30th April 2016

NIGERIA’S MOST INFORMATIVE NEWSPAPER NO 1,149

SATURDAY, 30 APRIL, 2016

www.tribuneonlineng.com

Nigerian Tribune

@nigeriantribune

Nigerian Tribune

N150

Buhari’s, Saraki’s assets ‘still under CCB verification’

pg4

19 Northern govs insist on licences for preachers Weekend Lagos

pg4

Men started chasing me at 13 —Nkiru Umeh pg2

pg5 Seven govs in Ekiti, inaugurate Fayose’s projects

Banire

Ambode

Smith

Lagos indigenes plot against Ambode

He is completely inaccessible —Banire, APC legal adviser He is weeding out indigenes from govt —Eko Foundation pgs19,20,21,22&33 We have no comment —Lagos govt

Army, Shiites fight over 347 buried corpses pg4 Benin sons ordered to shave their heads as Oba of Benin diespg5

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Saturday Tribune

Men started chasing me at 13,

so it’s no surprise I married at 17

—NkiruUmeh

Gorgeous Nollywood actress, Nkiruka Umeh, fondly called Angel Nikky, made her entrance into the motion picture industry in 2011 in a movie she co-acted with veteran actor, Pete Edochie’s son, Yul Edochie entitled: ‘The Goddess and the Witches’, after which she took a break to raise a family.

Since her return, the mother of four has been featured in over 20 movies plying her trade in the Nigerian movie industry with finesse and gusto. In spite of her degree in Public Administration, the Anambra- State born thespian told NEWTON-RAY UKWUOMA in this exclusive interview that she was born an actor. Excerpts

H

OW long have you been acting?

Professionally, three years and some months. I started off in 2011, but I had to give it a break to take care of my family. I returned three years ago and since then I have been acting.

How would you describe the level of impact you have made in the industry?

Unlike Genevieve [Nnaji] and Omotola [Jalade-Ekeinde], who have been in the industry over twenty years and have done so much, I have not been acting for long. But within this short time of three years, I have been able to carve my own niche with outstanding craft. At least, I have close to twenty movies to my credit.

And to what do you attribute the successes of your movie appearances – your beauty or talent?

Beauty is a plus when it comes to acting because it gives you that camera- friendly outlook, but what gets you going is your craft, the talent. And I think both have kept me going.

You studied Public Administration at the university, why did acting appeal to you as a career?

Acting has been there since I was little.

From primary school I was involved in school drama. In secondary school I was leading the drama group in my school. It has been there for a very long time. I think I was born with it, but I didn’t start when I planned to because I got married early. And I felt it was important to take care of that part of my life before venturing into acting.

At what age did you get married?

I got married at 17 and I had my first child at 18.

Did you decide to get married that early?

Yes. I started having suitors very early in life. I think I had my first suitor when I was 13. Then I looked 16. I knew I was going to get married early. So, I started programming my mind for it. I love early marriage. And I have always wanted to have kids early and for people to mistaken them as my siblings.

I wanted that picture for myself. And having suitors early, I got married early. I have no regrets.

What endeared your hubby to you in spite of other suitors?

Connection. Chemistry. I felt it. It was natural. It was strong then I knew he was the man for me. Secondly, I had my dreams. I knew I wanted to be an actress. I didn’t want someone that would stop me from doing that.

From the beginning he was comfortable with my aspirations. He only wanted me to have kids first. I am done with kids. Now, it is my career.

What other qualities do you admire in men?

Well, I just have one man in my life and that is my husband. I don’t think I should be noticing any other quality in men. But I just like when a man is good-looking and God-fearing.

My man also has all these qualities.

With the way you look, no one would believe you have four kid, is it one of the advantages of early marriage?

I don’t think early marriage has anything to do with the way I look. It’s decision. I look

this way because I wanted to. I put in a lot of efforts and hard work to take care of myself.

In fact, I have the tendency to gain weight so easily. So, I am always watching myself and what I eat.

Aside acting, I work at my husband’s company. I am a co-director in his company.

I also have a newly registered company of my own. We are trying to build it into something big.

Would you be kind enough to share your routine for those who want to learn from you?

It is nothing extraordinary. But I think the number one philosophy is that you are what you eat. I just don’t eat anything because I can afford it. I try to do physical exercise once a week. I used to do that three times a week, but I hardly have time for it because of my job. It is more of watching what you eat.

Do you want to share with us what the company is about?

I rather not talk about the company now.

But I would let you know before the year runs out.

Aside acting what else do you do?

What kind of business does your husband do?

He runs a company, Divine Gate Ltd. We import steel pipes and industrial fittings.

Continues on pg27

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Same website, simpler name.

www.boi.ng

customercare@boi.ng | www.boi.ng

news CCB still verifying Buhari’s, Osinbajo’s, Saraki’s, others’ assets 4

Sunday Ejike - Abuja

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HE Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is yet to conclude the verification of the assets declared by President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and other top officials of the present administration in 2015, Saturday Tribune has gathered.

The CCB has the mandate to accept assets declaration forms from all public officers and verify them in accordance with the CCB/T Act. A reliable source at the Bureau, headed by Mr. Sam Saba, told Saturday Tribune that the Bureau is still verifying the assets declared by the President, Vice President; the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in their forms submitted to the Bureau last year.

The source said that the Bureau “is not in a hurry to conclude the verification exercise” as it wants to do a thorough job, in accordance with the act establishing it.

The spokesman of the CCB, Mohammed Idris, was said not to be “in town” when Saturday Tribune attempted to seek his official reactions.

However, the source in the Bureau confirmed that the verifications exercise was still going on.

The Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Chapter 56 LFN 1990 gives the Bureau the mandate to establish and maintain a high standard of public morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and accountability.

To implement the above mandate, Section 3, part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has provided an enabling legal environment for the Bureau to: Receive declarations by public officers under paragraph 11 of part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

Examine the declarations in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct or any Law; Retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe; Ensure compliance with and, where appropriate, enforce the provisions of the Code of Conduct or any law relating thereto; Receive complaints about non-compliance with or

30 April, 2016

breach of the provisions of the Code of Conduct or any law in relation thereto, investigate the complaints and, where appropriate, refer such matters to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

On September 3, 2015, the presidency had, in a statement, announced Buhari’s assets while promising that full details of the declaration would be available to the public after verification by the CCB. The statement reads: The statement read: “Documents submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) show that the retired General has indeed been living an austere and Spartan lifestyle, contrary to what many might expect of a former Head of State of Nigeria and one who has held a number of top government positions, such as governor, minister of petroleum and the head of the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF).

“The documents submitted to the CCB, which officials say are still being vetted and will soon be made public, show that prior to being sworn in on May 29, President Buhari had less than N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank. President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory and no enterprises.

“He also had no registered company and no oil wells.

“The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) who had been a successful lawyer before his foray into politics declared a bank balance of about N94 million and 900,000 United States Dollars in his bank accounts.

“President Buhari declared however that he had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank.

“This is entirely unlike what one might expect from a former head of state of a country like Nigeria.

“The documents also revealed that President Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura. He had two homes in Kaduna, one each in Kano, Daura and in Abuja. One of the mud houses in Daura was inherited from his late older sister, another from his late father. He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes.

“President Buhari also has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt. He is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land.

“In addition to the homes in Daura, he has farms, an orchard and a ranch. The total number of his holdings in the farm include 270 heads of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees.

“The documents also showed that the retired General uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the federal government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were

donated to him by wellwishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.

“As revealed by the same forms, highlights of the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s asset declaration include his 4-bedroom residence at Victoria Garden City, Lagos and a 3-bedroom flat at 2 Mosley Road, Ikoyi. The Vice President also has a 2-bedroom flat at the popular Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

and a 2-bedroom mortgaged property in Bedford, England. Aside from these, the Vice President has no other landed properties on the form.

“Apart from his law firm, known as SimmonsCooper, the Vice-President also declared shareholding in six private companies based in Lagos, including Octogenerium Ltd., Windsor Grant Ltd., Tarapolsa, Vistorion Ltd., Aviva Ltd. and MTN Nigeria.

“According to details shown on the form, the

Saturday Tribune

Vice-President has about ninety four million naira, nine hundred thousand US dollars and nineteen thousand pounds in Nigerian Banks with the foreign currencies kept in local domiciliary accounts. His personal vehicles are one Infinity 4-Wheel Drive SUV, one Mercedes Benz and a Prado Jeep.

“As soon as the CCB is through with the process, the documents will be released to the Nigerian public and people can see for themselves.”

19 Northern govs insist on licences for preachers Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna THE 19 northern state governors on Friday agreed to commence the issuance of licences to all religious organisations and preachers in all states in the region. Only Kaduna state had, hitherto, proposed the new measure.

The governors, who said they were alarmed by the proliferation of sects and preachers in the region, also agreed to close down all religious organizations and institutions that refused to be registered with the respective state governments.

These were part of the seven-page communiqué issued by the governors after a meeting in Kaduna on Friday.

The governors also said they noted the proliferation of Islamic sects in the region whose doctrines are repugnant to Islamic injunctions and Islamic jurisprudence.

“In view of the above, it has become imperative to establish a regulatory mechanism to consistently monitor activities of newly registered and unregistered religious organizations, ascertain the sources of their funds, both locally and internationally, monitor the activities of new Islamic schools established by any of the sects as well as their curriculum,” the communiqué said.

They also agreed to “facilitate the issuance of certificates and licences to prospective preachers and ensuring that all Islamic schools and other religious organizations are duly registered by government and close all unregistered ones.

“The Forum made an insightful and thorough review of the current security situation in the region with specific reference to Boko Haram insurgency, cattle rustling and lingering deadly clashes between farmers and cattle rearers as well as armed banditry and kidnapping which have been responsible for developmental challenges,” they said.

The Forum also urged the people to be focused on issues that will engender national unity and development and the consolidation of democratic gains in the nation, stressing that “peaceful co-existence and national interest should be of utmost concern to all.”

The seven-page communiqué was signed on behalf of the 19 governors by the Borno State governor and chairman of Northern State Governors Forum, Alhaji Kasim Shettima. All the states were rep-

resented by their governors or deputy governors.

Earlier Shettima had said that the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has agreed to partake in the reconstruction of the North in order to make the region regain its glory.

Shettima made this known, while declaring open a meeting of the Forum.

“You may recall that consequent upon a deliberate resolution of the Forum, I had the privilege to lead a top-level delegation to the headquarters of the Islamic Develop-

ment Bank in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, for special consultations with the management of the bank on possible ways of attracting their assistance in addressing some of the core challenges we are facing in the region.

“In reaction to our various presentations, the bank’s president, Dr Mohammed Ali, had given us a strong indication of the IDB’s declared intention to initiate a comprehensive and constructive plan for the reconstruction of the Northern Region.

Army, Shiites fight over 347 corpses SHIITE Islamic sect have accused the Nigerian Army of plotting to exhume corpses of the 347 members of the sect buried in a mass grave in Kaduna.

The army, however, in a sharp reaction condemned the allegation describing it as a figment of the sect’s imagination.

A statement by the sect’s Islamic movement of Nigeria on Friday said the plot by the Army was being hatched in order to destroy the evidence of mass murder by the security forces.

“Since the disclosure of the existence of a mass grave at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry by officials of Kaduna State government, the Nigerian Army has been quite uncomfortable. Initially, they tried to debunk the existence of a mass grave in their testimonies at the Commission.

When it became obvious through confessions of officers of the state government that mass grave exists, and that officers and men of the Nigerian Army were fully involved in the construction of the mass grave as well as the secret burial of hundreds of IMN members they killed, the Nigerian Army officials have been working out how they could at least significantly put down the number of corpses buried in the grave. At a fol-

low-up testimony at the Judicial Commission, they bluntly refused to acknowledge the hundreds killed and buried in the mass grave, claiming that they handed over only “a few” to state officials for burial.

“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria wishes to make it categorically clear that the site of the mass grave where the Kaduna state government admitted that it had buried 347 of those killed by the Nigerian military in Zaria last December is a crime scene, hence any attempt to tamper with it would not only be taken as a sacrilege and unacceptable, but also as an attempt to tamper with an important exhibit, which is a serious crime in itself,” the Shiites said.

The 1 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian army, Kaduna, in a reaction, condemned the allegation that it was planning to exhume and steal the bodies of Shiite members buried in Mando, Kaduna.

This was contained in a statement made available to the Saturday Tribune on Friday and signed by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Abdul Usman, The statement posited that “it is simply a figment of their jaundiced imagination and a campaign of calumny againt the Army adding that

the “Army strongly and categorically rejects the IMN’s unfounded and spurious allegation. It is simply a concoction of lies and deliberate effort by the IMN to portray the Nigerian Army’s image negatively.

“The Nigerian Army will like to make it abundantly clear that it has never contemplated such an act at anytime. It is of no relevance whatsoever. We are focused on discharging our constitutional duty as a professional military force.

“We expect any responsible media to double check such weighty allegations before going to press. Nigeria’s national security and interest must never be toyed with,” it said.

To this end, it maintained that “the Nigerian Army as a law abiding entity had already stated its facts regarding the December 12-14 incident in Zaria before the Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba led Judicial Commission of Inquiry.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the commission had on Wednesday 27th April, 2016 visited all the sites of the incident in Zaria including the grave site in Kaduna. It was widely aired. It is not the duty of the Army to guard any public grave site other than our own designated military cemeteries, “ it said.

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Ishaku, Ikpeazu, Udom laud Fayose’s courage as 7 PDP govs inaugurate projects in Ekiti Sam Nwaoko - Ado Ekiti

Labour leaders at the 2016 pre-May Day news conference by the NLC leadership in Abuja, on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

Benin sons ordered to shave heads as Oba of Benin dies Banji Aluko - Benin City

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HE Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba Ne Edo, Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba Erediauwa, has joined his ancestors.

A concise statement on Friday at the Benin palace by the Iyase (Prime Minister) of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, who spoke in Bini dialect and translated to English said: “Osorhue Bunrun, Oba Erediauwa of Benin Kingdom, the Prince of Peace, Ebo, Ayemwirhe, Emini Mini Mini, has reunited with his ancestors. May he find peace with God. The announcement was done simultaneously with the symbolic breaking of white chalk by the Iyase at the Urho-Ozolua shrine within the Oba’s palace in the presence of a large gathering consisting of other palace chiefs of different categories, traditional rulers in the Benin Kingdom, members of the Benin royal family, Benin sons and daughters and journalists, who had all been summoned to the palace as early 10:00a.m.

The Iyase further announced to the gathering that all markets in the Benin Kingdom should be closed forthwith, palace chiefs with many beads should start to wear one and that Benin sons should shave their heads.

It was gathered at the meeting that the news of the passage of the foremost traditional ruler had earlier been broken to his first son and the Benin Crown Prince, HRH (Ambassador) Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken N’ Uselu and members of the Benin Royal family.

The Obadolagbonyi of Benin Kingdom, Chief, Omon Osagie Utetenegiabi, said it was customary that the transition of a Benin monarch be first broken to his eldest son and his immediate family members first before the highest ranking palace chief, the Iyase of Benin, breaks the passage to the Benin people.

He said, “Iyase is the traditional Prime Minister and the bridge between the people and the royalty and that is what he has done today. From today until the expiration of ‘Emwinekhua’ all Benin

chiefs, that have been entitled by the Oba to wear the round bead round their neck which is two will now wear one. It is customary because when you see a Chief wear one bead, it shows that we are a state of mourning.”

“After today, we are awaiting further instructions on what to do. But the Oba of Benin does not die because he is an institution; he mainly translates to a high glory as an ancestor.”

He described Oba Erediauwa as an Oba of peace, the Oba who brought prosperity to his people and understood his people, adding that the departed Oba was an Oba who could sit in judgment and give judgment against his own son for a commoner. “ Omo N’ Oba Erediauwa was born in 1923 to Oba Akenzua II, the 37th Oba of Benin Kingdom. Before being crowned an Oba on the 23rd of March 1979, he was known as Prince Solomon, Aiseokhuoba, Igbinoghodua Akenzua.

He attended Government College, Ibadan (1939–1945) and Yaba College, Lagos, before going to King’s College, Cambridge to study Law and Administration. On returning to Nigeria, he joined the Eastern Nigeria Civil Service in 1957 as a District Officer and later moved to the Federal Civil Service where he retired as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in 1973.

For a short period, he was the regional representative of Gulf Oil. In 1975, he was appointed Commissioner for Finance in Bendel State during the military administration of Major-General George Agbazika Innih.

Buhari mourns late Benin monarch President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he received with sadness and an immense feeling of great national loss, news of the passing away of the highly revered traditional ruler of Benin Kingdom, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina in Abuja on Friday, said on behalf of the Federal Government, Presi-

dent Buhari extended sincere condolences to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the people of Benin Kingdom and Edo State on the passage of the beloved monarch who had ruled over his people since his ascension to the throne in 1979.

The President extended special commiserations to Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa and other members of the late Oba’s immediate family.

Our hearts are heavy —Oshiomhole Meanwhile, reactions have started to follow the passage of the Oba of Benin, starting with Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who described the departed Oba as exemplary.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Peter Okhiria, said.

“Our hearts are heavy, laden with pains and grief, at the announcement of the passing on to glory of Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa of Benin, our highly revered Oba, a distinguished Edo numero uno, an accomplished Nigerian, a seasoned bureaucrat, quintessential unifier, unique personage and exemplary Omo N’Oba, whose reign brought distinction, immense class, finesse and integrity to traditional institution in Edo state and the country at large.

Dogara mourns Oba Erediauwa

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Yakubu Dogara, has condoled with the people of the ancient Benini Kingdom over the transition of the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa I. In a statement signed by his spokesman, Turaki Hassan, the speaker noted that the late Oba’s legacy of peace will continue to make impact in the Edo nation and the entire country for generations to come.

Sokoto govt also mourns Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has described the late Oba of Benin, Erediauwa Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, as a committed nationalist and traditional ruler par excellence whose reign brought tremendous progress to Benin Kingdom in particular and Edo State in general.

In a message of condolence issued in Sokoto by his spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal said the deceased monarch lived a life of service for his people and the nation at large.

“Oba Erediauwa has written his name in gold, through his invaluable contributions to the growth and development of the nation’s socio-economy, as well as his globally acknowledged views on governance, public policy, history and leadership.

GOVERNOR Darius Ishaku of Taraba State on Friday said Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State gave him courage as he awaited the Supreme Court verdict on his election as governor after the Court of Appeal ruled that he was not validly elected.

Governor Ishaku, who was in Ado Ekiti for a thanksgiving he said he promised he would hold in Ekiti while in Israel on pilgrimage with Governor Fayose, if God granted him victory, also said he went through a rough patch like Fayose in his state.

In the same vein, governors of Akwa Ibom and Abia states, Mr. Emmanuel Udom and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively, in their speeches at the special thanksgiving service, described Fayose as “a pillar of support” to their respective administrations, disclosing that the governor played a similar role for them during their travails at the election petition tribunal.

The governors who were later joined by Givernor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State; Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe; Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and Nyensom Wike of Rivers also accompanied Governor Fayose as he inaugurated some projects executed by Governor Fayose around the state capital.

Also in the team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs in the state on Friday was the national chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

Ishaku, while speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony organised in honour of his judicial victory in Ado Ekiti, said Fayose’s spiritual counselling made him escape the hammer at the apex court.

“After losing at the Appeal Court, I was in Jerusalem with Governor Fayose and at a time I became burdened and I told him (Fayose) that I was prepared to go back to

APC members behind tension in Niger Delta —Tompolo Ebenezer Adurokiya - Warri FORMER militant, Mr Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has alleged that unnamed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are behind increased tension and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.

The former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) made the allegation on Friday in a press statement signed by his media aide and consultant, Paul Bebenimibo and made available to Saturday Tribune in Warri,

Delta State.

Tompolo, who refuted any link with a new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers which claimed responsibility for the recent bombing of Forcados’ 48Inch Export Pipeline, said APC chieftains in the region, who had lost out in securing political appointments and contracts from Abuja, were responsible for the blackmail.

According to the spokesperson for the former warlord, these APC members are the ones creating tension by masterminding economic

sabotage in the region.

“It is very important to inform Mr President and the security agencies in the country that some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly from Bayelsa and Delta states are not happy with him because they have not got anything from him after almost a year since he assumed office by way of appointments and contracts.

“Therefore, some of them are involved in nefarious activities in the oil and gas sector so as to be engaged in pipeline surveillance.”

my state. But he advised me to stay back and put all my supplications before God and that I did.

“I then promised that if I should win the supreme court verdict that I am going to do my thanksgiving in Ado Ekiti and that I am doing today. He told me that God will make way for me and this advise actually subdued my worries and today I am celebrating.

“That was why I am committed to wiping away tears in the eyes of my people in Taraba. As I speak with you many communities in Taraba had not witnessed development since its creation. It marvels me when my wife told me that she went to a community, very remote one and a woman of over 100 years proclaimed that she had not seen a car in her lifetime.”

Speaking on Fayose’s virtues, Ishaku showered encomiums on the governor for his forthrightness, doggedness and bravery, saying these have helped in shaping his political career,” he said.

Ikpeazu , who also escaped the Supreme Court hammer the same way as Governor Ishaku, relayed how Fayose stood by him for him to stay afloat and triumph in his judicial triumph.

Udom, who branded Fayose as a dependable pillar of support in the PDP, said the present crops of governors across party lines must rise above partisanship and strive hard to make Nigeria great in all respects.

“The present crops of governors in the country are committed people who are ready to take Nigeria to the next level,” he said.

Fayose, who attributed his contributions to God’s guidance and powers, urged the victors to continue to serve the people and always seek the face of God in all their dealings.

The governor added that virtually all his predictions about some happenings in the country have come to fruition, saying this underscored the grace of God over his life.

“Having triumphed over the forces of darkness, I want you to rededicate yourself to the service of God. You must see God as your pillar and be ready to render selfless service to the people,” Fayose counselled.

Among the projects commissioned were Funmilayo Olayinka Women Development Centre, built in honour of the late deputy governor; 2,500- capacity amphitheater built in the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Awedele dualisation project, De-Head-Police headquarters road, Petim Road in Adebayo.

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Saturday Tribune

Police arraign housewife for fingering minor

Children of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the ‘School Without Walls’’, participating in environmental sanitation exercise organised by Life Builders Initiative, in commemoration of the 2016 World Malaria Day, at Durumi (Area 1) IDPs camp, in Abuja, on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

UITH records success in another open heart surgery

Biola Azeez - Ilorin

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HE University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) and medical team of Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai, India, have concluded another round of open heart surgery on three children.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Thursday, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Professor Abdulwahab Olatinwo, said two children who were operated upon during the first open heart surgery seven months ago and the new set of three children were in good health.

The age brackets of the children operated upon, are between four and nine, while the first set of children were females and the second set were all males.

Professor Olatinwo, who said that an average of 1,000 out of one million children in the country have heart-related problems, added that the children could die before adolescence if nothing was done to correct the ailments.

He revealed that open

heart surgical operations cost about N700,000 and N1.8 million on a child, adding that, “unfortunately, most parents of the patients cannot afford this amount of money.”

He, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists to fund cost of operating on some other patients to en-

able the hospital to help more suffering Nigerians.

The CMD stated further that the exchange medical programme between the teaching hospital and Apollo team of India would afford more staff doctors the opportunity of foreign training, adding that it was also one of the ways to give back to the society.

He revealed that two staff doctors in the hospital were undergoing training in the India hospital, adding that they would soon join their counterparts upon completion of their studies to man the Cardiac Catheterisation (Cathlab) laboratory, which is being built in the hospital for open heart operation.

Don’t take people for granted, bishop tells Amosun Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE Diocesan Bishop of Egba, Right Reverend Emmanuel Adekunle, has advised the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, not take the people of the state for granted with his policies and programmes.

He said all infrastructures provided would not be meaningful if the people continue to live in abject poverty, adding that his administration should be more human oriented.

The bishop stated this in his presidential charge read during the first sesssion of the 14th synod of

the diocese, with the theme “The Beautitudes,” held in Abeokuta, on Friday.

The cleric, who was apprently reacting to the recent industrial action embarked on by state civil servants in February, urged the governor to honour agreement with the workers.

He also called on Amosun to pay attention to the payment of gratuity to all pensioners, pointing out that many of the retirees had died without the opportunity to access what they laboured for.

“Let me use this opportunity, again, to remind the governor not to take the people for granted. Let

your government be more human-oriented. All infrastructures provided will be meaningful to the people if the individual and family immediate needs are met.

“The people want food on their table they want to be clothed, they want to be addressed as landlord, and they want their obligations met be it financial or relationship,” he added.

He also called on the governor to check the excesses of some officials of the town planning unit, who according to him, have been harrassing people that were displaced by the construction of new roads in satellte towns.

Ogun PDP chieftains drag Dayo-led exco to court As stakeholders’ forum petitions Sheriff, others

By Dare Adekanmbi AHEAD of today’s state congress, five chieftains of Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta to restrain the Chief Adebayo Dayo-led executive from conducting or superintending the supervision of all the congresses in the state.

The PDP chieftains, who are claimants/applicants in an ex-parte application dated 18th April and brought before Justice Mobolaji Ojo, are Wasiu Sanni; Alhaja Nike Odutola; Mr Semiu Babatunde;

Semiu Adesanya and Elder Shola Soledolu.

The defendants in the suit number AB/121/2016 are: PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Dayo, and Alhaji Semiu Sodipo.

The claimants predicated their objection to the Dayoled executive on the premise that the tenure of the executive lapsed on February 27 this year, prompting the seeking of the order of the court to bar them from all the congress.

They also sought an order of the court directing the PDP national leadership to appoint state caretaker committee to conduct and supervise the congresses.

Part of the reliefs sought by the claimants also included an order directing the claimants and independent observers to record live proceedings of the congresses, as well as an order for substituted service of court processes on the defendants.

Justice Ojo, while ruling on the application April 18 as moved by counsel for the claimants, Chief W.O Liady, granted the prayers for substituted service and the service of PDP and INEC in Abuja, within seven days, while hearing on the motion on notice was fixed for May 3.

Meanwhile, a group of leaders within the party

under the aegis of Stakeholders’ Forum, has petitioned the acting national chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, alleging that plans by the Dayo-led executive has compiled the list of the executives and waiting for ratification by the national body.

In the three-page petition signed by Honourable Bisiriyu Popoola, Chief Iyabo Apampa, Honourable Lekan Tejuoso and 12 others, the PDP leaders said despite paying the stipulated fees for the nomination forms by their party and following all laid down procedure, the forms were not released to them.

THE police on Friday, arraigned a 29-year-old housewife, Sadiya Muhammad, before a Magistrates’ court in Kano for fingering a four-year-old girl, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

The accused was charged with an act of gross indecency, contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor, Mr Sale Muhammad, told the court that Tijjani Abdulrahman of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, reported the case to Gwagwarwa Police Division, Kano, on April 12.

Describing the incident, he revealed that on April 11, at about 7.30 p.m., the accused lured his four-year-old daughter into a nearby house and inserted her finger into the victim’s vagina.

The prosecutor said the victim was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.

Chief Magistrate Fatima Adamu granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adamu ordered the sureties to produce two recent passport photographs while their houses and working place shall be verified by the police.

Osun PDP holds ward congress today Oluwole Ige - Osogbo THE Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will hold its congress through out the 332 wards in the state today.

This was contained in a release issued by the state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa.

According to the release, “going by PDP’s timetable for 2016 congress and national convention, the ward congress will hold on Saturday, 30th April 2016 while appeal of ward congress will hold on May 2nd, 2016.

“The local government congress will hold on May 5th while its appeal will hold on May 7th, 2016. The state congress will hold on May 10th, 2016, while its appeal will hold on May 12.

The zonal congress will hold on May 14th, 2016 while the appeal will hold on May 17th, 2016. The national convention of the PDP will hold on May 21st, 2016,” the release said.

Staff verification: Wike announces recovery of N1bn

THE Rivers State government has recovered about N1 billion in its ongoing staff verification, Governor Nyesom Wike has said.

Speaking at the first Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce Business Luncheon in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, Wike said the recovery was achieved through the thoroughness of the verification.

Represented by his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Harry, the governor described the recovery as a good omen for the state, especially in the face of dwindling revenues.

He said that the government had also reduced its overhead expenditure byabout 40 per cent as a way of adapting to the prevailing economic reality.

Wike said further that efforts were being made to generate enough funds to address infrastructural challenges.

“We are working to generate internal funds so that we can effectively tackle infrastructural challenges in the state.

“The move was made in PUBLIC NOTICE order to fulfil our promises Formerly MRS. of ensuring adequate social A G B O O L A services and good goverO L U W A K E M I nance to the people of the ABIDEMI now state,’’ he said.

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news Why Ondo bitumen exploration is just taking off —Govt 8

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HE Ondo State government said it took it over five and a half years to get a licence to enable it explore the bitumen deposit in the state, just as it added that it paid several millions of naira to secure the permit.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode

30 April, 2016

Akinmade, explained this in Akure on Friday, while fielding questions from newsmen inquiring from him why the government had to wait untill now to begin work on the exploration of bitumen in the state as its tenure is almost ended.

Reacting, Akinmade said government started work

on the exploration licence process early enough, stating however, that the imbalance in the country’s system of government that gives the Federal Government total right on the resources of a state, when it should be the other way round, made the exploration impossible before now.

He said those raising is-

Aero Airline sacks 100 contract staff Shola Adekola - Lagos Nigeria’s oldest surviving airline, Aero Contractors has sacked over 100 workers from its payroll, Saturday Tribune has learnt.

According to information gathered, most of the affected workers are not bonafide staff whose contract with the airline has expired.

Some of the workers were said to have been outsourced by the management and since their services were no longer required, the airline had no choice but to terminate their appointments.

A source in the airline who insisted that those sacked are not staff of the airline declared that the exercise was carried out as a way of reducing its workforce to cut cost.

The staff reduction, which cut across all the departments in the company affected over 100.

“Those laid off are not staff of our airline. You know in Aero some departments and duties are outsourced.

So, what the management did was not to renew their contracts once the contracts expired.

“I can tell you that our staff are intact and we don’t have the plans to retrench workers. We didn’t have the need of those outsourced and we felt they should be withdrawn from our services,” a source stated.

A letter to one of the affected workers which explained that the sacking was as a result of the ongoing restructuring in the airline partly reads: “Dear colleague, in the light of the ongoing restructuring at Aero, we regret to inform you that your services are no longer required and employment with SBL terminated with immediate effect. Please, return all company properties to your Manager/Supervisor by 8am on 28/04/2016. We

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General public take note.

regret any inconvenience caused.”

When Saturday Tribune contacted the media

consultant of the airline, Simon Tumba, he said he was out of town but promised to get back to the reporter.

sue regarding the timing of the exploration are doing so for political reasons because the bitumen exploration licence acquisition breakthrough caught them unawares and according to him, “they know the immense benefit to the state and its people.”

He stressed further that the people trying to make an issue out of it are obviously jittery about the development, it is unfortunate that it could take over five years for the state to access bitumen deposited in its backyard because of the complex and bureaucratic

bottleneck created by the imbalance in the system Mentioning that the project will shore up the revenue profile of the state, Akinmade said it will also lead to the establishment of many companies, as it is also projected to impact on the overall development of the state and generate massive employment, which will be a consolidation of sort on the jobs being provided for the youth in the state through agriculture; a sector government has concentrated upon in recent time, as its own reaction to the apparent need

Saturday Tribune

for economy diversification.

The commissioner said the state government secured the licence to exploit the commodity through Beecon Nigeria limited, a concern where the government has near complete ownership, He concluded that working in agreement with an American company, Liquefied Resources, immediate exploration of bitumen is expected to begin in the Central and Southern Senatorial Districts area of the state at no cost to the government.

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Saturday Tribune

There are people around Buhari he should not trust —Koleoso

Former National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Chief Michael Adeniyi Koleoso, is 78 years old today. Koleoso, who is the Babalaje of Sakiland and a former Secretary to Oyo State Government, in this interview with SULAIMON OLANREWAJU, speaks about his life, his aspirations, the Buhari presidency, the people of Oke-Ogun, among other topical issues.

Y

OU are 78 years old now, what has the journey been like?

Well, I must give glory to God Almighty, and I must say it looks like a miracle to me because I never thought I would live this long. Now that I’m 78 years, all glory is to God Almighty who has made it possible for me not just to be 78, but to be 78 without stress; with good health and abundance of joy. So, I give glory to Almighty God. You look much younger than 78. What is the secret?

That is what I said early on, when I look at myself as a 78-yearold man, it is marvellous because I can’t even remember the last time I visited any hospital, except when I travelled outside the country for medical checkups. I have not been admitted to any hospital for any ailment or treatment for many years now. But I see the hand of God in this. I don’t envy people, I’m very contented, I’m always happy with other people. It is the doing of the Lord.

One thing about me is that I don’t hustle, and I don’t even see myself as an achiever. Any position I’m privileged to hold has never entered into my head that I’m this or that. I am at peace with myself, my people and my God. Contentment has really played a very big role in my life. That is the truth of the matter.

Now, what do you hope to achieve?

Seriously speaking, there’s nothing I’m looking for anymore other than to do everything in my power to make sure that Nigeria becomes better for the benefit of the citizenry and to see that the living standard of our people improves at family, community, town, state and national levels. I must be frank, there’s nothing I’m looking for other than what I’ve told you.

It is my prayer and wish that the standard of living in Nigeria will be comparable to what obtains in the developed countries.

I am looking for improvement in the area of transportation, power, good food and health facilities for the people. I want Nigerians to be proud of the country of their birth. So, whatever I can do to make these a reality is what will engage my mind henceforth. I have been doing these over the years but I want to do more now.

Having held many public offices, what do you consider to be your legacy?

Just two days ago, I was discussing with some friends. I told them that God had been playing an important role in my life right from the word go. When I left secondary school in 1961, I was to go to England because all my brothers were there and they’d made the arrangement for me to join them there but our parents did not allow me to go because they didn’t want all of us to travel abroad and leave them alone. They said I should wait for my brothers to return before I would go to England. That’s why I couldn’t make it to England in 1961. I now realise that my not going to England at that time was a blessing. I later realised that if I had gone to England in 1961, I wouldn’t have been what I am today. My staying at home and the type of profession I got into made me very popular among my people and that popularity endures, still. My staying in Nigeria facilitated my election as a councillor, not just a councillor but one who was returned unopposed. My performance paved the way for me to be elected to the House of Assembly. My activities and what I was able to accomplish in the House of Assembly caused me to be appointed a commissioner, because I was singled out of the whole House. My performance as a commissioner made way for me to become our party state chairman when the Alliance for Democracy (AD) was founded. From the state chairman, I became the SSG, from SSG, I became the deputy national chairman of our party and from that, I became the national chairman. You can see the progress; you can see the hand of God in it. If not for God, all those things would not have been possible. Not many people are so blessed.

In business, God has helped me to the extent that today, I have a lot of things to thank God for. I have been so successful in business that sometimes I find it difficult to believe. Just last week, my tenants brought a very good write-up to me, where they highlighted how our relationship has benefitted them. I

Some of the policy makers of today were involved in bringing the country to its present state. Some of the people giving Buhari advice, too, are part of those who put this country in the mess it is in now. So, what we need today is serious prayers. We need to pray for Buhari so that God will guide him well to know who to believe and who not to believe.

have tenants all over the place; in Ibadan, Oyo, Lagos, Abuja and other places. This is God’s doing. Some people will have tenants and they will be enemies. My case is not like that. The relationship between me and my tenants is so good that they always pray for me, because if they are cursing me, one would have passed on. That aspect of my life, too, really makes me very happy.

I thank God because those who, through me, hold property today are too numerous to mention. Those who have held public offices or are in one position or another through my efforts are too numerous to number. So, why won’t I be grateful to God for this? I thank God for all these things. I’m a fulfilled person. I must be honest with you, I am so fulfilled.

In my family, God has been so good to me by giving me good children. They don’t give me any problem; they are all masters in their various fields. This is true and when one look down

and see all these things with the blessing of God coming from all fronts, there’s the need to thank God. Now, to answer your question about what I consider as my legacy, it is the people whose lives God has helped me to impact. I take no glory in my possession or position; my legacy is the little contributions God has enabled me to make towards improving the lives of those He has brought across my path.

Many people of your status are establishing foundations, when are we going to have your own?

Well, presently, we have a foundation, Esther Foundation. My late wife bears the name Esther, and we have the foundation which caters for widows. We don’t make noise about it but we are doing a great job. I am praying to God, if I’m able to live up to 80, we would change the name of the foundation to a name I won’t tell you now. That will be the foundation for the family and it is going to cater for widows, education and health. My children have been working on this. We’ve gone far about it with even some of their friends abroad. But by that time, God willing, that foundation will come on board.

You are one of those who mobilised support for President Muhammadu Buhari during the election.

Almost a year after, what is your view about the state of the nation?

There’s something funny about my relations with Buhari which some people may know, but I want to make it public today. In 1984 Buhari and Idiagbon put me in detention with the likes of the late Papa Adekunle Ajasin, Professor Ambrose Ali, the late Bola Ige and former Kwara State governor. But we used to have prayer sessions, both morning and evening. One day, after the morning prayer, we were discussing and I told our people then that God had revealed to me that those who put us in detention would one day be put in the same prison where we were. Surprisingly, when we left the prison, Buhari Continues pg34

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Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

style

08071080888 anikate92@yahoo.com

with Kate Ani

Fashion trend: The faux wrap skirt\dress F aux /fō/ is a French word for “false” The faux wrap trend gives the look of a wrapped skirt or dress but is actually sewn to look like so. Think about it—who doesn’t love a skirt that looks like you spent hours twisting and wrapping it just–so when, in reality, it only took you 30 seconds to pull on!

As for the classic faux wrap dress, it is one of the few fashion pieces that can easily cinch your midsection, enhancing a whittle waist. However, to ensure the dress complements your frame, it’s important to keep some tricks in mind. If you’re concerned about your tummy, opt for a wrap dress that cinches at the side rather than a belted wrap that can draw unwanted attention to your center.

One of the reasons fashionistas love the faux wrap skirt is because it elongates the body, while lengthening the legs with the slit and thereby revealing a long lean look.

My mum introduced me to the world of beauty —Rihanna

Fisayo Longe

Multiple Grammy Award winning singer, Rihanna, is no doubt, a style influencer. The Barbadian beauty has a huge fan following and is known for her killing looks, fashion sense, beautiful voice and charm. In an interview with ELLE UK, she shares her Chika Ike beauty secrets on how to look flawless.

Stella Jadore

What is the secret of your flawless look?

It was my mum, Monica Fenty that first introduced me to the world of beauty.

She used to work in a cosmetics store, she loves doing make-up and I learnt everything about make-up from her. My best make-up secret is covering a pimple with eyeliner and making it into a mole. I swear that has saved my life so many times.

Chidinma Anosika

What can you say is your best make-up weapon?

Lipstick is a major accessory that can change an outfit or even be the outfit. I love it - especially the red tones. It draws attention away from any flaws.

When someone is wearing lipstick, you just assume they’re wearing a full face of makeup.

But despite my love for make-up and glam, I believe it is important to look after your skin. My skin is always at its best whenever I am back home in Barbados. and sugar-free drinks.

How do you control your weight?

I eat a lot of green vegetables and maintain a balanced diet. I also stay away from junk foods and consume more proteins, fibers

Have you ever had a ‘bad-face’ day?

The morning of the Chanel couture show last year, I was so jet-lagged that I really didn’t sleep, and I had some wine the night before. “I was like, “Oh my God, I look old as sh*t! Who is this person?

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Folake Huntoon

11 commentary

30 April, 2016

Saturday With

ayinla mukaiba

Ajimobi’s sermon to carnivores of Uzo-Uwani

T

hese indeed are despondent times. As the economy is facing its all-time low, existential woes are becoming ten a dime in Nigeria, making the legs of trekkers on the journey of life heavy and strained. For Nigerians, it is a very bitter pill to swallow, having been convinced (or confused?) last year by politicians to surrender their votes so as to usher in an Eldorado Nigeria.

Rather than Eldorado, hopelessness is stalking the land like a pestilence and life is getting increasingly unbearable for the people. While the economy is singeing the flesh like a hot iron, insecurity is becoming the people’s companion, served in a plate of impunity.

A major index of this hopelessness is a recently released figure of consumption of alcohol by Nigerians.

While many banks are recording receding profits, brewing companies are raking in billions in revenue.

An unverified report claimed that Nigerian Breweries recorded sales of almost N300 billion in 2015 while Guinness is expected to record sales of N275 billion, totalling almost N600 billion, approximating about three billion bottles of beer. What it means is that the people put their reliance more on the temporary succor of alcohol and less on governmental remedy. In many mature democracies and societies, the alcohol consumption figure should alarm and alert government to the need to make life more worthwhile for the people.

A major strand of the hopelessness in the land is the tragic invasion of some communities by Fulani herdsmen, the latest being on the Ukpabi-Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State. Gory pictures of countrymen hacked to death in a horrendous manner by herdsmen who invaded their land with sophisticated weaponry has focused our minds to the fact that we share this geography with maniacs and carnivores who disguise as human beings. How can we share our humanity with such coldblooded animals? We are gradually being offered the other narrative of the Fulani man that is beyond his

Saturday Tribune

ayinlamukaiba@yahoo.com

time-worn profile as a sophisticated political machine; that he is no better than the hyena and other beasts of the forest that tear the flesh of their hapless preys with clinical precision.

The Uzo-Uwani massacre is a gory dis-advertisement for all Fulanis, including President Muhammadu Buhari.

It clearly indicates that the rest of Nigeria is living with a people who wouldn’t think twice to skewer the flesh of their fellow man. What that translates into is that, whenever a Fulani appears in a human ensemble, an alert signal akin to when a beast prowls in the neighbourhood should flicker red in the minds of those so gathered.

Yes, we know that reticence is one of Buhari’s high or low points but his mute unconcern about the rampaging prowls of his Fulani kinsmen is a cause for worry. For a president who had earlier unconscionably told the world that he would give sparse attention to the south east because of the paucity of votes he received from the zone, which clearly approximates his disdain for the Igbo people, it was tactless that his response to the Uzor-Uwani massacre came only 72 hours after the attack. Even though the Enugu State government has denied trending revelations of how the presidency snubbed Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s attempt to communicate security information of the impending attacks to the president, for obvious political reasons, Buhari hasn’t shown enough hurt and anger against these animal kinsmen of his. If added to the known Buhari defence of his Fulani herdsmen kinsmen in time past, especially his spat with late governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, where he came to the state to complain that “your people are attacking my people” and the latter, giving him the back of his tongue for his unstatesmanly outbursts, Buhari is fitting into the profile of a president who abets the tragic onslaught of his kinsmen.

The truth is that Fulani herdsmen are worse than Boko Haram insurgents and an untainted leadership would treat them as such. When Buhari threatened to treat Niger Delta pipeline vandals as insurgents, he goofed big time as, in the order of their notoriety, Fulani herdsmen are worse. They had earlier been declared as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) in a recent survey. It said that the herdsmen, mainly of the Fula

ethnic group, killed 80 people in total in 2013 but by 2014, had murdered at least 1,229 people. The group, according to the report, operates between Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic (CAR) and had killed 847 people in 2015 across five states in Nigeria through several coordinated attacks, where they inflict varying degrees of attacks on local civilian populations. According to GTI, the attacks were unleashed on private citizens and that the Fulani terrorists’ primary and audacious contest is for the farmlands of their victims.

So when the grazing bill was introduced, supposedly as panacea for these terrorists’ strike, it was akin to adding insult to the people’s injury. Why would states reserve their prime lands for pastoralists on private businesses? The anger at such bunkum got kudos of the Nigerian people for Governor Abiola Ajimobi during the week as he spoke their minds. He had said: “This is the time to call a spade a spade. Those clamouring for creation of grazing zones across the country should have a rethink… it is against the law of natural justice to seize people’s land to cater for someone’s cattle… you cannot tell me you want to occupy our land for grazing zones. The land exists in our respective states and as such the rigthtful owners should decide what to do with them. Anybody outside this zone willing to rear cattle here will need to approach the state to buy the land and we offer what is available with rules. There is no free land for grazing zones. We need to take this firm position. It won’t happen.”

President Buhari will need to convince Nigerians that he is not in any way abetting the animal tendencies of his kinsmen by visiting the full wrath of the law on the blood thirsty Fulani herdsmen, otherwise he will be making it inevitable for people to seek selfhelp in spite of government. The animal nomads don’t have a monopoly of animalism. Since science says we are all descendants of ape, victims of the Fulani could shuttle to their pre-historic ancestors and borrow some measure of villainy and violence to counter the animals from Fouta Djallon highland.

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

with aunty yemi 08056834515 ojeleyeoyeyemi@yahoo.com

Our first time of cooking

1. Angel Adeneye, 10 yrs old, pry 5 My first time of cooking was a memorable Saturday when my mother asked me to make jollof rice. I was happy. As I had watched her do, I rinsed a pot and did every other necessary thing. After about 50 minutes, the food was ready. I served the food to my family. When my father tasted it, he said “this is a delicious meal.”

2. Iyaniwura Aladegbemi, 10 yrs old, pry 5 The first food I cooked was noodles; it was very interesting. My family members all ate out of it. I cannot forget that day. I was very excited.

3. Daniel Adewale, 10 yrs old, pry 5 I often stay with my mum in the kitchen and watch whenever she cooks. Sometime last year, my parents were not at home and I was very hungry so I tried to cook jollof rice. I measured a cup of rice and put it on fire and then added the in-

Respondents are pupils of Best Brain Nursery and Primary School, Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State.

gredients. When I observed the food had become dry, I opened and served it. When I tasted it, it was salty and too soft as a result of too much water. It was not like my mum’s kind of cooking so I disposed of it before my parents came back and I did not tell them. It was a day I will never forget.

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4. Rahmat Adeyemo, 10 yrs old, pry 5 It was on a Sunday, precisely March 24 this year when I cooked for my family for the first time. My mum told me to fry eggs for my brothers and sisters when she wasn’t feeling fine. I did it without making a mistake. It was a day I will never forget.

5. Oyahani Omohagbon, 9 yrs old, pry 5 I cooked for the first time on October 14, 2015 without any supervision. I cooked jollof rice. I had the following ingredients in it: pepper, curry, thyme, maggi, fish, etc. When I finished

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5 cooking the jollof rice, my mum was the first person to taste it. She commended my effort by telling me that I had become a big girl. That day is very precious to me.

birthday

6 6. Ebunoluwa Ojo, 11 yrs old, pry 5 I will forever remember the day my mummy asked me to cook noodles for my family which was the first day I cooked in my life. The cooking took me a very little time, so in a short while, the food was ready and I called my mummy to come and serve it. After serving my father, she and my daddy said that I was a good girl.

7. Purity Seed Slemo, 10 yrs old, pry 5 The first time I cooked, my mum asked me to do so be-

clocked 1 recently. Many happy returns of the day.

get inspired

cause she was ill. I prepared two types of meal; noodles and rice with beans. When I finished cooking the meals, I served them.

8. Eniola Joseph, 9 yrs old, pry 5 I cooked for the first time on a Tuesday when my grandma asked me to prepare jollof rice. It was the most interesting day I have ever had. After I finished cooking, I served my grandma and friends. My grandma was very happy that I had watched her cook and mastered the process.

9 9. Praise Okere, 10 yrs old, pry 5 Sometimes in the first week of December 2015 was the first time I cooked a meal. That day, I woke up early with excitement. I got everything I needed ready for rice concoction and with encouragement from my mum, I did well. Anytime we want to eat jollof rice in our house now, I’m the regular cook. After the first time, my mum presented a torch to me with a word of encouragement “keep it up.”

CARTOON

PETER AND PAUL AJEKIGBE

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30 April, 2016

food&drink

Saturday Tribune BLESSING EKUM ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

known for their flavourful food, so it’s simply a matter of applying that to the vegan dishes you make. Imagine mouthwatering jollof rice served with moin moin and fried plantain – full of flavour and spice – it doesn’t get better than that, and it’s vegan too!

Where do you draw inspiration for your recipes?

A lot of my inspiration comes from the meals that I grew up eating. My mother is an excellent cook and I learnt most of what I know from her. I consider myself fortunate to have grown up on mostly traditional Nigerian food as this has had a profound impact on the way I develop recipes, whether they are full-blown Nigerian dishes, or food experiments.

I also draw inspiration from Nigerian culture itself. I like my recipes to reflect colour and abundance.

What’s your typical weekend food timetable?

I like to start my mornings with a nice, healthy smoothie, usually comprised of fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables.

One of my favourite combinations is banana, mango and spinach (tete). For lunch, I like to have some variety and it depends on my mood. I can have things like jollof rice or sweet potatoes, yam or plantain, all served with a vegetable stew. When I have enough time on my hands, I can make more elaborate meals like pounded yam and egusi, or beans stew with plantain. Dinner is similar, although I prefer to keep it light, so sometimes I’ll have soup or a large salad, or smaller portion of leftovers from lunch.

Why Nigerians should

stop

eating meat

If you are a Nigerian looking for delicious, healthy, local, vegetarian meals, Tomi Makanjuola is the inspiration you need. The writer, vegan chef at a restaurant in Central London and host of a vegan Nigerian pop-up restaurant, takes BLESSING EKUM through her journey into vegetarianism, dispelling myths about this diet lifestyle and sharing the numerous benefits she has enjoyed.

D

What inspired your choice of vegetarianism?

URING my teenage years, I got interested in nutrition and the way food affects the mind and body. I’m not going to lie – I tried quite a number of different diets — trying to work out which was best. When I was in France for a year (as part of my university degree programme), I found that I was consuming a large amount of meat and dairy products, which got me to take a step back and analyse the way in which these foods were affecting my overall health. Parallel to that, I was living with a pet dog for the first time in my life, and I slowly began to make the connection between meat and the animal it once came from. If I could never eat a dog, what was the logic behind eating other sentient beings such as cows and chickens? After coming across the term veganism by chance, I subsequently went through a period where I carried out a lot of research, by reading books/articles and watching informative documentaries such as Forks Over Knives. My mind was made up very soon after that and I haven’t looked back since.

Can you recount your experience with transiting from a non-vegan to full blown vegan diet?

My initial feeling was one of elation, having made this amazing discovery and noticing the immediate health benefits. After this elation, however, came an overwhelming sense of dread and solitude. It seems silly to say, but it felt as though I was the only Nigerian on the planet who was vegan. Certainly the only one in my entire family as far as I knew. I began to question whether I would be able to sustain it. It was perhaps this sense of dread that led me to start experimenting with ‘veganising’ not only Nigerian foods that I had grown up with, but also some of my other favourite things like chocolate cake. If I could have and enjoy delicious vegan chocolate cake (which I do) then I figured that all would be well!

Are there differences you have noticed in your health since you chose this path?

The list is endless. Some of the immediate benefits that I experienced include better skin, better digestion, weight loss, more energy and more mental clarity. I have noticed that I get sick less often. In the past, perhaps I would catch a cold four or five times per year. Now, perhaps just once, if at all, and my immune system has improved so much that I get over it fairly quickly. Then of course, from a wider health perspective, it should be noted that a vegan diet reduces the chances of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and many more diet-related illnesses.

Are there times when you miss meat?

Surprisingly, not at all. Once the connection was made, I couldn’t go back to viewing meat in the same way. There’s a psychological shift that happens over time and the taste buds adapt to really appreciate the variety of plant foods.

In Nigeria where most of our protein sources are animal-based, how workable is a full-blown vegan diet?

It is workable indeed, especially if you learn to balance your meals well. Plant foods that are rich in protein include beans, leafy green vegetables, soya, groundnut and other types of nuts, green peas – all of which are easy to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis.

Vegan diets are usually perceived as bland and boring; what’s your reaction to this?

It depends on who is cooking it. I would be lying if I said I haven’t tried some bland, boring vegan food in the past.

At the same time, this can be the case even when eating a plate full of meat and dairy. Once you know how to season food well, then you don’t have a problem. And Nigerians are

When you have to play host, how do you entertain your non-vegan guests?

At the start of my vegan journey, I always felt guilty about not providing meat for non-vegan guests. But as my conviction grew, so did my desire to go all out and prepare allvegan dishes that were stunning and delicious, in order to highlight the richness of vegan food. My reasoning is that my non-vegan guests can eat non-vegan food any other day in the week, so why not give them the opportunity to try something new and maybe even discover that it is possible to enjoy a party/gathering without having any animal products.

If you were to give yourself a treat, which Nigerian vegan dish would you go for?

I consider pounded yam and vegetable egusi to be a treat because it is such a heavy and filling meal. It is one of my absolute favourites, and if anyone wants to get on my good side, all they have to do is offer me a plate of that. Jollof rice and plantain too – but then that just goes without saying!

Do you think a vegan lifestyle should be encouraged in Nigeria?

Absolutely. As it stands, more and more Nigerians are suffering from diet-related illnesses that could so easily be avoided. One of the ways to tackle these issues (heart disease, obesity, etc) is by addressing the quality of our food and diet. As the nation becomes more health-conscious, I can imagine a shift towards healthier options and alternatives. We are such a blessed nation with all the fresh vegetables, fruits and legumes that we grow. Why not use that to our advantage? A vegan diet that is rich in whole, organic produce is the easiest way to instantly change your health for the better, and Nigerians should definitely get on board with that.

14

30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

intimacy I

STRICTLY FOR ADULTS

T is usually said that “there’s a right and a wrong way to love somebody.”

But when disagreements arise and things get sour, do you find yourself in a screaming match, throwing shots at each other only to leave things just as angry as you were when the argument began, if not more? Do you keep fighting about the same subject over and over again just to leave things unresolved yet again? I mean, you both said what you needed to say, got everything off of your chest, but why has nothing changed? As James Baldwin said, “How much time do you need for your progress?”

What if I told you there was a proper way to argue that didn’t require the both of you to sit on a colourless couch in a therapist’s office? What if there was a way you could still get your point across without raising your blood pressure? Arguing doesn’t always have to result in awkward silence and cold tension. It can bring you closer and increase intimacy in your relationship–when done right.

Choose your words wisely Temporary words can have a lasting effect on someone even if you decide to apologise later. Be respectful to one another and remember that the point of arguing is to address a disagreement. Therefore, the things that are said should be constructive, not destructive to the other person’s emotional, physical and mental state. Be mindful of what comes out of your mouth. Intimacy is about being empathetic to your partner. You can say what you need to say while still keeping in mind the thoughts and feelings of the other per-

How to win at arguments with your partner

goal you want to achieve is to close out an argument or disagreement feeling like you’ve accomplished something and have tightened the bond between you and your significant other and increased understanding.

son.

Open up your mind You’re having a disagreement with your partner and your primary objective is to get your partner to see your point.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

But when you get to a place where you’re pushing your thoughts while being shut off to the views of the other person, it becomes a problem and does the opposite of creating an open and safe space for communication. Intimacy is about closeness. When you aren’t open to hearing your partner, you create distance. You set the tone for that person to not be able to express themselves without feeling attacked. The main

Stay on point Of course, you love them, but you didn’t like something in particular that they did. You have different views on an important issue that’s affecting the both of you but during your venting session you resort to attacking them, attacking their character and addressing things irrelevant to the matter at hand. It’s no wonder you keep having the same arguments repeatedly.

When you do that, nothing gets solved.

Stay on topic.

conversewithyemisi I lose interest in dating guys just after three days Dear Yemisi, I have a serious problem. I always have crush on guys before they ask me out.

But after three days of dating them, I lose interest in them.

Please, I need your urgent reply.

Anonymous, 08*****7***.

Dear Anonymous, My dear girl, you are not the first to have this kind of problem.

It may be because of your age and experience which could mean immaturity on your part or that you are forcing yourself on such guys just to be seen as having a relationship. It may also be that you initially felt that dating some of your guys might be a gateway to some privileges.

From your letter, a three-day relationship is too brief a time to have known all about each other to call it quits.

As a lady, you should be the one to keep a relationship as women have been found to maintain

friendship more than men, provided you are ready to keep one.

All you need do is to set your parameters for wanting to have a lasting date and not just changing friends like clothes. It is a known fact that interests vary from individuals and with these changes there is the likelihood for such to fade with time.

Make your mind up to stick to whoever comes your way for some time and stop allowing infatuation to get the better part of you. Pretence will not help either, if you don’t want to get serious with a guy, there is no point feigning affection for him, let him know that you can be mutual friends and not lovers. You will be helping yourself by being each other’s friend rather than lover which no doubt is stress free.

It is equally possible that you too soon discover that you don’t like the guy you felt you are in love with or you are in a fix because the guy has shown interest

immediately and you don’t know what to do or that you don’t know how best to express your feelings.

Also, if you have intimate relationships with these guys, how many would you be with before you are labelled a loose woman?

The world is now a global village and you would be surprised at how many people a simple picture can reach on the social media.

For Her Tayoola, 41, divorcee, based in Ibadan, needs a caring, honest, responsible man aged between 42 and 50 for marriage.

Call 07016495195.

Amudalat, 37, single mother, practising Muslim, from Kwara State, Lagosbased, needs a marriage-bound relationship with a practising Muslim. Call 070633359304.

Rolake, 34, needs a God-fearing, caring, understanding, responsible, knowledgeable, employed man for a relationship. Call 08077836079.

Forgive For most, this is a challenge that requires some stretching, but to forgive is growth.

Discussing, solving and then forgiving is hitting reset and refreshing your relationship. It’s saying from this point on we are wiping the slate clean again and continuing on our walk with a new purpose and a fresh perspective.

Kiss and make up After an argument, you can tell if the issue has been resolved or not. You can just feel it. If you walk away with the same uneasy feelings, chances are nothing got resolved and it’s still planted deep and fresh in your mind, but with time you convinced yourself that you would get over it.

Honestly, you won’t. It’s just been tucked away only to surface at a later date when triggered. When you and bae have been fussing and you can walk away smiling, touching and you feel the endorphins because you feel like you’ve finally gotten over a hump, that’s how you know it was an effective argument. Kissing and making up will be effortless and you’ll want to be close to your partner.

Arguing with your companion doesn’t have to be a screaming match, and it doesn’t mean that your entire relationship is in jeopardy and that this is the end. It could, in fact, be a cry for more intimacy and understanding in your relationship.

That’s why making it count and being effective utilizing your conflict resolution skills is important.

Courtesy: madamenoire.com

08055001741 (sms only) yemiaofolaju@yahoo.com

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

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

Busayo, 30, needs a God-fearing, truthful working class or self employed lady for a relationship. Call 07069623251.

Pleasant, from Rivers State, graduate, working class, needs a fair-skinned, graduate girl aged between 22 and 26 for a relationship. Call 08062170813.

Oladele, 54, engineer, from Osun State, needs a God-fearing lady aged between 28 and 52 for marriage. Contact 08064851444.

Adeniyi, 32, from Ibadan, needs a Muslim lady aged between 22 and 25 for a relationship. Call 081604405819.

Damian, 33, from Ogun State, needs a God-fearing, loving, caring woman from any Yoruba state for marriage. Call 07039341581.

Tolni, 46, tall, dark-complexioned, businessman, needs a woman aged between 38 and 45 for a relationship. Call 07069444725.

15

30 April, 2016

health&fitness

Saturday Tribune Blessing Ekum

ekumblessing@gmail.com 08116954639

Why more children now use glasses

By Blessing Ekum

W

ith the world gone digital, the use of handheld devices is no longer limited to the economically advantaged. Virtually every home has at least one mobile phone. With technological advances, the once bulky PCs have paved way for more portable devices that do the work of bulky PCs and more.

I-pads, smart phones and notebooks have dominated the digital world and are accessible to children as young as seven years, most of whom spend considerable hours playing games, chatting on social network sites and watching movies.

Besides the social isolation concerns the use of these technology have posed, recent studies have shown that there is an increased risk of early myopia (shortsightedness) and computer vision syndrome in children who are heavy computer and smart phone users.

Around the world, there has been an increase in reported cases of myopia in recent times. In a study conducted by the United States National Eye Institute and published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, it was discovered that there was as much as a 60 per cent increase over a 30 year period.

The increase is even more pronounced in Asian countries, increasing from 30 per cent to almost 80 per cent. It is feared that the unprecedented rise in cases is approaching epidemic levels. In fact, according to some estimates, one third of the world’s population will be diagnosed with myopia by the end of this decade.

Myopia is an eye defect whereby near objects are seen clearly but far away objects appear blurred. It occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea, the clear front cover of the eye, has too much curvature. As a result, the light entering the eye isn’t focused correctly and distant objects look blurred.

Some studies have linked genetic factors as a cause of

It was discovered that people who spent more than two hours on a computer everyday had symptoms of CVS which included headaches, burning eyes, general eye strain, tired eyes, blurred vision, aching and dry eyes, light sensitivity and neck and shoulder pain. myopia but environmental factors, which include near work, have also been pinned. Although myopia can be treated through the use of glasses/contact lenses, orthokeratology or refractive surgery and may just be a minor inconvenience, sometimes, it can be progressive and result to a degenerative condition known as degenerative or malignant myopia, which although a rare condition, can lead to blindness.

Researchers have unanimously agreed that though there are other factors that may put one at risk, spending less time outdoors and heavy use of computers and smart phones increase the risk of myopia because with these activities, the child’s vision system is forced to focus and strain a lot more than any other task. Dr Charles Adebayo, an ophthalmologist, adds that “nowadays, besides spending long hours on phones and other hand-held devices, children go to school much earlier and spend time reading books and studying at close ranges, sometimes for hours without resting the eye and also in bad light. While people used to think myopia was genetic, it’s quite clear that there are also environmental factors related to the amount and intensity of the close work.”

Besides the increased risk of developing myopia, Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is another prevalent condition that arises from heavy computer use. In a study by researchers in Zaria, Kaduna State and published in the European Journal of Scientific Research, it was discovered that people who spent more than two hours on a computer everyday had symptoms of CVS which included headaches, burning eyes, general eye strain, tired eyes, blurred vision, aching and dry eyes, light sensitivity and neck and shoulder pain. If a child is also showing signs such as headaches, squinting and blurred vision, it is time parents and guardians take serious action.

With games that take up hours of play and are addictive, it is worrying that children expose themselves to eye defects earlier than they might have been affected. However, the chances of developing myopia or CVS can be reduced. According to Dr. Yinka Ologunsua, an ophthalmologist, some of the ways parents can help their children’s eyes are by: •Encouraging them to take frequent breaks to help rest the eyes.

•Be observant of their children’s eyes and any complaint from them such as pains or a drop in vision. They should see an ophthalmologist as soon as a problem is detected.

•Introduce anti-glare screens on their computers so as to reduce eye strain.

•Correct any visual error to avoid straining.

•Increasing the font size of the computer/phone screen.

•Using a larger monitor so they can see the print on their computer screen better.

Ophthalmologists have advocated that children take 20-second breaks from their computers every 20 minutes to minimise the development of eye focusing problems and eye irritation. Simply looking into the distance or closing the eyes gives the eyes some rest.

They also recommend adjusting the lighting in the room and not working in the dark because eye fatigue and strain can arise from the large difference in luminance between the phone or computer screen and the room’s dark background.

16 healthandfitness

30 April, 2016

My severe muscle pains

Dr. Wale Okediran

I used to carry out regular exercises until about a month ago when I stopped due to my new job. However, I went back to the exercises three days ago and have been experiencing severe muscle pains in both thighs. Kindly tell me what to do to treat this.

Deinde (by SMS)

Any problems with early sex?

I want to know if having sex at an early age such as 12 years could have any bad effect on the body?

Taibatu (by SMS) It has been confirmed that early initiation of sexual activity at about age 12 years will in turn lead to higher numbers of non-marital sex partners in the life of such a woman.

The consequence of this is a wide variety of negative life outcomes, including increased rates of infection with sexually transmitted diseases, increased rates of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and birth, increased single parenthood, decreased marital stability, increased maternal and child poverty, increased abortion, increased depression, and decreased happiness. In general, the earlier a woman begins sexual activity, the greater the number of non-marital sex partners she is likely to have in the course of her life.

I have serious waist pains

It could have been helpful if you had indicated the kind of work you do in addition to your age. Nevertheless, waist pains could be due to any affectation of the muscles and bones in your waist region as well as some of the organs there. The kind of bed or mattress you are using to sleep could also lead to the waist pains. Apart from using some pain killers that you can buy from the

A lump in my left breast I have a lump in my left breast and it is very painful. Kindly let me know what to do next Ngozi (by SMS) chemist, I will also advise that you should sleep on a hard surface such as the floor or a plank of wood behind your mattress. If this does not work, you should see a doctor who may order for an x ray of your pelvis among other tests.

The ageing heart

W

ITH the ageing processes in the body, different systems that serve our body and mind undergo alterations which are unavoidable part of life.

This process starts from birth and accelerates with advancing age, leading to changes that are sometimes obvious but frequently go unnoticed for a long time. As people age, the heart tends to enlarge slightly, developing thicker walls and slightly larger chambers. The increase in size is mainly due to an increase in the size of individual heart muscle cells.

During rest, the older heart functions in almost the same way as a younger heart, except the heart rate is slightly lower.

However, during exercise, the older heart cannot increase the amount of blood pumped out as much as a younger heart can.

This is the normal sequence. But some hearts age faster than others due to the environment the owners expose their hearts to. For example, the heart of of a 40-year-old individual can simulate the heart of a 70-year-old man.

How does ageing affect the heart?

Heart functions begin to slow down with age. The ageing process reduces the heart muscle strength. So its pumping power declines and the maximal heart rate (the highest number of times your heart can contract in a minute) also decreases.

When the amount of blood pumped by the heart in a minute declines, systolic blood pressure tends to rise. Some of the common heart problems that can occur as we age are: • Arteriosclerosis (hardening/clogging of the arteries due to excessive build-up of fat and cholesterol known as plaque).

Fatty plaque deposits inside the blood vessels can cause it to narrow and totally block blood vessels and also cause the valves that control the direction of blood flow to thicken and become stiff. Arteriosclerosis in turn is the underlying cause of most cardio vascular diseases.

• The heart has to work harder due to decreased blood supply. Greater force is necessary to push blood through narrowed vessels due to plaque build-up. So high blood pressure develops and this build-up and shortage of oxygenated blood over -time leads to heart attacks. In a heart attack, a part of the heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen and dies.

• Angina (chest pain caused by temporarily reduced oxygenated blood flow to the heart muscle), causing pain in the chest, in the left arm or between the shoulder blades.

• Heart failure is very common in the elderly. In people older than 75, heart failure occurs 10 times more often than in younger adults.

waleokediran@yahoo.co.uk

08055069356 (sms only)

The pains are due to the sudden resumption of the exercises after the long absence. Apart from the use of some painkillers, you will need to continue the exercises but in a gradual form in order to allow the muscles to get used to the resumed stress of the exercises.

I have been having serious waist pains for the past three months. Kindly tell me what kind of drugs I should use.

Henry (by SMS)

Saturday Tribune

It is a good thing that you were able to notice the lump in your breast. This is one of the kinds of self examinations ladies are usually expected to carry out. Now that you have detected the lump, the best thing is to see a doctor who will remove it and send it to the laboratory for examination. This way, it will be confirmed whether or not you will need any follow up.

Can I get pregnant?

MY boyfriend and I were playing together last week. Without taking off my pants, he released some sperm on me. Can I get pregnant from this?

Veronica (by SMS) It depends on how close to your vagina was the released sperm since the sperm could seep into your vagina through your clothing. The best thing to do if you are not sure, is to go for a pregnancy test in another week’s time.

Dr. Abiodun Adeoye adeoyemoshood@yahoo.com • Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) of various types.

08056564360, 08072000017 (sms only)

Probable reasons for the change...

Empirical findings have confirmed that, from forty through seventy, the five major risk factors for heart disease are family history, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. But apart from family history and smoking, the others are related to diet, weight and inactivity. Directly, age is not a risk factor but people tend to put on weight and become more inactive as they age and a combination of other factors like continuing heart-unhealthy habits and diets take their toll as people age and as such age is a risk factor for the other risk factors.

Ways to delay effects of ageing Risk factors that you have some control over include high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. ‘Atherosclerosis’ once thought to be an ageing disorder is now known to be a progressive narrowing of arteries over time which is fed by rich diets high in cholesterol and fats and aggravated by smoking and high blood pressure. People who work out seriously and continuously for most of a decade have been seen to cut their age related decline of maximal heart rate in half. So maintaining a healthy diet and regular activity level and stopping unhealthy habits like smoking go a long way in controlling heart related problems.

Check-ups Age 35 is a good time to get your blood checked out, especially your cholesterol levels (a base level blood count and a full lipid profile) and blood pressure, and have a follow up every other year. Consider getting a 64 sliceCT – angiography scan at 40, if there is a strong incidence of heart disease or heart attack in your family. People aged 30 and older, who are more prone for a heart disease risk, like people having a sudden new pain, and those who are smokers and have a family history of diabetes or have diabetes should have a baseline ECG Test .

Diet Heart disease often begins in childhood by consumption of heart unhealthy diets from a young age and fatty deposits getting accumulated in the arteries. A sustained low fat veget-

arian diet which consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, soya bean products and yogurt etc. along with regular exercise, stress management, non-smoking etc has been proved to even regress arterial fatty deposits of patients with heart disease.

Dietary practices recommended to reduce the risk of heart disease includes. · Keep fat intake below 30 percent of your total calories. Try to avoid fried food stuffs and also food that contain excess fat such as beef, mutton, etc. · Within the recommended fat intake, less than 10% should come from saturated fat. i.e 25 gm for women and 30gm for men. A slice of cheese, a pat of butter, one half cup of milk contains about 5gm of fat. · 50 to 60% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates such as rice, bread, potatoes and pasta. · Limit the cholesterol in your diet to 300milligrams or less, a day · Reduce the amount of salt intake. · Eat raw vegetables such as cucumber, carrot, tomato, onion, etc, as also foods with more fibre content.

Smoking Smoking and tobacco-related health complications are the single largest cause of preventable, premature death. The prime ingredients in cigarettes such as tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine are instigators of cardiovascular diseases and lung ailments.

Exercise Moderate exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Consult with your health provider before beginning a new exercise programme. Exercise moderately and within your capabilities, but do it regularly. Exercise helps reduce stress and prevent obesity which in turn is associated with the development of heart disease, diabetes, etc. It also helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar.

As I conclude, I advise we age with wisdom and protect our heart from early ageing. Till next week, maintain a healthy heart.

17

30 April, 2016

Divorce

Court & Crime

He is uncaring, yet he never missed a day without having sex with me —Wife ‘I have nothing to say, she should leave —Husband’

StoriesbyAyomideOwonibi,WoleIge,Muhammad SabiuandOyeyemiOkunladewithAgencyreports

A

FTER several adjournments for a possible settlement between Mr Femi Ijaniyi and his wife, Mrs Gloria Funmilayo, the customary court sitting at Inalende, Ibadan, Oyo State has dissolved their marriage which produced no issue.

Gloria, a 52-year-old, trader, asked the court to dissolve their marriage of nine years, explaining that since 2007 when she got married to Femi, she only enjoyed the relationship for three months.

Gloria added that when one of her children from her former husband, who is deceased gained admission into a tertiary institution, her husband, Femi, promised to pay the

school fees but he failed in spite of continuous reminder. Femi would always ask the child to go and get financial support from her deceased father, Gloria alleged.

The woman told the court that each time they quarreled, her husband would pack all her belongings out.

“In June 2015, we had a misunderstanding and he packed out my belongings. When I got a shop for trading, he lent me N3,000.

One day, he asked me to wash his clothes and I told him that I was tired. By the time I came back home, he had locked up the door of the house and he said I should come and pack my belongings. On getting there, he refused to let me pack some of the chairs belonging to my former husband, now deceased.

When I tried to pack the luggage, he started

Saturday Tribune

fighting me, hence this court action.”

The defendant, however, denied telling the child who gained admission to go and meet his deceased father.

Having heard from both parties, the president of the court, Mr Ramon Olafenwa asked the defendant, Femi, why he only made his wife happy for just three months but Gloria quipped: “though he doesn’t care, he never missed a day without having sex with me.’’

Femi, meanwhile, said he had nothing to say before the court, insisting that the plaintiff should go ahead and pack her remaining belongings.”

In his ruling, the presiding judge Olafenwa said: “Since the defendant has admitted all the claims made against him, the marriage is dissolved.”

Marriage dissolved over man’s alleged insult to mother-inlaw

A Kaiama Area Court in Kwara State has dissolved the 14-yearold marriage between Aishat and Sule Salihu over alleged husband’s rudeness to his mother-in-law.

Aishat, the plaintiff had sought a relief for the dissolution of the marriage that was blessed with three children.

She told the court that she filed the divorce suit as a result of a misunderstanding between her mother and the husband.

The plaintiff said her husband failed to show up for a reconciliation relief granted him earlier by the court.

“He failed to show up for any reconciliation just as he fails to appear before the court today.

“My wish before the court is for the divorce to be granted,” she said.

The presiding judge, Ahmed Yahaya held that since the defendant had failed to show up for reconciliation, it meant that he was no longer interested in the marriage.

“The only thing the court can do is to separate the spouses as husband and wife and I so hold.

“The judgement is hereby entered in favour of the plaintiff’s plea for divorce for non-appearance of the respondent,” the judge stated in his ruling.

Yahaya ordered Aishat to observe three months Iddah (Islamic period of waiting before remarrying).

He said that any of the parties in the case not satisfied with the ruling, has a right of appeal before an Upper Area Court within 30 days.

inside

She beats me the way she likes —Boxer-husband

She is a grandmother, yet she bleaches her skin —Septuagenarian My bra and pants his concubine stole were not the ones he returned —Wife

Okada man remanded over serial rape of minor See pages 18 & 23

18

30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

courtandcrime

She beats me the way she likes —Boxer-husband

He is always siding with my senior —Wife

A

70-year-old retired civil servant, Yinusa Onifade, has pleaded with an Inalende customary court, Ibadan, Oyo State, to dissolve his 11-year-old marriage to his wife, Asiata.

Mr Onifade said that he took the a court action because his wife has refused to listen to his caution against making trouble every day.

“She fights with me to the extent that she tears my clothes,” Onifade said.

The petitioner said as a trained boxer, who has no right to beat his wife, Asiata takes advantage of the law to beat him as she likes. He said: “I have reported her to her parents several times but she would not allow them to talk and this time I took the option to sue her to court.”

When the president of the court, Mr Ramon Olafenwa, asked the respondent if she was still interested in her husband, she replied in the negative.

She said: “I want a divorce because of my husband’s several beatings. I have a senior wife he has never touched and because of whom he often beats me. Even the senior wife’s son beats me in my husband’s presence.”

Asiata, a 38-year-old trader, also claims that her husband and has not been taking care of their three children aged nine, four and three months respectively, adding that but for the menial job with a food seller, she wouldn’t have been able to take care of the three children.

According to Asiata, the most recent squabble happened when her television got spoilt and she told her husband but he failed to repair it, saying that she decided to pack the television cable since it wasn’t working.

“When my husband came home and saw I had packed the cable, he packed up my bed and since then, I have been sleeping on the floor with my children.

“As if that was not enough, there was a time my first child took ill to the point that he lost one of his eyes. He was taken to the University College Hospital (UCH) and we were billed N350,000. My husband was aware but he did not do anything about it. Instead, he collected his gratuity and bought clothes for the senior wife and refused to give me a penny.”

When asked what action the plaintiff took after his wife tore his clothes, he said: “I kept three of the clothes torn by my wife and repaired one because I like it.”

Having gone through the evidence of both parties under oath, the court observed that there is no love between them anymore.

The court, therefore, dissolved the marriage and ordered that the husband take care of the children’s education, welfare and health costs.

“The plaintiff to pay N6, 000 to the defendant as cost of a year house rent at N500 per month, because of the three months old child.

Also, he should be giving the second and third children the sum of N3, 000 every month for feeding.” Both parties were advised to maintain the peace.

A 39-year-old food vendor, Adejoke Omotosho, has told an Igando customary court, Lagos, to dissolve her 16-year-old marriage to her husband, Musili, for allegedly marrying her with charm.

“When I was single, my husband approached me that he wanted to marry me, but I told him that I had a fiancé and that our marriage was near.

“Musili came back the following day and touched me, I don’t know how I got to his village, and I started having babies.

“As an orphan, nobody looked for me but now I am back to my senses,’’ she said.

The petitioner accused her husband of infidelity that he was in the habit of bringing his lovers to their one-room apartment to spend days or months before leaving.

“I always leave the bed for them and sleep on the floor, on four occasions I reported him to our families.

“Recently, he came home with a lady who stole my pants and brassier, I discovered that after she had left.

“I told my husband to retrieve my underwear from his lover, he later came home with a bra and pants but those were not the underwears that were missing,’’ she said.

The mother of four boys said that her husband was always threatening her life.

“My husband is threatening to kill me, my hairdresser informed me that anytime I finished making my hair that my husband would always come begging her to give him my hair.

“And he always tell me that if I leave him that he will kill me and run away,’’ she said.

She said that she was the one responsible for feeding the family, paying the house rent and the children’s school fees.

She begged the court to dissolve the union, that she was scared of contracting

Saturday Tribune

My bra and pants his concubine stole were not the ones he returned —Wife sexually transmitted diseases from her husband due to his unfaithfulness.

Musiliu, 47, a bricklayer, in his response denied all the allegations.

“I pay my bills, I usually give her N500 per day, but she also assists me as any good wife will do.

A Gusau magistrates’ court has ordered the remand of one Yusuf Rabiu of Nasarawa, Damba Area, Gusau, for allegedly raping a married woman, Hassana Ibrahim, of the same address.

Though the accused pleaded not guilty, the magistrate, Alhaji Umar Abdulnasir, ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.

The case was adjourned till May 11, for further mention.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Lawal Isah, had told the court that

‘He stopped sharing room with me since he bought a new mattress in 2005’

AN Igando customary court in Lagos has dissolved the 36-year-old marriage between a septuagenarian, Mr Mutahiru Saibu and his 53-year-old wife, Monsurat, over bleaching and conversion of religion.

Delivering his judgement, the court’s president, Mr Adegboyega Omilola said that the petitioner was adamant in spite of all mediation from the court and family members.

“Since the petitioner insisted on divorce after several interventions, therefore, the court has no choice other than to dissolve the union in spite of the fact that the wife still claims she loves her husband.

“The court pronounces the marriage between Mutahiru Saibu and Monsurat Saibu dissolved today, both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.

“Both parties are free to go their separate ways without any hinderances and molestation,’’ Omilola ruled. The petitioner, a 76-year-old retired civil servant, had sought the dissolution of the marriage over his wife’s alleged bleaching and conversion to Christianity.

The septuagenarian told the court that as an Imam, his wife’s conversion

from Islam to Christianity has brought shame on him.

“Her name was Monsurat before I married her, my wife is now known in the whole Celestial churches in Lagos; I’m an Imam, how do I explain that?’’ he asked. He said that his wife bleached her skin and that he detested it.

“The smell of her body since she started bleaching is not good for my health, why should she be bleaching at her age? She is now a grandmother.

“My wife goes out at will without my permission. She also curses a lot and her curses are coming to past in my life,’’ he said.

Saibu said that when he told his wife that he has diabetes, the next day she started singing that God should add honey and sugar to her life.

He said that Monsurat always says that he will soon die, which he said he knew was true, but that even if he had a day to live, he wanted to live in peace.

The respondent, Monsurat, a businesswoman, told the court

that all the allegations levelled against her were false.

A mother of four, Monsurat said that since her husband bought a new mattress in 2005, he had stopped sharing the same room with her.

“When I complained, a family meeting was held but still there was no change.

“Mutahiru always defames my reputation by calling me a witch.

“He calls me a witch, he curses me at the slightest opportunity, he said I won’t be successful as long as I remain in his house, that is why I changed to Christianity,’’ Monsurat said.

The respondent said that her husband does not give her money to cook in the house but that he usually gives money to the children to cook for him.

She said that Saibu does not care for her and that when she was sick and hospitalised for three weeks, he did not come to the hospital even for once to check on her.

on April 4, while the complainant’s husband, Ibrahim Isah was away, the accused, armed with knife, flashed torchlight on the complainant’s face.

Isah said that the accused attacked and raped the complainant and also stole her cell phone valued at N5,000 and escaped.

He said that during police interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravenes Section 283 of the Penal Code.

Okada man remanded over serial rape of minor THE upper sharia court Kawo, Kaduna, has remanded one Awwal, an okada rider (cyclist transporter) for turning a 12-yearold minor into a sex machine.

When the case came up before the court, the father of the minor told the court that he wanted nothing but justice.

“My Lord, my daughter has suffered enough psychological trauma and she is currently in pains, to say the least.”

He told the court that his 12-year-old daughter was set to marry but just five days to the ceremony, the wedding was cancelled.

“Her would-be husband sent an emissary to me that he would not go ahead with the wedding because he had discovered that my daughter was having an affair with someone else.”

He told the court that “when I asked my daughter what the

I need to be freed from his troubles —Wife

She is a grandmother, yet she bleaches her skin —Septuagenarian

Musiliu said that he had returned the underwears his lover took away from their house.

He said that he never approached his wife’s hairdresser requesting for her hair.

The respondent begged the court to help him appeal to his wife that he still loves her.

Court remands man for allegedly raping married woman

Woe unto the day I met her, she is a harlot —Husband A motorcycle mechanic, Kazeem Makinde, has appealed to Customary Court 2, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, to dissolve the 17-year-old marriage between him and his wife, Kudirat Makinde, over constant fighting and extramarital affairs, saying “woe unto the day I met you.”

23

Makinde had on April 11 filed a case of divorce against his wife on the grounds that she didn’t give him rest of mind and claiming of not being the biological father of his three children.

He accused his wife of packing out of his home and sleeping outside with her numerous man friends, lamenting that he had set up his wife on businesses, but within some months, the business would collapse due to her negligence and lackadaisical attitude.

According to Makinde, “I am tired of her, please separate us, for she neither cooperates nor cares for me, there is no rest of mind for me, I cannot even control her, she has no respect for me or my family.

“Woe unto the day I met and proposed marrying her, she is a harlot, a married woman who sleeps for days in another man’s house, going to beer parlour and going to parties she is not invited to.”

In her response, Kudirat admitted to the claims and agreed on dissolution, contending that “I need to be freed from his troubles so that I can enjoy my life”.

The president of the court, Chief Abioye Olatunbosun, in his ruling, dissolved the marriage on refund of no dowry, just as he granted the custody of the three children to their mother.

Olatunbosun added that the plaintiff should be paying N10,000 monthly for the welfare of the three children: Sodiq Makinde, 15; Saheed Makinde, 12 and Rasidat Makinde, 8, adding that the children’s school fees, hospital bills and other miscellaneous should be catered for by their father.

problem was, I was shocked with the revelations I heard.”

“She told me that some day, she stopped the okada man to take her to the house of one of our relations but instead he took her to a bush.

“When they got to the bush, he drew a knife and asked her to remove her clothes after which he forcibly made love to her.

“As she was about to put on her clothes, he asked her to stop and took her nude picture.”

The court heard that anytime he wants to have sex with her, he would show her the nude picture and threatened to expose her if she refused.

The court also heard that the accused had countless rounds of sex with the minor.

The father also told the court that he took the matter to vigilante members who investigated the allegation and found out that the accused actually committed the offence.

On interrogation,the accused who hails from Igabi Local Government area of Kaduna State, pleaded guilty of the charges against him.

The presiding judge, Alh Lawal Saulawa then ruled that the accused should be remanded in prisons and adjourned the case to May 6 for continued hearing.

Artiste in court over genital exposure AN Accra Gender-Based Circuit Court has expressed worry over the kind of witnesses state prosecutors bring before the court in respect of the case involving Hiplife artiste Eugene Ashe, aka Wisa Greid, of “Ekiki Mi” fame.

In the view of trial judge Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, the prosecutor ought to bring what she described as “material witnesses.”

This was after the prosecutor, Chief Inspector J. B. Asante, had led Michael Acheampong, an Events Manager of Airtel Ghana, to testify in the case in which the musician is being tried for supposedly showing his genital on stage.

According to Michael Acheampong, although he was not in the auditorium where the event was held, he heard shouts that Wisa had shown his genital on stage while performing.

Under cross-examination by Jerry Avenogbor, lawyer for Wisa, Mr Acheampong said as sponsors of the show, Airtel did not issue any statement about the case. He said the company felt keeping silent was a strategy in managing the bad PR. The Airtel Ghana Events Manager told the court that personally, he did not see the accused showing his manhood but only heard screams in the auditorium.

He said he was at a stand the company had mounted at the entrance of the venue.

Sitting continues on May 13.

19

30 April, 2016

Eko Akete Seeking God in filth

Saturday Tribune

‘We kill here’

21

Weekend Lagos

Editor

Lanre Adewole

m: 0811 695 4637 e: lanreadewole@tribuneonlineng.com

Our grouse against Ambode

—Prof. Smith

Professor Emmanuel Oluwole Smith, SAN, is the president of Eko Foundation.

LANRE ADEWOLE and BOLA BADMUS engaged him on the lingering face-off with Lagos State government.

As president of Eko Foundation, you have been in the news for some reasons in recent times. One major feature of your intervention and advocacy has been to antagonise policies of and appointments made by the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the question everybody is asking is, why?

Thank you very much, it is a good question and the question is very timely. Timely in the sense that everybody would have noticed that what we are talking about now is something that has been happening for years, for decades. Those imbalances and marginalisation, oppression, the suppression, Continues on pgs20 & 21

Lagos indigenes plot against Ambode Inside the intrigues, politics of Lagos’ 50th anniversary

LANRE ADEWOLE goes into the heart of the matter between the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and warring indigenes of the state.

I

s Lagos still a no-man’s land? The perceivably rhetorical question is now at the heart of a burgeoning crisis in the state, which a front-row indigene says may end up eclipsing the raging Israel/Palestine age-long bloody war, if settlers are not ready to give the desired dues of the original

owners. Interestingly, the current Indigene/ Settler’s contention is intra-ethnic, situated mainly among the Yoruba ethnic stock of the state, though the near future may see other ethnic groupings being courted for badly-needed alliance. Infact, it has been narrowed to the indigenes and the government of the day, which is being accused of promoting settlers over and above indigenes and engaging in systematic decimation of indigenes’ relevance in the socio-economic and political affairs of the state. This is allegedly so, according to the indigenes, because those

leading the state now are more of settlers.

But almost all the odds are stacked against the indigenes who have now massed under a socio-cultural umbrella; Eko Foundation.

One, they have lost almost all the battles they got into with the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode which they allege, has committed the worst form of marginalization against the indigenes in the state since its creation in 1967, with the exception, being the position of Vice-Chancellor of Lagos Continues on pgs20 & 21

Lagos @50: Celebration not a party affair, indigenes are endangered —Banire Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took no prisoner, dissecting his commitment to the agitation against his party man, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in this chat with BOLA BADMUS and LANRE ADEWOLE This one you launched recently, what is it about, this Egbe Omo Eko Pataki?

No, there are three different groups that have come together, the Eko Foundation, the Egbe Omo Eko Pataki and there is Association of Lagos Indigenes. They are three, the three of them, they are coming together under one banner now.

Which is?

For now, they are still working out a uniform name, a platform that will take all of them on, because they operate differently before. But now everybody is coming together under one platform and they have set up a committee to integrate them and look for a common name, just like merger.

Which one do you belong to? You are a member of Eko Pataki?

I belong to all of them.

But you appeared at the forum of Omo Eko Pataki recently?

Continues on pg21

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Saturday Tribune

Weekend Lagos

Ambode Vs Eko Foundation:

Lagos @50: Ambode is completely inaccessible —Banire

The plots, intrigues and politics Continued from pg19

State University (LASU), secured after a tough battle.

The planned celebration of the state’s golden jubilee next year, which should ordinarily serve a centripetal purpose of uniting warring parties, is incidentally now at the heart of a new test of strength and relevance between Ambode’s administration and the indigenes. And having lost about four major battles to the governor, including the last-minute spirited efforts to stop his ascendancy to the plum job, the leaders of the indigenes who spoke with Saturday Tribune assured that the days of failure are over.

While the indigenes are not ready to quickly divulge their battle plans, the realities on the ground would not support their optimism. One, they agree that the original owners of the state are in the minority and would always be outnumbered in any contest, which may always be political, even if Eko Foundation claims it isn’t political. In fact, their minority status was responsible for the inability to stop Ambode from becoming governor. A senior source among the indigenes told Saturday Tribune that before the primaries that produced Ambode, they mounted serious advocacy but their visits to a couple of eminent quarters, including topmost traditional institutions deflated all their hopes, with those weighty voices allegedly sounding helpless because of the majority status of the settlers, with one prominent Lagosian allegedly quoted as saying “Won ti wa ri mi sa o (They have come to see me).

The leaders of Eko Foundation have accused Ambode of being inaccessible and unresponsive. His administration has also stubbornly refused to reverse the sacking of the Permanent Secretaries who worked with former Governor Raji Fashola who are said to be mainly Lagosians, reverse the appointment of Mrs Omoigui Ifueko as well as appointment of Ogun-born Professor Wole Soyinka as co-chairman of Lagos @50 planning committee, as demanded by the indigenes. They have, however, been most truculent in their protest against Soyinka’s involvement, especially when the conspiracy theory of government deliberately appointing a medically-challenged indigene co-chairman, Alhaji Rasheed Gbadamosi, is added to the equation. While filing this report, news came that Gbadamosi had been flown abroad for a major surgery, making his participation in the planning for the golden celebration almost impossible.

Ambode’s administration is however adamant. It also resolved not to engage the indigene representatives in dialogue or dignify their contentions with official reactions. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information and Strategy told Saturday Tribune that if the sought engagement with him was about Eko Foundation, it remained a no-go area.

“We have decided not to reply Eko Foundation or respond to anything being said” he told Saturday Tribune by phone on Wednesday.

That was days after Saturday Tribune had been on his trail and about 24 hours after a no-prisoner-holding interview with Professor Emmanuel Oluwole Smith, SAN, the president of the Foundation. Days before, National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in Lagos, Dr Muiz Banire, SAN, also had a roller-coasting engagement with Saturday Tribune.

But Ayorinde may not be saying the complete truth, as there are indications that government is responding in its own ways. First, there have been pro-government media interventions over Soyinka’s controversial appointment, with known friends of the administration, both in media and legal circles, coming down hard on the indigenes.

The sudden resignation of Lawal Pedro, SAN, as the Legal Adviser to Eko Foundation is also said to be part of fighting back by the Ambode administration.

When Saturday Tribune got Pedro by phone on Thursday, he simply said “a lawyer can withdraw his service at any point to a client and a client can discharge a lawyer at any point. Yes, I resigned as the legal adviser to Eko Foundation. The reasons are personal. I won’t say more for now.”

When pressed about the report of being summoned to a certain powerful quarter for serious pressure to pull out of the indigenes’ struggle, he simply promised to speak with Saturday Tribune extensively when he returns from his trip.

Smith himself is paying the price of uncompromising leadership as he is being reportedly blackmailed with the LASU VC issue. “They are saying that I am into this struggle because I wasn’t made

Continued from pg19

LASU VC. The records are there. I never applied,” he said.

It was gathered from a source that the former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith, is also being allegedly made to feel the heat of his cousin’s activism, leading to being denied certain “stuff”.

Other senior members of the Foundation are also not being spared, according to Saturday Tribune findings. On Friday, a major political powerhouse in the state summoned one of the leading lights to a crisis meeting. He has been under pressure to dump the struggle.

Without doubt, it is going to be a marathon between Ambode and the indigenes, with the coming days expected to up the stakes, considering that the indigenes may not have a choice but to stop his second term bid in 2019 if he stuck to his no-dialogue gun. Both sides appear ready. But one will surely buckle at last.

The question will be, who shifts first?

I have always been a member of Eko Foundation for more than a decade, since the days of the late Justice Muri Okunola. I have always been a member. But the day I went for Egbe Omo Eko Pataki, they didn’t launch it, they were trying to migrate and formalise their own structure with Eko Foundation so all the Eko Foundation Officers were there.

So what are these groups after?

They are just out to protect the interest of the indigenes, that is all, nothing beyond that, it is self-preservation that is what we are all about.

But the agitation is coming more now as a result of the recent appointment of Prof.

Wole Soyinka as co-chairman of Lagos @ 50.

No, there have been so many things they have been taking up before Professor Wole Soyinka’s appointment.

Ambode

Why we are against Ambode —Prof. Smith Continued from pg19

they are things that we have been witnessing for a period of time. Why now? The simple answer is that for every reaction, there must be cumulative actions and if you look at history as I have said, we always have remote cause and the immediate causes.

Over the years we have been witnessing this oppression, but I tell you what actually sparked it up was deliberate sacking of permanent secretaries, majority of whom were indigenes of Lagos State and we asked the questions. What we were told by the government was that there was an ongoing re-organisation in the public service, in ministries.

What we discovered at the end of the day was that it was a case of witch-hunting, it was a case of pushing indigenes aside. For whatever reasons, those people were sacked and like I said for obvious reason.

What are these obvious reasons and why?

It could be that government wanted to make way for some people to move up and they saw these permanent secretaries who are indigenes as a stumbling block. That is a possibility. Another possibility could be that yes, indigenes should be wiped off, wiped off in the sense that, quote and unquote to the extent that indigenes should be relegated to the background for whatever reasons known to them. That was

another possibility, yet another possibility is that the man at the helm of affairs himself, there was a controversy about him, I don’t want to go into details.

Rumours have it that because he has his own people, because he made some promises to some people, because he was being patronised by some people on political grounds, he wanted to satisfy them at the expense of indigenes.

So those are the possibilities here and there.

But what was very obvious to us was that injustice to us, lack of fair-play, if these permanent secretaries had a tenure they were supposed to be until retirement, why terminate such appointment, midstream? And we expected them to go to court. For whatever reason, they didn’t. And we saw that as very, very bad and unfair to the indigenes.

Are you saying those affected in the exercise were mainly indigenes?

Yes, of course, majority of them like I said, majority of those whose appointments were terminated were indigenes and government could not give us any cogent reasons for such early retirement.

It was a retirement that was not explained, it was a retirement that was not based on any justifiable reason, it was mass retirement that had nothing to do with anybody committing any offence, operating the law or regulation of the Civil Service at all. Up till now

Smith government has not come up with any concrete explanation as to why those permanent secretaries were sacked.

Your complaint concerning the sack of the indigenes was not as loud as the one on the recent appointment of Prof. Wole Soyinka as co-chairman of Lagos@50, why is that so?

You see, it is not and I have said it several times. I said it at different fora on my reply to Femi Falana’s submission. The Wole Soyinka issue is not a major issue, that appointment is a transient appointment, that appointment that would not last for ever. So to us, it is just a footnote. We saw it as an aberration that a state is celebrating the anniversary of its creation and government did not see any sense in an indigene to

chair the committee, rather government wanted somebody outside the state. We didn’t see any sense in that especially for the man himself hails from Ogun State and Ogun State celebrated the 40th anniversary of its creation, the governor did not ask a non-indigene to chair its committee.

It’s like you celebrating your birthday and asking your next door neighbour to come and chair it.

Now some people said, yes it is because this man is an international figure, he has all the clout, he is going to give it international colouration and all that and I see all those argument as tenous. The reason is that I don’t see anything international about celebrating the anniversary of creation of a state. I do not see any international clout that Lagos State is looking for in this regard. Lagos State has international clout already, we don’t need anybody to empower us, we don’t need anybody to tell us that by inviting somebody to chair the committee, Lagos will be having some kind of international recognition or whatever, I don’t know what all that is all about. But my own point is this, that this is an event that has to do with the state and the indigenes of the state are the celebrants so to say and, therefore, it is incumbent on anybody to ensure that these indigene have their destiny in their hands and that these indigenes are given the opportunity to plan their own event and execute the event.

The governor has a focus on making Lagos a mega city, that could have been the reason why

he went for an international figure like Soyinka, who can sell it better to the outside world, don’t you think so? But also, the indigenes have somebody as co-chairman of the committee.

Let us face it, the argument that Lagos being a cosmopolitan state is neither here nor there. We have five divisions, I don’t see anything cosmopolitan about Ikorodu, I don’t see anything cosmopolitan about Epe, I don’t see anything cosmopolitan about Badagry, perhaps we could be talking about Lagos Island and the capital city which is Ikeja. That is number one. Therefore, it is wrong to suggest that Lagos State as it were is cosmopolitan taking Lagos State as a whole.

Two, even assuming without conceding that Lagos State as a whole is cosmopolitan, Lagos State is not the only cosmopolitan city in Nigeria, I don’t see how any state that is more cosmopolitan than the Federal Capital Territory. The Federal Capital Territory is the seat of government, if anybody is coming to Nigeria, that is where a president would go, that is where a prime minister would go, because it is the seat of government.

We expect that whether you are an Ibo man, you are an Hausa man, you are a Yoruba man, you have a stake there and you can go there, buy land there, build your houses there, do your business there and do all what not. So it is cosmopolitan to that effect, to the extent that it looks after all tribes, all manner of people who are Nigerians so to say.

Continues on pg22

Like what Sir? For instance, they’ve been talking about the cabinet composition, that it is not reflective of the indigeneship partnership. They started with Omoigui Ifueko who they put in charge of N25billion empowerment fund. They raised issue of the speakership, they’ve always been raising the issues on one matter or another from time to time just that, this is the latest in the series, let me put it that way.

But this appeared to be more like it was about Soyinka initially.

In fact that is even something that is on course if I can put it that way, it was not much of an important thing. The only point the group is trying to make is that the celebration is largely supposed to be a cultural thing and requires somebody who is extremely familiar with the culture of Lagos and if you are not quite familiar with the culture of Lagos, Banire you will not be able to reflect it well in the celebration.

For example, there is a suggestion or rumour, let me put it that way, from the committee now that it is the idea of Black Heritage, headed by Professor Wole Soyinka where he used to bring people from the diaspora, that they want to rehash, substantially, that is what they want to rehash and so most of the members are now resisting, saying no, no, this is not a Yoruba celebration, this is Lagos and that you must divorce those two. Lagos has its own peculiar features, particularly when it comes to issue of culture as opposed to the rest of Yoruba land. If you go to Ijebuland now, they have their own culture, if you go to Egba, they have their own peculiar culture, ditto if you go to Ogbomosho or Oyo or Saki or all of those areas, and you cannot generalise it under that umbrella. In fact, for me, that is my understanding of the major point of disagreement.

Sir, two things have made your involvement very striking. One, the government of the day that made these appointments is your government. You are not only a major stakeholder in Lagos; you are also a national leader in the party that produced that government and there is this talk about internal conflict resolution mechanism, why are you not exploring

this?

This is not a party issue, it is not a party issue at all, it goes beyond party entirely. You see, when a government is in place, it is not a government meant for APC alone, it is a government meant for everybody in Lagos, PDP is there, APGA is there, Labour is there, all other people are there. It is not as they normally put it, it is not a family issue, it goes beyond me, I am just one of the so many millions of indigenes, so it is not a party issue at all.

Have you tried to, at least, explore the possibility of talking to the governor one, on one given the affinity that exists between you as senior party member before coming out to take this position?

He is completely inaccessible.

What do you mean by that?

You can’t find him.

You made a very striking comment at the last outing of Egbe Omo Eko Pataki. You said if there isn’t immediate redress of these alleged lopsided appointments, that what is happening between Israel and Palestine would be a child’s play.

This is what brings up conflicts, which needs to be addressed quickly. If you don’t address it quickly, it brings up conflicts. There is a book I can give you on the Palestinian Question. You would discover that what has happened is that Israel that came to meet them has overshadowed them, they suppressed them so the only way they could respond, not having the requisite capacity when it comes to respond appropriately is now to take to guerilla warfare and that is what is going on there up till now. You can imagine decades this thing has been going on.

Don’t you think that was a weighty statement?

No, we must not allow it, look it is the same manner people are talking about these herdsmen, that we need to address it quickly before it degenerates. This is the problem we have in Nigeria, we don’t tame issues, we allow them to escalate before we now start struggling with them. We must never allow it, that is what I am saying, we must not allow it.

You are saying the governor is not accessible, but he is the one known to read newspapers and take actions on the issues in focus, do you think you have made enough efforts trying to reach out to him?

You see, I am somebody that respects myself a lot.

For me as a person, the way I communicate with people, I call you, if you don’t pick my phone, I send you a text, if you don’t reply my text, I leave you alone, you want to be in peace, so let me allow you to be in your peace, it’s as simple as that, that is the idea.

You said it is not party issue, but we know that somebody is largely responsible for the emergence of the governor and you are also very close to the person too, so what efforts have you made to get his intervention?

Continues on pg33

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Eko Akete Seeking God in filth When the Lagos State government set aside Thursday of every week as sanitation day — an exercise which aims to encourage business owners within the metropolis to tidy their environment — they did not know that they had just opened an avenue for mobile preachers to set up churches in front of locked shops.

On Thursday, Eko Akete visited some parts of Lagos only to be confronted by mobile churches which had sprung up in front of many of the locked shops.

Every Thursday in a corner between Ilo and Ipodo streets in Ikeja, a mobile church beckons at traders and other shop owners who are waiting impatiently for the 10 0’clock deadline to begin the day’s trading.

The pastor of the mobile church begins his service with a worship session complete with all the instruments you would find in a regular church. A praise session soon follows and the traders and shop owners sing praises to God, surrounded by filth.

The mobile churches are always not showing any concern for the main objective of the forced closure, with an offering bag always being passed around and the Grace said at five minutes to the deadline.

The practice is not peculiar to Ikeja as Eko Akete found out. It is obtainable in Alaba and some other major markets.

‘We kill here’ Some concerned Lagosians hav appealed to Eko Akete to beg the Ministry of Health to investigate a hospital located at Ojodu Berger.

According to gist flying around, the hospital is highly notorious for negligence which has led to the loss of many lives.

Speaking with Eko Akete, a man claimed that he lost his wife and child to the usual negligence of the hospital personnel. “She gave birth successfully, but due to the negligence of the hospital, she died like a chicken. My baby also died there,” he claimed.

Eko Akete also gathered that through a medical laboratory official that a doctor who was recently sacked from another hospital for giving an elderly patient an overdose of drugs which led to her untimely demise has been employed by this hospital.

“Lagos State should come to the masses’ rescue. The rate at which people are dying in this place is alarming,” he said, adding that many people in the area patronise the hospital because their services are quite cheap when compared to other standard hospitals.

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Our grouse against Ambode —Prof. Smith

at Protea Hotels. He replied the letter and thanked me for the congratulatory message and he said he would do his best for the good people of Lagos State, but that didn’t answer any question. That was the reply he gave.

What did I do? I wrote a letter, saying Mr Governor Sir, your Excellency, I would like to come and see you, the Foundation would like to talk to you, rub minds with you, would like to have a round table talk with you on the future of this state and the future of the good indigenes of this state. My dear brother, I didn’t get any reply up till now. And we made several calls, we sent several letters, there was no response. So at that stage, we had no option but to put in print what the foundation intended to talk to Governor Ambode about.

Continued from pg20

But within the Federal Capital Territory as cosmopolitan as it is, you have the indigenes being recognised by law and you know a lot of people would be curious to say this is a capital city. The issue of indigeneship should not even come in because as of 1976 when Abuja was created, it was created on a clean slate; all parcels of land there were taken over and compensations paid. So as a matter of principle, that place should not even recognise any indigene, but alas the law does.

Three, the history of Lagos is an important one. I tell you if you are in any part of the whole world and you mention Lagos, they are aware, not only because of the cosmopolitan that the people talk about but essentially because of the history. It has a very rich history and all that especially against the backdrop of history, Lagos Island, the history of Badagry. Badagry itself is a tourist centre because of the slave trade history surrounding that environment and all that, including the first storey building and all that. All these are of international repute and to that extent I want to believe for Lagos State to have that international clout, Lagos State does not need anybody to endow it with that clout.

Lastly, we have people of international repute in Lagos State. Lagos State is endowed with intellectuals, some are dead, some are still alive. I am sure that nobody would argue with me that the late Justice Teslim Elias of blessed memory was an important person, the late Ola Vincent, the popular educationist, late Prof. Babs Fafunwa. Right now we have people like Chief Femi Okunnu. We’ve produced the inspector general of police in this state.

So, we have such people in existence in Lagos State that are of international repute, that can handle whatever Prof. Wole Soyinka is going to handle and I don’t see any reason why we should now go for Prof. Soyinka who is not an indigene.

Going further, you talk about the person appointed as co-chairman, I want to let you know that that was done in bad faith.

How? The reason is that that man everybody is aware now, is incapacitated. As we speak the man is in Europe undergoing surgery. I don’t see the reason why a man like that should still be bothered with that kind of enormous responsibility.

So what I am trying to say in effect is that it was a make-belief to suggest that after all we have an indigene who is a co-chairman, whereas you know full well that that indigene is incapacitated and at the end of the day, it is Wole Soyinka that is going to handle proceedings at meetings and so on.

But at the time the appointment was made, the co-chairman was not incapacitated. He came to the inauguration by himself and he was not incapacitated then.

No, the man was incapacitated then.

And I remember that during the inauguration, Soyinka said the man would be doing most of the things, if you are saying the appointment was done in bad faith, you might not be fair to Governor Ambode.

Well, to my mind, I look at the genesis of our agitation, and I see that some individuals, some prominent individuals fought for the creation of Lagos State. I mentioned names.

Are they still around?

Some of them, General Mobolaji Johnson, Professor Babs Fafunwa, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, so we have people who are alive, who actually fought for the creation of this state and who ought to have been invited as co-chairman.

Ambode Rasheed Gbadamosi is an intellectual and a great man, a great economist, okay, but the creation of Lagos State, he was not one of those instrumental to it. There are people who are instrumental to it and if Governor Ambode wanted to be fair, he should have appointed one of such people as co-chairman.

When Governor Amobde was to constitute the body for Lagos @ 50, did he make any consultation with any of the founding fathers of Lagos?

Thank you very much, nobody was consulted by Governor Ambode.

As far as you were concerned.

To the best of my knowledge, he never did any consultation, and I am sure if he did, he would have been advised better. He went ahead, I don’t know where he got the impression from that he had to get a co-chairman who is an indigene. The question now is why can’t Rasheed Gbadamosi be chairman and Wole Soyinka, the Co-chairman, that would have made a lot of sense because Soyinka would have been in a better position as a consultant. This is a chairman, he is an eminent indigene of Lagos State, this is Wole Soyinka who is a co-chairman who will be assisting in knowledge and experience in performing the task, that would have made a lot of sense.

Let me tell you there has never been a time indigenes were happy at the attitude of government towards them. There was no time and before we started this struggle, when I noticed the marginalisation and oppression and all that of the indigenes, and it was getting worse by the day, I went to the elders. I started from Oba Akiolu, you can quote me and I said Kabiyesi, are you comfortable with what is going on?

When was that?

That was before the elections. When Ambode was chosen as the flagbearer of APC in Lagos. I met some elders because they know themselves, maybe we should not just mention names.

I said, what is all this about? I am not sure this man is from the state, so why must he be chosen as the flag bearer of APC and what I got from one of them (elders) was that it was an error, that Asiwaju did not realize that fact, that he realized it late that Ambode was

Smith not from this state.

That Ambode was not from the state Yes, and I want you to quote me. And my next reaction was when he got to know this what did he do about it? The reaction was, it was late, and I said no, nothing is too late because things were not yet over that time. The gentleman now said won tiwa rimi sha o, there and then, I just stood up in annoyance and left.

Two, I met some other eminent indigenes of Lagos State and complained about it, but the reason why I kept quiet at the end of the day is because before the elections, the Eko Foundation invited Governor Ambode for a chat, because we wanted to know his agenda for the state and for the indigenes of the state and he honoured the invitation, we thanked him for that.

We met at Protea Hotels along Awolowo Road, he spoke very well. I still remember at that occasion, I still have the tape, I told him this is an elective position, we cannot claim that an indigene must be the governor of a particular state when the majority say this is the man we want, it would be anybody. You don’t have power over that. It is an elective position. So in talking to Ambode I was not talking about whether he is an indigene or not, I addressed him as an aspirant at that point in time because we did the same thing for Jimi Agbaje So I asked him, I said you wanted to be governor, I am sure you are aware of the marginalisation of the indigenes and all that, this time around, it is not going to be business as usual. We would give you all the support, we would give you all the assistance, but remember when you get there, it is not going to be business as usual, you must see to this marginalisation, you must ensure that the oppression stops, you must ensure that indigenes are given their rightful place in governance. He responded very well, he said that was going to be my topmost priority, that Lagos State made him what he was and therefore, he would do his best to ensure that indigenes of the state took proper positions in governance, that was what he said. And we were all very happy, we applauded him Now, when he was finally elected as the governor, what did I do, I wrote a beautiful congratulatory message to him and also reminded him about the promises he made

Whereas you know full well that that indigene is incapacitated and at the end of the day, it is Wole Soyinka that is going to handle proceedings at meetings

If it was difficult getting the governor, did you try through the indigenes who were instrumental to his emergence as governor?

That is a very good question and that was what I said when the interview started. I said I met with elders starting with Kabiyesi. I met with Kabiyesi, I met with other leaders to let them know that Governor Ambode should do the right thing, they should ask him to do the right thing, they should correct him, maybe he was advised that they should advise him and call him to order.

And I am saying this and I want it to be represented the way I put it. I met with Kabiyesi and other elders.

We learnt from the grapevine that the Eko Foundation actually worked for the success of Ambode Yes, we did.

But at the end of the day, you expected a pay-back time, which you have not got.

Not necessarily. But what we actually expected him to do was a reversal of the marginalization and oppression against the indigenes of Lagos State. That was what we expected him to do.

Somebody said the marginalisation was not as serious under Tinubu and Fashola, don’t you think it is too early to start complaining now, don’t you think he can adjust along the way.

You see going through our advertorials, we have not been confrontational, we have not been attacking government, it is just to say look at the plight of indigenes, let what obtains in all the states also obtain in Lagos State, he should ensure that qualified engineers with wealth of experience be allowed to handle important positions in their states.

That is all we have been saying. Enough of disparity, If Governor Amobode is not yielding to your demand, what happens and if he finally reverses himself, what happens?

Thank you very much, if Governor Ambode reverses his position, remove Prof. Wole Soyinka and puts an indigene at the helm of affairs at the committee, we would definitely applaud him, okay. We would applaud him and the indigene would be happy. But if on the other hand, he refuses to do that and he goes ahead with the committee and consequently the events holds, we are not going to do anything. People have been talking about organizing parallel festival, I don’t know where people got that from, we are not going to do that. We have made our point.

We have said that Wole Soyinka is not welcome here to chair that committee, it is a point we have made. So government is now saying at all cost, he must be, that is up to them, we have made our point, we are not going to do anything that would undermine governance in Lagos State, we are not going to do anything that would disrupt the event.

24

30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

08050498504 toluwaniforever@yahoo.com

W

HY did you decide to study Law after bagging BA and MA degrees in History?

I had always wanted to study Law but it was History that was available for me to study after my A levels programme. And because I graduated with a very good result in History, the University of Lagos insisted that I must do my master’s degree programme in History and in any case my parents wanted another graduation, and so I began my master’s programme by dissertation -- because it was supposed to lead to the PhD. I also did Insurance. About that time too, I asked myself ‘What else can I do?’ And I thought of Insurance and I started it. Even though I never went to any insurance school, I passed and I still had my ACII. But I still nursed that dream of studying Law, probably because my husband is a lawyer. I went back and started the Law programme on part time I finished and went to Law school.

would not want to hurt her husband; a man could go to clubs and strategise; but a woman would not. People would call her names if she does and this can get her discouraged.

Politics involves a lot. When I was running for office, I went to Epe, every day. But I was lucky to have an understanding husband.

Getting on well in politics requires trust and support – financial, emotional, physical and mental - from your spouse.. Without these things, it would be difficult.

Law, politics, insurance, education – which of these is really your love and passion?

My passion and love now is actually agriculture (laughs). I have just acquired acres of land somewhere outside Lagos. I want to go into cassava and maize planting.

I also have plans for animal husbandry.

Do you have favourite colours?

Yes. I like blue. Most of my things tend to be blue.

You had a company and you were the CEO as of the time you were appointed commissioner. Were you ever involved in politics before this time?

I have always been involved in politics.

I am a politician. Even before I became a commissioner, I tried to become a member of the House of Representatives representing my constituency in Epe. It was unprecedented.

They had never seen a woman come out and do so much. But the party, in its wisdom, advised that I let someone else who had been on the queue for a long time go for it. But there was no doubt that I merited it, because I worked for it. I am a politician even now, because I believe you cannot leave politics for men and women who are mediocres.

Besides, as women, we are always passionate.

We don’t do things in half measures. And I think it shows in everything we do, because we get the desired results.

How come you look so youthful?

I’m not a young person. I will be 60 years old in two or three years time. I think it’s just the state of the mind – being at peace with oneself. I am not too ambitious. I don’t have to own everything that is in the world.

And I have a happy home–six children who are all successful, and a husband who is very supportive. I don’t need diamonds or any of those gems.

People often say that total happiness cannot be achieved in the home because there must be someone or something that makes the joy incomplete. Is this true?

I think you have to tell yourself the truth and define what exactly you want for yourself in life and in your family. I told myself initially when my children were growing up, I couldn’t afford to work in the private sector. I could not afford to come home late and leave my children with a nanny, because it would definitely affect them. I went into the private sector and later politics when I felt they had grown enough. But frankly there is a lot of work that goes into it. I told myself you

You have a good sense of fashion, what does fashion mean to you?

Appearance is important. For me, I don’t compromise that. Even when the material is cheap, I would wear it and glamorise it.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. I combine my colours so that everything matches.

What you wear matters a lot because when people see you for the first time, they make their judgement about you based on your appearance.

You’ve mentioned your husband a lot of times. He must have played an important role in your career.

He is a husband, father, brother and uncle, all rolled into one because he played all of those distinct roles throughout my career and even during my time as a student.

‘Having a hubby like mine, I don’t need diamonds, gems to be happy’ Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye is the immediate past Commissioner for Education, Lagos State. For a brief moment she was a graduate assistant at the Department of History, University of Lagos before working as a civil servant in several ministries under the Lagos State Government. At the time of her appointment as commissioner in the government of the immedicate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, Oladunjoye had become a lawyer and an insurance broker with a company of her own.

In this interview by NAZA OKOLI, the 57-year-old grandmother speaks on her career, activities and what has made her marriage work. cannot have everything, but you can leave out certain things in order to get what you truly want.

As a little girl, did you think you would become a commissioner or someone powerful?

I never knew I was going to become a commissioner. Perhaps no child would even have that kind of aspiration. I knew I love children and that I was going to have a lot of them. But I never bothered too much about achieving things; perhaps because I knew I was brilliant and that I could always quickly get the things I wanted. And that was why when I got it, it didn’t make too much difference – it was as if it was quite normal.

What would you say was your greatest achievement as commissioner?

Contributing my own quota to the development of the state. I happen to come from Lagos State. If I was chosen out of 21 million people, honestly, it is a great honour.

I am actually indebted to the state and the former governor for the opportunity to serve.

Any plan to run for a political office soon?

Well, no office is vacant now. Except you mean in 2019. But then I would be 60 years old, and I don’t think I would be interested.

Women have often been encouraged to go into politics. But do you think there are enough structures in place to support them, particularly in a society like ours?

Our society does not encourage women to go into politics. It is a rough terrain. A woman

How did you meet him?

I was pretty young. I was seventeen. He was a lawyer and his chambers was somewhere where we lived. Whenever he saw me he would tell me, “I’m going to marry you.” So when I was through with my A levels studies, I told my parents that he had always wanted to marry me. I doubt if I fully understood what was going on then. But that was when we started dating.

Is it a bad thing if a woman doesn’t get married at all?

To me, it doesn’t matter, once the person is happy. I would ordinarily say it is a problem, but circumstantially, if it happens, it’s acceptable. The most important thing is that person’s happiness and peace of mind. There is no point in getting married and ending up at a psychiatric hospital.

You have talked about mentorship for young women. What have you found to be the greatest problem that these people face?

Insecurity. They don’t know what the future holds for them, and so they are a bit apprehensive. So we need to tell them to do their part, and that it would work out. That’s what I tell them.

On a final note, you often look serious, unsmiling, is it deliberate?

(Laughs) I am actually a very pleasant person but I don’t take nonsense. You won’t say because I’m a woman, you have to rub something on my face or that I have to take certain things from you.

I have worked with a lot of men, from the levels of director and permanent secretary. About eight or ten different people reported to me as commissioner, because there are a lot of agencies under the ministry. So, maybe the look on my face is to tell them, ‘Better not come near too much, because I won’t take it.’

25

30 April, 2016

ntertainment News

Society Gist

Saturday Tribune with Joan Omionawele and

jistwtjoan@yahoo.com Twitter:@joanbajojo 08059793705 Newton-Ray Ukwuoma 08052271251

Celebrity Interviews

Inside

Who hacked into Tiwa Savage’s home?

—Pg28

Yul Edochie:

Iwasnot involvedin anaccident

I was not arrested

by Police —Mercy Aigbe —Pg26

Why Olamide parted ways with Lil Kesh —Pg28

26 entertainment

30 April, 2016

Yul Edochie debunks accident rumours

By Joan Omionawele and Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

N

Blackmagic on gratitude mood with ‘Loyal’ release Afro-centric rapper and BOB Entertainment frontman, Efemena Mukoro, popularly known as Blackmagic has officially released his newest single entitled ‘Loyal’ to the market. The new song was produced by Xela and is a follow-up of his last single, ‘Wonder’.

In the new song, Blackmagic pays tribute to music legends living and dead.

He also shows gratitude to

his fans for their support and love.

Blackmagic, before the release of ‘Loyal’, had sprung engaging discussions and trends with fans on social media platforms with the hashtags trend #iLoyal & #Loyal with engaging conversations and photos of legends like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, MKO Abiola, Attahiru Jega and many more with powerful quotes on loyalty.

ollywood actor, Yul Edochie has debunked rumours that he was involved in an accident during the week.

According to him, he is hale and hearty and is in perfect condition, with no injuries or major car damage.

In a Youtube video, Yul stated “I am fine, there is nothing wrong with me, I was not involved in any accident at all, as you can see, my hands are good, my legs are fine and that’s my car. I was not involved in any accident and I thank God for that” The actor further revealed that the story came from Facebook scammers and “they begin by telling people that a celebrity had an accident and they put out an account number and people sympathise with the person and this is how they make their money. This is a scam and I thank God that I am fine. ” Further confirming his activities, the gentleman-actor stated: “I am

currently doing a film in the east and once I’m done, I will be returning to Lagos where I live. Having said that, I am not too happy with a lot of bloggers, although we still have some of them who try to verify stories before they post, but I am not happy that some of them posted this story before trying to reach me, no one has tried to reach me, not to talk of the trauma it has caused to my family. These few days, I have had over a hundred calls from my friends and family, my father and mother kept calling and calling me at night to find out if I was okay.

It just put everybody under so much pressure because of posts from bloggers. This is not professional because a lot of them are concerned with traffic. I wouldn’t want to press charges but bloggers

should try to verify their stories before they post them,” he said.

Also talking about his latest plans for the movie industry, Yul, who has floated an acting academy in Victoria Island Lagos, said the initiative was set to prepare young talents for the next generation. He also alluded to the clamour of his fans for an acting academy. The academy will be officially launched in the coming month and is already trending on some social media platforms.

I was not arrested by police —Mercy Aigbe

6 queens to emerge from 2016 MBGE Pageant, says organisers The organisers of the Most Beautiful Girl in Eko (MBGE) pageant have extended the categories of the 2016 edition to six.

Four more categories, namely MBGE Entertainment Queen (second runner-up), MBGE Environment Queen (Third runner-up), MBGE Commerce Queen (fourth runner-up) and MBGE Model Queen (fifth runner-up) have been added to the two existing categories of the last edition, which are, the Most Beautiful Girl In Eko (MBGE Queen) as overall winner and the MBGE Tourism Queen (first runner-up).

Twenty young, beautiful and talented crown-worthy ladies will be contending for the six crowns in a night that will feature performances such as singing,

poetry recitation, cultural exhibition and question and answer segments.

Miss Funmi Bolatiwa Quadri, the Executive Director of Ereon Pageantry, the owners of MBGE franchise, in a statement said that the upgrade in the number of winning categories was targeted on the key aspects that have put Lagos State in the spotlight.

The competition is billed to take place at the Bamboo Event Hall, Omole, Ojodu, Lagos, on June 27.

Popular music stars like Prince Wadada, Aman, Zule zoo, Om shanti, Adasounds, Kuvu, and also in the comedy section, popular comedians like Klint Da Drunk, Melody4comedy and the host of others will be on the show.

Saturday Tribune

Mercy amidst the mob in Osogbo during the week.

Following the mild drama that resulted in a hot chase by policemen in Osogbo during the week, after a police cap was sighed in her car, popular Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe has come out to say that she wasn’t arrested.

In a statement she released thereafter, Aigbe wrote: “It has come to my attention that news have been flying around that I

was arrested by the police in Osogbo. For the record, I was never ARRESTED! I was shooting a movie in Osogbo and was going for a break with my PA and driver when we saw a police van chasing us. They later crossed us, came out of their van and started banging the bonnet of my car asking us to come down.

I was shocked and scared because I didn’t know what was going on. I stepped out of the car to ask them what happened and why they double-crossed us in that manner, the policemen started shouting and acting crazy, pointing gun at me.

“On seeing his behaviour, I took out my phone and started to record them, one of them forcefully collected my phone from me. My

PA also started recording them with an ipad and the policeman slapped her and threw the iPad away. At this point a lot of crowd had already gathered when they saw me and what was happening and they started booing them, saying that is how Osogbo policemen harass innocent citizens.”

She added: “When the policemen saw the large crowd supporting us and that they could be mobbed, they stylishly left only to call for reinforcement of other police officers. Those ones came and started shooting sporadically into the air, everyone had to run for their lives. The police officers then forcefully collected my car key and car documents from my driver and even tried to beat him up. They then ushered us into my car and a police man drove us to the state [police] headquarters. On getting there, we were taken to the office of the assistant commissioner of police where we narrated what happened and how their men harassed us and caused unnecessary commotion!”

27 entertainment

30 April, 2016

Continued from pg2

How is business?

So far, so good. We can’t complain despite the economic situation.

‘I am made for hard roles; producers don’t know that’

Do you have anything to say about the state of things in the country?

Sometimes I weep for my country. I don’t know where we are headed exactly. Every day we wake up we hope for the best. As a concerned citizen, I think they (government) should pay more attention to the masses.

Something is obviously wrong. I don’t know what that is. Things are getting worse every day. We now live one day at a time. The one thing that saddens me most is power failure.

I don’t know why we are still struggling with electricity at this age. We are 55, going to 56, and we are still struggling with that.

Most African countries have long moved on to real problems. It gives me great concern.

But if they can get that right, I think every other thing will fall in place because if you run a company where you pay electricity bills without having to run a generator, the cost of your product will be low as well as the cost of finished goods. I think electricity is the next major project this administration should concern itself with.

This opinion is also reflected in your role in Mama Africa. Do you want to shed some light on that?

Yes. ‘Mama Africa’ is one of my best movies.

It is so because of the message. The movie details what we are facing as a country. I connected to that movie because of that and I gave it my best. ‘Mama Africa’ was my first big screen. Before then I had done about ten movies. It was the first cinematic movie I did and I was expected to give it my best and I did.

We heard something happened to you during the shooting? Tell us about it.

Yes. I fainted on set. It was stress, nothing more. I was shooting ‘Mama Africa’ and the ‘Royal Maid’ at the same time. The two productions kind of clashed. And it happened that the same day I got back from a trip to China after a 17-hour flight, that I moved into the set of ‘Mama Africa’ and shortly after, another project, ‘The Royal Maid,’ which had been delayed for a while, was ready. I would today be on set for ‘Mama Africa’ and two days later on the set of ‘The Royal Maid.’ And moving out and into character was not as easy. I was so stressed that I passed out. As a human being, I broke down and was rushed to the hospital for two days. They waited for me to recover before continuing.

In ‘Mama Africa’, you worked with Zack Orji. How was the experience of working with him?

Yes. Zack Orji played my husband. It was my first job with him. It was an awesome experience. I enjoyed working with him.

When you work with people that understand the job and interpret well, it makes your own interpretation easy. You discover that you don’t struggle much. They help you do your job better. I was honoured working with him.

He was very friendly and accommodating.

In another movie, ‘A Certain Night’, you played blind Ella. How were you able to make that role believable?

I actually had to research everything about being blind: how they move around, how hold their eyes and feel things around. I had to read everything about them. That’s was how I was able to pull it off. I actually became blind for real on that set even though folks like Juliet Ibrahim and Frederick made jest of me throughout the shooting. But it was challenging being Ella the blind girl. The role was very emotional. I cried throughout the movie.

I had to take pain killers every day because I had to start the shooting with crying and end it with crying. ‘A Certain Night’ is still my best. I love that movie.

Saturday Tribune

wave of improvement in Nollywood?

Some people say that there is a new and old Nollywood. But I think there is nothing like that. It is just Nollywood getting better. I feel we are trying to bring back what we have not been paying attention to over the years, which is the big screen. With the number of cinemas now in Nigeria, the stage, the audience, everything is coming back. And to get people to have cinemas around their neighbourhood so that anyone can see a movie any time would be a great achievement. Already, Nigerian movies now run in local cinemas.That is another big achievement. Before now, it wasn’t like that. Now, Nollywood movies compete well with Hollywood movies in the Nigerian cinemas. That is a good thing.

Have you done any Igbo movie yet?

We hear that side of the industry is beginning to flourish.

No. But I am looking forward to doing one.

I have a production on Igbo movie coming up soon. I think the future is really bright for indigenous movies. I guess, the Igbo movies were lagging behind. That they are coming back is a good thing.

Where are you from?

From Aguata, Orumba North, Anambra State.

You and Juliet Ibrahim have this Google thing going on. Your name comes up with hers on Google. How did you work together that much?

I have noticed that too. I think it’s because we did a photoshoot together and a couple of interviews on set. So, I guess that’s why when you put my name on Google, hers pops up as well.

Besides that, is there a beauty competition going on between you two?

[Laughs] I didn’t want to say that, but I don’t know why you are forcing me to respond. Juliet is one very beautiful African girl. I give that to her, but we are all beautiful in different ways.

She calls herself the most beautiful girl in Africa, what you do call yourself?

My name is Nkiru Umeh. I don’t know about being the most beautiful in Nollywood or Africa. I will leave that to our fans to decide. And I am not actually competing with anyone in that regard. I feel we are all beautiful in our own ways.

Your hair seems to stand out. Is your hair the most fanciful part of you?

[Laughs] Yes, I think so. My hair is my signature. For the past two years, people seem to notice my hair, even before my dress. I get a lot of compliments about my hair. Sometimes, I wonder if they aren’t seeing my dress.

I always loved low cuts. Before I got married I was on low cut. In secondary school, I was also on low cut even when my mates were weaving their hairs. When the Brazilian and Peruvian hair craze came, I switched to that.

But after a while I returned to low cut and then started to differentiate it with every other kind. I have this silky and curly hair.

Just a little creativity, I don’t do much to it.

How would you describe yourself?

I am just this simple lady. I don’t think I have anything special other than loving to do things in a simple and classy way.

Is there a personal principle that keeps you going, especially being a married woman in the movie industry?

Yes, “You can do it”. I tell myself that every day. And I have been doing my best to keep everything together: being a wife, a mother and a career woman. I am not going to lie to you that it is easy, especially when you have to stay away for two weeks or even a month.

I try to keep in touch. I run my home from anywhere I am in the world. I know what everyone eats at every particular time, whether I am there or not. I try to run my home in my

absence.

Would you like to share one of your trying times in the industry?

I think it was the day I couldn’t pick up my son in the boarding school because I was shooting. They were closing for the term.

Everyone had left the boarding house. He was the only one left in school that day. I couldn’t leave the set. He stayed there until evening and I had to call someone else to pick him.

And just days before, I had missed my best friend’s birthday because I was shooting.

Funny enough, this birthday bash was happening two poles from where my set was and I couldn’t go. And she felt so bad. That is why I said it has not been easy.

Going through your social media handles, one would observe you get a lot of compliments from your fans.

What is the craziest thing a fan has done to you?

[Smiles] I get thousands of messages that I really don’t know how to explain. Sometimes I read them and wonder what the writers have in mind. I still get suitors even after four kids. But I am usually like, “but I have my family pictures here.” It is crazy. The craziest thing was at a mall. Africa Magic was on and the shoppers saw on me on the screen seconds before I walked into the mall.

Someone just rushed from nowhere, you know, shouting, “Is she not the one we saw just now!” In micro seconds, he went for a kiss. It would have been a mouth to mouth save that I dodged it and then it landed on my cheek. I was quite embarrassed until he pointed towards the screen. I then knew it was because of my movie showing on TV. I watched the movie with them for about ten minutes before doing grocery. I didn’t expect it. There are so many of them, but I guess I can’t share all here. When you are a lady and good-looking, naturally you will have more male fans. It is natural. I have more male fans than female fans.

How does your husband handle these things?

Some of these things happen before him, because people don’t know him. I think he has been able to accommodate them.

Sometimes I get advice from him on how to get used to it even when it gets really irritating. You know, there are times when people expect you to smile and laugh, without even knowing how you feel at that time, because they saw you in a movie last night and are seeing you this morning and they don’t know if you are in a very good mood and they expect you to be fun with them.

What is your take on the current

What is your personal struggle?

We all have our personal struggles. Not that I don’t have any, but it is nothing serious. At least it doesn’t give me sleepless nights.

How was growing up like?

I grew up in a very lovely family. My dad was there, though late now. Anyone that grew up in Anambra State would know Hossana Bread. That was my dad. I grew up from the Ezeyilimba family in Aguata, before I got married to my husband. I think I had everything a girl in my time would have. We were comfortable until he died. Things became a bit difficult. But we were already grown up to handle life and then I got married.

Was your husband your first relationship?

Yes. Besides secondary school love stories.

Yes, he is. I got married too early. What was I supposed to do at 17? I think getting married was the best decision I made for myself.

What are your vices, do you smoke or drink?

I don’t smoke. I don’t drink, not that I don’t take alcohol at all. I can sit down with a glass of wine all day.

Who are the people you look up in the industry?

Before I started acting, I looked up to Omotola [Jalade-Ekeinde]. We have a lot of things in common. We married early. We have four kids. I admire her a lot, especially how she has been able to keep her family together. It motivates me to keep my home. I also appreciate some people like Paul Daniel, Nobet Ajegbo, Chioma Okoye, Frederick, Yul Edochie, among others.

We hear that you and Yul are good friends.

Yes. He is the first friend I made in Nollywood. I did my first movie in Nollywood, ‘The Goddess’ and the Witches’ with Yul Edochie.

He played the male lead role and I played the female lead role. That was way back in 2011.

After those movies, I have done other movies with him. We have a good working relationship.

What do you want from producers going forward?

There is this side of me that people haven’t noticed: that is that tomboy side of me.

Producers don’t see that. They think I am too chick to play hard roles. But I am a tough girl.

I am a biker. If I don’t tell you, you wouldn’t know. I trained in power biking. People think I am a very soft, posh girl. Maybe some tough like taekwondo. I want to show some skills in my next movie.

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Who hacked into Tiwa Savage’s home?

As hubby-manager claims his account was compromised

Stories by Joan Omionawele

I

n what seemed like an uproar, social media experienced torpsy- turvy during the week when Nigeria’s songstress Tiwa Savage’s husband and manager, Tunji Balogun, aka TeeBillz, was seen online ostensibly revealing some deep secrets about his marriage to Tiwa Savage, claiming that he wanted to end it.

But TeeBillz, by Friday morning, clarified the situation claiming that his Instagram account was hacked.

In a series of posts on his Instagram page, the alleged hacker wrote: “I remember the day I met you at Timaya’s place and you introduced yourself to me, I decided to listen to your music. I invited you to my office in Los Angeles and God knows I kissed you the first day and said you will be my wife.’’

He further wrote that he used all he had to take her career to the level it is now, but all she cares about is her hair and music. “I hope the fucking in Tiwa Savage brand brings you peace. I used my money, soul and everything I had for you and everyone knows how I hustled hard with passion for you to get to where you are today. You will never find peace with your career ‘‘I’m sorry I must have disappointed you guys. I just don’t have the strength to fight this battle anymore. May God forgive me and accept my soul in peace.’’

Revealing further, he wrote: “Tosin Yusuf, aka Omawunmi’s husband. I wish I met you earlier when I just moved to Nigeria. You have been a great friend and brother to me in the last month. I should have done this 2weeks ago but didn’t the joy of being around dont let me. You have a wife that did not let the mu-

sic business take the best of her. I know how Mrs Yusuf treats us when we at your house. I feel very at home and praying that I wish my wife can get a life and be like this. All she cares about is next single, her make-up and hair, her brand and all that BS. ‘‘Pls tell the world have you asked your husband in the last three years if he has eaten. Thank you to Annie Idibia and Anita my neighbor that provide home cooked meal for me when I needed that! Yes you became the breadwinner when I decided I’m not in business with you again. Take everything I just want my wife. Tiwa.’’

But Teebillz later claimed that his account was hacked, saying that all the posts were not from him. Observers, however, noted the ease with which he retrieved the hacked account in a few minutes without losing some things from the account or losing the whole account.

While critics claim that the whole storm was a publicity stunt to push her album entitled RED, other fans are not happy with the issue, advising them to keep their issues off the social media. Instagram user, Papabaks told Teebillz: “As a celebrity you don’t have to spread your dirty linen outside for the public to see...

Marriage is all about commitment and persistence.’’

Another fan @smacby also said @teebillz323 you sound like a failure and a weak man who cannot take care of his house, and blaming his shortcomings on another person. When you have money, people tolerate you. Get a life bro and stop taking to Instagram out of fraustration.’’

Why Olamide parted ways with Lil Kesh During the week, it was reported that Ololade Keshinro, aka Lil Kesh had parted ways with YBNL boss and popular rapper, Olamide.

Confirming the news, Olamide revealed via Instagram thatKesh’s contract expired weeks ago as it was a two-year contract.

Olamide posted “Good day guys, sorry we didn’t put guys in the loop, maybe because we see no point in bringing it up cause family is family business or no business.

I signed a 2 year-deal with Lil Kesh and Viktoh, it ended weeks ago Revealing that Lil Kesh has established his own record label, Olamide further stated: “Kesh got his own record label now YAGI but still works with YBNL management. Viktoh is still under YBNL Mngnt too.’’

Kesh, commenting on Olamide’s statement, explained his departure from YBNL via a post on Instagram. “So it’s true that my contract ended about two weeks ago.

My contract with YBNL was for two years but that’s the business side to it. And did I state that my contract included 3 videos for me and one album? But Baddo went out of his way to shoot about five videos for me.

Business or no business, YBNL is family and will always be till I go 6ft under the ground. ‘‘YAGI records is real with the support of my big bro Olamide, YBNL, remains my management for life, YBNL doesn’t just produce successful artistes, it produces artistes that help produce other successful artistes. That’s the dream Baddo shared with me about a year ago,” the rapper said.

Kcee lights up Onitsha with performance for Legend

Popular musician, Kcee thrilled both young and old fans during the week at the Ekwulobia Township Stadium in Onitsha, in the latest edition of the ongoing Legend Real Deal Experience.

The show was held after the Lagos edition in Okokomaiko on April 3, which featured Oritsefemi, while Kcee’s performance at the Onitsha RealDealExperience further expoused the theme of bringing popular musicians to their most loyal grass-roots fans that may not often get a chance to see them perform live.

Commenting on Kcee’s

Onitsha appearance, Brand Manager, Legend Oluseun Lawal remarked: “Kcee is a huge name all over Nigeria, and particularly here in Onitsha so it’s something we knew would appeal to a lot of people here if we could bring him here to perform. It’s been a lot of fun here with all the other attractions and prizes in addition to Kcee, and I hope everyone continues to have a very good time at the Real Deal Experience.’’

Speaking on the event, Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, NB Plc, Edem Vindah said, “In choosing this location,

we have recreated the intimate and relaxing atmosphere of a bar with this compact Ekwulobia venue and I think that the fans loved this opportunity to get up close with Kcee.’’

An excited Kcee told his fans: “It’s always nice to come back here and meet with my fans. Many people don’t know that I studied in Nsukka, which is just next door in Enugu so I am very familiar with Onitsha. I love the fans and they always respond very well to me, so I am super-excited we all had a real deal experience.”

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

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30 April, 2016

weekend cartoons

Saturday Tribune

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

Just a Laffing Mata

pre ss

POLITICO

Th e int ervi e w

Segeluulu and James went for an interview. James went in first for the interview. Their conversation goes like this:Interviewer: Who is the President of the United State?

James: Barack Obama.

Interviewer: How old is the earth?

James: 4.2 billion years old.

Interviewer: Do you believe in ghosts?

James: Yes, but it has not been scientifically proven.

The interviewer said, “Okay, we will get back to you.”

Meanwhile, Segeluulu had been listening but only heard James’ answers. When he entered, the interviewer asked, “What is your name?”

Immediately, Segeluulu answered, “Barack Obama.”

Surprised, the interviewer continued, “How old are you?”

“4.2 billion years old,” replied Segeluulu.

“Do you have a mental problem?” asked the interviewer.

“Yes, but it has not been scientifically proven!”

FUNOLOGY

Future ambit ion

Teacher: Segeluulu!

Segeluulu: Yes ma!

Teacher: What do you want to become when you grow up?

Segeluulu: I want to be a drug trafficker; I’ll smuggle drugs from Dubai into China, I’ll kill anyone that comes my way, I’ll build mighty edifices in Malaysia, Indonesia and Paris. I’ll get married early and buy a private jet for my wife. If she requests for N1million, I’ll give her N10 million.

Teacher: Will you shut up! Stupid boy! Sit down my friend, you don’t know anything. Gloria, stand up and tell the class what you want to be when you grow up.

Gloria: I’ll like to be Segeluulu’s wife.

Veteran Nigerian actor gives fatherly advice on how to handle fame

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photo

30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose inaugurates projects

From left, Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel; wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose; her husband, Governor Ayodele Fayose; Gombe State governor, Mr Ibrahim Dankwambo; Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike; Ebonyi State governor, Mr Dave Umahi; Taraba State governor, Mr Darius Ishaaku and his wife, Mrs Hannah Ishaku, at the commissioning of Funmilayo Olayinka Women Development Centre.

From left, Governor Umahi, Governor Wike. Cutting the tape is the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff; Governor Fayose and the Taraba State governor, Architect Ishaaku, during the commissioning of Awedele/Secretariat dual carriage way in Ado Ekiti, on Friday.

From left, Taraba State governor, Mr Darius Ishaaku; his wife, Hannah; wife of the Ekiti State governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose and her husband, Governor Ayodele Fayose, during the special thanksgiving in honour of Ishaaku, at the Government House Chapel, Ado Ekiti, on Friday.

From left, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Governor Emmanuel, Governor Fayose; Governor Umahi and an official, during Governor Udom’s commissioning of the Funmilayo Olayinka Women Development Centre.

From left, chairman, Ekiti State Council of traditional rulers and the Ologotun of Ogotun Ekiti, Oba Oyebade Samuel; the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe; the Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi and the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Ajewole.

From left, Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Dr. Modupe Alade; mother of the Ekiti State governor, Prophetess Victoria Oluwayose; Wife of the deputy governor, Deaconess Janet Olusola and the Ekiti State deputy governor, Dr. Kolapo Olusola.

RCCG dedicates new church edifice

T

HE Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Precious Peoples’ Parish Oyo Province 1, located at plot 2 and 3 Mobosola Estate, off AdeoyoFodacis Road, Ring Road, Ibadan, dedicated its new church edifice (Rehoboth Palace) recently.

Speaking during the dedication, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A Adeboye emphasized that God Almighty is the master and greatest builder. He said the unprecedented historic achievement was a collected victory of the church. “The glory belong to God and not to any man for the completion of this sanctuary. God has not made this project to be an abandoned project because we started and today we have completed it,” he said.

Pastor Adeboye was represented by the Pastor in charge of Region 21, Pastor Dele Balogun. During his sermon, titled “My Tomorrow will be Alright”, the cleric stressed that in spite of the economic meltdown the country may be facing and the challenges confronting individuals or families, God owns tomorrow, adding that it would be alright, with the assurance that the counsel of God must come to past over the country and individuals.

In his welcome address, the Pastor in charge of Precious Peoples Zone, Pastor Oluwasegun Joseph expressed his profound gratitude to God for His unflinching and unalloyed support. In the address titled ‘His Cloud of Glory’, Pastor Joseph said “Glory is God - personified and you can never experience his cloud of glory without having great transformation as your testimonies.”

Chairman, Building and Dedication Committee, Pastor Babatunde Ogunbajo, on behalf of Precious Peoples’ family, expressed his joy for the accomplished vision, emphasizing God’s faithfulness, goodness and miracu-

lous provision towards the church building.

Other ministers of God at the event were Pastor Moses Aderogba Amure (PICP Oyo 1), Pastor Elijah Olatubosun (APICP ), Pastor Segun Olatunji (APICP ), Pastor Lawal Joseph, Pastor Olayinka Labi, Pastor Aderemi Oyediran, pioneer Pastor of Precious Peoples’ Parish, Pastor Adetokunbo Sogbesan, Pastor ( Mrs) Omolola Joseph, Pastor N.O. Adeseolu, A/P Bukola Ezeamaka, among other pastors.

From middle, PICR 21 Pastor ‘Dele Balogun, flanked by Pastor Lawal Joseph, APICP ( CSR) Oyo 1 and Consultant, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Publishers of Tribune tittles, Pastor Segun Olatunji, pioneer Pastor Precious Peoples’ Parish, Pastor Sogbesan Adetokunbo, Elder G.O Akinpelu, H.O.D Choir Department, Dr (Mrs) Oludiya Oladunni ( left) and A/P (Mrs) Omolola Joseph, Pastor Segun Joseph, PICP Oyo 1, Pastor Moses Aderogba Amure ; chairman, building and dedication committee , A/P Babatunde Ogunbajo, P.I.C Trinity Zone, Pastor N.O Adeseolu and others, during the cutting of dedication cake at the church auditorium.

Pastor in-Charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God ( RCCG) Region 21, Pastor ‘Dele Balogun, cutting the tape, while the Pastor in-Charge of Precious Peoples Zone, Pastor Segun Joseph, his wife, Pastor (Mrs) Omolola Joseph and the flower girl, Oloruntola Similoluwa, look on during the dedication of the Precious Peoples’ Parish’s new auditorium, Rehoboth Palace, at Mobosola Estate, off Adeoyo-Fodacis Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Sunday.

A cross section of the congregation at the event.

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

Ambode is completely inaccessible —Banire

the governor not being an indigene?

I don’t know the rationale behind it because I was not part of any meeting where anybody had been chosen, so I wouldn’t know the rationale behind any of the appointments.

Continued from pg20

He is aware of it already and I am only hopeful that there would be a redress. He is much aware of it.

Also at the forum that took place that day, you also hinted of the fact that no empire lasts for ever, nobody is sure of what you meant, what is it that you are trying to say?

Let me even simplify it for you, let me simplify it. even by the law of man, there is tenure, if you are governor today, the maximum term you can spend is eight years, if you are president today, the maximum you can spend is eight years, that is law of man.

But what is certain is that everybody has a tenure, whatever we do, we must always look beyond our tenure.

Maybe the governor is shunning your calls and messages because you did not support his emergence as governor.

It is his right to so do, I am telling you. In the first instance, I have no obligation to support a particular candidate at any point in time. My understanding of party politics for which I have been there for almost three decades now is that at the preliminary level, at the primary level, party members, just like it is happening in America now, you see people belonging to different aspirants within the party, but the moment the candidate of the party is chosen, everybody must work together for the candidate. And I dare anybody to come forward to say that if they can count five human beings that contributed substantially to his (Ambode) emergence at the general election without mentioning my name, I challenge anybody to say so.

You also said at a recent forum that no empire last for ever and the person that people have always associated an empire with in Lagos is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I don’t know whether you are referring to him in this context?

Well, as far as I am concerned you can’t say that.

But people refer to him as having an empire.

What kind of empire does he have? I am unaware of that one (laughs) I am not aware of that one except you tell me the kind of empire.

Political empire breeding generations of political leaders and we believe that he is father of Lagos politics and if a father is somewhere, the children cannot be outside quarrelling.

Then one thing again I must tell you without fear of contradiction is that to the best of my knowledge, and honestly speaking nobody is quarrelling with each other. What is happening largely is that people are respecting themselves, that is the way I see it.

Everybody is respecting himself right, you don’t go and encroach into an area that does not concern you. That is what I have seen.

Honestly, I have said it consistently in several interviews that nobody is quarrelling with anybody.

Sir, is the situation so bad that there would be a daily basis altercation between pro- Soyinka appointment and anti- Soyinka appointment. A few days ago, there was an advertorial reacting to what Falana said, is the situation that bad? Because if we are going to base it on what we see around now, we would say maybe the governor is fair to everyone, but maybe there are undercurrents?

To the best of my knowledge, I can say that there is no undercurrent. I can tell you for free, you see, let me tell you, what identifies people, you should know better than I do, is culture, otherwise if you lose your culture, you are no more in existence, you have gone.

You have gone into extinction, that is the meaning. That is why they are fighting for their soul. My understanding is that Lagosians are fighting for their souls, it goes beyond party. That is why I told you this, a lot of them are not even politicians, some are even in PDP, some others are in other parties. If you don’t have a culture, you are not a human being, you are not human at all, every race has its own culture now.

Why is the agitation so loud now?

That is what I am telling you, it’s a matter of being endangered, if you lose your culture, you are gone. This has never happened,

Banire go and look at the history. In fact when Asiwaju was there, Asiwaju highly patronised the indigenes in terms of major appointments particularly. Alhaji Okunnu was consistently featuring in all that concern Lagos and also Alhaji Fashinro as well as Alhaji Mogaji, all of them like that. That was what applied, even during Fashola’s time, go and look at the history, that has been consistent.

But maybe, the situation is changing because some category of people don’t believe there are indigenes in Lagos.

Yes they are entitled to their opinion.

Are there indigenes in Lagos?

Yes, of course, there are indigenes. It is like you are saying there are no indigenous persons anywhere. Tell me what area where the people there just dropped from heaven.

If you ask from your grandfather or your great grandfather, they would tell you how they came to settle where you are today.

Same thing they will tell me. Ask me now, do I have any other place to claim other than Lagos, I have no any other one. In fact I used to say I wish I could know any other place so that I can go and harass them there. I have no other place to go and that is the reality.

Are you also aware that some people are even pushing you for govership position in Osun State, how come?

I have told them, you see, people there, with due respect to sane ones among them, are highly deranged, that’s the way I am seeing it because like I kept on saying, I have no connection with them at all in whatsoever.

Even remotely, I have no connection with them at all. I know their governor.

How did they come about this?

I must ask Lanre, he should be able to tell us. (Laughs). He was even the one that approached me on it.

But it was in the news.

You know I have been responding to it consistently, they must have measures of insanity in them. In the first instance, the only place I know I belong to is Lagos, Lagos by all means is one of the most viable states, you can’t compare Lagos with others.

If I don’t nurse ambition of becoming gover-

nor in Lagos State, how will I now nurse ambition of going to Osun where they are still struggling to survive. It can never happen.

Maybe you often travel to Iwo or you have a business concern there.

I have never in my life since I was born been to Iwo, I don’t even know where it is till today. Even Osun State, since the day of the second term inauguration of Ogbeni (Aregbesola), till now that we are talking, over one year ago, I have not been to Osun.

The last time I went to Osun was the day of his inauguration.

What is your connection to Ogun State?

My mother is from Ogun State, my mother is from Ijebu Ode. Because some people are saying Dr. Banire is on this side, he is fighting the governor because he is not an indigene of Lagos State.

My mother is from Ijebu Ode. Where are you from in Lagos?

Olowogbowo, it is a common knowledge now, you can go there, it is a matter of investigation.

You are not stopping at the level of Soyinka’s appointment, it means any appointment that does not come to the indigenes of Lagos State, you will oppose it.

No, certainly not. We recognise the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State and certainly we must coexist. Certainly we even need materials, what do I mean by materials.

I mean human beings that are capable of contributing or adding value. In the process, what we are saying is that we must not totally eliminate the interest of the indigenes.

Can we look at the figure, the cabinet members and other appointments, how well have the Lagosians fared?

No, they are far from being fairly represented, go and look at it yourself. I don’t want to give you the statistics but go and look at it yourself. Go and look at from Asiwaju’s period, look at the representation.

Is it because of the rumour about

At this point now, the governor appears not to be looking at your side because all the issues you raised, none has been addressed and I don’t think the governor has called any of you for a meeting, beyond the newspaper altercation, what are you looking up to be done in concrete terms?

I am not in government and my position has always been that you should make your point known, whatever it is, history will vindicate everybody. That is my own position.

You must never keep silent when your right is being trampled upon. At this same time, it also opens to the other person to ignore it totally, it is a right nobody can fight him over and that is my own position of things.

In most cases, I say my own thing and I move on but I know that time will always come when the reality would dawn.

There is also a suggestion that your group wants something from government, and this is a kind of blackmail using Soyinka’s appointment.

But I think it is not only Soyinka’s issue, there had been several issues before Soyinka’s issue and there would be several issues thereafter.

So you are ready to take this government on as long as the pattern remains.

Yes, it is not only this government, even if the future governments come, we expect that people will continue to take them on until proper things are done, it is just normal.

Look at the Easterners, are they not taking up President Buhari up till today? That they are marginalised and the president keeps on reacting that they are not, saying I gave you this minister, I gave you that minister. That is the least that is expected, people must agitate from time to time, it is for the authority or the government to respond by allaying their fears. It must try and allay their fears by telling them this is what has happened, that is what has happened, that is what we have done at that instance. Explanation could even cure the agitation. So that is my own position as far as I am concerned.

Some people who are on the side of government said they should not mind you, that you are agitating simply because you have lost out.

Yes, we don’t mind.

interview Ogoni clean-up: FG should put its money where its mouth is —Ojo, environmentalist 34

Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo is the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), a pioneer environmental advocacy group in the country. In this interview by Deputy Editor, DAPO FALADE, after a one-day advocacy workshop on non-implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report recommendations and clean-up of Ogoniland, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, last week, he speaks on ongoing efforts at making the Federal Government live up to its promises as regards the Ogoni Question, among other issues.

H

OW do you think the Ogoni clean-up process can be fasttracked?

The civil society in Nigeria, led by ERA/FoEN, is sick and tired of reminding the Federal Government and Shell of their responsibility for the cleaning up of Ogoniland and the implementation of the UNEP Report. The Ogonis are tired; the people of the Niger Delta are tired of raising this issue. The issue of the Minority Question is coming to the fore again, as we have seen in this workshop.

We have gathered in Port Harcourt, in this Environmental Parliament today (Wednesday) to remind the government; it is a kind of call on them to live up to their responsibility.

Very importantly, we are pleased that the Federal Government, through Mr President, has agreed to implement the UNEP Report and clean up Ogoniland. In the same vein, we are urging the government to also consider the two other elements, which are remediation and compensation. So, it is clean-up, remediation, that is, reviving the livelihood and compensation. What we are seeing now is that one track is being pushed and the two other tracks are left behind.

Most importantly, almost one year into the life of this administration, what we have been hearing is meetings, meetings and meetings, similar to the kind of meetings that the last administration was holding. Therefore, the Ogonis think that they have been deceived; they feel that they have been neglected; they feel that justice is denied.

We are of the view that if the government is sincere and they want to implement the UNEP Report, then they should come out, first and foremost, with timeline and work plan for the implementation of the UNEP Report.

That is not there. I will recommend that the timeline and the work plan should be in the public domain.

How about the funding for the cleanup, remediation and compensation?

Funding is also very important. The government has agreed to release the fund but they have just pledged a paltry sum of $10 million and that cannot do anything. The UNEP Report says $1 billion for the clean-up to commence. The money is not even in the 2016 budget and that is a very serious matter.

Where is the money coming from and where is the fund to be raised?

Above all are the institutional framework and the governing board to be set up. All these are rumour; we have not seen anything tangible. The Federal Government has neither put in place the much needed institutional framework to drive the process nor proposed governing board being inaugurated. Discussion is going on but for how long? The question is when will Ogoni cleanup begin? I strongly suggest that it should commence now - no more delays.

Rather than continue to pay lip service, we urge Shell and the government to continue to put their money where their mouth is. It has been a lifetime struggle these past years

and there seems to be no reprieve in sight for the people and the environment. So, we are appealing to the Federal Government to fasttrack the setting up of the institutional framework to drive the process of implementing the UNEP recommendation and the clean-up of Ogoniland.

During the advocacy workshop, you said a communique would be submit-

30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

ted at the Ministry of Environment.

What next if nothing is done about the recommendations therein?

Well, we will continue to explore means to mobilise communities and the civil society.

We will also strive to elevate the struggle of the Ogoni from a local struggle to a national struggle. People from Ijaw have been involved in the past; people from Akwa Ibom State are here; people from Edo State, the Yoruba, the Igbo and all of us should come together to ensure that Ogoniland is cleaned up because Ogoniland is a pilot community project. Once we achieve that, then the gains will spread to the other communities.

So, we are not seeking audience with the Minister of Environment alone, we are seeking audience with the National Assembly and also with the president, to put forward the communique that we will release from this advocacy meeting.

In your opening speech, you said your organisation would soon drag the Federal Government and Shell before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on ecocide crime. Where is this stemming from, given the fact that the government is responding to the clean-up process?

There is a global trend right now where the United Nations Human Rights Commission,

by June 2015, had approved a resolution of United Nations Council that corporations will henceforth account for their human rights violations in their areas of operation. That struggle has seen 40 to 50 years of existence and is coming to fruition in June 2015. So, as we speak, global civil society groups, over 600 of them, are working on the issue of ecocide.

We strongly believe that a case in point is that of Ogoni; that of Nigeria. This is because ecocide is the killing or destruction of the environment by killing of people on a consistent basis. This is a crime and we are saying that, if chief executive officers of oil companies have consistently taken decisions that have persistently killed people over a period of time, then they are guilty of ecocide.

To produce the governor, Oke-Ogun has to work for it —Koleoso Continues from pg9

and his deputy, Idiagbon, were brought to the same place, Agodi prison.

To your question, when Buhari made his intention known that he wanted to be the president of our country, I was involved in all the meetings where the final decision was taken. Ahead of this, I attended all the meetings by the legacy parties that came together to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). We had series of brainstorming sessions before we agreed that the parties would work together under one umbrella. God really helped us on what to do and that is how APC came into being.

Before the presidential election, I had discussions with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. We talked on phone and I promised him that we would work for the success of their team. All other leaders of the party agreed that we would work for the success of Buhari. Even when other political parties approached me, I didn’t mince word to say that for the presidential election, Buhari was our candidate and we gave him all our support; we mobilised our people and expended our resources and with God on our side, Buhari won the election.

To me, Buhari is still on course. The truth is that it is not easy to turn around in just a year what had been wrong for a long time. This country was in a mess for a very long time and to correct all of that is not easy. Some of the policy makers of today were involved in bringing the country to its present state. Some of the people giving Buhari advice, too, are part of those who put this country in the mess it is in now. So, what we need today is serious prayers. We need to pray for Buhari so that God will guide him well to know who to believe and who not to believe; those with good intentions and those with bad intentions. We need to pray for him so that he will be able to discern those who are in government for themselves and those who are in it for the good of the people.

I want to say very boldly today that the situation is under control. My advice to the president is to practise what he said at his inauguration. He had said that he belonged to everybody and he belonged to nobody. He should do what is right for the country, not what is right for some people. We should not forget time factor too; by next month, it will be one year since

he assumed the leadership of this country but judging by the level of decadence in the affairs of the country before, we cannot say he hasn’t done well and there’s still time. To me, I want us to cooperate with the president; those of us who have quality advice should give it to him or express it in any form that will be accessible to him. I think with that the country will find her feet.

You still believe this country will make it?

Certainly, as a Nigerian, I believe sincerely that Nigeria will make it, but people should speak out their mind, we should not keep mute. Today, some people may look at it from a different perspective, but I think what they are saying is good. My advice to the media is that they should come out in full force now because they have a serious role to play to fix this country.

I will not like our press to work for any individual or a group of people now. I want our press to work for the country, once that is done, there’s hope for the country.

Do you have any regret, personal, business, politics?

Certainly, not one. I have no regret at all.

Coming back home in Oyo State, as an indigene of Oke-Ogun, would you say Oke-Ogun is getting a fair deal in Oyo State?

Oke-Ogun is not getting its fair share, but that is nobody’s doing. Oke-Ogun is the archenemy of itself; that is the truth of the matter. When people say Oke-Ogun is being neglected, I just laugh. If you people don’t know that you exist how do you want people to come and tell you that you exist? Oke-Ogun people don’t even know that they are in existence; they don’t even know their rights. That’s the problem we are having in Oke-Ogun. Nobody is against Oke-Ogun; it is Oke-Ogun that is against itself. So, let Oke-Ogun sons and daughters search themselves, are they giving the right thing to Oke-Ogun? That is the way I see it.

There have been some issues recently that I will love to react to, but I won’t react through the media, I want to react through our people. Very soon, the leadership of Oke-Ogun Development Council will see the need to call a meeting so that everybody will go there and we shall address our people;

to let the people know where we are coming from and where we are going. Some people are now claiming that we are under them but at a point in time, the same people were bailed out by Oke-Ogun. When they were in trouble, they ran to Oke-Ogun, the Oke-Ogun people bailed them out; the same people are now saying that they are our leaders. Who is the master, is it somebody who bailed you out or you that were bailed out?

This is the issue, Oke-Ogun people should go into history and get these things right. But some Oke-Ogun indigenes, probably because of their own selfish interest, will not talk when they should talk; they prefer making enemies with Oke-Ogun indigenes so as to curry the favours of those who say they are our masters.

Are you saying that Oke-Ogun people should be united?

United on what? The main thing is that Oke-Ogun people don’t know themselves. If you want to talk about unity, the first thing is to know who you are; a people who do not know who they are cannot be united. Oke-Ogun people don’t know who they are; they need to go into their history. Is it possible for groups who do not see eye to eye to unite? We need to sit down and talk things over, that is when unification will come.

There is this talk in town that the next governor of the state will come from Oke-Ogun. What is your reaction?

It’s lazy talk. That’s what they’ve been saying for years now and I don’t buy that type of talk. Before the last election, it was the talk of the town that the next governor would come from Oke-Ogun. Do you think that it’s by the word of mouth that you get there? If Oke-Ogun wants to produce the governor, the people have to work for it. It is hard work; it is not something you just talk about. The right that Oke-Ogun has to produce the governor is what other areas also have. So, we need to work hard for it if we want it. Let’s get our acts together. Let’s put aside those things that divide us. It is possible. It is something we can achieve. I will be the happiest man on earth if it happens.

But we must go beyond mere wishing to produce the governor; we have to work very hard for it. And the time to start is now.

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30 April, 2016

seniorcitizen

Saturday Tribune WITH KATE ANI

anikate92@yahoo.com 08071080888 didn’t carry out his threat…

What if he had gone ahead to stall the elevations because he had the constitutional power to do so?

That is why I said he is a good manager. He wouldn’t have done it and I was not surprised that he didn’t do it.

People talk as if age alone is what determines when a person dies. It isn’t. The youngest Olubadan in the history of Ibadan didn’t spend up to six months on the throne. So, why are you going on as if God has told you that a particular age is when He takes people away?

Those who said I was convicted abroad were just playing politics —Balogun, Otun Olubadan

Politician and Ibadan High Chief, Senator Lekan Balogun, in this interview by KATE ANI, bares his mind on a number of issues.

H

OW would you assess the second term of Governor Abiola Ajimobi?

The second term has just started and I think it is promising. He has done very well in keeping Oyo State clean and he has no option but to do well in other areas of governance, too, since this is his final term.

Many people are of the view that second-term governors tend to lose the desire to perform since they won’t be seeking any fresh mandate come back to office. What advice would you give such governors?

That is a wrong perception, because history and posterity will judge them [the governors]. They have no opportunity of redressing any wrongs done in second term. They ought to even do better than the first term. Like I said, posterity is the strongest watch; they can’t come back for a third term to correct the errors of the second term. They can correct the error of first term in second term but they won’t be given a third chance.

Sensible second-term governors must want to be seen to be doing their very best and I think Governor Ajimobi is one of those governors. He went to school, had a proper managerial training and became a senator before he became governor.

I am sure he will realise that this term is a chance to do very well because everybody is watching. He should initiate fresh policies and ideas, for which he will be remembered. I am confident that the governor would be conscious of the need to leave a good legacy.

You had exuded so much confidence that your party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would win the last general election in the state but it lost. What do you think went wrong?

I would rather not make a reference to my PDP background.

Nobody reminded me that I was at the Senate on the ticket of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) but everybody wants to talk about PDP, whose name has been battered by the last admin-

istration. I was sure of what I was saying during the campaign but I wasn’t sure about the facts that have now been revealed to all of us in Nigeria. We didn’t know what some people were doing upstairs in the party. So, I would rather not make a reference to that anymore. Currently, I don’t belong to any political party. I am just the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Are you saying you have quit politics for good?

Certainly not, but I am non-partisan now.

What is your relationship with Governor Ajimobi?

Rumour has it that there is bad blood between you two, hence the hoopla about the confirmation of your elevation and that of Senator Rashidi Ladoja as the Otun and Osi of Olubadan respectively…

Let me remind you that I was for his election in 2011. I worked for his success even though I was in the PDP. I was disgruntled with the position of the PDP and I worked for his success to become governor. We worked closely together at that time. The reason I did so was because I was treating him like a brother, not like an APC candidate and if he got elected, I would be happier for him. Now that he is in his second term, he is my younger brother and I am the Otun Olubadan, I have no option but to support his aspiration. That is why I would encourage him to be mindful and be conscious of the need to work for posterity, henceforth. I would encourage him to work for the sake of posterity. On the rumour that I had a personal grouse with him, hence the uproar on the hesitation to accept me and Senator Ladoja as the Otun and Osi of Olubadan, I didn’t have any personal grouse with him. We had minor differences and they were not personal. I think there was also a tremendous pressure. I wasn’t his target. Most people think I was but I wasn’t.

Who was?

He made judgement the way he thought fit but in the end, he

According to the constitution, he has the power to approve the elevations and he could have put his foot down if he wanted. The governor later said he had to bend backwards when prominent elders in Ibadan intervened…

He has the power to approve, not to appoint. The traditional order in Ibadan is a hierarchical arrangement. Successive governors have been approving promotions. He may not have felt very happy that it didn’t appear as if Ibadan traditional rulers were rallying round him. But my support for him during his first term campaign led to his emergence as governor, despite that I was in the opposite party. My relationship with him has always been above partisanship. There were conflicting pressures on him. That was the reason for the small confrontation we had the other time.

The controversy that preceded the appointment of the new Olubadan was said to have been because of you and Senator Ladoja…

No, it is not true.

Is it true that you had a court case abroad?

A court case? Me? No, I didn’t.

The story was that you were once convicted abroad.

Could it be the reason behind the demand of criminal reports and delay of your confirmation as the new Otun Olubadan?

That was some people’s invention and imagination. It is far from the truth. Like I told you, I was not the target. It was just politics. Tell me something that is above political speculation?

You seem angered by the question…

I am not annoyed. I can take any question from you.

You once said that a new party would emerge from the PDP. Are you still standing by that prediction?

You seem to enjoy dragging me into politics when I seriously don’t want to talk about it. All the parties are in turmoil and we live in a dialectical world where things could change at any time. Re-fusion continues, so why are you surprised that I made such a comment?

One of your former allies, Chief Adebayo AlaoAkala, dumped the PDP for the Labour Party and later to the All Progressives Congress (APC), much to people’s surprise. Were you surprised?

I wasn’t. It is part of this fusion that I am talking about. That is dialectical. People move on and things change. Why would one be surprised?

As a potential Olubadan, how would you react to the quest to modernise the succession system so that younger persons can become the Olubadan?

The system itself is reforming. For example, before I emerged as Mogaji, the oldest man alive in a family had always been made Mogaji. But suddenly, people thought they should look for a younger, educated person. I was young when I became Mogaji and that has been the trend since the last 30 years. That system is reforming itself already. It has its own advantage but people are ignoring it. As Mogaji of your family, you must know the history of the family very intimately. If you make a young man of 40 or 45 years king, he might not even know his environment. I am not saying that people should become Olubadan at the age of 90 0r 100 as in the past, but the benefit of knowing your environment intimately before you get there should be there. I would rely on the self-reforming system.

Those who are talking of reformation don’t even know how to go about it. A lot of Mogajis are not more than 40 years today and by the time they become Oba, they would be 67 at the most which, by Ibadan standard, is young.

You are the next Olubadan in line, but judging from your age, by the time you become the next Oba, age would have really caught up with you…

People talk as if age alone is what determines when a person dies. It isn’t. The youngest Olubadan in the history of Ibadan didn’t spend up to six months on the throne. So, why are you going on as if God has told you that a particular age is when He takes people away? The last Olubadan was the oldest in history and he reigned for nine years. Nobody would have thought he would last that long when he was made the Olubadan.

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Hope for a nation in distress

By P.I. Onekpe

H

ARDSHIP and difficulty are common to humanity.

Sometimes they manifest as disease, poverty, economic recession, inflation, insurgency, crisis of various degrees with their effects. As it is often said that there is no smoke without fire, these calamitous circumstances could be prompted as a reaction of God or a divine response to flagrant disobedience to God by the leaders and the led in any nation. God in 2Kings 6:24 - 7:20 allowed the Arameans to besiege Samaria (Northern Israel). As a result there was famine in the land. Things became tough and tougher each day. This degenerated into the extent that available decent solutions appeared to have been exhausted. There was no food in the land anymore. But people needed to eat in other to live. So they could carve a niche for themselves. Where it was possible to cheat someone to survive, it was desperately taken as a leeway.

Justice became leaner. Leadership became tougher. Everyone felt the brunt of the seemingly inescapable retrogressive situation that bedeviled the nation. The king lacked answer to people’s questions and quests. It happened that in the heart of the impasse, a woman ran to the king to lodge a complaint. “O King help me,” she said. But the king blushed. He said distressfully, “If the Lord does not help you where can I get help for you”? Is it from the threshing floor? From the winepress? (vs 27). The king in a way acknowledged that in the prevailing circumstance only God can help the nation in her trying period.

As a political leader, the pressure on the king was so much that if it was possible for him to change base and relocate just like many Nigerian political leaders, he would perhaps do it.

As a matter of fact, the requests that constituents bombard their political leaders with in our nation are indicative of the reality of dominant wretchedness and level of hardship. The level of unemployment, deprivation and helplessness among Nigerian populace are unimaginably disheartening.

When the king eventually permitted the woman to make her complaint, the woman revealed how her neighbour asked her to bring her son for them to eat so that the next day she would bring her own son. The woman complained that she obliged but on the next day she asked her neighbour to bring her son for the same purpose but she refused. You can see how desperate people can be because of hunger and hardship. In the Nigerian situation, awful stories of similar degrees fill our newspapers. People now set up baby factories as a business; people sell children to pay house rent and to change their wardrobes. People give their children for child labour abroad; some are sent abroad to do prostitution so far it can put food on their tables; people arrange for the kidnap of their children or parents or relations because of money. The “man must wack” syndrome has apparently normalised various abominable abnormalities in our nation.

People cheat on their spouses to gain certain favours and put food on their tables; the demon of corruption has apparently taken over the consciences of the high and the low in the society. The result has become the glaring moral bankruptcy that stare flagrantly at us in the media and entertainment, in education, in politics, in the judiciary, in civil service, in marital relationships, in the military and even in the religious domain.

When you ask, you will be told that “fire na im make Grayfish bend.” That is if anybody cares to offer any explanation.

It will be a true confession to admit that we have not only eaten the bread of the unborn child, we have eaten our children by exposing them to unnecessary deaths emotionally, socially, morally and spiritually. Like the woman in our text, we want more deaths for our comfort. Who will be able to deliver our depraved nation from this hopelessness?

When the king heard what happened, he tore his robes.

Alas, he wore a sackcloth inside. The king mourned the woes of his kingdom. The king’s action shows some level of penitence and brokenness. His action was far from the situation when leaders show no visible pain over the hardship of their subjects. Where salaries are not paid yet millions and even billions are spent on birthday celebrations and parties within and outside the country. The king tore his own robes, not the robes of the poor and helpless woman. The concern of leaders who want to be genuine about the economic situation in the country should start by slashing their jumbo salaries and allowances rather than those of the almost dead civil servants whose children have been at the receiving end of the malady that have laid siege to the nation. This is obviously not a season for display of flamboyancy but one for exemplary penitential disposition wherein mercy can be received for the good of broken and contrite hearts.

The condition was so unbearable that the king threatened to kill Elisha, the prophet. In his distress the king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (vs. 33). There is the possibility that some people may have lost faith in prayer. The numerous church activities and programmes organised for divine intervention may have been seen as a waste of time since the desired change has not taken place. The message of steadfastness and persistence in prayer may have appeared old-fashioned. Instead of seeing solution coming from the Lord, the king believed the Lord was responsible for their suffering and felt he could no longer have hope in the God that is so slow in response. For those having similar mindset, be reminded of Psalm 27:14. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”. If your condition is bad, do not think that change can come by actions of hatred, envy or threat to someone’s life. God is gracious. Wait for Him in prayer. Sometimes it is when men have exhausted their options that heaven gives response to prove the supremacy of God.

CCT and a timeline of inconsistencies

By Bamikole Omishore

POTTER Stewart, a renowned Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court who played a significant role in the interpretation of Civil Rights laws, coined the basic phrase: “Fairness is what Justice really is.” This phrase, conceived to propel the notion of every individual’s equitable right under the law, demonstrates that an unbiased legal system, is a necessary component for justice to be dispensed.

As things stand, the case of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) against the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has proven to be full of contradictions and inequity.

‘Contradictions’ because since the case was in its preliminary stages, there has been a mismatch between the facts being propelled by the prosecution, the methods being employed by the tribunal, and the charges that have been brought against the Senate President.

Since the case was brought to light in late 2015, few weeks after Dr. Saraki’s emergence as President of the Senate, members of the Nigerian public have come to understand that the charges against Saraki, and the testimony of the chief witness have not been in sync.

Additionally, Nigerians have started to also understand that certain legal precedents have not been followed by the tribunal.

For example, based on the non-adherence to Section 3, paragraph D of the act that established the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Tribunal, the Senate President ought to be given an opportunity to respond to the charges brought against him.

One noteworthy instance that comes to mind is that in 2007, the CCT dismissed the charges against former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar based on the non-adherence to the precedent

clause. Another ocassion, in 2011, the same CCT quashed the case against Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the same ground. However, in what has been described by many legal practitioners as an abuse of judicial precedent, the same judicial body, with the same chairman that delivered the Tinubu judgement, went back on the legal precedent that it had set on several occasions, and threw out the proviso which created a condition precedent clause before the law can be applied against Saraki case.

What was even more disturbing was the self-indictment

by Dan Ladi Umar in the case, as he casually revealed that Tinubu’s ruling was simply “made in error.” This outright reversal stirs up questions regarding if Umar was under duress when he delivered his judgement; if the tribunal understands the legal implications of their actions; and if the same 1999 Constitution and Code of Conduct Bureau acts were not the documents used in the cases of Atiku and Tinubu.

Furthermore, the contributions of the prosecution’s Chief Witness, Michael Wetkas, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has poked further holes in the prosecution’s case.

Some clear examples are Wetkas admitting that neither he nor his team investigated three crucial exhibits (11, 12, and 13) tendered as evidence against the Senate President. Another example is the witness mentioning that it was the EFCC that investigated Saraki, as opposed to agents from the CCB. In essence, the case before the CCT now is money laundering, instead of false asset declaration which it is created to handle.

These inconsistencies lend credence to what the Senate President and his team have been saying for a while: “This case is not about prosecuting alleged corruption, but about some

Saturday Tribune

It was at this point of the king’s despondency and frustration that the word of the Lord came through Prophet Elisha. If he had killed Elisha, the door of solution would perhaps have been closed against the nation. Elisha had the word of the Lord. Men of God should pray to be channels of God’s message that can deliver Nigeria from her hydra-headed monsters of poverty and hardship. The message for the Lord through Elisha was supernaturally packaged and difficult to believe. He said, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says; About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria” (2 Kings 7:1). Having suffered famine for a long time and not seeing any visible sign of solution, the king’s special assistant doubted the Word of the prophet. We should never underrate God or doubt the enormity of His providence. Nigeria’s malady can be turned around overnight by the living God. The cheering news is that God’s word must be fulfilled. That night, the situation was turned around. God laid ambush against the Aramean garrison. They heard a sound and thought that Israel had allied with stronger forces to fight them. Behold, they abandoned their camp, leaving the abundance of food supply they had and fled. When God is at work, you never can imagine what He can do. Your enemies can be used by God to supply your needs. God na helele! I believe that the looters of our national treasury will submit to God and Nigeria will be buoyant again.

To show that God can use anybody to actualise His purpose, He stirred up four leprous men to visit the camp of the Arameans. They had been stressed to the limit they could bear no more. So they took a risk. It worked! They met enough food to eat and drink and carry away. They also informed the Israelite community. At dawn, there was abundant food in the land to the extent that a seah of flour was sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel as the Lord had said (2 Kings 6:16,18). I believe that naira will appreciate; that there will be restoration in the agric sector; that big nations will look up to Nigeria for help. The economy of this nation will be revived

by God’s power. The rate of unemployment and poverty shall be reduced. The young and energetic people will no longer be crazy about running away from the country. The zeal of the Lord will bring it to pass.

A careful study of our text reveals that the officer, who doubted the word of God, saw the supply but never tasted of it. Doubt and unbelief can barricade someone from the flow of grace. We must be careful to “believe the Word of God and we shall be upheld; believe the Word of His prophet and we shall prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20).

I call on all citizens of our distressed nation to look up to God. He alone is the helper of all nations on earth. We must open our eyes and ears to the solutions God is offering us. There will definitely be light at the end of the tunnel. There is a river whose steams make glad the city of God (Psalm 46:4). There is hope.

•The Right Reverend (Dr.) P.I. Onekpe is the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ika

powerful individuals settling political scores, using their control of the judiciary.”

Finally, in another ruling by the chairman of the CCT that demonstrates his bias in the Saraki situation, Mr. Danladi Umar mandated the trial of the Senate President to proceed on a day-to-day basis - citing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), despite the fact that he has adjourned other cases - that are also under the purview of the ACJA. This situation came to a head on Wednesday, April 20, 2016, when the counsel for the former Minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, argued that because the trial had earlier been moved from April 14 to 20 for continuation, their case should be heard before Saraki’s case which was adjourned just a day before. However, Justice Umar insisted that the Senate President’s case must continue, and stood down Orubebe’s case - leaving many to question if in fact there is a timeline (as some have speculated) to convict Saraki by hook or by crook before a certain date.

As the head of the Senate President’s New Media team, based on all these observations, it has become not only necessary, but mandatory to let the Nigerian public know that as things stand, the case against my principal, the Senate President, is concocted on shaky evidence as the outcome of the on-going cross-examination has indicated. As the prosecution is attempting to make this a media trial, I enjoin Nigerians to urge the CCT to make this a trial that is based on the substance and the spirit of the law. Doing this would ensure that the process is free and fair, so that at the end of the day, we can all be able to claim that justice was in fact done.

•Omishore is the Special Assistant on New Media to President of the Senate

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30 April, 2016

Saturday Tribune

George Weah renews interest in Liberia presidency

F

ORMER Liberia international, George Weah has announced that he will run for president of the West African country for a second time.

Weah had an illustrious

playing career, starring for club sides Paris SaintGermain, AS Monaco, AC Milan and Chelsea, among other clubs.

The three-time African Footballer of the Year is the only player from the

continent to be named the FIFA World Footballer of the Year, winning the accolade in 1995.

Weah, 49, previously ran for president in 2005, but was defeated by current president, Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf.

Sirleaf’s second term in office will end next year and under the country’s constitution, she cannot run for the top post again.

Weah, who is currently the senator of Montserrado, ran for vice-president under Winston Tubman in 2011, but did not win. The former striker is part of the opposition party - Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).

“Our gathering here to-

Lagos shines at Nestle Milo basketball tourney Olawale Olaniyan -in Lagos WESLEY Girls Secondary School, Lagos State on Friday began the 18th Nestle Milo Basketball Secondary School Championship, Western Conference on a good note, as they whitewashed Greater Tomorrow International College, Akure 38-9 in the opening game decided at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, on Friday.

The Lagos girls perhaps gave their counterparts some tutorials as they shot into the 16-0 lead in a couple of seconds before the Akure girls managed to net three points.

Lagos State star player, Abdulazzez Oyindamola who was outstanding in the game while speaking with Tribunesport expressed optimism that her side would win the na-

feature

tional ticket at the end of the day.

“I believe we are going to win this western zone competition and qualify for the national championship finals,” she said.

Also, Lagos State team coach, Akeem Oyekan said his team is well prepared for the tourney.

“We are not here for fun but to compete and win.

We started preparation for this year’s edition since last year after we lost in Ibadan, and thank God for the positive result over the Ondo State today,” Akeem said.

Meanwhile, the first vice president, Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), Monday Obi has lauded the continued sponsorship of Nestle Milo basketball, which he noted has become a platform for the discovery of talents.

“Nestle Milo has been wonderful all these years because without them, we would not have discovered so many talents we have discovered at tender age,” he said.

est in featuring in the tournament to welcome the new captain, Salami on board.

“This event is to usher in our new Captain, this is what we do any time a new Captain is coming on board. We will also use the event to recognise the outgoing executives of the club and engage members and outsiders in the game as well.

“This competition would showcase talented golfers across the country as it going to be special because of

By Olawale Olaniyan A one-day golf tournament in honour of the incoming captain of Ibadan Golf Club (IGC), Barrister Idowu Salami holds today in Ibadan.

According to the Chairman, Local Organising Committee for the event, Architect Fash Ayinde, it is the tradition of the club to usher in new captain with a tournament so as to also celebrate the tenure of the outgoing executives.

He said no fewer than 150 golfers have shown inter-

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day is about the future of our country and our people,” said Weah in the country’s capital Monrovia. “In the last 10 years our people have continued to live in abject poverty, education a mess, health delivery system a disaster, electricity and pipe-borne water elusive.

“Like many of you, I have been a victim of poverty.

There were times I didn’t have school fees.”

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the prizes to be won in different categories,” Ayinde said.

He revealed that the tournament will officially tee off today at 7:00am with the closing ceremony billed

to hold also later today.

The one-day event would feature both men and lady golfers compete in different categories such as nearest to the pin, longest drive, best net, best gross.

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Everton Newcastle Stoke City Watford West Brom Arsenal

vs Bournemouth 3:00pm vs Crystal Palace 3:00pm vs Sunderland 3:00pm vs Aston Villa 3:00pm vs West Ham 3:00pm vs Norwich 5:30pm

Sunday, May 1

Swansea vs Liverpool 12:00pm Man Utd vs Leicester 2:05pm Southampton vs Man City 4:30pm Chelsea

Monday, May 2

vs Tottenham 8:00pm

Mali, Luxembourg friendlies:

NFF defends Eagles’ list

C

HRISTOPHER Green, the chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation’s technical committee said that its decision to overlook home-based players for next month’s international friendlies was due to lack of funds and not for technical reasons.

The NFF announced a list of 26 players during the week through its head coach, Salisu Yusuf with goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa of Sunshine Stars the only domestic player called up for the Mali and Luxembourg ties in Europe.

A development that has

attracted heavy criticism from media, fans and stakeholders following the snub of home-based players, most surprisingly with local coaches led by Salisu Yusuf in charge.

Green explained that the NFF did not have enough funds to cater for training camps for the homebased players and logistics to prosecute the friendlies scheduled for Europe.

He assured the domestic players are still part of it development plans with the Super Eagles, but lamented sentiments from the media and fans that had trailed the list.

“The challenges of funds before the NFF forced us to settle for the foreign players,” Green told Abujabased television ITV via telephone.

“The NFF is broke and do not have funds to organise training camp for the home-based (players). With the foreign-based players, cost of transporting players [mostly based in Europe] to France and accommodation will be less burden.

“We need to overlook sentiments in matters of who is invited to the Super Eagles so far such person is a Nigerian. “ E i ther home-based or foreignbased player, everyone deserves a chance to play for his country at the senior level. We are aware of the quality and talent in the domestic league and we have big plans for them,” Green stated.

Bayern set to make history BAYERN Munich could become the first club to win a fourth consecutive Bundesliga title today should it defeat Borussia Moenchengladbach, amidst the distraction of its Champions League semi-final.

Bayern holds a seven-point lead and w i t h three games left, a win over Gladbach at Munich’s Allianz Arena will confirm a fourth straight German league title, a feat no other team has achieved before.

But Bayern is still smarting from Wednesday’s 1-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Manager Pep Guardiola has been criticised by the German media (“Has Pep mullered Bayern’s final chances?’, asked Bild”), plus ex-Bayern coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld (“the tactic didn’t work”), for his selection.

Thomas Mueller, Bayern’s top-scorer in Europe, and Franck Ribery both started on the bench (against Atletico) leaving Bayern with it all to do in Tuesday’s return leg in Munich.

Guardiola scoffed when asked if he would rest some of his stars against Gladbach.

“We still need another win, we only have a few days to prepare and then we face Atletico three days later,” he said. “We have to win against Gladbach first.”

In the wake of the Atletico defeat, only its fifth of the season, Bayern is feeling the pressure in its bid for a repeat of the 2013 treble.

“We would make a mistake if we quarrel now, I want to go to Milan,” said chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the Champions League final will be held in the Italian city on May 28.

Brown Ideye, one of the invited players for the friendlies.

FIFA takes over Guinea FA

Ribery

NPFL Match day 14 fixtures

Ikorodu United vs Heartland MFM, Lagos vs Akwa United Shooting Stars vs Plateau United Sunshine Stars vs Kano Pillars Rivers United vs Rangers Nasarawa Utd vs Warri Wolves FC Giwa vs Wikki Tourists FC IfeanyiUbah vs Abia Warriors Enyimba vs Lobi Stars Niger Tornadoes vs El-Kanemi Warriors

GUINEA’S football association (FGF) has become the latest to prompt intervention by the world soccer governing body, FIFA after football in the West African nation ground to a halt.

The world soccer-governing body said on Friday it would appoint a seven-member “normalisation committee” to run the FGF’s daily affairs, revise its statutes and organise elections by next February.

“The decision to appoint a normalisation committee follows the internal wrangles currently affecting the FGF and that have brought all football competitions in the country to a halt,” FIFA said in a statement.

T h e deci-

sion will not affect the Guinea national side which has reached the third stage of the African region World Cup qualifying competition that gets under way in October.

Placed 58th on the FIFA rankings, Guinea has never qualified for a World Cup, but is a regular participant at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and will host the continental tournament for the first time in 2023.

The football associations of Guatemala, Honduras, Benin and Maldives are also currently being run by FIFA-appointed committees.

FIFA generally steps in when serious issues within national FAs, including internal disputes, undermine the administration of the sport in the country concerned.

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. 30/4/2016.

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