25th June 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 1,157

www.tribuneonlineng.com

SATURDAY, 25 JUNE, 2016

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

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Nigerian Tribune

How Brexit ’ll affect t e k r a m s g u r d InsidearreLstaedgmoansy drug barons —NDLEA Nigeria —Experts

Weekend Lagos

pgs19&20

We have

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Cameron resigns as British PM

Tension in pg3 military over coup rumour Army chief, GOCs in emergency meeting COAS vows to get source of rumour

Buhari begs Niger Delta militants Says ‘they use hi-tech weapons’

I can’t reject bad girl roles simply because I’m now born-again —Eucharia Anunobi

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Kano recorded 401 divorce cases in one month —Govt pg17 APC using EFCC pg7 against me —Omisore

Bullet-ridden vehicles at Igbo Olomu in the Imushin area of Ogun State, after gun attacks by suspected militants, on Friday. INSET: Residents fleeing the community. PHOTOS: OPEYEMI OWOASEYE

Gunmen kill 15 in Ogun Residents flee troubled community

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25 June, 2016

I can’t reject bad girl roles

Looking at some of your movies from ‘Glamour Girls’ to the other movies that you’ve done, your roles were kind of notorious, so to speak, how easy was it to transition from that public perception of the notorious Eucharia Anunobi to a pastor, as people would think you were faking your being born-again, so to speak, at that point?

I would like you to explain to me, one, before I answer your question, what is ‘notorious’?

simply because

I’m now born-again —Eucharia Anunobi Popular Nollywood actress, Eucharia Anunobi took everybody by surprise when she was ordained an evangelist few years ago. In this interview by JOAN OMIONAWELE the ‘Glamour Girls’ hit actress talks about the circumstances which led to her being born-again, acting career, among other issues. Excerpts

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OU recently featured in Tinsel, should we say this is your comeback into Nollywood?

I want to start by saying thank you for trying to reach out to me, I bless God almighty for His insistence on moving forward. About the question of how I was approached for ‘Tinsel,’ I would like to correct an impression, which I don’t know where it came from, but you know and I do believe that Satan is the master of duplication and master of disorder and wrong information. I never left the industry, I never stopped acting.

That I’m an ordained minister preaching the gospel of Jesus all around, attending conference being speaker and an associate pastor has never stopped me from acting, by His grace, over the years, since I started acting and I repeat it, as an actress, I have never and I don’t remember any year that I did not act. I think that unfortunately what has been happening is that a lot of producers are no longer publicising and advertising their movies like they used to when it comes out in the market. It has to do with a lot of posters being put on the streets, on the wall and maybe adverts on the TV and the radio the way they used to do them and most often, what I realise is even the movies that I’ve been doing over a couple of years now, say in the last three, four years, I don’t see them myself, and I ask myself, I’ve been working, I’ve been making movies, I’ve been having money being paid to me, but I’ve not been seeing the movies except on rare occasions and what I realise has been happening is that these movies come out and they send them straight to the TV Channels like iROKOtv,Ben TV and all these...and I hear people say they watch them on the net, apparently, maybe the money to put them on TV is not there as it were or the way it used to be, so maybe, later, they do put them on CDs and then, also, maybe money for the production of flyers and billboards is no longer there. So these obviously have put a blanket on the movies that are out, not just by myself alone but a lot of other colleagues as well, but then, you know all things worketh together for the good of those that believe in God. You know, sometimes, maybe we need a little darkness once in a while, but then, there has never been any dark cloud over my career.

I’m surprised myself to hear that you’ve been doing some movies because we have not seen you do some movies.

Not at all, I’ve been working back to back.

Saturday Tribune

Have you or has anybody else ever seen my personal life and been with me when I run my personal life? No. Are you in my bedroom or my house or in my dressing room?

You were given some bad girl roles sometimes but then when you became a pastor, everybody was taken by surprise.

I beg to disagree that these people have never watched the three hundred plus of the movies I’ve featured in so there’s nothing like notorious. When you are given a character, you don’t know the story, you don’t know who sometimes wrote the story, an actor is just being used. To start with, an actor’s life is never, can never and will never be seen in the movies he or she happens to be in.It has nothing to do with their personal lives and when you say people are surprised from acting and according to you, some see ‘notorious’ movies, you assume you saw and then being a pastor, I’ll say, have you or has anybody else ever seen my personal life and been with me when I run my personal life? No. Are you in my bedroom or my house or in my dressing room...

So there’s an image, it is just a character, so it is not possible that the three hundred plus movies that I’ve done since I debuted as an actress are all projecting, according to you, ‘notorious’ image because I think I am blessed to be one of the actors you would call a ‘complified’ actor, I could play any role, be it emotional, be it sexy, whatever you call it. I am one of the actors that is flexible and with a lot of panache by His grace, you know, so whatever role they call me to do, I can fit into, I can play. I can play a 17, a 25, or an 80-year old. I can play 40, I can play a 35-year old, I can play them all and that is a great gift given to me by God. I’ve played all kinds of roles, maybe you would say that you and a couple of other people, the few movies or films that you’ve seen of me happen to be in line with just one or two that are almost similar to the characterisation that is given to me, so I beg to totally disagree and there is nothing ‘notorious’ about an act or about a character that you are given to do in a movie.

So you are saying you were never a bad girl...

I set the record straight, I gave my life to God, 17th of March, 1997, we in the pentecostal body call it taking the altar call and for clarification, I became born again, to be born again means a day of realisation to say, listen, the way I’ve been living, the way I’ve been talking, dressing and doing things are not in the will of God as a child of God and how God wants it and you realise, I want to do it right according to the word of the Lord almighty, that’s what it means and then you begin to work on it consciously, so that is the day I took altar call, became born-again, now my dear, since 1997 till date, someone who has been walking with Jesus, sitting at the feet of Jesus, learning at the feet of Jesus, being a worker in church, what do you expect? When you’re serious in the house of God, definitely, there would be an elevation given to you, definitely, when you are serious as a worker in church, you give your time to God and you don’t spend your time clubbing, you don’t spend your time typing nonsense onWhatsApp or whatever, visiting nkwobi joints, drinking and all of Continues on pg27

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25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Tension in military over coup rumour

•Army chief, GOCs in emergency meeting •COAS vows to get source of rumour Chris Agbambu – Abuja

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IGERIAN military authorities are taking very tough decisions on the recent rumour that a coup was being planned against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Friday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Yusuf Buratai, summoned all his top commanders to Abuja for an emergency meeting, where the issue was extensively discussed. All General Officers Commanding (GOCs) attended the meeting.

The Nigerian Army also vowed to put all resources, assets and efforts into tracing the source of the rumour which has heightened tension in the military in the last four days.

Speaking on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, told newsmen after the twohour closed door meeting that the Chief of Army Staff summoned his top commanders across the Army “for a quick meeting, this morning.”

He said that most importantly, they wanted to assure the people that the Nigerian Army remained steadfast and that their “loyalty is unquestionable to the president and commander-in-chief and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The GOC said Nigerians should rest assured that coup would not happen within the ranks of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

According to him, “we have decided long before now, since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, to abide by our code of conduct and to remain subordinate to civil authority.

That has not changed and it will not change.

“As you must have heard in the last few days, the rumour of coup or no coup, we want to assure all our fellow citizens that the army remains apolitical; our loyalty, allegiance to the constitutional authority of this land, the three branches of government, Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief, our loyalty is unquestionable.”

General Oyebade said that the rules of engagement are like the army’s Bible, adding that “we want to assure the public and the generality of the citizens that the Army will abide by the rules of engagement.”

He commended the civilian JTF who, he said, had also done a tremendous job in the North East, saying the army would continue to solicit their support to finally rid the country of terrorism.

The GOC disclosed that the closed door meeting was essentially to review the security situation in the country and to

also let the commanders know some of the reorganisation that had taken place over the last few days.

“We also did a review of the operation in the North East. It

is going reasonably well. There are challenges here and there but we want to assure the nation that in no distant future, we will bring the operation to a close.

We are working very hard on

that,” he said.

General Oyebade added that Nigerians were already aware that there was “a reorganisation of the Niger Delta operations, which has

changed from the erstwhile Operation Pulo Shield to Operation Delta Safe and the army is still very strong and we will continue to do everything to ensure that issues of

oil theft and pipeline vandalism are severely curtailed in conjunction with our sister services, the Nigerian Navy and the Air Force and other security agencies.”

How Britain’s EU exit will affect Nigeria —Experts Cameron resigns, says he can’t captain Britain to next destination MIXED reactions have continued to trail the decision of Britain to leave the European Union (EU) with experts from Nigeria weighing in with observations on the implications for the country and even Africa.

The British people voted for Britain’s exit from the EU, an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries, in a historic referendum, on Thursday, which outcome caused David Cameron to resign as Prime Minister.

The president of the NigerianBritish Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Mr Dapo Adelegan, said the exit of Britain would not have short-term effects on Nigeria’s economy.

Adelegan, in an interview by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos, stated that the existence of different trade agreements between Nigeria and European countries that trade directly with the country would prevent a short term impact of the Brexit on the economy.

“We sell directly to these countries and they also buy from us. I do not see a short-term impact of the exit on Nigeria’s economy,” he said.

Brexit is an abbreviation for “British exit,” which refers to the possibility of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Adelegan said the referendum, won by 52 percent to 48 percent, showed that it was a close decision and that Britain was equally divided between those that wanted to remain and those that wanted to go.

“So, it cannot be seen as a total victory for the Brexit. If half of the population wants to remain and half says go, it means that there will be internal political repercussions within Britain’s political environment.

“It may even lead to further referendum in years to come because the new government that will succeed David Cameron will have to win back majority of the people that wanted to remain to buy into the exit posture,” he said.

On the economic side, Adelegan said that the exit would diminish British role as the gateway to Europe in terms of business opportunities and global travel.

“Institutions that have invested in the UK as a channel to offer products and services to other parts of Europe, this exit will deny them that access.

A market of about 500 million consumers reduced by about 65 million will require a rethink of

strategy by global companies.

“We may begin to see the movement of global companies to Switzerland and Germany in the next few months,” Adelegan said.

He added that the exit would also affect the value of the British currency against the dollar and the euro.

Nigeria is Britain’s second largest trading partner in Africa with a trade volume which currently stands at six billion pounds (about N2.48 trillion).

However, in another vein, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Bola Akinterinwa said the development would have negative consequences on Nigeria.

Akinterinwa, a professor of international affairs, told NAN on Friday that the negative impact of Britain’s exit from the union would be bilateral and multilateral.

According to him, it is at the level of multilateral configuration that Nigeria may be slightly affected.

“Britain is a member of the EU and Nigeria is a member of Commonwealth and in this case, Britain is both an active member of the EU and Commonwealth.

“Nigeria has been benefitting from the free trade tariff access of the British to the EU. Now with the Brexit, that one (free trade tariff access) may become a little bit difficult for Nigeria,” he said.

Akinterinwa said that Nigeria’s economic relationship with the EU might also be affected with the development, explaining that it would jeopardise Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU. “With the withdrawal of the British from the EU, now the EPA will no longer apply to Nigeria within the framework of Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with the British,” he said.

Politically, he stated that a weakened Europe would also affect Nigeria in terms of aid donation to the country.

“Politically, Brexit can bring about a weakened economy of Europe. It will be weakened in various respects because Britain accounts for about 15 per cent of EU’s operational budget.

“This will create more burdens for countries like France and Germany, the two main countries carrying the financial burden of other memberstates.

“With that relationship with the European Union, the other members will also be weak-

ened.

“When it comes to insolvency, the amount of money given to Nigeria as development grant or whatsoever cannot but be reduced. So, these are some of the implications,” he said.

Akinterinwa added that Brexit could also affect Nigeria’s and ECOWAS’ relationship with the EU. According to him, since Britain is not part of the Schengen Visa Regime, anyone going to Britain must apply for visa directly fAkinterinwa, however, said that with the Brexit already hurting the Pound Sterling and the Euro, it was positive for Nigeria.

“So, the parity of the Naira to the Pound Sterling, if the Pound Sterling is falling, is good for Nigeria; it is a welcome development at that level,” he said.

Text of David Cameron’s speech after ‘Brexit’ vote

The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise — perhaps the biggest in our history. Over 33 million people — from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar — have all had their say.

We should be proud of the fact that in these islands we trust the people with these big decisions.

We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we are governed, there are times when it is right to ask the people themselves, and that is what we have done.

The British people have voted to leave the European Union, and their will must be respected.

I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believed was the national interest.

And let me congratulate all those who took part in the “Leave” campaign — for the spirited and passionate case that they made.

The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, not least because so many things were said by so many different organizations about the significance of this decision.

So there can be no doubt about the result.

Across the world people have

been watching the choice that Britain has made. I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong.

And I would also reassure Brits living in European countries, and European citizens living here, that there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances. There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold.

We must now prepare for a negotiation with the European Union. This will need to involve the full engagement of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments to ensure that the interests of all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced.

But above all this will require strong, determined and committed leadership.

I am very proud and very honoured to have been prime minister of this country for six years.

I believe we have made great steps, with more people in work than ever before in our history, with reforms to welfare and education, increasing people’s life chances, building a bigger and stronger society, keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world, and enabling those who love each other to get married whatever their sexuality.

But above all restoring Britain’s economic strength, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped to make that happen.

I have also always believed that we have to confront big decisions — not duck them.

That’s why we delivered the first coalition government in 70 years to bring our economy back from the brink. It’s why we delivered a fair, legal and decisive referendum in Scotland. And why I made the pledge to renegotiate Britain’s position in the European Union and hold a referendum on our membership, and have carried those things out.

I fought this campaign in the only way I know how — which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel — head, heart and soul.

I held nothing back.

I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union, and I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone

— not the future of any single politician, including myself.

But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path, and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.

I will do everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months, but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.

This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but I do believe it is in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required.

There is no need for a precise timetable today, but in my view we should aim to have a new prime minister in place by the start of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Delivering stability will be important, and I will continue in post as prime minister with my cabinet for the next three months. The cabinet will meet on Monday.

The governor of the Bank of England is making a statement about the steps that the bank and the Treasury are taking to reassure financial markets. We will also continue taking forward the important legislation that we set before Parliament in the Queen’s Speech. And I have spoken to Her Majesty, the Queen, this morning to advise her of the steps that I am taking.

A negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new prime minister, and I think it is right that this new prime minister takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal and legal process of leaving the E.U. I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people have taken and my own decision.

The British people have made a choice. That not only needs to be respected — but those on the losing side of the argument, myself included, should help to make it work.

Britain is a special country.

We have so many great advantages.

A parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issues about our future through peaceful debate.

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25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

PDP crisis: We’ll abide by party elders’ decision —Makarfi Says Sheriff lied over reconciliation committee Leon Usigbe and Jacob Segun Olatunji - Abuja

General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade (right), briefing newsmen after a security meeting with the Chief of Army Staff and field officers in Abuja, on Friday. With him are the GOC 82 Division, Enugu, Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru (middle) and the Acting GOC, 2 Division, Ibadan, Brigadier-General Jude Egbudom. PHOTO: NAN.

Again, militants kill 15, injure many in Lagos/ Ogun community They vowed to kill 110 —Residents OpeyemiOwoaseye-Lagos and Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

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T least 15 people have been killed and many others injured after suspected militants invaded some communities in Imushin, a boundary area between Lagos and Ogun states.

A motorcyclist was said to have been beheaded by the militants, who started their operation from Thursday night into Friday morning.

The affected communities are Oke Muti, Elepete, Ajegunle, Ola Imam, Ereko junction, Igbo Olomu, Pakisa and Magbon.

Saturday Tribune learnt that trouble started around 10pm on Thursday when the militants opened fire on some security men in Ola Imam.

Seven men were said to have been shot dead on the spot.

A source said, “The militants came in through Elepete Phase 3 around 10pm on Thursday.

“They went to Ola Imam and Igbo Olomu where some vigilantes were keeping watch. They opened fire on them and killed seven people at once.

“They marched to Oke Muti, Bolorunduro, Ajegunle, and fired at people.

They killed 15 people.”

A taxi driver, who escaped, said he had brought some goods for a customer.

According to him, “I was just driving in without knowing what was happening. But at a point, I saw a motorcyclist on the ground in a pool of blood. He was dead. I thought he probably had an accident.

“I continued driving. Suddenly, I saw a group of men with guns. They opened fire on me and I quickly manoeuvred the car, but they followed me with gunshots.

“I drove down Imushin Road, until I got to a bush area. I jumped out of the car and ran into the bush.

Still, they didn’t give up.

They mounted two motorcycles to search for me.

When they couldn’t find me, they shattered the rest of my windscreens.”

The corpse of a welldressed man was also said to have been found by a riverside in the area.

It was gathered that aside killing, the gunmen looted many shops.

A resident of Oke Muti said a boutique and a shop where foodstuffs were sold were broken into and emptied by the militants.

The resident said, “The whole problem started after some SARS officers, who were acting on a tip-off, stormed a hotel in Elepete called Top-Catt Hotel.

“The officers shot dead two of the militants, carried away their corpses and arrested the female owner of the hotel. One of those killed was an engineer who worked for the militants.

The militants are claiming he was unarmed and innocent and they asked the police to release the two corpses.

“When they couldn’t get the corpses, they decided that they would kill 110 people to mark their candle night. They killed 15 people on that night and now, they have killed more people.”

A community leader said many people living in the area had fled, adding that life was difficult for those left behind.

“You will only find dogs and other animals in the houses. There is no food or water from Ita Oluwo to Igbo Olomu. I had to go very far to buy food,” he added.

Our correspondent observed heavy security presence in the Imushin area during the Friday visit.

Military officers attached to Mopol 20, policemen from the Lagos and Ogun state police commands were also on the ground.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, Dolapo Badmos, said security agencies in Lagos and Ogun were working to address the problem.

“The militants used the cover of the night to operate and we are ready for them.

We have directed a 24hour surveillance around the area. We recovered six corpses from the scene,” she said.

She added that investigations into the incident were ongoing.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State, Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, said two people were killed.

He said, “Two people were killed in the process. We have reached out to stakeholders and government agencies to see what we can do because we cannot do it alone.”

Oshiomhole sacks aide after describing Edo APC primaries as sham Banji Aluko - Benin City GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has terminated the appointment of his Executive Director on Poverty Alleviation and Mobilisation, Mrs Evelyn Igbafe, for alleged dereliction of duty, incompetence, among others.

Mrs Igbafe had on Wednesday condemned the June 18 Edo State governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress, describing it as a sham and the winner of the primaries,

Godwin Obaseki, as “unripe mango and tomato” that cannot sell.

In a letter dated June 1 by the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, the state government said: “I write to inform you that the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has approved the termination of your appointment as Executive Director to the Governor on Poverty Alleviation and Mobilisation for dereliction of duty, incompetence and abdicating your responsibilities.”

Consequently, you are to return all government property with you, including vehicles and identity card, to the Directorate of Administration, Governor’s Office immediately.”

Igbafe, who is an Executive Director of Poverty Alleviation in the state, had called for immediate cancellation of the primaries in the interest of justice and fair-play, while tasking APC leaders and members to take a cue from the PDP primaries that she described as free and fair.

THE Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it is prepared to abide by any decision the party’s elders may come up with to end its lingering leadership crisis.

It has also blasted claimant to the office of the national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, for lying about the setting up of the eight-man reconciliation committee demanded by the Inspector General of Police.

In a statement issued by the spokesman for the caretaker committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye in Abuja on Friday, the party noted that what it was going through was a phase which would soon pass away.

It said the Makarfi-led leadership was properly put in place by the organs of the party and was not there for their selfish interest.

The party said: “However, should the organs of the party come together and take any kind of decision, which in their considered opinion is the best way forward for the party, the caretaker committee will promptly welcome and abide by that decision, whatever it is.

“This is because Senator Makarfi and all members of the caretaker committee believe that the PDP is bigger than all of them, individually or collectively, and its interest, wellbeing and progress supersede all other interests.

“Members of the committee also believe that they owe the party a lot, for the platform it has afforded them, from inception to date, to become whatever they’ve become, rather than the other way round.

“They therefore don’t look at this assignment from a personal perspective; they rather look at it from the point of view of what value they could add to the fortunes and image of the party, as one of the means of ensuring that the party learns from its mistakes and that it emerges stronger than it has ever been.”

On the allegation made by Sheriff that Makarfi was the one preventing the setting up of the reconciliation committee, the statement explained: “As regards nominations of four to represent the party in the reconciliation drive, Sheriff knows that his claims are the farthest thing from the truth. Today, Friday, the 24th of June, 2016 is exactly a week from the day a meeting with the security chiefs at which resolution for the nominations was reached, was held.

“The caretaker committee promptly consulted and forwarded names of the party nominees to the Board of Trustees. Secretary to the Board, Ambassador Ojo Maduekwe, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri and Professor Jerry Gana will attest to that.

“Furthermore, to underscore the committee’s allegiance to the party and also the fact that the members are not representing themselves, no member of the care-taker committee made it to the nomination; nominees are drawn from organs of the party, i.e. Board of Trustees, Governors’ Forum as well as the National Assembly caucuses.

“Up to this moment, Senator Sheriff has continued to play hide-and-seek with various delegations sent to get nominations from his group.

“To therefore claim that the caretaker committee has not made its nominations is clearly sitting truth on its head.”

The committee assured teeming members of the party that it would abide by its mandate to conduct a national convention to midwife a new national leadership for the party.

Ramadan message O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.

—Surat Al-Imran verses 102-104

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25 June, 2016

Honeywell urges corps members to be creative

From left, Technical Adviser to the Vice- President, Mr. Kabir Aregbesola; Special Assistant on Media and ICT to the President, Moshope Olaosebikan; Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank Plc. Mr. Uzoma Dozie and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on ICT, Mr. Lanre Osibona, at the Aso Villa Day Innovation Entrepreneurship Technology, sponsored by Diamond Bank Plc, held on Thursday in Lagos. Photo: Sylvester Okoruwa.

Ekiti workers suspend strike, sign agreement with government Sam Nwaoko- Ado Ekiti

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IVIL servants in Ekiti State on Friday suspended their four-weekold strike following the signing of an agreement with the state government.

At a ceremony in AdoEkiti, the state government and the central labour unions agreed to a sevenpoint deal.

On the government’s side were the Secretary to the Government, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Alade, the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka and the Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo.

On the side of the labour were the chairman, Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Oladipo Johnson, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ade Adesanmi and the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Odunayo Adesoye.

Among the resolutions agreed to are that the state government should, within seven days, conclude its request with commercial banks to restructure personal loans granted public servants with a view to giving them relief from loan repayment; payment of January 2016 salary immedi-

ately and the payment of February salary as soon as Budget Support Fund is available.

Others are giving priority to government’s obligations to public servants, payment of September 2014 salary of primary school teachers as well as leave bonus of local government employees.

The others are making N10million available monthly to gradually defray outstanding gratuities, release the report of the 2015 staff verification exercise and making monthly provision for capacity building of public

servants.

Speaking on the development, the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, expressed appreciation for the understanding shown by the labour leaders and the commitment of Governor Ayodele Fayose to ensure industrial harmony in the state.

He said the gap in the payment of salaries arose following the understanding between labour and government last September that the state’s resources and statutory allocations were no longer adequate to pay salaries and there was need to merge two alloca-

THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested an alleged undergraduate of National Open University (NOUN), (name with held), with a locally made gun.

The suspect, 24, according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Kareem Olanrewaju, made available to

tions to pay a month’s salary.

“When you have such a situation on hand, it is obvious that when you get to 12 months, there would be a gap of six months. The arrangement started and we were combining two allocations to pay a month salary.

The state government appreciates the workers and value their support and cooperation,” he said.

The JNC Chairman, Comrade Oladipo Johnson, said the suspension of the strike would allow for further consultations and expressed thanks to workers for their support during the strike.

PDP: Court strikes out Metuh’s, two others’ names AN FCT High Court, Maitama, on Friday struck out the names of Olisa Metuh and two others in the suit filed by a faction of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

The chairman of the faction, Senator Ali-Modu Sherrif and 17 others brought the action against PDP and seven others over the national convention of the party on May 21.

The convention dissolved the National Executive Council, National Work-

ing Committee and set up a seven-man caretaker committee.

The judge, Justice Husseni Baba-Yusuf, struck out Metuh’s name following the application of Mr Henry Leonard, counsel for Metuh and the two others from the suit.

Leonard said he had just been briefed by his client.

“I have a problem in this matter as I was just briefed

by Metuh last night, he told me categorically that he was never put on notice in

NSCDC arrests varsity student with gun Olayinka Olukoya -Abeokuta

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune, was caught with the firearm at Tekobi, Idi-Aba area of Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday morning.

The suspect, upon interrogation claimed that the gun belonged to a friend who lived in the same vicinity.

According to the PRO, the suspect was arrested when he allegedly burgled a Toyota Camry marked LAGOS FFF 593 AA and stole the car battery be-

longing to a resident of the area.

The suspect, who claimed to be a 300-level student of the university, with his gang members at large, were reported to have been under watch by residents of the community.

The gang members were said to have escaped arrest, having sighted the search team of the NSCDC. However, the suspect denied knowledge of burgling the car.

this matter that he has been joined to appear in.

“My client has been sick and has not participated in any political activities.

“The 4th applicant equally told me that he was not aware of the suit,” he said.

Leonard urged the court to give him time to study the process to be able to determine whether they could go on with the matter or discontinue.

He later aligned with the order of the judge that they should be struck out of the matter.

Baba-Yusuf equally heard the motions filed by Mr Ken Njemanze (SAN), counsel for the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th applicants.

The court granted Njemanze’s request to use his current stamp and seal on the motion instead of the old one.

Consequently, Mr Emmanuel Ukala, (SAN) counsel for the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and the 6th plaintiffs and Mr Yunus Usman (SAN), counsel for the 2nd, 7th and 8th applicants asked the court to strike out the suit and let a new suit be filed.

AS white-collar jobs are becoming increasingly elusive, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc has urged young school graduates to sharpen their skills and utilise their God-given talents to earn a living.

Managing Director, Mr. Lanre Jayeola, who stated this during the week at the Honeywell Wheatmeal Cooking Competition held at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Lagos State camp, Iyana Ipaja, also reiterated the company’s readiness to continuously invest in youth development and engagement activities, saying such action would bring out the best in Nigeria’s future leaders and make them more focused and ambitious.

“Every individual has innate skill which when properly harnessed, will push them beyond their limitations. My advice to the youth corps members is to embrace entrepreneurship by delving into activities in which they are naturally endowed. By doing this, they will be saving themselves the agony of looking for non-existing white collar jobs,” he said.

FG challenges military retirees on security, insurgency THE Federal Government on Friday urged retired military officers to collaborate with their serving colleagues in the fight against insurgency in the country.

The Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed DanAli (retd) made the appeal at the passing out ceremony of military retirees at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Lagos.

Represented by Mrs Iro Ikenga, the Director Army, Ministry of Defence, also urged retirees to work with members of the military, even in retirement, to tackle insurgency in the North-east.

“You all know that the issue of security of our country in recent times is at its critical stage, as the military is now contending with insurgents in the North-East.

“As retiring members of the armed forces, a lot is still required of you wherever you find yourselves in the aspect of collaborations with serving members of the Armed Forces.

“You might also be required to collaborate with other security agencies of our father land to completely eradicate this threat of insurgency,” she said.

Oke charges state govts to kill corruption

By Dare Adekanmbi THE Presiding Bishop, Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Dr Francis Wale Oke, has tasked state governments across the country to take conscious steps to stamp out corruption and improve the standard of living in their domains.

Oke gave the advice while reacting to the decision of the Federal Government to release N90billion as another bailout funds to states to defray the backlog of unpaid workers’ salaries in their various states.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had in July 2015 released about N250billion special intervention fund in the form of soft loans to affected states to enable them to pay backlog of salaries.

While addressing the press, Oke said it was sad that workers were passing through tough time at the moment.

He said Federal Government’s efforts at alleviating the suffering of the citizens should not be taken for granted or allowed to waste.

12,000 orphans, needy benefit from Sokoto govt’s Ramadan assistance SOKOTO State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has distributed clothing materials and food items to 12,485 orphans and indigent persons across the state.

The event, which took place in Kuchi village of Kebbe Local Government, had beneficiaries drawn from 85 districts in the 23 local government councils of the state.

Both the food items and the clothing materials were purchased by the state government through the state Zakkat and Endowment Committee.

Speaking at the occasion, Tambuwal said that each female orphan will receive a wrapper and N1000, while each male orphan will receive five yards of clothing material and N1000.

Tambuwal stated that the gesture was aimed at assisting the orphans and the needy to celebrate the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr with ease.

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Buhari begs Niger Delta militants over vandalism Says “they use hi-tech weapons” Leon Usigbe - Abuja

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday night requested all those who have links with Niger Delta militants to beg them to stop sabotaging oil installations in view of the negative effects is having on the economy.

Speaking during the breaking of Ramadan fast dinner organised for leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he revealed that the militants were using sophisticated technology to blow up the installations.

He said he was agonising at their action which was discouraging insurance companies from insuring oil and gas facilities in the region.

Buhari said: “I honestly don’t know how many factions the militants are in the Niger Delta, compared to the North East, where you have the Boko Haram “The technology being deployed by the militants to destroy oil installations is hi-tech, the way they can go on the high seas and international waters and target oil installations is a national problem. It is affecting development.

“No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up and no banks will want to finance such installations.

“Those of you who have friends among the leadership or even the militants themselves should plead with them in the name of

God Almighty to take it easy.

“We need to stabilise to create employment, we need to stabilise the economy, etc. I agonise over these things.

“We are in a very difficult time, so we have to organise ourselves. Anybody that says he has any other

THE Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) has sealed off an unregistered university in Delta State after four years of operation even as its Coordinator and support Staff of the institution have been arrested.

Officials of the commission, in collaboration with men of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), had on Thursday stormed the institution World Mission University (West Africa) located along the Old Sapele road Abraka, a short distance away from the Delta state university.

The university which is a satellite campus to a University in the United States of America with its African Zonal headquarters in South Africa runs scholarship admission for a 2 year

to ensure that the vote of the people counts,” he said.

Earlier, the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told the President that the party was pleased with what he has accomplished so far and the strong leadership the president had given the country.

Brexit: We need to find the best way —Cameron Continued from pg4

A great trading nation, with our science and arts, our engineering and our creativity respected the world over.

And while we are not perfect, I do believe we can be a model of a multiracial, multifaith democracy, where people can come and make a contribution and rise to the very highest that their talent allows.

Although leaving Europe was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths.

I have said before that Britain can survive outside the European Union, and indeed that we could find a way.

Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way.

And I will do everything I can to help.

I love this country — and I feel honoured to have served it.

And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.

Boris Johnson’s reaction Boris Johnson, one of the

NUC seals off university after 4 yrs of operation Alphonsus Agborh - Asaba

country other than Nigeria should go out and see.”

The president expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Edo State APC primary election which he said gave him hope, noting that the party would keep an eye on that of Ondo.

“We are going to watch Ondo very closely we have

degree and six months Diploma courses in various disciplines.

The courses include Nursing, Public health, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Management and Administration, Mass Communication, Political Science, Industrial Safety, Web designing, Computer networking, Computer engineering, Vocational studies etc.

The school has 84 students who are taught by volunteerlecturers while its first graduation is expected to take place in August this year According to the leader of the closure team and head of legal department of NUC, Moses Awe, the commission had monitored the activities of the institution for over six months after one of the students on admission, inquired about the genuineness of the degree awarding university.

most prominent voices in the Leave campaign, has spoken out following the public’s vote to leave the European Union and the Prime Minister’s consequent resignation.

Now touted as Mr Cameron’s most likely successor, Mr Johnson called his party leader a “principled man” who was “one of the most extraordinary politicians of our age”.

He also praised his senior’s “superb leadership” of the Conservative Party, and his “bravery” for supporting the referendum vote.

“Some people are now saying that was wrong and that the people should never have been asked in this way.

I disagree,” he said at Vote Leave’s headquarters in London, flanked by Labour MP and Brexit campaigner Gisela Stuart, and fellow Conservative Michael Gove.

“I believe it was entirely right and inevitable and indeed that there is no way with dealing with a decision on this scale except by putting it to the people.

“In the end, this question is about the people, it’s about the right of the people of this country to settle their own destiny, it’s about the very principles of our democracy.

“The rights of all of us to elect and remove the people who make the key decisions in their lives. And I think that the electorate have searched in their hearts and answered as honestly as they can.”

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP said the Brexit vote “does not mean that the United Kingdom will be in any way less united” or “less European”.

“I believe the British people have spoken up for democracy in Britain and across Europe and I think we can be very proud of the result,” he said.

Mr Johnson said the Brexit vote gave the UK a “glorious opportunity” for a brighter future, and insisted that Britain would remain “a greater European power” outside the future Union.

“We cannot turn our backs on Europe, we are part of Europe,” he said.

“Our children and our grandchildren will continue

to have a wonderful future as Europeans, travelling to the continent, understanding the languages and cultures that make up our common European civilisation.”

The former Mayor of London also said change would not be immediate.

“There is no need for haste,” said Mr Johnson.

“As the Prime Minister has just said, nothing will change over the short term except that work will have to begin on how to give effect to the will of the people and to extricate this country from the supranational system.

“To those who may be anxious, whether at home or abroad, this does not mean that the United Kingdom will be in any way less united, nor indeed does it mean that it will be any less European.

“I believe we now have a glorious opportunity. We can pass our laws and set our taxes entirely according to the needs of the UK economy.

“We can control our own borders in a way that is not discriminatory but fair and balanced and take the wind out of the sails of the extremists and those who would play politics with immigration.

“I want to reassure everybody that, in my view, as a result of this Britain will continue to be a great European power, leading discussions on defence and intelligence sharing and all the work that currently goes on to make our world safer.

“But there is simply no need in the 21st century to be part of a federal system of government, based in Brussels that is imitated nowhere else on Earth. It was a noble idea for its time, it is no longer right for this country.”

He also appealed directly to “young people” not to feel dismayed by the vote, but to know that great opportunities lay ahead for them.

And he said the debate must move on from those who “would play politics with immigration”.

Mr Johnson spoke shortly after Mr Cameron formally told the Queen of his decision to hand over the premiership to a new Conservative leader by October.

Saturday Tribune

Ekiti groups demand Fayose’s resignation Their sponsors sunk Ekiti in debts —Govt SOME groups in Ekiti State rallied in Ado Ekiti on Friday in support of the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and also demanded that Governor Ayodele Fayose of the state should pay the workers of the state without delay.

A group, Be The Change Organisation (BCO) which organised the rally said its members were in support of the anti-corruption fight by the Federal Government led by President Buhari and that all Nigerians must support any move to recover the peoples commonwealth from looters.

Executive Director of BCO, Mrs. Omotunde Fajuyi, said Ekiti people were people of honour and integrity but expressed dismay that “Governor Fayose’s conduct in power has brought shame and odium on all Ekitis both at home and abroad.”

Fajuyi said: “Workers are dying at home, we want Fayose to explain what he has done with allocations he had so far collected because he had received more than N50 billion as allocation since he came to power.

Mr. Adeoye Aribasoye, challenged Fayose to explain what he did with ecological funds and N9.6 billion bailout funds he received from the Federal Government.

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi said “Omotunde Fajuyi and Adeoye Aribasoye are known All Progressives Congress cronies who already knew the answers to the misguided posers they were raising because they were part of the government chased away by Ekiti people with their overwhelming votes.”

Adelusi said: “Delay in payment of workers’ salaries in Ekiti cannot be blamed on Governor Fayose because it was not his administration that plunged the state into a huge debt which has now made the creditors to continue to deduct N1.2 billion on monthly basis from the federal allocation of N2.6 billion.”

Nigerians shouldn’t lose hope —Kumuyi PASTOR William Kumuyi, the General Superintendent, Deeper Life Bible Church, has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in view of the current challenges the country is experiencing.

Kumuyi, who gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, stated that because answers prayers, the country will experience “national renewal, restoration and revival.”

“I do not think we should lose hope; there is God in heaven, who answers prayers.

“There is Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, who wants the best for every one of us.

“And there are some of us who are praying and we believe that God answers prayers and so we are not going to lose hope in our country; things are going to turn around.

“And that is one of the reason we are here, the wonder is just for a local person; that yes God loves each person, but we are coming to bring national renewal, restoration and revival.

“Something good is going to happen to our nation.”

Edo APC governorship aspirants back Obaseki Clement Idoko - Abuja THE Edo State governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have agreed to work with the party’s flag bearer, Mr Godwin Obaseki to ensure victory for APC at the poll.

The aggrieved aspirants have said they would now throw their weight behind Obaseki who emerged as the successful candidate at the primary election conducted by the party in the State.

This followed a reconciliatory meeting held a meeting on Thursday night with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal and some other APC leaders.

Some of the aspirants who spoke with newsmen at the end of the meeting said they decided to close ranks and support Obaseki in order not to loose the only South South APC state to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to them, whatever disagreements were left among all the Edo APC governorship aspirants, are being attended to as a family.

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Saturday Tribune

Police arraign pastor’s wife for theft

By Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

High Chief Olufemi Olaifa (third from right), Mrs Adesope Felicia Adedoyin (fourth from right) and some members of the United Nigeria Chaplaincy (UNC) presenting a gift to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, during a visit to his palace at Popoyemoja, Ibadan, Oyo State recently.

PHOTO: D’Toyin.

Alleged wife killer, Shonde, to spend two more weeks in prison

A

N Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Friday ordered that Olalekan Shonde, who allegedly killed his wife, should spend two more weeks in Ikoyi Prisons’ custody.

Chief Magistate Oluwayemisi Adelaja, who gave the order, said that Shonde should appear before her on 8 July when the matter would come up for mention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that she had last Monday ordered that Shonde be remanded when he was first arraigned on a charge of murder.

The prosecutor, Inspector Chinalu Uwadione, had informed the court that he had received a copy of the legal advice from the

Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) when the case was mentioned.

However, the counsel for Shonde, Mr. I. B. Mohammed, responding to Uwadione’s submission, told the court that he was yet to be served his own copy of

the advice and would like to apply for it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Shonde, 51, a dock worker, was alleged to have murdered his wife, Ronke Shonde, 37, on May 5 at their No. 3,

$2.1bn arms deal: APC using EFCC to nail me —Omisore ...Says no N1.3bn in his account Taiwo Adisa - Abuja GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State in the 2014 governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has accused some unnamed APC godfathers of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to nail him at

all costs in the $2.1billion arms deal.

Omisore, in a statement in Abuja, denied the accusation that he stashed away N1.3billion allegedly collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in his bank account.

He described the allegation as sheer blackmail orchestrated by APC leaders,

Glo rewards 270 officers in police promo ...20 win N500,000 each LEADING telecommunications company, Globacom, has rewarded 270 members of the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF) Cooperative Society with fantastic prizes through the Glo-powered Closed User Group (CUG) Account. The prizes included N500,000 each won by 20 officers.

At a presentation ceremony held at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday, seven out of the 20 who won N500,000 each were presented with their cheques. They were Rabiu Hussaini, Olasunbo Tokunboh-Ajayi, Sunday Edoka, John Otame, Abiodun Mudasiru, Sikiru Opakunle and Thankgod Esechie.

Two of the winners, John Otame and Abiodun Mu-

Tiemo St., Egbeda, Lagos residence.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravenes Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 which prescribes a death sentence for convicts.

dashiru, had the privilege of collecting their cheques from the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, in his office.

The others who won the N500,000 star prize but were not at the event were expected to pick their cheques at the Globacom Abuja office. They are Umar Bala, Kenneth Enumaje, Dickson Solomon, Ikechukwu James Nwogu, Rasheed Aliu, Toba Ajayi, Alli Bello, Roseline Iriemivbor, Emmanuel Gabriel, Saheed Ganiyu, Rasheed Sanni, Calunun Kemuel and Thomas Saleh.

Besides the 20 lucky officers and men, 250 other members of the Police CUG won items including deep

freezers, 5KVA generators, water dispensers, home theaters and smart phones.

In her reaction after collecting her N500,000 cheque, Mrs. Olasunbo Tokunboh-Ajayi, who is a bursar at the Police Children School, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, said that winning the prize was like a dream come true. She urged other police personnel and civilians serving in police formations across the country to join the Police CUG. “When I was called about the prize I won, I told the Customer Care person that Glo was already doing a lot for us and that I was already enjoying the network, I did not know that I could still receive more from Globacom,” Tokunboh-Ajayi said.

adding that it was a show of EFCC’s desperation.

The former deputy governor of Osun State also stated that the anti-graft body had been using falsehood against him, while also harassing him over the matter.

He stated that the desperation was evident in the manner the Commission, at one time alleged that he stashed N700million and later changed the figure to N1.3billion.

He further said that the EFCC had been dodging court summons in the suit he filed against it, an indication which he said confirmed that the Commission was not bold enough to stand up to its claims.

The former senator said: “EFCC won’t stop at any height to blackmail opposition. My AIT [African Independent Television] programme has attracted another falsehood to harass me. Only yesterday [Thursday] morning, I accused EFCC of dodging court summons. I didn’t collect any money from the Office of the National Security Adviser. I have not had any dealings with that office. Last time, it was N700 million; today, it’s N1.3bn.”

A 33-year-old pastor’s wife, who is also a staff member of Best Star Micro Finance Bank Plc, Mrs. Olufelo Abiodun Adeniran, has been arraigned by the police before the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Moniya Magisterial District sitting at Akinyele Local Government secretariat on a charge bordering on stealing.

The pastor’s wife, who was arraigned before Magistrate Salami, was accused of stealing the sum of N371,500 belonging to her employer.

The charge, prepared by the Area Crime Officer of Area Command Agodi, W/SP Temidayo Adesokan, reads: “That you, Olufelo Abiodun Adeniran, ‘F’ in the month of November, 2015 at Ojoo area, Ibadan, in the Moniya magisterial district, did steal the sum of N371,500.00k belonging to your employer, Best Star Micro Finance Bank Plc and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (6) of Criminal Code Cap 38 vol. 11 Laws of Oyo state, Nigeria 2000.”

The investigating police officer, W/CPL Liadi Abiola, had informed the court that Olufelo, in her written statement, admitted that she took the alleged sum without her employer’s knowledge to transact a personal business that failed.

The court had granted her bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum and at the resumed hearing of the matter, Olufelo had informed the court that she had informed her employer that she wanted to settle out of court.

But the representative of the company denied knowledge of any out of court settlement arrangement and the court adjourned the matter till July 14, 2016 for report of settlement or commencement of trial.

Accord chides APC for linking it with Ajimobi-Labour face-off

By Dare Adekanmbi ACCORD Party has chided the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State for accusing Accord of inciting the labour unions against Governor Abiola Ajimobi over the “unpopular plan to sell off public schools in the guise of public-private partnership.”

The APC had on Thursday blamed the dispute between the governor and the labour leaders on the opposition party which it also accused of planning to destabilise the state.

However, reacting through its publicity secretary, Dr Nureni Adeniran, Accord said it was clear that the APC-led government had run out of excuses and was bent on hanging its failure on the neck of “a masses-peopled Accord.”

Dr Adeniran counselled the APC that the blame game would not do its government any good, adding that the government should be humble enough to solicit advice from Accord and look inwards on how best to conquer the challenges facing the government.

“The labour unions need no incitement from any quarters since the leadership of the unions comprises intelligent set of people with clear focus and vision.

“The inadequacies of the Oyo State government are so manifest that everybody can see them without being incited. The so-called solidarity rally to which hapless artisans were mobilised by government was only a mere show of shame. The money is better spent paying salary arrears.”

Kaduna court sentences traditional ruler, 13 others to 2 years in prison for trespass Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna The Chief Magistrates’ Court 1 sitting in Kaduna has sentenced the District Head of Mahuta in Kaduna and 13 others to two years imprisonment over criminal conspiracy, trespass and intimidation.

When the case came up, the prosecution told the court that the traditional ruler sometime in 2014 conspired with 13 other people to trespass and intimidate some people over 120 plots of land in the community.

However, before delivering judgement, the defence councel, Barrister Egustina Joshua, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy since the offenders have no criminal records.

To this end, the judge said they were found guilty under Section 96 and punishable under Section 97, Section 342 and punishable under Section 348, Section 396 and punishable under Section 397 of the state penal code.

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Hijab is our right and we’re happy court We’re committed to fighting for our has given us —President, Osun Muslim Community rights —Osun CAN chairman The President, Osun State Muslim Community, Sheikh Salaudeen Olayiwola, speaks with OLUWOLE IGE on the recent court judgment allowing the wearing of hijab in public schools in the state and the attendant controversy. Excerpts:

What is your view on the tending Muslim mission schools high court ruling allowing and they choose to wear their Muslim students to wear church robes, we will not hijab in public schools? oppose it because there is When we went to Govno need for that. If they ernor Rauf Aregbesola are doing so because of with a demand that God, there is no problem Muslim students in pubsince they would not lic schools should be force Muslim students wearing hijab, according to wear such garments. to the dictates of Holy Qur’an, he said our chilAbout a week ago, dren who could wear hijab some Muslim clerics were free to do so. We also reportedly stormed a Sheikh Olayiwola went to many schools to inform public school in Osogbo the principals that we wanted our where they insisted on their children to be wearing hijab. They asked children being allowed to wear hijab in us where it was written in the Qur’an and the school premises. But the principal we told them. We said that the instruction refused, saying the authorities had not was even in the Holy Bible, in the Book of received any directive to that effect Corinthians, chapter 5. The Bible and the from the government and the matter Qur’an direct us to follow a good path. We almost resulted in a crisis. What is are not against Christians. The teachers your view on that development? and principals refused our request. We fed Those clerics were at the school to appeal Governor Aregbesola back on the reaction of to the school authorities. Once a judgement the principals to the issue and he said he was had been delivered on the matter, if they governor over Muslims, Christians and tradi- refused to obey it, then they were against tional worshippers. He said we could pursue the law and constituted authority. Even the our cause legally because he could not take government cannot afford to disobey the sides in the matter. The governor added that court. In Ede, some Muslim clerics went to we could only insist on our children wearing Seventh Day School to appeal to their princihijab and not all female students in public pal regarding hijab. I told them to be peaceful schools. So, we dragged the government to in their approach and shun any act capable court over the issue and the state chapter of of disrupting the peace of the town. The law the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is above anybody. The most important part joined as co-defendants in the suit. We were of it is that God should give us the spirit of in court for about three proceedings before peace. What I observed is that they want to the case was halted. I was later invited by politicise this issue because once the court the state director of the Department of State has made a pronouncement on it, all parties Services (DSS). The DSS director said that to the case should abide by it. It is like an elecwe took CAN to court over hijab issue and tion, whoever emerges as the winner must be I said no, it was the state government that accepted by other contestants. There should we sued. He threatened to take me to Abuja not be any wrangling over this judgement. and I said that I was ready as long as I was What is expected of all is total compliance. fighting a just cause. Later, he soft-pedalled What is your advice for both Chrison the issue. I said we didn’t want anything that would threaten religious peace in Osun tians and Muslims in the state over State and that was why we went to court. this issue?

My simple advice is for everybody to emWe sought peaceful resolution of the matter through the court of law. We are coexisting brace peace. Islam and Christianity are about peacefully with Christians and traditional peace. We should do what is right and approworshippers. priate and eschew what is wrong and unjust.

Our position on hijab is not man-made. It is But after the court judgment, Chris- directed by God in the Holy Qur’an. There tians in the state under the umbrella are Yoruba, English and Arabic versions of of CAN rejected the judgement and di- the Qur’an, they should go and check it there. rected their children in public schools It is explicit. When the judge checked it, he to be wearing church robes to schools. found it there and he said only Muslim stuHow did that make you feel? dents should wear hijab. There is no problem.

I told all Muslims to go about their activities Islam is not a religion of force or compulsion. peacefully; that they should not fight with anybody. We are in a state of peace. It is our We are in the month of Ramadan, Muslim children that should wear hijab in what is your admonition to Muslims public schools, not the Christian. We thank in Osun State?

God for the court judgement and we are very We should all be committed to peace. In happy about it. It does not create any problem peace, we all stand to gain a lot. Without whatsoever. peace, there can never be development. MusThere is no big deal in the directive for lims and Christians are brothers and sisters Christian students to wear church robes and we should follow what the law says on insofar as they can establish their stand in this hijab issue. It is the dictate of the law the Holy Bible. We believe that the Bible and that the police and other security agencies the Qur’an are holy books. Once they find should follow. Let our female children use evidence in the Bible that supports such a hijab in public schools, Muslim students, not stand, there is no problem. Their children Christian. We are begging and appealing as can wear anything they like to school. There peace-loving people. If we say Christian stuis no fight or rancour about that as far as we dents should wear hijab, then we will be overare concerned. Even if their children are at- stepping our bounds, which we will not do.

Reverend Elisha Ogundiya is the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Osun State. He speaks with OLUWOLE IGE on the June 3 ruling of the state High Court on hijab use in public schools in the state and the dramatic counter measure that saw Christian students appear in church robes. Excerpts: Now that a judgealready to appeal the ruling. We ment has been demust let the people know the livered by an Osun faults and biases we found State high court, in the judgement, espeallowing Muslim cially since the judge students to wear who delivered the rulhijab in public ing is a Muslim. schools, what is the next line of acDo you think weartion for CAN? ing of religious garWe have appealed ments by students against the judgement. as a counter measure As Christians in Osun is the solution to the Rev. Ogundiya State, we believe that the problem? judgement is against our No but the claim of fundafaith. The judgement holds that mental right is neither the soluit is the fundamental right of female stu- tion. If the fundamental human right dents or pupils to wear hijab due to their of female Muslim students is to wear faith. But it should be noted that both the hijab to public schools, then let it be government and lawyers of the Muslim so for their Christian counterparts. community in the state did not plead We all know the conventional dress for for fundamental human rights in their students in schools. Nigeria is secular prayers before the court. That shows that state, not otherwise. the judgement was biased. Secondly, the judgement was quoting the Qur’an and Recently, the state director of the we are in a secular state, not an Islamic Department of State Services (DSS) one. Osun State comprises Christians, invited religious leaders regarding Muslims and adherents of other religions. this controversial issue of hijab.

That is why we are contesting the judge- What was the stand of Christian ment. The judgement also reads that leaders at that meeting? students should be wearing hijab that Security agents are peacemakers. They matches the colour of school uniforms keep the peace and order in the state and that was not included in the plea. and they are doing their work. They only We see a lot of faults and biases and we called us to forestall breakdown of law feel that the judgement should not stay. and order in the state and we promised That informed our decision to appeal them that there would be no violence and the ruling. there has not been any.

Some people believe that your directive to students to be wearing church robes to public schools as a result of the judgement is capable of causing crisis.

It is not capable of casing crisis and it has not caused any crisis. It is only that if the judge should say that it is the right of female Muslim students to wear hijab, which is not part of the school uniforms designed by the state government, then Christian students, too, have the right to put on religious dresses. We are not stopping any female student from wearing hijab to school. What we are saying is that let our children also wear religious garments to school. What we are doing is mere interpretation of the judgement, as applicable to all. The directive to Christian students to wear church robes to school was not my making.

It was the directive of all church leaders in Osun State. I am only the CAN chairman. The decision was reached by church leaders and we asked the Christian students to implement it.

Since the judgement is being appealed, is it not absurd for CAN to now direct students to wear religious robes to school?

We have freedom of expression, speech and other rights as Nigerian citizens. That is what we are exercising. We are in court

It seems the students are not wearing church robes again.

Like we have said, there is room for dialogue over the matter. Besides, according to the law, if you have filed an appeal and the case is in court, you must not do anything. We soft-pedalled because an appeal has been filed.

CAN in the South West came to Osun to give the state chapter of the association support on the issue.

What informed this development?

Christian bodies are one all over the world once we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. This issue of hijab is already a subject of discussion at the national level of CAN. The South West CAN felt that since they are closer, they should come and pray with us. Their coming here was for prayer so that God can take control of the situation. They came to pray for Christians, Osun State and Nigeria as a whole.

There is heavy security presence around the CAN office. Are you intimidated?

No, they are here to provide security.

The other time we held a meeting at Baptist Dominion Centre, they were there. I think they are doing their work of protecting the citizens. They are just here to provide security and ward off any trouble.

10

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

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TYLE has noticed that some working-class ladies seem to have dumped the classic suit for more stylish work wears like dresses and casual blouses. Seeing a woman wearing suit to the office is increasingly

becoming a rare sight, except those in the banking profession.

Rather than abandon these classic pieces, here are some stylish ways to revamp this ‘work-mode’ wear to make you look more fashionable and trendy.

DITCH the frumpy baggy trouser for a cigarette pant that clings to showcase your curves. Cigarette pants are best worn with heeled strappy footwear.

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INSTEAD of settling for the usual black, white or grey coloured suit, take it to another stylish level by wearing different shades of each pair!

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They are very trendy, comfortable and elegant at the same time.

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YOU may have picked out the perfect suit, but no ensemble is complete without the right accessories. Why not accessorise with a bow tie? It would surely get you second glance from your colleagues at work.

11

25 June, 2016

Saturday With

A

hypocritical Nigeria cried blue murder recently when three members of the House of Representatives were accused by the American government of attempted rape or sexual harassment and solicit for sex. The United States of American ambassador, James Entwistle, had alleged that the Representatives, who had been invited to America, viz: Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Gololo (APC, Bauchi) and Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) had attempted to commit rape, and solicited sex openly. This allegedly took place during a recent trip embarked upon by the Reps to Cleveland, United States, for the International Visitor Leadership Program. According to Entwistle, Gololo was reported by a hotel house keeper to have grabbed her and sought sex while Messrs Ikon and Gbillah, the Ambassador alleged, sought the assistance of a hotel park attendant to collect prostitutes. They have all denied the allegations.

In his response to the allegation, the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, while asking the House committee to look into the allegation, however maintained that the members would be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Unless if Nigerians would feign a hypocritical prudery that the society is known by, acts of this kind have gone unchecked and unabated for decades and have become an insignia of the moral pass that is the lot of the civilization that Nigeria grapples with. Illicit sex and its solicit in high and low places have become the passport of identification in our society. High and low persons are complicit in the trade whose implosion many sociologists and psychologists have put to the dwindling economy and thus the commodity status of sex.

To be sure, sex is an issue that is as old as man.

Professor Saheed Aderinto of the University of Northern Carolina, in a recent book entitled When sex threatened the state which collates the pre-colonial existence of sex in Nigeria, dwells on the historical underpinning of sex in Nigeria and how even colonialists were implicated in the trade. In post-colonial Nigeria, sex defined a huge corpus of relationship in our society.

Sex in work places, prostitution, illicit sex of whatever kind and guise came to play. Granted that right now, the implosion that the sex trade has witnessed has been largely buoyed by the social media and the difficulties that families are going through in maintaining sanctity and values, sex is said to be a singular factor that has bound the fabric of society together. If you are aware of the quantum of illicit sex that goes on in various homes, hotels, brothels, inns and sundry places, you would situate the hypocrisy of sex in Nigeria. Husbands are

Saturday Tribune

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

When sex threatens our state

in liaisons with housemaids, fathers are in liaisons with their daughters, wives are in liaisons with drivers, mechanics and all what-ought-nots, bosses are sleeping with secretaries and offices have been supplanted for usage as sex beds. A recent research says that several Nigerian homes are flooded with children that are not owned by their purported fathers.

Parents pretend that their daughters are in dormitories solely for intellectual exercises and are not being used as sexual gratifications of the high and mighty at weekends while clubs are peopled by undergraduates at weekends, ferried therein to satisfy the voyeuristic inclinations of those in high offices, for ridiculous fees.

Anyone who knows what use ladies, our daughters and sisters, are put to by public officers, especially how there are special departments in government offices whose responsibility it is to ferry them for the satisfaction of government guests and their allies, would know that sex has gone beyond the boundary of the hypocrisy that we currently exhibit towards it.

It must however be said that the greatest hypocrites about the banalization of sex in the global community is America and her allied western nations. Nude clubs, gay clubs and a pervasive culture of nudity pervade these nations who feign public morality. It is permitted for ladies to assault the male folk with their nakedness on the streets but it is criminal for the male hormone to react to this assault by gravitating to-

wards what it sees. The only caveat that the west hangs on is consent, a very nebulous concept that is of very vague connotation. How do you define the consent of the other partner? At what point is it to be taken that the other partner actually wants to lie with you?

It is this hypocritical bind that the three members of the House are trapped at the moment. Universalizing the concept of sex that is native in their home country of Nigeria, it is probable that the members banked on the haggling and rejection or acceptance of sex that is native to Nigeria. Though the three of them have denied the allegation and threatened to sue the ambassador for assassination of character, it would be difficult for America to sustain its allegation against them with documentary evidence.

In case the alleged hotel staff comes up with her allegation, the problem of corroboration would arise except if the Representatives were interrogated immediately the staff left their hotel room or if there is evidence to prove the alleged assault. The only evidence that may be available is if the hotel has a CCT recording of its environment and as such, a video recording of the said Representative asking the hotel guard to gather prostitutes for him.

The purport of this piece is to ask that our society acknowledges that sex is a big social issue that cannot be drowned by this hypocrisy and prudery that we exhibit at such news in the public. We need to confront the problem and face it squarely. We can go the hypocritical way of the west by limiting our disgust at it to its practice in the public space while the private space is suffused with the maggots. The best way to go, methinks, is to acknowledge that it is a problem and we begin to address it squarely.

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12 fortherecord

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Decision of Hon Justice S.O. Falola on use of Hijab in Osun public schools Continued from yesterday

JUDGMENT

The Applicants, by their Amended Originating Summons brought pursuant to Order 1 Rule 2 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedures) Rules 2009, as preserved by S.315 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) applied to this court for the enforcement of their rights as guaranteed under S.38 and S.42 of the Constitution.

The Originating Summons was supported with a 44 paragraph Affidavit, Statement, Written Address of Counsel and a number of exhibits, including a copy of the document titled “Guidelines on Administration And Discipline in Osun State Public Schools” published by Ministry of Education, Osogbo Osun State in 2004; which is the subject of dispute in this case.

The Applicants captured the essence of their grievances under Grounds Upon Which The Reliefs Are Brought thus: “1. The use of Hijab or head cover is compulsory in Islam on every Muslim Female Students.

2. By virtue of Section 38 of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, everybody is entitled to the right to freedom of religion, conscienc and thought.

3. The 1st – 3rd Respondents issued what it calls “Guidelines on Administration and Discipline in Public Schools in Osun State.

Article 8.2(v) of which forbids the use of Hijab in some Public Schools.

4. Pursuant to the said “Guidelines on Administration and Discipline in Public Schools in Osun State,” the 4th and 5th Respondents deny the Muslim female students the use of Hijab in the Public Schools in Osun State and the Muslim female students who use Hijab in some Public Schools are beaten, embarrassed and tortured by the agents of the Respondents”.

Consequently, the Applicants are seeking the following reliefs from this Honourable Court; “1. An Order for the Applicants to enforce and secure the enforcement of the Fundamental rights of the Muslim Female Students in Public Secondary Schools in Osun State under Sections 38 and Section 42 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

2. Declaration that the use of Islamically prescribed head-cover called Hijab by the Muslim Female Students in all Primary and Secondary Schools in Osun State forms part of their fundamental rights to freedom of religion, conscience and thought as contained in Section 38 of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) 3. Declaration that Article 8.2(v) of the “Guidelines on Administration and Discipline in Osun State Public Schools “ issued by the Ministry of Education under the 3rd Respondent, acting on the instruction of the 1st Respondent is not only discriminatory against Muslim female students but also uncalled for, inconsistent with Section 38 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a clear violation of the fundamental rights of Muslim female students in Public Schools in Osun State to freedom of religion and therefore null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

4. Declaration that molestation, harassment, torture, embarrassment and humiliation which Muslim female students in Osun State Public Schools are subjected to in the hands of the agents of the 1st – 3rd Respondents especially the 4th and 5th Respondents constitute a clear infringement on the fundamental right of the said Muslim female students to religion, conscience and thought as well as their fundamental right to dignity of human person and right against torture, inhuman and degrading treatments.

5. An Order of this Honourable court restraining the Respondents, their servants, agents, privies or whatsoever called from disallowing the Muslim female students in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in Osun State the use of Islamically prescribed Hijab in their various Schools, during and after the School hours”.

Review of Facts And Arguments of Counsel

An Order is made for the Applicants to enforce and secure the enforcements of the fundamental right of the Muslim Female Students in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in Osun State under Sections 38 and 42 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).

In their Counsel’s Written Address, K.B. Odedeji Esq. of Counsel donated two issues for determination, that is; 1. Whether the use of Islamically prescribed head cover called Hijab is not part of the fundamental right of the Muslim Female students in Public Schools in Osun State to the freedom of religion in view of S.38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

2. Whether in view of S.38 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees fundamental right to freedom of religion Article 8 2(V) of the “Guideline On Administration and Discipline in Public Schools in Osun State” is not null, void and of no effect whatsoever”.

Arguing the application beginning with issue 1, Learned Counsel drew my attention to S.38 (1) Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Chapter 24 verses 30 – 31 of the Glorious Qur’an.

Learned Counsel also drew my attention to the decision of the Court of Appeal Ilorin Division in THE PROVOST, KWARA STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ILORIN & 2 ORS VS BASHIRAT SALIU & ORS IN THE UNREPORTED SUIT NO. CA/IL/49/2006, delivered on Thursday 18th June, 2009 which according to him has decided the issue of usage of Hijab by Muslim female students, as part of the fundamental right of Muslim students to the freedom of religion. Counsel quoted pages 15 – 16 of the lead judgement and page 2 of the consenting judgment of Hon. Justice Massoud AbdulRahaman Oredola, JCA in extenso. It was argued that the use of Hijab and veil is a funda-

mental right of the female students in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in Osun State, but that regrettably these rights are being curtailed illegally by the Respondents. It was argued that, the law empowers this court to determine the Applicants’ reliefs under Order 2 Rule 1 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules. The case of FAJEMIROKUN V COMMERCIAL BANK NIG. LTD. (2009) 2 MJC (PART II) PAGE 114, 136 – 137 and AMALE V SOKOTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT & 2 ORS (2012) VOL, 1 – 2 MJSC page 1 at 1-6 PARAG E – F were sited in support of the assertion. It was further argued that female applicants are entitled to those rights in Public Schools in Osun State which is being jointly financed by the 1st – 3rd Respondents. Counsel therefore urged me to uphold the first issue in favour of the Applicants.

On issue 2, Learned Counsel analysed Article 8.2(V) of the Guideline in dispute to mean: a) Hijab is allowed for Muslim students in “Muslim Public Schools” b) Hijab is disallowed for Muslim students in other Schools apart from “Muslim Public Schools” It was argued that irrespective of names, public Schools in Osun State are owned, financed and controlled by government of Osun State under the 1st – 3rd Respondents. Counsel emphasized that this discrimination cannot stand in view of S.38 of the Constitution. And that for the fact that the Guideline is contradictory to S.38 of the Constitution, it (the Guideline) should give way. Counsel finally urged me to hold the two issues in favour of the Applicants.

The 1st – 5th Respondents later filed a 21 paragraph Counter Affidavit and Counsel’s Written Address. The 1st – 5th Respondents further raised Preliminary Objection to the Suit. In the Counter Affidavit deposed to by Mr. Jacob Ayanyemi a Principal State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Osogbo, the 1st – 5th Respondents stated that some paragraphs in the Affidavit in Support of the application are true, while others are not. It was deposed that, the head teachers and Principals of Public Schools have statutory power to enforce discipline in Schools and government policy, including discouragement of the use of Hijab in Public Schools in Osun State. That only School beret and face cap are known to be part of School Uniform, and that school uniforms are distributed free of charge in Osun State without Hijab. That the Muslim Female students and their parents are fully aware that the use of Hijab by Muslim students is restricted in Public Schools in Osun State.

In the Counsel’s Written Address signed by Jide Obisakin, a Director in the Ministry of Justice, one issue was nominated for determination, to wit; “Whether the suit of the Applicants can be competently maintained as Fundamental Rights to warrant the adjudicatory power of the court in entertaining same”.

Sgd: HON. JUSTICE S. O. FALOLA - JUDGE TODAY 3RD JUNE, 2016

Attendance of Parties The 2nd and 3rd Applicants are present.

Alhaji Olayanju Abdulateef, Public Relation Officer, represents the 2nd Applicant.

The 3rd Applicant is represented by Arikeuyo Abduljelili, the Amir/President.

The 1st and 4th Applicants are absent.

The 6th Respondent is present and represented by Reverend A. O. Fagbemi Protocol Officer and Adesola Olubadejo, Chairman Osogbo branch of the 6th Respondent Other Respondents are absent.

REPRESENTATION OF COUNSEL: K.B. Odedeji appears with A. A. Mustafa, Ibrahim Abolusodun, Abdulsalam Abdulfatai, E. O. Oladimeji and N. B. Saliu for the Applicants.

K. Tijani Adekilekun, Assistant Chief State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Osun State, appears for the 1st – 5th Respondents Femi Ayandokun with Edward Z. Biriomoni appears for the 6th – 9th Respondents Alhaji G. A. Lawal appears with S. A. Asafa – Olaore (Mrs) for Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) an Amicus Curiae.

13

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink With

kango, you can enjoy corn anytime, anywhere

Mrs Olufunmilola Salako is a business woman with a passion for pastry. Speaking with BLESSING EKUM, the educationist who heads Kingdom Heritage Model School, Basorun Ibadan, provides some helpful tips for giving your child the best in feeding and shares a tasty way corn can be enjoyed.

As a child, what did meal times mean to you?

S a child, I didn’t like to eat. I preferred snacks and my mum sometimes had to force me to eat. I remember sharing my brother’s baby milk because I didn’t enjoy eating solid foods.

A

Wasn’t there a dish you liked?

I actually liked fried plantain (dodo).

What did your mum do to encourage you to eat healthily?

Despite the fact that I didn’t enjoy eating, my mum made sure that whatever little food I ate had to be balanced. She would ensure we had eggs and she always served vegetables. I loved eating vegetables, so that helped.

Which was your favourite snack?

I am from Ekiti State and there is this snack that’s a delight among the people from Ekiti. It’s a corn snack known as kango among the Ijesha and pekere among the Ekiti. It’s different from ipekere made from plantain.

Indigenes of Ekiti State are known for their love of pounded yam, did

you also share this interest?

No. Despite the fact that pounded yam was eaten everyday, I remember I would only pick the protein from the soup and hand the rest of the food to my brothers. I still don’t enjoy pounded yam till now even though it’s my husband’s favourite. However, I love to eat yam.

Which is preferable for pounded yam: processed yam flour or pounded yam?

Even though pounded yam is not one of my favourite foods, I do not like cooking it from processed yam flour. I prefer pounding it and I still pound till now. I’ll just not eat after pounding.

Is there a science to well-pounded yam?

Well-pounded yam definitely requires some skill. First, one needs to get the right yam and then one needs to perfect the pounding else the texture won’t turn out fine. The ideal yam for preparing pounded yam is the variety called ako’su or isu aro.

What’s your family’s weekend special?

It’s pounded yam with vegetable soup.

The vegetable soup is usually a mix of about three vegetables such as ugwu, bitter leaves and scent leaves.

How should a mum handle a child that is very selective of food?

There are ways to tackle that. A mother ought to know what the child likes and find ways of incorporating the food she doesn’t like into it. For instance, if a child likes noodles but doesn’t like eggs, you can add little chunks of eggs to it and mix it. The child may not immediately notice the eggs but will in time, start getting used to it.

With your experience with children, what foods are best packed for school lunch?

Some foods are OK but there are some that are a complete no. Rice is a good option but this should not include fried rice. This is because some vegetables added to fried rice such as cabbage won’t stay fresh till when the kids are ready to eat and the food would lose taste. Jollof rice and white rice

with stew are fine. Fried plantain and eggs, bread with tea are also okay. Noodles may be packed but it should be well cooked with nutritious additions like eggs. It shouldn’t be too soggy or contain too much sauce.

Beans is not appropriate for packing as lunch for school. It can be served at home but not packed for school.

This is corn season. What dishes made from corn do you enjoy?

In my place, besides boiling and roasting corn, one can make some dishes such as abari and kango and I enjoy both. While abari is prepared like moin moin, kango is prepared more like akara.

Can you share the recipe for kango?

The ingredients needed are corn kernels, salt, onions, scotch bonnet (rodo) and palm oil. Pick and wash corn kernels. Add scotch bonnet, onions and grind to coarse texture.

Add salt to taste to the paste and stir. Add protein as preferred. Stir. There’s no need to add water. Heat palm oil in a pot, scoop the corn mix with the side of your hand and deep fry. When it’s done, serve. It is a snack that is preferably eaten on its own. It can be enjoyed anytime of the day by both young and old.

14

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

intimacy STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

T

HERE are a few things about pregnancy you’ve probably figured out by now. It can make you feel tired, kind of nauseous and weepy for a few months, but when that magical second trimester hits — watch out. Your partner may not have the stamina to keep up with your raging, hormone-fueled libido.

Of course, sex during pregnancy (when you are feeling energetic and comfortable enough for it) serves more than one purpose beyond scratching your itch. The stress release and the pleasure of a nice, big O is always a win, but there are several scientific reasons to get frisky.

“Continuing to have sex during pregnancy is important for not only the ongoing intimacy and bonding that it creates for both partners, but it also allows for the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that bonds partners through physical touch,” says clinical sexologist Kat Van Kirk, Ph.D. “Research has indicated that oxytocin is also good for the baby in utero. It reduces maternal stress and can create a healthier environment for the pregnancy to develop. In addition, thanks to increased lubrication, the ability to orgasm and increased blood flow to the labia and cervix — which creates more sensitivity — sex can be even more pleasurable during pregnancy than normal,” Kat says.

A wingback chair works better than a small or lower club style. With her back to him — and with enough lubrication to prevent pain — she places her hands on the arms and sits down onto his penis. He places his hands on her hips to help raise and lower her, or if she is strong enough, he can play with her breasts and clitoris. (You might want to try this position clothed before trying it naked!)

Why it’s awesome: “She can also remain in one position and hover there, as he pushes up into her,” says clinical sexologist Eric Marlowe Garrison, author of Mastering Multiple Position Sex. “It’s wonderful for pregnancy, because she has control over depth and speed.”

How to enjoy great sex while pregnant

•Rear-entry side position

How you do it: Lie spooning one another, with the male behind.

Why it’s awesome: “It doesn’t allow for the penis to go too deep, which can be an issue as the cervix is more

sensitive during pregnancy,” says Van Kirk. It also takes the pressure off of the belly and pelvis. It creates the opportunity for his hands to have access to her breasts as well.”

•Queen takes king

How you do it: He sits in a sturdy chair with arms.

I

Dear Yemisi, F a lady frequently asks, ‘show me your love’, what does she mean? Please, give me an answer.

I am confused.

Confused Boy, 08***6*****.

Dear Confused Boy, I am as confused as you are. Your lady is in the best position to give you an answer or explanation on what she is asking of you.

In a layman’s understanding, I am of the opin-

What can I do?

Dear Yemisi, I need your readers counsel to bail me out of my predicament.

I am married and the marriage is blessed with a bouncing baby boy. As I am sending this message to you, it is exactly eight months now that my wife left the house without any reason with my son.

I can say it loud and clear that food is not a problem in the house.

Dear Yemisi, what do you think I can do?

Anonymous, 08********5.

Dear readers, the writer above is asking for your intervention on what to do to have his wife and child back. Kindly send in your pieces of advice to 0805501741 or send mails to yemiaofolaju @yahoo.com.

ion that she is asking for your commitment, which to me is her legitimate right if indeed you are in love with her.

Please, take time to show that you really care and are available for her. But if what she is gunning at is having fun at all cost which I guess you are not prepared for, there is no harm in telling her the piece of your mind on why you have held back without being pretentious.

If you are sincere with each other, she will take you for your words and defer the act as you have wanted it. In case you are not ready to give her what she wants, let her be and don’t further confuse yourself.

For Him

How you do it: Face opposite directions with your partner while you’re on your backs. Then scissor your legs together.

Why it’s awesome: “This position creates as little work as possible for both partners because they both have their weight distributed on their backs and can control penetration easily,” Dr. Van Kirk says. “She can shift her hips into a comfortable position, while allowing her hands to access her clitoris.”

Courtesy:http://www.sheknows.com

08055001741 (sms only)

conversewithyemisi What is meant by ‘show me your love’?

•The “lazy” sex position

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Iretomide, 36, tall, AA, from Osun State, salesman, needs a busty, working class lady aged between 22 and 40 for a relationship. Call 07037792116.

Adamson, 47, widower, from Osogbo, Osun State, needs a loving, caring, honest lady aged between 30 and 40 for a relationship. Call 08060296607.

Olu, 48, financial analyst in a reputable bank based in Lagos, needs a God-fearing, attractive financially independent woman, preferably a lecturer, senior teacher/ civil servant aged between 45 and 55 years for a relationship. Call 08093688092.

Funmilayo, 30, 5.2 feet tall, Christian, fair-skinned, from Oyo State needs a man aged between 35 and 48 for a relationship. Call 08146550941.

Iliyas, 25, from Kwara State, needs a humble, caring, working class, open-minded lady aged 21 or above for an affair. Call 07063291662.

Olayinka, 29, 5.5feet tall needs a God-fearing man aged between 36 and 47 for marriage. Call 07038012778.

Jibola, 5.8 feet tall, fair-skinned, needs a God-fearing, caring lady aged 22 to 33 for a relationship. Call 08055335276.

Tayo, 48, civil servant, single mother, needs a responsible, reliable man for a relationship. Call 08169212569.

Bunmi, 50, civil servant,, needs a man aged between 50 and 55 for marriage. Contact 07010762559.

Grace, 46, single mother, from Ekiti State, needs a responsible man for a relationship. Call 08144088383.

Ola Solomon, 45, businessman, from Ondo State, needs a God-fearing, working class lady aged 28 to 40 for marriage. Contact 08176699275.

Emma, 52, Lagos-based working class, needs a working class lady for a relationship. Call 08038836207

15

25 June, 2016

health&fitness

By Rukayat Odewale

W

E are in the thick of the rainy season and as is usually experienced this time of the year, colds and nasal congestion are very prevalent. As common as these are, there still exist some misconceptions and myths that surround its mode of infection, transmission and treatment.

While nasal congestion on its own may not have severe life-threatening consequences, it can be a major source of discomfort with signs and symptoms such as the feeling of throat blockage; blocked or stuffy nose, feeling of mucus running down the back of the throat, persistent cough, headache or facial pain, reduced sense of smell and taste. It is therefore not uncommon to hear of people self medicating. The therapy ranges from Chlorphenamine like Piriton to over-the-counter antibiotics.

According to Dr. Oluwaseun Akinyele of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, “nasal congestion is the blockage of the nasal passages from inflamed blood vessels. It is also known as nasal blockage, nasal obstruction, blocked nose, stuffy nose or plugged nose. While with stuffy nose, the sinuses are clogged, with runny nose, the nose keeps dripping loose mucus, of which in this situation one will need a tissue or handkerchief.” In layman terms, it is generally referred to as catarrh.

Although it is mostly believed that nasal congestions arise as a result of exposure to cold, experts have also pointed out that several illnesses and physical conditions can predispose a person to suffering nasal congestion.

Dr Akinyele pointed out that “minor illness are the most common causes of nasal congestion. Besides the common cold, other illnesses include the flu and sinus infections. Congestion that lasts longer than one week is often a symptom of an underlining health issue e.g. allergies, hay fever, chemical exposures etc.

“Nasal congestion may also occur during pregnancy, usually during the end of the first trimester. Hormonal fluctuations and increased blood supply that occur during pregnancy may cause this nasal congestion.

“Nasal obstruction could also occur when there is inferior turbinate hypertrophy. The turbinate are bony structures inside the nose covered by mucous membranes. The inferior turbinate are the largest pair. When the inferior turbinate become enlarged it is referred to as inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Cold or infection can cause the turbinate to enlarge and then return to their normal size. However, in some instances such as chronic sinusitis, the turbinate hypertrophy may be permanent.

“There is the misconception that once one stays in the rain, he would automatically have catarrh. This is not true. If you don’t have the virus, you can’t have catarrh just because you are in the rain.”

Although those who suffer nasal congestions may be tempted to try anything to relieve symptoms and provide comfort, experts say it is not necessary. According to Dr. Akinyele, “In the first few months of life in a baby, nasal congestion can interfere with breastfeeding and cause life-threatening respiratory distress. However, in older

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

When should you be worried about catarrh?

people it is often just an annoyance. Most of the time, catarrh is a viral infection and is self limiting, so it must be allowed to run its course.

Self medicating on antibiotics is wrong and in the case of catarrh, it is more wrong because catarrh from cold is viral and antibiotics can’t treat viral infections. It would most times improve within one week. One can however increase fruit intake and warm drinks.”

The United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds that more than 200 viruses can cause the common cold and infections can spread from person to person through the air and close personal contact. They state that antibiotics do not work against these viruses and do not help a person suffering from catarrh feel better if they have a cold.

Although nasal congestions from cold take their time to burn out with the cold virus, it has been established that certain foods can worsen the condition.

Dr Mosunmola Akintola, a health expert, says “refined sugar, dairy products (because they contains casein, a mucus-forming agent with histamine-creating properties, which cause increased mucus production and nasal congestion) and gluten (such as found in wheat, oats, barley can increase mucus production in certain people thus resulting to nasal congestion can worsen nasal congestion.

There is also the link between alcohol and catarrh. Sometimes, alcohol sensitivity can cause cold-like symptoms, including nasal and chest congestion. So, in some people, when they drink alcohol, they develop basic

One should be concerned about prolong catarrh when breathing becomes difficult.

Also, if catarrh is accompanied by constant headache and there is a change in the colour of mucus from plain to brownish or yellowish, it might be indicative of sinusitis.

congestion issues.”

As with other airborne diseases, the best way to prevent nasal congestion especially those arising from colds is by practising good hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections.

While it is advised to allow a cold and the resulting catarrh run its course, there are cases when one should be concerned about prolonged catarrh.

Dr Akinyele said “one should be concerned about prolong catarrh when breathing becomes difficult. Also, if catarrh is accompanied by constant headache and there is a change in the colour of mucus from plain to brownish or yellowish, it might be indicative of sinusitis.”

Some simple home remedies to help relieve nasal congestion as recommended by medical experts include: =Take a hot shower - The steam from it helps to thin out the mucus in the nose and reduce inflammation. =Stay hydrated - This helps thin the mucus in the nasal passages, pushing the fluids out of the nose and decreasing the pressure in the sinuses. = Use a warm compress - It helps unclog a stuffy nose by opening the nasal passages from the outside. To make a warm compress, first soak a towel in warm water.

Squeeze and press the warm towel over the nose and forehead. The warmth can provide comfort from any pain and help relieve the inflammation in the nostrils.

16 healthandfitness No breasts at 14 All my friends who are my agemates at fourteen years already have breasts while I have nothing. I have become the butt of jokes by my friends because of my flat chest.

Kindly let me know what to do.

Chinyere (by SMS) It is not unusual for some

Dr. Wale Okediran

late developers not to have signs of secondary sexual development at the right time. Therefore, I will advise that you wait for another year to see if your breasts will appear. Failure to appear at this stage might necessitate a need to see a doctor for some physical and laboratory tests just to be sure that all is well with you.

Although it has been confirmed that each gender usually has a preference for each other until a certain age, your intense closeness to your friend leading to sexual arousal shows that you have the tendency to be a homosexual. The fact that you are worried about the possibility is a further credence to the fact that you need help. I will therefore advise that you

see a clinical psychologist at the nearest Specialist or

I am allergic to fresh fish

teaching hospital to you for counselling.

Is this gonorrhoea?

I recently had unprotected sex with a highly placed lady in my branch office in another town. Two days after, I had painful urination with a whitish discharge. Because of her high status, I don’t want to believe that she could have infected me with gonorrhoea. What do you think?

Ibro (by SMS)

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

Am I a homosexual?

I am a 19-year-old student of one of the country’s higher institutions. I have observed that I am never attracted to ladies, rather, I prefer the company of boys and men. In fact, there is a certain boy I really like going out with. On one occasion, we kissed each other and I had an erection for the first time. I am getting worried if I am a homosexual. Please help me.

Kenny (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

25 June, 2016

men will not be aware that they are harbouring any STD until in advanced stages. I will therefore advise that apart from treating yourself, you should also treat the lady in question as soon as possible. You should also avoid the dangerous practice of having unprotected sex.

Each time I eat fresh fish, all my lips and mouth will come out in rashes. The most painful part is the top of my penis which usually becomes very swollen.

I will appreciate it if you can tell me what drugs to use as I really love fresh fish.

Okon (by SMS) Even though your allergy is to fish, it is important to cross-check how the fish you ate was caught. It has been confirmed that fishes caught with chemicals could cause a lot of problems for the consumers. If however, your allergy is to every kind of fish whatever

way they are caught, then you may need to avoid eat-

ing fresh fish to avoid this very painful reaction.

My mother’s knees My 70 year old mother has very weak knees, which do not allow her to walk well. Kindly advise me on what to do to help her.

Yewande (by SMS)

I think she has successfully infected you with gonorrhoea. Social status may not really count when it comes to the matter of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), especially in women. This is because due to the peculiarity of their anatomy, most wo-

It is natural for

people in advanced age to have weak knees especially those who have been very active during their youthful days. Having said this, it is very important for your mother to have an X-ray of her knees in

case there is the presence of a foreign body or torn disc which could be surgically amenable. If there is nothing of such, some anti-inflammatory tablets and painkillers can be prescribed for her comfort.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

T

he debate has been on for some time now on whether stress is directly related to heart diseases or just an adjuvant. Most readily heart attacks are due to coronary arteries (arteries that supply the heart) being blocked by blood clots that form when plaques of cholesterol rupture. The blood insufficiencies through the clogged arteries result in heart muscle dying — hence the name “heart attack.”

But there is another form of heart attack that is stress-related. This unusual type of heart attack does not involve rupturing plaques or blocked blood vessels. It is called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or stress cardiomyopathy.

The disorder was commonly believed to be caused by sudden emotional stress, such as the death of a child, and far less harmful than a typical heart attack. For that reason, some had also labeled this condition “brokenheart syndrome.”

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. “Stress” response describes the condition caused by a person’s reaction to physical, chemical, emotional or environmental factors. It’s hard to define a high level of emotional or psychological stress to measure in a precise way. All people feel stress, but they feel it in different amounts and react to it in different ways. Going by the definition, stress is a normal part of life. But if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including heart disease, chest pains, or irregular heartbeats.

How does stress affect heart?

Stress can directly or indirectly affect the cardiovascular state. Stress alone has not been shown to be independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, meaning that with background risk factors like high blood pressure,

Stress and heart health

high cholesterol, obesity, or poor dietary habits, chronic stress serves as catalyst for eventual cardiac death.

The more you can do to find healthy ways of managing stress today, the better your life (and heart) will be.

Generally, body mechanism responds to stress by going through a series of physiological responses that feed into your nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and circulatory system and affect everything from hormones to heart rate.

The “fight-or-flight” response of the body during times of stress is well-documented. This instinctive response floods your body with adrenaline and cortisol, which increases heart rate, redirects blood flow to the muscular system, releases fats into the bloodstream for use as

energy increases breathing rate, tenses muscles, and increases your blood’s clotting ability—all of which are intended to help you fight off (or run from) an opponent. Unfortunately, body response to stress is the same irrespective of the type and person. It’s even worse when the stressor is persistent as we find daily in our working environment.

In acute stress, heart responds by increasing the rate of contraction (heart rate), the rate of blood flow speeds up, thereby increasing the blood pressure. Also, fatty acids that are released into the blood stream for energy increases bad cholesterol and triglyceride which under chronic stress can lead to fat deposit in the arteries that supply the heart and the brain which, if left unchecked, can lead to heart attack or stroke. The persistent release of cortisol leads to deposition of fat in the abdomen (apple shaped) which is a sign of metabolic syndrome, a potential risk for cardiac death.

In conclusion for the week, regardless of whether stress is enough to cause heart disease on its own or it impacts other factors that lead to heart trouble, it’s known that chronic stress negatively affects your health. Finding healthy ways to manage stress is vital to your future. join us next week on the management of stress. Till then, maintain a healthy heart.

17

25 June, 2016

Divorce

Saturday Tribune

Court & Crime

I don’t know the essence of marriage if the man is not responsible —Wife

‘She’s not faithful, she is also troublesome’

Kano recorded 401 divorce cases in one month —Govt Stories by Muhammad Sabiu - kaduna Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta

T

and

HE commander, Kano State Hisbah Commission, Alhaji Aminu Dorawa, has stated that his agency received 401 divorce cases in April 2016 alone, even as he charged couples to know that one day they will stand before God to give account of their deeds.

Speaking in an interview, the islamic scholar noted that the rate of divorce cases in the state was alarming, noting that couples should guide the marriage institution jealously.

According to him, in April for instance, his agency received not less than 401 divorce notifications, stressing that even when the agency tried to ensure peace between the

estranged couples, it could not because the couples had made up their minds to go their separate ways.

Dorawa lamented that the divorce cases had left the embattled women to take care of about 1,000 children on their own.

“In most cases the husbands refuse to take care of these children after these marriages collapse,” Dorawa said.

He said, “We have to compel the husbands to bring stipulated allowances for the upkeep of these children every month.”

To this end, he said about N2million is being remitted to the agency for the upkeep of the children by these men every month.

He attributed the increasing rate of divorce cases to poverty and the emer-

gence of social media like the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. According to him, 77 of the divorce cases were as a result of social media use with the remaining being accounted for by poor health, insincerity and economic factors.

He also said that the mass wedding ceremony sponsored by the state He does not satisfy me, government about two doesn’t last a minute in years ago was not spared bed —Wife as some of the marriages I’mtryingmybesttosatisfyher, butshe’sintoextramaritalaffairs had collapsed.

—Husband However, he disclosed He keeps threatening to deal that some of the mar- with me, making my life riages were successful unbearable —Wife as the couples were do- Dissolvethemarriageinmy ing fine and have pro- absence —Husband See pages 18 & 23 duced children.

inside

AN Abeokuta customary court in Ogun State has dissolved an eightyear-old marriage between Mrs Funke Sonyoolu and her husband, Ariyo, on grounds of lack of care and constant provocation.

Funke, a businesswoman, said her husband had been very irresponsible to her and their two children.

She told the court that her husband has not been showing her love and care and that he always beats her up over any little disagreement.

She said, “He is not a responsible husband and father; all he knows is had to frustrate me and my children.

“I have been the only one taking care of the responsibility of the house, and also the children, I pay the house rent, school fees and I am also responsible for their welfare.

“He usually fights me and most time, he injures me. I could not bear the suffering any more, so I packed out of his house two years ago, so that I could have rest of mind.

“There was a time he saw me after packing out from his house on my way to work, he attacked me, beat me, tore my cloth, injured me and took away the money I had on me.

“I beg the court to please help me dissolve this marriage so that I can have peace. I don’t know the essence of marriage when the man is not responsible in any way.

“I reported him to his family and friends, but all my efforts were unsuccessful.”

She prayed the court to grant her the custody of their children for motherly care and good education.

However, her estranged husband, denied all the allegations levelled against him and told the court that her wife was a troublemaker and unfaithful to him.

“My wife is not faithful to me, she is also troublesome. She fights with our neighbours, that is what always caused our fight,” he said.

President of the court, Mr Emmanuel Erinoso, in his judgement, dissolved the marriage, saying that “there is no more love between both parties.”

Erinoso said that both parties were free to remarry anybody of their choice.

He, however, advised that the children should be with their mother for proper motherly care.

He also said that the school fees, welfare and health matters should be joint responsibilities of both parties.

The court president also ordered that Ariyo should be paying N2,500 to the court registrar for the feeding of the last child.

18

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

23

courtandcrime

He does not satisfy me, doesn’t last a minute in bed —Wife

I’m trying my best to satisfy her, but she’s into extramarital affairs —Husband Stories by Ayomide Owonibi-Odekanyin and Biola Azeez, with Agency reports

A

A prophet, Akinyemi Ilesanmi has urged an Agege customary court to dissolve his 10-year-old marriage to his wife, Comfort, for allegedly disturbing his ministry.

Akinyemi of Akute Area in Ogun State also told the court that she was a threat to his life, no more love, peace of mind and that he was fed up with the marriage. “l have not been at peace since l got married to my wife, she

My wife is a troublemaker, she threatened to kill me, man tells court

AN Agege customary court in Lagos State has dissolved a six-year-old loveless marriage, citing irreconcilable differences between the husband and the wife.

President of the court, Mr Philip Williams, said 51-year-old Christian Eyenobong and Peace, 39, should cease to be husband and wife forthwith.

He, however, cautioned them to refrain from harassing and molesting each other.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Eyenobong had instituted the suit on April 21 on the grounds of domestic violence and threats to life.

Williams granted the petitioner custody of the only child of the marriage.

“The education of the child should be the responsibility of the petitioner, while both parties should take care

N Igando customary court in Lagos State has dissolved a nineyear-old marriage over the husband’s inability to satisfy his wife

in bed.

While delivering judgement, the president of the court, Mr Hakeem Oyekan, affirmed that the union was dissolved because the wife had insisted on divorce despite several attempts to salvage the marriage.

Thirty-three-year-old Mrs Ifeanyi Samuel, a businesswoman, had instituted a legal process seeking an end to her nineyear-old union to Moses, because her husband could not perform in bed.

President of the court said: “The court has no choice but to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the husband still claims he loves his wife.

“The couple can no longer stay together because the marriage has broken down totally.

“The parties are no longer husband and wife; they are free to go their separate ways.”

While testifying in court, the petitioner said her husband, in their nine years of marriage, had not been able to satisfy her sexually.

She averred, “My husband cannot perform well, he was not doing his `job’ at all and it makes me sad.

“My husband does not satisfy me, he does not last a minute in bed.”

Ifeanyi also disclosed to the court that she had to force her husband to go for medical check-up from where it was confirmed that he is suffering from low sperm count.

“My husband has low sperm count. I bought the drugs prescribed by the doctor for him, but he refused to use them.

“His refusal to take the drugs had resulted in fighting because I need a child.

We have been married for nine years without any issue,” she said.

She pleaded with the court to end the marriage as her love for him was dead.

In his reaction, 40-year-old Samuel admitted he had low sperm count and he is looking up to God for divine intervention.

“I am trying my best to satisfy my wife and I am also trusting God for a miracle,” he said.

He, however, claimed his wife was into extramarital affairs, stating that men always called her at odd hours.

“My wife has been committing adultery, there was a day I saw a text message she sent to her lover.

“I showed her the text, but instead of her to apologise, she warned me not to touch her phone again.

“My wife goes out without telling me and comes back at 11.00pm. and whenever I query her, she would tell me she owns her life,” he affirmed.

My wife is a devil, some even call her a witch —Husband I’m still interested in the marriage —Wife

of her medical expenses,” he said.

Earlier, the husband had told the court that he was fed up with the union and called for its dissolution.

“I moved out of our matrimonial home because my wife is a troublemaker, who threatened to kill me.

“She pulled out a knife on a particular occasion and wanted to stab me. I even sustained injury while trying to disarm her.

“She beats our daughter and maltreats her at the slightest provocation,” he told the court.

The petitioner said he had reported the case to the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and his daughter was taken to the Juvenile Welfare Centre, Alakara in Mushin.

The defender, however, failed to appear in court after summons had been served on her.

is so quarrelsome.

“I am a prophet of God, but since l married her, she has been disturbing my ministry work.

“Whenever I am on long fasting, she makes me break it with her bad attitude, my wife is a devil even those in my neighbourhood call her a witch,” he alleged.

He said their marriage, contracted in 2006, had been fruitless.

“A fake prophet my wife introduced to me prophesied that she was my wife and we got married under two weeks of meeting.

“She is disturbing my work [ministry] and due to her troublesome nature, l have developed high blood pressure.

‘My lord, I want an end to this marriage because I cannot cope with my wife’s troubles anymore,” said the petitioner.

The respondent, who denied all the allegations, objected to the prayer of her husband, saying she was still interested in the marriage.

The respondent burst into tears when the court asked her to respond to the allegations against her.

President of the court, Mr Philip Williams, called the estranged couple into his chamber for an Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Williams adjourned the case till July 28 for the report of settlement or continuation of hearing.

‘She can’t have custody of our child ‘cos she’s not mentally stable’ No, he’s lying, I’m not mad —Wife MR Ibrahim Abdulkadir of the magistrate’s court at Centre Igboro in Ilorin, Kwara state, has told a man, Gafar Umar, to come forward and substantiate with empirical evidence the accusation of mental illness that was stated against his wife before the court.

It was last Wednesday that the woman, Kehinde Abubakar, brought a divorce suit against her husband, Gafar Umar, before the court that he was not taking good care of her, and thus wanted to take custody of her child from him.

While responding, Gafar said he was not really happy divorcing his wife because of her mental illness, dding that she had been battling with the sickness for some time.

He, however, said that if she was adamant to leave him, he would have no option than to let her go.

Gafar said he would not release the child to Kehinde because she needed medical care on her illness.

The magistrate inquired on the veracity of Gafar’s allegation of mental illness against his wife, adding that the court could not just admit such a heavy statement without authentication.

The man explained that his wife came up with the illness whenever she was pregnant, adding that all her actions during the period pointed to the veracity of that illness.

He said his wife would suddenly turn the household items and equipment upside down and became unruly whenever they were at home, adding that her relations even knew about her illness and that they had been taking care of her.

Kehinde immediately got angry and denied the statement saying that she was not mad, asking the court to discountenace her husband’s allegation.

He keeps threatening to deal with me, making my life unbearable —Wife

Dissolve the marriage in my absence —Husband A 47-year-old civil servant, Mrs Shiwoku Olutayo, has pleaded with an Agege customary court in Lagos State to dissolve her 19-year-old childless marriage, citing separation and threats to life.

Olutayo, who resides at Olorunfemi Street, Igando, a Lagos suburb, asked the court to dissolve her marriage on the grounds that there is no child in the marriage.

She also said that her husband, Babatunde, was giving her problems which made her to move out of their matrimonial home.

“He kept threatening to deal with me and making my life unbearable. “l moved out of the house on September 13, 2013 and we have been living separately since then,” the petitioner said.

Olutayo prayed the court to dissolve the marriage so that she can move on with her life.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the husband, who has refused to appear in court, said that the court can dissolve the marriage in his absence.

President of the court, Mr Phillip Williams, ordered that due to the respondent’s continuous absence in court, the petitioner should obtain a proof of service.

Williams adjourned the case till July 21 for judgement.

It took a while before security personnel in the court could calm the woman down.

The magistrate, Abdulkadir then said that there must be evidence for the allegation tendered by Gafar before anyone could believe him.

He said he needed to come back to prove the allegation of mental illness against Kehinde with evidence from a medical personnel like a psychiatrist before it could be admitted by the court.

The case was adjourned till August 2, 2016.

A Kaduna Chief magistrates’ court has remanded two men, Yahaya Mohammed and Mohammed Yusuf, for alleged rape of a six-year-old minor.

Mohammed, 71, and Yusuf,30, appeared before Magistrate Naheed Abdallah on a two-count charge of rape and gross indecency.

Prosecutor Akinga Akila said the offence was committed on June 13, in an uncompleted building located in the Tudun Wada Area of Kaduna State.

Akali said that Basira Abdullahi of No. 29A, Tudun Nupawa, in Tudun Wada, who caught Mohammed reported the case to the police.

“The accused was seen coming out of an uncompleted building and adjusting his trousers, which Abdullahi said raised curiosity.

“Abdullahi ran into the uncompleted building and found the minor crying, with what looked like sperm all over her clothes.

“When the witness asked the crying girl what the matter was, she said that the man dragged her into the building and put his male organ into her private part.

“The girl said that the Yusuf had on two occasions equally `played’ with his male organ on her private part.

“These are offences and punishable under sections 283 and 285 of the Penal Code,’’ he told the court.

After reading the charges, Akila said that the court had no jurisdiction to try the accused persons.

He, thereafter, applied for adjournment, pending the legal advice.

The magistrate remanded the accused persons in prison custody and adjourned the matter till July 14.

Court remands 71 year-old man, for alleged rape of 6-year-old girl

I contracted gonorrhea from her on two occasions —Husband

He must have gotten it from his five girlfriends —Wife

A 48-year-old civil servant, Yinka Ogundare, has told an Igando customary court, Lagos State, that his wife, Abosede, was impregnated by her boss.

Ogundare said that the 13-year-old marriage had produced three children.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported he told the court thus: “My wife called me when I travelled to Oyo for a course that she was three-month pregnant.

“I denied being responsible for the pregnancy because I left Lagos five months earlier.

“It was later I received a letter from her office that she was pregnant for her boss, but aborted it.”

The petitioner tendered the letter as exhibit to the court.

Ogundare said that his wife infected him with gonorrhoea on two different occasions.

“She infected me with gonorrhoea in 2007 and 2010, that I spent a lot of money in curing it.”

He said that his wife was a drunk, saying that she was not alright until she had taken alcohol in the morning.

“Abosede drinks alcohol a lot; she takes it as a meal, especially early in the morning.”

He said that his wife loved clubbing not minding the fact that she was a married woman.

The petitioner urged the court to dissolve the marriage because he felt he could be infected with HIV if he should continue with the marriage.

Abosede, a 33-year-old civil servant, accused her husband of infidelity.

“My husband had five girl-friends; he must have contracted the Sexually Transmitted Disease from his concubines.

“There was a day I saw a used condom on our bed; I queried him, and he told me that I don’t have the right to question him because he did not pay my bride price,” she said.

The mother of three, said that her husband always threatened to kill her.

“My husband beats me a lot and he always targets my neck; he once attempted to strangle my neck, but I escaped.

“He always threatened me with acid bath, and to lace me with charms.

“There was a day he beat me and blood was gushing out of my body; he called my family on phone to come and take me fast or they would meet my corpse.”

Abosede begged the court to grant her husband’s wish, saying that she was fed up with the marriage.

President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, adjourned the case till September 6 for judgement.

19

25 June, 2016

Eko Akete Prepaid-metermania

Saturday Tribune

Cosmetic apology

21

Weekend Lagos Editor Lanre Adewole m: 0811 695 4637

e: olanreade@yahoo.

Inside Lagos drugs market

Peddlers grouped according to gender, age categories We are not afraid of police, not even the military —Syndicate

When Saturday Tribune decided to track the distribution flow of narcotics in Lagos, there was no illusion of a pancake feast. What the leader of the investigative team came up with, was mind blowing. The report is written by Tayo Babarinde, Lagos.

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inside

KALA in Mushin and Oju-Ina on the island of Lagos State top the list of notorious drug hot spots in not just the state but all over Nigeria. There are other drug spots in Lagos like the Sand Fill in Ogudu, Ojuelegba, Orita in Isolo, the new African shrine in Agidingbi and parts of Ikorodu, but none of these places or any other place can compete with Oju Ina and Akala, when it comes to distributing cocaine, heroin and marijuana, without any hindrance from the law enforcement agencies.

Barons, cartels and middlemen who operate in Akala and Oju Ina have combined to ruin the lives of uncountable people, which included foreign nationals. Many

homes have been broken, many lives have been ruined and many dreams have been shattered as a result of the activities of drug barons in these places.

Interestingly, drug distribution in many parts of Lagos follows similar patterns. Many people have continued to wonder how these drugs find their way not just into Nigeria but how the cartels move them into parts of Lagos without being caught by the law enforcement agents .

Most of the major drug dealers in parts of Lagos State have other businesses. This they do to cover up their drug deal tracks. Some of them are hoteliers, transporters and even petroleum products dealers.

I was once rolling in millions, drugs brought me to ruins —Bishop Peller

Investigations by the Saturday Tribune revealed that apart from the normal routine of bribing law enforcement agents, drug cabals in the state also make use of posh vehicles, second-hand cars, popularly known as “tokunbo”, motorcycles, fake number plates of obas, VIP convoys, ambulance, and bullion vans to evade the prying eyes of “overzealous” law enforcement officers.

It was also gathered that the drug barons use the high population of people to ward off constant “harassment” from law enforcement officers. One of the major reasons why ‘narco’ (the general name for NDLEA officers among drug peddlers and consumers) or any other security officers have been unable

to penetrate Akala “is the presence of a high number of people” a marijuana sales boy, who pleaded anonymity told the Saturday Tribune.

Some drug barons also reportedly use the fuel tank compartment of motorcycles and mini-trucks used in conveying foodstuffs and charcoal to Lagos and neighbouring states in the distribution of narcotics. They bargain with drivers and pay them handsomely for allowing their pick-up vans and mini- trucks to be used for the illicit trade.

He also added that “on many occasions the NDLEA tried but failed to penetrate Akala. Our gas mobilised many area boys to always Continues on pgs20 & 21

We have arrested many drug barons —NDLEA

20

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Inside Lagos drugs market

At work... An NDLEA official and a sniffing dog

Continued from pg19

confront them. The last one was bloody as about four people were killed. They came with soldiers. No military team can effectively operate here, especially when you consider the setting. The houses are too close and we have the sellers mixed among the residents.”

Akala Akala is one of the communities in Idi Oro area of But why are these ones here?

Mushin in Lagos. The road to most of the streets and Sales Rep: They might have come for settlement lanes in Akala are in very deplorable conditions. Over while some come to smoke or sniff. ninety percent of the houses are old. Almost all the houses have shops around them. There are over three The reporter quietly sneaks into the back of a group of hundred shops around Akala. Many are believed to be boys, smoking Indian hemp. What they are saying shows sales points for Indian hemp, cocaine and heroin. why Akala is the choice place for crack.

The streets and lanes link to one another. Most of the “I like this place because police no dey come disshops are painted lemon green and light yellow. There turb person anyhow. People just dey do their is also an area in Akala called ‘Ghetto’. Ghetto, apart things,” one of them said. from being the hub of business in Akala, also provides an avenue for Categories of sellers ladies, girls and women of different There are different categories of sizes and ages to sell their bodies.”

These people know one dealers in Akala. Investigations One noticeable thing about the by Saturday Tribune revealed another.

They all brainstorm women in Akala is the fact that they operate in groups. The old women on how to beat security men. that majority of those who sell drugs to the final consumers buy gather around the carnal in the There had been times when the substances from a very popGhetto, while the young girls and ular socialite, who according to ladies form their groups along the Indian hemp was brought many of them is “untouchable.” into Akala in a bullion van. congested roads.

The socialite (name withheld) A large percentage of the shops is said to be “well-known to most around Akala may be seen from senior security people around the outside as selling other things Mushin. He is reliable when it other than drugs but the reality is comes to facilitating the release of arrested “sales reps.” that even kiosks sell drugs.

“I don’t think any security man in the whole of Mushin, Men troop in, in large number with the same inteneven in Lagos State, can arrest him,” one resident told tion. They have all come to cure their “Jonsing”. Along Saturday Tribune. the road, wraps of Indian hemp are a common sight On how the substances get to Akala, a source who with persons you meet while those who could afford expleaded anonymity told Saturday Tribune that “It pensive cocaine and heroin find spaces in the inner side is the same process everywhere. These people know of the open shops. one another. They all brainstorm on how to beat secuChildren are seen moving freely between the clustered rity men. There had been times when Indian hemp was gangs of smokers. Some of these innocent school pupils brought into Akala in a bullion van.” in their uniform walk along the lanes and streets. Some It was also gathered that barons ,who reportedly do not with buckets of water on their heads, inhale the thick usually come to Akala, also use fake number plates of billowing smoke that pervades the area . traditional rulers to beat security agencies. The number As if the substances are legal, different sales reps are plates, according to them, discourage policemen from seen with trays on their laps cutting the prohibited stopping such vehicles for search. items to the admiration of their customers.

The situation in Oju Ina has changed from what it Surprisingly different teams of policemen and solused to be as a result of the construction works on some diers walk around the market at different times but of the streets and road but that has not prevented the their presence does not in anyway deter anybody from drug cartel from operating around Alagba, Agarawu and smoking in the open.

Folawiyo areas. The operation at Oju Ina is not as brazen as that of Akala but the number of buyers and sellers Saturday Tribune approached one of the sales is enormous. Most drug sellers hide mainly behind the representatives. closeness of the buildings to operate.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Adeshina Where can one hide around here I saw some said “the dealers hide under the tenants and sons and police men approaching? daughters of landlords in these areas to do business.

Sales Rep: You must be new here. These ones are not These people give them information and they keep their the ones who come here to arrest . Those who come stuff for them. It is not booming like in the past but the here to arrest come in a large number and it is always people are still all scattered around here.” deadly as they are often confronted.

We have arrested many drug peddlers —NDLEA

CONTRARY to the allegations that the National Drugs Law Enforcing Agency (NDLEA) does not arrest drug peddlers, the anti-narcotic agency insists that it has arrested many peddlers in the past.

Speaking for the NDLEA, its spokesperson, Mitchell Ofoyeju declared: “Many drug barons have been arrested and the most recent are the four Mexicans and five Nigerian accomplices that were operating a super methamphetamine laboratory in Asaba. Let me add that in investigation, arrests of agents often lead to the arrest of the barons. It is a network so we have a policy of

effective follow-up of every arrest. We shall sustain and intensify our efforts in the days ahead.”

While commending Saturday Tribune for asking the question, Ofoyeju said the NDLEA has established rules of engagement and any officer that contravenes any rule is dealt with accordingly.

He pledged the commitment of the agency “to grooming a strong, disciplined and professional anti-narcotic force capable of eradicating illicit drugs from our society.

I can assure you of strict compliance with standard operating procedures and anti-corruption policies.”

T

Saturday Tribune

Weekend Lagos

HERE is a very alarming rate of the abuse of narcotics, especially among youths in Nigeria, what do you think is responsible for this?

I will blame it first on youthful exuberance.

It has taken over everywhere, when compared to our days. There is no fear of God. There is no even fear of the parents. Then, there is a lot of frustration from the government and other places. We have some parents who are also culpable. They are looking for money and they do that at the expense of taking good care of their children. They are too busy to take good care of their kids. The Bible also tells us that there would be trouble and war at the end of the age. But having said all these, there are still many children that do not join the bandwagon to corrupt their good manners. A lot of things happen. Lack of parental care, frustration from government, economic hardship and all of that. Most importantly, the youth want to demonstrate their freedom.

They want to say that they have arrived and that they are now above a team. They want to experiment their freedom. There are also people who make a lot of money from drug. Every day, you read about people being arrested for peddling drug. We still hear about people cultivating Indian hemp in many states in Nigeria. If the substance is not available, those who want to abuse it won t have anything to abuse.

What is the rationale behind the rehabilitation centre you established for drug addicts?

I was once a victim. I was once a drug addict myself. I used to be a very successful magician. I took after my late father, the late Professor Peller. I was then referred to as the ‘Young Peller.’ I gathered wealth through magic. I was made the Akogun of Ojokoro land. Then I had four wives during my days as an unbeliever. But suddenly, cocaine and heroin were introduced to me to enliven me.

They turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. It took all my wealth away from me. I never knew that it would end up like that. I thought that I was having fun. I was then a multi-millionaire but drug pushed me into penury. I sold all that I had. It is addiction, when one is hooked on drug, he would do everything to get money to buy it, especially those who take heroin. There is white and there is brown heroin. If you are addicted to heroin, once there is a little cold like this, you will feel terribly sick. You will feel like vomiting. You will feel like you want to die and the only immediate solution will be for you to take your hard- earned money to cure the “Jonsing”. We call it ‘Jonsing,’ when you are uncomfortably sick or terribly craving for cocaine or heroin. I cured Jonsing for about three to four years and it took away all my wealth. Having met Jesus in 1989 and escaped from the menace of drug, the Lord called me into ministry and gave me this special assignment to raise a rehabilitation centre where drug addicts can be helped medically, saved spiritually and live normal life again.

For many years now, you have been into rehabilitation of drug addicts in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos. What are your greatest challenges, particularly when you consider that some of them return to drug.

It is the same challenge all over the world, even in England. I was in England last year or so. The only difference between Nigeria and other developed countries like the US and UK is that the government over there is responsible for the rehabilitation of drug addicts while individual family takes care of that here.

I was once rolling in millions, drugs brought me to ruins —Bishop Peller

This eye-opening interview by Saturday Tribune with ex-addict-turned reforming evangelist, Bishop Kayode Peller, the General Overseer of Fingers of God Ministry by the same team, is a compelling read.

Bishop Peller Nigerian parents are left with the burden in Nigeria. It is becoming very expensive now. It requires the service of a psychiatric specialist.

It is a home service. People pay through their nose. A drug addict in a family can drain the wealth of that family. The government in Nigeria is not doing enough. Drug addiction is a societal problem. The addicts did not pick drug from the fathers or forefathers but from the society. That is why we have taken up the challenge. The challenge all over the world is economy. To run a rehabilitation centre, you must make provision for feeding, accommodation, vocational training and staff salary. At our centre in Ijaiye, we depend on power generator for electricity. It is one of those things.

We spend over N60,000 on diesel to run our generator in a month. The money is a challenge. Those addicts that return to drug might not have been kept in rehabilitation for a long period of time. Don’t forget that the word ‘addiction’ is as a result of constant practice of

whatever you do so much that you cannot do without again. It is a revolving thing. Some people have been addicted for over 20 years and people expect them to be rehabilitated under six months. Most parents cannot afford them to be kept for up to two years. And they are not supported by the government.

We may have to discharge such addicts after a few months trusting God that when they begin to come to church, they would change completely. In most times, they return to drug . Had it been that there had been enough support from the government and these people were kept for a longer period of time, they would not have returned to drugs. Somebody that has been into drugs for 20 years is supposed to spend up to two years at the rehabilitation centre. Some of them continued with us. Some of them that were successful through our centre returned to school. There is the case of Brother Tayo Adediwura. He had been into almost all the universities in the

South-West of Nigeria and he was into drugs.

His mother brought him here about seven years ago. He went through our rehabilitation and we adopted him into our family. He is still with us now. He has graduated from the university. That was because the mother was willing. We cannot do that to every one. We cannot keep about 100 people for two years, when their families can only afford to pay for three months or at most six months and there is no support from the government. There is something we call half-way home.’ That is after detoxification and other things. You know that their movement is restricted. The first thing that we do to a new addict at our centre is detoxification. We detoxify them and our doctors give them medications for the first two months. From the third month, they begin intensive Bible training, believing that the Word of God will reorientate them. They are only allowed to go to the church in Ijaiye from the centre. We prevent them from having any contact with drug or influence from outside. Some of them pretend to impress you and their parents so that you can quickly discharge them. They even testify to the goodness of God in church. The craving will still be there. We experienced that some of them returned to drug. We need to keep them for at least one year. There is a need for the support of the government. It is a very elaborate thing and it is very expensive. We cannot keep many of them at the same time. Some parents are ready to pay the money but they cannot endure it for a long period of time. I will still use this medium to implore our government to assist not only Fingers of God Ministry, but all other rehabilitation centres for drug addicts . Many of these addicts are behind the crimes that are committed in Nigeria. Anybody that wants to take cocaine, heroin or marijuana does so with the intention of using it to commit crime. It is either they want to kidnap, rob or commit any other crime. They take this drug to ‘high themselves’. These substances are very expensive. The rehabilitation centre in Britain was built and funded by the government. They call them social workers there. The family of the addict only needs to call the social workers and they come to pick him. I met a man there. He had been at the centre for over twenty years. His family only comes to visit him. No payment is made for him. That was my expectation, when I started our ministry but things have changed now.

The prices are sky rocketing. How do we get to that level? I pity those parents. Some of these parents are popular in the society and these children become an embarrassment to them.

I cannot begin to mention the names of people, whose children are in our centre. They did not prepare for that. It is the misfortune of life. It is as a result of the failure of the society. How I wish we can admit them (addicts) without collecting money from their family.

How do we pay for a psychiatrist to come and attend to them on a weekly basis? How do we get a large and decent accommodation?

The government should know that it is these same drug addicts that have become a thorn in the flesh of Nigerians. There was a colonel that was killed recently. Nobody would have done that if not under the influence of drug.

I don’t even think that we have started at all, when you consider the high number of drug addicts in Nigeria.

Akala and Oju-ina on the island of Lagos are two of the notorious drug spots in Lagos. Why has it been difficult for successive governments to dislodge the barons and sanitise those places?

I am an alumnus of these two places. I took drugs in Akala and I took drugs in Oju Ina. I almost died in Akala. I had to quickly take a

cab to escape. I left the places like that and to my surprise the places have remained like that over the years. They still run the drug business there. Those are just the outlets. The money from these outlets go to the baron, who live in upmarket places. The barons do not come to these hot spots but they have their agents there. They see these places as dirty and dangerous. They live in Ikoyi, Lekki and VGC. Some of them stay in the US and UK. What is the staying power of these dark spots?

Corruption in government and corruption among law enforcement agents. The remuneration is poor. These people settle them.

Those who lost their lives in the course of service were allowed to die in vain. Their families were not compensated. There is also tribal sentiment. Some officers protect offenders from their ethnic groups. Nobody wants his or her kinsman to be used as a scapegoat. The thing is boomeranging now.

The guy who used to sell drug to me then is now a drug addict himself. I tried to rehabilitate him and that almost cost me my life. He is back on the street now. The law of Karma is into full swing. Let all drug barons know now. They already know the Law of Karma. Some of them already have drug addicts in their family. You cannot ruin the lives of other people’s children and expect your children to succeed in life. Whatever they sow, they shall reap.

Is there any spiritual connection to drug addiction?

Powerful! 2 King 4 : 39 -41 tells us about how sons of the prophets under Elisha ate the wild vine and died. They were all hungry. Some of them went into the field and brought some vines, unknown to them that they were wild. They ate it and started dying. That was when they cried to Prophet Elisha, who blessed the vines. Drug addiction is a spiritual problem. When I was doing magic, I was not helping anybody. I am talking about my own magic. I met my Waterloo and that was when I was able to retrace my step . That was when I repented.

I am talking about thorough repentance. It is not the kind of repentance that is acted in churches. In the Bible, when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, He cursed the ground. That was when the ground began to bring forth thorns and thistle instead of the fruits that it used to. It was the thorn and thistle that metamorphosed into cocaine and other drugs. If you find out, you will discover that cocaine emanated from the coca leaf in Bolivia. It was from that leaf that the name cocaine was coined. Heroin is sieved from cocaine and you know, of course, that marijuana is also planted. It was not like that from the beginning. Everything was perfect at the beginning.

Drug addiction is gradually finding its way into the churches and other religious institutions. Have you at any time encountered anything like that in the course of your ministering?

I don’t have the knowledge of any pastor who takes drugs but I think such is happening amongst some pastors because I heard of a pastor who was caught burying some people in the church. I don’t think a sane person who is not under the influence of drug could do that because as I have earlier said, drugs harden the heart and kill the conscience: so at that point of highness, there is nothing you cannot do.WWW

21

Eko Akete

Cosmetic apology After his controversial stage tirade and vituperative disruption of an award event very early this year, this record label owner has finally eaten the proverbial humble pie.

During the week, Eko Akete gathered that he stopped by the office of the organisers of the award to pour in his contrition. He said he was sorry; that his senses just arrived and he didn’t mean to tarnish the image of the reputed award firm.

Many, however, have wondered why it took him six months to retrace his steps. The gist is Lagosians believe that the back-to-back hit maker is seeking to mend fence now in order not to be sidelined in the next edition of the award.

His tawdry remarks, which opened the music campaign on a bad note, almost jeopardise his towering success.

But the never-say-never singer did bounce back, releasing hit upon hit and apparently acquiring a chip on his shoulder. His penitence may salvage what is left of his corporate

Prepaid metermania

PREPAID-METER-PHOBIA is a valid fear. If you live in Lagos and have not caught it, it means those milky boxes that emit green and red lights at intervals have not been hung on your electric poles yet and you have not seen a smiling electricity distribution officer bearing a pack enclosed with a monitor and a smartcard yet. If you have, chances are, you are currently manifesting the following symptoms: a feverish craving for energy-conservation; an impenitent revulsion towards yellow bulbs and a strong attachment to switch-off buttons.

Checks by Eko Akete reveal that neighbourhoods with the new metering system now adopt mind-boggling means to save energy. Unlike the post-paid paper-bearing system, the fear of automatic disconnection once energy runs out has taken hold of homes in Lagos.

Neighbours advise neighbours to replace yellow bulbs with florescent ones as white bulbs consume less energy. Lights are switched on only at certified dark hours and on extremely useful seconds. Security bulbs in most homes are on permanent switch-off mode. The difference between when electricity is out and when it is restored cannot be determined as security lights have gone on sabbatical in some areas. Eko Akete received the gist of two neighbours in Ikotun, who are in stiff competition to use 100 units in five months. The two heedless neighbours now use torchlights instead of bulb lights when there is electricity. Wonders live in Lagos.

22

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

How Lagos residents pay for TV viewing, slaughtering of livestock, holding parties

By Naza Okoli

G

BENGA, 43, sat behind a desk in his shop at Egbeda in Lagos.

Glued to the dark metal door were photocopies of receipts all signed

by Alimosho Local Government, proof that he had made all the necessary payments for the year.

One of the receipts indicated that he had paid N500 as “TV and Radio fee” to the Local Government Council. He did not know what the money was for.

“I have been paying that for over eight years now,” he said. “There was a time it was N50. Then it became N100, and then N200, and so on. They have never told us what the money is about. You can see there is no TV in my shop. There is no radio too.

Yet everybody here pays the same thing.

Some people say the money will be used by the Local Government to build a TV and a radio station. I don’t know if it’s true.”

When Saturday Tribune visited Alimosho Local Government Secretariat on Tuesday, the Head of the Information Unit was said to be in a meeting. A man and a woman at the reception said they were neither permitted to comment on the matter nor give their boss’s phone number to anybody.

“You should come early tomorrow (Wednesday). Leave your number here.

Our boss will call you,” the woman said.

He did not call. A return visit on Wednesday did not yield any fruit, as neither the Head of Information nor his staff was available at 10 am. A number of people were seen moving furniture from office to office.

It was not clear what exactly was going on.

Tenement vs rent A number of traders at Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos, who spoke to Saturday Tribune on Wednesday said the Local Government Council had recently begun to ask them for “tenement” levies.

“We really have no problems with levies for now,” said a trader who did not wish to be named. “We have been paying storage fees. We have no problem with that. But they (Local Government officials) have just started asking us for tenement fee.

They say it’s like rent. But haven’t we been paying rent for our homes and our shops?

What does tenement fee mean?”

A few others alleged the levy was intended for “non-indigenes”.

“They know we are not from Lagos State,” one of them said. “All these levies… they are designed to frustrate non-indigenes like us.

Don’t mind them. God will judge them.”

Fumigation too Also speaking with Saturday Tribune on Wednesday, a clerk at a publishing firm at Opebi, Lagos, said his organisation had just been given a three-day ultimatum to pay the sum of N600,000 to the Local Government for “fumigation, TV, radio and permit” all for the current year, 2016.”

According to a letter purportedly signed by the Area Coordinator (Revenue) at Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (a unit under Ikeja Local Government Area), the publishing firm might face legal action if it failed to comply quickly.

The letter which was ridden with grammatical errors reads in part: “Our record has shown that you have either refused or

neglected to obtain your permit/license for Permit, R/TV, Fumigation in respect of the above-named address for this year 2016 which amount to N600 000.

“Unless you settle your indebtedness within 3 days from the date of this notice to Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area, the Council may have to invoke the powers conferred on it by commencing legal proceedings against you without any further communication.

“However, your refusal to pay the said amount is being viewed as a deliberate act of defaulting the Local Government of her legitimate dues and thereby committed an offence contrary to the Section 7, paragraph 1(A) of the part of the Fourth scheduled of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Lagos State Approved Chargeable Rates for Local Government and LCDA.” The clerk also said that the official who had brought the document could not explain what the TV/radio fee was for.

“When I told her (the official from the Local Government Area) that I thought the money was too much, she said if I should come to their office, something could be done about it. She specifically said if we paid N20,000, all of it would go away.”

Approved rates The Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs is sited beside the Deputy Governor’s office at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. His waiting room was filled to capacity on Wednesday afternoon – mostly traditional rulers and leaders of community associations visiting.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr Babatunde Sanusi, said though many of those levies were backed by law, the Ministry routinely monitors the activities of the Local Government Areas.

“We have laws for some of those things,” he said. “The law gives the Local Government Areas in the state the power to collect those levies. There are about thirteen of them. I know that if you have to slaughter a ram, you ought to pay for it, because the waste will need to be disposed of by the government. The radio and television li-

cence has been in place for a very long time – in fact, as far back as the colonial period.”

According to official documents gleaned

by Saturday Tribune at the office, one of which was entitled “Unified Chargeable rates for Local Government Taxes and Levies in Lagos State,” there are in fact up to 17 such levies. They include “licensing fee for sale of liquor, slaughter slab licence fee in abattoirs under local government control; marriage, birth and death registration; domestic animal licence fee (excluding poultry farmers; radio and television licence fee (excluding radio and television in motor vehicles); licence fees for bicycles, trucks, canoes, wheelbarrows and carts (other than mechanically propelled trucks); permit fee for private entertainment and merriment in public places (excluding roads and streets).”

The charges, according to the documents, vary depending on the location and the size of the business or home. “Highly urbanised communities” are marked “A+”. The second category, “A”, is for “Urban communities”. “B” is for “semi-urban communities”, while “C” refers to the rural communities” Not aware Curiously, many residents who spoke with Saturday Tribune during the week were not aware that these laws exist. Many of those who did, felt there was no justification for the levies.

On a popular online forum, during a discussion on the controversial TV/Radio licence in Lagos, several residents suggested possible reasons for the levy.

A user, identified as Zayhal, said: “Yes, I asked what if I do not have a TV or radio in my house; he (the official) said I still have to pay. The assumption is that all houses have TVs and radios. A very wrong assumption.

Some religious peeps (people) don’t have or watch TV. They believe it’s a sin.”

Another user, Coogar said: “Folks are asked to pay to help the government fund public broadcasting! Once people start paying, the boring commercial adverts would disappear in government-owned broadcasting services. Very soon, you would be watching Superstory without any commercial break.”

A Reporter’s Diary

Lagos Border Town of “Angels”

By Naza Okoli ON a good day – as the saying goes – it takes no more than 40 minutes to travel from Iyana-Ipaja in Lagos to the border town of Sango-Ota in Ogun State. But it was not a good day. Several hours were spent in traffic. It had rained earlier that morning, and there was major reconstruction work going on at some points along the expressway.

Sango-Ota is a busy town. It is very much like Lagos, too. For instance, many of the commercial buses and tricycles are painted yellow. There is an abundance of agbero at the parks – vicious young men who extort money from commercial bus operators.

When the driver pulled up at Toll Gate, he paid N200 to a group of four men, one of them in uniform. At the last bus stop – the Sango market –

N100 was extorted from him by a fierce-looking man after a hot exchange of words. He would later pay N150 to another man who was unmoved by the driver’s insistence that he had been at the mechanic’s all morning, and had just begun the day’s work. The final payment of N100 was made after a little fight – nothing brutal; just two reciprocated pushes and a lot of cursing and swearing.

It is a large market, divided by an extensive flyover which appears to be new. Under the structure, movement is slow, as people and vehicles share the little space. A sign by the road advises everyone to help make Ogun State a “drug-free State”.

Unlike Lagos, however, there is a lot of warmth on the streets. Almost everybody appeared to be willing to stop and listen, and perhaps lend a

hand. They were like angels!

Asked for direction to Crawford University, a man at the park quickly volunteered: “Take keke (tricycle) from here to Covenant, and when you reach there, you take a bike or cab to Atan, and from there you take another bus or bike to the university.”

Another man who was within earshot, quickly added: “Keke is N100, don’t let them cheat you o.”

Almost immediately, a keke rider appeared, and hollered: “Let’s go.” He didn’t wait to take other passengers. He wanted only to help. He rode past Covenant, past Atan, and through the long dirty road that led to the university. He stopped at the gate.

Asked what the fare was, he smiled: “Whatever you can afford.”

24

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Toluwani Olamitoke 08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

W

HY did you choose the nursing profession?

I actually wanted to study law, but my elder sister who was then in the School of Nursing collected the school form for me. My father also encouraged me to go for nursing because he noticed that I have been a caring person from my early age. When I went into the profession, I fell in love with it and found out that it was the best place to be. I have never regretted a day on my job.

Can you recall an experience you can never forget on the job?

When I gained admission into the School of Nursing, as a fresh intake, we were given orientation for the first six months and were taken round the hospital environment-wards, theatre, mortuary and the like. We went to the children’s ward first and there was a child who was lying on the bed and gasping for breath. That was my first time of seeing a dying patient. Doctors and nurses were there trying to resuscitate him but he later died. It took me days to get over the incident.

It is observed that patients prefer to be attended to by male nurses, why is it so?

It’s not true. It depends on where you work and the environment. In the North, because of their religious belief, people prefer that female nurses attend to them instead of the male. The South is liberal and always desires that the best hands attend to them. The nursing profession was founded by a female, Florence Nightingale, and we have more of the female in it because women are more caring than the men. The fact is that men are now leaving the profession for other science-related courses. This is because whoever is going to study nursing must have five credits which must include Mathematics and English and this applies to other science-oriented courses like Medicine, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science and the like. Again, in the first and second year in the university, nursing students and other students studying science related courses take the same courses. In addition to these, after their training, a medical doctor who has just finished his or her housemanship will be placed over them as their boss which they find discouraging.

As such, male nurses are now dumping the profession for other science related courses.

There is a general perception that nurses are usually unkind to patients and their relations, unlike doctors.

That’s a wrong impression. Nurses stay with patients for eight hours in a day. Those on the morning duty work from 8:00 am till 4:00pm. Those on the afternoon duty will resume by 1:00pm. This will enable nurses on morning duty do a normal and proper handing over to those resuming in the afternoon. The fact that those in the afternoon duty are around doesn’t mean those on morning duty would leave. They have to carry on with their work and leave at the specified closing time which is 4:00 pm.

This also applies to other duties. A nurse can have thirty patients to attend to while on duty. She has to carry out bed-bath, oral treatment, feeding and medication on the patients. She will obviously be on her toes throughout the eight hours walking from one end of the ward to the other. Such a person can sometimes become tensed. But a doctor will come for hospital round, stay briefly with patients prescribe medication and leave.

Again we often have patients in the casu-

‘To avoid clash between your home and work, you have to be organised’ Mrs Rukayat Afonja is the chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Oyo State Council. She speaks with TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE on her job, activities and marriage. alty department whose relations throng in to see them. Some of these relations come not because they love the patients, in fact, some can even be the cause of the patients problems. And when nurses ask these relatives to stay outside, they complain.

Patients are also entitled to their privacy.

If we want to take history of a patient we don’t want people to be around because of the confidentiality. If the patient is conscious and can talk, then we take his or her history, but if he or she is unconscious, the closest relation or anybody that was around at the scene of the incident that led to the patient being rushed to the hospital will be invited to explain what actually happened.

We have had cases where a patient would not want to say all about the state of his or her health when the wife or husband is around. In such a situation when we ask either of the spouse to stay outside, he or she feels offended.

It is obvious that the orthodox medicine doesn’t believe in spiritual forces, but as a nurse, one has to be prayerful and this applies to all other professions. I remember an incident while I was once on duty which is to buttress why we sometimes ask relatives not to hang around patients in the hospital. We were attending to a patient who had dilated and was ready to deliver, but it was taking her too long. I suddenly noticed a woman by the window. She stood there and was pulling and fastening a cloth around her waist. I had that feeling in me she didn’t mean good. The feeling was strong, so I walked towards her and instructed her to loosen the cloth. She did and immediately the woman who was in labour brought forth her baby. This other woman took to her heels, shouting ‘mo gbe o’ (I am in trouble).

Your job as a nurse falls under es-

sential duties, you work at odd hours, on public holidays, how have you been able to divide your time between your home and career?

The most important thing is to plan your time. Then you must also understand your spouse. You might be on duty on public holiday, but you will have your off on another day. You can always shift activities to when you are off duty. You can’t be at work all the time or at all weekends. Again, at festive periods we rotate off based on agreement.

Some will enjoy Christmas holiday and others New Year. And duringEid-il-Kabir festival if there are enough Christian nurses they stay on duty while the Muslims have their off and vice versa at Christmas. I am not a party person, so when I’m off at weekends, I stay back home and care for my family.

Nurses these days leave in droves to seek greener pastures abroad, what is

your take on this?

There is no disputing the fact that this is leaving a vacuum in the health service in the state. But if a nurse has a better offer outside the country why not? There, she will be exposed to advanced health service and also work with standard equipment. These will no doubt enhance her output on the job.

What effect, in your view, will this act have on homes and relationships?

There are two ways to it. Some plan it well, when they are there they make way for their family members to come and settle there with them. It’s proper for the couple to have a concrete arrangement on the ground before the wife leaves for greener pastures, or else it may lead to a broken marriage.

Unfortunately, some sacrifice their homes for the money they are going to make there.

I have seen children of this second group become uncontrollable and their husbands take in other women.

How old is your marriage?

We’ve been married for 25 years.

It’s proper for the couple to have a concrete arrangement on ground before the wife leaves for a greener pastures, or else it may lead to a broken marriage.

What are the elements making it to work?

Love, understanding and endurance. We both have different backgrounds. My husband was brought up in the South while I was raised in the North, so our orientations differ in some areas. But when your mind is made up from day one that your marriage must work, it works with God helping you.

Who is closer to your heart, your spouse or children?

I love both, but sometimes you make a lot of sacrifices because of the children.

25

Saturday Tribune

25 June, 2016

ntertainment News

Society Gist

with Joan Omionawele and

Newton-Ray Ukwuoma jistwtjoan@yahoo.com Twitter:@joanbajojo 08059793705

Celebrity Interviews

BOI overwhelmed by first reception of ‘The CEO’ WHEN penultimate week, The CEO, the latest from the popular Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP) premiered aboard an Air France flight to Paris, it was a celebration of the several individuals and institutions involved in the film project. One of the partners, Bank of Industry (BoI) got all the accolades for providing a N50 million loan to the filmmaker from its creative industry fund scheme tagged BoI NollyFund.

Captured in the in-flight razzmatazz and the glamorous premiere of The CEO which opened the fourth edition of Nollywood Week Film Festival (NWFF) in Paris was the bank’s delegation, which included Mr. Babatunde Joseph, Divisional Head, Large Enterprises and Mrs. Uche Nwuka, Head, Creative Desk and Solomon Oyekanmi fo the Communications department.

“I took loan of N50 million from the bank to fund this film, and this was made possible by these people,” said Afolayan as he invited Mr. Babatunde and Mrs. Nwuka to the podium during the curtain call at the Cinema L’Arlequin, Paris, venue of NWFF. “Thank you very much for your support,” he said amidst laud applause from the crowd, just as he advised filmmakers in the diaspora to avail themselves of the opportunity of producing high budget quality films by approaching the Bank for NollyFund.

Elated about the commercial potential of the film which is billed to hit the cinema on July 15, Babatunde, the leader of the BoI delegation was overwhelmed by the positive reception from the home and foreign audience who saw the film first-hand.

“Honestly, I am exceedingly glad and happy to be a part of history here today. For us in the Bank of Industry, we believe in the potential of the creative industry as a high impact sector that can be used to promote Nigerian brand all over the world, and of course, as a very good tool to create employment among the youth and the generality of Nigerians.

2face speaks as Annie Idibia ends war with Pero Adeniyi

...shoots video in Kenya

F

OLLOWING the social media feud between 2face’s wife, Annie Idibia and baby mama, Pero Adeniyi, the musician has come out to sheathe the sword.

It will be recalled that Pero’s elder sister threatened to reveal details 2face not visiting his children because of Annie, but 2face,eventually attended one of his (and Pero’s) daughter’s birthday parties in the United States But he has ended the feud in a snapchat video by revealing that there was no more war between the two women; Annie Idibia and his baby mama and defined the relationship of the women in his life as ‘bestfriends’.

The father-of-seven who recently shot a video in Kenya also spoke about people’s inability to mind their business, while his wife, Annie simply shared the caption“P n I r cool thou (P, refering to Pero) No fighting!! One love.”

M e a n w h i l e , 2Face’s new video produced

by Unlimited L.A., was shot alongside Kenyan music crew, Sauti Sol, comes weeks after the which has release of the single become an anthem within the African continent. Produced by J-Sleek and mixed by MAQAL, Oya Come Make We Go is a song that inspires listeners to believe in themselves, dare to dream and make the required strides towards the desired destination.

AFRIFF to sponsor 15 film students to the US Wizkid, Chris Brown thrill fans with ‘African Bad Girl’ WIZKID’S fame at home and abroad has been on the rise, especially since his international collaboration with Drake on One Dance. During the week, the Nigerian singer was enlisted on the European music tour list of American hip hop singer, Chris Brown, where the due performed their 2014 team work, “African Bad Girl”.

The pop stars rocked the Amsterdam stage as part of Chris Brown’s ‘One hell of a night 2016 tour’.

According to reports, star boy Wizkid and Chris Brown shut down the Ziggo dome stage in Amsterdam, Netherlands with their performance of ‘African bad girl’, a Sarz produced collaboration effort the two recorded two years ago which is yet to be released officially.

Wizzy has also been on a long streak of tours within and out of Africa. The ‘Baba nla’ crooner is expected to drop a body of work later this year The relationship between Chris Brown and Wizkid is one that every artiste from this part of the world would envy. The Ojuelegba crooner continues to rub shoulders with the best in the world. Apart from Chris Brown, Drake recorded Ojuelegba remix with Wizkid and he’s enjoying such collabos as one of their songs has been on Top 10 Bill Board Chart for weeks. Such is the aura that the African prince, Wizkid, the king of vocals exudes.

BUILDING up on the pace which it set up last year, the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), in collaboration with Ford Foundation, is providing capacity development for another season 15 film students to the popular Montana State University, United States, for a summer course.

The beneficiaries were selected from the AFRIFF Talent Development Workshops sponsored by Access Bank and Africa Magic at the 2015 edition of the festival which was held in Lagos.

The initiative provides beginners and intermediate courses for young people in their choice areas of filmmaking.

The scholarship scheme which is

Twelve out of the 15 students.

meant to advance the aspirations of these burgeoning talents, is an intensive hands-on training camp on various aspects of filmmaking with emphasis on documentary filmmaking.

Although 20 students qualified for the scholarship, 15 have been granted visas by the American embassy so far.

They include 13 Nigerians, one Ghanaian and one Rwandan.

They are Morakinyo Fapohunda from Lagos; Leke Oyeyinka from Ogun State; Kalu Nnamdi Anaga from Enugu; Damian Ashinjo from Benue State; Richard Odilu from Delta State; Tunray Femi from Delta State: Kelechi

Nduka from Anambra; Dan Ikpoyi from Delta State; Osei Owusu Banahene from Ghana, among others.

Ford Foundation has often expressed how its organisation’s vision and support for creative talent fits into AFRIFF’s capacity development for the Nigerian film industry, hence the partnership.

Also in the partnership is Arik Air, Montana State University and Africa Magic.

Paul Nwulu, Programmes Officer for Ford Foundation said his agency is excited about the scheme, saying they already had proposals for 10 of the 15 guys who made the training last year.

According to Nwulu, the choice of Montana State University was strategy owing to the quality of training they offer.

For Founder/CEO of AFRIFF, Ms Chioma Ude, the scholarship is one in a series of other talent development initiatives of the six-year-old festival.

According to her, the skill acquisition and youth development initiative was designed to use filmmaking as an authentic vehicle for youth empowerment, to raise awareness about African cinema, its vast potential and the tremendous socio-economic impact of creative professionals on the African continent.

26 entertainment

25 June, 2016

What has been your most memorable stage experience ?

I remember at the Asa concert, I came on stage and I just sat on my box, someone described me as “staring into the abyss.”

You know, when I am on stage I am not really focused on anything else, I mean there are people there but it’s beyond that, it is like an experience, which I get to share with people and I love that.

For that particular performance there was a moment of silence, people thought I was choking and had forgotten the words.

I was just getting into the zone, and there was a nice applause when I sang the first note, because people were surprised about what they heard but were receiving my music and appreciating me for being myself. They just allowed me to take my time and showed that the audience appreciated what I was doing. I am sure my Falana Uncover’d pop up concerts will have a lot more memorable moments because they will be a lot more intimate. They will be running until September!

Falana is a fast-rising Nigerian musician who is set to take Nigerian music to different parts of the world.

In this interview by JOAN OMIONAWELE, she talks about her life as a musician, plans and tours.

T

O what genre of music would you say your music belongs?

I would describe it as a fusion of different sounds. Sounds that have influenced me as an artiste and influence will usually come when I’m writing a song. So for example, I enjoy and love jazz music but I’m not a jazz musician but there are jazz elements in my music. The first full album that I listened to from beginning to end was Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation and her MTV unplugged album, I did that all in one sitting. So that’s something that has always influenced me as well. Rhythm is another thing, I have always enjoyed rhythm, and I have been a percussionist from when I was young so I’ve always enjoyed music. People will label my sound how they want to and I am very okay with that.

What was growing up like?

It was fun! It was crazy in my house because I was always singing and if you have any siblings you would understand what it was like for them. I was singing all the time, can you imagine singing ‘heartbreaker’ by Mariah Carey at 3 o’ clock in the morning to your siblings? The point is, I was very comfortable in my house, I was very much myself growing up, there was a lot of singing, a lot of dancing and a lot of running around.

How do you feel about the Nigerian music industry?

The Nigerian music industry has so much potential and it’s amazing that people all over the world are noticing this. I think it is a fantastic accomplishment that Nigerians are the leaders of the music industry on the continent, and this is something to be very proud of. We have a lot of hardworking, talented people in the industry and I am excited to see what kind of diversity continues to grow from what we have already.

Who are those who inspire you?

Lauryn Hill has been a large influence. My parents also played a lot of Sunny Ade’s music in the house, my mum was a fanatic so everyone would just be singing along and dancing whenever it came on. It’s so interesting that you start to see as you grow how things affect you, so I am definitely a fan of Sade, Nina Simone, Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Fela, the list goes on.

And all these influences are for different reasons and I think the time I spent in Cuba also influenced me with regards to how I hear and how my sound translates. In Cuba, you would be walking down the street and you would hear so many

Saturday Tribune

What is your fashion fetish?

I love heels, block heels especially.

Who is your celebrity crush?

You never expose your crush because if they know it messes up your plan!

(Laughs)

n a i r e g i N e k a t o t t n I wa music around the world —Falana different sounds and they say it is important as an artiste for you to listen closely to everything you hear because it affects how you put things together.

When did you begin your career in music?

I’ve always been musically inclined; it’s just been a matter of whether I was going to pursue music full time and whether I was going to be an artiste. When I was younger I was in a bucket drum band, so we would take buckets and drumsticks and just drum, I have been doing that since I was around seven. I

picked up guitar later on, I am self-taught. Music has always been a part of me and writing has been a part of me too.

When you say ‘re-imagine the concert experience in Nigeria’, what exactly do you mean and why the emphasis on live performance?

For me, it is just about challenging the norm and I just wanted to be able to think of ways to create a very creative live performance. I love to be on stage, I feel very comfortable there, I just want to be able to have a unique delivery and change the way people receive music.

You are set to begin a tour and live performances in Lagos, what informed this?

I just wanted an opportunity to share my music and myself in Lagos.

Your most embarrassing moment on stage?

I forgot the words to the song one time, I played it off very well though, people didn’t notice so they asked me, ‘did you plan that?’ But I told them I actually just forgot the words to the song. I haven’t had any falls or anything like that.

In the next five years, where do you see the Falana Brand?

Definitely touring worldwide, having a new album or maybe two albums out. Just being in a place where I can take my music to different places in the world and sharing it with people and still having my focus right here in Nigeria as well.

27 klieglight

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘Nollywood needs more investors’ Continued from pg2

that and maybe if you’ve done a few of it once in a while, you still go back and say, what am I really doing, is that what God wants of me, and then you sit back and say, I don’t think wearing the mini gowns or the mini skirts is what this life is all about, then you say to yourself, now I think there is more to me than this, I think I’m a spirit, I have come to know that I’m created by an entity called God and I know He didn’t create me just to be going from club to club, drinking and having sleepless nights, smoking and having hemp and jumping from place to place.

You said because you are born-again, you couldn’t go back to the way you were dressing and all that, but how easy or difficult was it to transit?

Like I said, with God, all things are possible, that’s what the Bible says in the Book of Luke. So with God, as long as you stay focused on God, there is nothing that is impossible, so when you talk about a change, just like we are in a dispensation of change in our country because we want something new, the moment you hang up to God, the moment you look up to God, the moment you are seeking God, there is nothing that you cannot do. He is the one that gives order to all things that are disorderly in your life. You know when one is blessed with a good body, naturally, you would want to showcase the vanity, I am a beautiful woman, I’ve been a beauty queen before, and I am a model with runway photography, I still model, I still do catwalk and all that stuff, but when your mind is focused on your physical beauty, you would find that you want to do the things that are filled with vanity. But you see, on the day that you wake up and say, you know what? This beauty, I have come to realise will fade one day, because there are times you look at pictures of a lot of women, a lot of people in the society who are great men and women, when you see pictures showing them, at maybe, 70, and you see the picture of when they were 25, 30 or 40 -years old and they looked so beautiful, your mind should tell you, come on, these ones were so lusciously beautiful when they were 30, 40, 50 and 21 years now but now, they are all wrinkled up, it means that the beauty would not last forever.

So are you saying that if you are given some more roles or if you are given some bad girl roles as an actress now, you would turn down the roles

outright?

You see, that is another misconception, I repeat the verse, proverbs 18:16, that the gift of a man maketh a way for a man and bringeth him before kings, Now, gifts and talents of acting, to be a doctor, to be a painter, to be a carpenter, to be a writer or journalist like you are or to be a fashion designer, these are gifts from God. There is nothing that was ever created that was not created by God. According to man, which is humanity, we can see some things are bad, but it is from the mess that God brings out the message and the miracle. Now, if I’m given a role to play as a prostitute, my dear, it is acting, I would do it comfortably well because it is a gift given to me. Now to preach the gospel of Jesus, look at it, the Jesus we are preaching about, he said I did not come for the righteous, I came for the lost. So now, you cannot say because you are a pastor, then all you are going to be doing is because of the skill, that is, when they give you a role to play a thief, or an armed robber or a wicked mother-in-law, you would say no o, you would do holy, holy, holy, come on.

Let’s talk about Nollywood now, as one of the pioneer actresses of Nollywood, how far do you think Nollywood has gone?

Well, you know when they say pioneer actress, I take it as

Alibaba, AY, Gordons for PENCIL’s maiden comedy show Young comedian, PENCIL is set to stage the maiden edition of his highly anticipated comedy show tagged, PENCIL UNBROKEN- The First Assignment.

The show, billed to hold tomorrow at the muson Centre, Onikan, will witness an impressive lineup of comedians and musicians who will be thrilling guests with rib-cracking jokes and musical performances on the evening.

According to PENCIL, “I can’t wait to reveal the surprises I have lined up for the night. Guest will be in for an evening of undiluted entertainment. It’s my debut show, so am pulling all stops to make it the biggest comedy and music show in recent times.”

Comedians billed to attend include Alibaba, AY, Gordons, Ushbebe, Shakara, Teju Babyface, , Romeo, Kenny Blaq, Okey Bakkassi, Ajebo, Dan d Humorous, Senator, MC Shakara, Wofai Fada, Funnybone, Seyi Law, and will be hosted by Caroline Hutchings.

The night will also witness legendary DJ Jimmy Jatt on the turntables and musical performances from Iyanya,

Phyno, Ice Prince, KCEE, Seyi Shay, Harrysong, Praiz, Oritsefemi, Yemi Sax, Reekado Banks, Yemi Alade, YCEE, Orezi, Vector, Mr 2kay, Humblesmith, Sean Tizzle, Tjan, Rayce, Reminisce, Bracket.

a blessing because I know there are a whole lot of people who started acting before me, there are so many people that came on board a long time before I came, what happened to me is that I am blessed, because most of the movies I star in are blockbusters. I am blessed because the producers of the movies I star in promote them, I am blessed that I’m given good roles to play and I often by His grace play lead roles in the movies I’m in and I play them and I give them my passion and a lot of people feel, this is just so great.

Nollywood has come to stay, nobody is going to take Nollywood away, it has brought a lot of glory to our country, Nollywood is getting better and nothing can stop it.

Nollywood has been a blessing to a whole lot of people but we need more investors to come into the industry. What we need is a whole lot of people to come in and realise that this is a gold mine, but a lot of people are afraid because they don’t seem to understand a lot of symmetry of Nollywood but if they can come in and ask questions, because when you do ask questions, you would not go amiss. When they ask from the right people, then they would be able to have proper information on how to operate and then they would not be able to miss the right thing that they should do in terms of investment because everybody comes from different angles, so they would know whether they should come in as producers or executive producers or they want to come in as a director. But we need a whole lot more investors who can put a lot of money, all the big shots in the country, all the big conglomerates should come in to build cinemas, so that people would have order in the industry, because the act of selling the films via DVD is shortchanging the industry. So we need the revival of our cinemas and only investors with heavy money can do this and when they come in, you can never miss it with entertainment because entertainment is what has shot America to the level it is today. So I use this medium to implore all the big shots who have money but don’t know what to do with it, or even if they know what to do with it, let them transfer some of it into the industry. Trust me, they would never miss it. They would help to do what God wants us to do, be our brother’s keeper by employing a lot of people and they would help us also in Nollywood to streamline our work and make it more profitable for us. That way, the producers can get to make their money, that way, we get paid well, and then some of us would not be lying about the fees artistes collect and give the impression that we are all collecting a certain amount when in fact we are living in penury. I hope I’ve answered your questions properly.

Donald Duke , others for third Nigerian beer symposium Top beverage company, Nigerian Breweries Plc is set to host the third Nigerian Beer Symposium in Lagos.

The one-day symposium which comes up on Thursday, June 30,at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos has as its theme: “Beer and Culture”, It will focus on beer as a beverage that lubricates culture and enhances social bonding across the ages.

This year’s edition which is set to change the perception of people about beer will be chaired by Mr. Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River State, who was praised for his contributions to the fields of agriculture, urban development, environment, and tourism during while in office.

The symposium also has a rich line up of experts and scholars in health, food and nutrition sciences who will deliver keynote lectures. They include Professor Innocent Ujah, a Fellow of the Medical College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and current DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos; Professor Bartholomew Okolo, OFR, a professor of Applied Microbiology and former vice chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Others are Mr. Ted

Mukoro, a veteran advertising guru and Ms. Stephanie Coker, an On-Air Personality and television presenter.

According to the organisers, the symposium promises to be knowledge-packed and would provide an exciting insight into the global brewing industry, especially as it relates to beer, health and culture.

Not a few historians agree that beer is one of the world’s oldest recorded alcoholic beverages, with many positive qualities and benefits. However, these benefits are little appreciated or understood by audiences who are daily overwhelmed by many unsubstantiated misconceptions about beer.

To address these wrong perceptions, Nigerian Breweries, two years ago, launched a programme – The Positive Story of Beer (PSoB) – to change the conversation and improve the reputation of the beer category by sharing what is wonderful about beer.

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25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Louise Harb remembers

late dad I

t’s about five years since Lagos businessman, Olu Priddy, bid farewell to this world and it was with a sense of appreciation that his daughter and owner of Kristos Jewelry, Louise Harb, celebrated him on Father’s Day. Louise, who runs the Bacchus Nightclub and Posh Cafe, had earlier visited her father’s grave with her two children and a sibling, where she praised the late businessman for being the ‘World’s best dad’.

A few days later, the woman, who is married to Lebanese businessman, Mario Harb, spotted a tattoo on her right hand with the inscription DAD. Louise’s friends said her dad was her biggest fan, a statement that conveyed her sadness when the businessman died on July 14, 2011.

Rainoil boss, Gabriel Ogbechie, steals the show The stylish boss of Rainoil Petroleum, Gabriel Ogbechie, is climbing the social ladder with a speed that is drawing the attention of many.

The man earned himself another point recently when he made a speech at the anniversary lecture of a popular tabloid in Lagos.

His spectacular display was what people described as a class act when the oil magnate presented an electrifying speech with an expose on entrepreneurship in Nigeria, which drew applause from everyone present at the event.

As usual, the Rainoil boss was in his finest mood as he chose his words and took the audience on an intellectual voyage that lasted an hour.

The act won him many friends and new admirers who said they have gained from his experience.

New honour for Mo Abudu The Chief Executive Officer of Ebonylife TV, Mosunmola Abudu, can boast of a collection of laurels large enough to sink a ship.

She has just earned another honour with leading United States' magazine, The Business Insider, recently listing her among the top 100 Business Visionaries creating value for the world.

Mo Abudu is the only African who made the list which consists of the Chief Executive Officers of Alibaba, IKEA, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Starbucks with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg topping the list.

Abudu described the honour as a big moment for the entire Ebonylife TV team. She stated that their goal is to tell African stories which they do by annually producing over a thousand hours of premium, original and home grown entertainment contents from talk, reality, comedy, drama and lifestyle programmes.

The honour came as Ebonylife TV enters its third year as the channel of choice in the entertainment category with the expansion of its operations into more Nigerian cities, including Abuja, Lagos and Calabar.

Bianca Ojukwu takes another leap Bianca, the widow of the late politician, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, is using her spare time to arm herself with knowledge as she has just concluded her masters degree programme at the prestigious Alfonso el Sabio University in Spain.

The ex-beauty queen, who was a former Ambassador to Spain, was all smiles as she was surrounded by her family members, ambassadors, members of the Nigerian community in Spain, Nigerian Embassy officials and others who came to celebrate with her.

Funke Bucknor, Jennifer Obayuwana, others rock Debola Obanikoro’s DOS party Lagos fashion lovers among others are yet to stop talking about the experience they had at the recent Summer ‘16 Collection Unveil Party of DOS Clothing.

Chief Executive Officer of DOS, Debola Obanikoro, created a relaxed atmosphere at her Awolowo, Lagos flagship store for likeminded women to network and mingle, while they had a view of her trendy, edgy and modern pieces which is her Summer Collection.

In attendance were

Funke Bucknor-Obruthe, Jennifer Obayuwana, Akunna Nwala, Freda Francis, Tope Abiola, Dupe Olusola, Fatimah Obanikoro, Ozzy Agu and other fashion-conscious people who are stuck to the DOS designs.

Obanikoro disclosed that the unveil party was not just to exhibit DOS summer collections but to also give people in the fashion business the chance to meet, share ideas and draw inspirations from what they see.

29

25 June, 2016

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25 June, 2016

The South-West Day Arisekola gave me briefcase filled with money

Editor Wole Efunnuga | 08111813056

—Ogiyan

The Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin clocked 80 years in January. He has spent 42 years on the throne of his forefathers and changed the face of the hitherto sleepy community. TUNDE BUSARI writes.

A

S a teenager growing up among his peers and elders, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin, was a hard nut. To crack him, one needed extra strength because of his indomitable reputation.

He was big in size, bigger at heart and, thus, respected when it came to combative exercise which was and still is common among the youth of local communities across the length and breadth of Yorubaland.

His mother was always uncomfortable with his odd ways but would not throw the baby away with the bathwater. She would instead lead him into her room and tell him how the eyes of all his kith and kin and indeed the entire people of Ejigbo were on him.

The message at first sounded strange to him. Its repetition, however, made a lasting effect on him as he added years and transited to adulthood. He later understood that his mother’s concern was premised on a prophecy which preceded his birth in 1936.

To the amazement of the relentless mother, the Ogiyan appreciated the import of harmonious coexistence among family and friends to the extent that he was hardly seen alone. His pleasant personality was additional strength which later worked for him in building friendship beyond his immediate environment.

“I am fortunate to have such a mother who would not be discouraged but continue to press further until she gets result. It is fun whenever I reflect on those days now. The other side of it is that it built a very determined person in me and I am happy for it.

“The little I attained in my journey of life can be linked to my doggedness to succeed and not to be intimidated by any person or circumstance. But to God be the glory because without Him, we are nothing. Without Him, there would not have been today that we are happy about,” he reasoned.

The monarch’s emergence as the Ogiyan in 1974 truly followed a divine pattern as evident in his father’s earlier attempt to slug it out, incidentally with Oyesosin’s immediate predecessor. The Ogiyan’s mother played a pivotal role in her husband’s eventual withdrawal from the race based on a directive instructing her to advise the husband against going further.

The elder Oyesosin did not ignore his wife’s counsel. He shocked the town by throwing his weight behind his opponent until the latter was installed.

This should ordinarily have paved a smooth path for the

Ogiyan when the stool became vacant after the demise of his predecessor in 1971. However, eight other contestants rose to wrestle with him in a contest that tested their financial muscle.

He was at that time a school teacher at Fiditi Grammar School, Oyo, after he had graduated from the University of Ibadan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. Despite his understandable lean purse, the Ogiyan was positive of his chance to breast the tape ahead of his co-contestants. His goodwill earned over the years, therefore, came to the fore and rescued him from the im-

But there are some people I will not forget for the role they played in the process leading to my emergence. One of them is the late Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin. He was the one that took me to the late Aare Musulumi Azeez Arisekola

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peding ignominy because contest to the throne is said to be a bazaar for the kingmakers.

“It has not always come on a silver platter because every prince wants to get there. But there are some people I will not forget for the role they played in the process leading to my emergence. One of them is the late Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin. He was the one that took me to the late Aare Musulumi Azeez Arisekola. Chief Akanni Aluko too was very helpful.

They gave me a briefcase containing money. The rest is history. These people were godsend who rallied round me when it mattered most. The day I arrived in Ejigbo after the announcement of the appointment is a day to remember for as long as I live.

“I had never seen the kind of crowd that welcomed me at Baro. The effect of the crowd pushed the car in which I rode. It was a special day in the history of my people.

On my coronation day, King Sunny Ade was on the bandstand and he shook the entire town,” he reminiscent Forty-two years after, Ejigbo has transformed from an anonymous community to a cosmopolitan town with an appreciable population, expanding education and commercial institutions.

In November 2015, the Osun State government commissioned a mega school named after the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka as a mark of acknowledgement of the town’s physical development.

The N750 million school is a 3,000-student capacity complex with 72 classrooms of 49 square metres, each capable of sitting 49 students and has six offices for study groups. It is also equipped with six laboratories, 18 toilets for ladies and 18 for gentlemen, one science library, one arts library, facility manager’s office, a bookshop and a sickbay.

The mega-school is more or less a complement to many French architectural edifices scattered on the landscape of the town. The feature is an evidence of Ejigbo’s strong tie with Cote d’Ivoire, a West African, sub-region French speaking-country.

Aside from the Federal Government of Nigeria, no other level of government maintains such tie with the Cote d’Ivoire like Ejigbo.

Oba Oyesosin explains: “Our relationship with that country is long. There is no family that has no relations in the country. Our presence there arises from our entrepreneural skills. Trading has always been our vocation and we have no reason to regret it. Except the time war forced them home, we have consistently maintained a huge presence in that country, contributing to their economy.”

The monarch is blessed with a listening ear, especially when he is engaged by a visitor. He keeps his cool and watches the lip of his guest as if he has no answer to his question. But by the time he breaks his silence, the guest is assured of a full dose of tutorial on different subjects of interest.

When asked on the relevance of traditional rulers in contemporary society, he smiles and articulates why the institution has outlived many generations and will also remain relevant.

“An oba enjoys permanent seat in his palace until God calls him. He is closer to the grass-roots people and understands their psychology and needs. It is not surprising that families prefer to take their matters to the palace as it was done in the days of my forefathers.

“We are also in charge of customs and tradition. We ensure the heritage is well preserved. Although I am a Christian, I don’t shy away from my traditional obligation. Till date Ogiyan remains our heritage here,” he said.

33

25 June, 2016

With Ronke Sanya 07036050161 sanyaaderonke@gmail.com

achievers The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, recently in a post on the social media, saluted Ayodeji Adewunmi, Olalekan Olude and Opeyemi Awoyemi, the founders of Nigeria’s foremost recruitment website, Jobberman, for connecting and creating job for 5000 unemployed monthly. RONKE SANYA, in this interview with co-founder, Opeyemi Awoyemi, seeks the reaction of the Jobberman team to the big thumbs up.

J

obberman has risen from the corners of your room in the hostel while in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state in 2009, to become one of the biggest job portals how have you been able to grow your brand overtime?

To say it has been a smooth journey will be utter deception. It took total commitment, focus, immense energy and grace of God to grow the business in the face of daunting challenges that would have stifled any idea.

Specifically, we focused on providing real value - making jobs accessible to people who needed to know what opportunities are out there. That in itself is over 50 million Nigerians - young and old who are either looking for their first jobs or a new job.

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, recently recognised your efforts and expressed excitement about what you are doing. How has this inspired the Jobberman team?

The recognition by Mark Zuckerberg is a really inspiring one. Every month, at least 5,000 people get hired through Jobberman. It inspires us to want to engage jobseekers, employers and government, more so that more people can become gainfuly employed. It came at a time when we were really trying to do a lot of things differently and engage people in a lot of different ways outside the ordinary. For example, we want to serve people more from NYSC, from the state government side of things via education for employment, testing systems that provide empirical data and a lot more from the Federal Government’s angle. The Mark Zuckerberg recognition came at a time that anything and everything could help and it spurred us on to achieve even more.

I read the success story of those who have gotten jobs through Jobberman on the website and was wowed by the number of people who get jobs through Jobberman across Nigeria.

Saturday Tribune

Ayodeji Akinwunmi

Olalekan Olude Opeyemi Awoyemi

n io it n g o c re s r’ e d n u fo k o o b Face e r o m e v ie h c a o t s u d e r spur —Opeyemi Awoyemi , Jobberman co-founder

How do you connect the whole nation through your recruitment website?

We go the extra mile to bring jobs in different localities. Unknown to many people, the problem of unemployment and underemployment is very local. If I can serve Mr. A in Ogbomoso well, he is bound to tell Mr. B and Mr. A and Mr B will tell their siblings to get on Jobberman. Since the website is online, the link gets growing that way, through referrals.

I’m aware you (Opeyemi Awoyemi), alongside someone else re-

Most Nigerian graduates do not possess the skills and capabilities needed by most employers - compared to their foreign counterparts.

As a nation, we need to start tackling unemployability from our institutions of higher learning.

cently flagged off a N200 million innovation fund specially to broaden the ideas of undergraduates in Nigerian universities and fresh graduates as well. Tell us more about that.

It’s an intervention fund in the works to help student entrepreneurs and visionaries with big-impact ideas. If we didn’t get the support needed back then in 2009, we might not be here today. The fund is being managed by InvestmentOne and it has a high profile investment committee who will be making the decisions on which ideas and businesses to back. My job here is to create, inspire that vision and enable others to run with it. I look forward to seeing leading global and profitable businesses having come out of the FastForward Student Innovation Fund.

and etiquette need to be thought. Basic Information Technology skills also need to be thought. All these are missing in a lot of graduates that are being churned out into the job market and this has inadvertently made them unemployable.

Zuckerberg, in his post where he lauded the Jobberman team said, “I’m excited to see what Nigerians build next”.What is Jobberman building next and what should Nigerians expect from Jobberman in the nearest future?

Nigerians are building already; they are really not sitting around waiting to be spurred on. At Jobberman, we are also building too; having laid the foundation since 2009. Stay tuned; what we are building will soon be announced to the world.

In your interview with CNN, you mentioned that you have seen that beyond the problem of unemployment, there is a problem of ‘unemployability’ as well. Are you trying to say Nigerian graduates are unemployable?

That is very correct. Most Nigerian graduates do not possess the skills and capabilities needed by most employers compared to their foreign counterparts.

As a nation, we need to start tackling unemployability from our institutions of higher learning. Basic communication skills need to be thought. Job search skills

Despite the many successes recorded, you don’t seem to rest on your oars...

As long as a venture keeps conceiving solutions to address problems affecting the populace and society, there will not be shortage of people using it or talking about it. With these solutions come testimonials as well. Most of the news about us out there stem from our activities geared towards solving the unemployment scourge.

There will always be a lot of reasons why one should not start, but there is also one bigger reason why one should start.

34 interview

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

I feel sad some corrupt officers brought the Army into disrepute —Rtd General Odunsi

The Jagunmolu of Ijebu-Imusin, in Ogun State, retired Major-General Samson Odunsi, in this interview by SAHEED SALAWU AND KATE ANI, relives some memorable moments in his military career and speaks on a couple of salient national issues.

W

hy did you decide to join the army and what was the reaction of your parents when you told them?

As a little boy, I told my friends about my intention to join the army and they exclaimed. They wondered why I wanted to join the military. They scared me further by saying the army was a bunch of wicked lots who maltreated people. I became frightened and said I wasn’t interested again. When I told my dad and my stepmother, my stepmother insisted that I shouldn’t join. While the women in my family were against the idea, the men wanted me to join the army. My father said they should allow me to make my choice. I joined the Nigerian Military School in January, 1966 and eight days after, katakata burst: the first military coup happened.

Eight days after joining the army?

Yes, in Zaria. At first, we didn’t know what was happening.

A Mercedes Benz conveying the commanding officer raised the alarm while driving around the barracks. We all rushed to the assembly and at the parade ground, Major-General Ogundeko came and informed us that there was trouble in town. He locked us inside the barracks and ordered everyone not to step outside. I was afraid. Before we knew it, the senior officers were already dressed up in their battle gears. They went to the armoury and started loading weapons and ammunition. In the twinkle of an eye, they went to their various posts while we the newbies were barred from stepping out.

That night, we heard that the government in power had been overthrown. One night, we learnt that the coup plotters were coming to attack us in Zaria. General Ogundeko was told to hide us and all the equipment inside a bush because Major [Chukwuma Kaduna] Nzeogwu and his men were coming to attack Zaria. But then, he thought that being in the bush would be dangerous for us as we could be hit by stray bullets or get attacked by dangerous animals. So, instead, he kept us in a classroom while he and his men watched over us day and night. He said he didn’t know why Nzeogwu would want to attack us but if they truly came, nobody, the permanent staff or we boys, would be killed while he was alive. He said if they came, he would first offer himself. This is one of the things that endeared us to General Ogundeko later as we climbed the ladder of leadership.

What went through your mind during the period?

All night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept wondering if that was how I was going to die and none of my family members would know where I was. At some point, General Ogundeko or his officers would come through the door or peep through the window to check on us to be sure that we were safe. None of my family members knew where I was. I couldn’t send them a letter or call them.

What other memorable near-death experience can you recall? Did you fight during the civil war?

I joined the army when the coup started and series of activities were taking place. The day Aguiyi Ironsi came, everyone was armed at the parade ground. We the newbies were the only ones not armed. After some time, when things began to take shape, we were supposed to go back to the military school but as little boys, they told us to go and line up by the road to the officers mess and beyond.

Where I was standing, the Head of State’s vehicle pulled up. It was a right-hand vehicle, which means the guest would be on the left side with his ADC, while the host will be on the right side, behind the driver. By the time the vehicle drove in and people were rushing to open the door, one armed man came from behind the thicket in a firing position, pointed his gun at the Head of State. But the host governor came out and signalled to him with his swagger stick and the man relaxed and disappeared behind the thicket. If he had fired, there was no way I would be talking to you today.

So, the man wanted to kill the Head of State?

I think so because we were on the parade ground and they were not expecting boys to be on the parade ground.

But because we were on parade, they couldn’t do anything.

What do you have to say on the current agitation for Biafra?

When the war came up, nobody was ready for it. Ojukwu was not ready. The Nigerian Army was not ready. That is why I say, if people know who can talk to the MASSOB and

When the war came up, nobody was ready for it.

Ojukwu was not ready.

The Nigerian Army was not ready...

The long and short of all I am saying is that war brings no one any good. federalism could produce what our nationalists did in the First Republic, why would anyone think it would not work for us again as a magic wand. All it takes are discussions to make all parties reason together, allaying one another’s fears in the whole setup. What I will advise is that they should go back to the drawing board and restrategise and not bring war again on Nigeria as we are presently having many wars, economic, social, etc.

IPOB people, they should see that war is not the answer.

If they create a situation of war, it won’t be the same thing as it was then.

I see Biafra, MASSOB or IPOB and all that talk about breaking away as an arm-twisting strategy by those behind these moves, all for the purpose of achieving some goal(s) which in the end may be self-serving for a few people. As I said in some other fora before now, breaking away may not necessarily be the solution to the problems of the nation as one breakaway will give birth to several other breakaways even in the envisioned “Biafra.”

I am yet to see what has happened or is happening to the youths in that area which has not happened or is not happening to youths in other parts of Nigeria. So, if every other youth should call for a breakaway, what becomes of the country? I believe these issues can be sorted out in better ways than the present approach.

I will advise the elders who know what war is all about – be it the old inter-tribal wars which may be seen as primitive when compared to the modern wars, or colonial and other wars – to talk to these restive youths and not try to hide behind their fingers by saying ‘good, what they could not do, these youths of theirs are doing to the central government.’ This is way off the solution.

Some elders are talking to these youths because they are not stopping. Is it then a case of the youth not obeying them because these ones talking do not have the voice they should listen to? If this is the case then, those who have voice should speak to them. If they do not act now by talking to them, they may find everybody, including themselves in either IDPs or in the bushes. These two places are no respecter of persons.

If, however, the elders are part of their grand plan, I will recommend that one of their drawing board restrategising is to also do what is referred to in the military as Anticipated Destruction/Damage Analysis, this time in Biafra and in ‘Biafra’s Diaspora. The long and short of all I am saying is that war brings no one any good. A look at all places where wars had taken place in modern times, e.g. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and north-eastern Nigeria, will confirm what I have said.

What is your take on the recent corruption claims that recently engulfed the army?

When I follow all that is going on in this respect, especially the military officers who in all respect are very senior in the system, I feel very sad for several reasons. One, for the indignity they have brought to the noble military profession, which is a first class profession anywhere in the world.

Secondly, these revelations also show the amount of havoc that has been wreaked on the ethics of the profession and on the old order of practising the profession, I mean, on integrity, commitment, patriotism, comradeship, esprit de corps, neutrality, among others; that is, the issue of the military being the hope and last bastion of the Nigerian nation and the Nigerian people.

The deeds of these officers have brought out wickedness, deceit and insensitivity of the highest order. As a matter of fact, I liken these officers and their deeds to a poultry farmer who nurture his birds well all with the ultimate aim of slaughtering them. How do I mean? These officers became whatever they became because there were servicemen under them to rule over. They trained and commanded them for nation building, we all thought, only to launch them into theatre of wars and fail to equip them, thereby allowing Boko Haram to slaughter them very easily. I am sad, again, in the sense that the money which should have been used to acquire instruments of warfare was diverted for private use. Their action is nothing but callous. It is shameful. What do these officers really want to have and how long do they think they will live in this world?

How many wives do you have?

I don’t have wives or a harem. I have only one wife. Her name is Chief (Mrs) Elizabeth Odunsi.

As a member of the Afenifere Renewal Group, what is your position on the clamour for the restructuring of the country?

Restructuring can help solve some of our problems. If true

Did you meet her while in the army?

I met her in 1966 when I came home on my first holiday from military school. We have been together ever since.

We have six children.

35 interview

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Sheriff is PDP’s nemesis —Taraba APC boss

The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Alhaji Hassan Ardo, in this interview by SYLVANUS VIASHIMA, speaks on topical national issues as well as politics in his state. Excerpts:

W

hat is your assessment of the Muhammadu Buhari administration so far?

In all fairness, the APC and the administration are already bringing to fruition their promises. We have people who were displaced from this country and were staying in Niger Republic and other neighbouring countries beginning to return home now because of the relative stability. That has been the cardinal objective of this administration and we are seeing results.

You can’t have any meaningful development if there is no peace and giant strides have been recorded in that area already. Unfortunately, we have crises across the country, which have been orchestrated to discredit this government and cause as much disability as possible. The first priority of this government was to restore normalcy to the North-East and we are all witnesses to the progress made in that regard so far. Today, you can drive in and out of Borno State without any hindrance. Prior to this time, even people from Yola [the Adamawa State capital] were running out of the town because Boko Haram was taking over the whole region. The spate of bombing across the country has also reduced drastically.

Sponsors of Boko Haram never believed President Buhari could crush the sect so effectively and are disappointed about this. As such, you can see the new wave of criminality and agitations from all kinds of groups, making frivolous demands and causing unnecessary tension and damage. That is why you have the crisis in the Niger Delta and the Fulani herdsmen crisis. These are deliberately geared towards destabilising the administration. In any case, you don’t expect the president to turn around 16 years of colossal damage and bad governance by the [Peoples Democratic Party] PDP over one year.

The process of reconstruction is more tedious than that of destruction. People must understand that. I believe that the government is working and is certainly on course.

But the condition of living of the ordinary man deteriorated terribly in the last one year.

To be very frank with you, the condition of living of the average man has deteriorated like you rightly observed. There is no doubt about it. This is because this government does not believe in being superficial. The APC government does not believe in doctoring things to give the people a favourable wrong impression. The government believes in being realistic.

You don’t expect the government to start going out to siphon money and dish out to people to create a false impression that all is well when we know that all is not well. There are lots of external factors that also conspired to work against this government. For instance, look at the price of crude prior to the coming of this government and what it has been since the inception of this government. These are factors the government cannot control. These are external factors. The global economy is suffering serious crunch. Unfortunately, we failed to prepare ourselves as a nation to face these times.

You will recall that former governor of the [Central Bank of Nigeria] CBN, [Emir Muhammadu] Sanusi [II], repeatedly told the previous government that we were living dangerously and emphasised the need for caution but instead of taking proactive measures, they sacked Sanusi. These are the consequences of the previous government’s irresponsibility, recklessness and impunity. What this government is doing is to put in place drastic measures to stop the situation from further deteriorating and improve our life as a nation. That is change and it comes with a price. Life may seem difficult now but it’s just the thick darkness before the dawn.

What is the major failure of this government after one year in your objective view?

This Federal Government has not failed in any way. A promise of this government was to ensure that there is peace and security in this country and he [the president] is on course in that regard. You don’t expect absolute normalcy to return overnight. Secondly, he wanted the ordinary man to enjoy dividends of democracy and what he is doing in that regard is to go to the grass roots and employ about 500,000 graduates in one fell swoop. The portal has been open already and a lot of applications received.

Where do you see Nigeria at the end of the four years of this administration?

Nigeria will take its pride of place in the comity of developed nations of the world. That can, however, only be achieved if we all imbibe the culture of prudence and patriotism, with national interest as the overriding concern. If we can henceforth make it a policy as individuals to do the right things as being championed by the president, I am sure that Nigeria will become a model for all nations of this world.

was that the APC was persecuting PDP members and I wonder who should be prosecuted if not the people who, with power, looted our funds. Sentiments aside, all the people the [Economic and Financial Crimes Commission] EFCC has invited so far have in one way or the other admitted stealing our funds. These are all people who were in government and used their offices to squander the nation’s wealth, leaving us in this pathetic situation we have found ourselves.

So, the PDP know what they did. They know what their nemesis is. Let them live with it.

The government believes in being realistic. You don’t expect the government to start going out to siphon money and dish out to people to create a false impression that all is well when we know that all is not well.

The APC has been accused of using Ali Modu Sheriff to destroy the PDP. What is your take on this?

It sounds very funny and ridiculous. Where was Sheriff when five PDP governors defected to the APC? Was that Sheriff? When Sheriff left the then CPC to join the PDP, what was their comment? If they knew that he was coming as APC’s stooge to destroy their party, why did they allow him? Was it the APC that appointed him their acting national chairman? Sheriff is PDP’s nemesis. The destruction they caused this country and other political parties is what they are now suffering. I am telling you that this will take them down. He is their nemesis. The party is finished and they know it. Let them accept their bleak fate and face reality.

We were all witnesses to what happened even here in Taraba. All those who stood elections in PDP got what they wanted on the basis of which group they belonged. It wasn’t a matter of how many votes they got. The party never had primaries in the state; it simply gave tickets to candidates who were in the ‘right’ group, and that was it. These are the things that boomeranged and the PDP is having it rough.

The PDP is just crying for no reason. The last time, it

What is your assessment of Governor Darius Ishaku’s one year in office?

Well, we don’t have a functional system so we can’t even start to talk about performance. This is just the worst we have had as a state. Why would a government sack civil servants under the pretext that they were not genuinely employed? What moral ground has he to sack these people and worsen the rate of unemployment in the state? This is a civil service state, even in his own words, and he is busy sacking civil servants and appointing more political aides. He has the highest number of political aides since the creation of Taraba State and in the country as we speak. How do you reconcile that? This man has accumulated gratuity bill of over N10 billion. We have people who served the state meritoriously retiring without their names captured among retirees.

This is in addition to owing teachers for several months after collecting a bailout fund of over N9 billion and a bank facility of over N10 billion. What are we saying? It is appalling. The governor is going around inaugurating roads that were constructed by ex-governors Danbaba Suntai and Sani Danladi and claiming he did those roads. The people of the state are watching. What has happened to the monies collected from the Federation Account in the last one year? There is simply nothing to show for it. What he has succeeded in doing is to create religious barriers and all forms of divisions in the state.

What is the fortune of the APC in the state?

The Supreme Court has given its ruling as regards the governorship of the state, so as law abiding citizens, all we have to do now is to sit back and plan for 2019. I can, however, assure you that we have the people on our side. We have their trust and massive support and come 2019, APC will take over Taraba through a landslide victory. Mark my words on this.

However, as opposition party, we have not kept quiet about PDP’s misrule in the state. We have been condemning acts capable of doing the state more harm than good while being law-abiding. The APC is waxing stronger by the day in the state. The APC believes in unity and peaceful coexistence and that is why we will take over in 2019.

What is your take on the proposed grazing reserve?

You see, wherever there is injustice, there is bound to be problems. The issue of grazing reserve and cattle routes existed well before now. The white men who gave us independence knew that we needed one another and made provision for that. This issue started as far back as 1965. About 115 square kilometres of land was designated and approved by the Taraba State government as grazing reserve in Donga Local Government Area and we have a similar situation in almost all the local government areas in the state.

We are aware that there are some bad Fulani who attack people without provocation and we don’t subscribe to that.

The people only blow this issue out of proportion just to create confusion so that the Buhari administration might not succeed but the gimmick won’t work. The whole thing is just to make it look as if President Buhari, who also owns cows, has decided to keep quiet on the purported atrocities of his people. The essence of this grazing reserve is to ensure peace between herdsmen and farmers. The government is trying to find a solution and now the people are resisting it.

36

25 June, 2016

Saturday Tribune

views.com

Letter to my Biafran friend

By Abdulrazaq Magaji

My dear friend, I was greatly relieved to realise from the tone of your response to my last letter that, in spite of everything, you still regard me as a friend for life! I am particularly happy for the valid issues you raised. They are valid because no-one can accuse you of cooking them up. At least, I know you to be a serious-minded individual who cannot stand lies.

Nna! Na waa o! From the tone of your letter, it looks like you want to do one of the things our elders tell us never to do. Shebi our elders talk am say make we no swallow cough because say we no wan offend somebody! As I read through your letter, I realised that you are now acting contrary to this saying. But, it is okay that you replied me at all because it is good we leave the line of communication open.

Whatever the case, e better make we dey yearn dey go!

You probably do not agree with me that we all have complaints in this country. But, that is the fact! It does not matter whether the complaint is the type that Boko Haram people are talking about. And, I think it is better, even before I address the issues you raised to remind you that EVERY soul you find in Nigeria has a grouse against the fatherland. It is only when we concede to this that we can begin to sound sensible. Right?

If we look at the recent history of Nigeria, it is the South West, more than any other zone that should complain of marginalisation. Forget the eight years of Olusegun Obasanjo!

The South West was home to the candidate who was denied the presidency after he won neatly. Of course, I am referring to the late Chief MKO Abiola and the June 12, 1993 election.

What the South West did and why other Nigerians and indeed the whole world supported their stand was that there was NEVER a time the South West threatened to pull out of Nigeria over June 12! Never! Of course, misguided Area Boys made noises to that effect but nobody listened to them.

You will also recall that, as recent as during the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, there was no way any politician from the South West could have constitutionally ascended the throne in the event of vacancy. Of course, you know the

South West did not feature in the top four positions in the government. In fact, the South West did not feature in the top ten in the Goodluck Jonathan government! Check the facts!

And, you could not have forgotten that President Goodluck Jonathan literally cleared all the votes in the South West. It was only Osun State that voted for the adopted candidate (Nuhu Ribadu) of the predominantly ACN party in the South West. The South West did not threaten fire and brimstone!

It is strange, my good friend, that one of the reasons you give for your agitation is that the present leadership in Nigeria ‘is marginalising Ndigbo’ because Igbo people do not hold high positions and are not well represented in the government!

Haba! Come on, my friend, but that need not be ground for a fight. I know you know better than this. I think it is about time you sit back and reflect deeply on this agitation against the backdrop of facts on the ground. Yes, there are sound reasons to grumble and people should feel free to grumble.

But, do you think it is okay for friends to shed blood in the name of grumbling?

And, let me take you a little back in time, my dear friend!

You could not have forgotten that a senior citizen of this great country was elected the second most powerful Nigerian nine years after the end of the civil war! Oh yes! I am referring to His Excellency Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme who ran and won on the NPN ticket with Alhaji Shehu Shagari. That was nine years after the civil war! And this was in the genuine spirit of no victor, no vanquished! I know this fact of history is lost on many of those agitators you now associate with.

And I know it is difficult for you to educate some of those boys because you fear they will call you traitor or saboteur!

Now, when Dr. Alex Ekwueme occupied the number two constitutionally-recognised slot, no politician from the South West featured in the top four! You remember the senate president was Dr. Joseph Wayas, while the speaker of the House of Representatives was Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke. Yes! Chief Adisa Akinloye (you remember Adisco Champagne?) was NPN chairman. I cannot remember that anybody from the South West complained

of being marginalised or foulmouthing the fatherland or threatened to tear up the country! Tell me, dear friend!

Where, exactly, is this marginalisation stuff coming from?

I got the message the moment you alluded to saboteurs and traitors! I know you fear being tagged a ‘sabo’ (pardon my use of this word that died with Biafra more than 46 years ago). As you must have realised by now, the people some choose to call saboteurs are either misunderstood or they are bold to speak the truth which many others find distasteful. Just cast your mind back, think deep and reflect on the number of times you refused to speak the truth or challenge a blatant falsehood because you feared others will start to suspect you of being a saboteur?

I am sure you know of one or two agitators who fell out of favour because they were accused of being traitors and saboteurs for suggesting responsible alternatives to those of the well-wishers. Time is now for you to free your mind. Don’t be a prisoner to any well-wisher! They do not wish you well!

It is time you bought the truth because it is only the truth that can save you!

Meanwhile, you need to have a genuine excuse when next somebody invites you to a secret meeting where you will be induced to plan any form of violence. You do not have darkness in you. What you have in you, dear friend, is light; the light of God! What is in you is peace; the peace of God! It is not violence! Free your mind! Shun all forms of violence!

Take your mind off all forms of mind-twisting substance! You confessed this is always in abundance whenever you meet!

What you need to charge you is the spirit of God; not any man-made, mind-bending substance that only injects hate and violence into you. Have nothing to do with hate; never let violence overwhelm you. Together, we shall join hands to agitate and negotiate to restructure the fatherland. But, first, you should let your mind begin to return to its natural state of peace!

Thank you, dear friend, for your usual patience. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Magaji sent this piece from Abuja.

Study of history crucial to nation building

By Lateef Ositelu The recent discovery in the study of history across primary and secondary schools in Nigeria has showed that almost all schools in the country have abandoned the study of history.

Scholars and experts who know the importance of the study of history in nation building have decried the current neglect and warned against nonchalant attitude of Federal Government and relevant stakeholders in denying Nigerian children the opportunity of understanding their past.

The adverse effect of this development on the behavour of the younger generation in the country cannot be overemphasised. There is, therefore, the need for National Council on Education(NEC) to reassess its decision and chart a new course at rejuvenating the neglected study of history by ensuring that the subject is reintroduced in the national curricular and ensure that more attention is placed at exposing the pupils to core aspect of their indigenous history and culture.

The rejuvenation of history in all the schools in the country will not as a matter of fact interfere with or affect the existence of other subjects like social studies, civic education, geography and government as they all have their relevance in promoting academic excellence.

But more importantly it is very pathetic today that many of Nigerian pupils are oblivious of history of their dear fatherland as some stakeholders have deliberately deleted it from the national curricular and far away from the consciousness of the younger generation.

The attendant effect of the deliberate action of detesting history as subject of study has given free passage to incursion of European, American and Asian history and culture which further bastardises our vision as a nation.

The younger generation are thirsty for information and are curious at grasping any available means of gathering information about their past to enrich their knowledge.

But unfortunately they have been starved and technologically driven far away from acceptable norms by foreign history and culture. And If government at all levels as well as stakeholders fail to see the study of history as salient to nation building and quickly salvage the situation, Nigerian children may be swept away outright by the torrents of foreign culture.

The behavioural pattern of Nigerian children in schools will tilt towards embracing all manner of untoward behaviours of foreign ways of life which have dealt a blow on their psyche.

Recently it was discovered that Nigerian children, for more than a decade, have been suffering from trauma of what could be tagged psychological misdemeanor from the dose of foreign contaminated culture they have consumed.

These misdemeanors which range from lack of respect for elders, cultism, poor and improper way of dressing, violent character, gangsterism among others, are prevalent in the society.

How do we erase an epical administrative prowess of the old Oyo empire under the control of the Alaafin who colonised and suppressed Dahomey (the present-day Republic of Benin) and subjected the people to annual tributes from 1743 up till when the central authority empire began to collapse in 1780 due to internal crisis that erupted between the Alaafin and Afonja, the Aare Ona Kakanfo who secretly invited Hausa/Fulani jihadists under the leadership of Alimi to depose the Alaafin.

The internal crisis which eventually led to the collapse of the old Oyo Empire made Dahomey to assert its political independence around 1818. Or how on earth can someone detest the socioeconomic and political teachings of Usman Dan Fodio, the jihadist who re-established the concept of Islam across northern Nigeria, even down to the west as well as peripheral of the eastern Nigeria, redefining the political landscape of the affected regions with a political ideology tagged as caliphate.

The history of Agho Obaseki also readily comes to mind as it illustrated the ingenuity of Benin arts and rich culture of craft work as well as political and military prowess of the kingdom is quite resounding.

Regrettably, the kingdom eventually fell in 1897 to the supremacy of the British invaders. Things fell apart as the European raiders sacked the rich cultural values of the kingdom and sent Oba Ovonramwen N’ Ogbaisi on exile to Calabar.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the study of history is germane to nation rebuilding, as some people ignorantly may want to put it in a supremacy contest with other subjects and disciplines so as to discredit its importance. We should know that the study of history is the core of academic template of all disciplines.

It is the aggregate of all records and events. In other words, the study of history translates to information and knowledge gathering, equivalent to research work, understanding leadership principles bordering on governance and government, culture and norms, investigations, discoveries in medicine, socioeconomic planning, beefing up of security among others.

It must be emphasised that the history of a people and culture are too important elements that must not be handled with levity otherwise such people will lack direction and heritage.

The future of this country is bright but there are some steps that must be urgently taken to address some cultural misdemeanors by reverting to teaching of pupils about the history and culture of our land. It may surprise lots of people that our history that is not so much regarded as key to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development has become core subject of study by some Europeans who have developed keen interest in learning African history and culture, even right in Europe.

No nation or people can preserve its history and culture without government’s deliberate plan by first restructuring the school curricula to align with the new era of embracing African history.

Government can also seek inputs from scholars and involve all stakeholders in reviving the study of history across schools in the country.

All school libraries should also be well-equipped and furnished with books on African history. Non-governmental organisations that major in children affairs should also collaborate with government to achieve the set objective.

Government can also set up “cultural clubs” to promote reading culture among pupils in schools, this is where the school authorities as well as the concerned teachers are needed to sustain the dream. National Council on Education (NCE) should bring back the regional quiz and debate on core Nigerian and African history.

Education gives knowledge, information and power, it is also the most basic insurance against poverty and ignorance.

A nation without a crop of educated citizenry is in perpetual darkness and nosediving towards self-destruction.

Ositelu sent this piece from Abeokuta.

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How I influenced Keshi’s career

Henry Nwosu before a ceremonial match in Ibadan, in honour of late Rashidi Yekini.

—Henry Nwosu

If there is one man who knows the late former Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi very well, he is unarguably Henry Nwosu.

Interestingly, the duo had many things in common. They hailed from the southern part of the country but grew up in Lagos. They both played for Nigeria at the junior and senior levels. They both captained Nigeria at different times and shared the agony of defeat at both club side and national teams as well as celebration of hard won victories at national and international levels. They are both products of St. Finbarr’s College, Lagos.

Both were rewarded with national honours through the round leather game as Nwosu, a member of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning-Green Eagles got MON, while Keshi after his feat of leading the Super Eagles to the AFCON triumph in South Africa was decorated with MFR award.

Nwosu and Keshi were pioneer members of the Flying Eagles in 1979.

They were both invited to the senior team, the Green Eagles in preparation for the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but only Nwosu made the team to the competition which Nigeria eventually won for the first time then.

Both featured for the Flying Eagles in 1981 which failed to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup having lost 2-3 on aggregate to Cameroon.

Nwosu and Keshi also became team-mates at the defunct New Nigerian Bank (NNB) FC of Benin and they alongside the likes of Bright Omokaro, Sunday Eboigbe, Humphrey Edobor, the late Wilfred Agbonavbare, held the nation’s football by the jugular for three years through their exploits.

They made NNB to become a household name even on the sub-region having won the WAFU Cup back-to-back in 1983 and 1984, while Nigeria’s eventual withdrawal from the body as a result of injustice meted out to the then IICC Shooting Stars in 1985 cost the Keshi-captained NNB the third WAFU title.

Elastic Henry, a two-time Olympian (1980 and 1988) who attended four AFCON finals; Nigeria ‘80, Libya 82, Abidjan ‘84 and Maroc ‘88, in this chat with the Group Sports Editor, GANIYU SALMAN, relived some of the moments he shared with the late Keshi as well as what led to his exit from the Super Eagles in 1989 after the arrival of Clemens Westerhof. It’s vintage Nwosu, who holds the record of being the youngest Nigerian player to win the prestigious AFCON title at 19.

T

1985 NFA suspension o start with, I was a victim so to say. I was suspended for two years by the then Nigeria Football Association

(NFA) alongside Keshi, Bright Omokaro and Sunday Eboigbe who were my team-mates at NNB then, while the last person Clement Temile played for NNPC of Warri.

On the day we were expected to return, I had bought my flight ticket and had the boarding pass, but when I later saw Keshi and asked him how far about our trip to Lagos, he ad-

Saturday Tribune

vised that since we were not going to train on the resumption day which was on a Sunday, we should delay the trip and move the following day to join the rest on Monday for training. So, I didn’t bother again. Unfortunately, we were on the way to Lagos when we heard that the NFA had suspended five of us for reporting late to the camp and that was how I became a victim. It was not that Keshi sought permission from the late Chris Udemezue (the coach then). The announcement came as a shock and everybody was disappointed.

Abidjan adventure Yes, following the suspension, Keshi and I left the country and we both signed for Stade d’Abidjan.

We went together to Cote d’Ivoire unknown to many Nigerians. We were there in Abidjan waiting for our clearance from NNB when NFA lifted our suspension.

So, I returned to NNB but Keshi stayed back in Abidjan. On my return, I played for NNB in the 1985 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) competition for financial institutions before I eventually moved to ACB in 1986 season.

My relationship with Keshi I was so fond of Keshi because of our long standing relationship right from school.

One of the moments I always recall was when we lost 0-1 in the final of the Lagos Principal’s Cup in 1978 to St. Gregory’s College. I was upset that day because, Keshi who was

my junior in school, scored a beautiful goal which was overruled by Linus Mba, one of the top rated referees in the country then.

Keshi was a funny guy, he always makes the people around him happy. Keshi loved to win every match, he hated to lose. He always tell me ‘oh boy, aogbodo lose match yen, agbodo win saa ni” meaning we must not lose that game, we must win at all cost.

He was a sociable person, we always go to night club in Benin together during our leisure before other players later joined us. Keshi preferred to speak Yoruba to English or even his native language.

Throughout his time, we always interact in Yoruba, he will switch to English only if other players joined us in the discussion or he wanted to address us before a game or as the occasion warranted. Another thing about Keshi is that he was not an introvert, he mixed easily with people.

May his soul rest in peace.

Journey to NNB I first played for Bhojson FC before moving to WEMA Bank FC in my final year at St. Finbarr’s. It was from WEMA Bank I got the offer to join NNB in 1979 after my secondary education. NNB came for me but my friends like Franklin Howard, Edema Benson and Tony Obiukwor also followed me to NNB. Keshi too wanted to join us but he was in Form Four then and I told him to wait and finish his school certificate in Lagos and he

agreed with me. So, I had my first season with NNB in 1980 and I had already told my bosses at NNB that Keshi would be coming to play and they promised to sign him. So, he came to join us in Benin in 1981 and from there, we made NNB popular in the country and even on the sub-region, because we won the WAFU Cup in 1983 and 1984. We could have won the WAFU for keeps in 1985 if not for the withdrawal of Nigeria from the body because of the case involving Shooting Stars and Africa Sports in the semi-final.

My last Eagles outing In 1989 when Westerhof arrived, I reported to the camp in Lagos without invitation. In fact, I had just had my traditional wedding and on my way back to Lagos, I veered into the National Stadium. When I got there, the players were already on the pitch for a ‘two-a-side’. When Westerhof saw me, he asked coach Paul Hamilton whether I was one of the players on his list but Hamilton said no. He then told Westerhof that I was the team captain and that I was very good.

Westerhof then asked me to join others on the sidelines. While the game was going on, fans were saying “All we are saying, give us Henry” and Westerhof then asked Hamilton, who was the person the fans wanted and he said I was the one. Westerhof then asked me to come in and after the training, he was impressed. Since then, he retained me in the team, that was before the 1990 World Cup qualifier against

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‘How I charmed Westerhof’ Cameroon in Yaounde.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t go for the match (1989) because I requested the NFA to write my club in Cote d’Ivoire then, ASEC Mimosas to approve my release but they refused to write. The death of Samuel Okwaraji was still fresh then and if anything happened, it will be officially handled. I went with Tarila Okoronwanta to ASEC. The league in Cote d’Ivoire was on break then and that was why I came home. So, after the Cameroon match which we lost by one nil, Westerhof never bothered to recall me though, I was good enough to play in the 1990 AFCON in Algiers. My last game was against Togo in Lome, in 1989 in the AFCON qualifier.

My 1988 Olympics saga I was almost frustrated out of the national team during the era of Commodore Bayo Lawal as Sports Minister. I discovered that whenever, I captained the Eagles, Peter Rufai would be made to miss the game or start from the bench and whenever he captained, I will also be on the bench. This drama happened before we played against Algeria in the 1988 Olympics qualifier in Algiers which we lost 0-1. In fact, I captained the team to the pitch but the coaches, Manfred Hoener and Paul Hamilton asked me to go and sit on the bench. While the game was on, I was

disturbed because I saw the errors we were making from the bench. At some point, I wanted to go to coach Hamilton and make a case but I later changed my mind.

We came back to prepare for the return leg in Enugu and the same scenario played itself out. On the day of the match, I was supposed to announce the starting line up as captain of the team, but the team camp commandant, Steve Edema was given the role which was unusual. He announced the list and I was put on the reserve list, while Rufai as usual captained the team.

As the game went on, we scored through Ademola Adesina and we needed another goal to advance.

I also noticed some flaws right on the bench and I went to coach Hamilton that if it was because of the captain’s armband, I was not interested but he should allow me to play.

Instead, he offered excuses to perhaps defend the plot to ease me out of the national team. Folorunso Okenla who started the game got injured along the line and Humphrey Edobor, who was nursing an injury but was dressed was asked to come in for Okenla. Edobor after a few minutes couldn’t continue and Hamilton asked me to warm up. The game was already in the second half. As I was doing that, there was a signal that I should not play, but Hamilton insisted he had no option but to introduce me in the attack.

Henry Nwosu (fourth from left) with other ex-internationals, (from left) Friday Ekpo Bright Omokaro, Yisa Shofoluwe, Taju Disu and Dimeji Lawal (first right), among others, during a ceremonial match to mark June 12 in honour of the late MKO, Abiola in Lagos.

Luckily for me, I got the winning goal which gave us the Seoul ‘88 Olympics ticket. After the game, I got to know that I was able to shame my critics. I learnt the coaches were acting on the order from above on the premise that I had nothing to offer the national team again. I don’ know whether I should call it tribalism.

We were invited to the Enugu State Government House for a reception after the game, but I went there late after taking permission from the coach that I wanted to collect my car. I was invited to the podium by the governor for recognition. Commodore Bayo Lawal and I spoke for the first time at the reception.

He said “Welldone, that was a very good match”.

Eventually, I went to the 1988 Olympics but injury stopped me from playing.

I was nursing an injury before we travelled and I was told not to play until a week to the competition, but because Manfred Hoener wanted me to play in the first game, he forced me to train.

Unfortunately, the pitch was wet because of rain and when I tried to go for a pass, the injury recurred.

So, I missed all the games

at Seoul ‘88.

Unforgettable matches It was against Guinea in 1981 in Lagos in a World Cup qualifier. We had earlier played a 1-1 draw in the first leg. I scored the lone goal which gave us victory and it was a game always to remember. There was a throw-in I think from Odegbami {Segun} and the late Alloy Atuegbu and I were almost on the same line. When he wanted to control the ball, I told Atuegbu, “sail, sail” and he allowed the ball to get through to me. Good a thing, I was clinical enough to beat the goalkeeper with a half volley. The victory was something else and fans were so excited by the victory. We never knew what could be our fate if the game had dragged on because the Guineans even lost a gilt-edged chance a few seconds to my goal.

I was on cloud thirty not nine after the game. I was carried on a horse right in the stadium in celebration while my No 10 shirt was displayed through the changing board then.

In fact, I had the cassettee of the match and the radio commentary was run by the late Ernest Okonkwo.

I went to coach Hamilton that if it was because of the captain’s armband, I was not interested but he should allow me to play.

Henry Nwosu (left) with Taju Disu

The late Keshi

When I got home, I played it back and he said “45 minutes, 43 seconds already, Nigeria nil, Guinea nil, anything can still happen”. He then described me as a “a leftcutter, a grasscutter” after my goal. Unfortunately, we didn’t qualify for the 1982 World Cup. Algeria beat us 2-0 in Lagos and 2-1 in Algiers.

I only played in the return leg. Another goal I like to recall was the 84th minute equaliser against Czechoslovakia in our second game at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which was Nigeria’s only goal of the competition. We lost our first game 1-3 to Kuwait but our only goal was an

own goal and we also lost the last game 0-1 to Colombia.

One of the matches I hate to recall was when NNB lost in the semi-final of the 1984 Challenge Cup to Leventis United in Lagos.

The only chance Leventis had was when Bright (Omokaro) gambled and lost the ball to Bunmi Adigun and he utilised that chance. We played in their half throughout the game but we could not score. I didn’t win the Challenge Cup while my career lasted. It was a match to recall always because that was the year Keshi and I would have won the Challenge Cup for the first time but it never happened.

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Euro 2016 Round of 16 fixtures Saturday, June 25 Germany vs Slovakia 5:00pm Switzerland vs Poland 2:00pm Hungary vs Belgium 8:00pm Wales vs N. Ireland 5:00pm Monday, June 27 Italy vs Spain 5:00pm Croatia vs Portugal 8:00pm Sunday, June 26 England vs Iceland 8:00pm France vs Ireland Rep. 2:00pm

Russia 2018: Tough draw for Nigeria

•EaglescontendwithLions,othersforsolegroupticket •Instability may count against Eagles —Gullit

By Dipo Ogunsola

N

IGERIA cannot go back on outpointing Zambia, Cameroun and Algeria if the country’s hope of an appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup will materialise.

At the World Cup draw held in Cairo yesterday, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia were grouped in the B category.

Super Eagles interim handler, Salisu Yusuf said his team needs self-belief to win the group’s ticket.

We can qualify if we have the self belief, Yusuf told the AFP on Friday.

Dutch legend, Ruud Gullit, believes Nigeria and Cameroon must be careful and organised.

Nigeria and Cameroon are well loved in world football

Carl Medjani, Algeria captain but they have not been up to scratch of recent. They change coaches and their football officials too often, too quickly. If they are not careful, Algeria could end up taking the group’s ticket, they have more stability.’’

All but Zambia were at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. While Nigeria and Algeria reached the second round, Cameroon were ousted in the group stage.

Stephane Mbia, Cameroon captain Algeria and Cameroon in the 80’s denied Nigeria’s the chance of making a debut World Cup appearance on final qualification games.

In 1981, Algeria scored a 4-1 aggregate win over Nigeria and ended Eagles Espana 82 World Cup dream. Cameroon stopped Nigeria via a 1-0 win in Yaounde and aborted Nigeria’s plan for Italia’90 World Cup.

Rainford Kalaba, Zambia captain THE GROUPS A-Libya, Guinea, DR Congo, Tunisia B-Zambia, Cameroun, Nigeria, Algeria C - G a bon, Morocco, Mali, CIV D-B-Faso, S-Africa, Cape Verde, Senegal E-Uganda, Congo, Egypt, Ghana.

Preparation is key—Onigbinde FORMER Nigerian handler, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has said preparation is quite key to the Super Eagles’ qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Nigeria is drawn in group B alongside Cameroon, Al-

geria and Zambia in the African zone qualification race.

Onigbinde, a former Trinidad and Tobago technical director however, said records and statistics have not been good judgement of

how countries fare in major championship but their respective preparations.

“I have never bothered myself with the group or who are there in the group but I concentrate on getting my team prepared for

The Keshi I knew—Henry Nwosu Ganiyu Salman FORMER international, HENRY Nwosu, MON, is mourning his childhood friend, Stephen Keshi.

In an interview with Tribunesport, Nwosu recalled the days of school football which developed into an eventful career at full international level for Nigeria.

Both players started their careers in Lagos, moved to Benin City and journeyed to The Ivory Coast.

Professional pursuit seperated the two friends as Keshi preferred to export his talent to Europe.

Why didn’t Nwosu follow Keshi to Europe?

Elastic as Nwosu is fondly called, stated that Keshi didn’t like to lose any game, while he preferred to

communicate in Yoruba to even his native language.

“Keshi and I always go to night club in Benin during our leisure before other

players too joined us,” Nwosu, a former national U-17 team coach recalled.

More on the inside pages.

the championship.

“I do not believe in the catchword or singsong ‘Group of Death or Life’ it means absolutely nothing.

“France came to the World Cup in 2002 as champions but lost its f i r s t match to relatively unknown side, Senegal.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Nigeria’s striker

Siasia names Mikel, Ighalo on provincial list for Olympics

By Oluwabunmi Ajayi NIGERIA’S U23 team head coach, Samson Siasia has opted for experience in his choice of players as he released provisional squad of 35 players for the PreOlympic training tour in the United States of America.

Tribunesports observed that tested players like Chelsea’s Mikel Obi and others who have been capped at full international level like Kenneth Omeruo, God-

frey Oboabona, William Troost Ekong, Stanley Amuzie, Musa Mohammed, Daniel Akpeyi.

Also included are Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Okechukwu Azubuike, Moses Simon, Aminu Umar, Abdullahi Shehu, Imoh Ezekiel and Usman Mohammed A final list of 18 will be drawn from the 35-man squad before the team head off on their trip to Brazil.

The full list: Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa

FC, South Africa), Yusuf Bala (Kano Pillars), Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers), Taiwo Abdulrahman (Kwara United), Ndubuisi Agu (FC Porto, Portugal), Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia), Stanley Amuzie (Olhanense FC, Portugal), Taiwo Awoniyi (Frankfurt FC, Germany), Okechukwu Azubuike (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey), Etor Daniel (Enyimba FC), Augustine Dimgba (Sunshine Stars), William Ekong (Haugesund

FC, Norway), Saturday Erimuya (Kayseri Erciyespor, Turkey), Oghenekaro Etebo (CD Feirense FC, Portugal), Imoh Ezekiel (Anderlecht, Belgium), Saviour Godwin (Ostende, Belgium), Odion Ighalo (Watford FC, England), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England), Emiloju Julius (MFM FC), Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia), John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England), Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Ba-

saksehir, Turkey), Usman Muhammed (CF Uniao, Portugal), Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium), Erhun Obanor (MFM FC), Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey), Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea FC, England), Sodiq Saliu (Seraing FC, Belgium), Abdullahi Shehu (CF Uniao, Portugal), Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium), Seth Sincere (Rhapsody FC), Ndifreke Udo (Abia Warriors), Aminu Umar (Osmalispor, Turkey), Sadiq Umar (AS Roma, Italy) .

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 25/6/2016.

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