, Falz De Bahd Guy, has released his new album entitled “Stories That Touch”.

Speaking on the direction of the album, the Karishika singer, said his album highlights core issues such as life, relationship and everyday hustles in a musical form everyone can relate to.

“The project tells stories that I think everyone can visualise. There are songs for every individual. The idea is for you to listen and feel like you are the one that I am rapping about. I want people to enter into the spirit of my music,” said the comic musician.

Falz also said his new album will further showcase his depth and talent in music. “I also want people to look beyond Falz the funny guy. I want people to see the musical side of me. So, Stories That Touch is a blend of all the sides that make the Falz de Bahd AFRIFF Globe Awards : up Guy brand.”

Results At A Glance The album which contains notable 1. Best Male Performance: Charlie Vundla In Cuckold collaborations with (SA) by Charlie Vundla Phyno, Chigurl, Reekado Banks, 2. Best Female Peramong others, has the formance: Fulu Maksingle, Karishikaas hit hovani In AyanDA single.

(SA) by Sara Blecher 3. Best Film Screen Play: Price Of Love (Ethiopia) by Hermon Ahiley 4. Best Director Award: Raja Amari For Tunisian Spring (Tunisia) 5. Best Nigerian Film: Reflections by Desmond Elliot 6. Best Feature Film: Fevers by Hicham Avouch (Morocco) 7. Best Student Film - Joy - Solomon Onita Jr. (USA) 8. Best Animation- The Legacy of Rubies - Ebele Okoye (Germany) 9. Best Short Film - Alma - Christa Eka Assam (Cameroon) 10. Best Documentary: Eighteam, directed

by Juan Rodriguez-Brisco and Co-Produced by Ngosa Chungu.

11. Special Jury Prize Hex - Clarence A Peters (Nigeria) 12. Special Mention - The Encounter- Tolu Ajayi (Nigeria) 13. Special Mention (Student Film)- The Good Son - Tomisin Adepeju (UK)

21 November, 2015

Omoni Oboli emerges number one Nollywood box office actress Stories by Joan Omionawele and Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

F

or Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli, 2015 is turning out to be the year of outstanding and mind-blowing achievements, especially after she was announced as Nollywood/ entertainment personality of the year 2015 by The Sun Newspaper, taking over from popular music producer, Don Jazzy, who won it in 2014. Just recently, she signed an ambassadorial deal with popular family dairy, Nunu milk.

It will be recalled that Omoni Oboli’s stellar performance in ‘The Figurine’, ‘Render to Caesar’ and ‘Anchor Baby’ established her as one of the most talented actresses in Nigeria’s movie industry, having released her first directorial debut ‘Being Mrs Elliot’ which was widely considered as one of the best movies in the Nollywood industry.

The actress did not rest on her oars and in 2015, she also wrote and directed ‘The First Lady.’ The cast included Alex Ekubo, Joseph Benjamin, Yvonne Jegede and Chinedu Ikedieze. The movie surpassed her previous movie in box office earnings and also earned her cult followership across the federation.

The tour she embarked on with other cast to promote the flick endeared her to her fans that had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their heroine.

With the success of The First Lady, Omoni has emerged Nollywood’s number one box office actress. No actress in Nigeria has more box office figure than her. Her box office credits include Anchor Baby, Figurine, Being Mrs Elliot and The First Lady. The next actress to her only has two box office hits.

Saturday Tribune

Piracy flourishes because of the inefficiency of the distribution system — Juju singer, Taiwo Omotunde Taiwo Omotunde, a juju musician, has blamed the rise of intellectual property theft in the entertainment industry on the inefficiency of the distribution system to get products across to immediate consumers as and when needed.

The musician, who made the statement during the listening session of his two albums in Lagos on Wednesday, asked stakeholders to mend the wide divide between the distribution channels and the consumers in order to curtail the activities of pirates.

“The bane of the entertainment industry,” he stated,“is the marketing system. If you produce a good album that people love and the album is not in shops, how do you expect to make money out of it?

Someone on the other hand may take the initiative to mass produce the album for people. He is taking advantage of the poor distribution network, but he is satisfying an essential need and no one should blame him. Sometimes pirates make the artistes popular.

Though that is not my stand on the issue, I believe that the panacea for piracy is to distribute effectively. Piracy flourishes because of the inefficiency of the distribution system.”

Omotunde consequently pledged to use all available media to distribute his two albums, titled Dancing Arena (Agbo Ijo) and Keresi de (Christmas is here).

Describing his latest albums as his response to the suggestions of his fans for a danceable and contemporary collection, the Ibadanbased juju musician, who has been in the industry for twenty-five, said he believes his music can be “a reference point for Yoruba and Nigerian music.”

AFRIFF 2015 holds Globe awards

...Clarence Peters recognised, as Cameroonian wins Best Short Film laurel Stakeholders, notable entertainment personalities, actors and actresses, will not hurriedly forget the closing gala of the Africa International Film Festival as filmmakers, actors and actresses gathered for the 2015 edition of the prestigious Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), which was held on Saturday at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The star-studded ceremony sparked off with an opening speech by Mrs Afie Braimoh, Director of Operations of AFRIFF as she welcomed the guests and thanked them for partaking in the film festival.

According to her, “ it’s been a wonderful week, meeting and interacting, I want to thank Mrs Chioma Ude, the AFRIFF team, sponsors and also congratulate all filmmakers whose films were selected.

She further stated, “we screened about 180 films out of the 500 films that were sent to us. We want to thank

our partners and sponsors.”

For Keith Shiri, Artistic Director of AFRIFF, the fifth edition of the African International Film Festival gave a fresh and sensitive approach, as each of the films chosen represented the typical African story, every film is a winner because out of nothing, African Cinema has been created and is evolving, thus AFRIFF will continue to create a world class platform to showcase African cinema.

Clarence Peters, who won the Special Jury prize under the Short Film category expressed gratitude to the organisers of AFRIFF, while also thanking the actors

who featured in his film, entitled Hex. The award- winning producer dedicated the film to his mum, Clarion Chukwura. He said “I will like to dedicate this to my mum because she raised me to be who I am today.”

Also, the Short Film award was clinched by Cameroonian filmmaker, Christa Eka Assam, for her latest work entitled Alma.

Assam who said she had been attending the festival in the last three years was full of praises for the jury and organisers of the festival for providing a platform to prove herself.

The audience was treat-

ed to soothing music by Timi Dakolo, who started off with There’s a Cry, in memory of the late patron of AFRIFF and Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Oronto Douglas, before performing Wish Me Well, to the delight of audience, as well as Cobhams Asuquo and the royal dancers group.

The jurors who also got a loud ovation from the crowd included Pedro Pimenta, Soheir Abdel Kader, Prof Hyginus Ekwuazi, Teddy Mattera, Dr Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Dapo Oshiyemi, Serge-Armand

Kouami Noukoue and Asha Lovelace.

The highlights of the night was announced by the CEO of Afriff, Ms Chioma Ude, who gave scholarships to 20 student filmmakers to study filmmaking and editing in the United States. According to Ms Ude, “we at Afriff will continue to grow from strength to strength, early this year, we trained 20 students at the relativity school in America, and we are set to train more students. We thank our sponsors, Africa Magic, Access Bank, Eko Hotel and Suites and the host of other sponsors of Afriff.

34

21 November, 2014

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Bisi Abiola buries mum

Something new from Deji Doherty

Deji Doherty, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and a former governorship candidate in Lagos State, has a new project on

Stephanie Coker headlines ZAZAII Influencers series

Chika Mbonu makes quiet return to social life Celebrity banker and the former Managing Director of the defunct Citizens Bank, Chika Mbonu, is quietly staging a comeback into the social circuit, from where he was absent for many years.

The ex banker, for reasons best known to him, kept his distance from social activities.

But Chika has been spotted at different events in and outside Lagos where he met old pals who were excited to welcome him back on board.

Bisi, one of the widows of late politician, Chief MKO Abiola, may have set a new record in party planning with the recent burial of her mother, Princess Alice Olayemi in Lagos.

The burial ceremony, which started with a funeral service at the St Saviour’s Church, TBS, Lagos Island and the reception at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos was a ground for the who is who in the Lagos social circle.

The socialite is a woman loved by many and she has been one of the few women that have dominated the Lagos party scenes for some time thus explaining the attendance during the burial where juju maestro. Chief Ebenezer Obey was on hand to thrill the guests.

his hands.

The businessman, who owns the 10 Degrees Event Centre in Lagos, is said to be adding to his investments.

This time around, the politician is dipping his fingers into the media business with plans to float a private radio station in Lagos.

Those in the know said that the project has been keeping the politician busy, with frequent travels out of the country to acquire the necessary equipment needed for the operation of a modern radio station.

The new project is described as one of the dreams the politician has nursed for a long time.

Tv personality, Stephanie Coker, has been selected to inspire the ZAZAII influencers series where the producer and darling of many TV viewers across Africa wore various outfits to kick off the debut show.

ZAZAII, a flagship store for contemporary and ready-to-wear clothing items, just launched the series to promote its brand of African fashion, where Stephanie Coker is saddled with the role of signposting it, while speaking on her personal style.

Wole Arisekola plans WSJF annual gig

W

ole Arisekola, the man behind the WSJForum is planning the 2015 edition of the event which has been described as one of the fastest growing social platforms in Nigeria.

The StreetJournal Forum cuts across many parts and its a platform used to highlight the various challenges the youth face on a daily basis and how to solve them.

The forum consists of members in different sectors like banking, me-

dia and government, who all come together with the aim of contributing to youth development across the country and the group has handled various projects that positively affected the lives of women, children and communities in the past.

Arisekola, the convener, has unveiled the plans for the annual meeting of the group where members from all parts of the country will gather to eat, drink and review the group’s activities for the year.

As a celebrated media personality, the diminutive beauty sure knows the A-to-Z of African fashion and is described as one of the few that can tell its story better.

ZAZAII is a multibrand store owned by Isoken Ogiemwonyi which stocks both the full range of Obsidian product lines and retail garments and accessories established by emerging international fashion brands like Virgos Lounge, Eve and Tribe and Toju Foyeh.

35

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

With Ronke Sanya &Oyeyemi Okunlade 07036050161\ 08056834515 sanyaaderonke@gmail.com ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

achievers

Samuel Achilefu, Nigerian ‘cancer goggles’ inventor OYEYEMI OKUNLADE writes on Dr Samuel Achilefu who won the 2015 Best Global Impact and Outstanding Scientist award.

Samuel Achilefu receiving his award at the Eric P. Newman Education Centre.

D

r. Samuel Achilefu is a Nigerian scientist and inventor of ‘cancer goggles.’ He received the Best Global Impact Award (2015) and Outstanding Scientist Award (2015) having helped surgical treatments of cancer by inventing cancer-visualising glasses which is now commonly known as ‘cancer goggles’ Dr Achilefu and his team developed the imaging technology in cancer diagnosis into a wearable night vision-like goggles so surgeons could see the cancer cells while operating.

“They basically have to operate in the dark,” said Dr Achilefu in a Bloomberg Businessweek report.

As a scientist, Dr. Achilefu is recognised for pioneering the development and use of near-infrared fluorescent molecular probes and methods for medical imaging of diseases. He has published more than 250 scientific papers and he is the inventor of 56 US-issued patents.

Being one of the Nigerians who witnessed the civil war, this achiever was only five years old when his family had to relocate to a safer area in Nigeria when they could no longer bear with the fighting.

But fate has it good for him as he is now a Washington University School of Medicine professor of radiology.

Achilefu recalls something his father wrote on the wall of their new home: “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. But when name is lost, everything is lost.” Its meaning, according to Achilefu: “He meant one should be above reproach, that a good name trumps ill-gotten wealth. It set a moral standard

that we should follow in life.”

His father has passed away but the adage has guided the researcher throughout his life. After receiving a PhD in molecular physical and materials chemistry at the University of Nancy, France, where he attended on a French government scholarship, and postdoctoral training in oxygen transport mechanisms, Achilefu came to St. Louis in 1993 to join the nascent Discovery Research Department at Mallinckrodt Medical Inc. In 2001, he joined Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University.

The statement made by his father set a platform which serves as a drive for his career as the brains behind a device that could help transform tens of thousands of cancer sufferers around the globe, into cancer survivors.

In a documentation by www. techloy.com, in January 2014, Achilefu’s mother, wife and two teenage children watched as the scientist received the St. Louis Award at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. The honour, awarded almost every year since 1932, recognises area residents whose achievements reflect positively on the community.

Achilefu was recognised for leading a team that developed high-

tech goggles that help surgeons “see” cancer.

“Our efforts start with two words: ‘What if?’ ” he said during his acceptance speech.

“These words may sound simple, but they embody the belief that each person has the potential to make a difference, if only he or she can take the time to understand the problem.”

Cancer cells are notoriously difficult to see, even under high-powered magnification. Achilefu’s eyewear is designed to make it easier for surgeons to distinguish malignant cells from healthy cells, helping to ensure that no stray tumor cells are left behind during surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. The glasses could reduce the need for additional surgical procedures and the subsequent stress on patients, as well as time and expense.

Ryan Fields, MD, an assistant

professor of surgery who has used the goggles with melanoma patients at Siteman Cancer Centre, said. “With the glasses developed

by Dr. Achilefu, we can better identify the tissue that must be removed.”

The technology has prompted phone calls from around the world – from surgeons as well as news reporters.

David Kemper, part of the award committee that chose Achilefu, said the researcher was honoured “for his passion and commitment to medical research, putting St. Louis in the spotlight for advancement in optical engineering technology and pushing the boundaries of cancer treatment.”

Julie Margenthaler, MD, an associate professor of surgery, has used the goggles with breast cancer patients at Siteman.

“It’s been very exciting for me to be involved with Sam, not only because it’s a technology we think will change how we treat patients, but because Sam is such a wonderful collaborator,” Margenthaler said. “He understands that his work, ultimately, has the potential to benefit patients. And he wants to do the best he can for them.”

The goggles and a related dye Achilefu and his team developed are undergoing review by the Food and Drug Administration. Achilefu intends to keep Washington

Making a difference in society should be the goal of everybody Dr Achilefu demonstrating the use of the eyewear. Photo: BBC

University as the primary centre for clinical trials to evaluate the technology in patients.

Philanthropist, David Wohl, anonymously established the St. Louis Award in 1931 to honour those who have “performed such services as to bring greatest honuor to the community.”

Achilefu said “Making a difference in society should be the goal of everybody.”

In an article published by www. reuter.com, Achilefu said, “The primary goal of the technology is to make sure that the surgeon does not operate in the blind, it’s to make the cancer cells light up like Christmas trees,” said Achilefu.

The system works by first injecting the patient with a cancertargeting dye that attaches to abnormal cells. Then a near infrared light is beamed on the target area which allows a surgeon wearing specialised glasses to see cancer cells glowing.

“What this does is conserve the healthy tissue and only go after the ones that are abnormal,” added.

Achilefu.

Currently, the cancer glasses are being tested on skin and breast cancer patients, but Dr. Achilefu says they could be used to visualise and remove a wide range of cancers. He says lighting up cancer means a brighter future for people diagnosed with the deadly disease.

36

21 November, 2015

weekend

FUNOLOGY

POLITICO

cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata Kick the bucket

There lived a wretched man who had only two sons, Segeluulu and Shakitibobo. One day, Shakitibobo was seriously ill and he could not walk. So, the man had to take him to a hospital for treatment.

On getting there, the doctor told him that his son was suffering from paralysis and that he would have to be operated on within 24 hours, else he would die.

Hearing this, the poor man started running helterskelter to raise money. Seeing that he couldn’t make much progress, he ran back to the doctor and the following conversation ensued: Doctor (looking sad): I’m sorry to tell you that your son has just kicked the bucket.

Poor man (feeling happy): Oh, thank you doctor. I’m very grateful because I couldn’t believe you could make my son walk again, not to think of kicking a bucket.

Doctor (interrupting): I mean your son is no more. He is dead!

Doctor’s advice Segeluulu was very ill and having sleepless nights, then went to see a doctor. After stating his case, the following conversation ensued: Doctor: Young man, your illness is merely psychological. Just avoid stress. If you have any problem, just smile and forget it.

The doctor then presented Segeluulu a N25,000 bill for the consultation. Segeluulu tore the bill immediately, smiled and remained quiet.

Doctor: (In anger) Are you crazy? What do you think you are doing? That’s your bill!

Segeluulu: (Still smiling) I know. You see, that bill is one of my problems and I have just heeded your advice.

Veteran MUSICIAN wins N500m copyright case after 40 years

37 entertainment

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

‘Nigerian men more romantic than European men’ How many Nigerian men don ‘toast’ you?

Omo ehn, this one don pass one kind level sef! E be like say God truly don bless me finish... I dey get the toasting for my social media accounts, I done feel am for road sef as I waka enter shops or town, even any time I wan enter bars and restaurants na the confirm toasting dey. I don dey feel the love up and down and to say I appreciate am, na an understatement be that ooo!!

Continues from pg32

find their passion and aspirations. Women nowadays are very lucky to live in an era which predominately accepts and recognises equal opportunities - although I know this does differ within countries from state to state and area to area, people worldwide are slowly coming round to the idea that one’s gender does not matter, if you have a dream, follow it. I take pride in helping others and when I can see potential in someone, I will be the first to say and the last one standing by their side, given the opportunity to be there. Regardless of whether we are male or female, we are all human and have strengths and weaknesses, we all have dreams and personal objectives in life and the right to be happy and content. If I have any chance to help people find their passion, I will wholeheartedly do so.

Apart from being an entertainer, what else do you love to do?

Other than entertaining which is my first love, I also enjoy working on community projects which can benefit others in one way or another. From helping to raise money for various charities to sending food parcels and gift boxes to the less fortunate at times of need or celebration - I am always looking to support in any way that I can. On a more personal note, I regularly go swimming and enjoy a sport of tennis (although I am not very good!) I love to cook, especially Nigerian dishes such as egusi soup, banga soup, typical pepper soup, stews, fried rice... I also love to experiment and make things like chin-chin and puff puff!

I enjoy eating these dishes the typical Nigerian way, with my hands, using my favourite ‘swallows’ such as pounded yam, fufu, amala and gari.

How did you learn to make Nigerian food?

Over the years I have learnt the skills I currently have when it comes to preparing Nigerian food from various sources. When on visits to Nigeria, I have closely watched those around me and taken tips direct from the kitchen! I have asked many questions along the way and I often use a pen and paper to jot down specific information, such as ingredients and the method [of cooking] to be accurate.

With thanks to current technology — I use the internet to browse Nigerian cooking websites and use YouTube to help me when it comes to the preparation needed to obtain the right flavour and consistencies. Watching videos really helps with techniques and tips in order to recreate that signature dish!

You once said you learnt how to speak pidgin 10 years ago through your ex boyfriend…but you had a messy break up with him, did that change your perception of Nigeria.

Ehen, na true true u dey talk ooo!! U know say the first love go always difficult small when we wan waka apart, but I know say I don learn a lot sha with the guy.

I no fit change my mind for 9ja at all, e no go make sense make person change perception on a whole country and culture from one experience alone. As I dey like this eh, the passion for my heart don dey run for my veins sef, tip to toe. I know say ‘no b today wind go blow, reveal fowl yansh’ but no be tomorrow either!

I no fit change my mind for 9ja at all, e no go make sense make person change perception on a whole country and culture from one experience alone. As I dey like this eh, the passion for my heart don dey run for my veins sef, tip to toe. I know say ‘no b today wind go blow, reveal fowl yansh’ but no be tomorrow either! If at all at all, my passion don grow for 9ja sef since this time.

The interest wey I get grows daily and I no fit shout, 9ja BAAAM!! I no fit talk am tire, I no fit promote am finish, e go dey my mind & body to always be part of 9ja - abeg, forget my colour, for my mind I don pass as a Warri babe sef!!! Na to learn the Waffi remain!!!

Are you still interested in Nigerian men right now?

As it happens, I got married in 2012, to a Nigerian man from Lagos - he is Yoruba. As far as I want to reply to the question in English, there is one phrase I have to add in pidgin: ‘U suppose know say I no fit loss for road na!!’ As I met my husband I think he was pleasantly surprised when I let him know a little bit about my understanding for his country, culture and foods. He was rather shocked when I finally dropped a few sentences in pidgin. I remember clearly the puzzled yet amazed look on his face! He hadn’t long been in the UK to complete his studies when we met, so as a ‘freshy or JJC’ he hadn’t really encountered a white British lady who had the understanding I did. We got on very well from day one, we went from strength to strength as a couple and rode ups and downs together. Over the years of dating it became very clear to each of us that we had found a soul mate in one another and to get married was just the start of our future plans.

You have a black cat pet which you show in your videos, haven’t Nigerians told you that cats symbolise witchcraft?

Abegi. This my fine pussycat no be witch ooo - she na confirm queen sef! I don hear am, but na different matter for UK oOo. U know say we dey like pet well well for this country & cat sef na one of the most popular. Even me sef, I no wake up think say make I come buy pussycat - na rescue pussycat she be oOo.... persin don dump her for window from 14th floor, she come drop for road, nearly die sef.

As I come carry am go house for one or two days, the bond wey we get come become unbreakable. The look of terror wey she first get for eye, come clear somehow, I no fit make she begin look for correct persin own am again. I knw say she get beta life for my side, beta food to chop sef, so na so I decide to keep am. Anyway sha, no be one of God’s masterful creations be all animals? Abeg leave witchcraft, na story!

Where did you get the inspiration to post your pidgin videos on YouTube?

Well I wanted to try and reach Nigerians, not only in Nigeria but also worldwide, so YouTube was the perfect platform to be able to do so. I use YouTube alongside my other sites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in order to hopefully allow those who only have one or the other social media page. With YouTube in particular, you do not even need an account to be able to search and watch videos, so those who may not have access to their own personal technology - they could stumble across my channel when using a shared device, with no need to sign in. Others just like to keep very much to themselves, so for those who do not use social media within their own lives can still have access to my videos via YouTube.

Do you find Nigerian men more romantic than white men?

My own personal opinion is 100% yes! The whole dating experience is completely different to that of dating an English man. I guess it does vary from person to person and also depends on the individual’s preference, but for me, Nigerian men are not only very hospitable, they are also very good at making you feel like their one and only queen. I enjoy the cultural differences as well and find it far more interesting being a part of a mixed background relationship.

Are you still planning to relocate to Nigeria for business or marriage?

With regards to relocating, I would be more than happy to consider spending a substantial amount of time in Nigeria. I am very much a ‘family girl’ and enjoy being around my nearest and dearest. I think to completely move to Nigeria with no plans of returning to the UK is possible, yet unlikely. I would like to think that I could live between both the UK and Nigeria in order to get the best from both worlds, spending time at work and with my family. Ideally I would travel to Nigeria for a few months at a time, up to six months, to work and the return to the UK for some family time. I am, however, prepared to do whatever it takes in order to follow my dreams, so nothing is impossible!

Following my interview with the Nigerian Tribune Newspapers, I would like to thank you for your time and questions. I hope all readers can enjoy my answers and will have the opportunity to stop by one or more of my fan pages to keep up to date on new videos, shows and events I will be at. Once again, thank you!

38

politics&policy

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune With Saheed Salawu

0811 695 4643

yinkadejavu@yahoo.com

Governorship poll: Edo as the destination after Kogi, Bayelsa

TODAY, the electorate in Kogi State will file out to choose their governor. On December 5, the citizens of Bayelsa State will perform the same civic duty. There is no gainsaying the fact that Edo State becomes the next centre of attention as the people of the state will be determining who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole in the third quarter of 2016. The seventh and last anniversary of Oshiomhole’s government was held last week and focus has shifted to the question of who takes his coveted seat next year. BANJI ALUKO looks at the pack of the leading aspirants and the issues that will affect the election.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole

T

here is hardly any doubt that the 2016 governorship election in Edo State will be a straight battle between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Since the Action Congress (AC), one of the precursors of the APC, snatched power from the PDP in 2008, every political battle has always been about the AC/ACN/APC and the PDP. The pre-election promises showed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2015 general election in the northern senatorial district and the final election results were clear indications that if it is not APC, then it is PDP as far as politics of Edo State is concerned. This is the fulcrum upon which political calculations toward the 2016 governorship election rest.

The APC seems to be confident that defeating the PDP in the coming election will be a walk in the park. The reasons for the confidence are not far-fetched. Hitherto, Governor Oshiomhole said that the strength of the PDP in the state resided in the fact that the party was the ruling party in Abuja, hence his numerous references to the “Abuja oxygen” of the Edo PDP. He boasted that since the removal of the “Abuja oxygen” on May 29, 2015, the PDP in the state was now going through a dying process and the death knell would be sounded in 2016.

To the PDP, however, this amounts to overconfidence, for which the APC will pay dearly in 2016. Despite the loss of the “Abuja oxygen,” as made popular by Oshiomhole, many PDP faithful believe that the party stands a good chance of defeating whoever emerges the candidate of the APC in the election because of what they have termed misrule of the face of APC in the state, Governor Oshiomhole. They are citing the 2015 general election wherein the party not only won the presidential election in the state, but it also won two out of the three senatorial districts and five out of nine House of Representatives seats. They believe that a repeat of such feat is possible.

Beyond the flexing of muscle by the two parties, there are factors that will shape the outcome of the election. One of such is zoning. With Oshiomhole completing two terms as governor next year, the Afemai people in the Edo North zone are more than contended and are not interested in the race. This leaves Edo South (Benin) and Edo Central (Esan) with the task of producing Oshiomhole’s successor.

The Esan people particularly feel the Benins are not sup-

Chief Tony Anenih, former PDP Board of Trustees chairman

While the APC is still being coy about which zone will produce its candidate, the PDP has left no one in doubt that its candidate will come from the Benin zone.

posed to drag the governorship contest with them since one of them, Oserheinmen Osunbor, only tasted power for about 18 months while a Benin son, Lucky Igbinedion, was governor for eight years, between 1999 and 2007.

One of the aspirants in the APC from Edo Central, Kenneth Imansuangbon, spoke the minds of the Esan people when, at a function organised by an Esan socio-cultural organisation, Ikole Esan, he stated that power shift to the Esan was not negotiable. He said, “It is not negotiable; it is only natural. Our brothers in the north will support us like our brothers from Edo South because we are all one and they know it is our turn and they must give it to us. If Edo South, like a son, wore the father’s cap for eight years and Edo North wore it for another eight years, it is only natural that the third son, Edo Central, wear it for an equal number of years.”

This is, however, the kind of song the Benin people and electorate might not want to hear. Perhaps the two dominant political parties are also not sharing the same thought as the proponents of an Esan governor like Imansuangbon. While the APC is still being coy about which zone will produce its candidate, the PDP has left no one in doubt that its candidate will come from the Benin zone. Despite its popularity and acceptance in the Edo Central zone, the party is not prepared to give its ticket to the zone. Though the party is aware that it stands a great chance of sweeping polls in Esanland, it still will not throw its ticket at an Esan politician for obvious reasons.

Though some PDP members from the area have expressed displeasure at the decision of the PDP to zone the

ticket to Edo South, it appears the biggest PDP politicians from the area have accepted to cede the ticket to Benin and have since settled down for the deputy governorship ticket. The aggrieved Esan PDP members, however, feel that the Esan PDP leaders did not put up any fight before handing the ticket to Benin and that no sooner had the ticket zoned to Benin than some Esan PDP leaders started strategising to become deputy governor or influence who becomes the deputy governor.

Irrespective of the feelings of the Esan people, it is no secret that the Benin people want the governorship seat they vacated about eight and a half years ago back. The demand for the governorship slot by the Esans does not seem to hold much water in Benin. As far as the Benins are concerned, the Esans had a feel of power through Osunbor, who was in office between May 29, 2007 and November 11, 2008. Their impatience is clear and supporting the emergence of an Esan governor is a luxury they cannot afford. They fear four years for an Esan governor could become eight years.

From the respected Benin traditional institution such as the Benin Forum (BF) and the Benin Leaders of Thought (BLT) to the common man on the street, the demand is palpable. In a reaction last month to agitation by some APC leaders in the Edo Central zone that the zone should be allowed to produce the next governor, the Benin Leaders of Thought, led by the Enogie of Obazuwa and younger brother of the Oba of Benin, Prince Edun Akenzua, said the appointment of Dr Osagie Ehanire by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of State for Health would not stop the Benins from producing the next governor of Edo State in 2016.

He said, “Some politicians in Edo Central are saying that the nomination rules out Edo South from next year’s governorship race. They say elective offices are zoned and since Edo South got the Ministerial slot, it should not get the governorship slot. The statement is baseless and fallacious. There has been no zoning policy by any political party in the state. In Chief Obasanjo’s presidency, Edo Central had four ministers, namely Chief Tony Anenih, Odion Ugbesia, Dr Itoto (late) and Architect Onolenmeme.

They succeeded each other. President Jonathan removed the only Benin man he met as minister, even though he was a junior minister. In his eight years as president, he did not include a Benin person in his cabinet.

“Why are they now talking of zoning as if it has always been there and they had applied it to the Edo South during the PDP days? Politics, they say, is a game of number. In other words, in democratic politics the majority carries the votes. The minority will always have their say but the majority will have its way. National Census gives Edo South about 52 per cent of the population of Edo state; Edo Central has about 17 per cent. Why will a minority group continue to take the lion’s share?”

If the APC zones the governorship ticket to the Edo South, then it appears the party will give its deputy governorship ticket to the Edo North to consolidate its stronghold in the area. This is as the PDP focuses on Edo Central for its deputy governorship ticket to consolidate on its acceptability in the area.

APC aspirants Oserheimen Osunbor Osunbor is a professor of Law, who represented Edo Central in the Senate between 1999 and 2007. He is from Iruekpen, Esan West Local Government Area and a relation of the late wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Continues pg39

39 interview

21 November, 2015

2016: Who succeeds Oshiomhole?

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, APC National Chairman Continued from pg38

Stella. Through the support of Obasanjo, he emerged candidate of the PDP in 2007 and was declared winner of that year’s governorship election. He was governor between May 29, 2007 and November 11, 2008, when the Appeal Court declared the incumbent Governor Oshiomhole winner of the 2007 election.

Osunbor’s friendship with Oshiomhole and the ACN/ APC started about two years after the latter dislodged him from office. By the time Oshiomhole sought reelection in 2012, he was all out campaigning for him. So, it was no surprise when he finally joined the APC in April this year and immediately declared for the governorship race. Not many people gave him any chance as of the time he joined the race since he was just joining the party. Today, his aspiration is, however, quite popular and former President Obasanjo is said to be trying to convince Governor Oshiomhole to hand him the APC ticket.

Should the APC and Oshiomhole consider an Esan candidate, his chances appear bright. It is argued that he is not a forceful politician and that he does not have any political structure to contest a governorships election. It is also believed that he got PDP’s ticket three times through Obasanjo and that he won election into the Senate twice based on the popularity enjoyed by the PDP as of that time. Many also argue that his severed relationship with the Tony Anenih political family has made him a political orphan. All that may, however, not matter if he gets the APC’s nod as the party is expected to provide him a strong platform to contest.

Osarodion Ogie The current Commissioner for Works and Chief of Staff to Governor Oshiomhole during his first term is from IkpobaOkha Local Government Area in the Edo South zone. He was a member of the Grace Group that metamorphosed into the defunct ACN. He worked with Oshiomhole before and after the 2007 election. The lawyer played a key role in the documentation of evidence that facilitated Oshiomhole’s victory at the tribunal and the Appeal Court.

Since then, he has been close to Oshiomhole and he has been described as one of the “super commissioners” in his cabinet. He has long been seen as Oshiomhole’s preferred successor.

Due to a long-held belief among contending forces in the APC that he is Oshiomhole’s choice, he has received lots of negative media campaigns against his personality. The commonest among them is the allegation that he is not an indigene of Edo State; that he is Urhobo from Delta State which has been denied vigorously. The poor performance of the APC in his Ikpoba-Okha council, where he is the leader of the APC, during the presidential and National Assembly elections has not also helped his cause.

Godwin Obaseki The chairman of the Edo State Economic team is from the popular Obaseki family in the Benin Kingdom. Obaseki, who was appointed in 1999, is said to be close to the magnate, Aliko Dangote, who is a friend of Oshiomhole.

Not much is known about Obaseki since he relocated to Edo State a few years ago. Though he has not officially declared interest, just like others, since the ban on political campaign by Governor Oshiomhole has not been lifted, surreptitious moves, it is said, are being made to position him for the task ahead. It was gathered that the governor has already given directives to his foot soldiers to start clearing the way for him.

Prince Uche Secondus, PDP acting National Chairman

Pius Odubu It is no secret that the incumbent deputy governor is eyeing his boss’s office. The lawyer, who spent eight years in the House of Representatives, between 1999 and 2007, has been Oshiomhole’s deputy since 2008. Odubu, who hails from Orhiomwon Local Government Area in Edo South, is considered close to the Benin palace. He has used his long years in political office to build up a political network at the grassroots level and appears as one with the strongest political base among the aspirants. Many people believe that with his popularity, he is capable of winning the APC’s primaries.

Odubu’s biggest challenge is the perception that his boss is not in support of his ambition. Before now, the APC ticket was seen as a battle between him and Osarodion Ogie with support in the councils, especially in Edo South, divided between them. The question is: can any aspirant win the APC’s ticket without the backing of Oshiomhole?

Odubu may be encouraged by the outcome of the APC’s 2015 senatorial primary in Edo South. On that occasion, Oshiomhole apparently supported his Chief of Staff, Patrick Obahiagbon, but another aspirant, Samson Osagie, emerged victorious. Odubu may be banking on such audacity to secure the nod of the APC. Kenneth Imansuangbon He is from the Edo Central Senatorial District. Imansuangbon’s ambition to govern Edo State is old and has taken him in and out of the PDP three times. He was among the politicians who left the PDP for the defunct ACN in 2007.

The ambition of the man, popularly called Rice Man then, was to secure a platform to contest the governorship election but he ended up preparing the ground for Oshiomhole.

By 2012, he was back in the PDP, where he contested the primaries. He left the party again in 2015 after the general election. He is an apostle of power shift to Edo Central and is averagely popular with the electorate through what is believed to be his philanthropy.

Charles Airhiavbere He was the PDP’s governorship candidate in the 2012 election and lost in all the 18 local government areas to Oshiomhole. He approached the election tribunal with claims that the election was rigged and that Oshiomhole used a fake primary school certificate to contest the election. He, once again, lost on two grounds with the tribunal affirming Oshiomhole as winner. He and Oshiomhole attacked each other with different allegations. Curiously, he dumped the PDP after the general election and declared for the APC. Many feel that his entry into the APC has not

Irrespective of the feelings of the Esan people, it is no secret that the Benin people want the governorship seat they vacated about eight and a half years ago back. The demand for the governorship slot by the Esans does not seem to hold much water in Benin.

Saturday Tribune

been fully domesticated and that he stands no chance of getting the party’s nod.

Chris Ogiemwonyi A former junior Minister of Works from Orhiomwon Local Government Area, Ogiemwonyi seemed to have seen the light early and, unlike Osunbor and Imansuangbon, he dumped the PDP for the APC long before the PDP lost power. He rose to the position of managing director in one of the subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before becoming a minister. He is considered as someone who used his former offices to assist many Benin sons and daughters who are now willing to reciprocate his gesture.

PDP aspirants Osagie Ize Iyamu After Oshiomhole, Ize Iyamu is about the most popular politician in Edo State. The Benin politician with a rich political resume, from Orhiomwon Local Government Area, served as Chief of Staff and Secretary to Edo State Government in the administration of Lucky Igbinedion between 1999 and 2003.

He held the former office for about one year and the latter for seven years. After falling out with the then PDP leadership, he joined forces with others to form the Grace Group and the Action Congress in Edo State. He was vice chairman (South South) of the defunct ACN. He, however, returned to the PDP last year after falling out with Oshiomhole. His defection to the PDP was followed by that of some APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly and leadership crisis in the assembly. He was the state coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.

Many people are already seeing the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor as the PDP governorship candidate. He has political structures within and outside of the PDP across the 18 local government areas of the state. He is thought to have a sufficient understanding of the politics of the state. He appears as the most visible governorship aspirant in the two parties and has been reaching out to different groups, galvanizing support for his ambition. It seems politicians in the APC see him as the likely PDP governorship candidate and are already focusing on him and planning on how to contain him.

There is, however, the belief that the Tony Anenih political family may not be favourably disposed to his ambition, going by the role he played in the demystification of the powerful political bloc. A strong member of the Anenih political family, however, informed that Chief Anenih was not looking forward to taking his own pound of flesh. He said “the PDP wants to win Edo State and I think Chief Anenih will support any aspirant he believes is capable of winning the final election. This is not the time for sentiments or revenge. What is important is winning the election.”

Solomon Edebiri He was the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the last election. He won many hearts with the way he marshalled points during debates organised for the candidates. He led the Edo ANPP group into merger with the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to form the APC. He joined the PDP in 2014 after complaining that only the ACN group was running the show in the new APC. Edebiri has never occupied a political office before. He, however, has the outlook of a lightweight politician who might not be able to tackle the ruling APC. Some people also think that he has not built political structure capable of winning the PDP ticket or the election.

Mathew Iduoriyekemwen The two-term member of the state House of Assembly, who contested in 2012, is in the race again. He is a former majority leader of the House of Assembly and a former commissioner in the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Youthful and energetic, he is working behind the scene to actualise his goal.

Ehigie Uzamere He represented Edo South in the Senate between 2007 and 2015. He won his first election with a PDP ticket and the second with the ACN ticket. He rejoined the PDP last year. Uzamere fancies his chances of governing Edo State, having won senatorial elections twice in Edo South.

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feature

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Buyers of illegally refined fuel come from as far as North

The illegally refined fuel depot at Otokutu junction in Ughelli South LGA, Delta State. Photos: ebenezer Adurokiya.

One of the stores at Otokutu depot

Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

W

ith the nation still groaning under the heavy yoke of perennial fuel scarcity largely orchestrated by independent fuel marketers, there seems to be a geometrical rise in operation of illegal oil refineries in Delta State to perhaps “augment” or is it further destroy the Nigerian mono-economic base.

But while these saboteurs may have their sympathisers and supporters who may justify their actions owing to incessant fuel scarcity in the land, two suspects have been arrested by the unrelenting operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS DELTA), Warri Naval Base, in Warri, Delta State.

The foot soldiers of the racketeers were caught uploading a truck with about 93 drums of illegally refined diesel to an unknown destination in the North.

The navy in Warri had recently vowed to unravel faces and track down sponsors of illegal refinery camps and buyers of their motor-engine-knocking products in Delta State and environs.

The suspects are 22-year-old Muhammed Muhtari and 24-year-old Bashir Ibrahim, from Katsina in Birnin Local Government Area of the Katsina State.

They had already loaded the truck, with registration number Delta AKU 15 XA, with five drums of the suspected diesel when they were caught on Tuesday at an illegal depot at Otokutu junction in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The two innocent-looking suspects, who could not speak English but spoke through an interpreter, said they were working for one Alhaji Rabiu Katsina, who is now at large after getting wind of the arrest.

NNS Delta Commander, Commodore Raimi Muhammed on Wednesday handed over the two suspects to men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at the Warri Naval Base.

Commodore Muhammed, who was represented by the Base Operations Officer (BOO), Commander Shehu Tasiu, who led his men to a routine patrol, told journalists during the handing over that the war against oil theft was now all-encompassing as his men would continue to arrest buyers of the product on land.

While speaking through an interpreter, both suspects, Muhtari and Ibrahim, simultaneously said they had just spent five weeks working for Alhaji Katsina before their arrest.

They confessed that one Peter was the owner of the illegally refined product.

The duo further said that they were usually hired to accompany the truck, owned by one Abubakar Sadiq,

The two suspects, Muhammed Muhtari and Bashir Ibrahim, in front of the truck being uploaded with drums of illegallyrefined diesel.

to convey cows and flour from the North, adding that their wages was just around N3,500 per trip.

According to them, after delivering their goods brought from the North each time they made such trip, they would be asked to stock the articulated truck with the illegally refined petroleum products back to the North.

At Otokutu junction, an uncompleted building with over six stores serve as depot for the sale of drums and kegs of illegally-refined diesel and kerosene, It was gathered that other illegal depots dot areas around the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Ugbuwangue, an Itsekiri community in Warri.

The suspects noted that they had to resort to Otokutu junction for the product when the depot near NPA had run out of stock.

Although being manned by naval operatives, it was observed that the surroundings of the depot at Otokutu junction risks being engulfed by fire as the area has been soaked with diesel and other petroleum products illegally refined in the creeks and ferried for sale on land.

While reacting to whether they knew they were suspects of economic sabotage, Bashir said they were not aware of such, adding “we are just conductors seeking our daily bread

Representative of Commander NNS DELTA, Commander Tasiu speaking to journalists at Otokutu depot.

While reacting to whether they knew they were suspects of economic sabotage, Bashir said they were not aware of such, adding “we are just conductors seeking our daily bread.”

At another point along Warri river, a gigantic wooden boat popularly called Cotonou boat, filled with some liters of suspected diesel was also intercepted by the navy while on its way in Warri.

Commander Tasiu said the suspects ferrying the boat to Warri jetty for sale fled on sighting the operatives of the navy who were on a routine patrol on the waterways.

As of Wednesday evening, modalities were still being put in place by officials of the NSCDC on how to evacuate the illegal products as exhibit and perhaps for onward destruction at a safer place.

The Divisional Officer of the security outfit, Alex Imonikhe, who commended efforts of the navy in stamping out economic sabotage in the state, stated that the suspects as well as the cabal behind the crime would be thoroughly investigated, exposed and prosecuted.

On what will happen to the over 93 drums of suspected diesel discovered by the navy at Otokutu junction, Imonikhe said “we are going to look for a way to see how to evacuate them to a secure place. We may present them as exhibits to court during prosecution.”

In order to win the war against oil theft in the Niger Delta, however, Commodore Muhammed, speaking through his assistant, Commander Tasiu, called for more synergy and collaboration among all security agencies in the region.

According to him, “we are trying to investigate those who are actually involved in this economic sabotage.

However, it is not a one-man show; all the other security agencies should also be involved.”

41 interview

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

National Assembly crises won’t affect good governance —Hon. Adeyemi Prince Akeem Adeyemi, who is representing Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, speaks with MOSES ALAO and KOLAWOLE DANIEL on the crisis in the House of Representatives and the reason he moved the motion for the upgrade of the Federal College of Education, Oyo, to a degree-awarding institution for people living with disabilities.

T

he National Assembly has been engulfed in a leadership crisis that has refused to go away with the House of Representatives recently being rocked by a fresh crisis over committee leadership. This is making Nigerians skeptical about the House’s ability to perform its legislative duties. How can the National Assembly move forward?

Nigerians have the right to be anxious and skeptical because this is the first time in the last 16 years that their hope is rekindled. It is the first time that Nigerians believe we can get it right. This is the first time that a ruling party will be kicked out by the power of the people. So, politicians have come to realise that the ultimate power lies with the people. But as far as the National Assembly is concerned, politics is about crisis management. You cannot expect that there will be no crisis. Even in families and homes, there are crises. There are crises in compounds, in quarters, in local governments and in states. The people in those places share closer affinity than over 300 adults coming together for a few years, yet they fight. So, politics is about crisis management.

Although a lot of things are happening in the National Assembly, I believe that the leadership, in its wisdom and by the grace of God, will resolve everything. These things you refer to as crises are normal politically but I can assure Nigerians that they will not affect our duties, because we are all united by one thing: our commitment to serve Nigerians.

The APC has the majority in the House of Representatives and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members know that we stand on the truth and the change that our president and party are preaching, so, there is no way they can work against the change agenda. The ongoing tussle may be a personal fight or among the members of the House of Representatives, there is no way it will affect the governance of this country, because we all know that Nigerians will not support anyone, irrespective of political party, who may want to become a clog in the wheel of progress; not this time that they massively supported change and transformation and are waiting to see these happen.

But there has been a clear divide between the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara and the House Leader, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila such that immediately one meets a Rep member, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘are you for Paul or for Apollo.’ Where do you belong?

It is normal that anywhere there is a contest, there will be camps and when someone emerges the winner, others must support him. Hon. Dogara is the Speaker of the House of Representatives today and the party has, in its wisdom, picked Hon. Gbajabiamila, who has served the party well as the Majority Leader of the House. There will still be differences because they were in different camps and they have loyalists, but I think with time, everything will fizzle out, because we are mature members of the House of Representatives. I believe that we will have a united House at the end of the day.

You still have not said the camp you belong to…

For me, there is nothing like camp; I am a loyal party man.

You recently moved a motion for the upgrade of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, to a university, arguing that people living with disabilities need to be given the chance of being educated to the university level. What inspired that motion?

Just recently, I got a call from the National President of the People Living with Disabilities, expressing happiness over that motion. He said he was speaking on behalf of the people living with different challenges because we identified with them; that the fact that someone is physically handicapped does not mean he is intellectually handicapped. You can see how people with disabilities excel in different fields despite their challenges.

People living with disabilities are wonderful people and the fact that they are physically challenged does not mean we should limit their quest for knowledge by pegging them

Nigerians will not support anyone, irrespective of political party, who may want to become a clog in the wheel of progress; not this time that they massively supported change and transformation and are waiting to see these happen.

to the college of education standard. They deserve better and some of them who go to universities cannot cope with the stress. When I was in the university, there were times that we had to move from one lecture theatre to another.

Able-bodied people like me would even miss lectures because they could not get into the hall on time, while many people would have to stand through a class or even hang on the window and so on. In my 100 level days at the University of Benin, some people slept in the 500-seater lecture theatre so as to get a seat for early lectures. If this is the case in our conventional universities where there are limited spaces for students, what do you think those who have physical challenges will be going through? Caring for these special people was the motivation for that motion.

I believe that if we can upgrade the only higher institution for special people from its present college of education status to university - and you should know that FCE Oyo is the only one of its kind in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa - it will add value to the lives of the teeming population of people living with disabilities and give them equal opportunities. You should also know that the FCE, Oyo, has been successfully run for 38 years and it has the necessary infrastructure; all that we will need to do is to increase the manpower, which will give teachers and the students a leverage and opportunity for university education. We are not doing them any favour; it is their right, because they are part and parcel of the Nigerian society. So, I consider that motion a clarion call on the government to give more attention to special people. If we do it, it means that the first University of Special Education will be in Nigeria and the streets will be decongested of people with these challenges, because most of them turn to begging because there are limited opportunities.

But there is the impression that you only raised that motion because the college is in your constituency...

Forget about that. It could have been anywhere. I raised the motion because of the love I have for the people living with disabilities and, mind you, nature made them that way and anyone of us that is able-bodied today, God forbid, can find himself in their shoes tomorrow. That is why we need to cater for them and I believe that is the whole essence of a country and a government - to cater for all its citizens.

When the House of Representatives was drawing it Legislative Agenda, you raised a vital motion asking the House to compel the Federal Government to complete all abandoned projects in the country. But you hinged that motion on the need for the urgent completion of Oyo-Ogbomoso stretch of the IbadanIlorin Expressway and the Erelu Waterworks in Oyo. How soon do you expect to see actions now that ministers have been appointed?

Now that we have ministers in place and the National Assembly committees are in place, too, I expect urgent actions, because by the time I moved that motion to compel the government to see to the completion of abandoned and ongoing projects scattered across Nigeria, during the drawing up of the Legislative Agenda, more members were propelled to come up with lists of uncompleted projects across the country. People are coming up with motions on such specific projects across the country and I don’t see why the executive or any minister should come to the National Assembly to give us a list of new projects to be done and we will not ask him, ‘Honourable Minister, in your ministry/agency, these are some of the abandoned projects. What will you do about them?’ We need to streamline all these projects and I believe that it behooves the National Assembly to compel the executive to focus on the completion of projects. Most of these projects are quite critical to the development of the country.

There is the report that the Federal Government is proposing about N8 trillion for the 2016 budget.

Are you comfortable with that figure?

I am comfortable with the figure, having realised that the funds will be in the hands of President Muhammadu Buhari, a man who has zero tolerance for corruption. I am hopeful as an individual and as a member of the House of Representatives that the waterworks in my area will be included in the N8 trillion. The roads in my area should be included in the funds.

I know the president and most of his ministers. They are agents of change and the focus of the world right now. So, I am comfortable with that amount as long as it is going to bring a tremendous change and spontaneous development to the country. I believe that Nigeria is in safe hands.

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21 November, 2015

motoring

Saturday Tribune With Seyi Gesinde seyigesinde@yahoo.com 08116954632

Zahav auto unveils ‘Drive Beyond Borders’ Tunland Pickup

Z

ahav Automobile Company Nigeria Limited, local assemblers of Foton Tunland pickup has urged emerging businesses and astute commercial ventures not to wander afar in search for functional and reasonably priced pickup trucks as it unveiled the all new ‘Drive beyond borders’ Foton Tunland pickup.

A part of the Stallion Group, Zahav Automobile is the assemblers and marketers of Foton Tunland pickup trucks and Chinese engineered BAIC, Changan and Stallion badge automobiles.

Addressing motoring journalists at a guided tour of the company’s new showroom in Kofo Abayomi/Akin Adesola Street - Victoria Island Lagos, Zahav Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Sanjay Rupani said Foton Tunland pickup was introduced to assuage some of the challenges small businesses and commercial ventures contend with when prospecting for functional and adaptable vehicle to support their businesses.

“The next generation Foton Tunland pickup would compete in the one tone vehicle segment where renowned brands like Toyota Hilux, Nissan NP300, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi L200 have demonstrated utter competence,” Mr. Rupani assured.

He said: “Tunland is Foton’s signature of next generation pickup truck exclusively designed to offer impressive visibility and extraordinary driving experience.”

Also adding that Tunland is a perfect choice for both work and leisure, Rupani said: “though Tunland could be of Chinese extraction, the vehicle essentially shares the DNA of two renowned automobile manufacturers – Daimler Automotive Company and Cummins Engine Company.

Ergonomically designed, the 1.5 tonne Foton Tunland pickup truck is a perfect mix of style and practicality with attractive truck lines like the American and Japanese styled cars aimed to woo discerning drivers who want exceptionally fashionable kind of truck.

Tunland is currently marketed as the

Kia releases details of 2017 Sportage The Korean automaker has released the full details on its new compact crossover, the 2017 model of Kia Sportage.

The carmaker said the 2017 Kia Sportage represents a ground-up redesign of the model, adopting a more rounded look compared to the crossover it replaces.

The tiger-nose grille makes it instantly recognizable as a Kia. And though it clearly takes a different design approach, its upright quirkiness (to our eyes) makes it a more suitable bridge between (and distinct stablemate to) the unconventional Soul and the larger Sorento.

Now entering its fourth iteration, the Auto Blog said the new Sportage stretches 1.6 inches longer than its predecessor and rides on a 1.2-inch longer wheelbase, but maintains the same width.

That means a more spacious cabin for both occupants and cargo, done up with more upscale materials and with the latest technologies buyers have come to expect.

The increased use of high-strength steel helps optimise rigidity and weight in the latest iteration of Kia’s longest-running nameplate, helping it launch a more concerted assault on the increasingly competitive compact crossover market.

Buyers will be able to choose between three trim levels, labeled LX, EX, and SX Turbo.

The first two derive their power from a 2.4-liter four good for 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque, while the latter steps up to a 2.0-liter turbo kicking out a more prodigious 241 hp and 260 lb-ft.

Both promise improved efficiency, and

can be had in front- or all-wheel drive, but either way they transmit their power to the road through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing for each model is set to be announced closer to their arrival in showrooms sometime in the new year.

strongest Chinese pickup in its class even though it looks less Chinese save for the silver coated fancy radiator grille.

The front bumper is certainly an eye catcher and comes with a fluid design; fitted with a set of circular fog lamps and a big trapezoidal air intake which enhances the aggressive look.

Along the sides, are classical oversized wheel arches, which are now a common trait among pickups and, at the back is a pair of triangular shaped taillights that distinguishes Tunland from competitors.

A peep inside the cockpit reveals upscale styling with winged shaped dashboard and ergonomic three-spoke-steering-wheel with plenty of space on the first row seats, and ample leg and headroom for both the driver and passengers.

The rear bench is pretty spacious and inadvertently compares to the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger pickups.

Every control is placed intuitively without necessarily clustering the centre dash and the instrument gauges are easily read both at night and day time. The materials and

plastics are also elegantly equipped with a no-nonsense instrument panel layout.

The seats are similarly comfortable with plenty adjustments to help you find your favourite driving positions in no time. This is in addition to the all around visibility with big lateral mirrors that ensures confidence.

Standard equipment includes two front airbags, ABS, 16 inch steel rim fitted on 245/70/16 tyres; air-conditioning, fabric seats, power exterior mirrors, two-speaker single CD tuner and auxiliary audio input jack.

Tunland is powered by powerful 100Kw Mitsubishi 2.4 gasoline (petrol) engine, the strongest in its class with displacements below 3.0 and maximum output of 200Nm (2500-300) which is appreciably higher compared to similar products. This feature gives the vehicle an edge in harsh road conditions.

The powertrain is based on a modular design concept while its engine is 10% lighter than the ones used in similar pickup trucks to ensure extremely low noise and vibration levels with considerable maintenance cost.

Ford builds first Nigerian made vehicle Ford Motor Company said first Nigerian model has been built in its new Nigerian assembly plant.

The United States-based carmaker said it will produce an initial 10 vehicles a day for the domestic market, adding that in August, it would start the assembly of its best-selling Ford Ranger pickup trucks in Nigeria, as it expands in Africa and the Middle East.

The Reuters in its report said the auto market in Africa’s biggest economy has huge potential but only a small number of new vehicles are sold annually. The sector is dominated by imported used vehicles and the absence of an industrial policy that would encourage suppliers to set up in Nigeria has stunted growth.

“Africa is one of the youngest markets in the world and presents a huge opportunity in terms of consumption,” Jeff Nemeth, Ford’s sub-Sahara chief executive, said in a statement.

The Nigerian assembly plant, set up in partnership with Ford dealer Coscharis Motors Ltd, is the first in Africa outside

South Africa, where Ford produces the Ranger for 148 markets.

“The facility will accommodate one shift and will produce an initial 10 units per day for the Nigerian market, creating approximately 180 direct and indirect jobs,” Nemeth said.

The Ikeja plant near Lagos will assemble

the Ford Ranger using parts and components imported from South Africa. It will have the capacity to assemble up to 5,000 vehicles annually, which will be sold in Nigeria.

Ford produces 85,000 vehicles in South Africa each year, which are sold in 24 African countries.

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21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Club owners meet in Lagos

Adegoke (left) set for the big clash with Agugbom.

Dala Hard Court Tennis:

Adegoke set to defend title against Agugbom

By Ganiyu Salman

D

EFENDING champion, Sarah Adegoke will attempt to retain the title she won last year when she faces arch rival, Christy Agugbom today in the women’s singles final of the 2015 Dala Hard Court Tennis Championship holding at the Kano Tennis Club, Kano.

The tournament’s number one seed, Agugbom defeated Blessing Samuel 7-6 (4), 6-3 to set up a final clash with second seed Adegoke,

who advanced after Aanu Aiyegbusi had retired in the first set with Adegoke leading 3-0.

It will be recalled that Adegoke had defeated Aanu Aiyegbusi 6-4, 6-3 to claim the Dala title last December.

Fans would no doubt have a lot of exciting tennis actions to behold today, as Adegoke, who was the second Nigerian woman to play in the final of the Lagos International Tennis Governor’s Cup last year, looks set for a titanic battle with Agugbom, who had always had an

upper hand each time both met.

Meanwhile, the final of the men’s singles will also be determined today.

As of the time of this report, the results of the semi-finals were still being expected.

Abdulmimuni Babalola had on Thursday won the battle of wits against old-time rival, Shehu Lawal to book a place in the semi-final.

Babalola’s decision to skip last week’s the NTF/Atawodi Top 16 tournament in Abuja- which Lawal incidentally won-seems to be pay-

ing off as he is just two wins away from carting home the top prize.

After enjoying a walk over on Wednesday, Babalola was expected to face his biggest test in Lawal and that was the way the things went as he was outplayed by Lawal in the opening set which he won in commanding fashion as he broke his opponent twice in succession in the second and fourth game of the opening set, but Babalola levelled up paying Lawal back with two breaks in the second set to force a rubber decided.

I didn’t beat up referee —Najeem Raji

By Olawale Olaniyan SUSPENDED FC Giwa player, Najeem Raji has faulted the decision of the League Management Company (LMC) which indicted him of an assault on the referee who officiated their Glo Premier League Week 38 match against Nasarawa United match in Lafia last Sunday.

Raji told Tribunesport that he was never involved in any ugly behaviour since he began professional football over 15 years ago.

“Look, I have been playing in the Nigerian league for more than 15 years, I never attacked any referee, why now? I want the LMC to review my case and interpret what I did on the pitch in that match correctly.

“At least there was a video evidence, which I think LMC needs to watch over and over again and see whether I punched the referee as alleged. I’ve never for once disobeyed any match official. I am a law abiding player.

“I wanted to stop my col-

leagues who were arguing with the centre referee, so I don’t know why the match official instead claimed that I punched him.

“The referee did not allow us to play stopping every of our moves, he was really determined to win the match for our opponent but that is not the issue now,” said the dark skinned defender The former Enyimba and Kwara United player stated his team will fight the case to a logical conclusion.

“My team will take this matter to the appeal commit-

tee for justice. Imagine, we lost three points to Nasarawa United in a match which did not even last 45 minutes.

This is really frustrating, the same thing happened to us of last season which denied us the chance of picking a continental ticket,” he said.

It will be recalled that Raji was banned for six matches for punching the referee in the face amid protests by his team-mates where the side refused to continue with the game in the 34th minute, forcing referee Ibrahim Ishaku to call off the match.

THE Association of Nigeria premier League Club chairmen and Managers (Club Owners) is set to meet in Lagos, on Monday to review the just-ended season.

This form part of the resolutions at the end of the executive meeting of the association held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The club owners’ resolution which was signed by the acting Chairman, Barrister Isaac Danladi and the acting Secretary, Alloy Chukwuemeka also congratulated the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria on winning the just-ended FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

The association praised the youngsters for their commitment and hard work and commended the coaches and officials as well as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the feat achieved.

It added that the various professional clubs in the country would be encouraged to provide platforms to absorb any of the lads who wish to ply his trade locally in order to boost their performance and career.

The club owners also congratulated the new Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalong on his appointment and assured him of necessary support.

Meanwhile all members of the club owners are expected to arrive in Lagos today ahead of this year’s Federation Cup on Sunday between Lobi Stars and Akwa United FC. The general meeting of the association is scheduled to hold at Jonaith Hotels and Suites, Lekki on Monday by 10pm to review the just-concluded season.

Members will then proceed to the Lagos Business School to attend a sportspro capacity building workshop for sport administrators from November 24 to 26.

Yakmut makes case for school sports development Saliu Gbadamosi -Abuja

Raji

THE Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut, has said that there is the need for the country to invest in grass-roots sports and school sports with a view to not only discovering abundant talents, but also to developing

sports at those levels.

Speaking on “Rio 2016 and the Change Mantra”, at a seminar held on Wednesday as part of programmes lined up for the 2015 SWAN Week of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Yakmut stated that there should be

a change in the country’s approach to sports development.

He lamented that the country wasted about $17,000 and $12,500 respectively on a performance enhancing director and his assistant who were employed by the NSC before he assumed office as the Director-General.

According to Yakmut, the Americans, whose 15-month contracts expired only on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, were virtually paid for doing nothing in the country.

He lamented that the Americans were employed by the Commission putting the necessary structures, which could have

enhanced their works, on the ground.

According to Yakmut, if the huge amount spent on the director and his assistant had been channelled to promote grass-roots sports and school sports, the Americans would have had people to work with when they assumed duty in the country.

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sport

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune

Flamini (left) and Arsene Wenger during a training session.

How Flamini kept his floated company secret for 7yrs M ATHIEU Flamini is renowned for the abundance of energy he gives to his Arsenal team on the pitch but for the past seven years, he has been creating energy off the pitch... and hasn’t told a soul.

When environmentally-concerned Flamini left Arsenal for AC Milan in 2008, after his first spell in North London, he and his economics graduate, business partner Pasquale Granata founded the company ‘GF Biochemicals’ in the hope of revolutionising the energy industry.

Since then the 31-year-old has spent millions in research, trials, infrastructure and employee fees but this week Flamini announced that GF (standing for GranataFlamini) had become the first company on the planet to mass produce Levulinic Acid (LA), which is said to be able to replace oil in all its forms.

Speaking with the Sun, Flamini said: “We are pioneers. We are opening a new market and it’s a market potentially worth £20billion.”

LA could be used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, plastic and food industries, amongst others, and the Frenchman stands to make a lot of money, in spite of the millions he has spent on getting his factory in Caserta, Italy up to scratch.

Flamini employs roughly 80 people in the plant and

around 400 workers make a living thanks to his and Granata’s endeavours, something the Gunner is particularly proud of given Italy’s current job crisis - Italian youth unemployment rose to its highest level ever this summer.

Talking about how his risky experiment came to be, Flamini added: “At the start we wanted the name of the company to be Green Futures. When I moved to Milan in 2008 I met Pasquale, who became a close friend and we always had in mind to do something together.

I was always close to nature and concerned about environmental issues, climate change and global warming; he was on the same wavelength. We were looking how we could make a contribution to the problem.

Flamini (left) and business partner Pasquale.

“I was always close to nature and concerned about environmental issues, climate change and global warming; he was on the same wavelength. We were looking how we could make a contribution to the problem.

“After a while we found out about Levulinic Acid: it’s a molecule identified by the US Department of Energy as one of the 12 molecules with the potential to replace petrol in all its forms. Researchers told us LA is the future and by doing research in that field we could come up with a great discovery and success.”

In addition to his plant and laboratory in Caserta, he also has an office in Milan and another in Geleen, Holland, with an office also in the pipeline for the United States.

That’s not to mention researchers, chemist and other scientists from five European countries, as well as Egypt.

And remarkably the combative midfielder - who has had a 12-year senior football career - has not mentioned his ventures to anyone for seven years, including his family, with his parents totally unaware until a year ago.

Flamini’s old Milan team-mates are sure to have found out about GF at his ‘Making Levulinic Acid Happen’ launch in Italy this week, with Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal team-mates only likely to be made aware on Saturday.

45 sport

21 November, 2015

Saturday Tribune With Dipo Ogunsola 081 169 54 641

outofplay Happy days here for Firmino LIVERPOOL striker, Roberto Firmino might have fallen out of favour under former manager, Brendan Rodgers, but the 24-year-old is clearly number one in his wife’s books.

Larissa Pereira shared a picture of the pair kissing during a night out on her

Instagram account.

With Rodgers now having left the club and new boss, Jurgen Klopp installed, Firmino will no doubt be wanting to transfer his happy lifestyle off the pitch to performances on it and seal a regular starting spot at Anfield.

Ronaldinho

Firmino (left) with Larissa

No stress for Pirlo He’s at the centre of a tug of war as he considers the next year of his football career.

But Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo showed little sign of work stress as he was snapped by Sport Mail enjoying a beach break with his stunning girlfriend Valentina Baldini in Miami.

The 36-year-old sportsman showed off his impressive physique as he soaked up the sun alongside blonde beauty Valentina, who wowed in a plunging swimsuit.

Valentina meanwhile showed off her curves in a very daring halterneck swimsuit which featured a super low-cut front.

Too much for Ronaldinho

BARCELONA and Brazil hero Ronaldinho is enjoying his time away from the football field by posing with an enormous platter of sweets.

The 35-year-old shared an image on his Instagram account with a huge tray of goods.

He admitted there was too much for him to manage, however, as he wrote the caption ‘anyone want some?”

Ronaldinho is weighing up playing offers across the globe before deciding on the next team of his career.

The two-time winner of the World Player of the Year award left the Brazilian club Fluminense by mutual consent after just nine games in September.

Mayweather poses with titles

Pirlo (left) with girlfriend

Mayweather with his 22 belts

FLOYD Mayweather has said ‘it took 19 years but they’ll talk about it forever’, as he posed with 22 belts won during his career, including WBC, WBA and IBF titles.

The undefeated champion, whose career included 49 wins - 26 by knockout and 23 by decision - posted the photo onto his Facebook page.

The 38-year-old posed with belts including his WBC Super Featherweight, IBF Welterweight and WBA (Super) Welterweight.

46

21 November, 2015

Globacompremier

Saturday Tribune

With Olawale Olaniyan olaniyankay@yahoo.com 08055165128

leaguefocus Sharks GM blames fans on relegation

GENERAL Manager of Sharks FC, Okey Kpaluku has said lack of fans led to the team’s relegation from the Glo Premier League at the just-ended season.

Kpaluku in an interview with 366football.com also blamed fans over the early season trouble with former coach, Gbenga Ogunbote.

He said things will change during the team’s campaign in the lower league next season with new sponsors which would catch the attention of their fans back to the stadium.

“We are looking at community based activities to court our fans back. Facilities upgrade is also key for us right now for fans. Complete departure from government subsidies is key agenda right now.

“We have just secured partnership with a company,

Eunisell for shirt sponsorship, and even now that we are down, they have assured us they will not be leaving.

“It has been very difficult.

Firstly, coach Gbenga Ogunbote was beaten to within an inch of his life, and we consequently lost him to Shooting Stars Sports Club. His assistant was promoted after he left for 3SC. “We drew 10 games at home this season. For eight months, players were owed. Too little too late was our case in the end because we eventually tried to rally, by moving away from full government sponsorship. Sharks have been in the Premier League for eight seasons. With necessary support and going back to the drawing board, we should be able to bounce back into top flight, in a few months,” Kpaluku said.

... As Eunisell reiterates commitment to league THE official shirt sponsors of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, Eunisell Limited says the relegation of the club in the Glo Premier League will not deter its commitment towards helping the league achieve its full potential.

The company made this known in a statement issued following the relegation of Sharks to the Nigeria National League.

According to the Group Managing Director of Eunisell, Mr Chika Ikenga, the development will not deter his company from continuing with its support for the league as it has done in the past.

“We will not abandon the league; neither will we abandon Sharks FC because of the relegation. Though they will be playing in the second tier league, we won’t terminate our contract with them. We will rather encourage them to improve on their game and hopefully come back to play in the premier league.

We know our league can create jobs and reach its highest potential if well supported.

That is why we got involved in the first place and we won’t withdraw our support in a bid to help the county achieve its full potential in this regard,” Ikenga said.

It will be recalled, that

Sharks, which secured a shirt sponsorship deal with Eunisell earlier this year, finished in the relegation zone at the just-ended Glo Premier League following their 0-1 away loss to Abia Warriors, alongside Kwara United, FC Taraba and Bayelsa United.

Salami

Sharks players before a league game this season.

Boboye’s resignation shocks Sunshine Stars

T

HE management of the Ondo State Football Agency and Sunshine Stars FC has expressed shock over the resignation of the team’s head coach, Kennedy Boboye.

According to a statement by the media officer of the

Akure side, Wahab Bankole, the Akin Akinbobola-led ODSFA expressed surprise over the decision of the seasoned tactician to throw in the towel.

“We are very surprised at his decision to quit. It came as a big shock to hear the news of his resignation be-

cause he did his best to take the darling team of the state to the next level.

“At our level, we have decided to accept his resignation in good faith as we believe that it was in the interest of his progression to higher places.

“We like to thank coach

Owumi hails Glo League goal king, Salami THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Warri Wolves, Davidson Owumi, has congratulated Gbolahan Salami on emerging the highest goal scorer at the just-ended Glo Premier League with 17 goals.

He believes the striker showed exemplary conduct by combining international and club duties well to be able to become top scorer.

“Gbolahan Salami has done well for himself and the club. I am happy for him that he finished as the highest goal scorer this season despite missing some games due to national team duties. He has shown that he can handle the responsibility of goalscoring and his achievement reminds me of my achievement of winning the same mention as top scorer many years ago,” Owumi told supersport. com.

The former Rangers’ boss heaped plaudits on the players of Wolves as well as their financier, the Delta State goverment for the second place finish in the league to

earn the team a CAF Champions League ticket.

“This is a special moment for the club and we are happy to have achieved this because last season, we finished third and this time we have finished second which is an improvement.

“I must commend the players for showing total commitment and determination in the face of a very difficult season. We had our ups and downs in the season but the players stood firm and were never distracted by the challenging period,” he said.

“I also dedicate this to the people of Delta State who have supported the team during the sweet and difficult times in the season and even when they were winning or not.

And most importantly we are appreciative of the Delta State government and the governor (Ifeanyi Okowa) for his support to the team and we continue to look forward to his fatherly backing for the team,” he said.

Kennedy Boboye for his efforts and services to Sunshine Stars and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.”

The Sunshine Stars management promised the soccer-loving people of Ondo State of its readiness to employ a capable replacement for Boboye.

“It is our resolve to replace the coach with an equally good hand or someone who is even better so that the aims and aspirations of the good people of Ondo State to see Sunshine Stars conquer Nigeria and Africa in the nearest future will come to pass,” it stated.

The Sunshine Stars management also lauded the support given to the team at the just-concluded season.

“It is very important to express appreciation to all soccer-loving people of the state, the fans and all football stakeholders for the massive support shown the team in the course of the season.

“Even though, we did not collectively achieve the set targets which was due to some factors which we shall like to forget, we must state here that we have learned lots of lessons from those events which we believe will guide us in achieving better results next season.”

Sunshine Stars, it will be recalled, finished sixth at the just-ended season.

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21 November, 2015

Adesokan at the London 2012 Paralympics.

Saturday Tribune

Adesokan after a world championship outing.

Athletes should not make money their priority —Adesokan Reigning Paralympics 49kg powerlifting champion and world record holder, Yakubu Adesokan (MON), in this interview with Deputy Sports Editor, NIYI ALEBIOSU, speaks on his exploits at the 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, where he lifted 182.5kg to set a new world record.

The Oyo State-born powerlifter had set a world record at the London 2012 Paralympic Games with a lift of 177kg, before Vietnam’s Van Cong Le at the IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Games in Kazakhstan, erased that record with a lift of 181kg. Adesokan, fondly called AGBARAPO by his admirers who started as a cobbler, also urges other physically-challenged people to embrace sport instead of begging on the streets for survival. Excerpts:

C

ONGRATULATIONS for creating another world record in Congo Brazzaville after the Paralympics feat, how was your feeling when you achieved the feat?

Thank you so much. I give glory to the Almighty Allah for making this possible.

I felt great over the modest achievement.

Now that you have set a new world record in powerlifting, how did the journey start?

Really, it was not an easy feat. I thank our coaches, the secretariat staff and everybody who made it possible for me to achieve this feat. I am happy to not only reclaim the gold medal but set a new world record. When the record was broken (by Vietnam’s ...), I was devastated because it was a painful experience for me. During that period I had some problems but thank God that I was able to surmount them to the extent that I was able to set another world record at the 11th All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. What made this feat unique was that I am able to add the All Africa Games medal to my collections having participated in all major events in the world, the Paralympics, Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games aside from various world championships. With the setting of a new world record, if you look at it very well, I am the only athlete from Oyo State who has participated in these games and set world record. I have been dreaming of participating in the All Africa Games before I retire from active participation in sports.

So coming to Congo Brazzaville and winning a gold medal and setting a world record was a dream come true for me. This

feat (at the All Africa Games) is even more than the achievements recorded at Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games.

As you are aware, powerlifting is not always at the All Africa Games, the Congo Brazzaville was my first All Africa Games and I was so happy to have made a great impact. So I am using this opportunity to advise the physically-challenged people to get involved in sporting activities instead of begging on the streets. In fact, there are a lot of benefits they can derive from participating in sport. Participating in sport will expose them and they too could be known worldwide through sport if they take it seriously. I will want the physicallychallenged people to come out and exhibit their talents in different sports. I am appealing to the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to start from where the former President, Goodluck Jonathan stopped because he tried a lot for us (sportsmen). I believe President Buhari will do more for sport in Nigeria because we have seen that he has inter-

est in sport. We were well treated while in the camp for the All Africa Games. Even during the Games (in Brazzaville), the kits given to us were fantastic. Ever since I have been competing for the country I have not made use of such kits in any of the competitions I attended. This shows that he (Buhari) will do a lot for us. They gave us quality kits ans I hope this will continue. I’m also grateful to my state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, he sponsored my trip to hajj (holy pilgrimage). He has been doing well for special sport athletes in the state. I also want to appreciate the General Manager, Oyo State Sports Council, Mrs Folake Oyelakin, other directors and my collegues as well as coach Taofeek Arasi who discovered me. I urge up and coming athletes to be focused and disciplined. I did not just become what I am today. I am not saying they should not look for money but everything is not all about money, if you excel in your chosen sport, money will surely come. My younger colleagues should be serious, I have offers from a number of states to come over but because I do not worship money I chose to remain with Oyo State which gave me the platform to hit the limelight. Today I got full employment here in the state and I am extremely happy being a civil servant.

I have no regrets staying back in Oyo State and I implore the state governor to give athletes the chance to be in government so that the special sport athletes can be geting the required attention. Though he has been doing that but I think we in sports

So I am using this opportunity to advise the physically-challenged people to get involved in sporting activities instead of begging on the streets.

knew better. I’m not clamouring for myself to be appointed but I think those who understand us should be appointed in government. This time, we need a Special Assistant to governnor in charge of people with disabilities who will be very accessible. So, I urge the governor to consult widely before he appoints somebody to represent us in his government this time.

I also thank Honourable Temitope Olutoye Sugar for giving me a car in 2013 during the Valetine’s Day celebration.

Government cannot see everything, we want good people that have the love of special people at heart to come out and assist.

Have you at any point in time faced any problems that made you think of quitting the game?

Well, there were a number of occasions when I became dejected while thinking of immediate solutions to some problems, but I never considered such move to quit the game which brought me fame and a source of living. It’s not yet time for retirement. I will determine whether to retire or continue after the 2016 Rio Olympics. Even if I win and set a new record at Rio 2016, my body will determine whether to continue as an athlete or not. There is a lot of problems one is bound to face in one’s career but my performance at the Rio 2016 will determine what will happen because one is not getting younger as well.

You are a cobbler by profession, do you still practise?

No, I don’t have enough time for the job again because we are always in camp or competitions, but thank God for where I am today. I’m an assistant powerlifting coach with the Oyo State Sports Council.

English Premiership fixtures

NO 1126

N150

SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMEBER, 2015

Watford Chelsea Everton Newcastle Southampton Swansea

vs Man Utd 1:45pm vs Norwich 4:00pm vs Aston Villa 4:00pm vs Leicester 4:00pm vs Stoke 4:00pm vs Bournemouth 4:00pm

West Brom Man City

vs Arsenal 4:00pm vs Liverpool 6:30pm Sunday, November 22 Tottenham vs West Ham 5:00pm Monday, November 23 C/Palace vs Sunderland 9:00pm

Onazi out for 10 days

Messi returns for Clasico

L

IONEL Messi’s return from injury looks to be coming at exactly the right time for Barcelona as he gears up for a reunion with Neymar and Luis Suarez for today’s La Liga ‘Clasico’ at Real Madrid.

The most lethal attacking trio in Spanish soccer history have not played together since Argentina’s Messi injured a knee at the end of September, during which time Brazil forward Neymar and Uruguay striker Suarez have flourished.

Neymar has thrived on the extra creative responsibility given him by coach Luis Enrique and he has developed a stronger understanding with his teammates, especially Suarez.

The pair have netted 16 goals in Barca’s last seven games and for the first time in recent years, with Barca top of La Liga and leading their Champions League group, there is no talk of “Messi dependency”.

The debate over whether Messi, a four-time World Player of the Year, is irreplaceable has morphed into

a discussion about whether the 23-year-old Neymar will be his worthy heir at the Nou Camp.

Messi’s return against the Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid today would clearly give a new dimen-

Ronaldo

sion to the Barca attack whether he starts or is deployed off the bench.

It is 10 years this week since the 28-year-old played his first ‘Clasico’ and he has left an indelible mark with a record 21

Messi goals in 30 matches against Barca’s arch rivals.

“We are aware that Leo is the best in the world and we will always recognise that,” Suarez told a news conference on Wednesday.

“Time will tell how good a

forward line we are but it is true that we get on well and the whole team helps us to score goals.

“Without the players behind us though we would be nothing and we wouldn’t achieve anything.”

NIGERIAN international and Lazio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi after undergoing tests will be sidelined for about 10 days.

This followed a thigh strain he suffered when he featured in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Swaziland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles midfielder will therefore miss this weekend’s Serie A clash against Palermo.

“The tests which were carried out showed the presence of a grade one strain of the adductor longus in the right thigh,” Lazio announced on its official website.

“The athlete will start specialised treatment today, and the recovery time will be determined after additional tests in a week or 10 days.”

Ighalo in search of eighth EPL goal against Man U

By Ganiyu Salman WATFORD FC striker, Odion Ighalo will be on the rampage today when his sides takes on Manchester United in the English Premier League as he seeks his eighth goal of the season.

The Nigerian international last scored in the EPL on October 31 when his brace helped the Hornets at Vicarage Road to a 2-0 win over West Ham United for his seventh goal of the season.

His heroics against West Ham also earned him he Man of the Match award.

Ighalo since then has not been on the score sheet for the newly-promoted EPL side. He also failed to hit the back of the net during his last two international outings where he fea-

tured for the Super Eagles against the Shilangu Semnikati of Swaziland in a 2018 World Cup qualifers.

He fired blank during the first leg tie against Swaziland before he was replaced by Obafemi Martins in the latter part of the second half, while he also played all 90 minutes on Tuesday in Port Harcourt when the Shilangu were beaten 2-0 but was unable to score as well.

Perhaps, today’s game means a lot to Ighalo as he is set to play against one of the best teams in the world and he will be delighted to join the list of a few Nigerian players who had scored against Manchester United in the likes of Nwankwo Kanu and

Yakubu Ayegbeni, among others.

Ighalo, who lost the October Premier League Player of the Month award to Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, will be looking forward to reenacting his goal scoring form against the Red Devils.

On a good day, his scoring prowess could make a nonsense of any team, while the profile of today’s opponent is enough to ginger the former Lyn of Norway striker to deliver the goods.

The Quique Sanchez Flores-piloted side is placed 11th on the table with 16 points as against Manchester United which occupies the fourth on the table with 24 points also from 12 games.

Ighalo shows skill.

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: LASISI OLAGUNJU. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 21/11/2015.