30th January 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER

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SATURDAY, 30 JANUARY, 2016

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IMF team in Nigeria, begins review of pg3 2016 budget

EFCC operatives placed under Officer arrested over watch $.15m bribe

pg3

Buhari takes anti-graft war to police Ex-Air Force chief still in detention

What I want in a man —Yemi Alade

pgs 2 & 30

Explosive spread of Zika pg4 virus likely —WHO

Supreme court sacks Andy Ubah, Oduah pg3 Protest rocks Delta community over fate of varsity pg5

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (left); chairman, FCMB, Otunba Subomi Balogun (centre) and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona (right), with other traditional rulers, during the visit of Oba Ogunwusi to Oba Adetona in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on Friday. PHOTO: TOMMY ADEGBITE. MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 44

Awujale, Ooni harp on Yoruba unity

pg4

2 entertainment

Y

OU launched the Yemi Alade Collection sometime last year, what is it about?

Yes o. Una know say na music I dey do regularly, but it is good to involve yourself in some other things that people can actually see and keep.

Music is a combination of audiovisuals, so you cannot exactly hold on to it, but with my jewellery collection which is special, people can see and hold on to it. It is also very special because it has my autograph on it, instead of autograghing CDs and albums, my autograph is engraved at the back, so it is like a gift from me to my fans.

Why did you venture into jewellery business?

It is basically because of my love for African fashion.

I discovered that whenever I go to other African countries to perform, they usually try to replicate my style, so this time, I decided to make something for them and myself as well.

So I decided to collaborate with Brand2Glam, because I have been the brand’s ambassador for almost two years now.So the collection is about my personality, my style and because my style is different, we have decided to make it available to my fans.

I am an African woman, but I don’t wear Iro and Buba about, so I have decided to mix both African and modern culture together, and call it Afropolitan “The African woman meets the metropolis’’ Your signature and style are unique, where do you get your inspiration from?

It’s usually not planned but when it comes to my style, whenever I see something African, I like it, but most times I create my hairstyles especially. But for my videos, I sketch my outfits and bring them to life.

But I’m basically inspired by my environment, even when I got to South Africa and Kenya, I was inspired by their rich beads Who are your target?

It is for the complex AfriContinues on pg30

What I want in a man —Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade entered the Nigerian music scene in 2009 after emerging winner in a Peak Talent Hunt series and has been improving on her craft since then. In this interview with JOAN OMIONAWELE, the award-winning musician talks about her new business line, music career, personal life, among other issues. Excerpts:

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

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news

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

EFCC operatives placed under watch

Officer arrested over $150,000 bribe from military officers LanreAdewole-LagosAnd Saliu Gbadamosi - Abuja

T

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has placed all its operatives handling high profile and sensitive cases on 24-hour watch.

The decision to place the operatives under surveillance followed the discovery and arrest of one of EFCC’s men for collecting a bribe of $150,000 from some military officers currently facing graft charges before the

Commission.

EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed the arrest of the operative told Saturday Tribune on Friday that other officers handling key assignments have been placed on round-the-clock watch so as to ensure that they are not compromised by the suspects.

EFCC operative, Abdulrahman Mohammed Biu, a Deputy Detective Superintendent (DDS), was arrested on Monday, January 25, 2016 following intelligence

report alleging that he extorted the sum of $150,000 from some military officers on the pretext that he would help give them a soft landing in the ongoing investigation into the arms procurement scandal.

A statement made available to Saturday Tribune by Uwujaren, in Abuja said that upon Biu’s arrest, a search was conducted on his residence in Abuja where the following items were recovered: $20,000 cash, N500, 000 cash, two police uniforms

bearing his name with the ranks of Deputy Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, police warrant card No: 27/2014 with the rank of DSP allegedly obtained from Kano Constabulary office, documents relating to military arms investigation and account information of several senior military officers.

An unbranded pistol with a magazine and 10 live ammunition were also found in his car.

His modus operandi in-

Buhari’s corruption fight moves to police ByChrisAgbambu,Saheed Salawu, Chukwuma Okparaocha,OluwoleIge and Olalekan Olabulo THE ongoing war against corruption in the country has moved to the police as the Federal Government has asked officers and men of the force to declare their assets.

The order came as an earlier two-week ultimatum given officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to also declare their assets expired on Friday.

Reports from offices of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) across the country said customs officers and men have significantly complied with the order.

A CCB official in Ondo State, who confirmed the compliance level of the customs with the directive, however, declared that the same has not been experienced with the police.

The official, who spoke with Saturday Tribune on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said although the level of compliance by senior police officers had been satisfactory, the rank and file had been largely defiant, apparently oblivious of the legal implication of their attitude.

Some state police commissioners, it was also learnt have been written to by the CCB to warn their officers and men of the implication of their refusal to declare their assets as demanded by the law.

When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, told Saturday Tribune that she could not confirm the existence of such a directive from the Federal Government until the Inspector-General, Solomon Arase, returns today from his trip to Italy.

Also, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Bad-

mus, said her command had not received such directive.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Friday, criticised those deploying the social media to criticise the efforts of the Federal Government to rid the country of corruption.

He declared that antagonists of the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari would soon learn a bitter lesson.

The minister lamented that the nation had lost over $400 billion to corruption in the oil sector alone, wondering why some people would deride the anti-graft war when it was obvious that Nigerians were already tired of corruption.

Mohammed stated this while speaking on the “Nexus between Corruption and Underdevelopment of the Nigeria State” at a lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. He said corruption had undermined the stability of the country, stressing that if the nation’s leadership did not kill corruption now, the cankerworm would kill the nation.

“I make bold to say that corruption has underdeveloped Nigeria and consigned our people to perpetual poverty. From oil alone, it is said that Nigeria has lost $400 billion to corruption. Now, just imagine what this huge amount of money could have done to our education, health, roads, life expectancy, maternal and infant mortality, etc.

“Let us look at instances of corruption in the various sectors. In the health sector, for example, there is the N1.9 billion special Ebola intervention fund scandal, the $29 million dollar vaccine grants scam and the N300 million unspent health bud-

get scam.

“In the area of security, recall that a former Inspector General of Police is alleged to have acquired assets totalling $150 million, including money stashed in banks, shares in blue-chip companies and 14 luxury buildings,” Mohammed said.

Describing corruption as misuse of entrusted power for private gains, he observed that infrastructural decay across the country, especially in the states, was part of debilitating effects of looted funds.

The minister, however,

gave the assurance that the Federal Government would not relent in the fight against corruption, saying that “corruption has started fighting back and it is fighting dirty through sponsored articles in the newspapers and social media.”

Affirming that funds that could have be used to revive the country’s dead refineries had been stolen, he said the Federal Government would not be distracted or intimidated into abandoning the fight against corruption, which he described as a war for the survival of the nation.

cluded dropping the names of ranking EFCC officers, claiming he was acting on their behalf. A paper containing seven of such names was recovered in his house.

The suspect has made useful statement, while investigation continues, the release added.

Meanwhile, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd), will spend the weekend in the custody of the EFCC. Amosu was arrested on Wednesday night in Abuja

by EFCC operatives and as of Friday night was still being grilled on his role in the arms procurement scandal being investigated by the anti-corruption agency, leading to the arrest and prosecution of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

The ex-Air Force boss’s arrest followed a presidential directive mandating EFCC to investigate former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Amosu and 15 other serving and retired Air Force and Army officers on their roles in fundamental breaches in the arms procurements by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the

Nigerian Air Force (NAF), between the period of 2007 and 2015.

President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the anti-graft commission to further investigate the 17 military officers, including two ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Dikko Umar and Amosu, and 21 companies following the recommendation of the audit committee set up by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector within the eight-year period.

Saturday Tribune gathered that EFCC had formally invited the affected serving and retired military officers to come to its office to explain their respective roles in the arms procurement saga.

Amosu was arrested same day the EFCC sealed off the properties of some of the officers in Abuja.

A source in the commission informed the Saturday Tribune on Friday evening that Amosu was still in EFCC custody at the close of work on Friday, saying that any possibility of being granted administrative bail would have to wait till Monday.

IMF team in Nigeria, begins review of 2016 budget Clement Idoko - Abuja A Mission from the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monitory Fund (IMF), has commenced a review of the Federal Government’s 2016 Budget Proposal and some new initiatives taken by the administration of

President Muhammadu Buhari, to strengthen public finance in Nigeria.

Senior economist with the Briton Wood Institution, Mr Sailendra Pattanayak, who led the Mission to Nigeria, made this known on Friday during a working visit to the Head of Service of the Federa-

tion, Mrs Winifred OyoIta. He noted that the team was in the country at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Finance, in line with many years of collaboration, to review the 2016 budget of the government as well as challenges in the implementation of

Supreme Court sacks Oduah, other Anambra lawmakers Sunday Ejike - Abuja THE Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday nullified the elections of the senator representing Anambra South, Andy Ubah and his Anambra Central counterpart, Stella Oduah, over pre-election matter.

In a unanimous judgement delivered by the apex court, the sacked lawmakers are to be replaced by Chris Ubah (Anambra South) and Annie Okonkwo (Anambra Central).

Uche Ekwunife had earlier been removed by the Court of Appeal. All the three senators were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Oduah was before getting into the Senate a former Minister of Aviation, Ubah had served as Special Adviser to former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling, also re-affirmed the chairmanship of Ejike Oguebego as the authentic state chairman of the PDP in Anambra State, declaring the list of candidates for various elective positions submitted by the other faction illegal.

Oguebego had sued on behalf of themselves and others, including Chris Uba, who is the Anambra South senatorial candidate for the apex court to determine who were the le-

gal and validly nominated candidates of the party to stand for the last general election for the party in Anambra.

By the unanimous verdict, the list of nominated party candidates in the last election from the Oguebego-led executive is the only one to be recognised by the INEC. By implications, Chris Uba, John Emeka and Annie Okonkwo are the duly nominated senatorial candidates for Anambra South, Central and North in the March 28, 2015 general election.

Others include Anayo Nnebe, Obinna Chidoka, Lynda Ikpeazu, Emeka Anohu, Eucharia Azodo, Chris Azubogu.

the Single Treasury Account (TSA) and other Fiscal policies of the Federal government.

Pattanayak said the mission of the team was to review allocations of resources made in the budget proposal to critical sectors of the economy and the implementation of some of the new economic initiatives in the country and offering useful advice base on experience.

He said: “The team is in the country to review some of the new initiatives taken by the government and our visit to the Head of Service of the Federation was to enable us to discuss on some of the issues relating to the management of personnel and organisation of fiscal management.

“We are here at the instance of the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Government has taken a number of new initiatives to strengthen public finance management. We are here to basically review those initiatives and offering advice based on our experiences from other countries of the world,” he stated.

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Biafra: Court denies Kanu, others bail, sends them to Kuje prison Sunday Ejike - Abuja

From left, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba; Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council, Mohammed Dewu; 38th Convocation Lecturer, President/Chief Executive, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman, 38th Convocation Lecture, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II and the Chancellor, the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, during the inauguration of an office block of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Explosive spread of Zika virus infection likely —WHO

FG asks Nigerian pregnant women to stay off Latin America

A

S the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Friday of a likely explosive spread of Zika virus infection, the Federal Government on Friday said the infection is not in Nigeria but advised pregnant women to restrict movement to Latin America until the situation improves.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The statement signed by Mrs Boade Akinola, Director, Media and Publicity in the ministry, said the minister had directed the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to include Zika virus diagnosis as part of ongoing effort to manage Lassa fever outbreak in the country.

“The minister assures Nigerians that there is no single case of Zika virus infection in the country and there is no need to panic.

“The ministry will continue to monitor the situation and update Nigerians of any other developments.

“Prof. Adewole urges Nigerians to be vigilant and report any case of unexplained fever that is more than 48 hours, especially in those with recent travels to Latin America, to healthcare professionals.

“He also enjoined those working at various ports of entry into the country to interview anyone coming from any of the Latin American countries for evidence of Zika virus symptoms,” it said.

According to the statement, the outbreak of Zika virus disease was first discovered in Brazil in 2014 and the virus is transmitted by a bite of mosquito vector.

“The manifestation of Zika virus infection include: mild fever, rash (mostly maculopapular), headaches, joint pain (arthralgia), muscle pain (myalgia), loss of

weight (asthenia) and nonpurulent conjunctivitis.

“The virus is also associated with higher risk of congenital malformations in newborn when pregnant women are affected.

“The diseases usually occur about three (3) to twelve (12) days after the mosquito vector bite.

“The World Health Organisation has raised a global alert because the disease has affected about 23 countries in Americas especially in Latin America.

“At the moment, there is no cure or vaccine for Zika virus infection,” the statement read in part.

Meanwhile, WHO has warned that the Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is “spreading explosively” and can infect as many as four million people.

The WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, said this at a meeting on Friday with the agency’s executive board in Geneva, adding that the spread of the mosquito-

borne disease had gone from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions.

She said that to help determine its response, WHO would convene an emergency meeting on Monday, because the level of alarm was extremely high.

Chan told the Geneva gathering that in 2015, the virus was detected in the Americas, where it was now spreading explosively.

She stressed that as of today, cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the region.

She recalled that WHO was criticised in 2015 for reacting too slowly to West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 10,000 people, and it promised to cut its response time.

“We are not going to wait for the science to tell us there is a link with birth defects.

“We need to take actions now,” Chan said, referring to the condition called microcephaly in which babies were born with abnormally small heads and brains

that have not developed properly.

Chan promised a quick action from the WHO, stressing that this has become urgent because there is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is like dengue and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes.

“An estimated 80 per cent of people infected have no symptoms.

“Much of the effort against the illness focuses on protecting people from mosquitoes and reducing mosquito populations,” she said.

Meanwhile, WHO Assistant Director, Bruce Aylward, said there was no confirmation yet in the area of vaccines.

He said there were no indications if there had been some work done by some groups looking at the feasibility of a Zika virus vaccine.

Aylward said it would take six to nine months to confirm whether Zika was the actual cause of the birth defects, or if the two were just associated.

Awujale, Ooni harp on unity of Yorubaland OlayinkaOlukoya-Abeokuta THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has, again, stressed the need for all traditional rulers in Yorubaland to embrace oneness and unity in the interest of the race.

He spoke, on Friday, at the palace of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, during a historic visit to Ijebu-Ode. Oba Ogunwusi, who arrived at the palace at 12.55 p.m. in company with traditional rulers and chiefs from Ile-Ife, said the decision to visit Oba Adetona was to tap from his wealth of experience, having reigned for 56 years.

The Ooni described the Awujale as a forthright traditional ruler whom all traditional rulers must learn from and support.

He said he had come to seek more knowledge from the monarch because he had no plan to fail in any circumstance.

Oba Ogunwusi expressed displeasure that Yoruba people had been in disarray, recalling that the last meeting that brought all Yoruba obas together was in 1941.

“All traditional rulers in Yorubaland must be in unison. We must all come together to work for the unity of the land.

“The last meeting that brought all Yoruba traditional rulers together was in 1941.

This is not supposed to be.

“The Yoruba nation is blessed with people and good cultural heritage. We must promote peace and unity as traditional rulers for the sake of our subjects and the development of the

land,” the Ooni said.

He expressed confidence that peace and unity had since returned to Yorubaland and prayed for a lasting relationship among Yoruba obas.

Oba Adetona, in his response, appreciated Oba Ogunwusi for the visit, saying that Yoruba obas had once come together as people doing things together.

He said he was impressed by a statement made by Oba Ogunwusi during his coronation, calling for peace, describing it as a worthy one.

“If we cooperate, we can achieve a lot for our people.

Yoruba traditional rulers must be able to speak with one voice. We must do things that will be for the good of our people. It is our duty to protect the interest of our people,” Oba Adetona said.

JUSTICE John Tsoho of a federal high court in Abuja on Friday turned down the application for the bail of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and two others standing trial for treasonable felony and unlawful possession of firearms.

Kanu, the Director of Radio Biafra, alongside two others, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu, are being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a sixcount charge, including planned secession of Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.

The court held that the offence for which Kanu and his co-accused are being prosecuted is treasonable felony which attracts life imprisonment if convicted.

According to the judge, there are evidence before the court that the first defendant, Kanu, has a dual citizenship and agreed with the submission of the prosecution counsel and the Director of Public Publication (DPP), Mohammed Diri, that the possibility of the first defendant’s jumping bail is high in view of the gravity of the offences for which the accused are standing trial.

Tsoho said where national security is threatened, the rights of an individual becomes secondary.

“It is my candid opinion that the three defendants are not entitled to bail. Application for the bail of the three defendants is hereby refused. I, therefore, order that they be detained in prison custody throughout the period of the trial of the defendants,” Justice Tsoho said and ordered accelerated hearing in the matter.

The court adjourned hearing in the matter to February 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2016 and ordered that the defendants be taken back to Kuje prison.

Meanwhile, a mild drama occurred when the matter was called as the leader of IPOB told the court that M. U. Udechukwu, who argued his bail application should no longer represent him in the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

The Biafran leader said, in a handwritten letter dated January 25, 2016 which he addressed personally to Justice Tsoho, that Udechukwu, who led the defence team to argue his bail application, was not his preferred counsel and that the lawyers of his choice are Chuks Muoma (SAN) and Ifeanyi Ejiofor .

In view of that letter, Udechukwu declined representation when the matter was called yesterday and formally informed the court of his withdrawal from the matter, along with his team, a request, the trial judge granted.

Udechukwu told the court, while arguing the bail application told the court that the offences for which the defendants are charged are bailable and urged the court to grant them bail.

Udechukwu, who cited section 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 to buttress his point, added that the submissions of the prosecution in their counter affidavit are not sufficient enough to warrant the court denying the defendants bail.

But the prosecution counsel prayed the court to refuse the bail application brought before it by the defendants, adding that Kanu had admitted that he is a British citizen and that he sneaked into the country, adding that there is the possibility of him sneaking out if admitted to bail.

Justice Tsoho had previously ordered that Kanu and his co-defendants be remanded in prison after arguments between the counsel in the matter.

While the DPP wanted the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the DSS for security reasons and convenience in conveying them to the court for their trial, Muoma, the defence counsel, prayed the court that his clients be moved to the prison for easy access.

The Federal Government is accusing Kanu of plotting to split Nigeria by creating a Biafra Republic with south East, South South states and parts of Kogi and Benue states, as component units.

Kanu, who was first arraigned before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, told the court before commencement of the matter that he preferred being held in the detention to subjecting himself to a trial, which outcome will not be respected.

He said his previous trials had various outcomes that were abused or neglected by the Department of State Service (DSS) and announced his outright objection to the trial in the court.

Diri told the court that based on section 396 (2) of the constitution, the defendant had no right to object to being tried by the court until after the plea is heard.

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Saturday Tribune

Protest rocks Delta community over scrapping of Maritime University Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri

Wife of the late Mr Babatunde Owolade, Veronica (middle); his son, Pipe; Mrs Bosede Tade (left) and the deceased’s brother, Mr Niyi Owolade (right), at the graveside during the funeral service for the late Babatunde Owolade, at Lead City University Chapel of Peace and Joy, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.

My Supreme Court victory made possible

by Rivers people —Wike Dapo Falade - Port Harcourt

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OVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has declared that his victory at the Supreme Court was made possible by the people of the state.

This is as he renewed his pledge to continue to deliver on the campaign promises he made to the people of the state.

He made these known dur-

ing a “meet the people victory parade” held on Friday, where he formally dedicated his victory to the people.

The parade was held across major residential areas of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas of the state.

The governor said the judgement of the apex court which reaffirmed his election as the governor of the state, on Wednesday, was made possible by votes of

the people on April 11 and 12, 2015 and their prayers, while the litigation on the election lasted.

The governor, who drove in an open roof Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) waived and shook hands with residents, thanking them, via the use of a megaphone.

He told the people that he would remain committed to their welfare all through his administration, assuring that he would deliver on all

Gunmen kidnap another monarch in Delta, demand N50m ransom Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri BARELY a week after the remains of the traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku, HRM Obi Edward Ofulue III, in Anocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, were dumped in a bush in Umunede, another monarch, HRM Umukoro Josiah, Aghaza 1, the Odiologbo of Olomoro in Isoko South Local Government Area has been abducted by unknown gunmen.

He is one of the prominent monarchs from the Isoko-speaking area of Delta State.

Reports said the monarch was abducted in his palace at Ekiagbodo at about 8:00 a.m. of Friday in front of his palace at Ekiagbodo community in Olomoro.

The gunmen, it was gathered, whisked the monarch away in a Toyota Rav 4 Jeep painted dark green.

The traditional ruler, who is the 11th monarch in the history of the kingdom, was installed in January 2014 by the immediate past Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan at a colourful ceremony.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Celestina Kalu, who spoke with Saturday Tribune, confirmed the incident via a text message.

Kalu said the kidnappers, after abducting the monarch, headed for an unknown destination, while police operatives at the Oleh Division are said to be after the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, reports said his abductors have re-

quested for a N50 million ransom.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the gunmen had opened communication with family members through the monarch’s GSM number.

The PPRO further said that the Toyota Rav 4 in which the monarch was whisked away, has been recovered with its particulars, on Michael and Cecelia Ibru University.

development programmes he promised them.

He also assured that the state would be the centre of attraction in the current dispensation because of the successes that his administration would record.

“I wholeheartedly thank the people of Rivers State for their votes, support and prayers all through this process. We are building a new Rivers State that will benefit all our people.

“You have played your part in this social contract.

It is now my turn to continue to deliver. You have already witnessed unprecedented development, but that is just the beginning of our success story.

“This administration will make Rivers State the reference point of development projects in the country. I remain eternally grateful to you,” he said.

He appealed to the people of the state to support all PDP candidates during the forthcoming rerun state and National Assembly elections, scheduled for February 6, 2016.

Osun, Oyo SDP meet on how to unseat APC, PDP in South-West TOP chieftains of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from Osun and Oyo states met on Thursday to strategise on how to wrest power in the two South-West states from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections.

The meeting, according to a statement from the party’s Osun State chapter, took place at the state SDP secretariat, on the Osogbo-Ikirun road in Osogbo, Osun State. It had in attendance the Osun State chairman of the party, Chief Ademola Ishola and members of his Executive

Committee, while the Oyo State delegate was led by the party’s governorship candidate in the last general election, Mr Seyi Makinde.

Makinde, who had earlier been conferred with the 2015 Merit Award by the Zone IX of the Nigerian Police Command which was presented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Kalafit Adeyemi, explained during the parley that the only party that can bring “true change” to Nigeria is the SDP, while urging members of the SDP to work together towards achieving this goal.

“With what I have seen in SDP in Osun State, I know we are prepared to chase away APC and Governor Rauf Aregbesola out of Osun in 2018 and we are ready to bring a party with a clear vision and mission to govern this state with all sense of responsibility,” he stated.

He said that every positive thing would be done to ensure that the SDP takes over the entire South-West from the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that the party “is the only better alternative for the Yoruba nation and Nigeria at large.”

THOUSANDS of angry protesters on Friday invaded the streets of Ogulagha community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, demanding the restoration of the scrapped Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) at Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government Area.

They said the lot of the Ijaw people should not be limited to fishing alone as often thought by other tribes in the country.

The peaceful protest was led by the Youth President of Ogulagha Community, Comrade Bright Guwor.

The protesters marched round the streets of Ogulagha community chanting songs of ‘Reinstate our Nigerian Maritime University’ with various placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Nigerian Maritime University Is Here To Stay’, ‘We Say No To This Injustice,” and Reinstate The Nigerian Maritime University’.

Speaking on behalf of the Ijaw youths, Guwor urged the Federal Government not to scrap the university in order to encourage idle youths to return to school.

According to him, “This injustice must stop. Whatever that is located in the Niger Delta, some elements have an interest in it. This same attempt was made sometime in 2011 when the Federal Government attempted to relocate the Petroleum Training Institute (P.T.I) and now they are trying to do same with the Maritime University.

So, we the youths and indigenes of the community are coming out to clamour against this injustice. We cannot continue to allow these things to happen.”

Guwor said the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) was the only hope of the Ijaws in Gbaramatu Kingdom, adding that if it was scrapped, the effects would spiral beyond the state.

“We are a people living within the coastal areas and we are not privileged to send our children to the cities to have basic education because good schools are not located in our vicinity, and now that the privilege is here to equip our children with the necessary educational tools they want to deprive us of it,” he lamented.

He appealed to the Federal Government to rescind its decision and allow ongoing work at the site to continue for peace to reign.

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IGP Adewusi’s remains arrive Ogbomoso

By Oluwatoyin Malik

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI, Mrs Kalafite Adeyemi (left); the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade (right), and other senior officers with Adewusi’s remains on Friday. PHOTO: OLUWATOYIN MALIK

NLC, TUC, stakeholders threaten to shut down DISCOs ... reject proposed hike in electricity tariff Soji-Eze Fagbemi and Obado Lauryn - Lagos

T

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders, including the Electricity Consumer Protection Forum, have condemned the plan to increase electricity tariff and rejected in totality the proposed increase.

To this end,they demand-

ed an immediate stoppage of the proposed increase and warned of the dire consequence if the increase is implemented.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos on Friday, the body threatened to mobilise all Nigerians to vehemently resist the new tariff and shut down all offices of Distribution Companies (DISCOs) across the country.

The organised labour and its allies further threatened

to organise a mass protest and picketing of all electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) offices nationwide.

Besides, they vowed to direct all consumers to reject any bill with the new tariff and take so many other actions they may deem neccesary.

The text of the press conference whic was read by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba was signed by him, the TUC President, Comrade Bob-

Kogi: Bello reinstates sacked 15 LG chairmen GOVENOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has reinstated 15 local government chairmen sacked by his predecessor, Idris Wada, for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is contained in a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo.

The statement said that the governor directed those that have been occupying the positions in the absence of the chairmen to hand over immediately and revert to their former positions.

“Governor Bello expects the normalisation to be carried out without rancour, regardless of political differences.

“Chairmen who were removed via impeachment are considered to have been removed legally and are bound to the legal status quo, “the statement said.

The governor directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Local Government Service Commission to comply immediately and accordingly.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 15 local government chairmen elected on the platform of the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP) were banned from occupying the office after defecting to the APC in November 2015.

Also, Governor Bello, on Friday, dissolved the boards of the state’s parastatals and agencies.

This is contained in a statement issued in Lokoja by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Edward Onoja.

The statement noted that the dissolution took immediate effect, directing the chairmen and DirectorsGeneral of the affected agencies to hand over government’s property in their

possession to the most senior officers.

It explained that the dissolution was to pave way for the restructuring of the boards and to take stock of their state with a view to positioning them for greater efficiency and performance.

However, the statement added that the office of the Accountant-General and three statutory boards are not affected by the order.

They are: Judicial Service Commission, Civil Service Commission and the State Independent Electoral Commission.

boi Kaigama; the Coordinator, Electricity Consumer Protection Forum, Barrister Adeola SamuelIlori; Human Rights activist, Barrister ToluwaniAdebiyi, and the Publicity Secretary CDWR, Chinedu Bosah.

Comrade Wabba said: “We collectively regard as illegal, unfair, unjustifiable, a further exploitation of the already exploited Nigerians the intention to increase electricity tariff com February 1, 2016.”

The NLC president said the increase was rejected because due process in the extant laws for such increase was not followed in consonance with Section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005.

Besides, Comrade Wabba said: “There has been no significant improvement in service delivery, upon the fact that most consumers are not metered in accordance with the signed privatisation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of November 1, 2013 which stipulated that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered.”

Ondo committed to optimum healthcare —Mimiko

By Victor Ogunyinka

ONDO State government has reiterated its commitment to invest in the health sector to ensure that the citizenry enjoy optimum health for maximum productivity.

The governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, expressed this while declaring open the State Council on Health meeting, held at the International Event Centre, ‘The Dome’, on Igbatoro Road, Akure.

Disclosing that a bill on the State Health Insurance

Agency is being drafted and would soon be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, Dr. Mimiko explained that the development would assist in sustaining the health programmes of the present administration.

While saying that the council on health meeting would give room to review the health sector reform and formulate policies for consolidation of health gains and development, he informed that the law on confidential enquiry into maternal death is already on the ground, likewise the primary healthcare devel-

opment medical sciences, among others.

The governor, who added that the establishment of the University of Medical Sciences would sustain some of the initiatives in the health sector, called for the collective effort of all and sundry as this would go a long way in achieving a common goal.

Earlier in his welcome address, the state’s Health Commissioner, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, explained that the council on health meeting was aimed at showcasing some of the achievements recorded in the sector.

THE ancient town of Ogbomoso in Oyo State stood still on Friday as the remains of the former Inspector General of Police, Chief Sunday Adewusi were flown into his hometown.

The Adewusi’s remains which were in a white casket were borne by a police helicopter with number 5N-ANS, which landed on the premises of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, at about 12.10p.m.

The body was accompanied by two of the sons of the late IGP, Remi Adewusi and Sanya Adewusi.

On ground to receive the remains were the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI, Mrs Kalafite Adeyemi; the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Leye Oyebade; Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mike Ogbudu, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, Osun State Police Command, Aminu Koji; Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Zone XI, Sunday Odukoya, as well as other senior officers in Oyo, Osun and Ondo police commands.

Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo AlaoAkala, who was also ADC to the late IGP, joined family members and friends of the late Adewusi to receive his body at the helipad.

His remains were brought out of the helicopter by Assistant Commissioners of Police who wore ceremonial dresses and placed in a police ambulance which conveyed them to the mortuary for deposit.

Mobile police officers from MOPOL 4, Oyo State, added colour to the reception as they observed a parade as soon as the helicopter touched the ground, while they marched ahead of the convoy bearing the late IGP’s body from the premises of the seminary to the morgue of Bowen University Hospital, where it was deposited, chanting various songs in honour of their late boss.

Oshiomhole promotes Mayaki Banji Aluko - Benin City EDO State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has elevated Mr. John Mayaki from Senior Special Assistant Media Affairs to Executive Director Media and Public Affairs Governor’s Office.

This was conveyed in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji M. A. Abu. The letter reads: “I am directed to inform you that the governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has approved your elevation from Senior Special Assistant to the post of Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs with effect from February 1, 2016.”

Mayaki, who was first appointed Senior Special Assistant, Media Affairs in 2009, was re-appointed by the Governor in his second term in office in the same capacity.

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news

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Nigeria police honours AAUA VC

From left, General manager, CitiMark Outdoor Limited, Mr Ayo Balogun; Director General, Oyo State Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA), Mr Babs Fagade and the Chief Executive Officer, Mediatek Global Limited, Mr Dotun Solanke, after a stakeholder parley at OYSAA, Ibadan, Oyo State, recently.

Boko Haram: Nigerian villagers accuse

Cameroon of killing 40

As 4 die, 17 injured in Gombi market blast

N

IGERIAN villagers have claimed that Cameroonian troops in cross-border pursuit of Boko Haram Islamic extremists shot and killed at least 40 civilians — the third such accusation of reckless killings by the Cameroonians in recent weeks.

Muhammad Abba, deputy commander of a civilian self-defense group, said relatives still trapped in the border region called him to say they counted at least 40 corpses scattered around the Gwadale border community in northeast Nigeria after Cameroonian troops crossed the border Monday.

The first story about

such slayings came from refugees who said Cameroonian soldiers on 30 November, 2015, killed about 150 people, stole cattle and razed entire villages along a 150-kilometer (95-mile) stretch of the border. It came days after diplomats said Nigerian officials refused requests from neighbouring states to evacuate civilians and create a no-go zone along the border to prevent incursions by the extremists.

Cameroon has said its troops are deployed in joint operations with Nigerian soldiers and follow strict humanitarian rules of war.

Nigerian government officials have not commented on the reports.

Abba told the Associ-

ated Press that one of his brothers who survived said the Cameroonians arrived in the early hours of Monday “and began to shoot sporadically. Most of our people who ran out of their houses in fear were killed by bullets ... corpses still litter the ground with no one attending to them.”

He said he was worried because he hasn’t heard from his eldest son since the attack.

Abba said survivors fled to Ashigashiya, where villagers last week accused Cameroonian troops of indiscriminately firing rocket-propelled grenades that killed a family of four, and then shooting and killing two elderly men.

In a separate incident,

Cleric killed, sergeant, medical doctor injured as robbers attack police station Sam Nwaoko -Ado Ekiti A man, said to be a cleric, was shot dead when suspected armed robbers attacked a police division in Ikole-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

It was also gathered that two others, including a police sergeant and a medical doctor, were injured in the attack, which sources in the community said has created tension in the town.

According to sources in the area, the cleric was said to have run into the gang while in operation and had erroneously taken them to be policemen when they stopped his vehicle, and had approached them to let him move on with his journey when they shot him dead.

The sources also explained that the medical doctor was at the Ikole Area Command and Division to attend to a patient when the incident occurred.

The hoodlums were said to have made unsuccessful attempts to raid the armoury in the police division but “levelled the building.”

The Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying it was an attempt by the suspected armed robbers to steal arms and ammunition from the police division.

Adeyemi told Saturday Tribune by phone that the suspects were believed to have come from the South south axis of the country and said the command had launched a manhunt with

the aim of bringing the suspects to book.

While commiserating with the dead and the injured in the incident, he charged the people of the area not to panic as, according to him, “the Commissioner of Police in the state has set a machinery in motion to ensure there’s no recurrence while investigation into the incident has commenced.”

survivors said Boko Haram fighters killed five woodcutters on Monday in Auno town near Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast.

“Some had their throats slit while others died from gunshots,” said selfdefence fighter Ibrahim Musa.

Many were feared dead in a deadly blast that rocked the Gombi Market in Adamawa on Friday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

Confirming the incident, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Malam Haruna Furo, said the agency was trying to get details of casualties.

He said the agency was yet to determine whether the blast was caused by a suicide bomber or a planted bomb.

The Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State Police Command, DSP. Othman Abubakar, said that four persons, including the suicide bomber died.

He said that 17 others were injured.

A source at Gombi Market, who simply identified himself as Umar, said the incident occurred at the grains section of the market and that it was a suicide mission by a boy.

THE Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun was on Thursday honoured by the Nigeria Police for his outstanding contributions to policing activities.

The vice chancellor was honoured with the award of the “Friend of Police” at the annual thanksgiving service and award giving ceremony organised by the Nigeria Police, Zone XI Command Headquarters, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

The award is coming barely a week after the vice chancellor was honoured with the rank of a Fellow of the International Chartered World Learned Society (ICWLS).

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the zone, AIG Kalatife Hellen Adeyemi, while presenting the award, described Professor Ajibefun as one who has contributed immensely to the operations of the Nigeria Police in the zone and particularly to community policing.

The vice chancellor, who expressed gratitude for the recognition, thanked the Nigeria police and friends of Adekunle Ajasin University around the globe for noting the humble contributions that God has enabled him and the university to do in ensuring that policing is considerably enhanced in Nigeria.

VC tasks 11, 057 matriculating UNILORIN students on good character PROFESSOR Abdul Ganiyu Ambali, Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday urged the 11,057 matriculating students of the institution to imbibe good character in learning.

Ambali gave the advice at the 2015/2016 matriculation ceremony of the university in Ilorin.

He told the students in his speech entitled “Character and Learning” to work hard and uphold the university’s code of ethics.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the vice chancellor said the institution would not hesitate to expel any student found wanting as learning without character is futile.

Ambali noted that out of 103, 000 students who applied for admission in the university, only 11,057 were successful.

While reading the university’s oath to the students, Professor Emmanuel Dada, Registrar of the university, warned the students against involving in pornography or indecent dressing and cultist activity.

Oba Odulana lived a fulfilled life —Fijabi

By Olawale Olaniyan A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency area of Oyo State, Honourable Saheed Akinade-Fijabi on Friday paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana where he described him as a fulfilled man.

Fijabi, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Telecommunications, was accompanied on the visit by Honourable Diri Douye, representing Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Epokuma Federal Constituency.

He said Oba Odulana lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation which his people would always recall for a long time to come. He stated that the late monarch represented his subjects well and would continue to be remembered for a lot of positives recorded during his reign.

Fijabi was received by the eldest child of the late monarch, Prince Femi Odulana.

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30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

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30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

newsmaker

Wike, the phenomenal pugilist

BY Dapo Falade

H

e is a dogged fighter and a cat with nine lives who should have been aptly dubbed Mr Controversy. Thrown up by controversies, he emerged as the sixth civilian governor of the oil-rich Rivers State, following an electoral exercise that was no less controversial, on April 11, 2015.

Since his swearing-in, on May 29, 2015 as the helmsman of the state, known as the “Treasure Base of the Nation,” his administration has been enmeshed in controversies and his actions drawing applauses and condemnations, both far and near. Yet the controversial, albeit, strong spirit in him keeps trudging on.

The man in question is no less than Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. A lawyer by training, an astute politician, an administrator and a grass roots mobiliser per excellence, he is the man upon whose shoulder faith and destiny has entrusted the mantle to steer the ship of the equally controversial (and troublesome) state.

He started out in public life when he held sway as the elected chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the largest council area in the state, for two terms from 1999 to 2007. During that period, he was the national president of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), a powerful umbrella body of the 774 local councils spread across the state.

While in office as a local council chairman, Wike reportedly demonstrated his acumen as an astute administrator, evolving tangible development at the third tier of government.

As a great grass roots mobiliser, he was said to have had co-founded, with his erstwhile friend and predecessor, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM), the once formidable and influential group noted as determining the political tide in the state.

Apparently living up to his divine call as one of those to shape the cause and course of Rivers State, Wike was said to be very instrumental in the emergence of his now estranged friend, Amaechi, as the state governor in 2007.

When Amaechi went on exile in the heat of the ‘K-leg’ controversy brought up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to scuttle his ambition, Wike held forte on the home front, tightening all loose ends to ensure victory for the former governor. What happened thereafter remains a subject of political discourse as Amaechi emerged as the state governor, via the historic Supreme Court pronouncement of October 25, 2007.

As a reward for his loyalty and good work, Amaechi appointed Wike as the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government House, a position he held from 2007 to 2011. From that vantage position, he became one of the key kitchen cabinet members of the former governor, determining the fate and destiny of the people of the state.

However, somewhere along the line, the bubble burst in 2011 and the once-upon-a-time jolly good friends became sworn enemies. The circumstances of parting of ways were no less controversial, as report had it that they fell apart following a prophecy by one of Amaechi’s seers

concerning Wike’s ambition to become the next governor after his boss.

At the height of the break up between them, Wike was, in 2011, appointed the Minister of State for Education by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, but reportedly on the recommendation of former Governor Amaechi.

While the prophecy may have been fulfilled as events later unfolded, Amaechi had told journalists, during one of his rare meetings with them, at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, late 2014 that he pushed Wike out of the state to check what he described as his uncontrollable love for money.

However, to many pundits, that decision by Amaechi to push Wike out of the state, under any guise, was his greatest undoing. As events later unfolded, rather than achieving the main objective, Wike, operating from the centre, became more ‘deadly’ and potent in his opposition to whatever Amaechi stood for and his governorship ambition became more visible, even as a federal minister.

From his vantage position, and having a willing ally and support from former President Jonathan, whose office and private life had become a constant object (rightly or wrongly) of unending opprobrium and criticism by Amaechi, Wike was able to muster enough resources, both human and financial, to rebuild the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had been shredded and left in tatters, in the aftermath of the exit of Amaechi and his followers from the party.

The situation explained why Wike was justifiably unpertubed and unrepentant when he took on, headlong, the challenge posed to the realisation of his ambition by some 16 aspirants from the riverine of the state who were then jostling for the PDP governorship ticket, in the build up to the party’s primary in 2014.

Speaking on the gang-up by his fellow contestants, Wike, who is an Uplander, had gleefully told journalists then that he was the only one capable of stopping Amaechi and the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their final onslaught to bury PDP in the state.

A man who is not afraid of courting controversy, he said none of the then 16 riverine PDP aspirants could stop him when he eventually decided to join the race. He noted that they did noting to salvage the party when Amaechi decimated it and left for APC. True to his words, and living up to his appellation as the Bulldozer, he trounced, by a very wide margin, even his closest rival in the PDP primary, held on December 8, 2014, to emerge as the party’s standard-bearer in the 2015 general election.

Meanwhile, the hostilities between him and his former boss continued unabated. In the build up to the election, among other accusations, the Amaechi camp alleged that Wike was and is a member of the Ogoni Fraternity and the former governor would, at any available opportunity, describe the former minister as a occultist.

However, Wike would insist that he neither belonged to any secret cult nor was he a ritualist. He

would also claim that Amaechi was bent on destroying him because he (Wike) was the only one capable of stopping the former governor from turning Rivers State into his personal estate.

Eventually, the election came up on April 11, 2015 and Wike defeated the APC governorship candidate, Honourable Dakuku Peterside, even as the latter and his political party claimed that there was no election in the state.

The result of the governorship election in the state was, on October 26, 2015, nullified by the Justice Sulaimon Dambrossa-led Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja. This was why Wike insisted that moving the tribunal from Port Harcourt to Abuja was part of a ploy to get him out of office by all means.

Not satisfied with the tribunal’s judegment, Wike, a consummate fighter that he is, headed for the Court of Appeal Tribunal, also in Abuja, even as vowed to pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court. Alas, the decision of the tribunal was sustained by the appellate court last December.

Expressing confidence in the judiciary, though with some reservations, the man approached the Supreme Court, convinced that he truly won the governorship election in the state.

In the midst of the legal battle to retain his office, the governor was also battling with some issues on the home front as some of his aides and known loyalists deserted him and left for APC. The first casualty was his former special adviser on media and publicity, Sir Opunabo Inko-Tariah, who claimed that the governor deserted him at his point of need.

Soon, others followed, including some of the former 16 PDP governorship aspirants who had pledged their loyalty to Wike, prior to and after the general elections.

It was in the light of the precarious situation in which Wike and, by extension, Rivers PDP found themselves that APC boasted that Wike would soon go into political oblivion, believing that the apex court would throw out his appeal and prefer for a fresh round of election in the state.

However, the reverse has turned out to be the case as the Supreme Court, in a judgement that took almost the entire country by surprise, upheld the governorship election held in Rivers State, last year and declared Nyesom Wike as the winner of the election and the duly elected governor of the state.

As things stand, and while the Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun-led apex court is yet to make known its reasons for upholding the 11-ground appeal of the governor, it would not be out of place to say it here that Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the consummate and dogged fighter, had survived the onslaught against him; bloodied and bruised, undoubtedly, but with his heart unbroken and his head unbended.

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It is wrong to say private varsities are for dull students —Bowen VC P23

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30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

‘Why I jettisoned my plan to be Rev Sister for marriage’

news of you shedding your plan of being a reverend sister?

My husband was an extrovert and so found it easy interacting with people. I am just the opposite, it took me time to blend. He was a jovial and open person and so endeared himself to my parents from the outset. They felt good about him and accepted him.

How long was your courtship and when did you get married?

We courted for three years and got married in July 1982.

What were the realities you discovered about marriage?

I discovered that marriage has a lot of interests and challenges.

It’s different from the boy/girl relationship or courtship. You actually get to know each other more intently.

She is a seasoned educationist who has also built her capacity in the area of social and reproductive health. A board member of Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYOSACA) and Director, Department of Social Mobilisation, Information Communication and Technology D(SM&ICT) ,Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs Lucy Bola Eniola, in this interview with TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE, speaks on her youthful days, career and marriage.

C

AN you please tell us a little about your background?

I come from a humble background. I’m from Ijio in Iwajowa Local Government Area in Oke Ogun, a part of Oyo State. We were a family of six and I am the eldest. We were four girls and two boys but we lost one of the girls. My parents were teachers and both retired as head teachers of primary schools.

What were the dos and don’ts in your home?

Aside being a teacher, my dad was a Catholic catechist, so ‘discipline’ was the watchword in our home. When dad was scolding us, my mum dared not talk. Under no condition did we miss the early morning mass.

Also, both the male and female children had their house chores which were carried out before we left for school. We dared not go out after school hours, we did our homework. Even on Saturday mornings, we did mental sums. We were restricted from going out with the opposite sex in order to avoid early pregnancy which was then the order of the day in our community. And when we did go out, we dared not exceed the given time.

What attention was given to the female child?

It was difficult for a girl-child to excel in our community then. They never believed in the girl-child educational training. I had many colleagues in the primary school who were brilliant but fell out of school due to early pregnancy.

How did you manage to escape this?

Foremost, I must tell you that I’m the first female graduate from my hometown. Being fortunate to have teachers as parents, I was enrolled in a Catholic primary school, St. Theresa’s Catholic Primary School, Ijio.

I did very well in school and our missionary teachers were very much impressed with my performance. After passing out of primary school, they conducted an entrance examination for some of us into the secondary school. We were four girls among some other boys. Two of us out of the four girls passed the examination and were given scholarship to study at St. Bernadine’s Girls Grammar School, Oyo. Unfortunately for

the other girl she was impregnated by a boy who came from Lagos.

Then we regarded those who lived in Lagos as kings and queens. And whenever they came home, they came with lots of goodies with which they lured girls with.

How old were you and this other girl?

I was eleven years old while she was about thirteen.

How well did you perform in the secondary school?

I did well, I passed out with Grade 1 at St. Lawrence’s Grammar School, Imo, Ilesa.

Why change school?

The government of the day then instructed that mission schools should be handed over to the government, I was therefore taken to the said school. Six of us who were female students had Grade 1. From there, I proceeded to The Polytechnic, Ibadan for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) education and later to University of Ibadan where I had a Bachelor and a Master’s degrees in Adult Education.

Did you enjoy any special privilege as the first female graduate in your community?

During the regime of Navy Captain Adetoye Sode as the military administrator of Oyo State, he specifically requested for a woman and particularly a graduate from my area to be enlisted among those who were to be appointed as caretakers. My name was mentioned and I was appointed as a supervisory counsellor for health in Kajola Local Government in Okeho.

How early did you start dating?

That was when I was in The Polytechnic, Ibadan. But you know while in the secondary school at Oyo, I stayed in a convent with reverend sisters. I got interested in their lifestyle and made up my mind I was going to become one.

What were your parents’ reaction to this?

What new thing did you discover about your hubby?

He was fun to be with, but I never knew he was short-tempered. This could last for just five minutes and he would be all over you again.

They encouraged me. My father especially being a Catholic catechist was excited.

There must have been an experience which made you change your mind?

I found love, I mean pure love displayed in genuine ways. This was different from what we have today among youths which is basically hinged on sex.

Tell us more about this?

He was very caring, very passionate and protective of me. He was a very thoughtful person. I remember when I was through with my first degree education at the University of Ibadan, he came all the way from his location in Lagos to help me check my posting for the national youth service. I was greatly touched by this gesture and many more. He loved to give, not necessarily expensive things, but well thought out gifts.

His proposal of marriage to you must have been romantic?

There was no drama put into it like we have today when a man will kneel down and present a ring to the lady. There was no ring then, the relationship was based on love and trust.

We normally met at a community association and were both members of the executive. We did interact and I knew he was a good person.

He walked up to me one day and told me he would like me to give him a place in my heart.

Did the relationship have a blissful end?

Sure. We got married. I’ve been talking to you about my husband, Mr Olatunji Eniola.

He is now late. He was my first and only boyfriend. I must state that then, when you were into a relationship, your focus was marriage. The practice of double dealing, jilting or dumping your girlfriend or boyfriend was hardly ever heard of.

How did your parents receive the

What’s your take on the belief that men as the head of the family should bear the brunt of running the home?

No sensible woman would think that way.

Even in the olden days, our mothers had roles they were playing towards the smooth running of the home. As a woman and help meet, you are supposed to support your husband. You make a lot of sacrifice which earns you joy and respect from your husband and children and believe me you can’t go unrewarded by God. There were times in our marriage we were faced with financial difficulties. I never left the situation to my husband to tackle alone. As a teacher then, I took students on extra lessons in English Language and Literature in English and used the extra income which came from these to sustain the home. I also had a small kiosk in our compound where I sold household daily needs. Again, I started a poultry and rabbitery to support my husband in educating our children. Then I was sowing, but now I’m reaping the reward in my children. They are four—three girls and a boy and are doing fine.

What vacuum has your husband’s demise created in your family?

I miss his care, support and jokes. But much more I miss him in the area of taking life long decisions when it comes to the children. He loved his children and they do miss his fatherly love. He was more emotional than I am when it comes to issues concerning our children and he gave them the best in terms of education and values.

How do you unwind?

I love to socialise, attend parties—weddings, birthdays, funerals and the like.

And what do you do to look good?

I use shea butter for my skin, take fruits that are in season, especially before breakfast, while I don’t eat late. I love beautiful things.

For office, I love to wear dresses and iro and buba to parties while bag is my favourite fashion item.

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30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

food&drink

For Esesua Pogoson, passion, drive and talent make the difference between a drab cake and an awe-inspiring one. She talks with BLESSING EKUM about the prospects in cake making and her foray into the world of sugar, flour and butter.

What sparked up your interest in confectionery?

Y interest in baking was birthed from the need to develop an entrepreneurial skill and by so doing, empower myself as a self-employed individual. During one of the ASUU strikes in my university days, I decided to learn a skill and I chose baking because I had ample background knowledge of it as I am the third generation baker in my family.

M

What did you study at the university?

I studied Microbiology at the University of Ibadan and I am currently undergoing a master’s programme in Advanced Food Safety at Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

And how do you apply this to the cake business?

Microbiology is a wide subject and because of my interest in food and my line of business, I chose to specialise in Food Microbiology in my master’s programme. It offers me ample knowledge on food safety, measures to take in ensuring that the product reaching the consumer is healthy and safe for consumption. This can be applied to any food product and as such I am applying it to my business.

What would you say is the secret to being a great pastry chef? Is it a learned skill or a talent?

I think it is a little of both. The skill to be a great pastry chef definitely has to be acquired and constantly developed. However, a few of us are privileged to be born with the talent. Acquiring the skill offers one the basics, but, it is your talent, passion and drive that motivates you to want to learn more and better oneself.

How have your cakes evolved over

‘With fondant icing,

there is very little one cannot do’ the years?

When I started baking, I concentrated mainly on buttercream cakes and cupcakes for birthdays and more minor celebrations.

However as the years went by, and especially driven by customer demand and a desire for advancement, I moved on to learn fondant icing which enabled me to start baking wedding cakes. With fondant icing, there are no limitations to what can be created.

Where do you see the trend in cake making going in the next few years?

With fondant icing, there is very little one cannot do. Cake makers over the world and especially here in Nigeria, are coming up with masterpieces every day, ranging from suspended cakes, to seven-foot-high lifesized cakes What is the longest amount of hours you’ve spent on a cake?

I have spent up to about six hours just on the decoration of a traditional wedding cake.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

As cliché as it might sound, first of all, God. He gave me the talent and so He inspires me. Also, my love for art and other reputable bakers around the world inspire me to create beautiful designs.

Can you describe the most elaborate wedding cake you have made?

The most elaborate wedding cake I’ve made definitely has to be a six-tier (with each tier five-inch high) wedding cake that had extremely intricate details on each tier.

In the end, this cake was about five feet tall because alternating tiers were separated by chandeliers. It turned out absolutely beautiful and the couple were very pleased.

Can you recall your lowest point?

My lowest point was in my early days as a baker. I had a buttercream cake to deliver and due to the heat and hours of sitting in the car, the icing started to melt. Luckily for me, I had enough time to fix the cake before delivering it to the customer.

How about your highest?

My highest point is every time I deliver a cake to customers and they are absolutely happy and satisfied with the product. The joy in their faces, their kind words and feedback motivate me to keep going.

How many people did it take for you to make this cake?

I decorated this cake entirely on my own.

Do you have a sweet tooth?

Unfortunately, I don’t. I think because I am exposed to so many sweet things, I have lost the “taste” for them.

What do you enjoy most about being a pastry chef?

Decorations. Baking in itself is quite straightforward. However, the process involved in designing the cake to create a unique masterpiece is absolutely exciting.

Which is your favourite confectionery?

My favourite confectionery is red velvet cake. It is a very moist and rich dessert cake that melts in the mouth and tastes divine if baked properly.

12

30 January, 2016

conversewithyemisi Help! she may change her mind

Dear Yemisi, am 35 years old and have a master’s degree. My girl is 23 and a 300 level undergraduate. We have been dating since April 2014, I met her during my master’s programme.

Right from day one, we defined the relationship that it will lead to marriage and we have maintained a lovely relationship ever since. My fear now is that, she says her elder sister must get married first and she must finish service (NYSC) before we can get married.

How am I sure she will not change her mind after service? Each time I decide to leave her, she tells me ‘God will judge me’ and I love her dearly and I am sure she too loves me. I had a child before I met her and people told her this. I kept this from her waiting to tell her later; but someone told her and she has never asked me, though she still maintains the tempo of our relationship except that when we quarrel, she talks to me proverbially and I always suspect the child issue is responsible for this and she is fond of pretending about it. She always tells me she will marry me and

I

shame all the gossip. I was shocked when we had a quarrel sometime back and she told me that what I felt I had kept from her that (I had a child) was already known to her.

I was troubled because I should have told her earlier. I still denied it and waited to tell her last December all by myself. Whether she believed me, that I can’t say, as she continues to show love and care towards me. Apart from this, she told me to start attending Catholic Church and become a worker as this will make her parents to accept me, I am now a member of Winners Chapel and I love my church. I was in Christ Embassy for years. I started attending Winners Chapel some four months ago when I moved to another city. She also said she would reduce my age before her parents so that they will give their blessing.

I can’t love any other woman, whenever I look at other ladies, I see her in them! I am good looking and can’t find it difficult to get another lady, but my heart is fixed on her! I love her dearly!

Please, your inputs!

Efosa A.G.N Dear Efosa, One would expect that at 35, you should be man enough to stand up to your decision and should not be tossed here and there by a lady concerning your faith. You need to be stable, particularly about your conviction, religion wise. What on earth could make her to tell you that ‘God will judge you?’

What have you done to her to warrant such?

Falling in love with a lady should not be a matter of life and death. It is early in the day to start building on a week foundation. There is a saying that you cannot afford to defer to a cow because you want to eat meat. Why must you condescend to the dictates of your so-called girlfriend for you to be accepted by her parents to change church and your age?

To me, your girlfriend is not a sincere human being. For God’s sake, who is she fooling? If you tell her parents a lie now just to cover up a lot of things, what if you now disagree over issues?

You must weigh your options before you give in. Be a man. She is not the one to take you as wife. You are supposed to be the one dictating the pace.

The truth of the matter is that the two of you are liars. I must be sincere with you. You cannot build something on nothing.

Who should be the first person to tell her that you already have a child telling her the circumstances that led to the child’s birth?

Keeping it from her only for her to be told by another source is a minus as she will no longer trust you. There is nothing that you tell her that she will believe.

You ought to have discerned from her submissions at least on her parents decision that her elder sister must get married before her even if she does not have a fiancée. Secondly, why must she tell you to change your church and cut your age?

She is capitalising on your being naive. Take it or leave it, she is not proud of you and will do anything to rubbish you before her people. It is nothing unheard of that you have got a child. Are you the first to have done such? Stop being fooled by making the issue of your child to get at you an issue.

If she is insisting on you changing your denomination and slashing your age, you better call a spade its name and stop fooling around with her. Make the hay while the sun is still shining. Who told you that you cannot get an understanding and honest lady?

Don’t allow inferiority complex to take the better part of you. Or have you sworn to any form of oath?

Please, get your acts together and be in charge of your life.

Saturday Tribune

08055001741 (sms only) yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

He is not zealous Dear Yemisi, I am 21 years old and a graduate. I have a boyfriend who is 26 years old. We have been together for the past two years, although we had been friends before then.

The first problem I have with him is that our communication is very poor. I'd rather keep things to myself than discuss them with him, because he doesn’t respond well and when he does, his tone is usually indifferent and uncaring. Interacting with him is even boring sometimes.

Also, I'm a virgin while he is not. Although he hasn't had sex with any girl in the past five years, when I think of this women who were once in his life, I really don't think I'm cool with the fact that he has been with numerous ladies in the past.

Another problem I have with him is his lack of zeal. I am very enterprising person with big dreams and I also graduated top of my class, while he barely managed to graduate. I try to tell him to start something on his own, but all he wants to do is get a job and just live a normal life. I feel like he isn't the best for me. I feel like I'm settling for the lowest and I can definitely do away with him.

But I'm scared. What if the next person is worse than him?

The truth be told, he is a very nice person. My friends are very envious of me because he does everything a good boyfriend should do. He encourages me in the best way he knows how to, and I know he really loves me.

But I also don't want all this to affect me if we happen to get married.

Should I stick to him or end it?

Derayo.

Dear Derayo, I hope you are not mixing issues up. I doubt if there exists any human without a past. The earlier you put this thought behind you the better.

You claimed that your partner is an encourager, good!!! But being an encourager does not make him a better partner. You also said he lacks zeal and if this is actually the truth, I will advise you still take your time and talk to him and let him realise the fact that as a man, he needs to be proactive because the moment a man fails to meet up with the financial needs of his family, he will definitely lose respect and also become a laughing stock in the society. Let him understand that for a man to be financially independent, it requires lot of enthusiasm.

Does being an encourager put food on your table or provide all that make life worth living? Earning a living in today’s world calls for making extra from other streams of income as the economies of the world have failed.

Derayo, whipping up sentiment on an issue that you are not clear about will further compound your problem as you have explained that your guy only wants to get a salaried job. If you are really convinced that you can cope with the fact that he was once a ladies’ toast, then you have a lot on your hands to do as to quicken his zeal to be enterprise conscious.

No two individuals are the same, not even twins.

From your letter, you are the outgoing type and I believe your being sociable and enterprising can rub off on him with time provided you are both destined to be together for life.

You have to open up to him on what you feel about his indifference to life’s issues as you are always open to discussion instead of getting bottled up.

He needs to interact the more as he comes out of his shell.

If after making your feelings known and he remains indifferent, reviewing your relationship with each other will not be out of place. From experiences of women who felt that such men would change overtime, they never share good testimonies because their men’s interpretation of such women’s push is always waywardness on their part.

13

30 January, 2016

intimacy

Saturday Tribune

With Bosede Ola-Samuel 08112658560 bosedeola_samuel@yahoo.com

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

Score your sex life with these

S

EX can be exciting for a couple when it is not done always the usual way. That is, to enjoy great sex life, couples must learn how sex can be spiced up with various activities. Some of those things are as listed below.

Where do you have sex?

Where sex is carried out goes a long way as to how great it will be for a couple. If it is always on the bed, in the room, it may not always be exciting. But, when other locations are tried out, it creates great excitement for the couple. It is like discovering another way of enjoying real great sex.

“Don’t always make love in the same place at the same time in the same position, It’s the kiss of death in any relationship,” sex therapist, Ava Cadell, Ph.D., author of The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Oral Sex, says.

In fact, you should always be striving to learn new techniques to satisfy her. For instance, multitask while giving her oral sex, focus on her clitoris, stimulate her G-spot with one hand, and brush your other hand all through the intimate terrain of her butt. “If you can do that,” Cadell says, “she’s never going to let you go.”

How often do you have sex?

Regular sex gives a couple a lot of experience that leads to mastering the act of sex for great excitement. Any couple that wants to achieve great sex life must have sex regularly. Someone once said that the average guy has sex about twice a week if he’s married—a little less often (once) if he’s single, a little more (three times) if he’s single but shacking up. If you’re not hitting your number, work on your approach. In a University of New Orleans study, nearly 70 per cent of men reported that when they initiate sex, they overestimate their partners’ desire to get it on, most likely because they think women are like gas grills: Flick a switch and they get hot.

Talking to her—about work, family, the news— establishes a bond of sharing that she equates with romance. To you, it’s conversation, but for her it is intimacy.

Do you share your fantasies?

Healthy couples share information on what they like and don’t like. You don’t have to spend hours talking about your sex life. What’s important is sharing with your partner something that’s deeply intimate.

Experts suggest talking at a safe, nonsexual time. Women

get intimacy just from talking, and this way, she won’t feel pressured to perform right away—and that can make her more willing to put on the malfunctioning wardrobe another time.

Can you name all her hot spots?

A man should know at least 10 hot spots on his partner’s

The minimum duration of sex— including seduction, foreplay, and intercourse— should be about 30 minutes.

Anything under half an hour is not satisfying to a woman body that drive her wild, says Cadell. Not knowing is a sign that you might not have enough colours on your palette to paint a sexual masterpiece. Simple technique—a kiss around the earlobe, a stroke between her toes—will help you find them.

“Before you try to experiment with wild positions, be the best student of her body that you can be,” says Gloria Brame, Ph.D., a sex therapist and author. To find more spots, slow down your kissing, feeling, and touching so dramatically that it barely feels as if you’re moving. “It’s all about slowing sex down to find where she’s receptive,” Brame says.

What do you both wear to bed?

What couples wear to bed has a direct impact on how exciting their sex life will be. When suggestive dresses are worn by couples, it makes having sex spontaneous, without undue hindrances.

Button-up pajamas send the message that she’s not ready for sex. But sleeping in the nude doesn’t necessarily indicate sexuality, either. The true green light is when she’s giving some thought to what she wears—because that implies an element of seduction. Whether it’s lace or a tight T-shirt, spending some time and thought preparing for bed is a sign that she’s more open to sex.

How long does sex last?

The minimum duration of sex—including seduction, foreplay, and intercourse—should be about 30 minutes.

“Anything under half an hour is not satisfying to a woman,” Cadell says. If you’re not quite there yet, build up your sexual stamina by aiming to make each sexual encounter a few minutes longer than the one before.

Research shows that the average man lasts about 14 minutes during intercourse, but you don’t necessarily have to go that long to satisfy her. For every 30 minutes of sex, only one-quarter to one-third of the time should be spent on actual intercourse, Cadell says. This leaves plenty of time for the other things she likes.

All the above among other things will guarantee a great sex life for couples.

In response to my readers’ request, I have packaged some of my previous articles into a book with the title: ENJOYING GREAT SEXLIFE. You can call me on 08112658560 for the book

14

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

With Aunty Yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

4 3

great children.

5

2 1

1. Oyinlola Owoeye, year 9, 13 yrs old The name of my school is Kingston College and its motto is ‘Rebuild, reform, result’.

This motto means that immediately a child enters this school and becomes a student of Kingston College, the school rebuilds the child. For instance, if a child who finds it difficult to read comes here, the child has no choice but to read. The school also reforms in such a way that reading will become part and parcel of you and after all it brings out the result by you being successful in all your exams.

2. Bolaji Ogunsanwo, year 12, 15 yrs old My school motto ‘Rebuild, Reform, Result’ is not just a string of words, there are reasons behind it. My school being a secondary school has created new lease of life for young primary school pupils moving to secondary school.

Most primary school kids don’t really have a focus on what to do with their lives and, this takes me back to the motto ‘’Rebuild, Reform, Result’’. My school accepts these young primary school leavers and rebuild them, reform them through effective teaching and interactive skills. The results come out when they start doing great in their various fields of study.

6 6. Oludemilade Salokun, year 9, 12 yrs old It means that the school rebuilds the academic performance and also the morality, reforms it, then it results in pure academic excellence and good moral behaviours on the part of the students. ‘’Success forever’’ If I owned a school, according to this motto, I would make sure I train my students to be successful so that in future they will also be great in life through the training I have impacted on them.

7. Adeola Adeniran , year 10, 13 yrs old The school motto means a lot to me in my everyday life and in all my activities. The motto which is ‘Rebuild, Reform, Result’ to me, I think, means that Kingston College will rebuild stu-

What our school motto means to us

5. Omotayo Akere, year 8, 11 yrs old ‘Rebuild, Reform, Result’, to me refers to Kingston College as a school that works towards rebuilding students to be better and reformed. They help students to be the best they can be in everything they do; helping the students to reach their full potential and get to the top. ‘Result’ is just the outcome of all they have put in as students and all the efforts they have made and all they have impacted on a student and what has come out of it. The school motto depicts what Kingston College as a whole stands for and what they do in people’s lives and which has made Kingston a great school, bringing forth.

Respondents are students of Kingston College, Ijokodo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

PO EM

The many colored

robes he wore

3. Mayowa Bibilari, year 2, 15 yrs The school’s motto “Rebuild, reform, result,” to me, means that in this great school, you are accepted, no matter the capacity of your brain and you are tutored and guided to come out great as destined.

The school’s motto has encouraged and convinced me that I am in the right place to pursue my dreams, because I have it at the back of my mind that our teachers will not stop working on me until I have good results.

I don’t recite the motto a lot but at heart. I recite it about twice a week.

If I were to have my own motto, it would be WE TEACH, WE CARE. the reason behind the motto is that I have been to many schools and also heard of many schools where the staff really don’t care about the welfare of the students, but all they care about is that they are paid their salary. They don’t care whether students attend classes or not.

4. Teniola Paul Alabi, year 10, 15 yrs old The school’s motto is ‘Rebuild, reform, and result’. It means ‘Rebuild’ suggests that the students on arrival, will be better and well taught. Kingston College will accept you, rebuild you and make you better than before.

‘Reform’ is to have trust in the school to reform and to be shown not just education but social interaction too.

They also teach music, taekwondo swimming pool.

‘Result’ is to allow the students of Kingston College to have wonderful and excellent results and to REBUILD, REFORM and RESULT is what keeps Kingston College standing today.

dents, 7 reform them and give a positive result. Some children are not well trained at home but a t Kingston College, the children will be rebuilt, reformed and produce positive results wherever they go.

The motto has impacted on me greatly by reforming and rebuilding me, making me get good results. I recite the motto every day. ‘’Moral, Standard and Excellent result’’.

If I own a school, I will choose this motto because of the rate of immorality in schools but my school will have high moral standards. In my school, there will be no exam malpractice and my teachers would be of very good educational background.

JUMBLED WORDS

Unscramble these words

Hurray!

DAVID AND BUKKY ADEPEJU celebrated their birthday recently

Many happy returns.

1. BATE 2. TEEF 3. LAFE 4. THAB 5. DAER

THE Many Colored Robes He Wore The many colored robes he wore Gave priestly rank and set him apart; His faded socks, best of his poor store, They drew him to a repentant heart.

In faith, uttered he words soothing fears And sweet wondrous words from his heart.

Tending masses- holding back his loving tears Prayed he all, a blessed and godly new start.

Through infinite quiet and its deepest sound Into darkness and its ancient hollow hold.

He won battles with truest faith unbound, And prayers of epic blessings retold.

The many colored robes he wore Gave priestly rank and set him apart; His faded socks, best of his poor store, They drew him to a repentant heart.

—Robert J. Lindley

Get Inspired

15

30 January, 2016

health&fitness

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

It has been discovered that such people, who most times are men, are having illicit sex, that is, they are cheating on their partners. So, the anxiety associated with doing something ‘forbidden’ , the possibility of being caught, guilt, coupled with increased blood pressure, pulse and respiration that occurs during sex can contribute to having a heart problem at the time.

Can sex cause a heart attack?

S

EX is one of nature’s multi-purpose gifts of pleasure to humanity but sometimes, cases of a person developing a heart attack and dying while on the activity are heard of. This not only causes some anxiety, but has birthed several myths about sex and heart attacks. However, experts have said that sex is rarely the cause of a heart attack, and most heart disease patients are safe to resume sexual activity after a heart attack.

This disclosure was made in a research letter published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Sexual activity can be a concern for many heart attack patients who worry about exertion triggering another heart event, but data on the harms and benefits of sexual activity in heart disease patients is limited. According to the research letter, sexual activity generally involves moderate physical activity comparable to climbing two staircases or taking a brisk walk.

Livescience reports that the researchers looked at 536 heart disease patients between 30 and 70 years old to evaluate sexual activity in the 12 months before a heart attack and estimate the association of frequency of sexual activity with subsequent cardiovascular events, including fatal heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.

In a self-reported questionnaire, 14.9 per cent of patients reported no sexual activity in the 12 months before their heart attack, 4.7 per cent reported sex less than once per month, 25.4 per cent reported less than once per week and 55 per cent reported one or more times per week. During 10 years of follow up, 100 adverse cardiovascular events occurred in patients in the study. Sexual activity was not a risk factor for subsequent adverse cardiovascular events.

Researchers also evaluated the timing of the last sexual activity before the heart attack. Only 0.7 per cent reported sex within an hour before their heart attack. In comparison, over 78 per cent reported that their last sexual activity occurred more than 24 hours before the heart attack.

“Based on our data, it seems very unlikely that sexual activity is a relevant trigger of heart attack,” said Dietrich Rothenbacher, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and professor and chair of the Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry at Ulm University in Ulm, Germany.

“Less than half of men and less than a third of women are getting information about sexual activity after heart attack

from their doctors. It is important to reassure patients that they need not be worried and should resume their usual sexual activity.”

Dr Funmilayo Akinola, a medical practitioner, said “most of the time, when people die of a heart attack during sex, it’s not sex that’s the cause. It has been discovered that such people, who most times are men, are having illicit sex, that is, they are cheating on their partners. So, the anxiety associated with doing something ‘forbidden’ , the possibility of being caught, guilt, coupled with increased

blood pressure, pulse and respiration that occurs during sex can contribute to having a heart problem at the time.

However, men over 50 years, who are overweight and do not get sufficient exercise can exert the heart during an intense sex session. The case of sex and the heart should be more of a concern for someone who previously had a heart disease. He has to be clear with his cardiologist about what activities he can take and which he shouldn’t.”

Researchers said that despite the benefits of sexual activity outweighing risks, the potential of erectile dysfunction as a side effect from various cardiovascular protective medications and the risk of a drop in blood pressure from combining certain heart medications with erectile dysfunction medications should be clearly communicated to patients.

Damage from not exclusively breastfeeding babies is permanent —Expert AS part of efforts to combat infant mortality, nutritionists have reiterated the call for exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months of life.

The nutritionists, led by Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) stated this during the week at a one-day breastfeeding symposium organised by Promasidor Nigeria Limited during which the company also introduced two infant milk formulas — Cowbell Tina 1 and Cowbell Tina 2.

Speaking at the event themed: “The Nutrition Wisdom of Infant Feeding Choices” held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, nutritionists stated that breastfeeding has an extraordinary range of benefits for the child and even for their mothers. They also pointed out that in circumstances when it becomes impossible for mothers to breastfeed their babies, they could use substitutes which must be readily available and affordable.

Professor Nnam said breastfeeding alone (exclusive breastfeeding) is a complete nutritional source for infants for the first six months of life because breast milk contains all the essential nutrients, bio-active compounds and anti-infective factors needed by the infant for the first six months of life.

She warned that insufficiency of nutrients in babies could have significant effect on their rapidly developing brains, stating that “inadequate supply of the nutrients like iron, iodine, magnesium, Vitamin B12, folate, fat (LC- PUFA) leads to insults in the brain to reduce Intelligence Quotient

(IQ) by 13.5 points. The effect is permanent.”

In his welcome address, Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor, said the company produces premium nutritional products that are good for all categories of people. According to him, the company’s new products contain Vitamins A, Iron and other vital nutrients human bodies need for healthy living.

Professor Nnam added that said nutrition wisdom is important to ensure adequate supply of nutrients to support rapid growth and development of the infant; prevent malnutrition that could lead to stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient deficiency diseases; as well as to protect the infant from developing chronic diseases in adulthood like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

According to her, the nutrients contained in breast milk are adequate in quantity and quality to promote optimal growth and development of infants. She explained that composition of breast milk has been designed by nature to provide all the nutrient needs of the infant, make for easy digestion and assimilation by infants.

Dr. Abieyuwa Emokpae, a Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Doctor at Massey Street Children’s Hospital corroborated Professor Nnam as he said human milk contains hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute to immune maturation, organ development and healthy microbial colonisation.

16 healthandfitness My large breasts

Dr. Wale Okediran

I love everything about myself except for my large breasts which have become a source of embarrassment to me. Even when I use big brassieres, the breasts continue to embarrass me. I will appreciate your kind assistance on how to reduce the size of my breasts.

Rebecca (by SMS) Many organs in the body, the breasts inclusive, come in different sizes from person to person. Since your large breasts are your natural endowment, you have

Yes, it really looks like menopause. While some women are able to undergo the menopausal transition without incident, most will experience many of the menopause symptoms. In fact, up to 70% of women experience menopausal symptoms. The duration varies; for many women

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

Can I use viagra?

nothing to be ashamed of.

Short of going for a plastic surgery with its attendant shortcomings such as high cost and possible side ef-

fects, there is very little you can do about your large breasts. In view of this, I will advise you to leave them as they are.

the symptoms cease after the occurrence of menopause (typically in the mid to late 50’s), yet other women will continue experiencing them well into old age. Though these menopausal symptoms may be unpleasant, it is important to remember that menopause, rather than being an illness, is a natural, normal change in a woman’s body.

In order to avoid some of the unpleasant side effects of hormonal therapy, many doctors agree that the most effective treatment for menopause is to combine a few changes in lifestyle with alternative menopause treatment options

FOR the past two months I have been having difficulty with sexually satisfying my wife due to problems with getting an erection.

I have tried all possible attempts without any success. My friends suggested that I should use viagra.

Kindly advise me. I am a 40-year-old businessman.

Pius (by SMS) Since poor erection (erectile dysfunction) can be caused by many factors such as, stress, anxiety,

Is this menopause?

I sometimes feel moody, dejected and irritable for no reason, even when in the midst of family and friends. Things are so bad that I now have little or no affection for my husband.

My friends think that it is due to menopause as I am in my early fifties. Kindly advise me.

Omolara (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

30 January, 2016

poorly controlled High blood pressure, diabetes, drug abuse among other causes, it will be a good idea for you to see your doctor for a comprehen-

No baby after 4 years marriage I have been married now for over four years yet, I am not pregnant. My husband’s family members are now angry with me and trying to convince my husband to take

Bald at thirty I am a 30-year-old civil servant with a bald head.

Although my father is also bald, he only became bald in his fifties. I will appreciate it if you can let me know what to do to cure my baldness or to postpone its onset.

Dayo (by SMS)

As you have correctly pointed out, baldness can be hereditary irrespective of any age of onset.

In view of this, your baldness which was inherited from your father cannot be cured or postponed.

another wife. I am 30 years old while my husband is 35.

Please help me.

Chinyere (by SMS) When it comes to infertility in marriage, both the husband and the wife could be the cause and should be properly investigated medically to find the possible treatment.

It is therefore wrong for your husband’s family to assume that you are the cause of the problem. In

E

ARLIER opinions differ on the benefits of chocolates on the cardiovascular health, especially the milk chocolates. But with current findings emanating from various research works, a second look at the benefits of chocolates on our heart is necessary. Cocoa in chocolate when consumed in moderation has been shown to have benefit on your heart and other parts of cardiovascular system. Specifically, cocoa as a plant and chocolate as food contain a series of chemicals that can interact with cell and tissue components providing protection against the development and amelioration of disease condition.

Several studies on Caucasians have really shown that chocolate eaters significantly cut their risk of dying from heart disease. In Sweden, following a heart attack, patients were followed up over an eight-year period. When compared with non-chocolate eaters, those who ate chocolate once a week reduced their risk for cardiac death by 44 percent. Those who indulged twice a week or more reduced their risk by 66 percent. Among other components, flavonoid chemical in cocoa is said to be the “magic power”.

Flavonoids help protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage. They can be found in a variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables. When we eat foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power. Antioxidants are believed to help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals (dangerous chemical) that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke. When these anti-oxidants are insufficient in the body, germs and cancer cell easily attack body organs. Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research shows that flavanols have other potential influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and unable to clot. The darker the chocolate is, the higher the content of flavanols. White chocolate may just be cocoa fat, sugar, and flavorings. The dark chocolate has at least 60 percent cocoa solids and this may be

sive check-up. It is after these possible causes have been ruled out that the use of viagra and any other sexual stimulants can be considered.

view of this, I will advise that elders in both families should encourage you and your husband to seek medically attention as soon as possible.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

Health effect of chocolate

reasons for its earlier preference over milk chocolates.

Current studies have shown that both have good cardiovascular health benefits As good as this may sound, moderation remains the key.

Opinions differ on the actual quantity that is moderate; while some researcher prescribed 2-3 small pieces per week (48.9gm), others prefer lesser quantity per week.

The quantity here is far less than that we consume especially when we attend parties. Chocolate is craving in nature but remember moderation is advised.

Choosing healthy chocolate Before you eat a chocolate candy bar or slice of chocolate cake, it’s important to understand that not all forms of chocolate contain high levels of flavanols. Cocoa naturally has a very strong, pungent taste, which comes from the flavanols. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce this taste. The more chocolate is processed (through things like fermentation, alkalising, roasting, etc.), the more flavanols are lost. Most of the over the counter chocolates are overprocessed, hence the need for caution.

Your best choices are likely dark chocolate, milk chocolate (especially milk chocolate that is devoid of excess fats and sugars) and cocoa powder that has not undergone Dutch processing (cocoa that is treated with an alkali to neutralise its natural acidity).

Fat in Chocolate The fat in dark chocolate is not bad as thought and

may not actually portend danger. The fat is made up of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat. You may know that saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. But, research shows that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, neither raising nor lowering it. Although palmitic acid does affect cholesterol levels, it only makes up one-third of the fat calories in chocolate.

My advice is that you be mindful of the type of chocolate you take: chewy caramel-marshmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option. The extra fat and calories from other form of processed chocolate can make you gain weight; have abnormal glucose level and high blood pressure. Be moderate in consumption, excess of everything is bad. Since there are variations in genetic components of human beings and environment, there is a need for local multicentre and multidisciplinary study that will assess the effect of cocoa on cardiovascular system in Nigeria. This will help in formulating health policies that can stem the tide of rising trend of non-communicable diseases.

As I conclude, enjoy moderate portions of chocolate a few times per week, and don’t forget to eat other flavonoid-rich foods like apples, tea, onions and cranberries.

Till next week, maintain a healthy heart.

17

30 January, 2016

mediascope One of the major players in the nation’s integrated marketing communications space, Mr. Julius Agenmonmen, recently extended his business frontiers to the East African country of Kenya.

In this interview AKIN ADEWAKUN, the Managing Director of Brandlife explains the reason behind his action, while charging ad practitioners in the country to get set for the various challenges 2016 is likely to bring.

Saturday Tribune

WITH AKIN ADEWAKUN akadewakun@yahoo.co.uk 0805 468 3584

go on to implement ideas from different agencies without acknowledging or paying for those ideas. Clients in Nigeria can do more to encourage practitioners by protecting creativity and instituting best practices in processes of engagement.

I think the way out of all these is that agencies and clients must see each other as joint stakeholders whose primary objective is to build brands to achieve certain set objectives.

2016 may not be rosy in the nation’s advertising sector —Mr. Julius Agenmonmen, Managing Director, Brandlife

Your decision to spread your business frontiers to the East African country of Kenya was a move that received so much acclaim from the industry, what would you say informed this decision?

The simple reason is that the world of marketing is ever evolving and constantly dynamic. It seeks to create closer connections between brands and its customers and this is where we as an agency play a vital role. In Nigeria, we have brought in a unique and distinctive flavour to the marketing environment by riding on a culture of efficiency, creativity, flexibility, transparency and results. This is evidenced by our impressive growth from 2008 to become a major marketing services agency for top brands, creating new inroads into the Nigerian market with winning concepts that continue to create value for our clients. Having recorded phenomenal success in the Nigerian business environment despite challenges and fierce competition, the natural thing for us to do was to look beyond the Nigerian market. Interestingly, our vision has always been beyond Nigeria. This decision is borne out of the quest to deliver best value to our top clients, one of which is HP Inc, which recently contracted Brandlife to be its marketing services agency for Kenya. We are of course exploring other new opportunities in that market and the signals are very positive. We will be offering the Kenyan market unique value driven marketing solutions that Brandlife is well known for in the Nigerian market.

Interestingly, we are blessed to have a client who has implicit confidence in us to help fast-track this vision into reality. Also in focus for Brandlife as an organisation is the vision to champion the growth of marketing in Africa, emphasising professionalism and best practices within the industry and proffering simple, yet unconventional solutions to a myriad of issues unique to the continent with a view to encouraging global investment.

Kenya holds a lot of promise for Brandlife as it has a thriving business environment and it is considered to be the economic engine room for East Africa. There is currently an enabling political environment, which is good for business. In spite of the security challenges, just like Nigeria and many countries in the world today, business must go on.

As a practitioner and business manager in the industry, would you agree with the claim, in some quarters, that advertising must prepare for a tough time in 2016, going by the nation’s economic dwindling fortune, occasioned by the slide in the price of crude oil? If yes, what are your panaceas for survival?

I would say yes as there are strong indicators that 2016 may not be rosy for most businesses, including those in

the advertising sector. I know that for companies who are reluctant to see the important role that marketing plays for their organisation, the usual coping mechanism is often to slash marketing/advertising budget. However, wise companies will continue to invest in their brands.

Those brands who choose to invest now will not only reap the rewards when the economy gets better, but will be more competitive during the difficult months ahead.

To survive these difficult times, we professionals must come up with cost effective innovative marketing solutions. It can no longer be business as usual. Clients must get value for the money they invest for each marketing activity.

As a practitioner that has straddled different worlds of advertising, especially Ghana and Kenya, where you have your offices, what would you say mark out the practice from the way it is being practised here?

To be honest, there are not too many differences. All countries have very active middle class with similar consumption patterns. Social media is taking central stage in each of the markets. However, I would say that Nigeria is ahead in terms of industry regulations. The pioneering role of LASAA (Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency) is worthy of note here. The Lagos model has been replicated in most parts of the country. The city of Nairobi for example will welcome outdoor regulations like we have in many cities in Nigeria. In terms of creativity and innovation in the outdoor space, Nigeria is also ahead. In Nigeria, the rules of engagement need to be refined between clients and agencies. Agencies should not be taken advantage of in terms of their creative ideas by brands.

Many pitches are called for and a number of times brands

To survive these difficult times, we professionals must come up with cost effective innovative marketing solutions. It can no longer be business as usual. Clients must get value for the money they invest for each marketing activity.

Your recent movement to Kenya, according to you, represents a major growth in the life of the company, what would you say are the challenges of running an advertising outfit outside of a practitioner’s comfort zone, that is his country?

Just like every next step in life, Brandlife has moved up the ladder to take up a new challenge with the extension of its business services in Kenya. This move will necessitate the company to understand the pulse of economic and political vibes in a new environment unlike back home where you could fairly guess how policies can affect the business.

Operations from one’s home country offer the benefit of knowing the culture and people with a view to developing effective operational processes that promote the growth of the business. Also, the trust gained as a result of experience in the advertising sector in one home’s country could translate in quick wins in securing financial incentives. Setting up our business in Kenya has not been as difficult as one had anticipated. Nevertheless, some of the challenges we face are due to our not yet having a full understanding of the market. We are getting better everyday and things are falling in place, and I believe with time, all those teething problems will be over.

One of the challenges facing advertising practice in the country today is lack of ‘proper’ recognitions from government, as evident in government’s reluctance to always appoint competent hands from the industry to political offices. Another example is the recent classification of APCON as a parastatal, instead of a regulatory agency, duly set up by an Act. What do you think can be done to enhance the status of the practice at the appropriate official quarters?

The bane of Nigeria today is the neglect to set up strong institutions. We always rather rely on strong individuals to push ideas and this has grossly affected the growth of advertising in the country. The industry is not credited with the importance it wields as a strong revenue contributor and this needs to be addressed to optimise its benefits.

To ensure the best is obtained from this industry, APCON needs to be empowered to carry out functions in a regulatory capacity as instituted by the Act establishing it. Government should also endeavour to appoint practitioners who understand the industry and are abreast with advancements made in other climes. This is the way to go. Politics must be removed from the affairs of APCON and the council must be reconstituted and not be dissolved simply because there is a change in government.

A culture of regular trainings is required to help educate the key government agencies of advertising best practices and periodic reviews of regulations guiding the practice to make them relevant to the dynamic consumer and business environment of today.

As a brand expert, analyst and builder, to what extent do you think Nigerian brands have leveraged on advertising or marketing communications in building the equity of the brands?

This is the whole essence of marketing. Most Nigerian brands appreciate the importance of marketing communications. Most of our iconic brands were built over time using marketing communication tools. Companies that appreciate the role of marketing communication create value for their shareholders. There are, however, companies that do not have marketing orientation and choose to be focused on hard selling. In the different industries today, you see brands leveraging on the power of marketing communication. What better example than the telecommunications industry where advertising and consumer engagement have played a key role in the growth of the brands.

18

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

crimeandcourt

It was our pastor who asked us to get married —Husband Dissolve the marriage in our own interest —Wife Stories by Ayomide Owonibi with Agency Reports

A

man, Felix Anyanwu, has approached an Ejigbo customary court sitting in Lagos State for the dissolution of his marriage to his wife, Angela.

Anyanwu told the court that he and his wife, Angela, were members of the same church before they got married but that he did not recognise her until one Sunday during a church service.

He said their pastor asked both of them to stand up before the congregation and prophesied to them that God told him that they were husband and wife and they should immediately start preparations for wedding.

Both of them believed their pastor and embarked on both traditional and church wedding which was successful.

Anyanwu said after the wedding, they discovered that they were strange bedfellows who have no feelings for each other.

He said they managed to stay together for three years because Angela became pregnant and had a child.

He said after nursing their baby for three years, she packed her property and left with the child and since then she did not return to her matrimonial home. Meanwhile, he did not look for her either.

Anyanwu asked the court to dissolve the marriage and allow Angela to take custody of the child and grant him access to the child only.

Angela in her response, did not object to the dissolution of the marriage and said it was better it was dissolved in their own interest.

President of the court, Mrs. Banjoko Salewa adjourned the matter for counselling and hearing.

She lacks respect and fights me all the time —Husband He’s simply tired of me —Wife

A Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada, has dissolved the three-year-old marriage between Shehu Habeb and his wife, Marufia Afolabi, for lack of understanding.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Habeb, 38, who resides at Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said that his wife no longer respected him, noting that he was tired of the relationship.

“Please I want an end to this marriage because I cannot continue any longer with the constant misunderstanding and lack of respect,” he told the court.

The petitioner said that the marriage was contracted in 2013 and blessed with a male child.

Marufia, 35, denied all the allegations, saying that Habeb was just tired of the marriage and did not love her anymore.

She said that all efforts to settle the issue went unsuccess-

AN Alimosho customary court in Lagos State has dissolved a 19-year-old marriage between Pastor Idowu Abiola and his wife, Esther, over abandonment.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), president of the court, Alhaja Mumuni, in her judgement, said that it was obvious from available testimony and the respondent’s refusal to appear in court that the marriage had hit the rocks.

“Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent refused to honour court processes.

“Therefore, the court has no other choice but to dissolve the marriage.

“The marriage between Pastor Idowu Abiola and Esther Abiola is hereby dissolved from today, in accordance with the Lagos State Customary Law, 2013, Cap.19.

“Both parties are no longer husband and wife, they are free to marry any partner of their choice, without any hindrances and molestation.” she said.

Mumuni referred the issue of custody of the children to the family court, within the Lagos Judicial Division.

The petitioner, Idowu Abiola, 50, had approached the court seeking to end his 19-year-old marriage over alleged abandonment and defamation of character.

He said that his wife, Esther, with whom he had three children, accused him of being fetish and marrying her through the use of charms.

“My wife accused me of using `juju’ to marry her when she saw a fetish object I brought home from a church member with whom I conducted a deliverance session and which I intended to burn.

“She moved out of the house five years ago to an unknown

She’s wicked and embarrasses me in public, man tells court He must restore me to how he met me before any divorce —Wife THIRTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD woman, Basirat Alatise, whose husband, Morufu Alatise, 48, dragged before an Agboyi/ Ketu customary court caused a mild drama when she turned down the divorce, saying that the only condition that will make her accept the break-up is if the husband could restore her to the state he met her so that she could be attractive to a man if she is willing to get married again.

Morufu had petitioned the court to dissolve the threeyear-old marriage on the grounds that there is no more love

Man beats pregnant wife for not giving him her salary A man, Ekwere Alex, has been arraigned at an Ogudu magistrates’ court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting his pregnant wife, Ekwere Esther.

According to the prosecutor, Sergeant Ihiehie Lucky, the complainant, Esther, had lodged a complaint that her husband, a job seeker collects her salary every month end.

The prosecutor alleged that the accused assaulted and battered his wife on January 14, because of her refusal to part with her December salary.

He said that Esther, whose delivery date was near, was paid her December salary and proceeded on vacation.

“The accused chased her with her pregnancy around the house premises and beat her up.

“According to the complainant, her husband threatened to

31

ful, she therefore, urged the court to grant her husband’s request.

President of the court, Owuna Musa, held that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

Musa, therefore, dissolved the marriage and awarded custody of the child to the wife.

He ordered the husband to pay N4,000 monthly for the feeding and N6,000 for school fees.

“She is to observe Iddah (Islamic period of waiting before remarrying) for three months,” he said.

Musa also ordered that a certificate of divorce be issued to the petitioner upon payment of the necessary court fees.

He also held that the parties had a right of appeal before Lafia High Court within 30 days.

She accused me of using charms to marry her —Husband

We have resolved our differences, couple tell court AFTER having second thought, a business woman, Iyabowale Adesuyi and her husband, Moses, have pleaded with an Igando customary court in Lagos State to give them a second chance as they are willing work on their marraige.

Iyabowale had filed for divorce in November 2015 over alleged battering and lack of care for her and their children.

Iyabowale told the court that she was the breadwinner of the family.

In the resumed hearing, the couple presented a jointly written letter to the court stating they had resolved their differences and willing to give each other a second chance.

The couple told the court that they wanted to withdraw the case.

President of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, told them that their decision to allow peace to reign was commendable.

Omilola, however, told the couple that their letter would not be accepted because it was wrongly addressed.

He, then adjourned the case till February 1 to enable them to present a properly addressed letter to the court.

Saturday Tribune

kill her if she dared come back to their house,” the prosecutor noted, adding that the accused had refused to supply his wife with basic needs, knowing that her health and that of the baby were at risk.

The accused, of No 5, Owodunni Street, Oworonshoki, Lagos is facing a four-count charge of assault, intimidation and failure to supply necessary needs.

Lucky said the offences contravened Sections 170, 171, 56 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs O Sule Amzat, granted the accused bail in the sum of N 50, 000 with two sureties, who must be gainfully employed.

in the marriage.

He also cited destruction of property, constant embarrassment in public and show of wickedness as reasons for the divorce.

But his wife insisted he must get her back to the state he met her or he would be stuck with her for life.

Morufu told the court that he met Basirat at a carnival and liked her and then decided to marry her.

He said he met her mum who gave her approval and they got married.

According to him, he told Basirat that he had another woman who had a child for him and she accepted the arrangement but that when she moved into his house, she proved to be stubborn, fighting the mother of his child whenever she came to visit, and also embarrassing him in the process.

He added that his wife even got to the point of getting him arrested and locking him up in a police cell several times.

But when the court asked the wife if she also wanted the divorce, Basirat said she was against it and would never agree to it unless Morufu made her to go back to how she was.

“When I met my husband, he never told me he was married. My relatives though, were asking me how a man in his forties would not be married, that it would be better we investigate and know why he was not yet married all these

years.

“It was then that we discovered that he already had a wife and when I confronted him, he said that the wife he married had died. After a while, we discovered it was a lie, that the wife was alive and I became friends with her.

“After a while, we then discovered that he now has another girlfriend he was secretly seeing and the lady comes to his office which is in our house to visit him. It was very embarrassing for me and when I confronted him, he asked the lady to beat me up.

“We fought and the lady tore my clothes and I immediately went to report at the police station and he was arrested and put in cell because he refused to produce the lady who fought me but I eventually bailed him.

“I forgave him but he still brings the new girlfriend to his office which my father gave him. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I usually harass him so that he would know that I am not happy with his attitude, yet he still continued and had the audacity to say he wants divorce.

“I will never accept any divorce except he has the power to take me back to the position he met me before I got pregnant; return all the money I have spent, otherwise, this marriage is until death do us part,” she said President of the court later adjourned the matter till 3 February.

destination, claiming that I married her with a charm.

“I called her family to inform them of her action and they promised to talk to her and pleaded with her to come back, but up till now, she has refused to come back,” he said.

Abiola accused his wife, who had failed to appear in court after being summoned many times, of attempting to kidnap their children on two occasions.

“First, she came to the house without my knowledge and absconded with the children. I received a tip-off from a neighbour, so I rushed down, saw them at a bus stop and rescued my children.

“After that attempt failed, she went to their school with a bus and a policeman to kidnap the children but the school authorities prevented her and called me,’’ he said.

The pastor said that in January 2010, his daughter gave him a paper she saw on the floor while sweeping, stating that his wife would remarry in April 2010.

“Before my wife packed out, I saw the paper in which she wrote that she will remarry by April; she also wrote in that paper the name of the man she would be getting married to.

“I confronted her but she did not deny it and true to her words, by April that year, she moved out of the house,” he said.

The petitioner presented the paper as evidence to the court.

He said that a week after his wife packed out of the house, she returned to destroy his property.

“My wife damaged my window net and louvres, entered my house, tore all my clothes and all the pictures we snapped together, including the pictures I snapped with the children,” he added.

I’ve forgiven her bad behaviours —Husband

‘He swore by the Qu’ran not to marry another wife after me’ A 65-year-old Islamic cleric, Ibrahim Yusuf, who sought the dissolution of his marriage to his fourth wife, Bolanle, in an Alimosho customary court in Lagos State has made a U-turn.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Yusuf told the court that he was still in love with Bolanle, adding that he had forgiven her of her bad behaviours and ready to continue the marriage.

“I don’t want to divorce my wife after all, I still love her and she has promised to turn a new leaf,’’ he said.

President of the court, Alhaja S.O Mumuni, therefore, ordered the petitioner to write a letter of withdrawal and adjourned the case till February 10.

Yusuf had pleaded with the court to dissolve his 27-yearold marriage to Bolanle for alleged battery of his new wife.

The petitioner said that Bolanle with whom he had two children, had turned his new wife into a punching bag.

“Bolanle did not allow my new wife to have peace in the house as she was always fighting and beating her at will,” he said.

He described Bolanle as a troublesome woman, adding that she always fought him and in the process tore his clothes to pieces.

“My wife is a good fighter; she fights me regularly and always makes sure that she tears my clothes into rags before leaving me,” Yusuf said.

The cleric said that he married another wife because his fourth wife had stopped washing his clothes for more than

seven years.

“I married another woman because my fourth wife refused to wash my clothes and my other wives cannot wash them because it is the duty of the youngest wife to wash my clothes,” he said.

Yusuf said he stopped eating foods prepared by Bolanle because he was afraid she might poison him through such process.

“My wife always tells me that if she knew that I was going to marry another wife after her, she would have destroyed my life.

“So, due to her statement, I stopped eating her food because I don’t want to die now,” he said.

Also, Bolanle, 56, a trader, admitted beating her husband’s youngest wife.

“She looked for my trouble, when I came to the house to see my husband in respect of my children’s welfare, his wife started raining curses and abuse on me.

“So, I descended on her because I am not her mate,’’ she said.

The mother of two, who pleaded that the court should not grant her husband’s wish, said that her husband begged her to marry him.

“He swore with the holy Quran that he would not marry another woman, he promised me then that I would be his last wife.

“I did not want to marry him because he already had three wives then. I later agreed to marry him when he swore with the Quran, but he failed to fulfill his vow,” Bolanle said.

19 travelogue

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Here, nature is master, man is mere spectator

By Wale Okediran

T

AIPEI. Midnight. I am in the middle of the Shihlin Night Market, one of the most famous and largest night markets in Taiwan. The street long market is packed full of tourists like me as well as some locals who have come with family and friends to eat, browse and look for great bargains. All around me are people with cameras, snapping photographs amidst the crowd while intermittently haggling with vendors laden with all sorts of merchandise from wrist watches, clothes to electronic material for a good price. Once in a while, some vendors with wares on wheelbarrows would make a dash for it at the sight of policemen whom I was told, were out to arrest illegal traders. In addition to food, night markets in Taiwan feature various forms of entertainment and a lot of shopping. Numerous products for sale include clothes, bags, shoes, trinkets, kitchen items, among other commodities.

I had arrived Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport the previous week to a freezing 10 Celsius degree temperature after a 15 hour flight from Abuja via Dubai, via Hong Kong.

So exhausting was the trip that I slept right through my first night and day at the Monarch Plaza Hotel in Taoyuan thus missing both breakfast and Lunch. The following day, thoroughly refreshed and rearing to go, I was moved by my hosts to Taipei where I joined other members of my group at the Cosmos Hotel. Set on a bustling city street next to Taipei Railway Station, the upscale hotel with an industrial-style facade is 1 km from the Ximending pedestrian shopping district. Although my hotel room was cramped due to its small size, the room was clean and well kept. Furthermore, the hotel’s nearness to the railway station made it easy for me to access the downtown area for sightseeing, shopping and food whenever the need arose.

The drive from Taoyuan to Taipei took about 40 minutes and on the way, my guide filled me up on the island’s details.

As he put it; ‘’The Republic Of China (ROC), popularly known as Taiwan, is a sovereign state in East Asia. It is situated in the West Pacific with Japan to the east and northeast, the Philippines to the south and the People’s Republic of China (PRC- Mainland China) to the west. Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population of 23 million and a population density of 648 people per km2 in July 2015. Taipei is the seat of the central government, and together with the surrounding cities of New Taipei and Keelung forms the largest metropolitan area on the island’’.

My visit to Taiwan which was on the invitation of Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) was to attend a two week Workshop on Health Management. The decision to attend the Course was predicated on Taiwan’s excellent Health Facilities and professional Management skills which are reflected in the country’s impressive health indices. For example, current WHO statistics put the country’s infant mortality rate at 3.9 per 1,000 live births (Nigeria; 96) with 18.77 physicians and 67.79 hospital beds per 10,000 people (Nigeria; 4.1 and 5) and an average life expectancy at 79.98 compared to Nigeria’s 54.

And so it was that together with 20 other Health Profession-

als (Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Administrators, etc ) drawn from diverse countries such as Bahrain, Czech Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Kiribati, St Lucia, Russia, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Gambia, Burkina Faso and Vietnam among others, I was hauled back to the classroom after a long gap.

Mercifully, the course was a mixture of lectures, group seminars, culture tours and field trips all interspaced with numerous mouth- watering and exotic lunches and dinners.

With no time for my daily exercises, I watched with alarm as I gradually put on about 5 kg weight during the two weeks trip!

All in all, we had about ten lectures which were based on Taiwan’s experience in the areas of Healthcare System, Health Insurance, Public Health and Nursing Care among others.

The lectures took place at the Diplomat Training Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei while the eight Field Trips took us to different health facilities in Taipei, Taipei City as well as the Hualien County. I was particularly impressed with the Taipei Medical University Hospital, Wang Fang Hospital in Taipei City as well as the Hualien Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital in Hualien County.

The hallmark of the lectures as far as I am concerned was the one on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) a universal health coverage scheme that provides comprehensive health insurance to Taiwan’s 23.4 million citizens and foreign residents. Insurance benefits include outpatient visits, inpatient care, dental care, traditional Chinese medicine, renal dialysis, and prescription drugs. There are no financial barriers to needed medical care, and no ambiguity as to who receives what benefits. With a national coverage of over75% (Nigeria; < 10%) Taiwan’s 20 year old NHI may be said to be a high performing health care system compared with many other health care systems around the world including the US. Another critical lesson I learnt from the lectures was that Taiwan, currently faces an unusually rapid demographic transition—its people are living longer, but fewer children are being born. Taiwan’s fertility rate per woman of 0.9 compared to Nigeria’s 5.4 is said to be the world’s lowest. With a 75% upper age bracket, Taiwan is seriously worried about its future supply of manpower and brain power. Although the country believes that by importing foreign work force, it could ameliorate this imminent problem, it is obvious that the attendant influx of foreigners with diverse cultural and religious beliefs which could pollute the country’s culture is an additional worry.

Expectedly, with just a few days into the program, members of the group despite their different nationalities had started bonding thus creating a conducive atmosphere for a good working relationship. In addition, certain characteristics interestingly defined by ethnic backgrounds seemed to play out.

Thus while the obviously rich and dollar laden participants from the Gulf states were the heaviest spenders, the Africans with their lean pockets were the most conservative shoppers, always on the look- out for cheap bargains which were mostly found in the night markets which we frequented. We also had the heavy drinking but very friendly Europeans, the garrulous but witty South Americans (the land of revolutions and revolts, as someone explained), the shy Asians and the introspective participants from the Caribbean and South Pacific Islands. All in all, it was a very matured, friendly and hardworking group.

In a bid to expose us to Taiwan’s rich cultural life, my group had three cultural visits to the National Palace Museum, the Taipei 101 as well as the Taroko National Park in Hualien County. And so it was that after lunch one sunlit Saturday afternoon, we were whisked away to see Taiwan’s tallest building- Taipei 101. The Taipei 101 formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark super tall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei. The building was officially classified as the world’s tallest in 2004, and remained such until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009. And as we sauntered out of our bus, we were all pleasantly overawed by the jade- green colored skyscraper standing at a whopping 508 metres and stretching toward the heavens like a giant bamboo stalk. According to our guide, the structure and façade of Taipei 101 are steeped with symbolism. The main tower is made up of eight trapezoids each containing eight floors. In Chinese numerology, the number 8 is considered lucky, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. In addition, each of the eight trapezoids resembles an ancient Chinese gold ingot while the circular protrusions at the top of the base resemble ancient Chinese coins. Finally, the building’s total of 101 floors represents going one better than the best. We were all exhilarated as we went up to the dome of the tower in elevators and took photographs with one another.

Our second cultural visit was to the National Palace Museum, an antique museum in Shilin, Taipei. It is one of the national museums of the Republic of China and has a permanent collection of more than 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artefacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world.

After about 7 days of staying in Taipei, we boarded a big air-conditioned bus one early morning for our first trip outside Taipei. Our destination was the Taroko National Park in Hualien County, a place where our guide referred to as ‘a powerful place where nature is master and man, a mere spectator’.

Framed by sheer seaside cliffs and majestic inland mountain peaks, Taroko National Park is Taiwan’s most diverse national park and one of the island’s top tourist destinations.

Just before our departure from Taipei, we were all handed anti- nausea tablets because of the winding elevation which we would traverse which may cause some people to throw up.

A few hours after departing Taiwan, we were soon surrounded by soaring mountains as we traversed the iconic Taroko Gorge said to be Taiwan’s most spectacular natural attraction.

Situated as part of the Taroko National Park, the Gorge is about 20km long, with marble walls that soar several hundred metres above the Liwu River. And as we travelled through the narrow mountain road that had been hedged into the mountain side, the powerful diesel engine bus grunted up the steep incline as the elevation became dizzy and some participants who had forgotten to take their anti-nausea tablets started throwing up. We could see far below us, the stunningly picturesque scene of towering peaks, azure skies, vast seas, scenic valleys that could take the breath away.

We completed our visit to the Taroko National Park with a lunch and a visit to the Gift Shop where we bought souvenirs mostly traditional art work and pottery.

Before long, two weeks had passed and our program gradually came to an end. At the farewell ceremony and dinner which took place at Su Hang Restaurant in Taipei a day before our final departure from Taiwan, I had a surprise waiting for me as I was given the award for the Best Participant.

Unknown to the group, each participant had been secretly scored for performance in categories such as punctuality, comportment and quality participation at all events among other criteria during the two weeks duration. And what better place for me to celebrate the award than the ubiquitous Taiwanese night market, the haven of the bargain seeking tourist and the rendezvous of a troubadour in search of a story ?

As always, Shihlin night market was waiting for me. The market was packed full as I edged my way past other camera touting tourists, vendors, both legal and illegal, pickpockets and police as I did my last sightseeing and shopping. Two hours later, well after midnight, I was still roaming the market when I discovered that I was hungry. Near- by were a row of restaurants offering various Taiwanese cuisine such as ‘sugar cane shoots with red pepper’ ‘beef stew sea cream with tofu and fried noodles’ and ‘grilled wild boar and chicken on a bed of rice’ among others. I settled for the grilled wild boar.

As I tucked into the succulent and well garnished dish, the pulsating beats of that Michael Jackson’s iconic piece; ‘’Beat It’ wafted to me from a nearby pavilion where a group of Taiwanese youths were having a reverie. Stirred by the persistent rumble of the percussions, I tapped my feet to the rhythm of the music my mouth full of good food in the midst of a happy throng of good people. Suddenly, it seemed that Abuja with all its allure and opportunities could do without me!

Dr Okediran is a former Member, House Of Representatives, Abuja and former National President, Association of Nigerian Authors.

20

Saturday Tribune

30 January, 2016

With Tommy Adegbite 0811 695 4631 tommyabijo@yahoo.com

From left, chairman, Board of Trustees, Ajayi Crowther University Oyo, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe; former Head, Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and the donor of the building, Mr Modupe Alakija, at the commissioning of Alakija Faculty of Law Building, donated by Alakija, to Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, recently.

From left, Tinuoye Oyinlola, Prince Abimbola Oyinlola; the celebrant, Princess Olusola Oyinlola, on her 50th birthday, with Oyindamola Akinwole.

Kwara State governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed (left), exchanging pleasantries with the team coordinator, Course 38 of Armed Forces Command College, Jaji, Colonel Aniedi Edet and the team leader, Brigadier General Moshood Jimoh (middle), during a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House, Ilorin. PHOTO: KAYODE OKUNOLA

From left, Prince Oyinlola, Princess Oyinlola and her brother, Seyi Tojuola.

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The Gbenga Daniel interview Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Dutse and Professor Attahiru Jega, former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the public lecture at maiden convocation of Federal University, Dutse, recently.

‘One thing I can say about Gov Amosun’ What is that thing? Find out tomorrow in Sunday Tribune.

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The power, allure of a historic landscape Where is it located? Find out tomorrow thepolity glitz

Pastor Ademola Popoola, Supervisory Pastor, Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (left) and the chairman, Tuyil Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited, Special Apostle John Oluwole Awotuyi, at the thank you press briefing for the commissioning and dedication of the ultramodern Cathedral of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, Ilorin District Headquarters recently at the district headquarters.

It is painful we no longer have

evergreen

songs —9ice

From left, Bola Jaiyeola, Kehinde Oyeleke, Tunde Akintunde, Bayo Olugbemi (President), Professor (Prince) Allan Femi Lana (first son of the late Olubadan of Ibadan); Alhaji Aderemi I. Bello; Mr Bunmi Olaopa, Chief Olutunde Aboderin and Habeeb Amole, during the condolence visit to the palace of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, recently.

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30 January, 2016

A

very interesting, even if comical story, has colonised the electronic media in the last one week or thereabout. It allegedly originated from the Horn of African country of Eritrea which has a population of less than 5 million people. According to the narrative, the Eritrean government ordered its men to marry at least two wives, failure at which they would be prosecuted. Pronto, as the Americans say, the story became a subject of intense parody and comedy on the social media. Nigerians satirized this Eritrean story glibly, with some stating that Nigerian men should honour Eritrea with the country’s famous virility by exporting the famed Nigerian libido to Asmau, the Eritrean capital. Links to Eritrean embassy visa applications went viral and the story gained currency in many parts of Africa.

What must have hiked the believeability of the narrative is the fact that Eritrea had indeed witnessed a great shortage of men following the civil war it fought between 1998 and 2000. Also dubbed as the North Korea of Africa, Eritrea witnesses a flight of 5,000 nationals monthly from their homeland, the bulk of which heads north to Europe. For a country whose greatest fame was the Ogaden war and its war with Ethiopia over border demarcation, Eritrea came into reckoning over such an ostensibly superfluous narrative.

However, Eritrea has denied that its government ever issued such an order. “Even a madman in (the Eritrean capital) Asmara would know that this story was not true,” an Eritrean official told the BBC. According to the BBC, an online Kenyan news site called Crazy Monday had broken the “hoax”. Eritrea’s Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel, on tweeter said “the media frenzy to parrot this ludicrous, fabricated and trite story... is appalling”, stating that “the story illustrates (the) vileness of the dark forces of disinformation and proclivity of others to readily embrace the negative narrative on Eritrea”.

How did Eritrea get itself into this profiling which made an apparently ludicrous story become a typecast fitting into its model? Executed Nigerian poet and soldier, Major General Mamman Vatsa, seems to have articulated it very aptly. The day you start mocking yourself, others will join you (in the mockery), Vatsa in his final hours had warned,

Saturday Tribune

Saturday With

ayinla mukaiba ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

Eritrea and Mamman Vatsa’s warning capturing the wisecrack that mirrors the Eritrean situation very poetically and aptly.

Eritrea, one of the poorest countries of the world, has been dubbed by human rights activists and the watching world as the North Korea of Africa due to its very sparse respect for human rights and dignity. According to a report by Robert P. George, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and Thomas J. Reese, a USCIRF Commissioner, Eritrea has a totalitarian police state credential and its government, headed by President Isias Afwerki, rules by fear via his Popular Front for Democracy and Justice since 1993. The resultant effect is that law is put on the reverse in Eritrea and this berths a tragedy of human rights and a religious liberty that is kept in abeyance.

Even though in 1993, Eritrea won the war with Ethiopia, the climate of permanent war is as thick as jam in Asmara. It has a hydra-headed penal system and arbitrary detention of its citizens is the norm. Government reportedly deploys a wide network of pervasive domestic surveillance, culminating in a despondent atmosphere of a people which perceives that it is being constantly monitored by its own government.

The religious space in Eritrea is so stymied that its four recognized religious communities – the Coptic Orthodox Church, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, and a Lutheran-connected denomination – operate from the space of the needle’s eye. In Afwerki’s Eritrea, any other religious group aside the above mentioned is dubbed illegal and routine imprisonment of Jehovah’s Witnesses, evangelical and pentecostal Protestants who are mercilessly tortured while being pressurized to recant their faith, is rampant. Indeed, the US State Department has dubbed Eritrea as one of the world’s worst inclement religious freedom environments.

For a country with this horrible record, it becomes rather easy to stick the ludicrous profile of disorder and disdain for human rights on it. So when Eritrea’s Information Minis-

ter Yemane Gebremeskel, placed the blame of the “fabricated and trite story” on the “dark forces of disinformation”, this also fits into the trough of the African society and governments’ blind disposition to the slide of affairs on the continent and how it easily rationalizes its horrendous narratives as ingenuous to the continent.

Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Professor Adigun Agbaje, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and Dean of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, on an AIT programme on Thursday morning, must also ensure that the narratives that come out of Nigeria about the administration and Nigeria as a whole is adequately communicated to the people and by that very fact, the rest of the world. In an atmosphere of stifled or half measured narratives, the people are left with nothing else other than ingenuous conjuration. Right now, the narrative about Nigeria is that of corruption and that about the Buhari government is that its harangue of retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki is dual-pronged: anti-corruption and vengeance. Indeed, Nigeria is viewed to be disproportionately concentrating energy on an infinitesimally small portion of its corruption cesspit, at the risk of continuous rot of its sliding economy and comatose public infrastructure.

While it is good that we are smoking out Dasuki and other dysfunctional aspects of our past, can the narratives on economy, economic growth and the total indices of virtues and national values that constitute the infrastructure of anti-corruption and institution be more dominant… lest we be a laughing stock like Afwerki’s Eritrea.

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22

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

newsfeature

M

any years back, there were only three stores that were mega in size and could be defined as spectacular — Leventis, Kingsway and UTC. These three stores were a beehive of activities as they were the stores that cater for the elites — the middle and even the low class families who only go to window-shop but end up buying affordable things. They controlled the elite market and it was the wish of the kids to be taken to any of these stores.

It was these stores that started the Father Christmas show in a bid to increase patronage and create a lively environment for families during the Yuletide. To many at this period, these stores were the closest they could come to visiting a foreign country as many only had the opportunity to see and use an elevator in these stores, especially Kingsway that was described as the first in most innovations.

It is said that many people go to Kingsway just to have the opportunity to make use of the elevator but end up buying some things while many pupils absconded from school and children pestered their parents for a visit just to catch a glimpse of the human sized dolls (popularly called baby Kingsway) that is usually on display.

However, after a while, things changed and major retail stores became a thing of the past as one by one, they closed shop. The development was attributed to the challenge being faced by the nation’s economy then. The harsh economy forced Kingsway to liquidate while Leventis downsized and eventually closed all of its retail outlets and UACN also downsized and became a mere shadow of what it used to be.

As a result, teenagers of today grew up without the experience of a big store. However, this has changed, as few years back, the act of liberalism towards import of foreign goods

Shopping malls as excursion grounds

Malls are generally built for commercial activities and leisure with no provision for academics but some private schools have included a visit to the mall as part of its syllabus. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports. and products encouraged a boom in retail business and led to the return of mega stores as well as the entrance of foreign retail stores into the Nigerian market.

Now, the country is once again a new destination for retailers with the emergence of superstores dotting major cities. The stores are back in a bigger fashion following the construction of international standard malls in major cities across Nigeria. In fact, the entry of ShopRite into the Nigerian retail market marked the beginning of a new era for the retail sector. It didn’t take long for the Game and many others to follow the pattern and local stores also stepped up their games.

With the arrival of these big outlets in Nigerian malls, it became a culture for the malls to be flooded with people daily, especially at weekends and public holidays. Consequently, business is booming and the retailers are happy because the

queue is always long.

The source of attraction according to many, goes beyond the arrangement in the malls; price tags on each product, proximity of having similar items in one aisle, shopping for all things at a go in one spot, low prices of products, sales promotions, availability of fresh and frozen products and the rare opportunity to return damaged products once sales receipt is available. They believe the atmosphere in the malls is the source of the crowd.

“That you can move around and window shop without spending money if you don’t want to and spend very minimal and keep your children happy is a great attraction. I don’t need to spend so much to give my children a nice time out,” Sola Akere, a school teacher stated.

Now, shopping malls have gone beyond a concentration of stores where one can shop for whatever he wants, they are

now relaxation centres and places where family spend their weekend out. It is, therefore, not strange to see groups of families, wandering children and teenagers taking selfies or family portraits like they are in a foreign country. Some ride up and down the elevators in high spirits.

Some believe that visiting the malls will prepare them for what they will see when they travel to foreign countries and today, people who ordinarily would pinch their pennies have had a change of heart and now patronise the malls without a care about paying premium prices just to enjoy a family day out.

Malls in Nigeria now serve the main purpose of recreation more than its original function of commerce; they have become hangouts for the young as well as the old. This is even easier as some businesses in the malls offer leisure activities like the movies and food courts as well as amusement facilit-

Malls in Nigeria now serve the main purpose of recreation more than its original function of commerce; they have become hangouts for the young as well as the old. This is even easier as some businesses in the malls offer leisure activities.

ies for children which make it conducive for family outings.

Modupe Ogunwuyi, a civil servant stated that shopping is more interesting for her as they have turned shopping period to a bonding time.

“Now, shopping is more interesting. We buy our cereals and other provisions at the mall now and I go with the kids, apart from the fact that we get varieties of brands to choose from, they also get the chance to pick their choice, though we already make a list before leaving home. After our shopping, we usually window-shop before picking one thing or the other for refreshment and it is usually something really cheap like ice cream or pies.”

Also, the mall is a sort of meeting point, especially for young people. Many fix dates for the mall, especially at the

27

cinema and the food courts. Also, the mall is a likely place to meet people you have not seen in a long time In major cities, the mall is not only a leisure or shopping centre. It has been turned to an academic institution by some private primary and secondary schools. It is indeed a common sight during school sessions to see students in uniforms driven to the mall in their school buses with some teachers as chaperones. The purpose of the visit, according to them is to undertake excursion and most often, the students are conducted round the mall. Often, they stay long in the mall where each student is allowed to buy either a drink or biscuit.

These schools have taken the emergence of modern shopping malls as an opportunity to further add to the social diary of their pupils and also as an avenue to make more money from parents who do not want their children left out from any experience that might impart them meaningfully.

The children at the mall will be seen browsing the aisles in the stores with no clear goal other than window-shopping.

This act has been condemned by many who believe such an exercise holds no educational value for the pupils but that the schools are out to extort parents. According to them, there is nothing in the mall that is academic enough to make it an excursion centre.

“From time immemorial, excursions are academic forays that are meant to give students insights into specific topics, the underlying principle is knowledge and the pupils are only taken to places where they can gain knowledge about topics being taught in school or help them in life. In the past, I remember pupils were taken to the airports, bottling companies, monuments like the Bowers Tower and such places.

Taking them to a mall to me is a sheer waste of time and resources. What are they going to learn there? How to buy clothes and food? It is so wrong, I don’t know why parents agree to this,” Mr. Tunde Oki stated.

Mrs. Sola Adeyeye was very blunt in her opinion. According to her, there is no reason for pupils to be taken to the mall in the name of excursion.

“I do not see any reason my child would be taken to the mall as an excursion exercise. It is quite bad because I don’t know the purpose or what they will learn. I can never pay for such an exercise. That is why children get home and start asking their parents for what they can’t afford because they just take them to the mall to loiter around and look at things that add no value to their life.

“Schools need to wake up to their responsibilities and stop organising activities without considering whether it is beneficial to the pupils or not. The government should not even allow this,” she said An attendant with one of the stores in the mall, who identified herself as Esther stated that having school students in high numbers milling around the store is a headache.

“When they come, our work becomes more difficult as those children just mill about the aisles touching things. We have to be extra alert so that they won’t touch breakables or take things away with them.

“I do not believe it is right for them to come here for excursion. They should come with their parents just for family outing and leisure, not as excursion from schools.

We really have nothing to teach them here, it is just sightseeing and window shopping that they come here to do.

This to me is a waste of time and their parents’ resources is not worth it at all. We only manage to just tell them some stories about what we do which is nothing more than selling goods.”

Bunmi Oladejo, a teacher also commented on the issue.

She expressed the belief that schools can do better than take students to the mall for excursions.

“There are better places that can be used for excursions which will impart knowledge on them; there is CocaCola, 7up, cultural center, the stadiums, the dams and many others where they can learn important things. Going to the mall is not a good option, our schools should reassess and not undertake excursions just for excursion sake but to fulfill the objectives of learning,” she said.

It is indeed a common phenomenon to see schools’ visiting the malls for excursion but whether the novelty will wear off isn’t not a question that anybody can answer. Only time will tell.

23 interview

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

It is wrong to say private varsities are for dull students —Bowen VC

The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Professor Matthews Ojo, in this interview with KEHINDE ADIO, bares his mind on education development in Nigeria, the state of Bowen University and other issues. Excerpts:

S

OME people believe that private universities are meant for dull students, what is your take on this?

I will not agree with that statement.

The simple reason for any student or parent to prefer a federal university to a private one is tuition. Federal universities, more or less, run free education for Nigerian students but the money that the Federal Government invests in these institutions is more than what private universities charge as tuition to run the institutions. However, when you consider students’ welfare and academic stability, a private institution is better. For instance, we run full residential programme with a few students in a room. Conducive environment for learning is a priority in private universities, especially in Bowen University. I also want to say that studying in public universities is stressful.

There is academic stability in private universities.

running educational institutions such as elementary school, secondary school, teachers training college, vocational institution, theological institution and medical training institution going back to 1854.

We have a track record of excellence in all our educational institutions. That is why our motto in the university is ‘Godliness and Excellence.’

We operate with a missionary spirit. This informed our moderate and affordable tuition. We have excellent infrastructures that make teaching and research effective in the institution. We have a crop of sound, dedicated and experienced teachers, of whom about 64 are professors, full time, drawn from first and second generation universities in the country. Our university is attractive to parents simply because of our good welfare package for the students, especially female.

As a matter of fact, many parents seem to prefer their daughters to come to Bowen University to the extent that girls constitute 65 per cent of our student population. We have uninterrupted academic programme, as we emphasise discipline in moulding the character of our students.

What do you think is the major challenge confronting private university management in Nigeria?

The major challenge is government’s negligence of private institutions in the country, especially in the area of finance. In Nigeria, private universities are denied access to certain funds meant for educational development.

Every private institution in the country pays equal tax, yet, nothing comes back to them as an incentive for operation. There is no justification for the exclusion of private universities by the Federal Government from enjoying TETFUND to enhance their development process. It has become expedient for the government review its policy on TETFUND sharing formula to include private institutions. This will go a long way to boost learning in private institutions and bridge the gap between public universities and private ones in the country.

How do you view federal and state governments’ annual budgetary allocations to education?

Although the Federal Government often announces billions of naira as education budget annually, when it is spread over the government-owned universities, one will realise that it is generally inadequate, even with the support from TETFUND. This explains why governmentowned institutions have a dearth of research facilities. In view of this financial challenge facing public institutions, the government must find other alternatives to generate funds for universities.

How would you say Bowen University has fared since its inception?

Bowen University is in its 15th year of operation and within the period, the university has established a record of excellence in all facets of its activities. We have adequate infrastructure, a crop of excellent teachers, researchers and an effective governance structure. So far, we have produced about 9,000 alumni who are now in all walks of life contributing their quota to the development of the Nigerian economy. These achievements have complemented the good image of the institution.

Presently, the university has six faculties comprising 23 departments and academic support units and a college of health sciences made up of three faculties and a postgraduate school. The current enrolment of students is about 4,700, fully residential. There are 306 academic and 260 non-academic staff. The university has introduced new programmes that will make its services available to its clients in other disciplines. The new programmes, which have been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), include Nursing Science; Physiotherapy Nutrition Dietetics and Industrial Relations and Personnel

How is the university faring in the area of research?

The university has a special vote for research, as it provides support for the staff to attend conferences at home and abroad. We also encourage the staff to apply for international grants. Our central laboratory is one of the best in the country. For instance, one of our lecturers won a grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to carry out a research on food chemistry. We have collaborations with other research centres in the country and abroad.

Management.

What about Law and Medicine?

By June, our first set of medical students, about 23 of them, will be presented for graduation and induction, while the Law programme is in its fourth year. The Faculty of Law has gone through the accreditation of the NUC and the Council of Legal Education. Our College of Medicine has the backing of all the appropriate accreditation bodies in the country. All our academic programmes have the approval of the NUC. What is the university’s selling point?

This is a faith-based institution, established by the Nigerian Baptist Convention. The church has a track record of

The major challenge is government’s negligence of private institutions in the country, especially in the area of finance.

In Nigeria, private universities are denied access to certain funds meant for educational development.

How do you make education accessible to indigent children in the country?

We have scholarship schemes for our undergraduates in different categories based on merit. For instance, we have scholarship for undergraduates whose CGPA must not be less than three points. We have other scholarship schemes for students whose parents are members of the Baptist Church and whose parents are Baptist pastors. We also have a scholarship scheme for Iwo indigene students in the university. The staff’s children also enjoy some facilities. Similarly, we have a special scholarship programme for first-class students who come back for their postgraduate studies. These categories of students enjoy free tuition with additional N40,000 as monthly salary.

What is your dream for this institution?

My dream is to ensure that Bowen University continues to make more impact in the development of Nigeria. I want to build on the excellent foundation already laid by my predecessors. We are developing more infrastructures and creating new programmes that will satisfy the yearnings of parents and their wards. My dream is to ensure a progressive capacity building of our teachers to make them equal to the task. The university is looking ahead and exploring new frontiers. So, it is my dream to bring to fruition, a five-year strategic plan that will articulate our aspirations and outline the direction that the university would take over the years to achieve the goal of becoming a world-class university. The institution is looking at a future where it can compete favourably with its peers in the rest of the world.

What is the social responsibility of the university to the communities around it?

The university has been involving in corporate social responsibility in Iwo and its environs in different dimensions ranging from provision of free health services to road rehabilitation and scholarship awards to Iwo indigenes.

The university also organises sensitisation programmes on food production for farmers in the communities.

24

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

style

Saturday Tribune With Kate Ani 08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

Look sleek and on fleek in a Tuxedo romper

Add double dose of sexiness in a double slit dress Show-stopper set

E

very girl needs a little black dress, but this fun tuxedo style takes it to the next level! Of late, STYLE has noticed the trend having a serious moment on various red carpet events.

This men-inspired sleek tuxedo dress can be just the right way to make a fashion statement. The chic design features strong lapels and a double-breasted style with subtle black buttons on the bodice. You may have to ditch your bra to rock this daring statement dress. Best worn with a stiletto pump, this sexy number is a must have for your night engagements.

25

Slits arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a new thing in fashion and have never really been trendy per se. Even though slits these days are higher, to show off killer legs, the double slit is more specific.

The double slit skirt not only works with evening dresses, but can be rocked casually during the day-time as well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; depending on the material.

Make sure your double slit dress has an inner lining or if not, make sure you wear proper undergarment. This is because sometimes the wind is just not your friend.

Tinuola Ayanniyi tayanniyi@yahoo.com 08055069379

Do-it-yourself:

Beaded bracelet

26

30 January, 2016

outofthisworld

Saturday Tribune WITH FEMI OSINUSI

osfem2@yahoo.com 08055069292

Blood-curdling story of worshippers piercing their skins with hooks, spikes in Malaysia

W

ORSHIPPERS at a festival in Malaysia have taken their belief to an extreme level by showing that they are very devoted

to their god.

The worshippers at the Hindu festival called Thaipusam in Malaysia believe that their own way of showing devotion to the god Murugan is

to pierce their checks with spears and put hooks and spikes through their skins.

This ceremony, according to the Daily Mail of UK, has been in ex-

istence for many years with devotees visiting the hilly shrine of Murugan to offer prayers.

A man with hooks on his skin heading to the temple.

A man holds on to the ropes attached to the hooks on another manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back.

Another woman with a bloodied pierced lip

Another worshipper with metal hooks on his back going to the temple

Man had a metal bar pierced his checks.

A woman had a fork pierced through her checks.

28

businessextra Gbemi Solaja – Lagos

A

CCORDING to the annual report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the poor are more vulnerable to risks and economic shocks than the rest of the population and they are the least able to cope when there is crisis. In the face of the socioeconomic difficulties and considering that more than half of Nigeria’s population manage to leave above the poverty line and only an insignificant amount of its adult population has insurance coverage, there is the need to exploit measures to eliminate poverty. Insurance has been said to be used to mitigate risks; despite this, only a few low income earners have one insurance cover or the other.

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) sometime ago granted 16 operational micro-insurance licences in a bid to enable rural dwellers, low income earners and minimum wage earners to access insurance products and services.

Micro-insurance is the protection of low-income earners against specific perils in exchange for regular premium payment proportionate to the likelihood and cost of the risks involved. This definition is exactly the same as one might use for regular insurance except for the clearly prescribed target market: low-income earners. The target population typically consists of persons ignored by mainstream commercial and social insurance schemes, as well as persons who have not previously had access to appropriate insurance products.

It is a known fact that beneficiaries of the micro-insurance scheme like the market women, artisans, and transport workers, entrepreneurs, small businesses and so on are averse to insurance. Today, micro-insurance penetration is still relatively low among low income earners yet the role of insurance in mitigating disasters such as fire incidents and theft cannot be over stressed. Micro-insurance takes different forms like life micro-insurance, retirement savings plans, health micro-insurance (hospitalisation, primary health care, maternity, and so on), disability micro-insurance, property micro-insurance (assets, livestock, housing) and crop micro-insurance Insurance is crucial to any economy, from development perspective, access to insurance, alongside other risk managing financial services such as savings and emergency loans make sense for the poor to protect themselves because not only does exposure to risks result in substantial financial losses, but vulnerable households also suffer from ongoing uncertainty about if and when a loss might occur.

In providing adequate protection for the working poor, ILO has commenced the propagation of employing the mechanism of micro-insurance and takaful to fight poverty among Africans. Report shows that more poor people are embracing takaful and micro-insurance in advanced countries of the world.

According to a former Managing Director of ACEN Insurance Company Ltd, Mr Adedayo Oyetoyan, it is unfortunate that those who need insurance most are those who can least afford it. “I know some individuals who have up to four to five SUVs because they can afford it, but funny enough still do not have third party covers. When you wonder why they don’t , they tell you “I have many cars and if one spoils , I will just switch to another.” It is very unfortunate and this is a clear example that it is even the poor, who don’t have any other options to fall back on

30 January, 2016

Edited by Sulaimon Olanrewaju

lanresulaiman123@gmail.com 0805 500 1708

devastating market fire disasters in Nigeria noted that such perils had left gory tales for their victims and increased poverty levels in the country.

He said though governments and concerned individuals give some forms of succour to victims after such incidents, according to him, such assistance was monetary and could have been more long lasting through insurance.

Similarly, at the introduction of micro-insurance, former NAICOM boss, Fola Daniel, maintained that micro-insurance holds great potential for developing the insurance sector in the country, taken into consideration the fact that the population size of the country gives an added advantage to the insurance industry to grow its market. “What is now required is for the industry to evolve an appropriate strategy to enable it to harness these potentials. This is what we intend to achieve with the development if micro insurance in Nigeria,” he said.

Several governments, including Latin American governments, are promoting an enabling environment for micro-insurance in other to facilitate the engagement of the private sector at the base of the pyramid. In Africa, a landscape study identified 14.7 million people covered by micro-insurance, of which 8.2 million were in South Africa.

Micro-insurance is not a new concept; it is a modern name for a very old practice. To provide protection against risks, the poor communities developed in the past informal insurance mechanisms such as selling assets, exchanging gifts, cash transfers and diversifying crops.

Modern micro-insurance was developed to accompany the development of the Microfinance Institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations in developing countries; their success has led to the recognition that poor people can save and want to save.

The objective of micro-insurance is the reduction of poverty by helping the vulnerable population and serving the underserved population. The first option is a simple insurance / Takaful offer to a segment (very low income population) by a commercial entity looking for profit; while the second objective is more socially responsible and in line with the essence and the principles of solidarity and (brotherhood for Takaful); both options should be beneficial for the community and insurance.

Insurance can be an effective mechanism to mitigate the poor’s risks by reducing their vulnerability of the impacts of disease, theft, disability and other hazards as well as safeguarding the productive use of savings and credit facilities.

Speaking further, Oyetoyan stressed that the Nigerian government in its fight against poverty must continually drum up support for micro-insurance. “Micro-insurance is an indispensable tool in economic development. We know that many low-income people do not have access to adequate insurance and risks management; they are, therefore, vulnerable to fall back into poverty in times of hardship. When the breadwinner of a family who has children dies, who takes care of the children or when the father falls seriously sick and there is need to pay high hospital bills, what will become the lot of the poor? Micro-insurance makes it possible for people to take more risks. When farmers are insured against a bad harvest, they are in a better position to grow crops which give high yields in good years, and can survive bad yields in year of drought. Without the insurance, what happens?” he stated.

Looking for a way out of poverty? Try micro-insurance that need insurance because once any of their property is damaged or gone, insurance can replace it and in a case where there is no insurance, there is serious loss,” he said.

Former President, Nigerian Council of Registered Brokers (NCRIB), Ayodapo Shoderu, stressing the need for insurance for market women and men said, “Suffice it to say that market women and men are prone to diverse risks that daily threaten their existence; the most significant of which is theft and fire outbreaks and these risks could be borne on their behalf by the insurance industry.”

The NCRIB president who highlighted instances of

When the breadwinner of a family who has children dies, who takes care of the children or when the father falls seriously sick and there is need to pay high hospital bills, what will become the lot of the poor?

Micro-insurance makes it possible for people to take more risks

Saturday Tribune

29

30 January, 2016

ntertainment

Saturday Tribune with Joan Omionawele and

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

Knocks for Davido as popstar says he is fed up with social media

p31

Will Cossy bag the ‘Mrs’ title this year?

p31

Why Blackface’s

n io t a g e l l a t f e h t shocked me

—2face

30

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘My most embarrassing stage experience’

What attracts you to a man?

I like my man who is God-fearing, has a good sense of style, good sense of humour, one that has ambition and purpose. He must show it and not just talk about it.

Continues from pg2

can woman with style, I say African because it is African but it is for the whole world. I am very excited for the new project and I am very sure that a lot of people will love it.

We see lots of celebrities who feel that they have made so much money, rushing into business. What makes your product stand out from the others?

Two things. I don’t think I have gotten to the point where I will say I don make money, I wan look for another thing.

You keep growing the brand. There are some people who have recharge card business and still sell other things on the side and have their children handling ‘mama put’ business. Most artistes don’t really branch out. So this is about giving what I can at this stage that I can.

Then if you watch my videos, you will see that my style is very unique. But if you see the pieces, you will understand.

How do you hope to balance this with being a musician?

I’m very good at multitasking. In the morning I still go to the kitchen and do my things myself. I am currently talking to someone for a shoeline and talking to other people for other business opportunities. I am everywhere. I must use my youth well. I lost my dad at a young age and so, I am like my mother’s father and husband. I have a business partner who will take care of it because she understands my work.

How affordable are the pieces of jewellery for the average Nigerian lady who just wants to be fashionable?

The Yemi Alade brand will associate with anyone and everyones, be they Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ghanaians, South African. I don’t portray myself as being ostentatious and this is to assure you that this will be affordable as being overly expensive doesn’t correlate with my brand. For everyone who loves Yemi Alade, they will be able to get a piece of it.

Last year 2015 was an explosive year for you, did you ever think that you would go this far?

Well, for me and my dreams, we don’t have a limit, I don’t know where, when or how, I am just here experiencing God. I did not know where I was going to get to, but I have not gotten where I want to be yet.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I see myself topping the music chat internationally, and maybe I would have bagged a Grammy or two.

You are arguably one of the busiest female musicians in the country, how do you unwind?

I am hardly at home. So whenever I get the opportunity and time to stay at home, I try to rest and eat good food

How did you venture into music?

It all started in 2009 when I won the Peak Talent show and that was when it became more serious and I decided to turn my hobby into a career. I got my first record deal in 2011 and since then, it has been from grace to grace.

Your most embarrassing moment on stage?

I tried to do a split on stage and the next thing, my outfit got torn and my shorts did a full split.

How did you manage the situation?

I just waka slowly Komot for stage, no one knew anything. I stood up gracefully and left.

And your most memorable moment on stage?

It has been a beautiful experience for me, especially with the awards and winning the 2015 Best Female in Africa at the MTV awards in Durban and that has been a huge one for me and my team. I was also nominated alongside Beyonce and Nikki Minaj for an award in Europe. Other than that, I just thank God for life.

What have your challenges been?

It is really hard to produce music when you are constantly travelling, I mean it is hard going back to the studio to produce music. Every other week I am in another country. It has been a bit of a challenge, but we are making it work. There isn’t enough time on the clock anymore.

32 entertainment

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

FavourAdeoye, aka Fantasticks, a young talking drummer and a dancer, in this interview with OMODASOLA SMITH, talks about his passion for talking drums and his challenges.

W

HY did you choose talking drum?

Actually I was playing drum sets before I started playing talking drums. I get inspired when I see people playing talking drums, I can’t really explain how I feel, but when I see people playing talking drum it triggers my heart. I notice that when people sing and the talking drum is not included, I feel the music is not complete. So there is this great passion in me and there is this voice that tells me that if I start playing talking drum I will make it. So I went for it and now I am making it.

Who is your role model?

I have lots of them, starting from an excellent talking drummer close to me, Wuyi and Ayankayinsola, even though I have not met him and lastly, the almighty and talented Ara, the popular female talking drummer, I love her style, she is so unique.

Do you specialise in beating the talking drum or you do other sorts of entertainment?

As I said earlier, I play drum sets and I sometimes dance and sing.

When exactly did you start drumming?

I started playing drums at the age of four and I started playing talking drums at he age of nine.

What has been your most challenging stage experience?

I remember, at a time I went to perform somewhere and people were not turning up, even after all I did with the drum — with the talking drum, I almost got discouraged but later the crowd turned up.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Next five years. That’s really a long way to go! I see myself becoming great, I see myself doing exploits. I see myself becoming big. I see myself becoming a grand star playing talking drums all over the world for kings and presidents, with God helping me.

I am sure, apart from playing talking drums, you have something else you want to do when you grow up.

I feel great playing the talking drum —Fantasticks

Sure. I would like to study Mass Communication when I get to the higher institution, so I would become a TV or radio presenter.

Does drumming have any effect on your academics, positively or negatively?

It has no effect because when it is time to drum, I drum and when it is time to work, I work, though positively it has helped; I have met a lot of people that I have acquired great skills from.

Will Cossy bag the ‘Mrs’ title this year?

D’Banj powers SLOT Electronics campaign Nnamdi Ezeigbo of the company presenting him with the keys to his ride.

Since then, he has been part of activities to mark the 17th anniversary of SLOT Systems Limited which recently introduced a latest addition to its line of products SLOT Electronics.

Speaking at the launch, SLOT boss Chief Ezeigbo

What is your advice to the young kids out there?

My advice to them is that they should use their talents wisely, there is nobody God has not deposited something big in to, it is left to you notice it fast and heat it up.

Iyabo Ojo to drop ‘Black Val’ in February

IN this new year, Nigerians anticipate new announcements, preferably hot news and controversial actress, Cossy Orjiakor was quick to dish out good news to her fans as she announced plans to get married.

Although she failed to reveal the identity of her husband-to-be, a delighted Cossy wrote: “Hello 2016, I started this year with work, helping out, which is almost like charity. That’s when I know its going to be a good year. This year, I will finally become Mrs CossyOrjiakor..fill in the gap,” she posted on Twitter.

ENERGETIC performer D’Banj has been doing his best in recent times to deliver his promise to support the SLOT brand ever since he was named a brand ambassador for the company.

The artiste who was unveiled in September last year was also handed a brand new red Porsche Boxer at the unveiling ceremony with the CEO

Do you want to make drumming your main profession or something you do during your leisure?

No, I will not make it my main profession, as I said earlier, I want to study Mass Communication, yet I will not let drumming be something I do during my leisure, it is also going to be part of what I do.

said; “Potential customers can now experience a wide range of first class electronics following the launch.

“We are committed to quality and that is our watchword. SLOT Electronics comes with standard warranty from 2 months and first class after sales service which includes free delivery and free installation.

AWARD-winning Yoruba actress, Iyabo Ojo has concluded plans to premiere her new movie, entitled ‘Black Val’.

The heart-rendering movie features Antar Laniyan, Bukky Wright, Tina Mba, Seun Akindele, Eniola Badmus, Bolanle Ninalowo, Chacha Eke, and a host of others Directed by actor-cumpolitician, Desmond Elliot, ‘Black Val’ will be premiered on Sunday, February 24 at the Silverbird Cinemas, Ikeja, Lagos.

33 entertainment

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

2Face responds to Blackface’s copyright theft allegation Stories By Joan Omionawele and Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

Julius Agwu set for ‘Life as I see it’ show in Lagos MULTIPLE award-winning comedian-actor-cum singer, Julius Agwu is set to stage a mega music and comedy event tagged ‘Life as I see it’ next month.

Agwu, who is known for his rib-cracking jokes and witty acts, ushered in the mega event with a world press conference well attended by media big wigs which was held at VCP Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, January 21, 2016.

Award-winning American vocalist, Tye Tribbett will lead the cast of music performers. He will be performing alongside notable music stars such as ace songstress, Lady Onyeka Onwenu, Timi Dakolo, Banky W, Waje, Efya, Bez, Mimicko, and popular tungba gospel act, Yinka Ayefele.

Guests and other fun seekers will be treated to jaw dropping jokes by British comedian, Eddie Kadi, Okey Bakassi, Senator, Dan D Humoros, Seyi Brown, Buchi, Oyinbo Princess, among several others.

The double-header concert will take place at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, February 7, while the subsequent event will be held at the plush, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Agwu, who is thankful to God for giving him another shot at life, said the event will feature a side of him the public is yet to see. “We all know the story of my successful surgery but this event will tell the story we have never listened to before. I have finalised the necessary details with my team and we are ready to stage a memorable event that will delight every one present.”

The all-in-one event will also feature the launch of the sequel to Agwu’s book, ‘Jokes Apart’. Aptly titled ‘Life as I see it: The Rebirth”, the new book will capture the experiences of the iconic comedian during his successful battle with brain tumour.

F

EW weeks into the new year, the entertainment industry has already been thrown into a frenzy by its headliners.

It will be recalled last week that ‘Ojuelegba’ crooner, Whizkid, was accused by his colleague, Dammy Krane of stealing a song belonging to him, a claim which resulted in a brawl, later settled by footballer Obafemi Martins.

Also this week, popular musician from the defunct Plantashun Boys crew, Blackface, accused 2face of stealing his song and calling it his own.

This he did in a series of tweets, asking 2face, saying “why not ask that you wana (sic) record my song? I was out in d wilderness and you never called because you wish me dead so my properties be urs? @official2baba

He further tweeted to 2face: @2babaofficial You tried killing the #plantashunBoiz brand and also tried killing my brand. I gave you the name 2face cos (sic) you were one from onset. Telling promoters no to employ my services so you can kill the #BFN brand?

Responding to the allegation, 2face told Channels TV entertainment “It’s just so unfortunate, I’m trying to think of different reasons, at first I thought his account was hacked.”

2Face further added: ‘We go thrash the whole matter but I have got nothing but love and respect for him. It’s just so unfortunate that he is coming at me like that. Do u still consider him your friend? Apparently, he doesn’t consider me his friend anymore. I don’t wish him Ill will, so let’s leave it at that for now’

Register intellectual property to avoid theft

—Gbenga Adeyinka

Knocks for Davido as popstar reveals he is fed up with social media POPULAR musician, Davido who has been in the news for numerous reasons, including his lovechild tangle and his latest record deal with Sony Music Entertainment, has stated that he is not having the best of times with his followers on social media.

Davido tweeted “I’m getting too much money to be worried about social media!! shit aint real on here, but some of his fans took time out to correct his notion on social media.

According to @youngahmed03 “I just got in here and saw the comment box @davidoofficial you are practically nothing without your fans. When You said shit ain’t real

on social media why do you express every single thing about you here from your baby mama and Dele Mommodu to your Sony endorsement here on instagram. You even went far as telling us about

your show in Amsterdam, please who are you telling those things? HKN GANGS?(Davido’s crew) Or who will come to watch your show? is it not your fans? guy just know how to relate with your fans

Wizkid’s second baby mama responds to new baby rumours NIGERIAN rapper, Ayo Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has been in the news since the year began and it has been reported that he just fathered his second baby boy by his lover, Binta Diamond Diallo.

According to The Shade Room, an entertainment online medium in the US, which spoke to Binta, the mother of Wizkid’s new child, she named her son, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun Jr. after the rapper in part

so that he doesn’t try it with her like he did with the mother of his first child.

It will be recalled that Wizkid fathered a child with an undergraduate, Oluwanishola Ogudugu which he denied till he eventually owned up on social media. He finally said “hey, the child’s mine guys, I’m done hiding him [from] you all.” You ain’tgottalie (sic), Craig!

Saturday Tribune further gathered that Wizkid

has been dating Binta for two years. She told The Shade Room online that when she learned that she was pregnant in 2015, the rapper said that he was going to embrace being a dad this time and that he’d certainly care for the child. But not only has he not seen his son yet, but he hasn’t shown much interest in being a father. However, Binta says she wants that to change, as she just wants him to man his responsibilities.

and treat us with respect please….. A word is enough for the wise.

Another fan, @ Lovethonyinye advised the popstar. “@davidoofficial lay low and focused, don’t make this year a dramatic one for yourself, you are still young and have along way to go in future, if social media will ruin you, excuse it for sometime, concentrate on your life and music, make your fans happy, ignore some bullshit, must not respond to everything, yeah!, you are still a growing kid, but learn how to ignore.

Love your fans, never forget that, don’t let your ego ruin you too. I’m not a fan of you @ davidoofficial but I love your music.”

ONE of Nigeria’s A-list comedians, Gbenga Adeyinka, has urged entertainers in the industry to register their ideas, songs, videos and other intellectual properties with the copyright commission to avoid theft and rancour amongst industry mates.

He made the call in a close session with Saturday Tribune at a press conference held during the week at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, following the multiple cases of song thefts recorded in the music industry.

Mr Adeyinka noted that the copyright breach in the industry was as a result of lack of awareness to available safety measures for copyright protection in the country. The comedian who also stated that the copyright act infringement was not peculiar to entertainers in the music and movie industry, maintains that comedians are also guilty of the same crime.

He enjoined those who use other people’s ideas and songs to always acknowledge source where necessary.

“I will say in Yoruba, ‘nko ti a ba fi sile la’aja n gbe’.

I can’t sing Konkonbilo.

I can’t go to the studio to sing Emergency. Everybody knows it is a Dbanj song. I think this is a call for us to do the right thing.

Let’s try to register our works. Let’s have copyright for our songs, videos and intellectual properties,” he said, “you will discover,” he continued, “that it is not expensive to get your songs and ideas registered. It doesn’t cost over N1000 or N2000 to register your work with the copyright commission.

I have done that myself.”

34

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with Tunde Ayanda ayandaayotunde@yahoo.com 08034649018

Tunde Folawiyo digs for gold TUNDE, the first son of the late Baba Adinni of Yorubaland, Alhaji Yinka Folawiyo, has a big project up his sleeve.

The young man who heads a conglomerate with interests in agriculture, shipping, banking and real estate is said to have signed a pact with the government to start oil exploration in Lagos.

The businessman has been an advocate for the exploration of Nigeria’s lucrative crude oil, an effort that led to the founding of the Folawiyo Energy Limited and earned him the position of the VicePresident of the Nigerian Association of Indigenous Petroleum Explorers and Productions.

Halima Dangote’s

heart of gold

O

NE of the daughters of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Halima, is toeing her father’s line in philanthropy.

The mother of two, an Executive Director with the Sublime Group, is said to be putting up a world class diagnostics and laboratory complex in Kano, Kano State.

Those in the know claim that the project is not only for the rich, but what the poor and needy will hugely benefit from.

Halima, who got married to Suleiman Bello in 2008, is the most prominent child of her billionaire father.

Dimeji Bankole in early plan FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who has been absent on the scene for some time, is back with a flurry of activities.

The politician, through his movement, DBM has started garnering support for a yet to be disclosed ambition.

The former Speaker recently embarked on a familiarisation tour with the intent to intimate the people of his mission to seek an elective position when the time comes.

The politician, who lives in Abuja, is now a regular face in his Abeokuta home where he occasionally fetes friends and supporters.

Muiz Banire moves to Osun FORMER commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, is in the news for reasons not far from his calling-politics.

There are talks that the former aide of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, has directed his focus on his original state, Osun, for political reasons.

Banire was once named among the many choice candidates favoured for the Lagos top office which is now being occupied by Governor Akinwumi Ambode.

To harness his political and social roots in Osun State, the politician has started constructing an office in Osogbo, the state capital.

Toyin Subair plots comeback

TOYIN Subair, the owner of defunct TV station, HITV, is making real his plans.

The man, who promised to pick up his line of business from where he left it when his TV station went off, is said to be making progress in his new business.

Subair’s project is targeted at building a cinema in all major cities in Nigeria and from all indications, he is making good the plan.

His friends hinted of his partnership with a foreign company that will execute the project.

He runs a hangout in London at the moment and he’s set to relocate to Nigeria any time soon.

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30 January, 2016

achievers Tobi Adewunmi (O’tobi) is not just a world-famous visual artist; he is instilling in children the art of painting and communicating Nigerian culture to them. RONKE SANYA writes on his significant venture into art world and how some of his tutees were recently awarded by Creative Connection, in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States.

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HEN Nigerian government seems to have probably shut their eyes to the creative innovation of Nigerians, foreign firms can be said to be celebrating them and rewarding them. Tobi Adewunmi is a self-taught artist, born and raised in the ancient city of Ibadan and studied Computer Science at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State. He is the creative director of O’tobi Art World with his works exhibited in several locations around the world.

Adewunmi has participated in both local and international art exhibitions which include Spanish Art competition and exhibition (2010); UNESCO Digital Art (2004); Obasanjo Art competition and exhibition (2011); Alliance Francaise photography competition, Paris France (2011/2014); Photography exhibition in Ethopia, 2012; Art fair Dubai 2013; Art training for kids, Ibadan 2014, among others.

The visual artist, documentary photographer, speed-painter and a art tutor of kids, especially during summer at his art hub located at Alliance Française, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan, narrating the circumstances that led him to the creative world of art, said, “I started out by copying the drawings of one of my brothers who used to draw. Later, when I was in SS2, I saw an advert in the dailies about a national competition organised by Nigeria Conservative Foundation. I submitted my art work for the competition and I won. That became an eyeopener on what art works can fetch me. I enjoyed my win then, which gave me the oppourtunity to tour various parts of Nigeria and visit almost all conservative centres in Nigeria.

I was thrilled by that experience as it was merely a painting of my street in Ibadan.”

When it was time for him to proceed to tertiary institution, Adewunmi, did not study Fine Arts, instead he studied Computer Science. “You know, then in the early 90s, parents would dictate your course of study. They would not allow you do things the way you wanted to. They either wanted you to be a doctor or an engineer. So I opted to study computer science just to satisfy my parents.”

Now, however, Adewunmi’s parents are

Saturday Tribune

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

& Oyeyemi Okunlade | 08056834515 | ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

My aim is to leave

a good legacy in arts — O’tobi

it of the ng the portra O’tobi, paintibafemi Awolowo. sage, Chief O

It is about helping the children to be more introspective about their culture... Art boosts their self confidence and makes them productive.

udents. me of his st so h it w i b O’to

obviously proud of his venture into the art world as art brings food to his table and even, to his parents’ table. “What was important for my parents was that I should go to school and be educated,” he said and added that he started doing arts from his first year in school.

“Even before I got to school I was working real hard to perfect my creative skills. When I got to school it was fruitful and I started making so much money that I had to tell

my parents to stop paying my school fees.

When I graduated I didn’t disturb anyone for funds. So, they couldn’t complain because I was making impacts with arts,” he said.

The inspiring highlight of Adewunmi’s art venture is his drive to leave behind a lasting legacy which led him to mentoring kids on how to paint and draw, especially during summer. “I choose to teach kids the art of painting because I want to leave a good legacy in art. It is about helping them to be more introspective about their culture and also communicate other aspects of their culture using art. It also gives the kids the edge in school, developing their creative side which also boosts their self confidence and makes them productive.”

The Nigerian culture, which Adewunmi is tutoring his tutees, has attracted attention of Creative Connections, an international cultural education organisation which creates and facilitates innovative arts-based exchanges between classrooms in the USA and around the world.

On his relationship with the US-based firm, he said: “My project with Creative

Connection which is based in Norwalk, Connecticut started last year. We train kids in various schools in Nigeria and teach them on what they need to know about arts. A topic is given to them based on culture and they are asked to paint.”

The art works of these kids are usually sent to the US to be observed and analysed and “at the end of last year, two of my students’ works won awards in the United States.”

However, the students, disappointingly, couldn’t travel to the United States to pick up their awards due to financial constraints and inability to purchase travel ticket within the stipulated period. Adewunmi, who was pained by this development said, “Now, this is something that government can partner with. The founder of the firm was disappointed when I got to the US and he asked “where are the kids?” and I replied that they couldn’t come with me due to financial challenges.

Adewunmi cherishes all his works and admire artists like Bisi Silver, who is a curator; Ibe Ananaba, a painter; Abiodun Olaokun; Emmanuel Dudu; Stanley Dudu; Bayo Omoboriowo and several others because, “These are people that are on top of their game despite the fact that they are not really from rich homes but they are doing very well and getting more creative every day.”

To discourage brain drain among Nigerian useful youths, Adewunmi further urges Nigerian government to look into this: “Arts is actually a money-making avenue. If government can create a gallery for artists to showcase their works at a percentage or even give soft loans to artists, it will be a mutual benefit.”

36

30 January, 2016

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata

Maths problem

In a mathematics class, the teacher wrote on the blackboard: 8xy+3yz-14(18/ 3)= 3z-7xy.

Then he called Segeluulu to solve the problem for the class. Gladly and quickly, Segeluulu walked to the blackboard, he took the duster and wiped the whole blackboard off.

Then he turned to the teacher and said, “the problem is solved sir.”

FUNOLOGY

POLITICO

Money transfer

Someone mistakenly sent N900,000 to a wrong bank account number which was Segeluulu’s account via Mobile Money.

The person realised that error before Segeluulu could withdraw the whole money, he had to think of what to do in order to get his money back.

To Segeluulu’s phone number, he quickly sent a text: ‘Hi friend, I hope you are okay? I hope you’ve received the money I sent to you for the initiation into the Illuminati Satanism Cult group scheduled for 12midnight. That money is only for transport. I will send you more for pocket money and you have riches awaiting you. Remember to carry a syringe and needle meant to draw your blood every 20 minutes.

Please don’t be late because the devil will be present to officiate the ceremony. Thanks in advance. But in case you’ve changed your mind and not ready to join again, please send back the money. Thank you.’

Four minutes later, the person got a Mobile Money message - ‘You have received N900,000 for your mobile money account transfer.’

CELEBRITIES’ ‘BEND DOWN SELECT’ MARKET

37

30 January, 2016

seniorcitizen

Saturday Tribune WITH KATE ANI

anikate92@yahoo.com 08071080888

I tore presidential nomination form once I was asked to pay N.5m —Fasehun Medical doctor, politician and leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun, shares some of his life experiences with KATE ANI.

Y

OU are a famous Nigerian activist and politician. Tell us more about yourself…

I was born in Ondo, Ondo State, on the 21st of September, 1935. I went to Salvation Army Primary School, Ondo, from where I left for another primary school, St Matthews Roman Catholic School. When I finished there, I sought admission to a post-primary school but couldn’t find any in a secondary school. I found one in a teachers training college in Akure. It was then called St. Peters College. Of about 50 students, I was the only one that didn’t have the Roman Catholic background.

When the authorities of the school found out that I was an infidel, so to say, they threw me out in the second year. I had to start looking for another post-primary school and got admission on the 1st of June, 1955 at Ondo Boys High School. Prior to my completion of secondary school, my elder brother, Chief Victor Fasehun, had made a covenant with me that if I excelled with good grades, he would send me abroad to study Medicine. When my Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) result was released, I made all my results and rushed to Lagos to show him.

He congratulated me but made a U-turn in his promise.

He said if I could obtain a travelling passport, he would certainly send me abroad for further studies. Those days, to obtain a passport was like a camel passing through the eye the needle. I eventually procured the passport and went to see him again. He was astounded as to how I quickly got the passport. He adjusted his promise again by saying that if I could pay the flight fare, he would sponsor my education abroad. Those days, travelling out of the country by air was a luxury.

Weren’t you disappointed and angry at your brother?

I knew I could defeat him at anytime and level and had set out to do just that. I took up a teaching job in a primary school and was saving every penny that came my way. Nine months later, I had saved about 40,000 pounds. I couldn’t save the actual amount required, so I went to see my grandmother and narrated my ordeal to her. I told her that I needed additional 40,000 pounds. She searched under her pillow and gave me the money and I rushed to Lagos, to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). I paid for the flight ticket and went to my brother again and showed him my passport, ticket and admission letter. Of course, that was the final defeat and he said well, it was as if nothing would stop me from going abroad. I travelled out of this country on the 31st of September, 1958 to study Medicine.

Why Medicine?

I didn’t read science in school and my brother had thought I might not be able to read Medicine but settle for a course that would last just three years and I come back to Nigeria. I first went to The Blackborow College of Science and Technology to read science. I finished the Ordinary and Advanced Level in about 18 months and was admitted to one of the oldest medical schools in the world, Aberdeen University College of Medicine. Even then, my brother still was not settled; he was sending me money in a staccato fashion. If he sent me money today, he won’t again for another two months. I would have to starve for days.

How did you cope?

My landlord was a very liberal and understanding person.

He knew what I was facing from home because occasionally, I would skip class to do jobs like being a builder’s labourer. All I needed was to survive and face my studies. It was as if the more absent I was from school, the greater my success. My aim was to disappoint my brother that certain things would not stop from actualising my dreams. I faced the ordeal and God was always kind to me. When I finished the first degree in Medicine in 1958, I took a job at the Royal Infirmary at Aberdeen and working in a professorial unit in Britain was an achievement. I later returned to Nigeria and worked as a Senior House Officer in Zaria Teaching Hospital. When I couldn’t agree with their ideology, I resigned and came to

Lagos.

How were you received in Lagos?

Lagos was very anxious to take me. I was employed at the Department of Anesthesiology, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital by Professor Fowler. He gave me all the encouragement that I needed to succeed. He thought I was a different person and when a scholarship to do post-graduate

When I was in Kuje Prison, I met a young man... He said he stole a small yam, the size of his fist because he was hungry; not that he stole to sell but to eat. He was still in prison when I left. Instead of sending him to a corrective institution where he would be exposed to learning a vocation and return to the society to be useful, they sent him to prison and forgot him there.

in Medicine at the Post-Graduate Medical School, University of Liverpool, was presented, I was selected to go. After successfully completing a four-year programme within a space of a year and a half, I came back to Nigeria. Months later, I was, again, selected from Nigeria to travel to China to study Acupuncture. When I got there, China was a different kettle of fish. The Chinese lecturers would teach you in Chinese.

Under no circumstances would they shift ground. Whether you understood Chinese or not was not their business. They would teach in Chinese and there was a translator who would translate whatever they taught in English. I finished well after a series of on-the-spot surgical operations through acupuncture and at the completion of the course, I was given an award.

As a trained surgeon and anesthesiologist, can you share with us an unforgettable moment in the operating room?

That would be the day I operated on one Mr Okafor, who had brain cancer, with acupuncture. We were to operate on him and I decided to do so through acupuncture; that he would be conscious while I operated on his brain. The surgeon with whom I was to work was afraid. He said he would not be part of it and I decided to do it all by myself. During surgery, the patient’s health responsibility is that of the anesthesiologist and I told the surgeon that the patient’s responsibility was mine until 48 hours after surgery. The theatre was set up and Mr Okafor sat down. That was the first acupuncture surgery done in Nigeria. While it was going on, a surgeon would discuss with the patient. If the patient felt he was thirsty, he would demand for water and he would be given cold water and a straw to sip. It became a wonder surgery. People gathered in the theatre watching under camera. As soon as the surgery was completed, I patted Mr Okafor and told him to stand up.

Continues pg43

38

politics&policy

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune With Saheed Salawu

0811 695 4643

yinkadejavu@yahoo.com

Why you cannot judge Buhari now —Prof. Akin Mabogunje

A professor of Geography, Akin Mabogunje taught for many years at the University of Ibadan. He also taught at universities in a number of foreign countries, including the United States of America. Prof. Mabogunje has also served in a number of public sector positions in Nigeria. In this interview with SAHEED SALAWU, the erudite scholar speaks on the situation of governance in Nigeria as well as how he hopes the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), an independent academic and professional policy training centre, the board of which he is chairing, will impact it. Excerpts:

Y

OU are 84 years old and you are the chairman of the board of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy. At your age, why are you getting into a venture that will take your time and energy?

When I clocked 70, one of my sons who is based in the United States, said he would really love to have me write my autobiography which, of course, I couldn’t do on my 70th birthday. On my 80th birthday, I chose to launch my autobiography. And it showed the different areas of public life, apart from the academic, in which I have had to serve the government. I was still serving the government on my 80th birthday but I then went to [former] President Goodluck Jonathan to say that I had four assignments I was doing for the government, but all of which I would want to hand down and suggest people who could continue. I was still in charge of the national land reform, which the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had saddled me with, I was still in charge of the Lagos Mega City Development Authority, which [former] President [Olusegun] Obasanjo had saddled me with. And I was still in charge of the technical committee on housing and urban development. All of these, I have done over the years but I think they had entailed my having to go to Abuja almost on a weekly basis. At 80, I thought I should relax and have less stress.

But when the young men, whose initiative was to establish a private NGO on government and public policy, which has been something I have been worried about, came this time, it was not easy for me to say no. They recognise that at my age, I couldn’t do much running around but I could guide them and help them with ideas and things to do. So, to answer your question, it was that appeal to my concern about the situation of governance in this country that made me accept. How long I would be able to go on for, of course, is another matter. But once we have put the school on sound footing, I would be happy, like I did with the other public assignments, to bow out graciously.

Judging from your experience in the public service, what great issues in Nigeria would you want this school to address in your order of your priority?

One is really to call Nigeria back to being a democratic country. We are not a democratic country because there are things the military did that no democratic country would allow to stay. You know, the chicken is coming home to roost. We are talking about true federation.

What do we mean? That the military turned the country upside down because their system of governance is a unified command and so they made this country operate as if it was a unified entity with states almost like regiments of the army. But that was not what a federal system is meant to be like. So, one of the first things I would hope the school will start to promote is that the present structure [the presidential system] is unsustainable. I can see why we went for the presidential system. I can explain that at some stage. The 36 states are unsustainable. The local government system is unsustainable.

They were all built up because oil money came. And the Federal Government would rather sit on that oil money and trickle it down than allow, like in the United States, the state that has the oil to enjoy its oil money.

In the US, the state of Texas has oil, agriculture and a lot of solid minerals. And we have a state called Nevada, which is virtually a desert. But Nevada would never ask Texas to share its revenue with it. Instead, it would use

If a state can’t pay salary, for God’s sake, it is no longer a state. If you are my master and at the end of the month you can’t pay my salary... what claim do you have on my loyalty or my service? That is not democracy. Democracy requires free citizens who would provide the resource for their own governance. its own brain to raise its revenue to sustain itself. They raise enough money to maintain services. Now, you can see the rubbish that we have here. States are gifts of military lords. They asked no questions about how you were going to maintain them. If a state can’t pay salary, for

God’s sake, it is no longer a state. If you are my master and at the end of the month you can’t pay my salary... first month... second month... third month, what claim do you have on my loyalty or my service? That is not democracy. Democracy requires free citizens who would provide the resource for their own governance.

Another one would be the way in which, in fact, we disempowered our people from governance. You know, in the past, what we call local government was the government of localities, not of regions. If we want a local government in Awe [a town in Oyo State], it is a government of the people of Awe. If we want a local government in Ilora, it is a government of the people of Ilora [another town in the state]. And we know ourselves. And there is what we call perceptible interdependence. We all know if the roads are bad, if you are our local government, you better do something about the roads. So, those we elect to run our local government must have the resources and that must come from our tax, from our tenement rate, property tax, as they would call it in other places.

But then, we came, there was oil money and we say we Continues pg39

39 interview

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

‘Dysfunctional local government system bane of governance in Nigeria’ Continued from pg38

So, you are not talking about reforming the local government system but instituting an ideal one?

The present system can’t be reformed.

You see, they used to boast about [the fact that] we have 774 [local governments]. They never asked how we got to 774. As I told you, we started off with those criteria – 160,000, least and 800,000, most – and on that basis, we had 299 [local governments], plus two in Abuja, making 301. When the civilians came in 1979, people agitated to have more local governments and they started to [have them]. When Buhari came in 1983, he said that was part of indiscipline and forced us back to the 301. But people went on agitating.

IBB couldn’t resist the pressure so he started by raising the number to 459, on no criteria. By the time he left, he had raised it a second time to five hundred and eighty-something. The agitation went on. When ‘Master’ [Sani] Abacha came, he not only messed up the state situation but messed up the local government because up till that time, Lagos and Kano were having the same number of, initially 15, local governments. Then it went to 20. When ‘Master’ Abacha came, he created two states in Kano – Kano and Jigawa. He gave Kano 44 local governments, Jigawa, 26 local governments and left Lagos with 20. So, we now say we have 774. What is special about 774? The US has 90,000 local governments. Britain has over 9,000.

Britain is less than half of Nigeria. So, when we are talking about local government, we really need to know what we are talking about.

would now give local government so much money. So, our roads are getting bad but we don’t know who to ask. If you look around, you can’t see one road you can say ‘oh, the local government did this.’ Now, let me tell you: politicians fear votes. If they could be sure the people of Ilora won’t vote for them, they would be a lot more careful about how they deal with their leaders. But what do we have, which we call local government? We said that you cannot have a local government unless the population of the place is at least 160,000 and it shouldn’t be more than 800,000. But, what do we do? We lock communities together and say ‘you are a local government.’ So, you have a situation of a dysfunctional local government system.

Are you saying that states and local governments must generate their own revenues for sustenance?

Correct. Why else are they government? We have built all these structures on the fact that the Federal Government controls oil money.

Now oil price is going down and it can’t go back to the $100 mark because apart from the fact that there are now more producers of oil – Iran is coming in and all that – the general trend in the world is to reduce dependence on hydrocarbon. So, sooner or later, we would have to find a way in which people would go back to performing their civic responsibility, which is to provide the resources for those we want to govern us. Most people don’t know that paying tax is the first obligation of anybody who says ‘I am a Nigerian citizen.’

How far is Nigeria of today to the Nigeria of your dream?

Very far. We all went for the federal system of government. The last constitution that addressed that issue was the 1963 Constitution.

It resolved many things. When it came to fiscal, it said regions, you go look for resources, but remember that you are part of a nation, so, the royalties on any resource you found, you can take 50 percent. Give 20 percent to the federal. The other 30 percent, we pool into a pool, what we call a distributable pool, to allow development to be a lot more even.

But when the oil came, that was all thrown out and the 100 percent comes to the federal.

And now it is the federal saying ‘I will have 52 percent. You [states] and your local governments can share 48 percent.’

If President Muhammadu Buhari sent for you today and asked you what steps to take to get Nigeria closer to its ideal status, what would you say to him?

You see, I have been saying that we don’t have a local government system in Nigeria and there is no country that can run without a local government system. I am sure that today, most villages don’t even know that there is government. There are things we need to redo in this country. Maybe this downward trend in the price of oil will make us think. A national conference had been called to look at issues. They [delegates] made some interesting suggestions along the line. I called attention to the local government. In Nigeria, we like to build our house from the roof downward and so they didn’t pay attention to the local government situation and, yet, it is the fundamental element for a democratic system of government in any country.

Have you ever heard a local government chairman call a town hall meeting? Today, who calls a town hall meeting? The governors. A town hall is the town hall of a town, not a state hall. And the reason we can’t call town hall meeting is that we have been disempowered.

But precisely because there is no longer a real local government, it is a state governor that says he calls

Will Nigeria ever get it right?

You see, that is a question I never like to answer. If you studied futurology, one of the things that the future teaches us is that it is full of surprises. Apartheid [in South Africa] didn’t start till 1949 and it was already history by 1992, all because one person was ready to sacrifice his life.

In Germany, the Third Reich was going to last for a thousand years. It didn’t last 10 years. So, I think it only takes one informed head of state with a mission to start changing a lot of these things.

One of the things that the future teaches us is that it is full of surprises. Apartheid didn’t start till 1949 and it was already history by 1992, all because one person was ready to sacrifice his life. In Germany, the Third Reich was going to last for a thousand years. It didn’t last 10 years. So, I think it only takes one informed head of state with a mission to start changing a lot of these things. a town hall meeting. You see, it is at the town hall meeting that we always decide what we want.

The Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy will be operating in an environment that has its peculiarities, what challenges are you looking forward to encountering?

The emphasis is on research and there are enough people already committed to research. Given the situation in the public universities now, the challenge I would have assumed we would face would have been getting staff but I don’t think that would be a major challenge. The real challenge, of course, for anybody concerned with research or anything to do with that in Nigeria, is implementation.

We still have a civil service that doesn’t really care about ideas. You know, as well as I do, that the real problem in Nigeria is not shortage of ideas but are people ready to take the hard decision to implement the ideas?

How would you rate President Buhari’s seven months old administration? Would you say he has started well?

The question of whether you start well or you don’t start well depends on what you want to do. It also depends on the structure of political articulation in your country.

When Buhari came to power, he was already confronted with a situation in which corruption and impunity stand to high heaven. I would say that you can’t judge Buhari before the end of his second year in office.

40

feature

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Hausa community in Enugu seeks justice over kinsmen’s murder Jude Ossai - Enugu

T

HAT Ugwuaji community in Enugu, Enugu State, was thrown into confusion on January 25 after the discovery of three corpses at a foundation dug for the construction of a fence on a piece of land in the area is no longer news.

Perhaps what is more astonishing is that five more skulls have also been found while the three victims identified so far are from northern part of the country in Enugu.

The three northerners are Mallam Samaila (from Kano), Mallam Babangida (from Bauchi) and Mallam Hashaibu (from Kano).

But for the discovery of a dead female with, a pair of jean trouser at the gory scene coupled with the speculation that the owner of the piece of land (now on the run) is a Pastor of a Pentecostal Church, many would have brought ethnic coloration into the cause of the barbaric act.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the trio were commercial tricycle riders (popularly known as Keke) and were last seen on Saturday January 23, by their immediate family members in Enugu.

According to the President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), Olu Omotayo, who spoke on behalf of the deceased families, the first victim, Mallam Samaila was last seen around 6:30pm, at Garriki, Enugu, where he had dropped passengers he carried from New Artisan market to Garriki.

“We learnt that it was from Garriki that he picked the passengers who sent him to his early grave. Babangida was last seen around 10 pm, taking a cup of tea at the New Artisan Market before he left and carried the passengers who sent him on the journey of no return.

“The community said Hashaibu was last seen at the Enugu Central Mosque, Owerri Road, where he observed the evening prayer (Magrib) with other faithful.

“He left in search of passengers around 7pm. When the family of the deceased did not see them on Sunday, the 24th January 2016, there was panic in the community and they went to various police stations to look for them but couldn’t find them.

Also the Chief Imam of the Enugu Central Mosque, Owerri Road, Alhaji Rukalmeni Saidi, led the community in prayers to locate the missing persons.

“It was on Monday afternoon that one of the tricycle operators from the community who was carrying passengers from New Artisan to Garriki, on reaching the flyover at Ugwuaji saw by the roadside, the net that separated drivers’ seat from passengers’ seat in Hashaibu’s tricycle.

“He stopped and picked it up and went back to the community to show the members of the community who later informed the police at Ogui Police Station and a search party went to the area.

According to the search party, before locating the corpses of the deceased northern youths, they were surprised while combing the bush in the area to see human skeletons, other decomposing bodies and shallow graves where human beings were interred.

They said some of the bodies were those of ladies and they vividly recalled a decomposing body of a female who beside her corpse a piece of cloth and condoms; indicating that she was raped before she was gruesomely murdered.

The Chief Imam of Enugu Central Mosque also corroborated the story and stated that what he saw when he was called by the search party was terrible.

He stated that he saw human skeletons and decomposing bodies in the bush in the area, suggesting that killing of innocent citizens in the bush must have been going on for sometime before the present case.

He explained that the report in the media that the three northern community youths were killed and buried in a church building is untrue because the area and the surrounding bushes were littered with human remains.

The corpses of the three were later taken to the cem-

Babangida

Samaila

Hashaibu

We learnt that it was from Garriki that he picked the passengers who sent him to his early grave. Babangida was last seen around 10 pm, taking a cup of tea at the New Artisan Market before he left and carried the passengers who sent him on the journey of no return. etery that same night where the chief Imam led the Muslim prayer for the corpses before they were interred.

The northern community and the Chief Imam urged

the state government to step up security in the state particularly at the Ugwuaji area which is now the most notorious area in Enugu.

Meanwhile, the Network (CRRAN), a human rights organisation has urge the state government to consolidate on the adequate security put in place by its’ immediate predecessor. Immediately, the government should acquire the entire area of the incident for security of the larger populace and order a thorough investigation into the killings, particularly how human skeletons and decomposing bodies came about littering the bushes in the area despite the fact that some buildings are under construction in the area and the owners of those buildings and those working for them cannot claim that they were not seeing those human remains which littered the area.”

CREAN also asked the state government to take urgent steps to remove the decomposing bodies from the area for the general health of the citizens.

The body appealed to the Enugu State government to take all necessary steps to unmask those behind the killings and make them face the law.

41

feature

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Agony of a housewife: Mother of 3 cries out over missing DSS husband Biola Azeez - Ilorin

M

rs. Oluwatoyin Kayode Oladimeji is a disturbed woman. She was at our Murtala Mohammed Way, Ilorin, Kwara State office on Tuesday, accompanied by her in-laws and family members where she spoke with a group of journalists on the fate of her husband, Mr. Kayode Oladimeji, who she said is one of the nine Department of State Service (DSS) operatives that reportedly went on an official operation to Arepo community in Lagos, where suspected pipeline vandals allegedly abducted them.

Mrs. Oladimeji said she got married in January 2002 to her husband and they are blessed with three children.

They lived in Amoyo community in Ilorin. Biola Azeez brings excerpts of her interview with the press during the visit: How did this happen?

On September 15, 2015 around 5pm. I was coming from work at University of Ilorin. My husband called me that he was going for an operation with some other people.

In the night, I tried his phone, but his line was not connecting. Because usually he’d call me and ask about his family. So, throughout Wednesday, his phone was off.

I called one of his brothers on Wednesday afternoon, to help me check what had happened. The man went to their office and said that they told him that he should call around 9 am on Wednesday that the phone would be on.

We called, but the phone was still off. On Thursday, as I was about going to work, I was not OK , I put on my phone and I was reading an online news saying that some DSS officials were ambushed and killed by pipeline vandals. That’s where I got the information and since then, we’ve been on it.

Was there any premonition?

There was nothing to suggest that something bad was about to happen. He’s not the type that would forget his family. He always called. And since he didn’t call, I only knew something was amiss. It’s over four months now.

What are the efforts made since?

We went to DSS office in Lagos and Abuja. My family members and his relations. We met with the director and even the DG in Abuja. They told us they were still on it.

And that they were on top of the situation. They said they can’t declare somebody dead like that. They were nine that went for the operation, but we learnt two escaped back to the office. The seven are still being expected. We have not heard any information from any of the seven.

One of the seven is Uzor, who we learnt led the team and the driver of the team. We are in contact with their relations too. What the director told us is that the director is aware of the incident. But up till now, we don’t have any information to hang on.

We’ve met with the leadership of the DSS for about four times, in Lagos and Abuja. Each time, they told us they are still working on it and on top of the situation.

Mrs Oladimeji speaking with the press on Tuesday.

I asked if there was any ransome the people were asking for. He said initially that No. He said if they had requested for N10 billion they could have paid because of lives involved.

What do you think has happened?

I think positive.

How are the children taking this?

I told them about the matter. We don’t have access to his account and nothing has been coming forth from his office like welfare. We are believing God. What about the children’s schooling?

What would I do? (Sobbing) Psychologically, everyone is affected. He’s not the type. Though most often, we don’t have him physically, we know he’s with us.

What has been the assistance from people?

People have been helping financially, spiritually, emotionally. People do call. Neighbours, family members, his colleagues at work, because my husband is a good man.

You mean he informed you usually when he

went for operation?

Even in the midst of operation, he would send text. He’d say, we are there, keep praying for me.

What about this time?

Nothing. The incident happened that Tuesday night. He informed me about the operation about 5pm and the incident happened around 7:30 pm. Since then, his phone had been switched off.

So, what do you want the DSS authorities to do for you?

They should tell us what has happened to him. We heard so many rumours on the incident. When I met with the director, I asked if there was any ransome the people were asking for. He said initially that No. He said if they

had requested for N10 billion they could have paid because of the lives involved. On second occasion, I asked what the people really wanted. He told me he didn’t really know. And that he could not tell me all efforts they had made or are still making.

What efforts have you and the family been making?

We went to his office in Lagos and Abuja, including my siblings. There was a family friend who lived in Ikorodu, who said there was no exchange of fire during the incident, but that only gun shots were fired into the air.

Has there been contact with any other family members of missing DSS operatives?

They are seven. I only have contact with wives of two.

I have number of Uzo that led the team and the driver of the team. As a Christian, I hold on to my faith. I am positive. And I appeal to the DSS to please assist in bringing my husband back home. My husband is a dedicated officer. Even if he was eating and he received a call for duty, he would go immediately. He loves others more than himself even at our own expense in the family. He’s been in DSS since 2001. He should be 45 years old by June.

Assuming he is being held, what message would you want to send to his abductors?

(Sobbing) I just plead with them to release him.

And to him?

I want to tell him I love him.

42

30 January, 2016

motoring

Saturday Tribune With Seyi Gesinde seyigesinde@yahoo.com 08116954632

Volvo reveals ‘deathproof’ car plans

Vows to rid roads of horror crashes

V

Flood-damaged vehicles hit used car market, buyers warned USED car buyers have been warned to check vehicles in upcoming months before buying them to ensure they have not suffered flooddamage caused by the extreme weather of recent weeks.

The recent extreme weather in Europe and America affected a lot of vehicles which would evidently end up in used car markets owing to the need for their owners to replace them for new ones.

AA Insurance, the British top car insurance broker, who gave the warning said as some of the vehicles immersed in water over the festive period slip on to the second-hand car market, the broker said they may look undamaged but can be storing potentially dangerous faults.

Michael Lloyd, director of the insurance company told Mail Online Motoring he is concerned that many flood-battered vehicles could reach the open market and be sold on despite insurers’ best efforts to dispose of the written-off soaked cars.

“Catalytic converter and exhaust system life can be seriously reduced, wheel bearings could seize, brakes can be affected and alternator and starter motors could fail,’ he said.

“In addition, water can seriously affect electrical and electronic systems including the airbags, which might go off unexpectedly or not deploy when they should.

“A car that has been driven through water which has found its way through the air intake and in to the engine, will cause irreparable damage to the engine so cars so affected are also likely to be written off.”

Lloyd said some owners who wait for their vehicles to dry out might think their cars are back to normal and sell their cars on without making an insurance claim.

AA encouraged buyers to respect its tips on how to avoid buying a user cars.

“Buyers should beware buying from private vendors as they may have no comeback when problems later emerge,” he said.

Volvo XC90

A car immersed in water.

OLVO has promised to release a “deathproof” car which will make it impossible for drivers to die in horrific accidents.

The Swedish firm claims its technology will ensure no-one dies in car accidents, as long as they’re driving a Volvo when the car model is released in 2020.

The famously safety-conscious Swedish company predicted that lethal horror smashes would soon be consigned to the history books.

“If you meet Swedish engineers, they’re pretty genuine. They don’t say things when they don’t believe in it,” Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Cars North America, told CNN. Volvo plans to achieve its seemingly-impossible goal by fitting cars with a range of innovative technology.

Its motors will come with adaptive cruise control which will keep a safe distance from other vehicles, as well as sensors which can detect pedestrians, dangerous objects or even large animals.

Motorists will be woken up if they fall asleep, with the car detecting the tell-tale signs of drowsiness by analysing their driving, whilst cameras will keep an eye on blindspots and warn if a car is approaching.

Eventually, this technology will be combined with advanced artificial intelligence to create a vehicle which drives itself.

“With the development of full autonomy we are going to push the limits of automotive safety,” said Erik Coelingh, a Volvo safety engineer.

“If you make a fully autonomous vehicle you have to think through everything that potentially can happen with a car.”

Volvo is not yet planning to make the driver totally redundant, but instead give them the tools which will make motoring much safer.

“The long term vision is that cars shouldn’t crash,” said Volvo spokesman Jim Trainor.

“If it false brakes too often, people get frustrated and they turn the system off,” he said.

Top tips to avoid buying a flood-damaged motor •If a used car has the windows open it may be to let out the smell of damp. Feel the carpets and if the interior smells of air-freshener, it may be hiding something worse.

•If the windows are seriously condensated, it’s likely that there is significant moisture inside the car.

•Take the oil filler cap off and check underneath the cap. If there is a whitish, mayonnaise-like deposit (emulsified oil) under the cap, there is water in the engine.

•Start the engine and turn the heater blower on to the windscreen. If the glass immediately steams up and takes a long time to clear, there is moisture in the system. The air may also have an unpleasant odour.

•Check to see if airbag warning light works. The system does a self-check when you switch on the ignition. The light should go off after a few seconds. If the light doesn’t come on or doesn’t go off, there is a fault. If the airbag electronics have been submerged they may fail when needed or unexpectedly go off while driving.

•See if there is water trapped in the car light clusters (rock the car and if water is present, you’ll see water moving within the red rear filter for example).

•If the car is simply a category C insurance write-off (rather than a category A or B which means the car is too dangerous to be allowed back on the road) this should be recorded on the V5C registration document.

A woman stuck in her car as flood waters gush past her.

PHOTO: REUTERS.

43

seniorcitizen

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

All sinners are in opposition, while APC is full of saints —Fasehun While fighting for the mandate of late Chief MKO Abiola, you were sent to prison for two years. Can you relive the moments during your days in Kuje Prison?

Any individual that wants decency and security of life and property for his fellow citizens should not mind the edge of the sword. In other words, don’t be frightened by the trenches. You don’t find salad and fried chicken in the trenches.

I have been in and out of prisons 11 times. Many activists had ended up paying with their dear lives, like Chief Gani Fawehimi and Beko Ransome-Kuti. Some of us who have not paid the ultimate price don’t care, provided democracy is institutionalised. Prison life was rough but I continued the agitation there. When I was in Kuje Prison, I met a young man who had been in prison for eight months before I got there and I was fond of interviewing him. He said he stole a small yam, the size of his fist because he was hungry; not that he stole to sell but to eat. He was still in prison when I left. Instead of sending him to a corrective institution where he would be exposed to learning a vocation and return to the society to be useful, they sent him to prison and forgot him there. When I was in Kirikiri prison, I met a man who was alleged to have committed murder. He was shabbily tried and sentenced virtually indefinitely. By the time I got to that prison, he had been there for 13 years and had lost his sight.

You wouldn’t believe it, two years before I came there, the person who committed the murder came to visit him and confessed to him that he was sorry; that he was the one that committed the crime. That is what Nigeria does to its citizens.

Continued from pg37

I asked him if he felt any pain during the surgery and he said no. I asked if he was thirsty. He said yes and asked for water.

I took him back to the ward. He lay back in bed and for four days, he didn’t experience any pain. The feat entered the annals of the Nigeria’s medical history; the first Nigerian to go through surgery under anesthesiology.

You, Dr Majekodunmi and Dr Dipo Oyinlola, brother to a former Osun State governor, were regarded as the three medical musketeers in LUTH, when you jointly protested for the betterment of the hospital.

What led the three of you to parting ways?

We were agitating for improvement of services in LUTH because the hospital was in a mess. Eight patients would come there for treatment and about six of them would end up dead. When the three of us protested strongly and the authorities didn’t agree with us, we decided to set up a better treatment centre in LUTH. The authorities were not happy with it and said our action was lawlessness. But lawlessness that pays handsome dividend is a good lawlessness. During a certain public holiday, Dr Majekodunmi of international standard in swimming went to swim in very shallow water and drowned there. We became suspicious, wondering how one of us could have died amidst our hospital protest controversy. We protested very strongly and out of fear, Dr Dipo Oyinlola resigned and returned to Ireland, where he had trained. I insisted that I wouldn’t go anywhere; that if we were to improve the standard of medical practice in Nigeria, all of us would have to be involved. I vowed to stay put in Nigeria but wasn’t going to stay back in LUTH. Years later, I left and set up my own hospital.

You are the founder of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC). What was the inspiration behind the formation?

When Nigeria was struggling for independence, the Yoruba people were at the forefront of that struggle. One of the foremost fighters for the independence was Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a Yoruba man. He wanted to become the president of this country. We believe he won the election twice but twice he was denied his victory. Then, MKO Abiola came along. He was the richest of the Yoruba people of his time. He shared religion and business with the Caliphate, the powers that be in Nigeria at that time, and he contested for the seat of the president. He thought that having shared certain things with the Caliphate, they would favour him but those people couldn’t be bothered about him. He went for the election, got arrested, detained and killed. I thought to myself that if the most erudite Yoruba politician of his time (Awolowo) could not get to the leadership position of the country and the richest among them (Abiola) could not get there, it meant no Yoruba person would ever be made president. We had played our part in the struggle for independence but were written off as second-class citizens. I also thought to myself that maybe the Yoruba statesmen were running the race with one leg and nobody runs on a race and wins with one leg. I then decided to build the second leg for the Yoruba people. I built it under God and the nation thought we would be very rough on the country. They invited two Yoruba men to contest for the office of the president, Chief Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae and backed them strongly because what we wanted was for the Yoruba people to lead and prove the Caliphate wrong. We didn’t care whether it was Falae that won or Obasanjo, so far that whoever won was a Yoruba person. Obasanjo collected the ticket and ran the country for eight years.

But some Yoruba leaders complained that Chief Obasanjo, as president, didn’t look after the interest of the Yoruba race?

That is a different kettle of fish. Chief Obasanjo had even told me himself that he wasn’t going to be a Yoruba president. Of course, nobody expected him to be a Yoruba president. The agitation was for us to have a president that was a Yoruba man. He didn’t do much for us. I guess that was his style of playing politics.

Some people have the impression that OPC only looks out for their own interest and not the interest of the Yoruba. What exactly would you say your group has done for the Yoruba race?

My dear, forgive me, how young are you? You ought to have been informed that up till the time that you were born, life was pleasurable, decent. It was safe but all of a sudden, Satan descended on this nation. Insecurity became the commonest commodity available to everybody. The nation became unsafe. Cars were not safe in a locked up garage and life was short everywhere. Then, we thought we could find a group of people that could protect the people and OPC came on board.

OPC came on board not only to defend the Yoruba people but

also to protect lives and properties. When they came on board, people could now sleep, armed robbery was less, insurgency was nowhere and life generally was better in this part of the country. That is the contribution of OPC but which Nigerians cannot actually understand.

But they later welded so much power and became violent…

How do you deal with violence with peace? To obtain peace, you must confront violence with violence. When we did that, what happened to peace? We were told five months ago that Boko Haram was coming to this part of the country and I said they would be very much welcome but none of them would go back home. Is that not something you should credit OPC for?

OPC has also been accused as becoming political, angling for contracts from the government…

First, OPC members are Nigerians and they deserve every good thing available to other Nigerians. We have never asked for a contract from any government or Nigerian and nobody has ever given us one kobo for what we do. Seven years ago, we were coming from a rally in Ibadan and when we got to Mowe, the pipeline was aflame. I thought to myself that the economy would collapse if it continued as it was. When I returned to Lagos, I wrote a letter to the [Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation] NNPC that we could help them to secure the pipelines. For about three years, they didn’t respond until fire razed virtually every inch of the pipelines. They (NNPC) then invited me and I went and had an interview with them. I assured them that we could stop the pipeline vandalism. They gave us the go-ahead, wrote their contract which I signed.

They specified how much they would pay per head and I didn’t negotiate it. They said they would try us for three months and I went to the pipelines with 4,000 of my men. We stayed there for three months as specified in the contract and when we finished, they didn’t pay us a kobo.

Specifically, who were you demanding pay from?

These characters who are singing ‘Change,’ ‘Change’... Government is a continuum; you don’t say because we were given that contract under Olusegun Obasanjo, so, President Buhari should not pay. No. That was why I decided to go to court. No thinking government should be fraudulent. I don’t believe in intimidation, they should pay what they owe me.

Al-Mustapha did not kill a fly...

Although he was an associate of an unloved president, he had a duty to do as the Chief Security Officer of the head of state.

Did you run for any electoral office?

Yes I did. I was the national chairman of Labour Party when I vied for the presidency. When they said we should collect the nomination form, I went thinking it was free. I was told to pay half a million naira. I was shocked. I told them that I didn’t know the presidency was for sale. I tore the form on the spot and left the place. The presidency should not be for sale.

Your association with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security of Officer of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, raised eyebrows because Abacha had tormented you and many other leaders of thought across the country. Why did you choose to protect a perceived killer during Abacha’s regime?

Don’t say that in a public place. He is not a perceived killer.

Al-Mustapha did not kill a fly and I have written books about him. Although he was an associate of an unloved president, he had a duty to do as the Chief Security Officer of the head of state. When his principal died, he was arrested and detained for three years before any charge was brought against him.

What was Nigeria looking for, for three years when the constitution says anybody that is arrested must appear in court 48 hours later? While we were looking for charges, he stayed in the cell and when they found the charges against him, they said he killed Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. Mind you, Kudirat Abiola was my personal friend and would go to any length to defend her cause. When Al-Mustapha was imprisoned, he was tried 10 times for various offences and all 10 times, he was found not culpable. Not only that, when they alleged that he was preparing to carry out a coup against Obasanjo, the State Security Service (SSS) invited me. They said I was an accomplice. I told them that before I would answer any question, they had put the questions they were asking me in black and white. They knew I was leading them to illegality and they refused. If I, a senior doctor and an innocent person, had been accused of planning a coup against my country, which would be a crime against medical practice, imagine what they could do to others. I believe in truth and when I realised that Al-Mustapha was accused of an offence he didn’t commit, I had to fight for his release. I don’t know him from Adam, but I will always fight for the truth. Everywhere he has been after his release, he has always been greeted with monumental ovation. Have you met him before? I will organise an interview with him for you when next he comes and you will be astounded by his type of intelligence in the Nigerian military.

Do you think President Buhari is really fighting corruption?

Nigerians accepted him because he gave a commendable service in the past and I wouldn’t want someone who has been penned down by his fellow citizens as being a commendable dictator to now come and be giving lopsided judgments.

When he came in, he said he would not be for someone but for everybody. We thought he would follow that up but all we have seen is witch-hunting of the opposition. We have to advise him before Nigerians start thinking otherwise of him. He told us that he would probe corrupt elements in the society, but it seems all the sinners are found only in the opposition, while all the saints available in Nigeria are in government, in the party [APC]. He should earn his probe credibility by generalising it.

44

30 January, 2016

Ooni visits Awujale

Saturday Tribune

PHOTOS: TOMMY ADEGBITE

From left, Otunba Subomi Balogun; the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, during the Ooniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit to the Awujale in Ijebu Ode, on Friday.

Oba Ogunwusi presenting a gift to Oba Adetona.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo (left) with Oba Adetona.

Chief Alex Duduyemi (left) with Otunba Subomi Balogun.

A cross section of traditional rulers from Ijebuland.

From left, Otunba Deji Osibogun, his wife and Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi.

From left, Chief Afolabi Ajomale, Chief Bisi Omidiora and Chief Akin Aduwo.

From left, Chief Duro Onabule, Chief Bimbola Ashiru and Chief Sunny Kuku

For bookings, contact â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Laolu Afolabi on 08054681741 or Tommy Adegbite on 08116954631

45

30 January, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Editor: Ganiyu Salman tribunesporteditor@yahoo.com 08053789060

Ejidike harps on measures to improve Nigerian league

Ibadan set for Hoops Dreams Academy launch

By Niyi Alebiosu THE ancient city of Ibadan with a rich history of basketball will today add to the conveyor belt of talent production in the sport as one of the former Oluyole Warriors basketball club stars in the 1980’s, Barrister Damola Awosika launches the Hoops Dreams Basketball Academy.

President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Mr Tijjani Umar lauded the initiator of the programme, Awosika for his proactiveness and drive to build a structure that will sustain youth development and talent discovery in the state and the South West, adding to the Youth Alive basketball programmes exsisting in Lagos and recently extended to Ekiti State last year.

The Academy which will cater to atleast 200 kids, teaching fundamentals of the game of basketball and supplying equipment to kids from as little as 6-18 years of age, drives to produce the next big stars for Nigeria at the youth level who will hopefully graduate to the senior national teams.

Awosika said the discovery of Nigerian youth sensation, Charles Bassey, now making waves in the United States, courtesy of the Youth Alive Basketball programme in Lagos motivated the Hoops Dreams Academy.

“We have kids everywhere who have talents to play basketball big time, we just have to create an opportunities and a structured, sustainable programme to teach them the right basics and monitor their progress,” he said.

Ogoke (right) dazzles during the 2015 AfroBasket clash with Senegal.

D’Tigress will grab Rio Olympics ticket —Ogoke

By Niyi Alebiosu

N

IGERIA women’s basketball star, Sarah Ogoke has expressed optimism that the D’Tigress have what it takes to represent Africa at the Rio Olympics which holds later in the year.

Ogoke, while reacting to the draw held in in Mies, Switzerland, for the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where Nigeria got pitched alongside Belarus and Korea in Group C said D’Tigress would not miss the ticket to Rio Olympics.

“I am super confident in our ability and our chances of getting one of the five tickets to Rio 2016 Olympics. Belarus and Korea will be tough opponents in the preliminaries, but I know we have enough talents to compete and come out of the group. Our aim in France is to get the ticket to Brazil and we are determined to achieve that,” said the Celta Vigo Basketball club point guard.

Ogoke led Nigeria in as-

sists at Cameroon 2015 where D’Tigress won the bronze with 4.4 assists per game, scoring 6.9 points per game then adding, 4.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game.

The 12-team tournament which is billed for the city of Nantes, France from June 13 to 19 will also see runners up at the 2015 Women’s AfroBasket, Cameroon slug it out with Turkey and Argentina in the preliminaries in group B. Meanwhile, the winner of the

NIGERIA Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike has called on football authorities in the country to intensify measures to step up officiating and security at match venues, to enhance validity of results of league matches in the new season.

The 2016 Glo Premier League season is scheduled to kick off next month.

He made the remark when he paid a courtesy call on the grand patron of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and financier of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah in Abuja.

Ejidike disclosed that the visit was in form of solidarity and support for Ubah adding “We need to encourage him not to be discouraged and he should remain focused in his effort to rebrand football in Nigeria and development of sports in general.”

Ejidike who doubles as the National president, Karate Federation of Nigeria declared that “sports promotion and development is more of social value and sacrifice in this part of the world than profit-making ventures.”

He commended Ubah for the ultra-modern stadium he is putting up in Nnewi, Anambra State which will not only attract hosting of both local and international competitions, but serves as breeding ground for budding talents.

Ejidike also noted that state governments have no business in floating professional football clubs as most times, serves as drainage pipe to siphon money.

He stated that, business men and private individuals should be allowed to run the club and make it a profit-making venture as obtainable in Europe.

2015 AfroBasket championship, Senegal remains the only Africa’s flagbearer so far to Rio Olympics which hold in August this year in Brazil.

The full list of the draw; Group A: Cuba, New Zealand, France Group B: Cameroon, Turkey, Argentina Group C: Belarus, Korea, Nigeria Group D: Venezuela, Spain, China.

Give us continental ticket, Oyo Assembly tells 3SC mgt

By Nurudeen Alimi THE Oyo State House of Assembly has mandated the management of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan to deliver a continental ticket at the end of the 2016 Glo Premier League season which begins next month.

This is in line with the aspirations of the teeming fans of the club in the diaspora.

Chairman, house committee on sports, Honourable Fatai Adesina, made this known while speaking with

Tribunesport shortly after the management of the club appeared before it at the house chamber on Thursday.

“It has been a long time we played on the continent and from the feedback we have received so far, fans of this great club are not comfortable with it.

“Let it be on record that Shooting Stars is the first Nigerian club side that won a continental title for Nigeria in 1976. So, what we want now is a situation whereby Shooting Stars will be seen on the continent again,” he

declared.

On the issue of hiring a new coach for the Oluyole Warriors following the departure of coach Gbenga Ogunbote to Giwa FC, Adesina informed that coach Kadiri Ikhana who was scheduled to appear before the committee could not show up due to the course he 3SC star, Tope Orelope, will play for Enyimba in the new season. is attending in Lagos.

“I think the General Manager (Mr Rasheed Balogun) knows the best decision to take when it comes to the issue of hiring a competent coach,” he stated.

46 sport

30 January, 2016

Adebayor (left)

Adebayor, a good buy for Crystal Palace —Pardew

C

RYSTAL Palace manager, Alan Pardew says signing Togo international forward, Emmanuel Adebayor is not a gamble because the striker has shown desire.

The former Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Tottenham forward joined Palace on Tuesday after spending five months as a free agent following his release by Spurs.

Speaking with the Guardian, the Eagles manager believes he cannot undermine the quality the ex-Gunners striker has.

The report revealed that he is adamant he has sufficiently researched Adebayor’s character and is confident Palace can benefit the career of the lanky player as much as he can provide them with muchneeded goals.

“We’ve incentivised his contract to do that, in terms of him being a success.”

“I see in him a desire to get his career back on track, and I think I can help him. I’m hoping that’s a win-win situation for him and for us.

“You cannot underestimate the quality he has.

I’ve tried to sign him twice before, once at West Ham, when I came that close, and at Newcastle we talked long and hard about him.

“He’s a character that needs to be loved and the group I have, he’s going to get that. For us it’s about bringing in a striker to give

everyone a boost.

“We all felt sorry for ourselves, no [Yannick] Bolasie, Connor [Wickham’s] now suspended, so it’s great for us.

“You can see in the training ground there’s a lift already. He’s done the first part of his job because everybody is really pleased he’s here,” pardew stated.

NFF to hire coaches on part-time THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will now engage assistant coaches of the various national teams on part-time basis so as to lessen the financial burden the salaries of the coaches has caused them.

A top official disclosed: “The assistant coaches will now be on part time, strictly for when there is a tournament concerning their respective teams.

“They will therefore free to work with the clubs when they are now with the national teams.

“We have to be realistic, we have been paying many people for many years

without doing anything and the financial obligation caused by just salaries of the coaches is just too huge.

“There is one of the Eagles assistant coaches who has insisted he is owed over N18 million from salaries and what have you over the years.”

It was also revealed that one of the Eagles assistant coaches has not been paid for the past nine months.

The NFF has already decided that developmental teams from U-17 downwards will no longer be entitled to match bonuses as they save on costs.

Akas joins Enyimba NIGERIA Glo Premier League reigning champions, Enyimba have completed the signing of the captain of the Super Eagles to the fourth African Nations Championship (CHAN), Chima Akas.

Enyimba announced on its official website the left-

back, who has also been capped by Nigeria at U-23 level will don the colours of the team in the new season scheduled to begin next month.

Akas led Nigeria to the CHAN 2016 in Rwanda, where the Eagles failed to go past the group

stage.

He has featured for Sharks and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) and was linked with Sunshine Stars.

Two-time African champions Enyimba will feature in this year’s CAF Champions League.

Saturday Tribune

47 sport

30 January, 2016

G lfline

With Olawale Olaniyan 081 7077 2333 olaniyankay@yahoo.com

I want to be

confidence and exposure.

Did you win any prize in Scotland?

Laughs... no and it was because of the climate in that country. The weather there was not friendly to me at all.

It was too cold all through the tournament and I did so badly. I finished 49th out of 51 participants which took part in the event, but as I said earlier, I gained from the trip because it boosted my career as a golfer.

‘Jordan Spieth’

Was that your first tournament?

Yes, it was my first tournament outside Nigeria and as well my second in my golfing career because my first tournament was in Ikoyi, Lagos and that was the qualifiers KJI, where I qualified for the Scotland Open.

of Nigerian golf —Ilori

Ilori Wonderful, a product of Ada Grammar School, Osun State and member, Rosani Golf Academy, Erimope, Ekiti State who recently won the seventh Elizabeth Akinjide memorial golf tournament in Ibadan as guest participant, in this interview with OLAWALE OLANIYAN speaks on his experience as a golfer. The 19-year-old golfer also laments why he cannot further his studies and his effort at returning to classroom in due course, among other sundry issues. Excerpts:

How can you describe golf as a sport?

Golf is unique because it reflects one’s character on the golf course. Golf is also a very friendly game that helps young players to realise their dreams. The only thing you need in golf is passion, once you have a passion for the game, you can get to any height you wish to attain.

What is your ultimate target as a golfer?

The player I am trying to emulate is a very young girl, she is 14 years old, Georgia Oboh who won the US Kids Golf Teen World Championship recently. She is one of Nigerian youngest golf stars, she was the one who made me to embrace golf because of her style of play. She plays in a right direction, I took up the challenge that if a girl could do this I can also do it even better, and now she is making Nigeria proud. One day, I want to be Jordan Spieth of Nigeria.

Ilori set to tee off

H

OW was your experience at the Akinjide golf tournament?

Although, I felt shy playing off 20 handicap, at the initial stage of the tournament because it seemed the handicap was too big for me, but I became happy later when I eventually won the tournament. My joy also is that I was the youngest golfer in the tournament. I am being driven by the talent in me and I believe with the passion I have for golf, I would get there one day.

When did you start your golfing career?

I started as a young player at Rosani Golf Academy, Erimope, Ekiti State. In fact, there there were no professional golfers to put us through the rudiments of the game when we started, yet we taught ourselves by playing every evening after school, but the captain of the club and his wife have been of tremendous assistance to us.

Saturday Tribune

Where do you want to see yourself in the next two or three years?

If there is sponsorship, I would like to be in an academy probably in the United Kingdom or the United States of America, but if there is none, I would like to be in category one as a professional golfer. I would want to turn professional in the next two, three years.

What are you doing in terms of academics?

I am hoping to sit for JAMB this year. I was once a student of the Osun State Polytechnic, but because of lack of sponsorship and some other basic needs, I dropped out of school in 2014. At present, I am seeking admission into university to study Mass Communcation and I pray God to make my dream come to pass. Sponsorship is one of the challenges I am facing because, most times, getting funds is very difficult. I always strive for funds which deprive me of getting enough practice sessions that I should have. I would have been playing a better handicap than this but, for of lack of sponsorship.

What is your advice for young prospects out there?

My advice for them is that, even without sponsorship, every youth should build a passion for a sport and still take it up as challenge. It is good for one not to relent in one’s effort of becoming great in life. One must work hard and leave the rest to God to lift one up.

Ilori

How do you think golf can become a household sport in Nigeria like football?

Yeah, there are many young talents out there who are even better than me like Georgia Obuh, but the government is not really supporting golf as it should be. The focus is mainly on football, athletics and basketball as they believe golf is a game for the elite which is not so.

Also, there is the need for corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to promote golf too and make it popular like football in Nigeria because, we are blessed with a lot of talents who can rule the world in any sport if given the necessary motivation.

Most golfers started as caddies, were you once a caddy too?

No, I’ve never been one, but the tutelage I could say I received was when I followed established golfers on the golf course for six months before I took up the challenge of becoming a golfer too.

You said the captain and the lady captain have been helping young golfers over there, can you shed more light on this?

Yes, the Kabiyesi of Oore of Mobaland, Oba James Adedapo Popoola has been the one helping us and even sponsoring us to tournaments in Ekiti State likewise his wife, Olori Grace Banke Popoola.

Have you participated in any international tournament?

Yes. I participated in the Scotland Open for junior golfers about two years ago and it was quite a rewarding experience because it enabled me to gain more experience,

Did your parents support your decision to play golf?

Yes, my parents are fully in support of my golfing career most especially my father. He also has a passion for golf.

He is always there for me likewise my elder brother.

FA CUP FIXTURES

NO 1136

N150

SATURDAY, 30 JANUARY, 2016

Colchester Arsenal A/Villa Bolton Bury

C/Palace

vs Tottenham vs Burnley vs Man City vs Leeds vs Hull vs Stoke

Saturday, January 30 1:45pm N/Forest 4:00pm Oxford Utd 4:00pm Portsmouth 4:00pm Reading 4:00pm Shrewsbury 4:00pm West Brom

vs vs vs vs vs vs

Watford Blackburn B/mouth Walsall Sheff Wed P/borough

4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm 4:00pm

Nwakali, Chukwueze good for Arsenal —Wenger

By Olawale Olaniyan With Agency Report

ARSENE Wenger is confident Arsenal can complete the signing of Nigerian youngsters, Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze before the end of the January transfer window next week.

The duo impressed at

the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year as they guided Nigeria to the title and they have since been linked with a number of highprofile clubs, including Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Wenger believes Arsenal

is set to win the race for the 17-year-old Nwakali and the 16-year-old Chukwueze, though, and expects to see both Diamond Football Academy midfielders to arrive in London shortly.

“The deal for the Nigeri-

an youngsters is progressing well,” Wenger said at a news conference.

“I expect it to be done.

There are work permit issues and we have to sort medicals. But things are going well.

“We identified Nwakali

as a top player, he was the best player at the Under-17 World Cup. “We will see if we can get it over the line this transfer period.”

Arsenal has already brought in Mohamed Elneny from Basel this

transfer window and also been linked with former Manchester United striker, Javier Hernandez.

Nevertheless, Wenger has made it clear there will not be any more arrivals apart from Nwakali and Chukwueze.

Wolfsburg signs agreement with Osimhen’s Ultimate Strikers GERMAN Bundesliga club, VfLWolfsburg has signed an international co-operation agreement with Ultimate Strikers Football Academy of Lagos for Victor Osimhen.

Former Germany international and Wolfsburg sports director, Klaus Allofs signed on behalf of Wolfsburg, while Chinedu Ogbenna signed for Ultimate Strikers.

Osimhen, will sign a professional contract on January 1, 2017, as he would then have clocked 18 years on December 29, this year.

“The player, his father and his representatives are all delighted with thisco-operation agreement, which is a legally binding agreement between all the parties and which will be migrated to a proper professional contract as soon as the player is of age,” disclosed one of Osimhen’s representatives, Ariyo Igbayilola.

“This is great for the continued development of Victor.

It’s the first step for him in Europe.”

The co-operation agreement will include Osimhen training at Wolfsburg as well as other players from Ultimate Strikers Academy.

Osimhen made history when he set a new goal record of 10 goals at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile last November.

He was also on the Nigeria squad which clinched the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Senegal last December and qualified for this year’s Rio Olympics.

Chukwueze

Nwakali

Australian Open:

Serena goes for 22nd Grand Slam title

As Murray books showdown with Djokovic

S

ERENA Williams says she is playing near her best as she attempts to win a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title today when she faces Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final.

The American, 34, won three out of four Grand Slam titles last season.

“This is probably the best slam I’ve played in a year,” said Williams.

Williams will be the centre of attention, however, as she bids to match Steffi Graf’s Open-era haul of 22 Grand Slam titles, closing in on Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24.

After a tricky first-round encounter against Camila Giorgi, she has been progressed through the draw with a series of emphatic victories, dropping just 17 games and no sets in the next five matches.

She beat five-time Grand Slam champion, Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the quarter-finals before seeing off fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 to

make the final.

“Even if I don’t win, I really can take away that I’ve been really consistent and I want to continue that,” Williams added.

German seventh seed Kerber is playing in her first Grand Slam final, compared to Williams’ 26th.

The 28-year-old has won just once in six previous meetings - a 6-4 6-4 upset in Cincinnati in 2012 - but believes her status as the underdog and the belief built by a steady climb up the rankings gives her hope.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Andy Murray on Friday reached his fifth Australian Open final by winning an epic five-set battle with 13th seed Milos Raonic.

The victory earns the Scot a showdown with defending champion, Novak Djokovic in tomorrow’s final.

World number two, Murray who was broken in the first game of the match later prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, (4-7) 6-4, 6-2 in a gruelling four-hour contest.

Can Serena match Steffi Graf’s record today?

Printed and Published by the African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, Imalefalafia Street, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. E mail: saturdaytribuneeditor@yahoo.com Website: www.tribuneonlineng.com MANAGING DIRECTOR / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: EDWARD DICKSON. EDITOR: LASISI OLAGUNJU. All Correspondence to P. O. Box 78, Ibadan. ISSN 2712. ABC Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation. 30/1/2016.