Sat 22 Mar 2014

Senate As COVER 10

‘Retirement Benefit’ For Ex-Governors

S A T U R D A Y

‘I Cannot WOAMN 22

Blame God

That I Came Through

Bola Tinubu’

E D I T I O N AMARA 20

CELEBRITY 23

Jennifer

Reasons Why Men

Eliogu

Can Be ‘Stolen’

Living Her Dreams

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,868

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

NIS Recruitment Fiasco: The

Blame Game From Karls Tsokar, Abuja NE week after the tragedy O that marred the now cancelled recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), there is no clear direction regarding who to blame for the ill-fated exercise.

While the federal government made a pledge to the families of the about 20 applicants who lost their lives during the exercise and expectedly set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fracas, there is so much uncertainty regarding who to blame.

Interestingly, both the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and Comptroller General of Immigration of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

NEWS 3

APC To PDP: Make Evidence Of Our Alleged Complicity In Boko Haram Insurgency Public

Some of the young girls rescued by men of the Ogun State Police Command in Akute-Ajuwon in Ifo Council area of the state yesterday.

Terrorists’ Hidden Weapons Recovered From Burnt Church, Says Olukolade From Madu Onuorah, Abuja ECURIY agents in Borno Scache State have recovered a large of arms and ammunition buried in the premises of one of the churches earlier burnt by terrorists in Kalabalge Council of the state.

This followed the arrest of a

terrorist who claimed to be a Camerounian and an arms courier for the Boko Haram sect.

A statement in Abuja yesterday from the Defence Headquarters by Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information/Coordinator, listed the weapons recovered

by troops to include anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled guns, general purpose and other brands of machine guns.

Also recovered from the location were thousands of various calibres of rounds of ammunition and links.

Olukolade said the middleaged man who led troops on

the cordon and search operation that led to the recovery, was one of the terrorists captured in recent raids.

“He also disclosed that the weapons were stockpiled to be used in a pending attack on some communities around Nigeria-Cameroun border.

“The weapons have all been

evacuated, while guard locations and patrols are being maintained in the general area and the surrounding localities,” he added.

The defence spokesman also disclosed that troops have continued with various operations assigned to the formations involved in the counterterrorism campaign.

“The caves of a particular mountain captured overnight are undergoing a thorough search for terrorists who are believed to have fled there in the wake of the ongoing offensive on various terrorist enclaves.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Senate As COVER 10

‘Retirement Benefit’ For Ex-Governors

S A T U R D A Y

‘I Cannot WOAMN 22

Blame God

That I Came Through

Bola Tinubu’

E D I T I O N AMARA 20

CELEBRITY 23

Jennifer

Reasons Why Men

Eliogu

Can Be ‘Stolen’

Living Her Dreams

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Vol. 30, No. 12,868

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

NIS Recruitment Fiasco: The

Blame Game Continues From Karls Tsokar, Abuja NE week after the tragedy O that marred the now cancelled recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), there is no clear direction regarding who to blame for the ill-fated exercise.

While the federal government made a pledge to the families of the about 20 applicants who lost their lives during the exercise and expectedly set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fracas, there is so much uncertainty regarding who to blame.

Interestingly, both the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and Comptroller General of Immigration of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

NEWS 3

APC To PDP: Make Evidence Of Our Alleged Complicity In Boko Haram Insurgency Public

Some of the young girls rescued by men of the Ogun State Police Command in Akute-Ajuwon in Ifo Council area of the state yesterday.

Terrorists’ Hidden Weapons Recovered From Burnt Church, Says Olukolade From Madu Onuorah, Abuja ECURIY agents in Borno Scache State have recovered a large of arms and ammunition buried in the premises of one of the churches earlier burnt by terrorists in Kalabalge Council of the state.

This followed the arrest of a

terrorist who claimed to be a Camerounian and an arms courier for the Boko Haram sect.

A statement in Abuja yesterday from the Defence Headquarters by Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information/Coordinator, listed the weapons recovered

by troops to include anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled guns, general purpose and other brands of machine guns.

Also recovered from the location were thousands of various calibres of rounds of ammunition and links.

Olukolade said the middleaged man who led troops on

the cordon and search operation that led to the recovery, was one of the terrorists captured in recent raids.

“He also disclosed that the weapons were stockpiled to be used in a pending attack on some communities around Nigeria-Cameroun border.

“The weapons have all been

evacuated, while guard locations and patrols are being maintained in the general area and the surrounding localities,” he added.

The defence spokesman also disclosed that troops have continued with various operations assigned to the formations involved in the counterterrorism campaign.

“The caves of a particular mountain captured overnight are undergoing a thorough search for terrorists who are believed to have fled there in the wake of the ongoing offensive on various terrorist enclaves.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Saturday, March 22, 2014 3

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWS

APC To PDP: Make Evidence Of Our Alleged Complicity In Boko Haram Insurgency Public

Tension In Ekiti As PDP Holds Primary Today

HE All Progressives T Congress (APC) has dared the Peoples Democratic Party

MIDST tension and A uncertainty, members of the Ekiti State Chapter of the

to urgently make available to the Nigerian public any evidence of the opposition party’s alleged involvement in the Boko Haram insurgency or forever shut up.

“We have absolutely no hand in this insurgency and we dare anyone with contrary information to publish such today.

It is trite that he who alleges must prove,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

APC said that in the absence of any evidence, “Nigerians will have no choice but to conclude that the relentless finger-pointing by the PDP/Presidency is a ploy to divert attention from those

who are actually behind this insurgency, those who see it as a trump card to 2015 and those who have been benefitting massively from the huge funds being allocated to security.”

It noted that the latest accusation by the PDP is being made within the framework of its plan to frame up the opposition and clamp down on its leaders ahead of the 2015 general elections, having realised that it (PDP) cannot possibly win the 2015 elections due to its appalling record of failure.

“Otherwise, how can the PDPled federal government claim to have ‘evidence of meetings held outside the shores of the country’ to violently overthrow the government of President Jonathan, and yet refuse to make such evidence

public or arrest and try those involved? Or is it only the riotous spokesman of the ruling party who has the evidence?” the party queried.

APC said the PDP was suffering from selective amnesia by its warped interpretation of APC’s statement which pointed out to the ruling party that President Jonathan is not the first minority Nigerian leader, hence the people should be spared the boring reference to his ethnic origin.

“It is a reflection of PDP’s diabolical mind that it only picked out the former minority leaders who are soldiers and left out the name of a former civilian leader. We mentioned three former leaders who are of minority ethnic stock: Tafawa Balewa (Sayewa), Yakubu Gowon (Angas) and Sani Abacha

(Kanuri).

“Curiously but not unfathomably, the PDP dropped the name of Balewa and then extrapolated from the fact that we mentioned two former military leaders that we are comparing a democratically-elected President with defunct military dictatorships. This can only be the product of a contorted mind.

Good a thing, Nigerians understand better and will not be fooled by such a sickening stretch,” APC said.

The party reiterated its earlier statement that the only reason this insurgency has persisted is the incompetence, cluelessness, inferiority complex and collusion of the presidency.

“First, we heard from no other personality than President Jonathan himself that his cab-

inet is infested with Boko Haram. Then the PDP started pointing fingers at some imaginary opposition leaders as being behind the insurgency, and now the President has openly admitted his own incompetence by saying his administration has been treating terrorism with kid gloves.

“Pray, where in the world can any battle against terrorism be won when the government is treating such with kid gloves? Need we ask why the government has failed woefully to tackle terrorism in Nigeria? Need we ask why the government has patently ignored all suggestions from us and many Nigerians on how to tackle the terrorists rampaging in the Northeast?” the party asked.

A cross section of children with down syndrome during the commemoration of the World Down Syndrome Day 2014 at the United Nations centre, Lagos, yesterday: PHOTO: IDOWU ADUNOLA

Ogun Police Rescue Eight Pregnant Women From ‘Baby Factory’ From Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta MEN of the Ogun State Police Command yesterday discovered a “baby factory” where young girls have been engaged in delivering babies for sale.

The factory is located at Akute-Ajuwon in Ifo Local Council Area of the state.

Those allegedly behind the deal have been arrested and are being detained at the Police Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for questioning and possible prosecution.

Among the suspects were eight pregnant girls, one of them 16 years old, the proprietress of the factory, Mrs. Angela Chigoeze, and her

brother-in-law, Obinna Ndunaga.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, who conducted reporters round the factory —a threeroom bungalow —, disclosed that the “factory” sold babies for N300, 000 each.

Okoye said the young girls were “usually offered pittance after delivery and their babies taken from them and sold to unknown people.”

The Commissioner attributed the discovery to “robust community policing” and discreet intelligence gathering by men of the state police command.

He, however, stated that investigation was still ongoing to unravel the other collaborators of the syndicate,

which he said used the building at 9, Sebanjo Crescent, off Fabolude bus stop in Akute as operational base.

Three of the pregnant suspects were teenagers. They included 16-year-old Precious Steven as well as Miracle Eze and Blessing Saviour who are both 17 years old.

Others were Jeremiah Gift, 25; Joy Okoro, 20; Stella Samuel, 19; Agnes Igbo, 22; and Vivian Princewill, 20.

The Commissioner said: “When we moved in around 7am Thursday we couldn’t get anything. So, we left. But later we got information and we came back to the house and continued searching. We discovered that the pregnant girls were hidden in the wardrobe.

“One of the girls kept in the wardrobe fainted and she was taken to the hospital and revived. This is inhumanity to human beings.

The proprietress (Angela) of this “baby factory” sold each baby at N300,000 or even above.

She in return gives pittance to these young girls. If the mother delivers a stillborn, she will not get anything.”

Okoye said the suspects would be transferred to the State Police Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

The proprietress of the factory claimed that her husband, now at large, rented the building from where the illicit business was transacted.

Angela, 29, who hails from

Abia State, said she started the business last year as a traditional healing home.

She, however, denied that the young girls were usually impregnated inside the house, saying they (pregnant women) were either brought by their husbands or trace her address themselves.

Also speaking, Obinna, who allegedly manned the gates to the house during police raid, said he was not part of the baby-making syndicate.

He claimed that his elder brother, who travelled to the eastern part of the country on Monday, accommodated him in the house when he (Obinna) had financial challenges to secure an apartment in Lagos.

From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiti

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP will today elect the party’s flag bearer for the governorship election holding on June 21, this year.

Some of the aspirants yesterday threatened to boycott the primaries, alleging that the delegates’ list had been doctored to favour an aspirant.

Out of the 14 aspirants that were cleared by the party’s screening committee, only three of them obtained the N2.5 million delegates forms. They are former Police Affairs Minister, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, former governor of the state, Mr. Ayo Fayose and former Afenifere spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

Eleven aspirants that refused to obtain the delegates forms still insist on consensus option as advised by President Goodluck Jonathan.

But the Governorship Primary Committee, set up by the National Working Committee (NWC) and headed by the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, yesterday arrived in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Meanwhile, former Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Mr. Ayo Arise and one of the governorship aspirants, Prince Dayo Adeyeye have declared that party members would not tolerate any form of fraud in the primary election.

They insisted that only credible primaries, where genuine list of delegates are used, would save the party from imminent collapse in the preparation for June 21 election.

Arise particularly stated that members of the party would reject any fraudulent primaries that is skewed in favour of any aspirant, saying the party must provide a level playing field for all the aspirants.

Arise, who lamented the alleged shoddy conduct of the delegate congress last Wednesday, said the party leaders would resist any attempt to change the list of delegates in the primaries.

Adeyeye had, however, called for the outright cancellation of the congress, alleging that the committee that conducted the exercise had compromised.

Arise alleged that last Wednesday’s congress witnessed hijack of electoral materials and compilation of fictitious list of delegates by the committee, assuring that party members would block the committee from smuggling fictitious names into the delegate lists.

“Anything short of a fair process will not be acceptable in Ekiti. Ekiti is the most educated state in Nigeria.

We know what we are doing and we know where

4 Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

NEWS Jonathan Arm-twisted To Drop Afenifere Leaders From Confab List, Says Group

By Kamal Tayo Oropo OT a few Nigerians, particuN larly within the Yoruba circles, were shocked when Chief Supo Shonibare alongside others, including Senator Biyi Durojaiye, were dropped at the last minute from the list of delegates to the National Conference, with Shonibare’s name replaced by that of Prince Rabiu Oluwa.

However, indications emerged that Shonibare, Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of Afenifere and a chieftain of the newly rejuvenated Social Democratic Party (SDP) purportedly lost out when All Progressive Congress (APC) governors from the Southwest geo political zone allegedly stormed Aso Rock to parley with President Goodluck Jonathan on March 11.

Led to the closed-door meeting by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, the APC Southwest governors, complained about the composition of the Ethnic Nationalities List of the zone, saying it wasn’t all inclusive.

It was alleged that the Lagos governor, for example, specifically complained that the list failed to reflect Lagos indigenes.

The President promptly promised to look into the governors’ complaints.

According to Afenifere sources, the Southwest governors at the meeting also included Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti,

Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, and Engineer Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

However, Afenifere chieftains saw APC’s aim as really a veiled attempt to reduce the organisation’s participation and influence, particularly that of its elders, who already had two of their own, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae, nominated

on the Presidential List.

Consequent upon the meeting, the President gave a directive to the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, to accommodate a nominee of the governors without substituting the elders, whom he appeared determined to protect.

President Jonathan was then

of the opinion that he had protected all Afenifere members on the list, as they had been the principal agitators for the conference.

In carrying out the President’s instructions, Chief Anyim, however, took the counsel of former Afenifere Secretary General and Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the

National Conference, Senator Femi Okunrounmu.

A major supporter of the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), a parallel power bloc to Afenifere in the Southwest, Okunrounmu protected YUF names on the list, in coming to a decision on whom to recommend to Anyim for substitution.

Tribunal Arraigns Doctor For Disclosing Suntai’s Health Status, Others From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja HE Medical Director of the T Taraba State Specialist Hospital, Dr Zakari Aliyu is among 11 doctors arraigned by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for alleged misconduct.

Aliyu was accused of allegedly disclosing information on the health status of Governor Danbaba Suntai contrary to medical ethics. Suntai crashed in an aircraft he was piloting and is still recuperating.

The tribunal yesterday commenced trial of the medical practitioners allegedly accused of various offenses contrary to the ethics of the medical profession.

Chairman of the tribunal, Dr Jonathan Uzoatuegwu said the Tribunal would dispense justice in a professional respect and adjudge the ethical conduct of the medical profession.

Others to be arraigned for trial include Dr David Emmanuel Udo, a senior medical officer at Cottage Hospital, Ekpene Obo village of Akwa Ibom who is alleged of diverting patients to his private clinic when he is not licensed to do so.

He is being arraigned on a six-

count charge of owning a private clinic, diverting patients to his clinic, carrying out a major surgery on one Mrs Imaobong Ime Archibong and releasing her medical history, which is confidential to be published.

Also on the list is Godwin Ugbam, a paediatric surgeon

operating a private hospital known as Abram Vineyard Clinic in Enugu. He is to be arraigned on a three-count charge of negligently performing a major surgery of prostatectomy on Mr Alexandra Chibueze without keeping proper record of the management of the patient.

Families Of Edo Road Crash, FRSC Trade Words Over Accident From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City AMILY members of about 16 Fthepersons who were killed in fatal road crash allegedly involving a ‘God is Good’ Motors bus and a truck on Monday this week yesterday accused the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) of deliberately covering up the accident on the Benin-Lagos road.

They alleged that contrary to the commission’s practice of putting details of accidents on

its website and making it available to media houses, four days after the accident, the commission has kept sealed lips and refused to give journalists the true picture of things.

But the FRSC zone RS5 in Benin yesterday denied the allegation of bribe against the command over alleged coverup of the accident.

Assistant Corps Marshal in charge of the zone, Wole Olaniran, described the allegation as cheap blackmail, saying that “there is no truth

whatsoever in their allegation.

The Tollgate unit command participated in the rescue with some media practitioners on hand.

“It is on record that the pictures were posted on our website and are still there,” he said He said a Sinotruck 371 with registration number LSR649XK, belonging to SINGEOBI TRANSPORT LTD and Toyota Hiace bus with registration number WWR625XA belonging to GOD IS GOOD MOTORS were involved in the accident.

Northern Xtian Elders Seek Action Against B’Haram IFFED by the escalating M spate of needless bloodletting in some parts of North Eastern states of the country, the Christian elders’ forum of northern states has called for joint actions of all Nigerians to stop the bloody onslaught, which has claimed over 2000 lives in the last six months.

Chairman of the group, Elder Olaiya Phillips, in a public statement issued in Abuja at the weekend, lamented the alarming increase in the violent attacks by the Islamic terror group.

Military To B’Haram: Drop Arms Now From Njadvara Musa, Damaturu HE Chief of Army Staff, Lt. T Gen. Kenneth Minimah has said that the Boko Haram insurgents have the option of dropping their arms to “accept and embrace dialogue” with Federal Government or face the superior powers of the Nigerian security forces in the country.

Minimah gave the warnings Thursday at the 7 Division of Nigerian Army Headquarters, Maiduguri while on a two-day routine visit of military facilities and state of troops.

“The dialogue option is still open, else the federal might is available to the Armed Forces to crush the insurgency,” warned Minimah.

TheGuardian on Sunday Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014

COVER

Subsidy, Scarcity In An Oil Economy T

HE Federal Government says it spends trillions of Naira every year to ensure that petrol is not only available but also affordable. Yet, the product remains elusive to Nigerians, many of who pay through the nose to power their ‘dark’ homes and fuel their movement. The Sunday Guardian is again on this endless debate of whether, or not, there must be subsidy in an oil-producing economy.

POLITICS

OW South West H politicians in the fringes are simply

NEWSFEATURE

holding their own...

DELTA SONGHAI FARM PROJECT:

IBRU J

An Invetment In Need Of Urgent Lifeline CHRISLAM: Unity In Worship

UST for your reading interest, we went to town in search of a quiet worship centre where worshippers blend Christianity with Islam. Wondering how they cope? It is a mustread!

These and more in The Guardian tomorrow. Grab your copy

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 5

NEWS

Kwara APC Cautions Presidency Against Aiding PDP In Future Elections From Abiodun Fagbemi,Ilorin HE leadership of the Kwara T State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday cautioned the Presidency against any ploy allegedly being devised to aid Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in future elections in the state.

The caution, APC said, is borne out of a recent meeting held in Abuja between Vice President Nnamadi Sambo and a PDP top

leader in Kwara, Alhaji Lasisi Jimoh.

At the meeting, Jimoh was quoted to have urged the presidency to come to the aid of PDP in Kwara, especially towards winning elections in the state in 2015.

Besides, he was quoted to have said that unless the PDP formed the next government in Kwara, the state would not witness any monumental development.

APC through its local interim Secretary Yemi Afolayan, said: “ Politics is all about people, if

you call yourself a politician, and you are going to Mr. President or Vice President for help, then it shows that you are not popular at the grassroots and not on ground.

“We are not opposed to opposition. But we think people should play the role with some decency and decorum. We understand their gimmicks when President Goodluck Jonathan visited Kwara. They went and hired crowd from neighbouring states to create an impression that they have

motley followers. They should not go to Abuja to seek for help.

It is a game of number and they know where they belong.”

Afolayan, who described the crowd that recently welcomed the former Governor of the state, Bukola Saraki to Ilorin, the state capital, as “true crowd”, urged those eyeing Kwara to look elsewhere “because you can only occupy a place when there is vacancy.

Here in Kwara there is no vacancy.”

The APC leader added: “The

crowd has sent fears into the spine of PDP. That was the reason that made them to rush to Abuja for help. At the APC, we have inherited the political structure of our great leader, Olusola Saraki, and his son , Bukola, is the authentic person given the heritage. Just as it was difficult for any politician to usurp Saraki during his lifetime, so shall it be difficult for any politician to defeat our leader, Bukola, here in Kwara.

Even if they spend billions of naira, it will not be possible.”

I Have Not Made Decision On Politics, Says Ihejirika From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia HE immediate past Chief of T Army Staff, Lt.-General Azubuike Ihejirika, has said he has not made decision to pursue any political ambition.

Ihejirika said this while interacting with reporters at his Ovim country home in Isukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State.

His words: “The current position or situation is that I have not taken any decision along the line of politics. Though I am somebody that is committed to the progress of my state and country, I have not taken a decision on participation in partisan politics.”

He also said that the issue of his imminent declaration for partisan politics making round in some quarters was just a rumour he could not comment on.

According to him, he remains poise to serve his state and nation in any capacity, pointing out that he is equipped to do so.

On his next occupation after retirement from the army, the ex-army chief said he has great passion for farming and construction.

The retired Lt. General considered the ongoing National Conference as worthy, saying that it would afford Nigerians the opportunity to discuss and agree on matter of national unity.

Kogi To Host Environmental Day In June From Kolawole Timothy, Lokoja Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State presenting gift to beneficiaries of empowerment programme organised by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in Asaba, Delta State

NAFDAC Seeks Proper Disposal Of Expired Drugs From John Akubo, Dutse N a bid to prevent circulation Iaged of expired drugs and damequipment, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged hospitals and pharmacy firms to dispose expired drugs and disused medical equipment in their

custody properly.

Director of the agency in Jigawa State, Mr. Olaniran Olakunle, gave the advice while supervising the destruction and disposal of expired drugs and laboratory equipment in Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birninkudu, and Jigawa State yesterday.

Olakunle pointed out that some pharmacy firms and

patent stores have developed the perchance of keeping expired drugs carelessly in their custody, adding that any expired drug or food consumed can be harmful to the body in form of cancers and other malignant diseases.

“Some of these items, when found to be damaged or expired, we don’t just throw them away carelessly where

SON Threatens To Sanction Manufacturers Over Lack Of Quality Marks From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu IRECTOR General of the D Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu has cautioned manufacturing companies on the need to comply with the use of mark of quality before marketing their products to consumers.

He stated that enforcement actions have been stepped up to ensure the use of mark of quality for all manufactured products, warning that there was no short cut to it.

Speaking during the presentation of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate to Intercolor Paints Industries limited in Enugu, Odumodu

stressed that mark of quality would ensure quality and standard in all products consumed in Nigeria.

Represented by the head of the agency in Enugu, O.O Awobote, the director general added that quality mark was a way of creating level playing ground for all manufacturers, as well as ensuring that substandard products in the market were identified to sanction manufacturers of such products.

He explained the process of the

award to include performance tests, adding that the certificate was renewable on a three yearly basis subject to maintenance of specified quality requirements and continual existence of the product in the Nigerian system.

Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Joy Okeke, said the company was committed to satisfying customers by ensuring innovative and high quality products at competitive prices.

people can get access to them.

But we see to it that they are properly discarded, “ Olakunle said.

He commended FMC for ensuring that the expired drugs and laboratory medical equipment under its possession were discarded properly, and urged oth-

er hospitals and Pharmacy firms to emulate the hospital’s example.

FMC Head of Pharmacy Department, Mr. Abdul-Rashid Mohammed, disclosed that the expired drugs and damaged equipment destroyed were worth N6.1 million.

Imo Holds Run- Off Election Today From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri MO State Government today IGovernment holds a run- off Community Council (CGC) election in 109 autonomous communities spread in 25 Local Councils in the state.

There are a total of 637 autonomous communities in the 27 Local Councils of the state. Positions to be contested for are Secretary General, Woman Leader and Youth Leader.

The state government had held polls in the communities

a fortnight ago, but there were reported cases of irregularities and violence, which led to cancelation of some of the results in the communities.

Announcing the readiness of the state government to organizer the run- off election, the Commissioner for Community Government Council, Culture and Traditional Matters, Chief Val Mbamala, said the state government will beef up security in the affected areas, and warned mischief and trouble makers to stay away from the venues.

OGI State Government has K concluded arrangement to host this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day (NESD) slated for June 28, 2014.

Gov. Idris Wada disclosed this when he received the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Malam, who was in the state to prepare ground for the forthcoming commemoration of the National Environmental Sanitation Day in the state. Mrs. Funmilayo Oyeyipo represented the minister.

Wada, who was represented by his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, said the state is in the process of procuring equipment to enhance refuse collection and disposal in the state capital.

“The state had never have a refuse dump since its creation.

But this administration has made beautification and sanitation a key component in its transformation agenda by establishing a refuse dump,” Wada said.

The governor called for collaboration between the state and Federal Ministry of Environment, describing the visit by the minister as a harbinger of better things to come.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

6 Saturday, March 22, 2014

NEWS Sanusi’s Suit Against SSS, Police Adjourned Till March 31

By Bertram Nwannekanma EARING on a fundamental H Rightssuitfiledbysuspended governor of the Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at a Federal High Court, Lagos against officers of the State Security Service (SSS) was yesterday adjourned till March 31, 2014. Trial Judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba fixed the

date to allow parties regularise all their processes. In the suit, which also had the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Inspector General of Police (IGP), as co-defendants Sanusi is seeking an order seeking an order restraining the police and officers of the State Security Service (SSS) from arresting or detaining him.

The suit filed on his behalf by’ Kola Awodien and Prof Yemi

Osibanjo all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), seeking for an order preventing the defendants from harassing him, was earlier fixed for hearing yesterday at the last adjourned date.

However, counsel to the First respondent (AGF), Dr Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) had at the mentioning of the suit informed the court of a motion on notice dated and filed on March 19, seek-

ing for an extension of time to regularise his processes filed out of time. Similar application was also made by counsel to the third respondent (IGP), Mr Ahmed Musa, who prayed the court for leave to regularise his motion dated March 19 and to deem it as properly filed. The applications for extension of time were not opposed by Sanusi’s counsel, Kola Awodien

(SAN), who however observed that he was prepared to proceed with his motion, but for the nature of applications filed by the respondents.

Consequently, the matter was adjourned the suit to March 31 forhearingoftheapplicantssuit after the respondents motion for extension of time were granted, and the terms of their prayers on the face of the motion paper granted.

Forum Seeks The Creation Of National Renewable Energy Commission From John Okeke, Abuja IGERIA is a major oil proN ducing nation there is the urgent need to conserve the oil and gas through significant reduction of quantities consumed internally.

This can be achieved through the large-scale utilization of the renewable energy resources for which the nation is well endowed with.

For this reason, the Nigeria Academic of Engineering (NAE) has requested for the creation of the National Renewable Energy Commission (NREC) in order to harness the huge potentials in renewable energy.

The call was made by the Former Director General of Energy Commission of Nigeria ( ECN) Prof. Abubakar Sambo in Abuja yesterday during his lecture at the 2014 Fellows Forum organized by the Nigeria Academic of Engineering (NAE) in collaboration with Energy Commission of Nigeria

( ECN) titled “Renewable Energy Technology for sustainable development in Nigeria” He said “ the fact in Nigeria energy related laws are only for electrical power and for oil and gas with nothing for the renewables energy is a major factor that has stunted the growth of renewable energy in the country . in this regard there is need to create a

National Renewable Energy Commission (NREC) or to amend the law of the Energy Commision of Nigeria to become the NREC.” The former director also said that there is need for the passage of the National Energy Policy and the National Energy Masterplan into law as well as the setting aside of funds that will be used to incentivize the use of Renewable Energy in the

country . “ if this is done then the nation will be on a sustainable development pathway as renewable energy resources are inexhaustible and do not contribute to the global warming issues associated with fossil fuels. “ he maintained.

He added “ in this way the nation will stand a better chance of succeeding in Mr. President’s transformation

agenda and becoming one of the top twenty countries by 2020.”

Also, the National President, Nigeria Academic of Engineering (NAE) Prof.

Ayodele Ogunye said that the aim of the meeting was to replace the current means of energy supply “ The agenda is very simple. we want a substitute for the present energy construction and

Okonjo-Iweala Accepts Public Debate On ‘Missing’ N24bn… Insists Funds Not Missing

By Marcel Mbamalu N response to the position of ICommittee the House of Representatives on Public Accounts, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, yesterday, insisted that N24 billion did not disappear from the Police Pension Fund, even as she expressed willingness to take up the challenge posed by Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts,

Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, for a public discussion on the issue.

The House Committee had, on Thursday, maintained that the said amount was actually ‘missing’ and accused the minister of misleading the nation with ‘fake documents as a cover up to distance herself from the fraudulent act.’

In apparent response to Olamilekan, who made the allegation, Okonjo-Iweala described the so-called ‘missing’ N24 bil-

lion as “ridiculous and false.”

Special Adviser to the minister, Paul Nwabuikwu, in a statement said: “As we explained in a recent communication, the money is NOT missing.”

She described as unfortunate the fact that “the chairman has persisted in using his privileged platform to disseminate such distortions even though the minister has repeatedly explainedtotheCommitteethat the money was an overpayment based on the demands of those

trying to steal from pension funds which was successfully blocked and the money returned to the treasury by the minister.”

According to Nwabuikwu, Olamilekan’s persistence “in peddling this untruth suggests that this is yet another attempt to tarnish the image of the minister for partisan political reasonsandtotakepublicattention away from the positive efforts to reformthehistoricallyproblematic pensions sector.”

FG To Rake In $4.2 Billon From Independent Power Sales From Mohammed Abubakar, Abuja HE joint meeting of the T National Council of Privatization (NCP) and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) yesterday announced the results of the winners of the recent sales of seven out of the 10 companies that took part in the bidding for 10 National Independent Power Plants (NIPPs) which held on March 7, this year.

At a joint press conference announcing the results of the preferred winners at the end of the meeting which was presided over by Vice President, Namadi Sambo at the State House Abuja, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; Power Minister, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo; Managing Director of the NDPHC, Mr. James Olotu and the DirectorGeneral of the Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE),Mr.Benjamin Dikki said the process has brought to a successful conclusion the government privatisation process, which is aimed at ushering in new era of improved electricity supply to Nigerians.

Nebo described the processes leading to the emergence of the winners as transparent, saying: “So,wewillliketosaythatagain, this has been a wonderful achievement on the part of the NCPthatthesamestoriesretold aboutthePHCNsuccessorcompanies are being replicated here with regards to transparency in that process. ”

Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

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METRONOTES

Scripture Union’s Tackles Abuse Of Young People

(L-R) Rev. Dachi Maduako; Mr. Philip Odelano; Pastor Michael Ayodele; and Mrs. Goodness Ayodele during the book presentation in Lagos

By Ekwy P. Uzoanya S part of efforts to confront the menace of abuse of young people in the society, Scripture Union (SU) Nigeria has presented a book on the subject aimed at stemming the tide.

The book titled, Sexual Abuse Of Young People In Schools And Churches in Lagos State was presented to the media in Lagos last Wednesday.

The Director General of SU, Mr. Philip Odelano said the book is a continuation of its spirited fight against the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIVAIDS).

Odelano remarked at the event that the organisation was focusing on the issue as children and young people

A

constitute the core area of its work.

According to him, it is necessary to beam the searchlight on the churches and schools considering that young people are being violated in these places that ought to offer them protection from sexual abuse, considering the fact that it has a direct bearing on the spread of HIV/HIDS. The book is written by the trio of Pastor Michael Ayodele, Rev. Dachi Maduako and Mrs. Mary Ojogoson. It explores the various ways young people are enticed to take part in sexual activities, even when they do not know what is happening to them and the consequences on their lives.

It notes that the phenomenon is increasing at a very high rate in Lagos

State. While more cases are being reported on newspaper pages, many are not mentioned. Details of accounts of school teachers and church workers on sexual abuse cases are copiously used in the book to underscore the prevailing situation.

It also exposes the various ways students harass fellow students. Some teachers have lured young girls into sexual encounters by disgusting misinformation.

The Bible position on rape and sexual abuse are explored with examples of the incidents.

There are contributions from people on the position of the Nigerian law and how Lagos State is strengthening the war against these abuses involv-

ing young persons with the passage of the Child Rights Law, Administration of General Justice Law and reinvigorating of the Criminal Code Law. The study presents worrisome revelations. For instance, as high as 73.55 per cent of 344 students in secondary schools interviewed are aware of rape in their schools, which indicates that it is a common occurrence.

Church leaders, even in the ranks of Bishops have been culprits with evidence against them. The churches are secretive about it when it happens. Yet, the study revealed that only 37.21 per cent of the same population interviewed has heard about it in the church premises, indicating

that it is rarely discussed.

The organisation said the publication is meant to serve as advocacy material for churches, educationists, and government especially the Lagos Sate Government that is already working hard to tackle the challenge.

While commending the Lagos State Government, the press and other agencies for the role on the campaign, it recommends among others that the church should expose the culprits, introduce stiff penalty on offenders, government should impose special punishment on any teacher involved and educate all children and young persons on child rights, protection and effect of sexual abuse; parents should educate your children properly on sex education.

The book is a product of SU project titled, “Enhancement of Young People’s Competence to Adopt Positive Behaviour towards Sex and Respond to Issues Associated with HIV/AIDS,” which is supported by Tearfund, based in Jos. The National Director of Aid for AIDS and Design for the Family, Pastor Michael Ayodele noted why SU is concerned about the life of young people.

He said, “It is because, we as Scripture Union Nigeria are taking a giant step to join several others in the fight against injustice and victimisation of our future generation, the hope of our nation, the hope of the church, and of families and is the children and young people who are facing increasing risk and damaged from sexual abuse from their own citizen who should be their role models.”

According to him, it was the upsurge of HIV infection among young people in secondary age that led SU to join SU Africa to get involved in awareness and prevention programmes in1993. The project in Lagos started in 2007; equipping people, especially young people and families with skills that enhance positive living which effectively promote positive behaviour change.

Under this, it worked with schools, churches, parents and Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA).

More Expectations As Olatinwo Begins Second Term As UITH CMD From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin O herald his second term in office as the T Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, has promised that

by August this year, the hospital will record its first Open Heart Surgery (OHS).

Already, the hospital had during his first tenure recorded his first feat in the area of Kidney Transplant (KT) on a man in his early 30s simply identified as Momah, whose younger brother donated one of his kidneys.

Momah, a resident of Lagos from Edo State, 30 months after the operation told The Guardian in a chat few days ago: “I am healthier now. All the symptoms I used to see before the operations have all disappeared.

“I am grateful to God and the UITH. I now live a normal health.”

Speaking on the proposed OHS, Olatinwo, who described the staff of the hospital as “dedicated and professional personnel,” added that the process would commence on schedule, as the required procedures had been perfected and needed facilities made available.

He added: “We will do this in partnership with some other health institutions. This surgery will definitely occur by August this year, according to our plans.”

On his other plans for the hospital and its staff in the next four years, the CMD said he would make staff development the kernel of his policies.

“We will like to re position the staff and support them to their full capacity. This will make them to operate at the highest level attainable on their duty posts.

“We want to concentrate more on ICT, especially in the area of health care delivery, to meet up with our vision of Total Quality

Health Care for Patients’ Satisfaction as part of our plan to make the hospital a one-stop hospital.”

Already, the UITH has started the process on Bone Marrow Transplantation, which has to do with Sickle Cell Anaemia cases.

Olatinwo added: “We want to concentrate our gains on the Renal Transplant. The first and only one in the history of this hospital was carried out on a patient over two years ago and till date, the patient is still alive.

“We are monitoring him and want to consolidate on the renal success; hence we want to enter into a partnership with an Australian hospital.

“The service will be a good one for those suffering renal related cases in our country.”

One major area of concerns to Olatinwo is the constant traffic hold up along Ilorin/Jebba Road, the only motorable road into the UITH. Even though the Kwara State government recently extended the single lane road, the congestion persists, as vehicles still move at snail speed on the road.

Olatinwo told The Guardian that a committee of the hospital had been constituted to proffer solutions to the hiccups.

Staffers are already celebrating Olatinwo’s second coming, describing it as the best that could have happened to the hospital.

Chairman of the task force on OHS, Prof Olanrewaju Adedoyin, said it was a deserved appointment due to the achievement of the hospital boss during his first tenure.

Adedoyin is impressed by Olatinwo’s style of administration and attraction of private individuals to donating to the hospital sourcing for funds outside government subventions.

The Senator representing Kogi South, Smart Adeyemi, recently donated a brand new fully equipped ambulance to the hospital.

Olatinwo also succeeded in blocking areas hitherto considered as drainpipes of the cash

flow of the hospital; hence the belated, but serious campaign against his second term ambition by those allegedly involved.

For the Head of Department of Ophthalmology, Dr Dupe Popoola, Olatinwo’s second coming would no doubt place the hospital among the very best in Nigeria, especially in the areas of compliance with modern trends of management and efficient service delivery system.

Popoola said: “I surely believe his second term is a well deserved one, because he has great visions for the hospital. He had always been talking of building a hospital for the future and right now, the future is here.

“It is good that he has this chance to consolidate on what he had started.”

For Olatinwo’s predecessor, Prof Suleiman Kuranga, his successor has truly moved forward the visions of the founding fathers of the hospital.

According to Kuranga: “He is a misunderstood character, but despite that, he continues to do his very best, making sure that the flag of the hospital is flying high.

“The system seems not to have understood him, but as he was winding up his first tenure, I think the staffers started to appreciate his contributions better.

“He will surely continue to put the UITH on a great pedestal.”

For the pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi: “I think he has tried his best for the UITH, but I believe the federal government, as the owner, should pump more money into the health sector, because health is wealth.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of Kwara State chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof Olayinka Buhari, described Olatinwo as a “master builder,” who

Olatinwo though met the UITH at a deplorable state, but had transformed its fortune within four years to an excellent one.

Buhari, a professor of Pathology, said: “We are very happy that the President has given Olatinwo the ticket to preside over the affairs of this hospital for another term.

“When he started some four years ago, the situation of the hospital was terrible, but today, four years down the line, things have greatly improved.

“We pray that by the time he completes the second term, it will be better again.”

TheGuardian

8 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Politics ‘We Started Well With ICPC And EFCC, But The Momentum Has Gone Down’ From Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin ORMER Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and FAkanbi other related offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha (rtd.), has described Nigeria as a pitiable nation that requires a new approach to salvage it from the claws of ethnic jingoists.

Akanbi, who described Nigeria as God’s own project, sharply criticised those predicting its disintegration by next year, noting that the country would exist for as long as it pleases God. He noted: “Nigeria will not break up, Insha Allah. There are genuine Mallams who don’t go out; they pray always for the unity of Nigeria. I believe our Christian leaders are doing the same. God is not interested in the disintegration of Nigeria. I see it as just the concepts of the Americans.

“The Americans want gay marriages, which is not Biblical or in the Quoran, as both religions discourage relationships between men or between women.

“Anyone thinking of the break up of Nigeria must be a devil.”

Speaking with The Guardian in an exclusive interview in Ilorin, the former President of the Court of Appeal believed Nigerians should not just develop an attitude to fight corruption, but also muster up enough courage to at first demand for the track records of would-be political office holders before voting them to power.

Besides, he cautioned against placing too much premium on mundane things, just as he warned of the dire consequences of continued unemployment problems in Nigeria on the future of the youth.

For the octogenarian, Nigerians should look for selfless leaders after the likes of the late former South African leader, Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere, the Tanzanian ex-leader, for the country to urgently attain the dreams of its founding fathers.

He stated: “What is the state of Nigeria today is a question we should all ask ourselves. However, that Nigeria is a corrupt nation at present is indisputable. Corruption, like a cliché, has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigeria.

“How much do we hear of the wealth of the children of the founding fathers of the country today? Today, people in power keep on putting their children, wives and relatives in position of authorities and the children of the less privileged roam the streets. This is pure nepotism.

“Hong Kong fought corruption for 17 years, and today, it has reduced corruption to the barest level. In Botswana, with about two million population, is rated as the least corrupt nation in Africa. Nearly everybody in that country has a cattle ranch.

“Here in Nigeria, we started very well with ICPC and EFCC, but the momentum has gone down.”

Akanbi, while reminiscing on previous national conferences in

Nigeria, lamented that recommendations emanating from such conferences were never implemented.

Therefore, instead of convening another conference, which at present is ongoing in Abuja, he canvassed a holistic war on corruption, “which is the mother of all crimes in Nigeria.”

He added: “We have had series of conferences in Nigeria, with recommendations that were never implemented. Now, we are having another conference. Some Nigerians are saying it should be called a Sovereign National Conference (SNC).

“I love Nigeria and her unity. But as I see it now, I don’t know what the conference will achieve, because each tribe is there with ethnic agenda.

“For instance, the Yoruba want true federalism. The body language of Asari Dokubo and Edwin Clark, both of Ijaw tribe, is suggesting something too. Ditto all other representatives of the ethnic groups.

“We need to sit down and think Nigeria. If today, a Yoruba, Ibo or Hausa man is attacked, members of his tribe will defend him or as a Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa man and not as a Nigerian.”

Akanbi faulted the criteria used in appointing delegates to the conference, saying: “Crooks are right there at the conference. Even those we arrested and still have cases pending in courts are there.

“I don’t know what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah before God dealt with them. When you give credence to those who do not deserve it, you are creating more problems.

“But you still have few individuals at the conference who are doing well. We know those who own big offices, but didn’t pass through the right system to acquire them.”

While canvassing the adoption of the recent Ghanaian experience, where the established Code of Conduct now rules and controls the affairs of public office holders in that neighbouring West African country, Akanbi said where there is a conflict between the Code and the social norms of the officers, the Code should prevail, adding: “Anyone who cannot abide should quit.”

Already, the retired justice has constituted a movement, christened ‘Integrity Group,’ a sub-sect under his non-political and nonprofitable organisation, Mustapha Akanbi Foundation (MAF), to experiment with the Ghana model.

Speaking on the upsurge of terrorism in the North-East of Nigeria, Akanbi said: “This is not the time to begin to argue on whether or not the terrorist group has more sophisticated weapons than the Nigerian military. But inside, we should think how to put an end to the activities of the terror group in Nigeria.

“It is such a bad development today that I cannot go to Borno, Yobe or Adamawa states, despite having friends there. Besides, at a time we were celebrating the country’s centenary anniversary, this terror group killed school children, but even the Federal Government could not declare even a day of national mourning for the slain children. Consider how you will feel if you lose a child.”

Akanbi The pioneer ICPC boss noted that he dutifully discharged his duties while serving as public office holder, noting that the development always give him joy, even after leaving office.

He stated: “It is very easy to condemn people, especially the leaders.

I had served both in private and public sectors of the economy.

When I served as the ICPC chairman, those I prosecuted even after my death will honour me. Nobody could bribe me.

“Even after my first tenure, then President then Olusegun Obasanjo wanted me to go for second term. But I said no and reminded him of our agreement that I would spend only a single term, and he respected my view.”

He stated that without effective followers, leadership would remain ineffectual. Hence, he urged Nigerians to think more of what they can do for Nigeria, rather than relying on what the country can do for them.

“After my ICPC assignment, I started a Foundation called MAF. I am 82 years old now. The major concern is the way many people come here for help, especially those seeking for employment opportunities.

Political Will To Implement Confab Outcome Will Make A Difference, Says Adediji ODE Adediji, a former President of Nigerian B Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bode Adediji Partnership- a frontline property consultant company in Nigeria. Adediji spoke with LAOLU ADEYEMI on the ongoing National Conference and why Gov. Rauf Aregbesola deserves second term in office.

Do you think that the ongoing national conference can come out with resolutions that would solve Nigeria’s problems?

FROM all the conferences I have attended in the past, the import of it all to me is that a smaller, but strong centre, is preferable than an ominous centre that is distant from the constituents. However, the mechanics of such an emerging regional devolution of power will still have to be articulated and crafted in such a

Adediji

way that will not undertake any adventure that will specifically lead to the disintegration of this potentially greatest country in Africa. It is good to dialogue, and I look forward to see a good and robust outcome from the gathering. But what is important is the political will to implement whatever the outcome is at the end of the day.

Under a democratic system, dialogue is always the best option to resolve challenges. So, I think we have mature people who have the interest of the nation at heart to discuss at the confab. Let us wait and see where it will lead us.

Is the NIESV well represented at the Confab?

I am no longer the president of my institution.

But I doubt if the people behind the implementation of this confab have reached out to all necessary and appropriate quarters that should participate in the conference.

Should we really go into another election with the much criticised 1999 Constitution?

My answer is an emphatic no. Next year election is coming; a lot can still be done. Having in mind that this is a great country that must not be allowed to waste either by way of disintegration or perpetual retrogression, we must not go there with the aim of playing game. We must all go with oneness of mind, having in mind that we are not where we ought to be, but we cannot afford to throw away the baby with the bath water.

Looking at the governors on the platform of the APC in the Southwest, will you say they have performed?

The leadership of the APC in the Southwest is a respite to the general atmosphere of retrogression that we have witnessed over the past decades. However, we still must know that they have not been found wanting.

What is your assessment on the administration of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State?

With what he has done so far and with the public perception of his energies, when he clinches the second term tenure, he can only improve on the marvelous job he has been doing in his first tenure in office.

I will not limit myself to assessing Aregbesola, or any governor in this country, on the basis of my area of specialisation. Every aspect of life, including economy and politics, affects every Nigerians.

The summary of my assessment of Aregbesola is that he has performed beyond anybody’s imagination. During his short period, he has been in the saddle of authority.

I was born in Osun, and grew up there and schooled there up to my university level. The sector of development and awareness that has been ushered in by this current regime has been unprecedented. But I must add a rider that every regime that had governed Osun must have done its best within the limit of knowledge, capacity and available resources. But in fairness, whether in the area of social mobilisation, education, infrastructure and others, the incumbent government has performed very well.

But his educational policy has been causing religious uproar. Is that not a minus?

I will not dabble ordinarily into any religious matter. What I will like every Nigerian to know is that once you have a revolutionary policy being put in place in any state or nation, there will be some fallout of either unintended action or perception. It is then left for all the stakeholders to sit down and dissect what these perceptions may be and find a mutually agreed solution. As far as I am concerned, unless there is a revolutionary policy change in our educational landscape, Nigeria

will not grow; Osun State will not grow. So, if a particular government comes on board to bring a revolutionary change in the educational landscape, whatever might be the unintended fallout, we should apply pragmatism, love, maturity and political unity to resolve the fallout. I don’t think any state in the whole Western region should be a state under which religious reasons should be pursued over development. I urge all the stakeholders to at this time sheath their swords and find a common ground to resolve whatever differences might have rising as a result of the new educational policy in Osun State.

In your assessment, does Aregbesola have a chance of winning second term?

If performance is the basis upon which a government is elected to an office, then certainly Aregbesola deserves to be returned to the office.

If, however, under some sentiments, some parties have come up with schemes to get the office, then it is left for the citizens of Osun to sit down, look at the past, assess the present and think of their future.

So you will want Aregbesola to come back?

Yes. I want him to come back based on performance.

Can he do more, particularly now that he is being perceived as religious fanatics?

I will answer that question from the perspective of a farmer, who has performed his duty in planting some trees when the tree germinate, they create nomenclature that he cannot consume more than what we are doing now. I will only urge people to vote in for the second term and that is the only way he could reciprocate is to double his efforts on what he did during the first tenure in the second tenure.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014

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TheGuardian

10 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Cover

Saraki

By Samson Ezea the return of democratic governance in Sof INCE 1999, former governors have been in the habit moving from Government House to the Senate after the expiration of their second term in office.

While some of them were pressurized by their people to go to the Senate based on their performance in office, others pulled their way through without minding whose ox is gored.

The trend, which has grown phenomenal in the polity in recent years, is also gradually becoming part of the country’s political norms.

Even though it is backed by the 1999 constitution, many believe that it is a trend seeming only obtainable in a country like ours where continuous occupation of public offices and posturing for consistent political relevance is placed above merit and performance.

When in Enugu State in 1999, the former governor of old Anambra State and then godfather of the state politics, Chief Jim Nwobodo won the Enugu east senatorial seat by proxy, not many knew it was the beginning of a new trend.

After the senatorial election, Nwobodo, who was also a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contested the party’s presidential primaries in Jos, and lost. But he immediately took the Enugu East senatorial seat from his political godson, Nnaji and moved to the Senate in 1999.

He also defected from the AD of which the senatorial seat was won to PDP. So Nwobodo was among, if not the first former governor, that went to Senate with the return of democracy in 1999.

Since then the influx of former governors into the Senate has remained a common practice in every general elections especially since 2007 till date. This is despite the clamour for a paradigm shift in the country’s political leadership that has been predominantly dominated by the same set of people and their cronies since independence.

It would be recalled that with the expiration in 2007 the second term in office of all the state governors elected in 1999, some of them quickly found their way to the senate the same year without delay. Among those that were elected into the Senate in 2007 were Alhaji Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe State) Senator Ahmed Sani (Zamfara State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State), Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), and Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa) Adamu Aliero (Kebbi) George Akume (Benue) In 2011, the number rose with the election of Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara) Alhaji Danjuma Goje (Gombe) Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau) Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Alhaji Saminu Turaki (Jigawa) and Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi) who were in the senate in 2007 failed to win their re- election in 2011 due to some political differences with their successors and other factors.

Senatorial Seats As Retirement Benefit For Ex-Governors The likes of Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia) Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto) Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Rev. Jolly Nyame (Taraba) Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and others who could not found their way to the senate immediately after their second term as governors expired have not been finding it easy politically.

Their attempts to move to Senate in the last general elections failed them as they lost out in the election. But it seems they are not relenting yet as some of them are already making moves to contest for the senatorial seats in 2015 general elections.

Ahead of next year’s elections, there is every political indication that the number of second term governors that are planning to go to the Senate is on the rise.

Among the 18 PDP governors, 14 of them are on second term, while only four are on first term.

Those on second term are governors of Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross Rivers, Niger, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Bauchi, Plateau, Benue, and Taraba State. Those on second term are governors of Kaduna, Kogi, Gombe and Bayelsa state. In the same vein, out of 16 governors of All Progressives Congress (APC), seven of them are on second term, while nine are on first term. On second term are governors of Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Rivers, Lagos, Edo, and Kano state.

Already in some states, the second term governors’ loyalists are preparing ground for the actualisation of their bosses’ senatorial ambition in 2015. The development has pitched some of the governors against the incumbent senators of their zones.

As days pass by and echo of 2015 elections draws nearer, there is ongoing subterranean moves, and political intrigues by majority of the second term governors to ensure that they

grab their zone’s senatorial seat as parting gifts.

A development The Guardian learnt is causing ripples and rivalry in some political parties already. A serving senator had disclosed at peak of the defection and counter-defection in the National Assembly, that their party leadership promised them automatic tickets for 2015 election.

“We were promised automatic return ticket for 2015, but some of were skeptical about it, considering that most second term governors on our party platform want to go to the senate in 2015.

“With this, how are we sure that all of us will be given automatic ticket back to the senate. It was obvious they just used it as a political gimmick to discourage us from defecting to another party.

“We are cautiously watching how the whole thing will play out in 2015 with the overbearing influence and inordinate ambition of some of the state governors in the party,’ the senator said.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Ikechi Okanu, a public affairs analyst said that in as much as there is nothing wrong or illegal about it, it is not good and healthy for the country’s democracy.

Okanu said: “If our electoral system is transparent, some of these governors cannot win councillorship election even after being governor for eight years with nothing to show in term of performance.

“It is quite unfortunate that we are running an electoral system where election is determined by power of incumbency and money. As it is now, nothing will stop most of these second term governors from going to the senate in 2015.’

Akpabio

Nyako

Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Govs, Senators Battle For Tickets

By Samson Ezea Ex-Governors In The Senate Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe East) E was the first civilian governor of Yobe State during the aborted Third Republic.

He was re-elected governor of the state in 1999. After his second term in office as the governor of the state in 2007, he was elected the senator representing Yobe East district in National Assembly.

Also elected alongside Ibrahim was his wife, Ibrahim Khadija Bukar as member representing Yobe/Damatura/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa Federal constituency in the House of Representatives. Both of them have been in the National Assembly since 2007 till date.

There is every indication that Senator Ibrahim may be staging a return to the Senate in 2015, unless the unexpected happens. After all, he has a cordial relationship with his successor, governor Ibrahim Giedam. Ibrahim is one ex-governor that has enjoyed his stay in the Senate since he left office as governor in 2007.

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his successor in office, Governor Jonah Jang.

George Akume (Benue North-west) Akume, just like his other colleagues was governor of Benue State for eight years on the platform of PDP. In 2007, he won election into the senate to represent his district.

In 2011, following some political differences with his successor, Governor Gabriel Suswam, he defected to the defunct ACN on whose platform he re-contested and won. He is presently the senate minority leader.

Governors Eyeing Senate in 2015

Alhaji Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) Wammako is the incumbent governor of Sokoto state who was elected on PDP platform in 2007. Due to crisis in the PDP, he has since defected to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although, he is yet to declare his senatorial ambition ahead of 2015 general elections when his second term in office will expire, his body language indicates that he may contest the senatorial election.

It was disclosed that it was due to the senatorial ambition of Governor Wammako that made Senator Ahmed Sani (Zamfara West) the current senator representing his senatorial ANI was the governor of Zamfara between district, Senator Mohammed Maccido to 1999-2007 after which he won election into decline defecting to APC with him. the senate in 2007. He was the only governor Maccido had recently warned Wammako to that handed over power to his deputy in the forget about his senatorial ambition in 2015. It country in 2007. Before 2011 general elecis obvious that the PDP leadership and tions, his successor and former deputy, Alhaji Presidency will like to use Maccido to teach Madmud Shinkafi defected from the defunct Wammako a political lesson, but Wammako ANPP to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party will also like to use the contest to prove a politiagainst the wish and advice of Senator Sani. cal point that he is on ground in the state.

Sani vowed that Shinkafi would never win second term in office in 2011. Not many Governor Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) believed that it could be possible, taking into Akpabio, the two-term governor of Akwa Ibom consideration the power of incumbency had since made his senatorial ambition known Shinkafi enjoyed. But Sani proved bookmakto people. He was among the first governor that ers wrong when his new anointed godson, made his intention public before now, a move former House of Representatives member, that has pitched him against the incumbent and governorship candidate of defunct Senator Alloy Etuk who sometime alleged that (ANPP), Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari defeated his life was under threat because of the seat. It Shinkafi who was the candidate of PDP in the was disclosed that Etuk was not in the dark election. from the beginning that Akpabio would defiSani, as a strong political godfather in the nitely contest the senatorial seat in 2015. state won his re-election to the Senate. He As it is now, it will take a miracle for Etuk to may likely be heading back to senate in 2015 stop Akpabio’s bid, because apart from being for a third term if care is not taken. the governor and political leader of PDP in the state, he is the chairman of PDP Governors’ Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) Forum. He is a strong ally of President Jonathan Adamu was governor of Nasarawa for eight with a strong financial war chest to bankroll his years after which he became the secretary, election.

Board of Trustees, Peoples Democratic Party Since the beginning of last year, various (PDP). groups have been holding endorsement rallies In 2011, he contested election into Nasarawa to support his aspiration. Traditional rulers are West senatorial district on PDP platform and not left out. His political profile is soaring won. Recently, he defected to All Progressives because he has continued to advertise the Congress (APC) positioning for a return to “uncommon transformation,” which has Senate in 2015. endeared him to the people.

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Alhaji Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) Goje was the governor of Gombe state between 2003-2011, after which he won election into Gombe Central zone in 2011.

He has defected to APC, and has been busy oiling his political machinery to stage a return to the senate in 2015.

Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central) He is the new godfather of Kwara politics after the demise of his father who was for years the doyen of the state politics.

After eight years as governor of Kwara State, Saraki won election into the senate on the platform of PDP to represent Kwara Central.

He led the senators who tried to defect to APC, but had the move stalled by the leadership of the senate.

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) Uduaghan’s second term in office will end in 2015, and he has since made it clear that he would be contesting the Delta Central senatorial seat currently occupied by Senator James Manager; a declaration that has rattled Senator Manager and his supporters in the zone.

Senator Manager has been occupying the seat since 1999.

Governor Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) Nyako will complete his second term in 2015.

Investigation reveals that since he defected from PDP to APC, he has been under pressure from his loyalists to contest senatorial election in 2015 in order to remain relevant in the polity.

Another argument by his loyalists is that since the senator representing his zone has refused to defect to APC with him, there is every need Joshua Dariye (Plateau Central) for him to contest the senatorial seat to prove After serving as governor of Plateau state to the PDP leadership and Presidency that he is between 1999-2007, Dariye went into political a force to reckon with in the state politics. limbo for sometimes. In 2011, he contested the Central senatorial seat on the platform of Alhaji Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) Labour Party and won; a seat he is presently Governor Shema is a pro-Jonathan governor. He occupying, while warming up for a return in was initially endorsed by the Presidency for the 2015. His victory in the election surprised chairmanship of the troubled Nigerian many following his political differences with Governors Forum (NGF). He is one of the few

governors who have the ears of the President.

Picking the PDP ticket for the senatorial election may not be a problem for him.

His greatest challenge is the growing popularity of the newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC). One of its leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), is an indigene of Katsina State.

Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu is a controversial figure. The retired federal permanent secretary from Niger East is the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum. He had earlier declared his presidential ambition in a radio programme.

He once alleged that President Jonathan signed an agreement with the PDP governors from the North that he would serve one term as a condition for endorsing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election. The governor has not released the agreement to the press. He has also failed to clarify whether it is a written or oral agreement.

Party sources reveal that Aliyu is warming up to snatch the Niger East Senatorial ticket from Abba-Ibrahim the present occupant, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta.

Governor Sule Lamido (Jigawa) Lamido is an experienced politician from Jigawa Central. He was among the G7 governors in PDP, but failed to defect to APC. His second term as the governor will lapse on 2015. He had a presidential ambition before now, but the political development in PDP appears to be making it difficult. His close confidants disclosed that instead of losing out politically in 2015, it is better for him to go to Senate.

Governor Gabriel Suswam (Benue) Suswam is eyeing the Benue Northeast Senatorial District. His senatorial ambition has pitched him against Senator Barnabas Gemade, who is also interested in a second term. Suswam was in the House of Representatives when Gemade was the PDP national chairman. Now, the Benue Northeast PDP is polarised by the two gladiators. The last local government primaries were bloody. The supporters of the governor and senator clashed.

Gemade’s supporters have accused the governor of mischief and conspiracy against his constituents. They said that he has disrespected Gemade, a party elder. But Suswam’s supporters have objected to the claim, saying that the men of the old order should vacate the stage for the younger ones.

Kwakwanso

Governor Jonah Jang (Plateau) It is becoming obvious to all in the state that Governor Jonah is interested in representing the Plateau North Senatorial District at the National Assembly in 2015. He is the factional chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and has the ears of President Jonathan. It was revealed that Jang had perfected a smooth entry into the Senate when he sponsored his former Chief of Staff, Mr Gyang Pwajok, for the position following the untimely death of Senator Gyang Dantong. Observers believe that Pwajok is holding the position in trust for Jang.

Governor Liyel Imoke (Cross River) Imoke had served as a senator and minister before he was elected as the governor in 2007.

Party sources said that Imoke is eyeing the Central District seat, which the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, had occupied since 2003; a move Ndoma-Egba appears not too comfortable with.

Imoke, who represented the district between 1992 and 1993, may return to the senate with or without a serious opposition from his party.

Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso (Kano) Between 1999 and 2003, Kwakwanso was the governor of Kano State. He lost to Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of the defunct ANPP in 2003.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Suswam

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

COVER

2015: Second Term Governors In A Desperate Bid For Senatorial Tickets CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

torial primary to vote for nobody other than Orji.

But former President Obasanjo made him the After the endorsement by the district, the Minister of Defence. He regained the lost seat Ngwa and Non-Ngwa blocks went back to in 2011. He has not given hint about his next their areas to convene a rally in Aba and move, but sources close to him said that he is Umuahia respectively where they re-emphanursing a senatorial ambition. sised their adoption and endorsement of Orji as the sole candidate for the senatorial seat in Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers) 2015, stressing that the resolution cuts across Before now, there were speculations that political parties line.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is nurs- Analysing the development, Mr. Ken Kalu ing a vice presidential ambition, but recent who said, “If the PDP, which governor Orji political developments since he defected to belongs to will contest the senatorial election APC have shown that the governor may actuon its platform, won all the elections in 2011 ally be heading to senate in 2015 when it was disunited, it will be an earthquake victory for the party in 2015 given the Orji’s Alleged Senatorial Ambition Is Bright, If favorable and prevailing political atmosHe Accepts To Run phere in the state now.

From Gordi Udeaja, Umuahia According to him, once Governor Orji NLIKE the crisis the alleged senatorial accepts to contest, he will win overwhelmingambition of some second term governors ly. As at now, the closest indication that sugis generating across the country, the Abia gests the likelihood of the governor acceptState scenario is quite different. Even though, ing to run for the senate seat emerged on 15 the governor of the state, Chief Theodore Orji th February 2014 when he spoke at the grand has not accepted or declared that he will run civic reception held in his honour by the peofor Abia Central senatorial seat in 2015, there ple of Ikwuano and Umuahia during which has been so much pressure and endorsement they again urged him to accept to contest the on him by the various groups and stakehold- election. ers to run for the seat.

He told them “where you want me to be in Although he may not be the sole candidate 2015 is where I will go and be”. hence other political parties will expectedly The governor however while reacting to the present candidates, the urge and call on him moves by some governors to transit to the to contest the election spreads across his sena- senate after serving their tenures said, “ the torial zone and the state at large. present Nigerian Constitution provided maxAbia central senatorial district comprises imum two terms of office for the president three non-Ngwa council areas namely and governor while every other elected office Ikwuano, Umuahia North, Umuahia South holder except a council chairman could seek and three Ngwa council areas namely, Isiala re-election at any times as he / she wants proNgwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma vided they are voted for by their constituents.

Ngwa. The district also comprises of nine state constituencies each of who has a lawmaker in Enugu West Senatorial Seat: It Is Chime the state House of Assembly.

Versus Ekweremadu The Abia Central Senate seat rotates among the Ngwa and Non-Ngwa blocks with the later By Lawrence Njoku, Enugu (Ngwa block) holding the seat now by Senator y MAy 2015, Chime would have completed Nkechi Nwaogu who is also serving her third his two tenures of eight years in office. term in the National Assembly. She has served Constitutionally, he would no longer be eligione term earlier in the House of ble to contest for the position as governor of Representatives before being elected to the the state. senate where she is now serving her second But even before the expiration of his present term now. tenure, his supporters have begun the camIn 2015, the Non-Ngwa block from where paign of continuity arguing that having Governor Orji come from will have their turn served the state so well, he should be given in the senate hence Orji would be free to run another political responsibility when his going by this arrangement, if decided. present tenure elapses.

Despite the obvious pressure, the governor Those pushing this line of thought insist has never indicated either by words or that he should be a better material for Enugu actions, his intention to run for the senate West senatorial zone next year. after his second term in 2015.

Unlike other aspirants in the state who have Whenever the question is raised before the not only set up political structures and governor, he will always tell you that he is announced their intentions, Chime has kept concentrating on his job as governor of the his intention close to his chest and has not state and will not want any distraction for formerly announced that he would want to now. serve his zone either in the senate or in any nd On December 22 last year, stakeholders in other elective capacity.

Abia Central Senatorial District at an extraorBut his body language and plethora of camdinary meeting at Women Development paign posters pasted at strategic locations in Center Umuahia resolved to urge the goverthe state capital, which he has not denied nor to contest for the senate seat in 2015. were enough evidence that he would run for The meeting was convened by the nine state the Enugu West Senatorial zone seat, currentlawmakers representing the nine Abia Central ly occupied by Deputy Senate President, Ike Senatorial district constituencies led by their Ekweremadu.

Leader and member state House of Assembly , The worry especially from his opponents is Barrister Chidiebere Nwoke of Umuahia East why he would be the one to run for the senConstituency. ate position after eight years in office as govThe other convener lawmakers were Dr ernor.

Ikechukwu Nwabeke (Osisioma Ngwa North) Already, the bid for 2015 elections has caused Chidi Nwosu (Umuahia South), Emeka Ejiogu some ripples in the state chapter of the (Umuahia North) Mrs Nkem Uche (Umuahia Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Central) Emeka Osoagbaka (Ikwuano) Martins What the development has left in the state Azubuike (Isiala Ngwa South) Darlington PDP manifested during the State Executive Nwokocha (Isiala Ngwa North) and Emeka Committee (SEC) meeting last week as some Alozie (Osisioma Ngwa South) members, including serving National and Others at the meeting were National State Assembly members stayed away from Assembly members from the state, Transition the meeting.

Chairmen and their Transition Committee Sources said that Chime’s decision to go to members, Ward, council areas and State the senate followed the realisation that Executives Committee members of the state Ekweremadu has represented the zone since ruling PDP, town union representatives and 2003. traditional rulers among others.

It was alleged that Chime’s plot to go to the At the meeting, they did not only endorsed senate began as soon he won his re-election Orji for the Senate, they ruled that no other in 2011. And knowing that person should aspire to the position. They Ekweremadu would be his problem, Chime ordered those that will be attending the sena-

quietly began to dismantle the Ekweremadu’s structures by ensuring that none of those close to him (Ekweremadu) made the list of his appointees.

That singular move resulted to political differences between the two leaders. The sour relationship has not abated and would Be likely laid to rest after the 2015 elections.

Meanwhile, as the battle rages, both men are daily evolving new strategies to outdo each other in the battle for the Enugu West senatorial seat.

On the side of the governor, he has ensured that apparatus of government and his appointees remain firmly under his control, while severing any form of relationship with Ekweremadu.

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Uduaghan

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TRAVEL&TOURISM Expert Calls For Huge investment In Tourism To Curb Unemployment the death of qualified and skilled to none FianOLLOWING over 20 unemployed Niger- skilled person. graduates and injuries He says what is needed is for

g. the Union Buildin Mandela Statue at

SA Launches ‘Madiba Inspired Tourist Attractions’ Map stories by Ajibola Amzat OUTH Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Stravel this week launched ‘Madiba Inspired Tourist Attractions’, a map that encourages tourists from around the world to come to South Africa to walk in former President Nelson Mandela’s footsteps.

“The passing of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, in December 2013 sparked a global outpouring of grief. The world paused as we collectively reflected on the life of this phenomenal man, and celebrated what he had achieved, not only for South Africa but for mankind. Most of the places associated with his life’s journey teemed with visitors who dedicated private notes and flowers as tokens of respect and remembrance, as South Africans and indeed the world, tried to come to terms with the loss of the founding father of the nation,” said Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

He was speaking at an event at the Drakenstein Correctional Centre (formerly Victor Verster Prison) in Cape Town, the last place that Nelson Mandela was held captive before he took his first steps to freedom on 11 February 1990.

“To make it as easy as possible for people to personally experience Mandela’s story, we have developed the ‘Madiba Inspired Tourist Attractions’ map, that encapsulates the key points of his life’s journey,” Van Schalkwyk said.

Developed by South African Tourism in partnership with the

Qunu in Eastern Cape, birthplace of Mandela.

Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, the map highlights tourist sites as well as general places of interest in the four main provinces that defined Mandela’s life. These include: the Eastern Cape, where he was born, grew up and attended Fort Hare University; Gauteng, where he worked as a human rights lawyer and became instrumental in South Africa’s political struggle; KwaZulu-Natal, where he was captured and the Western Cape, where he was imprisoned and ultimately freed.

Since Mandela’s release from prison in February 1990, a number of world-class museums, monuments and precincts have been developed to bring his story to life and to cater for the demand to better understand South Africa’s history.

The Madiba Inspired Tourist Attractions map includes wellknown attractions such as UNESCO World Heritage Site, Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned and Mandela’s house on Vilakazi Street in Soweto, the only street in the world to have had two Nobel Peace Prize winners as residents, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. It also features some of the lesser-known attractions such as the Kliptown Open-Air Museum, also in Soweto, which marks the spot where the Freedom Charter was adopted by the Congress of the People. The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Mandela’s childhood home, Qunu, where he was buried is also featured in the map. Background information, contact details and approximate cover charge information for the various attractions and places of interest are also included.

sustained by others, at the weekend resulting from the poor management of Aptitude Test conducted by the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) in some of the stadia across the country, the Founder of Motherland Beckons, Otunba Wale Akinboboye, has called on the government to pay serious attention to the tourism industry to avert such incidents.

Speaking against the backdrop of the gale of condemnations that have continued to greet this incident, Akinboboye who has spent over 30 years in the tourism industry with a number of his tourism related outfits providing jobs for hundreds of Nigerians, has called on the government to focus attention on the tourism industry as the key to solving the growing unemployment in the country.

According to Akinboboye who is the owner of La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Lagos, tourism is the fastest growing industry and largest employer of labour in the world with one person out of four employed persons working in tourism related outfit.

But in Nigeria, he laments that over the years successive government have failed to develop and invest in the industry, which should had provide employment for the people. Tourism, he says creates a level playing field for all as it accommodates the least qualified to the highest

the government to invest massively in infrastructure that would attract development and tourists to the country. While agreeing that the present focus on agriculture is a welcomed one but the yield, he says, is nothing comparable to what tourism generates.

For instance, he says while a ton of cocoa, which takes about five years to produce attracts about 1, 000 euro a tourist spend for one week is about 2, 000 euro. Apart from the tourist spend; he also says that the possibility of the tourist investing in the economy is very high.

Akinboboye calls for the immediate setting up of a Tourism Development Fund (TDF) by the government to enable genuine investors access to fund for investment in the industry while also urging the private operators and other sectors of the economy not to see the creation of employment as that of the government alone but something for everyone to get involved with. ‘‘I am requesting immediately the creation of a Tourism Development Fund (TDF) because nothing generates employment like tourism, so we must create tourism infrastructure and jobs across the 774 local government areas of the country,’’ says Akinboboye who pointed out that Dubai Mall in Dubai (UAE) employs over 25, 000 people and attract 75 million visitors yearly.

Nigerian Hilton Members Bag International Award N RECOGNITION of their ISales hard work and diligence, Manager, Kayode Ola-

ference 2014, which held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirate, Kayode Olabode bode and the Assistant Con- emerged winner of Hotel ference & Events Manager, Sales Deal of the Year 2013 for Janet Dakim, both of Abuja Middle East, Africa, Russia Hilton Hotel, have been hon- and CIS Countries while ored by Hilton Worldwide.

Janet Dakim emerged winAt the recently concluded ner of Hotel Sales Person of Hilton Europe, Middle East the Year 2013 also for Middle and Africa (EMEA) Sales Con- East, Africa, Russia and CIS Countries.

General Manager, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Etienne Gailliez, described the awards as significant to the hotel. According to him, the awards came at a time the hotel was pursuing excellence in all aspects of its business life.

“The awards to Kayode and Janet are significant, especially as they are coming at a period when we are in pursuit of excellence in all facets of our business.

“I trust the awards will inspire all our team members to continue the drive for excellence’”, he said.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja also won awards for GC&E Sales Team of the Year 2012 for Middle East & Africa at the EMEA Sales Conference 2013.

The Hilton Worldwide Circle of Excellence Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in Sales Management.

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 22, 2014

www.ngrguardiannews.com

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Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Love&Life

... Celebrating The Feelings You Share!

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I Wish I Was Pretty, My Boyfriend Doesn’t Think I’m Pretty’ Y boyfriend doesn’t think I’m M pretty, let alone beautiful. I don’t think he is very attracted to

True Confession

me in general, but he claims that he is. I do believe he genuinely is fooling himself that he is attracted to me, but is not naturally attracted to me. A few days ago, although I had known all along, I asked my boyfriend if he thought I was pretty. He told me no. He had never said it in the year we’ve been dating, but he does every now and then, reminding me that I’m cute.

Although I haven’t heard that in a while either.

I knew that he didn’t think I was pretty because he never said it...and if he felt it, he’d say it. I just wanted the verbal confirmation.

Cute is a nice compliment, but it isn’t something a young adult wants to hear. Cute is often platonic and is romantically also expressed, but I don’t think that it should be the only attraction felt.

This is the reality. It’s hard for me to accept. I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am not attractive. Only a fool believes that everyone is attractive, that isn’t true. There are some of us who are truly unattractive people and there is nothing to be done. We can only enjoy our lives as it is and accept that beauty is not something that will happen to us.

I found a nice description between cute and pretty. Well, I find all of these qualities to fall on a scale on which all attractive women fall, moving from cute to pretty to beautiful to sexy to hot.

Cute sort of inherently implies nonsexual for me. Fluffy bunnies are cute. Pink ponies are cute.

Cute is what you call kids in nice outfits with their hair done up for

picture day. Though some women of age can do cute, I think they prefer to be elsewhere on the scale. Associated with the 17-22 age range.

Pretty is facial attractiveness. No one has pretty chest or a pretty butt. Someone can have a pretty face and be, in every other possible way conceivable, completely unattractive. ‘Pretty’, the phrase chosen when you favor the person romantically, already are romantically interested or would take the time to get to know them better.

I think the God honest truth is that my boyfriend isn’t attracted to me aesthetically. I don’t think he craves for me sexually, I don’t think he is really interested in me romantically. And that is an endless road of pain.

Advice: Pls dear readers mail your comments or reactions to this email :simonclar @yahoo.com

Real love is a pilgrimage. It happens where there is no strategy, but it is very rare because most people are strategists.

Brooker, Anita

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LOVE&LIFE RELATIONSHIP AND LOVE ‘I Left The Love Of My Life Because I Thought I Could LESSONS FOR THIS WEEK: Do Better. Now I’m Childless And Alone At 42’ Healthy Love Relationship A LOT of contribution and patience goes into the making and ensuring of a healthy love relationship between two individuals.

Mydearvalentine provides its readers with the insight to the various parameters and elements that help construct a healthy love relationship between individuals.

A healthy love relationship is characterized by certain essential constituents which are indispensable in the long run and play a key role in providing a firm platform to the relationship. In any relationship, be it friendship or romance or relationship in a family, the elements of trust, respect and understanding of each other’s emotions and sharing play a decisive role in shaping a relationship.

Respect, support, trust, honesty and sharing of responsibilities and giving economic aid are few of the key elements that shoulder the concerns of any relationship.

In any relationship, the concerned people shouldn’t abuse or misuse their limits and shouldn’t take to violent means of dealing with a common issue. Transparency in a relationship does not always indicate a healthy love relationship if it’s indicative of abusive and violent means of interactions.

The other elements that contribute equally in guaranteeing a healthy love relationship are the minor elements of togetherness, conflict resolution and settlement of issues with peaceful talks. These aspects, though appear to be too negligible to be considered as guiding forces in a relationship, also play a key role in imparting stability to a relationship.

In any relationship, it’s essential to be free and open to the other person and the concerned people should always compromise in resolving any issue. Compromising one’s demands and conditions are always helpful when one tries to bridge the gap between friends or lovers after any amount of conflict or confrontation.

To ensure a sound and long lasting relationship, one should never keep their grudges and grievances about their partners stored in themselves else it may lead to a major upheaval during a monumental outburst among any one of the partners.

Both the partners in a relationship should be easy going and comfortable with each other, else they may just continue bickering over minor issues which would finally end up as trivial ego centric issues in the near future.

Giving the required space for the other person in a relationship is another factor that’s playing a decisive role in several relationships in the current era. Previously in a relationship between the opposite sexes, the man invariable emerged stronger, taking the role of a decisive force.

In this manner, in the forgone past, it was the male who would decide whether his female counterpart is supposed to spend time with him, his family, her family or with her friends. But presently, the male population is becoming more understanding about the requirements and emotional needs of their girls to be with their friends and thus the current generation can moreover boast about having a better insight into enjoying a more stable and healthy love relationship.

It’s important for both the partners to feel energetic and loved and jolly about the relationship they share among each other and to cherish the happy moments in their lives instead of making issues about their differences and likes and dislikes.

AUGHING and dancing with my Lthought fiancé at our engagement party, I I might actually burst with happiness.

Surrounded by our family and friends, I looked at Matthew and felt certain I had met the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Quite simply, he was my soul mate.

We were desperately in love and had our future life together mapped out.

First, we would save to buy our own home, then would come a romantic wedding ceremony and children would follow.

Eight years after that wonderful engagement party in 1989, I walked away from dear, devoted, loyal Matthew; convinced that somewhere out there, a better, more exciting, more fulfilling life awaited me. Only there wasn’t.

Now I am 42 and have all the trappings of success – a high-flying career, financial security and a home in the heart of London’s trendy Notting Hill. But I don’t have the one thing I crave more than anything: a loving husband and family.

My father warned me not to throw this love away. But I was sure I’d find Mr Perfect around the corner.

You see, I never did find another man who offered everything Matthew did, who understood me and loved me like he did. Someone who was my best friend as well as my lover.

Today, seeing friends with their children around them tortures me, as I know I am unlikely ever to have a family of my own. I think about the times Matthew and I talked about having children, even discussing the names we would choose. I cannot believe I turned my back on so much happiness.

Instead, here I am back on the singles market, looking for the very thing I discarded with barely a backward glance all those years ago. I know I can’t have Matthew back, and it hurts when I hear snippets of information about his life and how content he is. Fifteen years after I ended our relationship, he is happily married.

At this time of year, so many people will be assessing their lives and relationships, wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. Many will mistake contentment for boredom, forgetting to cherish the good things they have. I would urge those who are considering walking away from such riches to think again.

How different things would be for me now if only I’d listened to Matthew when he pleaded with me not to leave him in 1997, tears pouring down his face. I was crying too, and it tortured me to watch the heart of the man I loved breaking in front of me. But I was resolute.

“One day I might look back and realize I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life,” I told him as we clung to each other desperately. How prophetic those words have proven to be.

“I will always be here for you,” Matthew promised. And I, arrogantly, thought that somehow I could put him on ice and return to him.

Matthew and I met when we attended the same comprehensive school in Essex. We started dating just before Christmas 1987 when I was 17 and studying for my A-levels. By that time he had left school and was working as a motorcycle courier.

We got on like a house on fire, and our families each supported the relationship.

Before long, we had fallen in love.

Matthew was romantic but incredibly practical, something that would later come to annoy me. His gifts to me that Christmas were a leather jacket – and a pair of thermal leggings.

Two weeks later, when we’d been seeing each other for less than a month, he proposed. We were in my little Mini Clubman when he shouted at me to stop the car. Scared something was

wrong, I braked in the middle of traffic and we both jumped out.

Then, oblivious to the other drivers beeping their horns, he got down on one knee in the middle of the road. ‘I love you, Karen Cross,’ he said.

‘Promise you’ll marry me one day.’ I laughed and said yes, thrilled that he felt the same way that I did.

In the summer of 1989, while out for a romantic meal, Matthew proposed properly with a diamond solitaire ring. Two months later, we held our engagement party for 40 friends and family at the little house we were renting at the time.

The following year, we bought a tiny starter home in Grays, Essex, which we moved into with furniture we had begged, borrowed and stolen. We giggled with delight at the thought of this grown-up new life.

I was in my first junior role at a women’s magazine and Matthew worked fitting tyres and exhausts, so our combined salaries of around

between us! Over the next few weeks, I’m ashamed to say I vented my spleen at both of them in a series of heated phone calls.

I encouraged him to find a career and was thrilled when he was accepted to join the police in 1995. It should have heralded a new chapter in our lives, but it only hastened the end. We went from spending every evening and weekend together, to hardly seeing one another. Matthew was doing round-the-clock shifts, while I worked long hours on the launch of a new magazine.

Our sex life had dwindled and nights out together were rare. I stopped appreciating little things he did, like leaving romantic notes on the pillow or scouring secondhand bookshops for novels he knew I’d love. He was my best friend, yet I took him totally for granted.

After festering for weeks about his shortcomings, I told Matthew I was leaving. We spent hours talking and crying as he tried to convince me to stay, but I was adamant.

My parents were horrified that I was

£15,000 a year meant we struggled to make the mortgage payments. But we didn’t care, telling ourselves that it wouldn’t be long before we were earning more and able to afford weekly treats and a bigger home where we could bring up the babies we had planned.

But then, the housing market crashed and we were plunged into negative equity. Struggling should have brought us closer together, and at first it did. But as time went on, and my magazine career - and salary advanced, I started to resent Matthew as he drifted from one deadend job to another.

I still loved him, but I began to feel embarrassed by his blue-collar jobs, annoyed that, despite his intelligence, he didn’t have a career. Then he bought a lurid blue and pink VW Beetle.

Why couldn’t he drive a normal car?

Things that now seem incredibly insignificant began to niggle.

I began to wish he was more sophisticated and earned more. I felt envious of friends with better-off partners, who were able to support them as they started their families.

I stopped seeing Matthew as my equal. I stopped seeing all the qualities that had made me fall in love with him – his fierce intelligence, our shared sense of humour, his determination not to follow the crowd.

Instead, I saw someone who was holding me back.

I hated the fact Matthew was suddenly putting another woman before me. How dare she come

walking away from a man they felt was right for me. My father’s words to me that day continue to haunt me.

‘Karen, think carefully about what you’re doing. There’s a lot to be said for someone who truly loves you.’

But, I refused to listen, convinced there would be another, better Mr Right waiting around the corner. I moved into a rented flat a few miles away in Hornchurch, Essex, and embraced single life with a vengeance. By now I was an editor on a national magazine. Life was one long round of premieres and dinner or drinks parties.

Matthew and I remained close, even telling each other about new relationships. But though I’d dumped him, I never felt the women he met were good enough. I can see now I was acting out of jealousy. I clearly wanted to keep him for myself.

Our closeness was, however, called to a halt in 2000 when he met his first serious girlfriend after me, Sara. One night shortly after his 34th birthday, I phoned to ask his advice about something.

Matthew was unusually abrupt and asked me not to call him again. ‘Please don’t send me birthday or Christmas cards any more either. Sara opened your card last week and was really upset. I have to put her feelings first.’

I was completely irrational. I didn’t want Matthew back, but felt upstaged

by Sara.

Unsurprisingly, after one particularly nasty argument, Matthew put the phone down and refused to take anymore of my calls. I didn’t realise it at

Life Story

the time, but I would never speak to him again.

Shortly afterwards, I met Richard. It was a whirlwind romance, and within a year we were engaged and buying an idyllic farmhouse in the Norfolk countryside while I continued my journalistic career, commuting to London.

He was a successful singer and, as we toured the country, I thought I had finally found the excitement and love that I craved. But Matthew was never far from my thoughts, and Richard complained that I often brought him into conversations, even comparing them both.

They were so different. Although outwardly romantic, Richard was repeatedly unfaithful, and I never felt secure enough to start a family with him.

Eventually, after three-and-a-half years together, he walked out, having admitted his latest paramour was pregnant by him.

My life fell apart. Over the next year, I struggled to pull myself back together and did a lot of soul-searching. I finally understood what my father had meant. I realized Matthew was the only person who had loved and understood me.

When I heard through a mutual friend that he had split up with Sara, I wrote to him, apologizing and asking for forgiveness – and a second chance.

It was six years since we had last spoken, but naively I thought he would want to hear from me.

What I didn’t know was that Sara was still living at the house and it was she who opened my very personal letter. It included my phone number, and she left me several angry, hurtful voicemails.

Yet again, I had inadvertently caused problems in Matthew’s life, so it was unsurprising I never heard from him, despite writing several times over the next few months.

In the end, I left it at birthday and Christmas cards, thinking he’d find a way to get in touch if he ever changed his mind. Then, I heard a couple of years ago Matthew had married his new partner, Nicola. For a few moments, I couldn’t breathe, then the tears came.

Matthew and Nicola still live in Essex and, as far as I know, don’t yet have children. That’s the next milestone I truly dread. It’s been 11 years since Matthew and I last spoke, and I have to accept that door has closed. Perhaps he has found what he is looking for and I am a distant memory.

I have had one other significant relationship since Richard – with Rob – but that recently ended after four years.

Rob reminded me a lot of Matthew. He was decent and honorable, the life and soul of the party but with a kind and sensitive side.

But we were each too jaded by previous heartbreaks to make it work. And while I wanted children, he had a grown-up son and didn’t want to start over again.

So once again I am on my own, my mind full of ‘if-onlys’. If only I’d stayed with Matthew, we’d almost certainly be married with children.

Or, maybe Matthew wasn’t the right man. I will never know the answer, but my decision to leave him has definitely cost me the chance of ever becoming a mother.

Now I can only look back and admonish my selfish, younger self. When I visit friends and family back in our home town, I can’t help but hope I’ll bump into Matthew.

I’d like to think I’d say sorry. That I will always be there for him. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned his back on me and kept walking.

To those out there thinking of walking away from humdrum relationships, I would say don’t mistake contentment for unhappiness, as I did. It could be a choice you’ll regret for the rest of your life.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 | 19

RELATIONSHIPS

He Is Moving In

By Alita Joseph AM in a predicament,” laments “I Josephine (not her real name). “I met John three years ago and it was like we were in this unconditional relationship.

“There was not spoken agreement, but it looked like we would enjoy ourselves and then go our separate ways.

“In the past year, however, I have noticed that John is inching his way gradually into my life. I like him, but I don’t think that I am ready for this seriousness he shows in me.

“He stops by my apartment on his way from work and hang his jacket strategically as if he is stabling a territory.

“I cannot date other guys because he is always around me.”

On the surface, it looks like Josephine should thank her stars for getting all these attentions that many women want. And from someone who has known her for up to three years. Is she not lucky?

I believe that if she were completely satisfied with the situation, she would not complain. But since her concern is that she is not ready to commit, I still think that she can turn her apprehension into making a serious relationship with John. And this appears to be what John is doing now.

In the course of knowing Josephine, he has discovered that she possesses the qualities of a woman he wants on his side.

My suggestion, therefore, is that Josephine give more attention to him, as she would a potential part-

ner, and not as a man whom to have fun with.

She should not throw away her independence at a whim though.

First, she must find out why John has become more serious and if it is a result of broken relationship with another woman, and then make sure it has ended finally between the two of them.

If John is comforting himself in the arms of an erstwhile unserious tangle, she will know.

Of course, since they have been friends, she can help him sort his love life out without losing her independence to check out guys.

A closer look at him will also reveal the type of lover he is, whether he a selfish one that pours his attention on the next available woman or the type that turns to another woman because he is going through a rough patch in his love life.

His other relationship, if he had one, could have come to an end and it is possible that he really wants to stay with Josephine.

She should, therefore, take at her fears. Is it because she cannot go out with other men or because she can’t bear to stay with John for so long?

I would say give him a chance. You will want to settle down one day and might regret this opportunity. You have probably enjoyed his unconditional love and you complain because his presence now makes more demand of you.

Try to look at John, the man as he is trying to check you out as a long- can do together outside the home, interm material. Ask him what your po- stead of allowing his jacket to annoy sition is in his life now. Invite him you. out. Make suggestions of what you Show him the real you; don’t pre-

By Kemi Amushan ADIES, how are you all doing? I am sure you L all are looking pretty amazing this weekend for your man.

Today, I will be talking about looking great for your man. I know it gets pretty confusing trying to figure out what men really want in a lady.

So, I sat and thought to myself what do guys really find attractive in a lady. As a woman, you should be able to thrill your man round the clock. Keep him on his toes at all time and keep him from looking at other women out there.

The key to making him stay and love you unconditionally is in your hands.

Today, I will be giving you three female traits that guys love the most. But before that, let me ask a question: How did you feel when I told you, just now, that I was pretty sure you were “looking pretty amazing this weekend? If you sarcastically muttered, “Yeah, right,” then I might have some bad news for you, because the first female trait that men love the most is ‘Happiness.’

It has been proven over the years that men feel attracted to happy women much, much more than to confident women, serious women, smart women, etc.

So, please do me a favour: Smile! Just one smile, as it will change the rest of your life.

A brand new week is approaching and I would like to start with something to help you feel motivated and inspired throughout the next seven days.

Let us tackle one problem that most women face- True Love vs Financial Success.

Some women think that finding true love and achieving financial success are two polar opposites and that you can only choose one or the other.

If you find true love, then that means you will have difficulty achieving financial success. And if you achieve financial success, you will have difficulty finding true love. Do you agree with that reality, because I sure do not? And neither should you!

I have noticed that the happiest wives, mothers, fiancées and girlfriends out there are the ones who had their lives in order before they met that special guy.

No, they were not filthy rich, and they were not problem-free. On the contrary, they are just like everyone else- earning an honest living and facing new challenges every single day.

The only difference was that despite their

problems, they chose to be happy anyway.

When they had a problem, they smiled, and everything became easier.

And since men cannot resist happy women, these women tended to attract the attention and affection of many different men and it became a matter of choosing the best guy in the bunch.

Think about it ladies, would not it be great if your dating life was like that? Wouldn’t it be great if you did not have to resort to shameless flirting or expensive makeovers because guys simply love you for you? Guess what? That life is just a smile away.

Moving on, here are a couple more new habits you might want to get into this week to thrill your man.

tend. After all, you have nothing to lose. Your negative side may even scare him away sooner than you think possible.

Wear Red Lipstick. You are going to be smiling more this week, right? Make the most of it by wearing red lipstick, because men find red lips as the most attractive part of a woman’s body.

You will feel sexier and more confident, and the guys around you will love you for it. It is a win-win situation.

Eat more of the good stuff. Eating more of fruits and/or vegetables today will make your skin look healthier and your cheeks rosier tomorrow.

So, smile, wear lipstick and eat more fruits and veggies.

These are three of my favourite pieces of advice to women who want to feel happier and catch guys’ attentions at the same time, be-

He is also trying to show you that he is different from the perceptive you have had of him. But if you have stayed together for three years, it is possible that you have developed some emotional attachments for him.

Build on these. Tell him what you desire from a relationship; what you expect from a man you eventually marry.

Discuss your future dreams with him. You are still friends who must be frank with each other, so exactly what you want without a hidden agenda.

If you want a man to tell you how he feels, tell him, make him realise that his hung jacket does not speak and you would not understand its language anyway were it to say that you are the apple of his eye.

After three years, you have observed something that you would not tolerate from a life partner, which you have seen in John. So, mention it, but not in a criticising manner.

John has not declared his intention to you, remember, so make your demands, but make fair ones.

Look only for the good side, but if he is a difficult person, that trait will not fail to manifest.

For example, if you mention that you would like to have an equal footing with the man you eventually marry and John does not agree, he will oppose you vehemently. Before things get out of hand, he will like to correct you.

If you also believe that a woman can have a say in a relationship and not be seen as wallpaper, now is the time to say it.

If he disagrees, they will be the sign of danger for him, and if truly he his waiting for the stormy weather to abate in his other love life, while he takes comfort in your zone, Johnny will creep out of your life as quietly

cause they work wonders for anyone. They have for me.

One more thing: Make these three tips that I have shared with you your everyday habit for the rest of your life and you will see how magically your love life will transform.

Here is one of the best things about being a woman- the same traits that make us happier are also what guys really find attractive.

So, don’t believe that nonsense that true love and financial success or any other good things in life are separate or opposite. You can have it all- true love, a great man, happiness, wealth, good health, no exceptions.

To the happi-

What Men Really Want ness w e a l l d e serve.

Good luck in love and life. Cheers.

20

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014

WEEKEND with AMARA

08116706852 Email: amara@amarablessing.com

Reasons Why Men Can Be ‘Stolen’ “If some other woman ever steals your man, annoying to see women sit and discuss there’s no better revenge than letting her their man with friends that are somehave him, because real men can’t be stolen.” times not even married. Some of these ladies you call friends are not friends but HIS is a very popular quote among enemies in disguise. They sometimes women, old and young. I see many buy carry everything to him in their bid to get completely into this very mindset. I know you out of the way. Discussing your man that some men can be stolen by anything. with your family will make them lose reI know that some of them lack what it spect for him. You may forgive and forget takes to be a real man. I know that many when everything is over but your family lack that willpower when it’s about a will not forget. Even with your religious leader, there must be a limit to what you woman standing in front of them.

But I also know that many real men have discuss in the name of counseling. Rebeen and can be stolen by a real woman member, he is a man like your husband or even one that shouldn’t be called a and no man enjoys being made an object woman. Many people have lost precious of discussion.

Another form of respect, which we are gems placed in their hands by God as a result of their own carelessness. Now, let losing fast in the name of civilisation is me show you some of those things that this issue of women refusing to drop their can make a real and loving man to be father’s name when they get married.

Some even put it on their face by telling stolen from you by another woman. them that nothing and nobody can force Respect It is now in vogue for women to keep them to change their name. Another radshouting “I love him” more than men ical feminist recently wrote on Facebook who are enjoined by the scriptures to advising women not to drop their father’s love. It is sad that some men remain blind name for that of a stranger (their husto these issues until they finally get mar- band) who will walk away any moment he ried to her. There is no better way to love likes.

Reading that post, I saw an angry and a man than to remain submissive to him. frustrated woman looking for people to You cannot disrespect a man you love.

When you are truly in love with a man, recruit into her club. Ladies, I don’t know you will know how and when to talk to about you, I believe I become one with a him. You will not nag because nagging man the very moment I get married to has never worked anything good in a re- him and I must take up his name, even my lationship. I know there are times they daughters must be advised to do so. I can get on our nerves and all you can think of understand when some public figures is shouting on top of your voice because and women who made their name before you believe that will get his attention. Yes, marriage decide to hyphenate, but when I that may get his attention, but it can only see those who have nothing to lose refuse to take up a man’s name, I conclude it’s be temporary.

If you honour your husband, you will not about competition and feminism. Rediscuss him with friends and family. It’s cently, a woman was bragging on Face-

T

IMAGE AND ETIQUETTE With Pamela

book and telling the whole world that her husband doesn’t care about the name she bears. To our utmost bewilderment, the husband appeared and wrote that he is not happy about that but simply keeping quiet to avoid being seen as bossy. This is the truth, he wants to be respected.

Men love very strong women who become weak in their arms. He wants you to be the boss out there; he wants you to conquer your world; he wants you to be on top of situations at work; he wants his wife to be described as a no-nonsense woman by her partners in business. But he wants her to be able to drop all that as she crosses the door into her home. You must become a baby for him.

Don’t forget that submission also has to do with your body. I have heard women boast about how they use sex as punishment on their husband. Do you think it is right for you to starve him of sex until he buys the vehicle you want or gives you the money you want for your business? Is it right for you to deny him of sex each time there is a misunderstanding at home? This is not God’s will for your marriage. There are better ways to get a man to do what you want him to do. Submission is the greatest weapon used by wise women to control their husband.

Care How do you show him you care? Are you one of those women who, instead of cooking for their husband, buy food on their way home for him? He wants to eat your own food and not the food from that woman out there. Yes, he got a cook because he can afford to hire one but that doesn’t mean his wife shouldn’t ask questions about his meal and serve his meal herself. How do you plan his meals? Are you

interested in his health? Do you bother to know what he wants to eat before you cook or you are one of those women who give him beans when he wants yam? A good number of times, they act like these things are not their problem but I can authoritatively tell you that they are. Westernization is good but we shouldn’t throw away our beautiful culture all in the name of westernization.

Every man loves to be made a man and he will always get attracted and closer to that woman who makes him a man. When you truly love and care for your husband, you will seek his good above your father’s house. It is a very sad trend in today’s world. I know that women are only reacting to their environment. A good number of women have been pushed to the wall and now they believe that they must protect themselves from men. I see women labour so hard with their husband to make it in life only for the same man to abandon them when finally he makes it. I know so many have been maltreated over and over.

But I also know that there are still very good men who are ready to make their woman happy. No matter what we go through in life, I am a firm believer that vengeance belongs to God and He will repay.

Never stop praying for your husband’s progress and keep believing that he is not one of those wicked men. Be a real woman, respect and care for him the way you should. Don’t forget the place of prayer in your home. Believe that your husband is a real man who cannot be stolen because he has a real woman by his side. Like the popular saying goes, do your best and leave the rest for God.

08116706879 (SMS only).

E-mail:regalgraces@yahoo.com

HERE is something T within us that pos- Is Beauty A Vice Or A Virtue? (Part 1) itively loathes being ugly. Oh, do we not all know this? Is it a wonder that we groom ourselves, powder, tuck, pose, lift our chins up and smile? Yes, we know well how the quest for beauty has driven many a deluded folk into extremes – beyond the boundaries of grace. And on the other side of the extreme, others too have tried to destroy or silence everything that suggests beauty or the longing for it.

I believe what we understand about beauty is largely distorted but everyone still recognizes beauty when they see it.

God’s Word has a lot to say about beauty and it will help if we transform our minds by studying and meditating on what they have to say. This article barely scrapes the topic but I wish, at the very least, to inspire some genuine, personal research. I believe that this innate longing to be beautiful and to be surrounded by beauty is something from our Creator Himself.

Notwithstanding, boundaries exist to this longing. No doubt, a lot of sexual and eating disorders are connected to an obsession with natural beauty that goes beyond the boundaries of God’s Word.

However, God is the source of true beauty.

The invisible God is a beautiful God, full of light and glory, who wants to impart this same beauty to all that are His! “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor…to give them beauty for ashes…” (Isaiah 61:1-3) Man fell from grace – God didn’t create us in our fallen state. The Bible tells us that God created His most treasured creation after His own image and likeness. If our Creator is magnificent, therefore, we

ought to be a true reflection of His own beauty.

There is a beauty that is skin deep and another that comes from within. The latter is greater for the essence of beauty comes from within. The glory of God is beautiful and yet, I believe, it emanates, resounds and is unbroken with His attributes, such as His pure love and mercy. In the same way, if we are to be truly beautiful, attractive and ethereal, it must come from a hidden and undefiled man within us. In Mathew 15:17-20, it is clear that a person’s essence; image, character, etc. is determined from within his or her heart. Let us examine some biblical facts using God’s Word for the simplicity of its translation: The Bible Acknowledges Outward Beauty “Now, no one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was.

He had no blemish from head to toe” – 2 Samuel 14:25 (GW) “Nowhere in the whole country could be found women who were as beautiful as Job’s daughters” – Job 42:15 (GW) The Bible Does Not Condemn Beauty Or The Longing For Beauty “The LORD your God is bringing you into a good land. It is a land with rivers that don’t dry up. There are springs and underground streams flowing through the valleys and hills” – Deuteronomy 8:7 (GW) “You became famous in every nation because of your beauty. Your beauty was perfect because I gave you my glory, declares the Almighty LORD”. Ezekiel 16:14 (GW) “May our sons be like full-grown, young plants. May our daughters be like stately columns that adorn the corners of a palace” – Psalm 144:12 (GW) The Bible Does Not Condemn Outward

Adornment “…And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck...” Ezekiel 16:11 “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.” – Proverbs 31:22 The Bible Speaks Much More Highly Of Inner Beauty “That he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” – Ephesians 5:27 “I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear” – Titus 2:9 (GW) True beauty stems from the inner man and is a reflection of the attributes of God: His patience, grace, gentleness, meekness, etc. The hidden beauty of the inner man is to be desired more than outward adornment.

The mistakes a lot of us make – both men and women – is that we try to beautify and hide our broken inner selves with outward adornments. All the makeup and cosmetics in the world cannot hide the darkness and aches within our souls. (Only Jesus can take away that darkness so give your life to Him).

You want to be desired and therefore you adorn yourself in the way you perceive will make people desire you. It doesn’t matter much if the image you present is a debased one – some men dress themselves up so vainly that they look like full grown men struggling with puberty. And the women, with demeaning apparel that exudes loose

morals. Men are to grow in stature and wisdom, full of knowledge and Godly fear, having a strong and dependable character that wins the favour of God and Man. “Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people” – Luke 2:52 (GW).

Women are to be adorned like temples – well pleasing, modest and beautifully polished on the outside and flowing with the ethereal aura of grace, unadulterated wisdom and a character that is gentle, feminine and full of good works. This inner beauty is what determines the outer image and perception. Therefore, if you are to be truly beautiful without, you must first be clean within. “…You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires. You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside may also be clean” – Mathew 23:26 (GW) To be continued next week Image and Etiquette: As a young lady, I suffered much from inferiority and timidity. I had an unhealthy distrust of myself and Godgiven beauty. By God’s grace, I found answers in the Bible (especially the Songs of Solomon) which transformed me. His Word transformed me from a bitter, angry teenager to a cheerful, content, peace-filled and purposeful woman; Jesus changed me from the inside out. I have a passion for etiquette and image and I know that our outward image and our attitudes are influenced by our heart; Therefore, image and etiquette is spirit, soul and body. Having been given the knowledge, experimental application and experience through His grace alone, this is what I teach. Unconventional…yes, but it remains the truth to the degree that I have understood it. For this, I make no apologies.

Website: www.regalgraces.com. Email: askpamela@regalgraces.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 | 21

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

MARITAL SEX

How To Love (2) OVE is what we do, then a bit more. Many Lingpeople possess a feeling of love and even actin response to that feeling in all manner of unloving and destructive ways.

When you truly love a person, however, you will take a loving and constructive action toward a person you consciously dislike, actually feeling no love toward the person at the time.

Genuine love implies commitment and the exercise of wisdom. Commitment is the cornerstone of the psychotherapeutic relationship. It is almost impossible for someone to experience significant personality growth without a “therapeutic alliance” with someone else.

In constructive marriage, the partners must regularly, routinely and predictably attend to each other and their relationship, no matter how they feel.

Honeymoon will not last long. Couples eventually fall out of love, and it is at the moment when mating instinct has done its course that the opportunity for genuine love begins.

It is when the spouses no longer feel like being in each other’s company always, when they would rather be elsewhere some of the time, that their love begins to be tested and will be found to be present or absent.

It is indeed fun to live with the feeling of love, but it is possible to love without loving feelings, and that is where all great love stands.

This is because love is stronger than feelings.

I personally define love as the ‘going out of oneself,’ an extension of yourself to another for the purpose of nurturing one’s own deep spiritual and emotional harmony.

Yet, genuine love is volitional, rather then emotional. The person who truly loves does so because of a decision to love, whether the loving feeling is present or not. Help build the feelings, but if it is not there, the commitment to love, the will to love, still stands.

Conversely, it is not only possible, but also necessary for a loving person to avoid acting on

the feelings of love. I may meet a woman who strongly attracts me, whom I feel like ‘loving,’ but because it would be destructive to my marriage or faith to have such an affair at that time, I will say vocally or in the silence of my heart, “I feel like loving you, but I am not going to. It would be wrong.”

We may not be able to stop ‘feelings,’ but we

can control them. My capacity to love is limited. It is common to see people confuse love with the feeling of love and come up with all manner of deception.

People who abuse their children violently or neglect them in the grossest of ways more often than not will consider themselves the most loving of parents. Some are harsh and

rude and still say they are nice.

I am of the opinion that ‘love is as love does.’

Love, I mean a love that is worth living for, is not purely a subjective phenomena.

Selah E. C. Samuel Intimatefaithministry@yahoo.com 08027173447

By Omoni Oboli

Working Actress

Teaching And Promoting Value For Life AM Omoni Oboli and I represent Iwould Naija! I often wonder what it feel like not to have something to grieve about. Unfortunately, with the spate of unnecessary deaths that we have witnessed this year so far, we seem to be asking the opposite question: “What would it feel like to have something to grieve about?”

Churches, mosques, schools and recreational places like the stadium, that were once considered to be places of joy and refuge, have been turned into houses of grief and death. We are inundated daily with tragedies that are as a result of our selfishness, wickedness and deviousness.

How do we live in a society that has suddenly become accustomed to hearing news of death by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, criminal activities, and lately, seeking employment? There’s no good way to die, and there’s no death that is, nor should be, less painful than another.

All of the above ways that have been instrumental to the taking of lives of our fellow Nigerians should spark off a sense of loss so deep that it would steer us to put our house in order so that we can avoid future occurrences. There must be a heightened sense of brotherly love for our-

selves to the degree that every Nigerian would be seen and treated as the treasure that we are. Value for life should be taught mandatorily in schools and promoted through our media and at our various workplaces.

I hate to dwell on this matter, because I need my thoughts to be happy at all times, which helps to develop the creativeness I need in my line of work. But wait a minute!

Isn’t that the attitude that got us all into this mess in the first place?

Didn’t we always want to mind our own businesses that we lost the sensitivity to be our brother’s keepers?

We have done so to the point that we dismiss many of the happenings around us as misfortunes that were fostered by the wrong decisions the victims took or (for the religious folks) as a result of their sinful lifestyle.

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” The ability to make the wrong move or take the wrong decisions is inherent in all of us, so that if we do not rise above our pettiness and insensitivities towards one another, what we have been watching happen to others from afar could be lurking at our doorsteps.

God forbid! I know many people would say, but the fact remains that

the areas of our country that are experiencing depravity, were once not that way, and our general neglect of one another made these misfortunes get to them. This isn’t because they are worse than the rest, but because time and chance happened to have brought these disasters to them first.

The job seekers were probably children of parents who didn’t see this coming; that their own children would be the ones searching desperately for jobs?! They once had it in their power to stand on good principles to create a nation of people who built on principled institutions rather on individuals.

Many of our parents also gave into the temptation to gratify their own personal desires for success and didn’t put in place those long term structures that would outlive them.

The result is what we see today in the needless and tragic death of people whose apparent sin was to go out there and seek for a job with the education that they have been given. It is just sad! My heart goes out to the grieving families.

My heart also goes out to the teeming youth out there who have been sold the old idea that the government can take care of them. This is why the education that they now

get in their various universities and polytechnics are tailored to teach them how to work for money instead of teaching them how to create their own jobs.

‘Nigeria is full of potentials’ has been the vision sold to all of us from the time of our independence.

We should have the good sense to realize that potentials must be worked so that they can begin to yield fruit. Nollywood is a product of the will to step up out of the comfort zone to take charge of our destiny. The rewards we see today have created the jobs we see today.

There’s no doubt that the government has a major card to play in the harnessing of the far reaching effect of the potentials within each sector of our economy, but we must have the will and the knowledge to pursue the right way to make the government give us what we want.

I’m ranting away because of the pain I feel right now. I hate the idea that I’m powerless to stop the next spate of killings, but I refuse to relax and accept the next outcomes as a normal way of life. I implore the rest of us to begin to see that the responsibility lies with us all to rise above our complacency to see that our collective satisfaction is the truer and longer lasting way.

I have to raise my children in this society and I can’t imagine the kind of society we are going to leave for them when we finally relinquish our power to run things. They are precious to me just as the ones that died were precious to their parents, family and friends. How many potential nation builders are we going to lose before we begin to join hands to fix our nation and make it better for us and for visitors who come in every day?

I pray for the souls of the dead to rest in perfect peace.

22 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

WOMAN

‘I Cannot Blame God That I Came Through Bola Tinubu’ Iyaloja General, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of former Lagos State governor, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, has denied using her father’s influence to get things. She also faulted the government’s list of delegates to the national conference, saying that it does not adequately cater for market people. She spoke with journalists in Lagos. SEYE OLUMIDEwas there.

What are the challenges you have encountered so far since you became Iyaloja General?

HE challenges are not many except for the issue of the dirty environment of Iponri Market in Lagos. There are reports about the poor and dirty state of the market environment and also the crisis among the occupants of the market. We try to settle our issues in-house. It is only when the issue is absolutely out of order that we invite the police.

Then there is the painful, spurious and unfounded allegation that I requested for money. Some alleged that I demanded for N5 million, others said N10 million and so on. Nevertheless, we have resolved the matter and it is now a forgotten matter.

I am also happy that those who made the allegation have made public denial that I did not collect a dime. I need to clarify the issue of fine and penalty for any erring member.

As a market body, we all subscribe to some rules and discipline. For instance, we penalize any erring member in form of fine and others. In any disciplined society or institution, there are rules that stipulate penalties for offenses and we are not exempted.

It was challenge to me because I have always been a private person. Some people simply decided to create an impression about me and started using the Iponri Market issue to attack my personality and that of my father, as if I am just one naughty child who just woke up and shut down a market because my father has political influence.

You were also accused of compelling the market people to register with the All Progressives Congress (APC). Is that true?

That is not correct. That information does not represent the entire Iponri Market people’s opinion. We had a press conference where they also clarified that fallacy that I did not, at any time, force them to register with the APC. Every individual, including the market people, have their freedom of association. Even if I want to force people to register with any party, what is the population of Iponri Market compared to other bigger markets? I can go to Mushin Market; I could have gone to Mile 12 Market or Alaba Rago Market. Apart from this, traders in Iponri Market are educated and enlightened. They know what they are doing, so they are not the type anybody can just cajole. So, whoever has gone to the press to release such information is not representing the opinion of the entire Iponri Market people. Traders in the market were here during the press conference and they said it openly that I didn’t force any of them to register with the APC. We have no cause to deceive one another.

The leadership of the APC know their members, they know their people and it is not possible for nobody to force another person or group of people to join a particular party.

That allegation is not only false, it is also ma-

T

My office has nothing to do with my father. He is a politician and I am a market woman. Those who said my father imposed me on the association don’t know how he opposed the idea initially. Like I said earlier, when people started saying that Tinubu’s daughter did this or did that, I am not Tinubu’s only child. He has other children. I am the Iyaloja and I should be address in that capacity.

licious. Those orchestrating it are merely doing so with the aim of looking for loopholes in the system to get their own way.

2015 election is fast approaching and as the Iyaloja General, do we have your word that you promote freedom of political association?

Yes, people can associate with parties of their choice. I know my rights and whatever I won’t take, I won’t lord it over others. Nobody can force me to join a party against my wish. I will stand up to such person. My position or background does not allow me to dictate to anybody the party to join.

Do you find it comfortable coping with those who had been with your grandmother, the late Abibatu Mogaji?

I have been working with them; we have been together for the past four years, even before mama passed on. I have been in the market board to represent mama and have also been acting for her for the past four years. I am not new to them; they are not new to me, so working with them has been so easy. Whatever respect they accord me is basically because of the position that I occupy. For instance, no matter how young the president of a nation or governor of a state is, he or she is accorded the title of ‘your excellence’. It is the position and by the grace of God, it imperative of me to accord them the utmost respect I can give to my parents.

I must confess it was strange at first when I started. You know, they will come around and try to prostrate to one as their mother and I will quickly ask them not to try such. Some of them will then say it is important to do so to me because they see me as their king. They will say even if you are born yesterday, we will still have to accord you the respect. I also give them their respect too.

How have you been able to articulate the problems and the interests of market women in Lagos?

At times, you urge the market people to keep their environment clean and not to display their goods on the road and they will respond positively, but as soon as you are gone, they are back on the road.

Just recently, there was an issue and I had to send people to Agege after receiving calls that officials of KAI Brigade were packing goods and arresting people. I asked whether they were on the road and they said no. I asked again if they were not on the road, they said they were not. I wasn’t convinced so I demanded to see photographs which obviously showed they were on the road. We just need to continue to sensitise our people.

Did your father actually impose you as Iyaloja, as some people alleged?

That is not right and my office has nothing to do with my father. He is a politician and I am a market woman. Those who said my father imposed me on the association don’t know how he opposed the idea initially. Like I said earlier, when people started saying that Tinubu’s daughter did this or did that, I am not Tinubu’s only child. He has other children. I am the Iyaloja and I should be address in that capacity.

My father is a disciplinarian. You will never see any of his children going out of their way to step on people’s toes because he is a politician.

Is it true you use your office as Iyaloja for politi-

cal mobilization?

These are fallacy upon fallacy. The whole thing is becoming amusing and interesting.

The fact that Tinubu is my father does not mean I am a not somebody. I have my life, reputation and integrity. I live for a value within the society.

All human beings are political animals. You have the right to choose your political family and I also have the right to choose my political family. We have among the market people those who belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and we also have APC members, even those that belong to the Labour Party. I think it is necessary to overlook many things that are capable of causing distraction.

Is it right to say that Tinubu’s name opens doors for you anywhere?

Before I became the Iyaloja general, if I had been using my father’s name here and there, you would have known me one way or the other. I cannot blame God for making me come through Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is my biological father and I bless God for all he has done for me.

Does your scope of influence as Iyaloja general transcend Lagos?

Well, last week, I was in Ekiti State to lay the foundation block of a market and if they beckon on me from Imo State, I have to go there and whatever deci-

sion they may want to take concerning the market, I will have to be in the know. Definitely as Iyaloja general, I operate beyond the scope of Lagos and the South West.

What are those values you learnt from the former Iyaloja and what are the values you work with?

Part of the values I have learnt from her is carrying the people along, standing up for them when it is necessary. I cherish discipline, truthfulness, openness and unbiased judgment.

What are you doing about making the market people comply with the instructions of not sleeping in the market?

That is somehow because you can only go to them, warn them, and sensitize them and so on. But some of them still do and we are aware of it. But I believe we will get there some day.

The Presidency’s recently introduced another Iyaloja. What is your view on this development?

The person the Presidency introduced is the Iyaloja for the Abuja region. I know her very well and her name is Felicia Sani. Mama crowned her during her time and established her in Abuja. After mama’s demise, she was here. But if the President decides to create a market for her, it is welcome and does not affect me in any way.

The market people have reacted to the Presidency’s list of delegates to the national conference, saying that they were not well represented. Do you agree with them?

Yes, I agree with them. The only person I know as a leader in the list released by government is the person I mentioned earlier, Mrs. Felicia Sani, and she alone cannot represent the interests of even her market region, not to talk of the entire six geo-political zones.

So, we are not dully represented which means that whatever decision they come up with at the conference will not be accepted by us.

Such decisions will be biased and will probably just be for the Abuja Market people.

What is your view on women’s participation in Nigerian politics?

I think the number is better than what it used to be before, but we are not there yet. There is the need to still give women more opportunities.

TheGuardian

Saturday, March 22, 2014 | 23

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Weekend

CELEBR ITY

Jennifer Eliogu: In Her Own Space, Living Her Dreams

By Shaibu Husseini

server.

When we got to the venue, my friend was ENNIFER Eliogu needs no introduction. The called in to read and after reading she got a urbane and uncommonly charming actress role instantly. But as we were making to leave, of numerous credits is undoubtedly one of the one of the casting directors asked if I wanted most recognizable faces in Nollywood. An Eng- to be auditioned too because he had observed lish graduate who also holds a diploma in cre- that I was watching with keen interest. I marative arts, Jennifer is one of those early screen veled at how someone would be given a script celebrities who steered themselves, almost ef- to read and how he would immediately get into character and act out a role. So I said yes fortlessly, up to the top rung.

Many still hold that outside her seductive and straight away, he asked that I be given the looks and her good diction, the Anambra State chance to read. I did. I got the supporting role native added a bit to the beaten track and in- and that was how it all began. geniously embellished her act and that is what And your first day on a movie set? has earned her a top rating amongst the indus- I was nervous. It was on the set of ‘House on the Fire’. Anyone would be nervous because apart try’s screen sirens.

However, if fans of the star of ‘Bed of Roses’ and from standing in front of a camera for the fist ‘Standing Alone’ have not been seeing her in time, I was going to be acting alongside some movies lately, then it may not be unconnected of the industry’s best hands including Gloria to the fact that the naturally fair skinned actress Norbert Young and Charles Okafor. But as we is living her real dream – singing. Jennifer has progressed, I got along smoothly. dropped some ‘singles’ and she is working on I am particularly a very bold person and nather debut album as a singer. Jennifer who was urally I have a lot of confidence in myself. So it born and bred in Lagos but spent a few years in was easy for me to flow along. The encourageher native town, Uke in Idemili, spoke to ment I also got from the other cast members and the crew equally helped. So after that and Celebrity on her new dream. a few others, I knew I was in for acting. I put my Is this about living a dream or about survival? mind to it and ensured that I didn’t lose focus.

It is about living one’s dream. And my singing I also ensured I took notes and learnt from my talent didn’t just manifest. I was just waiting for last mistakes. That is how I got to this stage and the right time and I guess this is the right time. would continue to pull along until I get to my I have always wanted to be a singer and to be as desired height successful as Sonya Spence whom I must say So is the album ready? had a great influence on me whilst growing up. No, not yet. I released two singles and I have I am sure if you had asked me say about a another single I am releasing in a couple of decade ago what I desired as a profession, I weeks. And then we are working on a follow up would say singing. I told everyone that I video. The last video is for a song titled Ifunanya wanted to be a singer. I wrote songs, rehearsed and two months after release of the video, it them and yearned to meet someone who was nominated for best R&B video at the would hear me out and agree to produce and Nigerian Music Video Awards. So it tells you I market my music. It was whilst at that, that the am moving in the right direction. It is slowly but surely. idea of acting popped up.

Are you sure it is not going to be bye-bye to actCan you recall how you got into Nollywood?

Yes. I had gone to visit a friend who was at that ing for you? time a famous face on home video. The idea was No. It is not possible for me to stop acting. I to see if she could help out with a contact that love acting. Acting is a beautiful thing. And would help with my music career. This was in music is also beautiful. I wouldn’t do one with1997. She promised out the other. But I am just going to give music she would link some more time to make it grow. But it doesn’t me up but re- mean I am quitting acting. I am even on locaquested on tion for a new movie next week and we have the day I just completed shoot on Emem Isong’s new met her, movie Lonely Heart. So, somehow, I work things to ac- out. c o m - You have kept this charming look for a long p a n y time. What is the secret? her to I don’t have a secret. This is just me. I don’t do an au- anything extra except that in recent times, I do dition some exercises because I have to re-invent mye x e r - self because of my new career. But even at that, cise. So I like myself plummy. I don’t want to be slim. I I at- don’t pray to be slim. I am just trying to shed tended just a little weight but not going from size 16 as an to 10. I don’t need to be a size 10 to sing. Singing o b - is a gift. It comes from the soul.

We gathered that some celebrities are not in support of the anti-gay law. What is your take on it?

The truth is, I try not to make it my concern because I am straight. But what I would just say is that what you do in the confines of your home is your business. If you are gay and have a partner and you do your thing in the confines of your room, fine. But we are Africans and we are Nigerians. It is not in our culture to be gay.

First, the Bible condemns it. Secondly, the society abhors it and then if I see a gay couple, I may be mature enough to look the other way but imagine walking the streets with your five-year-old child and you find two men necking because they are allowed to get married. Can you imagine what it would do to that child’s psyche? So I commend my President for putting his foot down on the matter.

They say you have found love?

It is good that they say, which means that I haven’t told you that I have found love. You read it on a blog right? Well, you know the

J

thing about blogging is that it is being misused.

A lot of haters are using it as a medium to get back to the people they don’t like. But their writings don’t bother me one bit. People go under the pretext of blogging to run people down and it is really bad. I don’t understand why you want to destroy someone who hasn’t hurt you in anyway. They are cheap blackmailers and I have chosen to ignore them and stay focused. I have decided to keep my eyes on the mark.

But there are a lot of negative stories about you on the Internet that should be corrected?

I don’t need to correct anything because the truth is whatever I say people already have their impression. Just Google my name Jennifer Eliogu and if you don’t know me one on one, I won’t be worth anything to you. But I know me. The God I serve knows me. My family knows me.

Yes, people go through challenges in life, so mine should not be any different. And I am not going to allow them tell me who I am because I know who I am. So whatever they say doesn’t really matter.

I have done so well for myself and I don’t want any other person to tell me otherwise.

So we should look out for an album

soon? Definitely. I am working on it. But while that is on, I have a live band and we have been playing at events. So when I am not acting, I am producing songs or performing with my band. The little time I have left, I spend with my family.

CelebrityEXTRA ...

Bob Manuel Udokwu Is Waiting For ‘A New Commission’

ANS who have been waiting to welcome their star Bob FSpecial Manuel Udokwu back to Lagos, after his stint as Senior Assistant to Governor Peter Obi on New Media, may wait for a long time. There are indications that the notable Nollywood actor may be considered for a higher commission by the newly sworn in Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

A source disclosed that Udokwu’s name featured prominently on the list of those that were recommended by the former governor for either re-appointment or appointment to a higher post. The source also hinted that the gangling pioneer actor is being considered for the post of commissioner.

“He deserves it because he worked so hard as SSA”, the source said. So if all goes according to plan, Udokwu will put in another four years in the service of his home state.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

24 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

GARDENING

A landscape planting

With Sereba Agiobu-Kemmer

Coleus colorblaze marooned.

Chorus line

sereba.agiobu.kemmer@ngrguardiannews.com

Watermellon

Border of ‘painted leaf’ coleus variety

Quilt Of ‘‘Painted Leaves’’ — Coleus Blumei OST gardeners know Coleus, which is pop- just below the node. Plants grown for propaM ular as a garden plant for their colourful gation, however, generally do not look as good foliage and as durable perennials, that can be as ones grown exclusively for their foliage. The bedded out in the garden, planted in outdoor containers or as house plants indoors.

It is an ornamental member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) it is native to Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Coleus are commonly known as flame nettle, painted nettle and painted leaf.

What plants likes sun or shade, is fast growing – easy to grow? Adds a visual pop to planters or beds? The answer is Coleus. Coleus is a versatile foliage plant that is always at your service, no special requirement other than water, maybe a little pinching as the season progresses and it thrives in part shade. What’s not to love? It is an exuberant house plant, a dazzler and a fabulous filler plant suitable for any application. It looks wonderful in pots.’ Place several together or in low wide mouth planter with ferns or plant it in shady bed alongside perennial hedge or plant beneath larger plants. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) used to be a plant that was relegated to the shade garden. However in the 1990’s plant breeders began working with the plants to ‘toughen’ and make them adaptable to sun.

Grown for foliage, there are so many varieties in so many colors that it is impossible to list them all. There are so many types that you can plant a vibrant Coleus garden in a rainbow of colors in that shady corner of your yard and have it transformed into a great site.

Coleus are one of the rare plants popularly cultivated as a garden plant for its brightly colored foliage. Coleus is ridiculously cheerful, its multitude of forms are like vegetable clowns in crazy reds, yellows oranges, greens, purplebronzes, dark pinks and browns, and inky blacks and in a striking array of patterns. In this regard, they are like Crotons, but they are smaller and perhaps easier to grow inside.

Coleus are truly in their glory in masses.

Coleus are fun plants to propagate; new plants grown from seed will be new creations.

Varieties An ornamental member of the mint family, there are actually about 60 species of Coleus, all native to south-east Asia and Malaysia.

However, virtually all of the Coleus varieties available are derived from the single Coleus blumei species, crossed with a few other species. Hybridizing work within this group has been extensive – there are literally hundreds, if not thousand, of cultivars. Choose Coleus for its leaves type, color and patterns and don’t worry too much about its parentage.

Coleus cultivars vary widely in height, leaf shape, and habit. Some Coleus are small and grow very slowly, sometimes taking months to grow just a few inches in height. Others root rapidly and bolt out of the gate with vigorous growth.

Growing Condition Coleus are tender perennials. They do best in temperatures above 50 degrees F. Light Put Coleus in full sun with well-drained soil rich in organic matter.

Water Keep soil moist. They tend to wilt if they become too dry. High humidity is preferred.

Plenty of water but moderate fertility.

Fertilizer: Weak liquid fertilizer weekly or slow-release pellets. Too much feeding, however, particularly with high nitrogen fertilizers, encourages soft growth and poorer quality foliage. Full sunlight is vital.

Propagation is by cuttings or seed. Cuttings will be identical to the parent plant, but newly seeded plants will be variable. Plants are easy to grow from seed which should be sown at a temperature of 70 degrees F. Cuttings are easy, at any time, using young growth, and cutting

energy of producing flowers (usually blue

Coleus fairway rose

Sedona Coleus and versa ‘green halo’

Solenostemon, scutellarioides, wonderful potted together outdoors like this.

Solenostemons scutellariodes C. Rainbow

color) saps the plant of some vitality which is plant, type/color is desired, start plants from cuttings. why many gardeners pinch of the flowers.

Despite general uniformity Coleus seeds do Repotting not produce identical plants. If uniform A large Coleus will reach only 2 to 3 feet. They grow rapidly, but many people treat them as annuals and don’t bother repotting the plant. If you choose to grow Coleus for more than one season, consider trimming, refreshing the soil and keeping it in the same pot. Alternatively you may go up one pot size.

Good Companies As a group different varieties of Coleus can be used as companion plantings. Coleus tend toward brittle leginess, so they are best used in display with other Coleus or with other plants.

Plant in pots as house plants in outdoor containers or window boxes alongside other sun loving temporary plantings of annuals or perennials. Plant it as a border in shady areas interspersed with shade-tolerant perennials plant it in flower beds. They also mix well with other sun loving annuals and perennials such as lantana, double impatiens, Joseph’s coat, margarite, sweet potato vine, euphorbia, salvia, Pink chaos rudbeckias, guillardias plants with flowers in the red-yellow end of the spectrum in warm borders and beds. They look great in pots with grasses and flowers as well. Coleus commands attention with brightly colored, boldy patterned foliage.

Growing Tips For a bushy plant, pinch off flowers as soon as they appear, pinch out new shoots to stimulate the production of side-shoots, then pinch these out too. This discourages flower buds so that it continues making leaves. Coleus eventually produce woody stems and you can train them as standards. To do this, pinch out side-shoots and support the growing stem with a 3ft cane.

When the plant reaches the desired height, pinch out the top shoot and keep removing lead shoots. Regularly pinch back tips to keep Solenostemon-scutellarioides (Coleus x Hybridus) bushy.

Japanese giant leaf cluster Pests Mealy bugs, Scale insect, Aphids. Diseases: leaf spot, grey mould (botrytis). Whitefly is generally the worst pest, although coleus can also suffer from red spider mites, mealy bug and scale insect. Biological controls are available for all these, although on a small scale insecticide is easier to use. Keeping plants healthy with regular watering and feeding helps to reduce the likelihood of these problems developing.

Choosing plants When choosing varieties, look for different colors and variegations, including light, medium green, red, maroon, yellow, cream, orange, yellow, peach, pink, white and purple.

Variations in leaf types include: ruffled edges, entire (smooth) edges, and toothed edges.

Cultivars also vary in height.

‘Carefree’ Strain: Compact plants that brunch without pinching. Lobed leaves come in a variSolenostemons scutellarioides ‘little twister’ ety of color combination. Good container plant.

‘Sabre’ Mix: elongated leaves are tapered like sabers, hence the name. dwarf. Good in shade and part shade.

‘Rainbow’ Strain: Very colorful leaves in a wide variety of color combinations plants are very uniform.

‘Wizard’ Series: Heart-shaped leaves in a variety of green, bronze and red/pink combinations.

Doesn’t require pinching, and branches from base. Many plants in the series have yellow tones. Dwarf (10 ins. Tall).

Most gardeners know Coleus as durable annual for just shade or semi-shade, right? Not anymore. Since Coleus revival there are so many varieties and the best of them hold their vibrant colors and grow vigorously under the hot sun.

Coleus makes an attractive addition in gardens and planters. You can also grow it as a house plant.

Sunset Coleus

FASHION /39

CAMPUS /26

KINABUTI(KFI)

LEKAN FASHINA

Youth empowement Initiatives For Youth And Women Of Orile Iganmu Community

INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CRUSADER

MONDAYS–FRIDAYS IN THE GUARDIAN

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014

Why Education Standard Is High Abroad, Akpor-Robaro

CAREER /27

Youth & Graduate Jobs

By Gbenga Salau HE Managing Director of T William Wilberforce Educational Development Services, (WWEDS), Mr. Simie Robaro Akpor-Robaro, has said that standard of education in developed climes is high because education is given priority in the scheme of things.

According to him, they did this, because they knew it is a critical element in the drive for development by any country.

He argued that it is because Nigerian leaders had not made education a priority is why the education sector is falling below standard.

“When you compared this to what happens abroad, where education is given a priority, because they know that without education, there cannot be development. In abroad, there is priority for the education system, which ensures that every part of the education system is catered for. In terms of research, equipments, libraries, laboratories, teachers’ remunerations, everything is well taken care.

“So, there is high standard in the education sector there.

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How FUNAAB Is Fulfilling Its Mandate

Abeokuta (FUAAB), Ogun State, Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, the institution was actively ITH many Federal involved in the original conUniversities struggling to cept of cassava flour over 15 fulfill their core objectives in years ago, while the promotion the face of dwindling revenues of varieties of the Ofada rice, a and skyrocketing expenses, popular local delicacy, is also one institution is holding out. being undertaken by the instiAccording to the Vice tution.

Chancellor of the Federal Affirming the several feats University of Agriculture, achieved by the 26-year-old institution in an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Abeokuta recently, Oyewole said: I know that about 15 years ago, the concept of cassava flour was something that we developed here. I got the grant HE committee set up by Osun witnessed in the school in Iwo. from the European Union (EU) State Governor Rauf Adedeji commended Aregbesola and with it, we set up a pilot Aregbesola to probe the cause of for being proactive in tackling plant for the production of dry the recent crisis at Baptist High the opportunistic differences cassava, dry fufu and that techSchool, Iwo has submitted its that some people are trying to report with a verdict that no play on with the re-classification KEEP IT REAL /35 religion is against the schools of schools in the state. re-classification policy of the The state government had state government. embarked on restructuring of The Committee headed by a the state’s education system, former Attorney General and which led to merger of schools Commissioner for Justice in the and resultant protests against state, Mr. Gbadegesin Adedeji the wearing of hijab by female while submitting it’s report not- Muslim students by their ed that no single religion in the Christian counterparts at the state was against the re-classifi- school. cation but the crisis was fuelled The report noted that the crisis EMPOWERNIGERIA /31 mainly by ego and old rivalry at the school was not a matter between adherents of that should be treated with leviChristianity and Islam in Iwo ty and commended the state Community. government for setting up the The report stated that the com- committee. mittee found out that it was “If the case of Iwo Baptist High Matt the old rivalry between the two School had been allowed to fesCharles prominent religions that was ter, it could have spread over the Mullegwe responsible for the animosity state.

By Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi

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Rivalry Between Two Religions Fuelled Osun School Crisis

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nology has gone beyond this university now. We are now talking of cassava bread. That original concept, we were involved in it. Now, our scientists are working with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to promote cassava bread.

“Not long ago, we talked about the ofada rice varieties.

We are also involved in promoting these local varieties of rice in our system. We have just been made a World Bank Centre of Excellence in Agriculture. Part of what made us win that grant is not just the research that we do here, but the fact that our university, in our proposal, demonstrated

our collaboration, not just with other West Africa countries, but also with local entrepreneurs.

Most of the work we do here, we involve the local people, the famers.”

Oyewole talked about the Community Based Farming Scheme, which involves four local entities which each provided 59 hectares of land.

We have our researchers and personnel on ground in these places. And through this, they (students) practice Oyewole agriculture within the communities. And this interaction of our students, our researchers with the local farmers, has influenced actual tech-RENCH DESIGNER JC de

F

Castelbajac showed off his Muppet-inspired designs not long ago during Paris Fashion Week and now he has taken his colourful collection to Moscow for the runway at Russian Fashion Week. A retro catwalk made an eye-catching show during French fashion designer JC de Castelbajac’s collection in Russian Fashion Week. Young Michael Jackson makes it onto the catwalk - well his photo did.

He was printed onto JC de Castelbajac’s couture dress for his show in Moscow.

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CAMPUS

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How Words Can Change Students’ Lives, By Fashina could be printed in bulletin form, but the printer said it was too long and we printed it as book instead. The book is titled How to have Unlimited Academic Success. It became an instant success with the students. We published other books called Creative use of time and How to develop a sharp and retentive memory.

My second reason is that I am simply giving back what I have received. A What informed your decision to embark on motivational admonition United Kingdom-based millionaire, Peter Beckwith gives a scholarship of the youths and for how long have worth £200,000 to students who want you been doing this?

HAVE been speaking to young people to attend Harrow School but who cansince 1991, but we started this phase not afford the £28,000 annual school fees. When asked why he does it, he in 1998. I had a period when I did a said: “I am a product of that type of deep soul searching. I came off this soul search knowing that my life must scholarship. I won a scholarship to mean something very directly signifi- Harrow School in 1958; I am simply givcant to young people. I was invited to ing back to others a gift that totally changed my life and prospects.” speak to students of Federal What methods are you using to achieve Government College, Ogbomosho. I your objectives? then decided to write an article that

Lekan Fashina, a United Kingdom (UK) based motivational speaker with special interest in the youths, who comes to Nigeria regularly to coach public secondary school students on how to achieve all round success, spoke on his experiences with The Guardian recently. Excerpts:

I

TWO WORDS

Uki Dare

I achieve these objectives by speaking and I must have spoken to more than 200,000 students face to face. We are constantly going to schools. Schools are very friendly. Principals, head teachers and school proprietors are some of the friendliest and caring people you will ever meet. We would not be successful at all without their help.

I once listened to a programme about the most successful quit-smoking organization in the world and the strategy they use is WORDS. They talk to those who want to quit and who have not been able to do so for very many years and then people quit smoking after listening to WORDS Every time I speak especially in boarding schools, I get the opportunity to be quizzed by the students. After a while, I found out that students wanted to know how to manage their time, so I wrote the book Creative Use of Time. I noticed that students wanted to know how to study and retain information and not forget when they write exams, so I wrote a book titled How to Develop a Sharp and Retentive Memory and I noticed that students have a palpable fear of exams and a lot of misconceptions about exams and academic success and I dealt with these questions in my book, How to have unlimited academic success.

I wanted to inspire a consistent habit of reading that went beyond the need to prepare for exams and I solved this problem by writing the book, The Habit of Reading is a Goldmine. Each one is very helpful.

Feedback from students The feedback is also always interesting. Some say I wish I had known these

truths earlier. We have received thank you letters from principals, proprietors and even parents appreciating the impact of our work. We are blessed to be able to do what we do. We appreciate the teachers who teach and the parents who pay for the kids and the proprietors and the principals who run the schools.

What we do is only the icing on the cake they have baked.

It is a blessing that money can’t buy to hear people say I have copies of all your books; I have bought extra copies of your books for my younger ones. I regularly buy loads of your books and give to young people in my church.

As a child in boarding school, I have seen 12-year old Nigerian boys who are as tough as nails. Living in the United Kingdom, I have seen and met so many tough Nigerians; we don’t give up. The Nigerian youth just needs more direction, guidance and mentoring.

Jigawa SUBEB earmarks N190m for furniture, mobile worshops sion of furniture, while “the sum of N90 million is set aside for establishing mobile workshops, which would move to various schools to carryout the provision of furniture in over 2, repair works on furniture covering all 000 primary and junior secondary the primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

The chairman of the board, Alhaji Sani schools in the seven zones.

He stressed that the rationale behind Abdullahi who made the disclosure the mobile workshop was to save cost, while speaking to newsmen recently said the amount was contained in the saying “with this mobile workshop, the cost of transportation, time and state’s 2014 Appropriation Bill. labour would be saved.”

According to Abdullahi, the sum of N100m was specifically for the provi-

HE Jigawa State Universal Basic T Education Board (SUBEB) has earmarked the sum of N190 million for

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uki@poisenigeria.org,

Sure Thing..

Experience is the best teacher, but the tuition fee is very high. I am Uki Dare, C.E.O of Poise’ Graduate Finishing Academy, mother of two and wife of one. I will share with you lessons I have learnt from my experiences around transforming from a young lady with big dreams to a young C.E.O with massive goals. I won’t bore you with long prose and philosophical arguments I promise to be real and answer all your questions in just TWO WORDS.

Sure Thing HY does everyone call only me when they need money? Why is it that I am always given the most difficult tasks? She keeps doing this because she knows I will always forgive, should I change? Maybe I need to become a bit more stubborn and put my parents on their toes, they cannot tell my sis all these things they are telling me. Are you feeling like changing your personality because people around you seem to be getting away with doing less? Do you feel like you are being taken for granted? I have two words for you, but first I will tell you about some guys, I call them My guys.

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This is a true story about the three men I work with. In order of how I met them, Niyi, Sam and Henry. A few weeks ago in ‘Find It’ I spoke about my job and how hectic it gets. God uses them to make it possible. As I always say, you can describe our job in 12 words: We train people in the job market and help them get jobs. Those 12 words translate into A LOT of work for them and require so much dedication. Because our jobs directly affect people’s lives and futures, there are no working hours, we are always on. They

get practically no free days either, we work all week long doing one thing or the other because there is always so much at stake. In the midst of all this, I am always grateful for one thing. “My guys are a sure thing.”

While writing this, I am in Kenya on a business trip, but of all the things I have to bother about, while I am away, I don’t have to worry about what is going on in the office.

I am not wondering if they will be resuming at 10:00 A.M instead of 8:00AM. They won’t. I don’t have to be scared that classes won’t go on as scheduled or that if I am not at a meeting, things won’t go right. I am not scared that the place will fall apart in my absence or the scheduled tests will not take place. I know all will go well. Calling them a Sure Thing does not mean they don’t make mistakes. They have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else, but I know that if something goes wrong, they won’t sweep it under the carpet and hide it from me.

If they face challenges they will figure out ways around them and nothing will be left unattended to or undone. Even though they are very different and are good at different things, I believe I know who they are and what they stand for and that makes them a sure thing.

Who can say that about you? Your Boss? What about your family? Your Friends? People you deal with? What is that one thing that people always require or even demand from you? It shows what you are known for. Are you always called to settle fights or to make them hotter?

To pray for someone or to insult them very well? In what issues do people say, “Let’s call her” and for what things do they say, “Let’s leave him, he won’t agree”? Those are the areas they know you as a Sure Thing.

When I was finishing from the university I had a problem with the fact that people were always asking me for my last kobo because they knew I was a nice person who found it hard not to give.

I always found myself broke and the people who took all my money were enjoying them-

selves at my expense. I decided that the remedy was to harden up and toughen up: that way people would stop playing on my intelligence. The result was that I unconsciously became stingy. I achieved my aim because it was no more so easy for people to pull my heart strings and make me feel their pain, no one could ‘use my head’ anymore: but at the same time, those who needed my help couldn’t get it. I found that it was so easy for me to say, ‘Sorry I don’t have.”

This was good. But guess what? I was miserable. I kept telling myself I was still a nice person; I liked being a nice person but all my actions said otherwise. In order not to be a Sure Thing for giving, I was becoming a Sure Thing for selfishness. This posed a challenge. God made me a giver so I enjoyed giving but how was I supposed to find the balance between being everybody’s fool and this selfish person I had become? I found the answer.

Nobody was taking all my money; I was the one giving it out in a way that hurt me, because I didn’t like to say no. The secret was in self-management.

I realized it is possible to be a giver and still be wise and manage my finances properly. I softened up again and now I do not mind being known as the one who is too nice and is always giving, because that is who I am. I just manage myself better: I give when I can When I can’t, I say no but I still always endeavor to help find an alternate solution Back To You So your sister does no house work and gets away with it but if you leave one dish in the sink, the roof will fall – It could be a compliment, maybe you are your parent’s sure ‘responsible’ thing.

Maybe you get away with bad grades but when your sister comes home with a B, there is a family meeting – Watch out because that is a sign of their expectations from you.

It is true that people might tend to take you for

granted sometimes but I would say it is better to have a positive trait that comes with some disadvantages, than having a negative trait that comes with advantages. Don’t downgrade yourself, instead manage yourself better, know what you want and become more assertive, so you are being yourself for the right reasons and with the right motive.

With this I must also sound a word of caution.

Like I wrote in ‘Get Weird’, it is dangerous to be someone who goes with every flow and cannot be vouched for on any matter whether negative or positive. Where ever you are you must make your mark. Here are my two words of advice for you today: Know You, Create Yours, Watch It, Be Assertive If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything…Know You Stop going with every flow…Create Yours Exempting you from responsibilities is not a sign of respect or trust…Watch It If you feel like you are being taken for granted…Be Assertive Learn to manage yourself and your relationships, but whatever you do, remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a… Sure Thing!

To My Guys: Niyi, thank you for being extraordinarily trustworthy, credible and most of all committed. It’s a pleasure to be able to take that for granted – in a good way.

Sam, it’s really great that you are so good with working on new projects. And yes, that’s why I always give you the stressful work that requires running around and setting up new centres.

Henry, I’m so glad that you are committed to excellence, even though I know it makes me drop chaotic things in your lap from time to time. Well done.

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YOUTHMAGAZINE

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28 Saturday, March 22, 2014

JOBS & CAREERS

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JOBS & CAREERS

30 Saturday, March 22, 2014

JOBS & CAREERS

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NICHOLAS OKOYE, Founder EMPOWER NIGERIA Initiative,

FROM THE DESK OF THE CEO PILLAR TWO : ACCESS TO CAPITAL F YOU have been reading this National Development series in the last three months you will agree that I have provided an indepth argument for the reason I believe that Government Policy plays a strategic and all important role on the path to national development. In developing a national development strategy I have been very careful to outline the nine drivers of what I believe to be the gears, pillars or whatever oyu want to call it, that are critical to sustainable development. I am now going into the second pillar which is think is absolutely necessary to make development a reality. And that is access to capital. For the benefit of those who are just joining this National Development series I will once again outline the nine pillars for you to go over.

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Pillar 1; Government Policy Pillar 2; Access to Capital Pillar 3; Systems, Structure and Infrastructure Pillar 4; Talent and Skills Pillar 5; Markets Pillar 6; Energy Pillar 7; Strategy Pillar 8; Action Pillar 9; Communication Access to Capital PAPER 1: I put access to capital as the number two pillar because I believe strongly that in our present ay modern society the importance of Government cannot be overstated. And our entire civilization is based almost exclusively on that fact that human beings were able to come together to live in a society. However society in the ancient world was based on law, order and peace. And so there was no development when societies were at war, and there was also no development when there was chaos. In Emperor Nero’s Rome he presided over a very turbulent Roman society and so inevitability started the decline of one of the World’s greatest empires and greatest civilianization. So the law and order I have spoken off is another way of saying you have established the basis for the progress and development of society or a Nation. And since we know that it is the National Government that guarantees a society’s law and order then we must agree that Government policy is the single most important element in the drive to national development. I guess that is why all elections in the developed World are based on a candidate’s manifesto and policy plans, this is not so for Africa where we are still struggling with democracy. So the next big thing after a Nation has established a functioning Government that is driving the society with progressive policies, is capital. Capital is needed for development on many fronts and I will break it down in these series.

Capital for National Development Initiatives: These are normally the funding required for Government promoted projects. National Governments seek capital from many sources

National Development Strategy Series including its current income which is provided for by the national annual budget. For Nigeria that means the oil and gas revenue provided by the sale of Nigeria’s equity crude oil by the Joint venture partners also called International Oil Companies. Our current income also includes petroleum profit tax, customs duties, corporate tax and other taxes collected by the Federal Internal Revenue Service which has grown its contribution to the Federation account in recent times. We also have current income from sales of assets such as those sold by the Bureau of Public Enterprises as well as sell of licenses and permits. Nations such as Nigeria also raise funding and capital by issuing bonds or securing direct debt with local or international banks sometimes tied to the funding of specific projects.

Capital for Private sector investment: whereas the Federal Government can raise its own funding by issuing treasury bonds locally or internationally, it also has an obligation to ensure that the private sector also has access to capital to stimulate investment in key sectors that will create new jobs and enhance the economic activity of the society.

Nations across the World have learnt the hard way how not to raise capital for development.

In fact the entire third world debt crisis was

the dominate issue in the negotiations of almost all international meetings , United Nation deliberations and Paris Club notifications, in the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s.

Nations such as Nigeria saw their debt balloon over the years until it got to an unreasonable unmanageable figure which was threatening to destroy our Nation entirely and curtail our development. The Western World plays hard ball and that crisis remains a lesson to African and other third World Leaders as how not to engage with the Western World. I will provide you with a little insight into the third World debt crisis because it is so important to what we are presently trying to achieve which is to outline a firm and strategic blue print for the NATIONAL Development of our Nation Nigeria.

The Third World Debt Crisis: Nigeria a Case Study At the peak of the Nigerian debt crisis our total debt owed to the Paris Club of Nations stood at over $30 billion USD. Some studies showed that we owed $35 billion and the truth is that nobody really knew what the real figure was.

This was because the real figure was not based on any particular true system of calculating debt but on a very corrupt and retrogressive system designed to keep Nigeria and other

EXERCISE BOOKS/ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINES. ESPITE the inventions of Laptops, desktops D and electronic gadgets, the importance of papers and envelopes cannot be overruled.

Stationery items like note books, exercise books, log books, etc. are always in demand for students. The demand for note books is more in the months of June to August in every year.

Similarly, registers and Envelopes are essential in every office, institutions, organisations, etc.

Exercise books are widely used by teachers, students, housewives, businessmen and office going people. Note books of various shapes, sizes and pages with different type of covers like paper bound, board, rexine bound etc. are available in the market. With the growth of education among the masses and industrialization within the country, the demand of stationary notebook has been increasing at a tremendous rate. Many cottage and small scale industries in Nigeria are manufacturing these items. To deliver a formal letter, no matter how well written it is, envelopes give the finishing and perfect touch to letter deliveries.

The Exercise book/envelope making machine is very simple and Practical in Construction. It has all its parts in full view, which allow on easy understanding and working. A man with a little experience on paper Ruling machines will have no difficulty in operating it. Anybody with little through or study, can be able to set and drive it. It avoids smearing of ruled sheets with its mechanism during track. It Rules on both sides of the paper in one traveling direction, either straight-graph or stop, in one or two colours at a time.

There is increasing demand for note books as stationery items in view of rapid growth in institutions and offices of government and commercial establishments. The market is good particularly in tribal areas due to nonavailability. This is one of the best business ideas I have come across in a while, this is one business path that one should really consider.

To find out about this and other business ideas, visit our showroom at W2, THE ARENA Army Shopping complex, Bolade Bustop, Oshodi, Lagos. You could also contact our sales representative at +234 1 277 1388 OR Email us on info@empowernigeria.com

NATIONS like her in a strangle hold of Nationhood slavery which would ensure that economic policy, security policy and even how to live national lives could be dictated to us by the Nations of the Paris Club who we supposedly owed so much money. Using the $30 billion bench mark, Nigeria was expected to service the debt with a contribution of $4 billion to $5 billion a year just to keep the 30 billion current, not attract any fees or penalties. At the time of the peak this amount represented over 30% of our foreign exchange earnings and was over 10% of GDP. The trouble really started after the OPEC oil embargo in the early 1970s. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), gained a monumental windfall after the embargo. The Embargo was to protests the position of Israel against the Arab world especially after the 6 day war in which the Egyptian army in coalition with other Arab states were defeated. The OPEC nations stopped selling petroleum and the lines piled up all over the western world. The fuel lines in Lagos and Abuja during fuel crisis in more recent times are nothing compared to hat the United States and some European Nations witnessed due to the embargo. So the price of oil rose and rose and rose. And by the time the embargo was called off the oil producing Nations were in for a windfall. And windfall they got. Billions and billions and billions of dollars were earned by these Nations for the sell of their oil. And unfortunately for the Petroleum Producing countries’ the new “Petro dollars” were lodged in foreign western controlled banks sited in the United States and Europe, the vaults of these Banks were whoosh with Petro dollars that the Bank executives became concerned that they will not be able to recycle these money and create new value and earn new interest, just because it was so much.

So what did they do? They dispatched young ambitious bankers to the Nations of the under developed World as there were called in those days, to try to convince their leaders to take new loans, as much as possible, to take the money of the stable of the Western Banks. They looked out particularly countries that were ruled by Dictatorships, one strong military man or a jack boot dictatorship junta that did not care too much for their Nation or its citizens and cared more about their own welfare, their bank account accounts and the possibility of owning mansions in Europe and the United States. The idea was that the Dictators would get mansions in United States and Europe, they would equally get large personal bank accounts loaded with millions of dollars and they would take billions of dollars in loans for their country to spend on any project of their choosing, and even steal more money from the projects and lodge the funds in Europe and the United States at their convenience. How can you say no to that? This was the deal that faced many African Leaders including Nigerian Leaders at that time. In many cases the loans offered the countries in African were actually handed over in cold hard cash concealed in metal suit cases.

It was this combination of military dictatorships, foreign bank loans, and the transfer of liabilities incurred by the dictators into public liabilities on the Nation’s current account that gave birth to the Third World debt crisis.

More details in Access to Capital Paper 2

32 Saturday, March 22, 2014

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YOUTHMAGAZINE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURAL LEADER

Guide to Personal Development

By Nicholas Okoye

nokoye@empowernigeria.com

Drive For Future Achievement

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MATTHEW CHARLES MULLENWEG

By Pamela Green ATTEW was born on January 11, 1984 in Houston, Texas. He is an American online social media entrepreneur, web developer and musician living in San Francisco, California.

He is best known for developing the free and open source web software WordPress, now managed by The WordPress Foundation. WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. In July 2011, Wordpress blogs passed the 50 million milestone – powering over 50 million blogs globally. Mullenweg attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where he studied jazz saxophone. Mullenweg attended the University of Houston and majored in Political Science before he dropped out in 2004 to pursue a job at CNET Networks. In late 2005, he quit his job at CNET Networks and founded Automattic, the business behind WordPress.com (which provides free WordPress blogs and other services), Akismet, Gravatar, VaultPress, IntenseDebate, Polldaddy, and more.

In June 2002 Mullenweg started using the b2/cafelog blogging software to complement the photos he was taking on a trip to Washington D.C. after participating in the National Fed Challenge competition. He contributed some minor code regarding typographic entities and cleaner permalinks. In January 2003, several months after development of b2 had stopped, he announced on his blog his plan of forking the software to bring it up-to-date with web standards and his needs. He was quickly contacted by Mike Little and together they started WordPress from the b2 codebase.

They were soon joined by original b2 developer Michel Valdrighi. Mullenweg was nineteen years old, and a freshman (studying philosophy and political science) at the University of Houston at the time. He co-founded the Global Multimedia Protocols Group in March 2004 with Eric Meyer and Tantek Çelik. GMPG wrote the first of the Microformats. In April 2004 with fellow WordPress developer Dougal Campbell, they launched Ping-O-Matic which is a hub for notifying blog search engines such as Technorati of blog updates. Ping-O-Matic currently handles over 1 million pings a day.

Mullenweg left CNET in October 2005 to focus on WordPress and related activities full-time, announcing Akismet several days later. Akismet is a distributed effort to stop comment and trackback spam by using the collective input of every-

M

HE DRIVE for future achievement is imperative for you to develop the success mentality.

You want to achieve greatness, you want to remain at the top, you want to remain relevant and you probably want to remain alive for as long as you possibly can, then you need to have a drive for future achievement.

A goal or objective that drives you, that pushes you or that overwhelms you every single time you think about it. The drive for future achievement is a way of training your mind to work in constant harmony with your body, your spirit and your emotions.

one using the service. In December, he announced Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Akismet. Automattic employed people who had contributed to the WordPress project, including lead developer Ryan Boren and WordPress MU creator Donncha O Caoimh. An Akismet licensing deal and WordPress bundling was announced with Yahoo! Small Business web hosting about the same time.

In January 2006 Mullenweg recruited former Oddpost CEO and Yahoo! executive Toni Schneider to join Automattic as CEO, bringing the size of the company to 5. An April 2007 Regulation D filing showed that Automattic raised approximately 1.1 million dollars in funding, which Mullenweg addressed in his blog. Investors were Polaris Ventures, True Ventures, Radar Partners, and CNET. Mullenweg gives back to the startup community through his angel investment firm Audrey capital, which has backed nearly 30 companies since 2008.

In 2011 he has backed Y Combinator startup Earbits. In January 2008 Automattic raised an additional US $29.5 million for the company from Polaris Venture Partners, True Ventures, Radar Partners, and the New York Times Company.

According to Mullenweg’s blog the funding was a result of spurned acquisition offers months before and the decision to keep the company independent. At the time the company had 18 employees.

One of the reported plans for the funding was in a forum service called TalkPress.

In January 2009, San Francisco Business Times reports that traffic to WordPress sites are growing faster than for Google’s blogger service and significantly outstrip its nearest competitor, SixApart. A reporter at EMarketer calls Mullenweg “quite an entrepreneur and visionary” when comparing to WordPress’ building momentum over its competitors to Facebook’s growing popularity over MySpace. In February 2009, an interview with Power Magazine, titling Mullenweg the Blog Prince, dispels the myth of blogging being a passing trend revealing that the company has seen a 10% month-on-month organic growth which more than 15,000 new blogs hosted by WordPress each day. In May 2009, Mullenweg’s unwillingness to comply with Chinese censorship meant

WordPress.com was effectively blocked by China’s Golden Shield Project. A Bloomberg interview in April 2011 described the impressive scalability of the company.

Infrastructure costs only 300-$400k a month while powering 12% of the Web with 1350 servers and 80 employees in 62 cities.

In 2012, Pingdom reported that “WordPress completely dominates top 100 blog” and is in use by 49% of the top 100 blogs in the world. This is a huge increase from the 32% that was recorded 3 years ago. In May of the same year, All Things D reported that “Wordpress now powers 70 million sites... and expects to bring in $45 million in revenue this year.” The company’s success is also reflected in its incredibly low rate of staff attrition - the company currently has 106 employees and has only ever hired 118. Mullenweg was named #16 of the 50 most important people on the web by PC World, reportedly the youngest on the list. In October, Mullenweg acquired the Gravatar service and was rumored to have turned down a US $200 million offer to buy his company Automattic. In 2008, Mullenweg received the Information Technology Innovator Award - presented by the Temple University Fox School of Business Management Information System Department to those who have applied Information Technology to create new business opportunities.

In May 2009, Mullenweg was named an honorary patron of the University Philosophical Society for his contributions to information technology and culture. Mullenweg told USA Today that Automattic was profitable, had 35 employees, had gotten an office on Pier 38 in San Francisco, and had landed CNN as a client for WordPress.com.

Mullenweg supports a number of philanthropic organizations including Archive.org, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Free Software Foundation, Long Now, and Innocence Project. He is on the board of Grist.org, the founder/director of the WordPress Foundation, and is the only non-company high level sponsor of the Apache Software Foundation. Mullenweg is also a member of The Well at the non-profit Charity:Water organization (with which he traveled to Ethiopia in February 2012) where he supports providing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

For his 28th birthday he started a campaign which raised over $28,000 for the cause.

Once you have a goal, a direction or an objective in life you will be constantly on the move coming up with tasks and assignments that will get you to achieve your set objectives.

Your drive must be determined by your overall life’s goals. You must set your goals in life really high and even if it takes you twenty years to get there, when you do get there you will need another objective, another goal and another direction. Please do not listen to those people who say you must relax after working so hard all your life. You must retire and take it easy. The truth is that those who retire and take it easy always find out quite fatally that not long after retirement comes death.

The human body is a living, breathing machine and like other machines it does not want to stop.

From the day you are born to the last day, the body wants to keep going, the mind wants to keep going and the spirit wants to keep going. So once you take them off the road of life and relax they will shut down on you. You start getting sick, start getting weak and then the end comes sooner rather than later.

You have to have a reason for living and you can do that by setting your goals high and when you achieve your goals then you must set new goals and create new exciting objections. The Drive for future achievement is magic, it wakes up the energy in you and it propels you to even greater heights than you will ever believe. Create a drive for future achievement and see the excitement of your youth come racing back to you if you are old, and if you are young then you simply cannot do without a goal anyway. The guiding principle that starts us all on the path to success is the drive for future achievement.

Friday, March 22, 2014 33

THe GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SHOWBLAST

YOUTHMAGAZINE

Davies

Masekela

Calabar International Jazz Festival Lights Up Easter Okosi, Senior VP and Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, said, “we’re happy to be broadcasting Calabar International Jazz Festival once again. It brings a differOLLOWING a successful debut edition last year, arrangements are in full gears to make this edition of the Calabar In- ent edge to MTV Base and provides our audience with an eclectic mix of music and great live performances from artistes who deternational Jazz Festival grander. Already, the organisers have serve more exposure.” announced this year’s lineup for an exciting easter weekend.

For EbonyLife TV, CeO and popular chat show host, Mo Abudu, The festival is the backbone of a great easter weekend break said, “The Jazz Festival is another great reason for people to visit for Nigerians, looking forward to escaping hectic city life in Calabar. It’s a fantastic addition to Nigeria’s live music scene Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

At a media briefing to announce this year’s event, the organis- and we’re looking forward to profiling such a fascinating lineup of artistes.” ers noted that connoisseurs of smooth jazz, R ‘n’ B and African In addition to the concerts, there will be fun day-time activities dance music can look forward to three nights of fabulous perand tours for all the family, fabulous VIP after-parties, and, of formances by Hugh Masekela, Liquideep, Jimmy Dludlu and course, an opportunity to sample some of the local delicacies Micasa Music (South Africa), Timotha Lanae (USA), Gwyn Jay Allen (UK) and local artistes such as Dare Art Alade, Yinka Davies which have made Calabar famous with food lovers.

The city beckons with its reputation for being the cleanest, and Kunle Ayo. Three more major international artistes are to greenest and safest state capital in Nigeria. be announced in the next few days.

While the concerts will light up the night at Calabar’s Cultural Speaking on behalf of broadcast partners MTV Base, Alex

By Gregory Austin Nwakunor

F

Centre, with a glittering array of music stars, the venue will play host to an intriguing range of daytime activities. Music Meets Photography brings together some of Nigeria’s most promising creative photographers with an audience seemingly addicted to being ‘snapped’, against a backdrop of live jazz and local music. Art lovers will be able to visit a gallery of beautiful paintings and sculpture, curated by Terra Kulture, in the large and imposing lobby.

The confirmed line-up of artistes for the jazz fiesta is as follows: On Friday, April 18, Timotha Lanae, Jimmy Dludlu and Salvadore Sango would be on stage while Saturday, April 19 will have Dare Art Alade, Micasa Music and Kunle Ayo on parade. Sunday April 20 has Liquideep and Gwyn Jay Allen as star performers. For Monday, April 21, which is a private event, and by invitation only, Hugh Masekela and Yinka Davies will rock the stage.

Sponsors of the jazz feast include Bouygues Construction, NAIRDA, Moët-Hennessy, with more brands to be announced later this week.

PMAN Urges NCC To Obey National Assembly Directive, Register MCSN

By Daniel Anazia He leadership Caretaker Committee of the T Performing Musicians Association (PMAN), has called on the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to obey the directive of the National Assembly in its Votes & Procedures of December 18, 2013, and register without further delay, the Musical Collection Society of Nigeria (MCSN).

According to a statement from the musicians’ body signed by its Chairman, Kevin Luciano Gabriel, the failure of NCC to register MCSN despite the National Assembly’s directive was unjust and exploitative.

“The issue of collective management is confronting the industry right now. While the NCC

is paying deaf ears and imposing only one society on Nigerian music makers and stakeholders, the National Assembly, has directed the NCC to at once give due recognition to MCSN since Nigerian law does not provide for monopoly in the business of collective administration.”

Alleging a deliberate attempt to continue to impose a particular collecting society on Nigerians, the statement continued: “It’s sad that the NCC has refused to carry out this directive.

Our investigations reveal that there is a cabal within the top echelon of the NCC, which is using the only approved society, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), to continue to exploit Nigerian musicians,” he said.

Calling on the Attorney General of the Feder-

ation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke to use his good offices for a speedy resolution of the crisis, Gabriel in the statement added: “We believe the Honourable Attorney General has a primary duty to advance and protect the fundamental human and constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens as guaranteed by the constitution. We therefore call on the Attorney General to step in and correct this since he has the powers under the Copyright Act to direct the NCC to carry out the directive of the National Assembly immediately.

“We want to warn here that BON and IBAN visà-vis their members should not negotiate or pay any royalty to COSON until the NCC carries out the directives of the National Assembly as contained in its Votes and Procedures of 18th De-

cember 2013. Nigerian musicians have the constitutional right to choose which organisation or person to affiliate with like other Nigerians.”

The statement also thanked all states’ Chairmen and Governors for their continued support for the Committee and called on dissenting voices to join hands with the Committee and build a strong and virile union, adding that PMAN in the days ahead would be following up with appropriate actions to ensure a condusive atmosphere for music practitioners in the country.

The Committee was born following a successful Peace Initiative led by music stakeholders.

Among others, it seeks to re-engineer PMAN and has embarked on extensive consultations with industry stakeholders.

34 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SHOWBLAST

YOUTHMAGAZINE

By Daniel Anazia

V

IACOM International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa’s flagship channel, MTV Base has announced that the spectacular awards show and music celebration, MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) will hold this year.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Durban, South Africa by Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa, Alex Okosi, along with the Head of Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Provine, Desmond Golding; Managing Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa, Conor McQuaid and Channel Director, MTV Base, Tim Horwood who were in attendance.

The 2014 awards, which is being sponsored by South Africa’s leading tourist destination, KwaZulu-Natal Province and supported by Absolut, will hold at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) Durban, South Africa on Saturday, June 7.

Celebrating musicians and achievers who have made the most impact on African youth culture throughout the year, MAMA 2014 will feature dazzling performances from Nigerian artistes along with other African and international artistes. The awards will also include signature collaborations between artistes of different genres and cultures, which will be the high point of every show.

According to the organisers, artistes will be recognised in thirteen different award categories including Best Male, Best Female and Best New Act. This year, three new ‘lifestyle’ awards will be added to the music categories, including the ‘MAMA Leadership Award’ and ‘Personality of the Year’. A special award, ‘Transform Today by Absolut’ will celebrate the power of young individuals to transform the image of Africa through their

MTV Africa Music Awards

Gather Momentum, Hold June 7 creativity and vision.

The awards will be preceded by three stunning ‘Road to MAMA’ events in Durban, Lagos, and Nairobi, building up to the main show, featuring MAMA nominees alongside the most current local artistes and DJs. The events will take place during April and May. Okosi said, “We are thrilled that the MTV Africa Music Awards KwaZulu-Natal will be taking place in South Africa for the first time in its new evolution. KwaZulu-Natal Province is rich in both infra-

structure and amazing sights, and we are excited that Durban will be the backdrop for showcasing Africa’s best talent to the world.”

Head of Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Province Desmond Golding said, “After the major success of the MTV Africa All Stars event in Durban last year, we are delighted to welcome MTV Base and the MAMA awards to KwaZulu-Natal this June.

“KwaZulu-Natal including Durban is the premier home for major events in South

Africa. Our success and reputation in staging these ground-breaking events has ensured that the contribution to economic growth and tourism stimulation continues to be ever on the rise,” he added.

For Conor McQuaid, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa: “Each generation there are a handful of artists who leave a transformative mark, and the MTV Africa Music Awards most certainly celebrates those artists who are at the cutting-edge of the thriving music industry here

on the African continent,” he said.

He added, “As a brand Absolut has continuously pushed the boundaries of contemporary culture through creative collaborations with artists such as Andy Warhol, Spike Jonze and Swedish House Mafia. So we are thrilled to be associated with these awards that celebrate artists who define and transform the musical zeitgeist of Africa.”

First staged in 2008, the MTV Africa Music Awards has recognised the talent of musicians from across sub-Saharan

Benin Crown Prince To Visit Calabar

A

S part of activities lined-up for the global release of Lancelot Imasuen’s big-budget film, Invasion 1897, the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Ehene-

den Eradiauwa, has concluded plans to pay a royal visit to the area where Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was kept, and later, died while on exile in Calabar.

This latest move by the

Benin Prince is coming two months after Imasuen gathered friends, colleagues and the media in Lagos to mark the centenary of the death of Oba Ovonramwen on January 14.

Prince Eradiauwa, whose pet project, Benin Royal Dynasty Trust, has endorsed Invasion 1897, said, part of the reasons he wants to visit the Canaan City, is to meet with the traditional ruler of the area as well as to implore the community’s dance troupe to accompany him to the United States, where he has been invited to be the guest speaker at this year’s Arts and Culture Expo/Award holding in Atlanta.

The dance troupe, according to him, will be expected to mount a cultural display at the two-day event that will reflect the culture of the area that played host to Oba Ovonramwen while he was on exile.

Africa, rewarding iconic artistes such as 2Face Idibia, Big Nuz, HHP, P-Square, Liquideep, D’Banj, Lira, Nameless, Wahu, Fally Ipupa, Cabo Snoop, and Zebra & Giraffe among others.

The 2014 awards are open to all artistes whose music videos have been accepted for airplay on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) or MTV (DStv Channel 130) during the qualifying period 20 March 2013 to March 19. The awards will premiere on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322), MTV (DStv Channel 130)

M

MMG star and Kukere master, Iyanya will headline the 4th Anniversary of the celebrated live band concert, One Mic Naija.

The bi-monthly event that connects music lovers and enthusiasts with their favorite performers will also feature performances from other MMMG acts including Tekno, Emma Nyra, Baci

Iyanya Headlines

One Mic Naija

and Sele Bobo.

Hosts are rapper, Kel and KB; the #OneMicNaijaShutdown edition will also witness performances by exbeauty queen, Muna Abii and new kid on the block, Charass.

Previous editions have featured performances from acts such as Sound Sultan, Skales, Temi Dollface, Efya,Sean Tizzle, Seyi Shay, Yemi Alade to mention a few. The 4th anniversary edition will hold on April 27th, 2014, at Ember Creek, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

KEEP IT REAL...

Amushan Kemi

YOUTHMAGAZINE

with Kemi Amushan

Online Dating :

Not So Fun

OST YOUTHS of today visit a lot of Online dating sites. I did a while back and I found out that 90% of those that are there hoping to meet ladies or guys are phonies. Visiting online dating sites is like being in the best and the worst bar within the same night every night for as long as you’re subscribed. For women, online dating can be more like being among hordes of men in a public toilet at the stadium which is equal to gross, uncomfortable and downright wrong.

I recently received a message from a guy reaching out to me on facebook. I have no idea where he got my name but he just sent me a message. A very horrific one for that matter. I mean it’s not the first time receiving such but by far, this was the most rude and annoying but yet, funny letter I’ve received so far.

I’m not really going to discuss what was in it but this is what we women deal with online and 100% what we do not want when dating online. While I will admit that I laughed uncontrollably over this message, I was actually laughing at him and mass texting all my girlfriends about it so we could all laugh at him together as another, “Are You Kidding Me?!” type of story. I mean it was unbelievable.

I’ve noticed that men online usually have a habit of saying as much as they possibly can in terms of pick up lines, their “credentials”, or the proverbial “Hey/what’s up/how’s your day” to as many women as they can possibly reach out to within the confines of their free time. And we’re not into it guys. Seriously.

My guess is men underestimate the true power of words even within a tiny message box to a complete stranger. Just think of approaching a woman in public: would you automatically start telling her what you like to do for fun, where you grew up, how successful you’ve been in your line of work as your first point of contact before she’s even acknowledged you?

Absolutely not!(Or at least I hope not.)

Now in public she will obviously have some sort of reaction to you, whether it’s actually engaging in conversation or nodding and running away. But online, all she has to do is simply ignore your message and move on to the other 30 she got that day which is what makes online dating so much more difficult for you as a guy.

Think of it this way: we don’t want to read resumes, cut-and-paste pick-up lines, or even completely thoughtless ice breakers like, “Hi” or “I think you’re hot.” Just like the outside world, we want to hear something sweet, genuine, and pertaining to us. We want to know that you didn’t copy and paste the same message to every girl whose picture caught your eye. We want to know that you read the things we wrote about ourselves, noticed how cute we look in different outfits or hairstyles etc.

We want you to notice us and what makes us unique.

Just like you would want us to notice that you graduated from a reputable school abroad, or love hanging’ with your adorable 5-year-old nephew(because ladies are attracted to guys who love kids. Am I right or am I right?) or that you’re a master in karaoke, or all other silly stuffs that we ladies love to see or hear. We want to know that you see us as special in a sea of other eligible women out there just like you want us to see you.

For you to have an idea of what we ladies go through, I have my guys make fake profiles as women to get a better understanding of what we ladies go through. Here’s a rather (not-so) charming message “Folarin” got when he was posing as Yimika:

M

“Hey there sexy! …I have a solid career, I am well educated, I have a great sense of humor, and I am an absolute animal in the bedroom(or kitchen, park, back of a car). I am definitely interested in something serious developing but we can have a lot of fun while that happens!

My tongue has been described as something not quite believable. Something that makes fantasies and sexy dreams seem lame. My touch is firm but gentle. I don’t try to hurt my partners but still leave them feeling completely satisfied on a deep and animalistic level. My manhood would dwarf 90% of the other guys on the planet. I am completely clean.

Clean shaven. And totally risk free. I share my emotions and am more than willing to love. I am also told I have amazing eyes. I hope to hear from you” As you most definitely noticed, this guy went from 0 to scary in less than one space between paragraphs.

Now don’t get me wrong, women don’t onlinedate for the sake of trading horror stories like how great you are in bed and all. I mean some call girls looking for a quick fix would but every woman I know would be lying if she told you she didn’t enjoy getting the friend requests or messages that somebody checked out her profile. I know for me I love when I get new messages or find out that someone expresses interests. It’s flattering no matter how creepy.

Women just want to be able to find a standout guy no matter where he is. The problem is that most men fail to stand out (in a good way) on the Internet. The simplest way to become our Knight in un-creepy shining armor is to point out something that you liked or that interested you about her in her profile and tell her that. It’s that simple. Then before you send it, ask yourself one question: How would I feel if another guy said this to me? If you feel instantly uncomfortable or laugh uncontrollably to the point where you want to post it as a mockery on Facebook or blackberry as we do these days, get back to the little text box and try again.

To our happiness, Cheers.

35

JISTS/JIVES/JOKES I Love You Sweetheart A group of men gathered at a church conference on how to live in a loving relationship Zombies A pilot announced, “Ladies & Gentlemen, the with their wives. The men were asked, “How many of you love your wife ?” All the men plane is losing altitude and all the baggages raised their hands. Then they were asked, must be thrown out.”

“When was the last time you told your wife you A little later, the pilot says, “We’re still losing altitude, we must throw anything out that is love her ?” Some men answered today, some yesterday, majority didn’t remember. The men in the cabin.”

The plane continues it’s descent despite more were then told to take their cell phones and send the following text to their respective things being thrown out. The pilot announced again, “Still going down, we must wives: I love you, sweetheart… Then the men were told to exchange their phones so one can throw out some people” There’s a big gasp from the passengers! Then read the other wife’s reply to the love message.

Here are some of the replies: the pilot said, “But to make this fair, passengers will be thrown out in alphabetical order. 1. Have you impregnated someone again 2. That was then, not now So A, any Africans on board?”

3. You wan borrow money abi?

No one moves.

4. What did you do again? I won’t forgive you “B, any Blacks on board?” this time. 5. Meaning?

No one moves.

6. Is that a new song?

“C, any Coloureds on board?”

7. Am I dreaming?

Still no one moves.

8. If you don’t tell me who this message is actu“D, any Darkies?”

Akpos, a little black Nigerian boy, asks his ally for, you will die today! dad, “Dad, what are we?”

9. U dis man!! I asked you to stop drinking.

His Dad replied, “Tonight son, we are 10. Abeg na who be this?

Zombies Escape From Yaba Akpos escaped from Yaba Psychiatric Hospital. When he got home, he called the Psychiatric Hospital on phone and asked; “Is there any one in Room eight at Ward one?”

The Receptionist on phone replied; “Just a minute sir hold on let me check.”

A while later the Receptionist came back on the phone and said; “There is no one sir.”

Akpos exclaimed; “Wow! Okay my dear.”

The Receptionist said; “But why did you ask sir?.”

Akpos replied; “I want to be sure that I’ve escaped.”

Swimming at the lake NOKULUNGA Shandu, a young beautiful woman, was at a lake and decided to take a swim.

She saw a man looking at her but she decided to swim anyway.

After taking off her clothes, she quickly dived in.

Just then the man approached her and the following conversation ensued: Akpos: Madam swimming is prohibited in this lake!

Shandu: Then why didn’t you tell me when I was removing my clothes?

Akpos: Well, that’s not prohibited.

Reverend Sister AKPOS suffered a very serious heart attack and had bypass surgery. He woke up later to find himself in the care of reverend sisters at a Catholic hospital. As he was recovering, one of the reverend sisters asked how he was going to pay his bill.

Akpos: (knowing he didn’t have the money) I don’t have health insurance.

Sister: Do you have money in the bank?

Akpos: I don’t even have up to N1500 in my bank account.

Sister: Well, do you have any relative who could help you?

Akpos: I have only one spinster sister, who is a reverend sister.

Sister: (slightly perturbed) Reverend Sisters are not spinsters! We are married to God. Akpos: Ahh, that’s even better. Then send the bill to God my brother-in-law.

Eight children Akpos was travelling with 8 children by train. A lady asked “are they your children” Akpos answered: ”No Madam! Actually I am the owner of a condom company and they are the complaints of my customers” www.funnyakposjokes.com

POEMS/LYRICS Chidinma Ft Tha Suspect & Illbliss - Emi Ni Baller Yebariba….yeba Hey…yeba Yeba…legendury beatz Miss kedike lori speaker…yeba Miss kedike fe ya speaker…yeba E kuro l’ono mo fe wa ja…yeba Tori..tori…tori..tori mo ti ginger…yeba Oya wo mi dada mi o bother…yeba Awa ti lo gan, a le bother O le ever ever ka mi mo corner…yeba Gbogbo capital lori premises…yeba Owa yapa oti plenty…yeba Sunmo mi no Gbori wole…ha Ti n ba mu e lasan, mo ma na e le go…na e le go Baba God dey for my side o Emi ni spender: Mo n’owo Emi ni baller: Mo n’owo mi Emi lo l’owo aiye: Mo n jaiye Emi ni spender: Mo jaiye mi Emi ni baller: Mo n’owo Emi ni spender: Mo n’owo mi Emi l’owo aiye: Mo n jaiye Emi ni spender: Mo n jaiye mi Ma wo be Ma wo be o mo l’owo, mo l’owo, mo l’owo, mo l’owo Ma wo be o Ani mo l’ola, mo l’ola, mo l’ola, mo l’ola Ma wo be o

mo l’owo, mo l’owo, mo l’owo, mo l’owo Ma wo be o Ani mo l’ola, mo l’ola, mo l’ola, mo l’ola…yepariba Verse – Suspect Emi suspect omo pekeru…yeba Plenty moet on the table…yeba Omo calabar, royal highness Moti da gobe si le Moti da gobe si le Oya duro, duro, duro , duro No be my muscle…yeba Baba mi loke mi I young 24/7 moti ko wo wole Moti shayo wo wole Moti gbowo wole Moti gbori wole Ahhhh no be gbomo gbomo I dey do…yeba Omo no bi loto loto I dey play…yeba Gbori wole Gbogbo capital lori premises Owo yapa otun plenty Ti n ba mu e lasan, mo ma na e le go Baba God e dey for my side o Emi ni spender: Mo n’owo Emi ni baller: Mo n’owo mi Emi lo l’owo aiye: Mo n jaiye Emi ni spender: Mo jaiye mi Emi ni baller: Mo n’owo Emi ni spender: Mo n’owo mi Emi l’owo aiye: Mo n jaiye Emi ni spender: Mo n jaiye mi

36 | Saturday, March 22, 2014

thE GUARDiAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

YOUTHMAGAZINE

WEEKENDBEAtS

All Set As Stars Trek, Sign Dotted Lines

By Daniel Anazia

F

May 24, and Lagos May 31.

From hip-hop, Rap, hip-life and Fuji, the organisers say Nigerians in the trek cities will be treated to world-class entertainment by top rated Nigeria artistes including 2face, tiwa Savage, M.i, Olamide, Davido, Wizkid, Wande Coal, Sound Sultan, Pasuma, Mr. Raw, Dr Sid, Naeto C, KCee, Sean tizzle, Phyno and May D.

the hosts for the regional trek are popular comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, Do2tun of Cool FM and Laff Up, while DJs Neptune, Switch, Blaise would be on the consoles.

For her steady growth and urban hits, delectable songstress and Kele Kele Love singer, tiwa Savage, was returned to the trek stage as the only female artiste, and this according

to the organisers will be uber-excited her fans.

Last year trek had Waje and Seyi Shay, who are conspicuously missing on this year’s lineup. No doubt, the sensational singer would be lonely amidst the boys, but as usual and like a good team player she will enjoy the company of her male colleagues, especially label mate Dr SiD and others. Maybe the organisers may spring some surprises by making some female additions as the trek go on.

Among guests at the artiste sign-on party were Chief Marketing Officer MtN, Larry Anetts, Olisa Adibua, toni Kan, tY Mix, Mark Redguard, Uti Nwachukwu, Gbemi Olateru

OLLOWiNG its success since its maiden edition in 2002, Star Trek, Nigeria’s most popular 10-city and 10-week music concert, has unveiled its exciting star line up for this year’s pan Nigerian concert. the select list of performers which was revealed to an exclusive audience comprising celebrities, members of the press and officials of the brand at a suspense filled sign on press conference, held at the Marquee, Federal Palace hotel Victoria island, Lagos on Wednesday. the press conference was preceded by the popular My City Rocks campaign attracted artistes and various celebrities commenting eagerly on what made their cities so special and unique. Excited fans across the country engaged in the interactive campaign on electronic and online mediums, where they also got an opportunity to guess the artistes on this year’s line -up.

Star Music trek, since its debut has become the nation’s most anticipated music carnival with the Nigeria biggest artistes delivering spectacular performances to the delight of thousands of fans across the country. in addition to delivering Nigeria’s favorite artistes right across the country, the show also turns each venue into a spectacular music feast drawing thousands of eager fans to each concert to watch stunning performances from their favorite artistes each weekend during the three-month tour.

Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager, Edem Vindah, said “Our theme: My City Rocks, is inspired by the uniqueness of the many cities in Nigeria. Young Nigerians have connected to these special traits in a unique way as only they can and have made this campaign all the more spectacularly engaging right from the very beginning.”

“We are just as eager as our teeming fans as we commence Star Music trek 2014. As usual, we’ will be taking the brightest and best of Nigerian music and artistes all across the country and can assure our fans that this year’s Trek will be filled with spectacular surprises,” he added. the trek 2014 will begin from Nsukka, on March 29, and the train moves to Makurdi on April 5; Uyo, April 12, Umuahia April 19.

Orlu will be agog on April 26, as the sounds will reverberate in Ekwulobia on May 3, and Director General, National Broadcasting Corporation, Emeka Mba, Regional Director, Africa Magic, Wangi Mba Uzukwu and Executive Director IREP, Femi Odugbemi Fegge in Onitsha, May 11; while Benin-City at the joint cocktail dinner between IREP and Africa Magic during IREP Film Festival 2014 in Lagos.

PHOTO CHARLES OKOLO will have feel of the stars May 17; Ado Ekiti,

2Face, M.I, Wizkid, Davido Return By Popular Demand, Tiwa Savage Only Female On Board

International charity, BGIA, Appoints Nollywood Star Aduni As Ambassador

By Florence Utor bid to eradicate illiteracy iininNthetheir Africa and empower women continent, Black Girls ignite Africa inc. (BGiA), an international non-profit charity organisation has appointed Nollywood artiste, Adunni Ade, as their Global Celebrity Ambassador.

Based in Canada with representation in UK, USA, UAE, ireland, Nigeria and tanzania, BGiA strives to empower and inspire women and children in Africa, addressing urgent needs for education and micro finances.

As a global brand representative, Adunni Ade will be integral part of the organisation’s awareness campaign throughout the represented markets. She will become the BGiA global spokesperson and be involved in mentorship programmes, humanitarian seminars and fund drives in a bid to combat negative images of African women.

As an advocate of humanitarian efforts, Adunni has, over the years, been involved in social projects and addressed women and young girls.

Growing up in Nigeria and USA, she has been exposed to challenges that can hinder growth that personal development.

As a talented artist, she has worked in the entertainment industry in both countries and is familiar with the professional demands, which can become overwhelming too.

An accounting graduate from the University of Kentucky, Adunni understands the importance of education and the ambition of pursuing personal dreams. through her determination, she pursued modelling and acting career in 2008 and has since curved a niche for herself. taking an ardent sense of responsibility towards her society, Adunni’s celebrity lifestyle allowed her to highlight several social issues while driving urgent measures to change the dynamics that were affecting young girls.

“As an artist, my goal has always been to explore and develop my creativity, qualities that are essential for personal growth. i have worked with sev-

eral social causes with an aim to inspire and inject self-confidence and self worth amongst young girls. Efforts of associations like BGiA are necessary in modern society, where social pressures continuously put a strain on young girls. i am honoured by this appointment as a Global Ambassador and i’m hoping i’ll be able to face the challenges ahead of me. Empowerment, encouragement, celebration and healthy development of girls and women in Africa is a personal goal that i humbly accept,” said the newly appointed brand ambassador.www.blackgirlsigniteafrica.org “Adunni Ade has played pivotal humanitarian role in her community both in Nigeria and the USA. her commitment to creating an ideal environment for young girls has won her admiration from her peers and has inspired young girls to push themselves to new heights. She is a prominent figure who represents the essence of BGiA and her ethics are a reflection of the work she continues to do. As the

global ambassador of BGiA, Adunni will pave way to further deliver the message of women empowerment in Africa,” said Mrs. Abby Osoba of BGiA.

Police Inspector, Others Off To Brazil On ‘Star’s Last Ticket’

By Daniel Anazia ith the last leg of Star Trip To Brazil W promo draw held at the Bamboo Garden, Awka, Anambra State, the last of the 11 consumers that Star lager, a brand of Nigeria Breweries that will be going to Brazil on an all-expense extra-ordinary experience has emerged. the winner, Chukwuma tochukwu Obo, an inspector in the Nigerian Police Force, emerged the star prize winner. the police officer, who has never travelled outside the country before is already relishing the fact that his first overseas experience will be in Brazil. he said, “My expectation of what will happen on that trip is very high because i have not travelled outside Nigeria before and my first overseas trip is to Brazil. i have to expect many great things. i’m also looking forward to see the tourism potentials of Brazil.” the police inspector will be joining 10 other lucky consumers that emerged via transparent promo draws held in various locations across the country.

Explaining how he emerged, Chukwuma said, “i was drinking Star at a bar when a lady approached me and told me about the promo. She exchanged my crown corks for a token and asked me to come to the Bamboo Garden on Sunday (March 16) for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a ticket to Brazil. So, i came here just like any other person.”

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

SHORT STORY

YOUTHMAGAZINE

By Segun Durowaiye (08055356855) Continued from last week FTER that eventful wedding, days kept rolling into weeks, and weeks to months. Stephen didn’t make love to his wife. At first Biola thought it was a joke and nothing serious. She thought Stephen would have a change of heart. She did all the tricks in romance encyclopaedia, thinking that Stephen would change his attitude, mellow down and come back to her.

But Stephen wouldn’t budge; he was as adamant and unmoved as a wounded horse with a bleeding hoof.

Another dimension to the morbid drama was that Stephen wouldn’t even speak to his wife. This hurt Biola so much that she would cry and cry. She could remember that the last word she heard from Stephen was the ‘I do’ he said on the day of the marriage ceremony when the officiating Pastor asked him if he really wanted Biola as his wife. The first year rolled by, the second, the third and the fourth; still Stephen would not make love to his wife or even speak to her. They were like two opposite people in wedlock. When the fifth year came and Stephen didn’t change his behavior, Biola started sending people, family and friends to plead on her behalf but this didn’t make Stephen change his attitude. Biola didn’t tell people the plain truth and reason behind her husband’s aloofness.

Stephen’s parents and family often came to him, asking why his wife hadn’t taken in since all these years but he had a ready-made answer for them. He always told them they were waiting for God’s time for that to manifest.

There was a particular day when Biola was actually going crazy and frustrated over her husband’s behaviour. It was a very chilly night and she was in a highly romantic mood, really feeling horny. Stephen was deep in sleep that Saturday night. She sneaked towards him and grabbed his manhood with the intention of forcing him to make love to her.

Stephen screamed in annoyance: “What are you trying to do you Jezebel? What! You want to rape me?”

“Stephen please, let’s stop this madness… I can’t go on like this… please I beg you…” she cried and wailed.

The following morning Biola thought about another way of winning the love and soul of his husband. She soliloquized: “What I’ll do

A

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Too Hot To Handle! (2) now is to see Baba Ifagbemi, the medicine man. He’ll prepare me a love potion that will capture the heart and soul of Stephen for me, either by hook or crook.”

So she left that morning to see the great herbalist. She reached Baba Ifagbemi’s shrine around 12p.m. and narrated her problem to the old herbalist.

After pondering over the whole thing, Baba Ifagbemi said confidently: “It’ll cost you seventy thousand naira only. I assure you if he sets his eyes on you when you rub this love powder on your face, he’ll make love to you the way he has never done before.”

“Thank you baba!” Biola said excitedly. “This is the money.”

That evening when she got home,

she went to take her bath. After this, she rubbed the love powder on her face and put on her night gown. Then she walked seductively towards Stephen who was busy watching a movie in the living room. She smiled alluringly and sat beside him. She walked closer to him and threw her arm around his neck. Stephen turned his face away irritably.

“Stephen darling, let’s make love now. I’ve suffered too much in your hands, let’s make real love now,” she cooed.

Stephen got up and gave her a thunderous slap on the cheek.

“Yee, my cheek!” Biola screamed.

“Are you out of your mind? Damn it, this relationship is an outright mistake. Non-

sense!” Stephen roared in anger and left the living room, leaving her to sulk in disbelief.

She was shocked. She got up in tears and vowed to collect her money from Baba Ifagbemi. She made up her mind that she was fed up and tired of the whole relationship. The following Monday, she filed a divorce.

In the sixth year, they became finally separated. Biola told the judge that day that she couldn’t continue the relationship because she wasn’t getting any joy from it.

“My lord,” she pleaded, “I can’t go on marrying a man who doesn’t speak with me or make love to me. I want to go on my own way. If this man is God, he won’t let human beings reap the bounties of rainfall.”

“So, what d’you want me to do now Stephen Alabi?” the elderly judge asked.

“I’ll be glad to divorce her too my lord, because I don’t want to father a bastard as a child. I don’t know of any sane man who would catch his fiancée on the bed making love with a strange man one month to their wedding day and still live with the woman with love after the marriage ceremony, ” Stephen replied.

“So shall it be if it pleases the two parties. I hereby grant both of you a divorce because this is a betrayal of the highest order. Stephen, I pray you get a woman that would give you joy, love and honesty in the truest sense. Biola, you are worse than Jezebel and Delilah!” the judge concluded.

Concluded.

FITNESS

By Oyinkan Talabi(Bodyworks@theequilibrumcenter) NE of the biggest challenges on the fitness O journey is snacking. With the new theories on keeping the metabolism up by eating five to six times in your day, snacking regularly is now a necessity. So, what do we snack on?

Remember, a snack is not a meal, its purpose is not to fill you up, but toTake the edge off your hunger Keep your blood sugar level Keep the fire in your engine burning And if you are having a hectic day, it is important to eat at regular healthy foods that give you the fuel you need to keep going.

So, below are five great snack ideas that are locally available and won’t disrupt your journey.

Five Snack Ideas Cereal YES, this is one of my all-time favourites. You can keep a box in your drawer at work and nibble during the course of the day.

Go for whole grain cereals, as they keep your memory and concentration sharp. They are also higher in fibre and give you plenty of energy.

Nuts GROUNDNUTS, almond nuts and cashew nuts

are all available locally and a hand full is great for taking the edge off.

Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They are high in fat, but it is mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat.

Nuts and seeds are high in calories, so don’t eat them in large quantities.

However, be careful about them, as sometimes, it is hard to stop. So, don’t keep the bottle nearby.

Fruits And Vegetables NEED I say more? If you have no heath restrictions, go for whatever fruits are in season.

LOW-FAT YOGURT IT is a good source of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals.

Choose the low-fat versions.

Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for natural, plain, low-calorie or “light” ones.

Garden Eggs IT is naturally low in fat, calories and very filling and helps to control blood glucose levels. info@bodyworksnigeria.com.

Love your body…

38 Saturday, March 22, 2014

FASHION

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Saturday, March 22, 2014 39

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FASHION

YOUTHMAGAZINE

At the AMVCA’S……

Still on Kinabuti Fashion Initiative

This year’s AMVCA awards was’nt all that impressive when it came to their style and fashion. So it’s really going to be a struggle to give compliments. Myles Igwebuike And Kemi Amushan have their own comment on the best and worse dressed at the event.

classic and timeless. Then the shade midnight blue was perfect. I’m overlooking the bowtie.

Now the way he splashed colour with his pocket hanky, that’s how it’s done. Did I mention the pocket chain, that was also classic!! Not many men can wear this type of suit looking dated but Wole showed all the young men how the OG’s roll, Man of the year, Bravo sir!

Joseph Benjamin This strong shade of blue really suits Joe. Very manly and sophisticated and it fits perfectly. I give him points for the trouser fitting and cut, he aced that.

There are just two things obviously wrong with this look, his brown shoes and the leopard skin pocket hanky, the leopard skin seemed tacky and overrated and a black leather brogue would have just been perfect for this suit, all the same well done Joe.

Eku Edewor Honey Honey!! The AMVCA never looked so good; this look was Paris chic to the fullest! Great fitting and perfect cut. I love this colour on Eku and lots on points to the nude shoes and make up! I have to ask; Eku is this a commercial? I actually preferred this look to her many looks that night. This was a great shot with the hair blowing, a true Marilyn Monroe moment!! Like I said before, the AMVCA never look so good. One word: Smashing.

Wole Ajoe Yes Boss!!!

Young’uns take note! This corduroy three piece suit was

Toke Makinwa I love Toke’s style but she didn’t cut it this time. Canary yellow? Uh uhn babe, this definitely was a wrong colour.

The dress looked more bridal than chic. The neckpiece for me was a tad bulky. I didn’t like that the gown was peplum or that it had straps. She was carrying too many things at the same time.

This is the first time I didn’t like Toke’s makeup it seemed very ageing especially around her lush eyes.

Chika Ike Too many things going on with this look, too much sequin everywhere. Points for the colour choice but the hair looked very dated or maybe because it’s old who knows lol! This dress actually aged her; a whole lot almost didn’t recognise her this year.

Abgani Darego That Sleeve was what put her in this catergory. With that body she can make a trash bag look sexy. I’m aware she was having a Camilla Alves Oscar moment but even her dress was amongst some of the worst looks. This was a poor dress choice. I wish I could have just ripped off that draping sleeve, It would have been more sexy. Other than that she killed this look, major points for makeup and extra points for the fact she rocked braids with this dress.

The four weeks course organized by Kinabuti of which 14 youths (male and female) from Orile Iganmu community in Lagos, were trained on various skills. The youths were also taught the skill of artistry and how to sell their products online.

By Kemi Amushan

gave important tips on how to leverage and get more likes on Facebook, how to promote the products through social HE vocational training that ended last Saturday with a ceremony that graduat- media and other online channels. The Kaymu platform showed the students ed 14 students were visited by special that they can now reach all of Nigeria guests Massimo De Luca from the from orile.

European Union and Massimiliano Kinabuti Fashion Initiative and Thea Spalazzi MD of Kaymu.

In the last month, the youth and women Kuta believe that art, fashion and artisanship can help develop sustainable of Orile Iganmu have been taught the art projects that will contribute to the ecoof Silk-Screening design and printing by nomical growth of local communities the Kinabuti Fashion Initiative (KFI) and Thea Kuta. Six of the best students graduated had the opportunity to participate at a paid internship, earning an income by printing a special line of t-shirt for the fashion label Kinabuti.

The project, sponsored by Pulse, LLS, Aerocontractor, Oando and Egyptair, aims at creating opportunities for youths and women of local communities including them in the fashion supply chain and making them independent throughout the new acquired skills.

This week all the 15 students received an online sales training from Kaymu, the biggest online retail for Nigerian entrepreneurs, teaching them all they need to know in order to open and manage an online shop. They were taught to make printed tshirts in an affordable way and sell it online without having to invest capital but just with a simple click and an internet connection.

The training showed the importance of customer care to grow and keep the clientele base, and important case studies of successful stories that could be used as examples. The Kaymu team

T

40 Saturday, March 22, 2014

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FASHION

YOUTHMAGAZINE

Seven Signs You Are Wearing The Wrong Bra Size

HE brassiere is and essential T item in every woman’s wardrobe. Bras that fit correctly improve your posture, flatter your body, boost confidence, and most of all, are comfortable.

But statistics say that 85 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. The most common reason for ill-fitting bras is you’ve had the same ones for far too long. Changes to our body - anything from weight gain/loss to having a baby also have a big effect on how the bra fits; yet we still keep the same bra for years.

One of the best ways to fix this problem is to have your bust size fitted in the lingerie section of a department store by a bra specialist.

Here are the seven signs that indicate you might be wearing the wrong bra size under your clothes. Check them out and make corrections. . The cups are bumpy. If you’re seeing bumps in your bra (this is most easily seen when wearing a t-shirt), the most common reason is the cups are too big. The excess fabric wrinkles up and can create lumps.

Another reason can be from machine-washing your bra, so be sure to avoid this by gently hand washing to get the longest life out of it. . You shouldn’t see indentations. If the band digs into you - making your skin bulge or leaving marks – it is too tight.

You’ll be much more comfortable moving up a band size (32, 34, 36, etc.). Alternatively, if the underwire is digging into your skin it is the cup that is too small. . Straps should stay put. This is a common problem that is eas-

ily overlooked. The straps on your bra are important to how the entire piece fits you. If your straps are slipping off your shoulders, it is most likely that you just haven’t adjusted them to the proper fit. Wear them tight enough to support well, but not to the point that they dig into your skin. If you’re still having issues with the straps sliding . You don’t want any gaps. If the centre of the band lifts up off your skin, the cups of the bra are too small! This is one of the most common problems.

Moving up a cup size should fix the problem, but since no two bodies are alike, sometimes the style of the bra can be the culprit. Try finding a better fitting style if moving up a size doesn’t do the trick. . One straight line. The back of the band should be a straight line across your back and parallel to the ground. If it is curv-

ing up your back you most likely have your straps pulled too tight. It could also mean your band is too big and you need to move down a size. It should be easy to determine which of these is causing the problem! . It is running over. If any breast tissue is spilling out of the top or sides of the cup - even just a little bit - you definitely need to move up a cup size. The cup of your bra should completely contain all of your breast tissue. . When it is hurting. If your bra is causing pain, then it definitely isn’t the right fit. Oftentimes ladies think that there is no avoiding being uncomfortable in a bra, but that isn’t the case at all. A well-fitting bra should be comfortable enough that you don’t notice it at all.

Figuring out which style best suits your body, and finding the right fit should solve this problem for good.

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

41

PASSNOWNOW

YOUTHMAGAZINE

in association with

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Welcome to another edition of Passnownow.com in The Guardian. Trusting your week has been great, and we do hope you enjoyed our last week’s package. Please tell us what this column has taught you so far or what you are looking forward to seeing on the Passnownow column by sending us a mail at info@passnownow.com. Also, do not forget to visit our awesome website: www.passnownow.com to have unlimited access to other features such as Class Work Support, School Forum etc. On Passnownow.com, you get to Interact, Learn, and Excel.

This edition promises to be filled with more exiting articles and tips for your learning pleasure. So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

learn it in an instant and what I’ve learned in those classes more than 10 years ago still remain in my memory.

In one of my classes for example in order to explain the motion of the sun, instead of describing on the board and using scientific statements, my teacher put a chair in the middle of the class. After that he wore a yellow helmet and stood up on the chair.

Then he started spinning to help us learn about the motion of the sun. And in a Government class another teacher taught us the civil war by splitting the classroom into two groups where each would represent one army in the war and from each side he chose a student to be the general. This way we not only learned how the war took place we also learned the names of the generals without any need to memorize. Even though years have passed I still remember the generals’ names. We couldn’t have learned this so well by just reading it out of a Government book. These methods, without doubt had a bigger effect than classical teaching in helping us students learn.

Fact is that students overly love teachers who enjoy teaching and it shows in their day-to-day interactions. Making learning fun entails involving students in the teaching and learning process. Don’t do all the talking alone, thereby making your students feel they’re watching a television. Involve them. Let them learn by doing - not writing down facts they may never need or remember.

than half admitted to playing games every day.

Violent games, including games where players have to kill, maim, decapitate or torture another human character, were among the most popular.

By the age of 13 or 14, scientists claim young people should be entering the third stage, and be able to empathize with others and take their perspective into account.

The research found that this stage appeared to be delayed in teenagers who regularly played violent video games.

It is also thought that teenagers who play games regularly did not spend enough time in the real world to learn to take thoughts of others into consideration.

They concluded that rather than trying to enforce an ‘unrealistic’ ban on the games, parents and teachers should encourage teenagers to do charity work and take up extracurricular activities.

Common Nouns Common nouns are nouns which describe a group of objects. For example, Oxford University is a proper noun because it is the name of a place. University is a common noun because it refers to a group. Common nouns are used to describe groups of people.

Coffee shops are popular.’

‘He took his children to the zoo.’

‘I’d rather live in the city.’

Abstract Nouns These nouns refer to things which we can’t experience with our senses. Abstract nouns refer to emotions (love, hate), states (peace, beauty), concepts (faith, truth) and movements (education, progress).

‘He takes a lot of pride in his work.’

‘India has an interesting culture.’

‘Do you ever give to charity?’

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK…

GRAMMAR CLINIC

Violent video games leave teenagers ‘morally immature’, claims study

Parts of Speech - Nouns ‘What type of noun is woman?’

What Students Want From Teachers In teaching and learning, teachers have a very important task of not only making the subject fun for their students, but also keeping them interested in coming to class, either through their personality or teaching strategy There is a one to one correspondence with a teacher’s way of teaching and what a student learns. Teachers should make their classes fun and enjoyable for their students - especially if they’re teenagers or children. It has been proved scientifically that a student tends to learn better if taught with fun activities and games. Our brains get bored and tired of monotone learning and therefore start not to perceive properly anymore. On the contrary when something is taught in an unusual and enjoyable manner it immediately stores it in permanent memory.

I remember very clearly that as a child I used to get very sleepy and grow tired of learning in classes where a teacher taught with no activity or fun. But in classes where my teacher taught with games, jokes or fun activities I would

This section deals with appropriate set of rules which are valid and allowable in English Language.

You probably know that a noun is a type of ‘thing’. For example ‘table’ and ‘car’ are both types of nouns. Here we take a look at all the different types of nouns there are and how to spot them: Concrete Nouns

Spending hours playing violent video games stunts teenagers’ emotional growth, a study has found.

It is thought that regular exposure to violence and lack of contact with the outside world makes it harder for them to tell right from wrong. They also struggle to trust other people, and see the world from their perspective.

Researchers from Brock University in Ontario found that those who spend more than three hours each day in front of the screen are particularly unlikely to have developed the ability to empathize.

The Canadian researchers surveyed 109 boys and girls, aged 13 and 14, about whether they played video games, which games they liked, and how long they spent playing them.

Their findings found that 88 per cent of teens said they played games, and more

As above, ‘car’ and ‘table’ are concrete nouns.

These are the nouns which we can touch, see, feel, smell and hear. Basically, these are nouns which we are connected to our senses.

‘What a delicious apple.’

‘Please open the window.’

‘I put it in my pocket.’

Proper Nouns Proper nouns are the names of people and places. We use capital letters with proper nouns.

‘Jack will go shopping tomorrow.’

‘She comes from Russia.’

‘The Nile is the longest river.’

Did you know? About 16,000,000 girls under age 18 give birth each year globally.

An estimated 3.2,000,000 of them undergo safe abortions and are exposed to complications in pregnancy.

In Nigeria, teenage pregnancy rates vary greatly between the northern and southern geo-political zones and rural areas: in the north, one in every three teenage girls, whereas in the south - one out of 10.

Most are faced with complications as obstetric fistula, illness, injury and death.

42 Saturday, March 22, 2014

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SPECIAL REPORT ON THE WORLD WATER DAY SPECIAL REPORT ON THE WORLD WATER DAY, 2014: NEXUS OF WATER AND ENERGY

Coordinated by the United Nations University (UNU) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on behalf of UN-Water, the World Water Day 2014 is billed to address the nexus of water and energy.

Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, Honorable Minister of Water Resources

President Goodluck Jonathan ATER and energy are W closely interlinked and interdependent. Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources.

Recent interest in biofuels also creates an incremental demand on water resources; the latest World Water Development Report (2012) predicts that even a nominal increase in biofuel demand (say 5% of road transport by 2030, as predicted by International Energy Agency) could push up the water demand by as much as 20% of the water used for agriculture worldwide. Additionally, biofuel production is linked to increases in water pollution through increased used of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers.

Co-production of water and energy, as is the case for geothermal energy generation,

offers interesting opportunities to energy- and waterscarce countries.

One may, therefore, argue that reflecting the interlinkages between water and energy should be given adequate attention in the new and emerging agenda around the so-called Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development dialogue. This could also be linked to the design of a climate resilient and robust green economy, as noted in the Section III of the Rio+20 outcome document “The Future We Want.”

With industries being major water and energy consumers, a green economy will be contingent to the greening of the industrial sector and resource efficient, cleaner production. A particular emphasis has to be placed on increasing the water use efficiency in energy production – essentially producing more kWh per drop of water. This would require a policy environment in which economic

and social incentives are offered to promote water use efficiency and protect freshwater ecosystems.

The UN system – working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders – is collectively bringing its attention to the water-energy nexus, particularly addressing inequities, especially for the ‘bottom billion’ who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services. It also aims to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that bridge ministries and sectors, leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy. Particular attention is being paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient ‘Green Industry’ a reality; several methodologies are at play in which industrial productivity can be increased while reducing the water footprint.

VICBOL NIGERIA LIMITED: PROVIDING WORLD STANDARD PRODUCTS AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE COST ICBOL Nigeria Limited, makers of V VeeVee water, VeeSol Sparkling and Vigor drinks, was incorporated in 1993 and it operated as a small business until 1999, when it received NAFDAC approval for the production of sachet water and flavoured drinks. Full production commenced in July, 2000.

VNL is now principally engaged in the bottling, marketing and sales of water products and flavoured drinks with brands that include: VeeVee water, VeeSol Sparkling and Vigor drinks.

The vision of the company is to ensure the availability of world standard bottled water and flavoured drinks to the Nigerian populace at the lowest possible cost.

VNL current products range include: Veevee Table Water – 0.50L, 0.75L & 1.5L; Veevee Barrel Bottle Water – 18.9L; Vigor Bottled Drinks – 35cl & 50cl; Sachet Water; and, Lolly Stick.

The company is peopled with highly

qualified and innovative team headed by Mrs. Abimbola Afolake Edwin as Managing Director.

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 43

44 Saturday, March 22, 2014

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METRONOTES

In Ketu, Okada Riders Brush Aside Side Mirrors Our roads are bad, just as we usually experience heavy traffic even on inner roads. When there is traffic, and one needs to move fast, side mirrors often become a challenge.

By Joseph Okoghenun OMMERCIAL motorcyC clists, popularly known as okada riders, may have unwittingly started acts to endanger the lives of residents of Ketu in Lagos in particular, and road users in general.

Observations by The Guardian reveal that majority of the okada riders in the area have deliberately removed their side mirrors. Others have even gone further to fix their side mirrors skyward.

Some of the riders told The Guardian that they decided to remove their side mirrors to enable them maneuver and meander through during heavy traffic. “Side mirrors occupy a lot of space and often become a hindrance during traffic. Therefore, I decided to remove them,” a rider who simply gave his name as Musa said.

Another motorcyclist, Chuks, agreed corroborated Musa’s view. Chuks, who has removed his side mirrors too, opined: “There are good roads and there is no traffic

where these motorcycles where manufactured. But that is not what we see here in Nigeria. Our roads are bad, just as we usually experience heavy traffic even on inner roads. When there is traffic, and one needs to move fast, side mirrors often become a challenge.”

Mr. Mathew Obi, another rider in the area, believes side mirrors are not very necessary. “To view backward left or backward right, I do not need any side mirror. What I need is my head. If I need to look left backward, I would turn my head left backward to see what is behind me,” Obi said.

But another rider in the area, Christopher Adeyemi, whose motorcycle still retains his two side mirrors, averred that

side mirrors are necessary for the safety of motorcyclists and other road users.

“When I see through my side mirrors any vehicle speeding behind me in a manner I am not too comfortable with, I simply give way to allow such a vehicle to pass. Side mirrors are very important while riding motorcycle. But my colleagues do not see it that way. Most of them have removed their side mirrors and keep them at home,” Adeyemi said.

The Guardian however observed that in spite of utter violation of road safety rules by the motorcyclist, neither police officials nor other road safety authorities have started forcing the violators to use side mirrors.

Saturday, March 22, 2014 45

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HEALTH

Diabetic Patients Should Avoid Sugar, Soft Drinks And Honey, Says Fasanmade In the course of investigating whether honey complicates diabetes management or not, AJIBOLA AMZAT spoke to Associate professor of Medicine and Consultant Endocrinologist College of Medicine University of Lagos /Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Olufemi Fasanmade.

Excerpts: Does honey alleviate the suffering of diabetic patients?

ONEY is not an anti- diabetic drug. People who have diabetes should not take sugar, they should not take soft drinks, they should not take sugarcane, and they should not take honey, either natural honey or synthetic honey. Many of our patients tell us they have stopped taking sugar in their tea and they changed to honey without the consent of a nutritionist. What honey contains is sugar. It is just that the sugar exists in natural form. But it is not a safe substitute for sugar. The word sugar, we generally talk about carbohydrate. In nutrition we talk about two major types of sugar, we talk about the simple sugar and the complex sugar or you say simple carbohydrate and complex carbohydrate. So in a layman language, anything carbohydrate comes with a lot of sugar, which could be in the simple for or complex form. Person with diabetes should avoid taking simple sugar. Simple sugars are those that are very easy to digest and that include glucose, sucrose which is what you find in the table sugar that we use and honey is similar to table sugar. So you don’t really need to take sugar or honey if you are diabetic (except if your blood sugar gone very low) Taking honey instead of sugar is just like taking sugarcane instead of sugar. That person is still taking sugar.

One is refined; the other is unrefined. The unrefined means the sugar exist alongside some other nutrients. Honey is just an unrefined mixture of various sugars.

Are you aware of studies affirming the benefits of honey even to the diabetic patients?

A person who has well-controlled diabetes can practically take almost any food. But there are something that make person’s sugar level rise more than the others for instance if a person is diabetic and he takes glucose even if his blood sugar is well controlled, if he takes a spoon of glucose, his sugar level will shoot up very high. If he takes two cubes of sugar, the sugar will shoot up but not as high as glucose. The person taking honey, the sugar will also shoot up but not as high as glucose. So there are various levels. We call that glycemic index. That is the ability of a particular food to raise the blood sugar level.

The thing that has the highest glycemic index is glucose, followed by sugar. Honey is very close to the regular sugar that we take, it also has a high glycaemic index. So if a study says a diabetic can take honey, you have to find out in what context.

For instance a diabetic patient whose sugar level has gone very low actually needs to take glucose.

If you put it unqualified, a diabetic patient can even take glucose. That is unqualified. But if you say in day-to-day use, is glucose useful for a diabetic patient? The answer is no. Is sugar useful for the person down with diabetes? No. Is honey useful? No. But in specific conditions, in the case of person who has been over treated and the sugar level has gone down very low, you can give them honey, you can give them glucose, you can give them sucrose and granulated or cube sugar.

That is one context in which honey can be useful.

In other context in which honey has a lot of use is when a person with diabetes has a sore, the surgeon could use honey for fast healing because wounds in diabetic heal very slowly. So if you have a wound that is not healing well, surgeons and other researchers have found that applying honey as a dressing agent to the wound make it heal faster than using plain water or antiseptics.

And it won’t aggravate any the condition?

It does that by different method. Honey is a very concentrated sugar. And if you put a natural honey on the table, you find that even ants don’t get there because it is so concentrated that if they get there, by the process of osmosis, that ant might die because honey will draw water from the ant into itself. That is the process of osmosis.

So you find out that natural honey will not easily

H

attract insect. So natural honey has some form of anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, anti –insect in it. Real honey does not attract insect. It is sticky, harmful to them and it can kill them. So at the microscopic level, it does something similar, to pour honey on top of microorganism. It will kill them because it is very concentrated.

What are the causes of diabetes?

Diabetes is not a recurring condition, it is a chronic or persistent condition, meaning once a person has been diagnosed to have diabetes in 99 percent cases, the diabetes continues till the person expires. It does not have a cure. The only thing is that, there are some things that aggravate it because it contributes to loading the body with sugar.

People drink honey for medicinal purposes thinking that honey will cure diabetes; the blood sugar will instead go very high. People who do not listen to their doctors, and still add honey to their tea or their pap, their blood sugar will go very high. Patients with diabetes who do not listen to his doctors or the nutritionist who want to drink soft drinks , their sugar level will go very high.

Person who is not diabetic, how safe is that person to take sugar or honey in particular?

The person who is not diabetic, and who takes honey or sugar in moderation, is safe.

Most of the thing in the world, God permits their use to help us, for us to enjoy. People get into trouble when they take too much of a particular item. Too much is what causes problem. If a person takes sugar sensibly, it is not harmful. If a person takes honey sensibly, it is not harmful. But where a person takes a cup of tea and put four cubes of sugar inside and one hour later, he says he is feeling hot and takes a bottle of soft drink which contains about six to eight cube of sugar, you have already taken 10 cubes. The person has taken too much. He has gone too far in a day.

The body has a limit to which you can push in term of storing sugar. If you load it with too much sugar over time, the person will start putting on weight, which makes you at risk of diabetes. Or the person doesn’t put on so much weight, but … he develops diabetes. So excessive intake of calories, especially sugar contributes to the development of the diabetic condition.

You appear to have put sugar and honey in the same boxes as if there is no distinction between the two…

Cut in: there is no distinction, one is naturally existing and the other is synthetic.

Doesn’t that mean they have different effects on the human organs?

The advantage of honey over the regular sugar is that the regular sugar is a naked calorie, nothing else. It does not contain vitamin, it does not contain any other thing only sugar 100 percent. But honey in addition to the sugar contains some vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and various other vitamins. So that is the only difference. If I would do a rough mathematical calculation, I will say honey is equal to the sugar we take plus vitamins. In terms of calorie content, energy inside, sugar inside, it is similar to sugar. If you take regular sugar and you put it on fire till it melts, you take it close to honey; you find out that they are about the same. When you heat the regular sugar, it becomes brown and sticky and it looks just like honey and that is why some use as form of adulterated honey. So it is almost the same. The difference is that honey is naturally more concentrated and has some other nutrients. The simple way of differentiating that adulterated honey from the pure honey is that the one

Fasanmade that was melted because it does not have the concentration of the other one, ants can go over it. But honey, most insects avoid it.

Even this claim is contestable; some agriculturalists claim that they have seen ants coming close to original honey.

Well, you can check up on this yourself. But if you get original honey from the honeycomb, put it somewhere and see whether ants will go near it. An ant is a sensible organism; it would not want to commit suicide. Honey is extremely sticky, it is highly concentrated and it will harm most animals. Just like human beings cannot drink seawater if he is thirsty, you will get dehydrated. The person who drinks seawater will die of thirst because of the extra salt inside. The same thing with honey; it is very concentrated.

It’s just the bees that produce it themselves and they use it for their own larvae; you will not find other insects invade a honeycomb. You just think about it, have you seen insects enter honeycombs? they won’t for two reasons. The bees themselves protect the honey and second honey is very concentrated sugar, they can’t lift it. They can’t take it. It is sticky.

What is the correct way to treat diabetes?

The correct way is to see your physician or your general practitioner or your family doctor.

Diabetes is not something that a patient can treat by himself. It is a condition that you a need a doctor to treat at least should have a first visit to the doctor who will assess the severity and whether there are complication and the doctor will determine whether it tablet or injection or the combination of the two. There some diabetic cases in which the sugar level is not very high, it may just be lifestyle that is required, so such a patient goes to the doctor and they are not given any medication because the sugar level is high, but it can be controlled. Those ones, we just tell them: don’t eat this; don’t eat that. Do some exercise, lose some weight and the sugar level will gradually come to normal.

Do you take honey yourself, doctor?

Once in a while I do.

Do you take sugar?

I do, more frequently than I take honey. There are very few people in this world who do not take sugar. Either they are putting t inside oat or tea or cornflakes. Or if you think you don’t take sugar, once you take soft drinks then you take sugar. Sugar is one of the sweet things of life.

Sugar is one of the biggest industries; it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Anywhere in the world, there is sugar.

Diabetes is common to middle age and elderly people. As our population becomes older, we would have more cases of diabetes because

major factor is age, the other factor is weight and physical activity What has weight got to do with diabetes?

Weight means you have been too much or you have not been exercising, and diabetes is just a manifestation of too much calories, that the sugar level going up. For you and I to do all our physical activities, we need sugar; the body needs sugar. But when you are loading yourself with plenty of it and you are not using it, two things can happen, increase in size because you are poring fuel inside a generator that is not being worked, so it has increase in size, if the tank is filled, it will spill out, so diabetes can be regarded to be the spilling out, an overflow of sugar, it is not being used and it is still being added so the blood sugar level has to go up.

Normally when your sugar level goes up, the body converts excess sugar to fat and stores it.

And vice versa happens during starvation, the body breaks it down the tissues and converse it to sugar for use so you see a fat person losing weight, he is losing weight because the weight is being converted to energy.

Does it mean you have to be fat or you have to be a heavy weight to be diabetic? Can a slim person be diabetes prone?

Those are the major risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, which is the commonest type of diabetes, excess weight or inadequate exercise that is why it is more common because people are getting fatter.

People who are slim do not usually have diabetes. If a slim person develops diabetes, it is likely to be type 1 which is very uncommon.

That means the pancreas that normally produces insulin is damaged. That has nothing to do with weight. Diabetes worldwide, 95 percent case is the type 2, which is the one that has to do with weight and age.

Does Nigeria have a diabetes policy?.

The policy in Nigeria is rudimentary. The major part of the policy we have is screening. Many states and sometimes Federal Government does screening programs. That is as far as diabetes policy is concerned in this country. The conditions, which have a policy in this country, are TB, malaria, HIV, Child and Maternal care, river blindness and Guinean worm. You will find out that what is common to all of these diseases is that they are communicable diseases. For diabetes and hypertension there is no clear-cut policy in the country.

In developed countries they have a policy for virtually every condition. Once you are employed for instance, you are screened for many diseases.

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THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014

BUSINESSINTERVIEW Ibrahim Abdullahi, Secretary General of Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Maslaha Seed, Gasau, Zamfara State spoke to DEBO OLADIMEJIon the benefits of the agricultural transformation agenda of the Federal Government and how to curb insecurity in the north among other topical issues.

What led to the formation of Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria?

E started the association in our quest to see how we can bring about development within the Nigerian seed sector. We felt that the Nigerian seed industry cannot be developed by one person, or by the government alone.

We discovered that the only way to move forward is for us to come together as an association. That was why we put ourselves together to discuss and find solutions to the issues militating against the development of the seed sector as a whole.

How old is the association?

The association has been in existence since 1992. But recently, we felt that we needed to strengthen the association. We now have a stronger association.

We used to have what is called the National Seed Service (NSS). It was operating within the ambit of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. It was not autonomous. Most of the seed productions, breeder’s seeds and foundation seeds were being produced and coordinated

by NSS. But now things have changed to the extent that the government has liberalized the production of foundation and breeder seeds to the private sector. What used to be called the National Seed Service is now called the National Agric Seed Council (NASC).

Why did the government decide to liberalize the production of foundation seed?

Before now, there were a lot of issues that had to do with seed delivery in Nigeria. The seed uptake in Nigeria was as low as less than five per cent. It used to be even two per cent. The production level of all the seed companies put together was just at 5,000 metric tons per annum.

But we now have more agro dealers located in every nook and cranny of this country. More seed companies have been registered. This became possible with the introduction of the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES)of the Federal Government. It facilitated and encouraged more agro dealers within the seed industries. Before the introduction of GES, most of the agro dealers were only located in major cities in this country. Before a seed company delivers seed to those agro dealers located in major cities, it takes time. The agro dealers only stock the seed in their shops, they did not distribute to the villages where farmers are located. That was the reason why we have been complaining about low seed uptake in Nigeria because the seeds are not getting to the farmers. That kept our production level to 5,000 and below.

But when the GES was introduced, more agro dealers were introduced and more agro dealers were registered and they established what is called the redemption centres in the villages. We now only distribute the seeds to those agro dealers. They will take them to the redemption centres. That is what made it possible for us to increase the seed production level from 5,000 to 25,000 now 50,000 tons per annum, and our intention is to do better if the government can continue with the programme.

How did you arrive at that figure?

We are the operators. We know ourselves, we know our production rate. I told you before now all our production put together was about 5,000 metric tons. But today we have some seed companies that are producing 10,000 metric tons per annum.

NASC has the statics of what we used to produce because they go from farm to farm to certify the seeds. They know the capacity of our production.

What are new innovations concerning the issue of subsidy?

We have had numerous subsidy programmes in this country. We have participated in most of the past subsidy programmes. We have had cases where state government intervened. For example, I know of Zamfara, Sokoto and Kano, Kwara state governments intervening. They

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‘We Want Govt To Ban Importation Of Rice’ used to subsidize the inputs and give to farmers. We have also participated in the past federal government subsidy programmes before this present one. We know how all of them used to operate.

How did they operate?

There were a lot of mistakes in the past.

For example, we have had instances where after we have supplied the improved seeds to the Federal Government Ministry of Agriculture, the seeds will be dumped there. They will not be redistributed to the farmers until they get bad. When the seeds get bad, government officials will now finally get the approval to distribute the seeds to farmers.

What then has changed?

But GES is entirely different in its approach. What government did was to review all the past intervention programmes and they noted all the lapses.

They now decided to distribute seeds and extend subsidy to farmers directly (from the suppliers to the end users, the farmers). No middlemen. What you will hear is take your seeds to a particular redemption centre, where the real farmers are located. Seeds and other inputs now get to the farmers on time. Farmers get inputs ahead of time. They will be waiting for the rain to start so that they will start planting.

What other aspect of the GES programme is noteworthy?

In our own case, we give seeds to farmers.

But subsidy is also extended to farmers in the area of fertilizers and agro chemicals.

50 per cent subsidy is extended to farmers, in the case of fertilizers and agro chemicals. In the case of seeds, government has decided to give hundred per cent subsidy to farmers because it has been discovered that seeds are the main input for farmers, not fertilizers or agro chemicals. Do you think these farmers will now go back to their old practices? No, because they have seen the importance of seeds now.

What we are saying is that, we want the government to continue with the GES programme, because in the first year alone, we registered about five million farmers.

Now we have registered about 10 million farmers. Farmers are getting alerts on their phones. They receive alerts to go to their locations and get their seeds and fertilizers.

What would you consider to be the major impact of the GES programme?

The GES programme has helped in the sense that a lot of farmers are now using improved seeds. They are getting more yields, seed companies have increased their production to meet with the national seeds requirements. All these meant more employment. When you look at it, down stream or up stream, we now have more international investors coming into the country to invest in rice milling. What we used to hear in Nigeria is why investors are not coming to establish rice mills in Nigeria; they complained of lack of paddy rice.

But since the commencement of the GES programme, most of the existing rice mills in Nigeria are doing well. They are now getting paddy rice. A rice mill owned by the Lagos State government has started buying paddy rice from Kebbi State. We are the ones that supply the seeds to farmers in Kebbi State and they produced a lot of paddy rice and now they are happy. All these things are happening but people don’t know.

We want the government to ban importation of rice so that we can produce enough rice to feed this country and

Abdullahi export. Why are we spending billions of naira on rice importation and other food items when we have all it takes to produce food in this country?

How many registered seed companies do we have in Nigeria now?

We used to have 10 to 12 seed companies in Nigeria. Now we have more than 80.

Nobody should complain of lack of seeds in Nigeria. We are already producing and we are meeting all the seeds requirements. The country is gradually becoming food sufficient. Our intention is to feed this country and stop all importation of food items in this country and even export.

But some people are saying that the government should focus on commercial farmers not small holders farmers. What’s your view on that?

Those people are not real farmers. Those are the people importing rice into this country. We have never had a better time than now in this country. We should encourage government to continue with this programme.

We have been supplying seeds to large scale farmers as well. The Seeds Project, Tecni Seeds (Kano) and Premier Seeds supply seeds directly to large scale farmers.

And most of us we supply to redemption

We are saying that by 2050, the population of Africa will double. We are now one billion people in Africa. Are we going to continue to rely on importation of food when we see our population doubling by 2050 when Africans will be two billion?

centres, to poor farmers. We are saying that by 2050, the population of Africa will double.

We are now one billion people in Africa. Are we going to continue to rely on importation of food when we see our population doubling by 2050 when Africans will be two billion?

Look at the expanse of land we have in this country. 82 million hectares of arable land as announced by the Minister. Out of this 82 million hectares, we are only utilizing presently 32 million hectares.

What has been the impact of the GES programme in reducing insecurity in the North?

Hunger, poverty, unemployment are causing insecurity in the north. With this programme, the seed companies alone have employed more than 100,000 people.

Ordinarily, these people would have decided to do something else. And there is no sector that has the absorptive capacity to provide employment than agriculture.

We were asked to take seeds to Maiduguri, Yobe and initially, we couldn’t. We complained to the Minister of Agriculture. He said that we must take seeds to those areas, because it could help to bring security to those places. And we delivered. A time will come when the government will win the war against insecurity in the country. The government can do this thing by providing jobs.

We are saying that the government should do more because the Maputo Declaration says that the governments should set aside 10 per cent of their total budgets to agriculture.

We are getting less than three per cent now. If government can adhere to the Maputo Declaration, in two years’ time, we would have gone a long way.

tHe gUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 47

With DESMOND EKEH

BRANDINtellIgeNce

desmondekeh@yahoo.com; 08023215535, 08111813032

Brand Building: Football As Preferred Sports In connecting With Nigerian consumers

By Adeshola Ogbodo N the last two decades, brand analysts have Ibrands identified a gradual and consistent shift of from being product-centric to customer-centric. According to Dr. Peter Fader, author of Customer Centricity: Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage, being customer-centric means looking at a customer’s lifetime value and focusing marketing efforts squarely on that real-world, highvalue customer segment to drive profit.

Rather than a brand focusing on its expertise in developing products, like what obtained in the past, the focus today is to simply give consumers what they want and also build a sustainable relationship with them.

Building a sustainable relationship with consumers is a daunting task for both brands and marketers. It is an open secret that many consumers today habour a huge distrust for marketers. consumers are in most cases skeptical of a brand’s motive believing that its intention is to exploit them. this perception has in no small measure made a marketer’s job even more difficult in trying to connect with them. to this end, brands are constantly exploring different means to endear themselves to consumers genuinely. Positioning of products and services has seen brands splash billions of dollars on sports activities just to gain prominence among other human endeavours. For example, the 11 biggest corporate sponsors doled out nearly $1 billion for the rights to flaunt the Olympic seal during the 2012 london Olympic games.

Football seems to be the biggest winner, when it comes to leveraging sports to connect with consumers. this comes as no surprise because football is the number one and most popular sports worldwide. It is not only the most widely watched sport but also the most played game in the world. the world’s largest sporting event is the FIFA World cup. the last World cup was broadcast in 214 countries and territories. According to Sponsorship Intelligence, an agency whose figures FIFA relies on, 715.1 million people — give or take, one in 10 people alive at the time — watched the last world cup finals in South Africa.

Nigeria is a football loving country and millions of people are cult followers of one football club or the other. the power of football to connect with a large number of people within and outside Nigeria was once again showcased recently when Heineken brought the UeFA champions league trophy to Nigeria. the brand was able to connect with millions of Nigerians by giving them an exciting opportunity to interact, engage and have a wonderful experience with the trophy. the passion and interest generated by the recently concluded Heineken Sharethesofa digital campaign held in lagos is still reverberating as a record 101 million people were reached globally with 14.2 million from Nigeria alone. the exciting and engaging digital activation was part of the activities lined up to create memorable experience for consumers and soccer fans globally during the Meet the trophy campaign. Heineken, the world’s leading international premium larger beer,

Sales Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Hubert Eze (left); Heineken Ambassador, Ruud Gullit; and the Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Walter Drenth during the presentation of UEFA Champions League Trophy to distributors in Lagos…recently. undertook the digital campaign where football fans across the globe interacted with Ruud gullit via #sharethesofa. gullit, a Dutch coach, is a UeFA european championship and Super cup winner, as well as Ballon d’Or recipient. gullit was tweeting live with football fans globally from the comfort of the upscale Heineken House in lagos while the knockout matches between Manchester city and Barcelona Fc and Paris St germaine (PSg) and Bayern leverkusen were going on. He ran commentary and gave insight about the matches, while answering questions on the direction given the fact that he is also a coach. the champions league is the most prestigious club platform for international football stars and their clubs. With over 150 million tV viewers watching live coverage of the UeFA champions league in 220 countries and territories every match week, this premier-sporting event has become global and fits perfectly with the Heineken® brand which is enjoyed in almost every country in the world.

Speaking on the activation, Senior Brand Manager Heineken, Ngozi Nkwoji, disclosed that sharethesofa is a global activation and Heineken, the world’s most international beer latest second-screen campaign, which coincides with the european soccer season.

“the programme lets fans interact with soccer stars via that hashtag. the initiation kicked off with gullit who also participated in a live interview while fans could also play a video game with gullit. “the programme also included “random acts of kindness” from Heineken to fans that use that hashtag, including a surprise visit from a soccer star who will actually share a fan’s sofa during a game. Heineken estimates that 70 per cent of viewers of the UeFA champions league (Ucl) watch with a device at home alone and 77 per cent of tablet owners have their tablets handy during matches. the Ucl is one of the top three most-tweeted events of the year, according to the company.”

She further revealed that the unique line to the activation in Nigeria was the visit of the trophy to the country with gullit and the opportunity for Nigerians to tweet and get answers to their questions which is seen globally.

Nkwoji added that each year during the UeFA champions league season, “Heineken strives to ignite fans’ conversations. this year’s UeFA champions league trophy tour brings football fans around the world closer to action in an unexpected and surprising way enabling them to interact with Heineken and the tournament. As we get closer to the final, we will continue to engage with fans by offering leg-

How Advertising contributes to Nigeria’s economy, By AAAN

By Henry Otalor IgeRIAN advertising practitioners under aegis of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) recently highlighted its contributions to Nigeria’s economy in its year-ended 2013. the association, which plays in the marketing communication industry, has evaluated its offerings to national development beyond the marketing communication services it provides to both government and private sector.

Analyzing the contributions of member agencies in a press briefing held at the association’s secretariat recently, Publicity Secretary of the association, Dr. celey

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Okogun, gave the employment opportunities created by the subsector in 2013 as 2,178. the breakdown showed that there were 783 fresh graduates, 536 junior level workers from other sectors, 358 senior level staff from other industries, 121 junior level and 380 senior level from the integrated marketing communications industry.

He further said that there is a proven link between advertising and the economic growth of Nigeria with a positive correlation between the rates of investment in advertising and the gDP growth in major markets. He gave the total of the figures that swelled the different medium in 2013 as N125, 000 billion, which

he said only covers what was generated from the private sector. “the association’s has projected that political campaigns in 2014 will experience astronomical increase in advertising spend, as well as the banking and telecom sectors increasing from last year’s figure. Over N20 billion of this amount will be spent on political campaign, which may, however, not pass through the organised private sector,” Okogun noted.

He also noted that the licensing of the new DIScO companies will increase advertising spend in the energy sector. the President of the AAAN, Mrs. Bunmi Oke, stated that the

Nigerian economy is one of the most developed in Africa with the second largest stock exchange on the continent.

According to her, the economy is projected to grow at over seven per cent, with such growth expected from areas such as electricity, agriculture, tourism, information and communications technology (Ict), operating at full potentials.

She also observed that the industry is positioned for the expected growth. “It extends to fully engendering proper understanding of government policies and revealing to the public ways by which they can participate, benefit and contribute to the growth of the economy.”

endary brand experiences.”

Other brands are also not relenting in their efforts to leverage football to build equity for their brands. the english Premier league enjoys tremendous followership from passionate fans in Nigeria and poses an effective avenue for connecting with consumers.

Brands have wasted no time in identifying themselves with some of the prestigious ePl teams that enjoy massive following in Nigeria.

For example in 2012, telecommunications giant, Airtel Nigeria, signed a three-year partnership agreement with Arsenal Football club. According to Arsenal’s official website, the deal provides Airtel with the opportunity to utilise the club’s merchandising, hospitality and content rights in five markets: Nigeria, Zambia, ghana, Uganda and Rwanda.

Also telecommunications giant, globacom, in 2009, became an official sponsor of one of the most successful football clubs, Manchester United Fc, and is also a major sponsor of the Super eagles. the brand is also a huge supporter of football leagues, teams and events across the African continent. the etisalat group signed a four-year partnership agreement in 2009 with Spanish club, Fc Barcelona, as an Official International Partner, which was extended to Nigeria in 2011.

Other sectors are also not left out in identifying with football. In the banking sector, Standard chartered Bank signed a four-year sponsorship of liverpool Fc, which began in July 2010, and extended to the end of the 2015-16 season. In 2008, United Bank for Africa (UBA) entered a strategic partnership deal with Arsenal Fc of london. commenting on brands leveraging football as a vehicle for brand building, Head of Sponsorships at emirates group, Roger Duthie, said: “We use sponsorships to build our brand globally and to create brand awareness.”

He enthused that “we feel that with football, we can cut through many different cultures and markets simply because it is one of the world’s most popular sports.”

For most Nigerian brands, identifying with football seems a potent avenue to connect with consumers. With the world cup coming up in a few months’ time, more brands would be looking for ways to key into this great fiesta in a way that it benefits them and builds their equity.

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tHe gUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014

BRANDNeWS 2014 cannes lions Nigeria Awards Holds today HINI productions, official cannes lions Festival represenc tatives in Nigeria would be holding the 2014 cannes lions Nigeria Dinner and Awards today at Planet One, Maryland, Ikeja. the organisation has revealed that it is ready to once again treat the Nigerian marketing communications industry to another exciting edition of the annual event. the Dinner and Awards is the culmination of various cannes lions national competitions including the Young lions competition in Media, creative and PR categories; the Roger Hatchuel Academy for students preparing to work in the ad industry and the Miami Ad School Scholarship competition.

Speaking on the uniqueness of this year’s event, the Managing Director of cHINI Productions said: “We are particularly excited about this year’s event because we are now beginning to see the results of previous efforts in the industry.

Never before did the industry employ this number of highly talented and skilled youths. this is what we have always strived for and this is good news for the future of the industry.”

Verdant Zeal Holds third Innovention Series ONceRNeD with the growing need to foster inclusive c growth and development through purposeful leadership in the country and Africa at large, leading marketing communica-

tions firm, Verdant Zeal Marketing communication, has chosen “growing leadership Innovation – lessons for Africa” as the theme for the third edition of its annual Innovention Series.

Billed to hold on tuesday, March 25, 2014, at the civic centre, Victoria Island, the programme will have as its special guest of honour and keynote speaker, frontline ghanaian politician and statesman, and former presidential candidate, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo.

Joining Akufo-Addo as special guests and panel discussants on the third Innovention Series are the executive chairman, Multichoice, South Africa group, Mr. Nolo letele; the executive Secretary, leadership effectiveness Accountability and Professionalism (leAP) Africa, Mrs, Iyadunni Olumide; the chairman, Nigeria economic Summit group (NeSg), Mr. Foluso Philips; and the founder, Arise Networks, Miss toyosi Akerele.

Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje, banker, strategist, social commentator and political economist is the anchor.

Speaking on the event, the group Managing Director, Verdant Zeal Marketing communications ltd, Mr. tunji Olugbodi, stated that it is a platform that engages the public on discussions concerning Nigeria and aimed at highlighting growth areas and the hope of unearthing possible opportunities that would transform the nation.

BRANDINtellIgeNce

DuPont Hosts Seminar For Packaging Industry ORlD’S leading science W and innovation company, DuPont, recently put together a food packaging seminar to help companies access the most up-to-date techniques in packaging and branding of products. the event, which was held recently at Protea Hotel in Ikeja, lagos, was an opportunity for professionals from the Nigerian and the West African food and packaging industry to convene and confer on the future of the packaging sector in the subregion.

Aimed at developing the manufacturing sector, the

event, which held with the theme “Building the future of Packaging together in Nigeria”, had well over 100 professionals in attendance. the seminar also provided the avenue for the experts to evaluate the latest innovations, technologies and trends in packaging.

During the opening speech of the one-day event that hosted numerous local and foreign participants, country Manager, DuPont Nigeria, Seydou Kane, emphasised food, energy and the protection of people and the environment as priority areas for DuPont.

Pointing at the fact that the current seven billion world population will be surging to nine billion in 2050, Kane stressed that one-third of all global food production is wasted today. “this substantial waste stems from rudimentary conditions in harvesting techniques, storage, processing, packaging distribution, preservation and consumption. the improvement of packaging quality in particular may play a significant role in preventing this considerably high quantity of food waste,” he said.

Also speaking at the event,

DuPont Regional Manager for Packaging and Industrial Polymers, eceMeA (east central europe, Middle east, Africa), lukas Bartek, asserted that every year 1.3 million tons of food are wasted from field to fork.

Bartek highlighted the remarkable amount of savings incurred thanks to the packaging solutions devised

by DuPont.

He also commented on the sustainability of packaging design and elucidated DuPont’s multidimensional approach in tackling the issue of sustainability.

Oxygen Academy enlivens Advertising Industry

By Abiodun Obisesan ItH the increasing rate of unemployment and dearth of W creative and young minds in Nigeria, Oxygen Academy, a fast-growing ad school, has reiterated its resolve to discover and position talents in the advertising industry. this disclosure was made during the fifth year anniversary of the company at the Oxygen complex in lagos.

According to the Founder of Oxygen Academy, Ozoemena Mbanefo, the academy is a window that unveils ad men into the creative industry. ‘‘Since 2008, Oxygen Academy has helped young men and women to achieve their dream of creativity; carving a niche for the Nigerian ad industry with relevance to our identity and bringing about a revolution in the marketing communications and advertising industry. the sole aim of the academy is to bridge the gap between after school for young graduates and unemployment. We duplicate ourselves into them by infusing the real practical experience into the students thereby making them readily available for any ad agency to hire,” he enthused. the ad mogul lauded Intercontinental Distilleries limited (IDl) for supporting the academy. “We want more corporate organisations to support us so that we can build a world-class school of ad,” he said.

ecobank Appoints essien As group ceO cOBANK transnational Incorporated now has Mr. Albert eBefore essien as its new group ceO. his appointment, essien was Deputy ceO/ group executive Director for corporate and Investment Banking. His appointment took effect immediately on March 12, 2014. essien took over from Mr. thierry tanoh who joined the ecobank group as ceO designate in July 2012 and commenced his executive role in October 2012, prior to being appointed group ceO in January 2013. essien has been at ecobank for more than 20 years. He had served as the Regional Head for the Anglophone West Africa (excluding Nigeria) and eastern and Southern Africa (eSA) regions.

He started his banking career in 1986 with the National Investment Bank in Accra, ghana and joined the corporate Banking Department of ecobank ghana in 1990. In 1997, he became country Risk Manager. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 2001 and later became Managing Director in December 2002. essien has a degree in economics from the University of ghana and is an alumnus of the executive Development Programme of INSeAD (France /Singapore).

Business Development Manager, Packaging and Industrial Polymers, DuPont Nigeria, Olumide Idowu Oyebanjo (left); Country Manager, DuPont Nigeria, Seydou Kane; Application Specialist, Packaging and Industrial Polymer, DuPont South Africa, Karabo Kekana; DuPont Regional Manager SAA, Bjoern Meth; and Marketing Communications Manager, EMEA, DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers, Nilgun Turan, during DuPont Food Packaging Seminar in Lagos recently.

HKlM, Brandzone Hold Seminar On ‘Why Brands Succeed’

By Ntia Usukuma t was a gathering of senior Ibanking, and top management from technology, pension, manufacturing, luxury brands and telecoms organisations at a seminar on ‘Why Brands Succeed’ organised by HKlM/Brandzone consulting recently at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, lagos HKlM, Africa’s foremost strategic brand and communication design consultancy specialising in emerging

markets, and Brandzone consulting llc, a lagosbased brand strategy, communications and activation company, co-hosted the event in lagos. Brandzone is HKlM’s technical partner.

In a paper delivered by HKlM’s Pan African and Middle east’s groups ceO, Dr. Sean Mccoy, on Internal Brand engagement (IBe), he emphasised the strategic importance of actively involving and focusing the organisation’s internal stakeholders on building brand

equity and ultimately a competitive advantage. “the majority of organisations are not aware that having a sustainable employee engagement programme is critical to success. typically, we measure three elements: traditional engagement: employees’ willingness to expend discretionary effort on their job; enablement: having the tools, resources and support to do their job effectively; energy: having a work environment that actively supports physical,

Dulux Unveils TEAL As 2014 colour

By Abiodun Obisesan HeMIcAl and Allied c Products (cAP) Plc, a subsidiary of UAcN Plc and the technological licensee of AkzoNobel, manufacturers of Dulux premium brand of paint in Nigeria, has unveiled the 2014 Dulux colour of the year named ‘teAl.’ the unveiling, which was in line with the Dulux global tradition, was held at the golden tulip Hotel, Festac town, lagos, recently. teAl, which is a deep bluegreen colour (dark cyan), was

unveiled as the 2014 Dulux colour of the year at an event witnessed by the company’s various stakeholders. cAP Plc also used the occasion of the unveiling of the 2014 Dulux colour of the Year to introduce the new packaging design (new livery) for Dulux premium brand of paint. the new attractive packaging design is available for the different variants of Dulux paint: gloss, weathershield and emulsion.

Speaking at the event, the group Managing Director, UAc of Nigeria Plc, Mr. larry

ettah, disclosed that the theme of the 2014 Dulux colour of the Year, ‘Unlocking Potential’ is an interesting one that resonates with the times.

“We live in a time of great change. By taking a look at what we have, we can unlock the potentials that surround us and by so doing, our destinies. these opportunities apply to businesses as well as individuals,” he said. ettah noted that the 2014 colour of the Year “portrays the mood of unlocking the ideas, the dreams and the passion within us.”

emotional and interpersonal well-being.”

He further stated that based on how employees have responded in international emerging market surveys, four distinct engagement segments were identified as follows: highly engaged: 35 per cent; unsupported: 22 per cent; detached: 17 per cent; and disengaged: 26 per cent; and indicated the need for more work to be done.

“It is axiomatic that when the internal brand audience is actively included in the process, not only does morale increase but so too does the brand’s performance in the market place”, he emphasised.

Director, HKlM West Africa, Mr. gary Harwood presented a paper on ‘Five brands, 10 lessons’, which is a case study of African brands managed by HKlM that have achieved success and built strong equity by understanding that a brand is not just an identity but rather the reputation of a company, product or individual that is created by delivering on a clearly defined promise. Nigeria’s glo and South Africa’s Nedbank and Singita, recently voted the best hotel in the world, were some of the brands highlighted in the presentation.

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DIARY

Deputy Director Business Support, Mr. Oluseye Aderinmola (left), Director-General, Lagos chapter of Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo and Director Programmes, Mrs. Kemisola Jiboye at the opening of training programmes for officers of the Lagos State Civil Service at the PSSDC Magodo, Lagos

Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State (right) congratulating Gen. Azubike Ihejirika Rtd. after receiving a chieftaincy title of Dike-Abia during a grand civic reception organized by Government and people of Abia State in honour of Gen. Ihejirika in Umuahia…recently

Trustees and founders of Atlantic Hall school cutting the 25th anniversary ‘s cake of the school in Lagos… recently

Regional Trade Marketing Manager – East, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Austin Aka; Winner of Brazil ticket, Chukwuma Tochukwu Obo; Brand Manager – Star, Obabiyi Fagade and Senator, the show compere; at the last edition of the Star Trip To Brazil promo, held at the Bamboo Garden, Awka, Anambra State…recently

Former General Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE), John Ndukauba, Ebere Ndukauba and Dr (Mrs.) Kate Ndukauba at Ebere’s wedding in Aba, Abia State…recently

Couple, Dr Okechukwu Ugwu and Dr Mrs. Nneoma Okechukwu (middle) flanked by their parents, Chief Micheal Ugwu and Lolo Regina Ugwu (left); and Barrister Ngozi Ani and Dr Dickson Ani- Unity during the wedding ceremony of Doctor Ugwu in Enugu State…recently

Mr. Edwin Umoren, his son, Charles Edidiong Umoren and Mrs. Imaobong Umoren during the matriculation ceremony of Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State…recently Actress, Success Asibor celebrating her birthday in an orphanage home in Ekpoma, Edo State… recently

Professor of Biochemistry and Member, Lagos State University (LASU) Governing Council, Babajide Elemo, (middle) cutting his birthday cake, with his wife, Dr. Gloria Elemo, Director General Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, (FIIRO), and well-wishers at his 60th birthday colloquium celebration in Lagos… recently

Chigozie Chukwunaru with his friends during his fourth birthday celebration in Lagos…last Saturday

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Change of Name ABDUL: Formerly Miss Abdul Rukayat Oluwaseun now Mrs. Ajoje Oluwaseun Ebudola. All former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ABONYI: F o r merly Miss Abonyi Juliet Ukamaka, now Mrs Nwagbo Juliet Ukamaka. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ABU: Formerly Miss Abu Mercy Eleojo now Mrs Kugbayi Mercy Elejo. Documents valid.

Public note ACHINIVU: Formerly Miss Ijeoma Kanu Achinivu, now Mrs Ijeoma Odukwe. Former documents valid.

Public note.

ADEBAYO: I, formerly Sarah Adebayo now wish to be addressed as Mrs Sarah Khanye. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ADEDAYO: Formerly Miss Adedayo Lydia Oyedun now Mrs. Adedayo Lydia Oladapo.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ADEJUMO: Formerly Miss Adejumo Idayat Iyabo now Mrs Lawal Idayat Iyabo. Documents valid. Public note.

ADELAKUN: Formerly Miss Adelakun Abosede Adijat now Mrs. Bankole Abisoye Titilayo. General public note.

ADEMILUA: Formerly Miss Ademilua Monisola Mercy now Mrs. Omotayo Orimisan Monisola Mercy. Former documents remain valid. Lagos SUBEB and public note.

ADENIJI: Formerly Miss Ademidun Adeola Adeniji now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Ademidun Adeola Oroge. Former documents remain valid.

General public note.

ADEOSUN: Formerly Miss Adeosun Jolaoluwa Opemiju now Mrs. Olowoyelu Jolaoluwa Opemiju. Former documents valid.

UNILAG, Bowen University, Fidelity Bank, public note.

ADEOYE: Formerly Miss Zainab Temitope Adeoye, now Mrs Zainab Temitope

Shittu. Former documents valid. Public note.

ADEYEYE: Former Miss Adeyeye Folashade Temitope now Mrs. Ajisafe Folashade Temitope. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ADIE: Formerly Miss Mercy Betten Adie, now Mrs Mercy Betten Nee-ue. Former documents valid. Public note.

ADUN: Former Adun Mawume Mary now Mrs. Folorunsho Mawume Mary. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AFOLABI: Formerly Miss Christy Ayomide Afolabi, now Mrs Christy Ayomide Ogidan. Former documents valid. Public note.

AGWUNOBI: Formerly Miss Agwunobi Ekene Anastesia now Mrs Odumegwu Ekene Anastesia. Former documents remain valid.Public note.

AJAKAYE: Formerly Ajakaye Sariat Olateju now Osiade Sariat Olateju. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

AJALA: Formerly Miss Ajala Olufunmilayo Bunmi now Mrs. Oyetoro Olufunmilayo Bunmi. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

AJAYI: Formerly Miss Ajayi Odunayo Rosemary now Mrs. Adeyemo Odunayo Rosemary. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

AJAYI: Formerly Ajayi M o y o f o l u w a Oluwaseun now Ogunyemi Moyofoluwa Oluwaseun. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AJAYI: Formerly Miss Ajayi Ayomide Titilayo now Mrs. Popoola Ayomide Titilayo. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AJIEH: Formerly Ajieh Kingsley Obi now Opia Kingsley Obi. Documents remain valid.

Public note.

AJISEGIRI: Formerly Miss Ajisegiri Aminat Oluwatoyin now Mrs Akinsanya Aminat Oluwatoyin.

Docu-

ments valid. Public note.

AJOMALE: Formerly Miss Ajomale Tolulope Omotolani now Mrs. Owofolaju Tolulope Omotolani.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AJUBA: Formerly Miss Jacinta Onyebuchi Ajuba now Mrs Jacinta Onyebuchi Ugwuanyi.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AKANO: I, formerly Miss Akano Florence Oluyinka now Mrs Akanni Florence Oluyinka. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

AKANO: Formerly Akano Esther Ndidi Ugochi now Mrs. Esther Ndidi Ugochi Njemanze.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AKINBODE: Formerly Miss Akinbode Abimbola Omolola, now Mrs Dokunmu Abimbola Omolola, former documents remain valid, public note.

AKINRINADE: Formerly Mis sAkinrinade Oluwaseyi Anuoluwapo now Mrs. Omisanjo Oluwaseyi Anuoluwapo. Former documents remain valid. General public note.

AKINTOLA: I, formerly Miss Akintola Abiodun Moriam now Mrs Ladipo Abiodun Moriam. Former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

AKINYAIYEJU: Formerly Miss Agnes Omotola Akinyaiyeju, now Mrs Agnes Omotola Adedayo. Former documents valid. Public note.

AKPENE: Formerly Akpene Esther Odufa now Mrs. Afe-Oyaletor Esther Odufa. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AKPOBASA: Former Mrs A k p o b a s a Imonikeloma Mary now Miss Okoro Imonikeloma Mary. All former documents remain valid. State Universal Basic Education Board. Asaba, Warri South Local Education Authority, Warri and public note.

ALADUM: Formerly Miss Aladum Sandra Chizoba now Mrs Onyekachukwu Mercy Chizoba. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ASUQUO: Formerly Miss Afi Lifting Asuquo now Mrs. Afi Dima Thomas. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

ALIGWEKWE: Formerly Miss Aligwekwe Julia Chinagorom, now Mrs Ogbuehi Julia Chinagorom. Former documents valid. Public note.

AMDZARANDA: Formerly Miss Anasili Daniel Amdzaranda now Mrs. Anasili Iliya Hyellamada. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

BABAFUNSO: Formerly Miss Titilope Oluwapelumi Babafunso now Mrs Titilope Oluwapelumi Fajimi. Former documents remain valid. SEC Nigeria and public note.

AMIDA: Former Miss Amida Monsurat Adedayo now Mrs. Sadiq Adedayo Monsurat.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

AMINU: Former Samaila Aminu Jikamshi now wish to be known and called Ismaila Usman Jikamshi.

General public to note.

ANEKE: Formerly Miss Aneke Obiageli Justina, now Mrs Okafor Obiageli Justina. Former documents remain valid. EEDC, public note.

ANTHONY: Formerly John Ugiagbe Anthony now John Ugiagbe Anthony-Atuye. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ANYANSO: Formerly Miss Glory Anyanso now Mrs Glory Obioma Nwaogbe. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

APANPA: Formerly Apanpa Adedoyin Samiat now Mrs. Eletu Adedoyin Samiat. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ARANSIOLA: Formerly Miss Nike Tayo Aransiola, now Mrs Nike Tayo Oyelola. Former documents valid. Public note.

AROWOLO: Formerly Arowolo Opeyemi Janet now Adelani Opeyemi A. Janet. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ASEMOH: Formerly Miss Hannah Agulorkua Asemoh now Mrs. Hannah Agulorkua Momodu. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

BABATOPE: Formerly Miss Oluwatosin Tolulope Babatope, now Mrs Oluwatosin Tolulope Osho. Former documents valid. Public note.

BALOGUN: I, formerly Miss Balogun Ololade now wish to be known as Mrs. Ololade Adeyemi Nkwocha. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

BELLO: Formerly Miss Risikat Afolake Bello now Mrs. Risikat Afolake Summonu. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

BELLO: Formerly Miss Mariam Temitope Bello, now Mrs Mariam Temitope Anjolaiya.

Former documents valid. Public note.

BISIRIYU: Formerly Miss Bisiriyu Adesola Ramat now wish to be called Mrs. Okunowo Adesola Ramat. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

BURAIMO: Formerly Miss Buraimo Kehinde Adeola, now Mrs Adeoye Kehinde Adeola. Former documents valid. Public note.

CHUKWUBUEZE: I, formerly Miss Chukwubueze Christina Chinomso now Miss Ofurum Christina Chinomso. All former documents remain valid.

Public note.

CHUKWUNTA: Formerly Miss Chukwunta Chika Nkemjika now Mrs Ugochukwu Chika Nkemjika. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

CHUKWU: Formerly Chukwu Patrick Victor Chukwuemerie Samuel, now Victor Chukwuemerie Chuks.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

DARE: Former Imoleayo Yinka Dare now Mrs. Imoleayo

Yinka Olayinka. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

DEDE: Former Miss Dede Kesiena Theresa now Mrs. Ayorinde Kesiena Theresa. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

DENNIS: Formerly Miss Dennis Ogunbiyi Kofoworola Stella now Mrs. Olubiyi Kofoworola Stella. LASU, NOUN, general public note.

DON: Formerly Chikezie Don Emeka now Chikezie Donald Emeka. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

EBUZOEME: Formerly Miss Eucharia Ifunanya Ebuzoeme, now Mrs Sophie Eucharia Ifunanya Okuwobi.

Former documents valid. Public note.

EJIMADU: I, formerly Miss Uchenna Peace Ejimadu now Mrs. Uchenna Peace Abraham-Maccfinn. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

EJIMOFOR: Formerly Miss Mercy Ogoma Ejimofor now Mrs. Mercy Ogoma Ndubuaku.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

EJIOGU: Formerly miss Ejiogu Deborah Ogochukwu now Mrs Osigwe Deborah Ogochukwu. Former documents valid.

NYSC, Public note.

EKE: Formerly Miss Eke Ezinne Favour now Mrs Chigaemezu Ezinne Favour. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

EKPONOUDIM: Formerly Prince Akpan Ekponoudim now Prince Akpan Johnny.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ELENBALULU: Formerly Mrs Felicia Elenbalulu now Mrs Felicia Inegbeniki. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

EMARAH: Formerly Ebika Tracy Emarah now Mrs. Ebika Tracy Oyewo. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

EME: Formerly Miss Eme Uche Ada now

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

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Change of Name Mrs Ada Umazi Nnanna. Former documents valid. NYSC, public note.

EMEHWEKRE: Former Miss Emehwekre Maureen Ejiro or Miss Emhwekre Doreen Ejiro now Mrs. Alex Doreen Ejiro Okodugha. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

EMEKA: Formerly Emeka Okeke Mike now Emeka Okeke Michael. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ENENDU: Formerly Miss Tochukwu Francisca Enendu, now Mrs Edeh Tochukwu Francisca. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ESAN: Formerly Esan Oluwafunmigbe Christiana now Adewoye Oluwafunmigbe Christiana. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ESURUOSO: I Former Miss Esuruoso Kehinde Oluwagbemisola. now wish to be known as Mrs Balonwu Kehinde Oluwagbemisola All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ETIM: Formerly Miss Idongesit Udoh Etim now Mrs. Idongesit Mfonobong Augustine. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

EWROH: Formerly Miss Oghenerukvwe Emmanuela Eworh now Mrs. Obodi Oghenerukvwe Emmauela. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

EZENWA: Formerly Miss Ezenwa Chidiogo Marigold now Mrs Iheukwumere Chidiogo Marigold. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

EYA: Formerly Miss Eya Jacintha Onyinye, now Mrs Okafor Jacintha Onyinye. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

FADAKINTE: I, formerly Miss Fadakinte Paulina Omoyiwola now Mrs. Mensah Paulina Omoyiwola. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

FAKOYA: Formerly Miss Fakoya Deborah Oyeyemi now Mrs. Okunowo Deborah Oyeyemi. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

FALANA: Formerly known and addressed as Miss Kehinde Olutosin Falana now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Kehinde Olutosin Daramola. Former documents remain valid.

Ekiti State L.G. Service Commission, general public note.

FEHINTOLA: Formerly Fehintola Folashade Medinat now Jolasun Medinat Folashade.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

FOLORUNSO: Formerly Miss Mosebolatan Mary Folorunso now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Mosebolatan Mary Babatunde.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

GBADEBO: Formerly Miss Gbadebo Oluwatosin Janet now Mrs. Ajewole Oluwatosin Janet. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

GBADEBO: Formerly Miss Gbadebo Buzrat Adedamola now Mrs. Dondon Buzrat Adedamola. Former documents remain valid, Public note.

GBEMISOLA: Formerly Miss Christina Olabisi Olufunbi Gbemisola, now Miss Olabisi Christina Stephen, former documents remain valid, public note.

EZEOBIORAH: I, formerly Miss Ezeobiorah Ebere Goodness now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Salawu Stephen Ebere Goodness. Former documents remain valid. General public take note.

HAMZA: Formerly Miss Hamza Zwalatha Napu now Mrs.Galadima Zwalatha Napu. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

EZIEFULE: Formerly Miss Eziefule Cynthia now Mrs Okereke Cynthia. Former documents remain valid.

NYSC, public note.

IBEZIMAKOR: Formerly Miss Ibezimakor Adanma Frances now Mrs. Osunde Adanma Frances. Former documents remain valid.

ECOBANK Nigeria Ltd and public note.

documents remain valid. Public note.

IDEMILI: F o r merly Miss Idemili Ifeoma Chika, now Mrs Agueze Ifeoma Chika.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

JACK: Formerly Miss Jack Treasure Kelechi now wish to be addressed As Mrs Koteh.

Treasure Kelechi All former documents remain valid. General public note

IDOWU: Formerly Mr. Olukogbon Olayinka Idowu David now now Mr.Olukogbon David Idowu. Former documents remain valid.

GTB, Federal Poly Ado Ekiti, public note

JEGEDE: Formerly Miss Jegede Bolanle now Mrs. Saheed Bolanle.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

IGWEANUBA: Formerly Miss Igweanuba Nzube Chika now Mrs Ojide Nzube Chika. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

JEREMIAH: Former Miss Amarachi Precious Jeremiah now Mrs. Amarachi Precious Jonas Okoro. All documents remain valid. Public note.

IKECHUKWU: Formerly Miss Ikechukwu Precious .N . now Mrs Agbai Precious Chidiebere. Former documents valid. NYSC, public note.

JOHNSON: Formerly Miss Johnson Adenike Janet now Mrs. ADeyemi Adenike Janet.

Former documents remain valid. Public take note.

IKPE: Formerly Miss Ikpe Celestina Nkeiruka, now Mrs Ikpe Celestina Nkeiruka. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

KUNLERE: Formerly Temitope Opeyemi Kunlere now Temitope Opeyemi Olaseinde. sFormer documents remain valid. Public note.

ILOEZUMMA: Formerly Miss Rosemary Ifeoma Iloezumma now Mrs. Rosemary Ifeoma Ezechiedo. All documents remain valid.

Public note IMA-OBONG: Formerly known as Ima-Obong Patience Anietie Ukpe now wish to be addressed as Ariel Anietie Ukpe All former documents remain valid general public note.

INIMBOM: Formerly Miss Inimbom Joseph ldiong now Mrs Inimbom Imoh Adolphus.

Former Documents valid. Public note.

IRIEMENAM: Formerly Miss Blessing Nwamaka Iriemenam now Mrs Okoli Blessing Nwamaka. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

IROKO: Formerly Miss Iroko Oluyemisi Deborah now Mrs. Olanrewaju Oluyemisi Deborah. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

ISHOLA: Formerly Miss Basirat Titilope Ishola, now Mrs Basirat Titilope Sowemimo. Former documents valid.

Public note.

ISRAEL: Formerly Miss Grace Israel now Mrs Grace Adebola. Former

KUTI: Formerly Miss Kuti Oluwafemi Mariam now Mrs. Kuku Mariam Oluwafemi. All documents remain valid. General public note.

LAWANSON: Former Miss Lawanson Adeola Esther now wish to be knonw as. Mrs Omotunde Adebola Esther.

Former documents remain valid. Styles Trend and Fashio Limitd, public note.

LILLY-TARAH: I, formerly Miss Manna Orerefaa Lilly-Tarah now Mrs. Manna Orerefaa Cowan. All former documents remain valid.

The ICAN and general public note.

MAJARO: Formerly Miss Deborah Omolade Alaba Majaro now Mrs Deborah Omolade Alaba Ajagbe. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

MAKANJUOLA: Formerly Makanjuola Aderonke Juliet now Gafar Ronke Juliet. Former documents remain valid. General public please note.

MATHEW: Formerly Miss Mathew Chidimma Maryann now Mrs Nweke Chidimma Maryann.

Former documents remain valid, NYSC, Public note.

MBAH: Formerly Miss Mbah Justina Nwanneka and Mrs Onu Justina Nwanneka, now Mrs Onu Tina Nwanneka.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

MICHAEL: Formerly Miss Bright Sunday Michael now Mrs Unwana Uduak Sunday.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

MMOR: I, formerly Mmor Nonso Benjamin now Ikechukwu Nonso Benjamin. All documents remain valid.

Public note.

MMOR: I, formerly Mmor Joy Chinyere now Ikechukwu Joy Chinyere. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

NDIBE: Formerly Loretta Ijeoma Ndibe, now Loretta Ijeoma Odumodu. Former documents valid. Public note.

NKANTA: Formerly Miss Ifiokobong Monday Nkanta now Mrs. Ifiokobong Victor Obot.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

NKWONTA: Formerly Miss Nkwonta Ifeoma Priscilla, now Mrs Ojulah Ifeoma Priscilla. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

NNAJI: Formerly Miss Nnaji.

Elizabeth Ogechukwu wish to be addressed as Mrs Ogbuehi Elizabeth Ogechukwu. Former documents Former documents remain valid. General public note.

NNOCHIRI: Formerly Miss Uchechukwu Prisca Nnochiri now Mrs Uchechukwu Prisca Chidi-Anyanwu.

All former documents remain valid. NYSC, public note.

NWAFOR: Formerly Nwafor Perpetua Oluchukwu now Mrs. Ezenmo Perpetua Oluchukwu. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

NWAGWU: Formerly Miss Nwagwu Ifeoma now Mrs. Nwaeze Ifeoma. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

NWAJIDE: Formerly Nwajide Chioma Ogochukwu now Mrs. Osondu Chioma Ogochukwu. Former documents remain

valid. Public note.

NWAJI: I, formerly Miss Nwaji Faith Chinomso now Mrs. Chimezie Faith Chinomso. All former documents remain valid. NYSC, public note.

NWANEDO: Formerly Miss Deborah Ogadinma Nwanedo, now Mrs Deborah Ogadinma Alozie. Former documents valid. Public note.

FAMILY CHANGE OF NAME:- NWANGWU: Formerly Monica Nwangwu Chukwuma, Nwangwu Ogochukwu Henrietta Nwangwu, Chukwugozie Nwangwu, Ikechukwu Nwangwu and Chukwujekwu Nwangwu now Monica Mark, Chukwuma Mark, Ogochukwu Henrietta Mark, Chukwugozie Mark, Ikechukwu Mark, Chukwujekwu Mark. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

NWANKWO: Former Miss Nwankwo Peace Chioma now Mrs. John Peace Chioma. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

NWANNA: Formerly Miss Nwanna Nkechinyere Chinanu now wish to be addressed as Mrs Nkechinyere Emmanuel Akpabio former documents Remain valid general public note.

NWAOBILOR: Formerly Miss Nwaobilor Benedith Agaezichi now Mrs Victor Benedith Agaezichi.

Former documents valid. Public note.

NWAORGU: Formerly Miss Nwaorgu Grace Chinasa now Mrs. Nwokeke Chinonso Grace C. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

NWIYI: Former, Miss Chinonso Ndidi Nwiyi now Mrs. Chinonso Ndidi Ogbodo. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

NWOKE: Formerly Miss Nwoke Chioma now Mrs. Chioma Flourish Okafor. Former documents valid. Public note.

NWOSU: Formerly Miss Florence Chimnonso Nwosu now Mrs Florence Chimnonso Kenneth.

Former documents remain

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Change of Name valid. Public note.

OBASIMBA: Formerly Miss Chinasa Obasimba now Mrs. Chinasa Maureen Emmanuel Isangedighi.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OCHUBA: Formerly Ochuba Anulika Augustina now Obi Anulika Augustina.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ODEYEMI : Formerly Miss Odeyemi Oluwatosin Rita now wish to be known as Mrs Akinbode Oluwatosin Rita. Former documents remain valid, SUBEB, Ogun State, public note.

ODOM: Formerly Miss Odom Ngozi Nkem, now Mrs Ikemefuna Aririsukwu Ngozi. All former documents remain valid. U.N.N, General public note.

OFODILE: Formerly Miss Ofodile Juliana Enuma now Mrs Onwuegbunam Juliana Enuma. Former documents remain valid.

Nursing & Midwifery Council, Public note.

General public take note.

OGUNRINDE: I, formerly Miss Ogunrinde Omonike Adeola Sonia now Mrs. Lawal Omonike Adeola Sonia. All former documents remain valid.

21st Century Technologies Ltd and general public note.

OGUNTUYO: Formerly Oguntuyo Abdulazeez Adesola now Tuyo Abdulazeez Adesola. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

OGUNYEMI: Formerly Miss Ogunyemi Oluwatoyin Ayodeji Patience now Mrs. Okhide Oluwatoyin Ayodeji Patience. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OGUNYEMI: Formerly Miss Ogunyemi Oluwafunke Fatimoh noe Mrs Jeje Oluwafunke Fatimoh Former documeny remain valid. Public note.

OGUNYOLU: Formerly Ogunyolu Olayinka Omoyeni now Mrs Lawal Olayinka Omoyeni. Documents valid. Public note.

OFOEGBU: Formerly Miss Ofoegbu Ujunwa Rosemary now Mrs Eze Keagu Ujunwa Rosemary.

Former documents valid.

NYSC, Public note.

OHAZURUME: I, formerly Miss Obiageli Doris Ohazurume now Mrs. Obiageli Doris Chris-Aladum. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OGBONNA: Formerly Miss Glory Chikamnario Ogbonna now Mrs. Glory Chikamnario Adibeh. All former documents remain valid. General public note.

OKAFOR: Former Lilian Okafor now Lilian Ijemba. Former documents remain valid.

FUTO, NYSC, Wema Bank, public note.

OGBU: Formerly (Mrs) Ogbu Ifeoma Maureen now (Mrs) Anayo Ifeoma Maureen. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OGOKE: Formerly Miss Ogoke Uchenna Vivian now wish to be addressed as Mrs Uchenna Vivian Cyprian Ohanaja. All former documents Remain valid. General public note OGUNBAYO: I, formerly Miss Ogunbayo Folasade now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Omoniyi Deborah Folasade. All former documents remain valid.

OKEI: I, formerly known as Miss Francisca Ngozi Okei now to be known as Mrs. Francisca Ngozi Okei Mebu. All former documents remain valid.

Public note.

OKOH: Formerly Miss Okoh Grace Precious now Mrs Pedro Grace Precious. Documents valid. Public note.

OKOKO: I formerly Miss Okoko Vivian Nneka now Mrs Obi Vivian Nneka. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OKOLI: Formerly Miss Okoli Obiageli Francisca, now Mrs Daniels Obiageli Francisca.

Former documents valid. Public note.

OKONKWO: Formerly Miss Chioma Mercy Okonkwo now Mrs Chioma Mercy Nzewi.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

ONUGHA: Formerly Miss Cynthia Chidinma Onugha now Mrs. Cynthia Chidinma Ejiobi. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKONKWO: Formerly Miss Okonkwo Ifeoma Ginikachukwu now Mrs. Ezike Ifeoma Ginikachukwu.

All documents remain valid. General public note.

ONYEMUFORO: Formerly Onyemuforo Blessing Obumneke now Mrs. Mbagwu Blessing Obumneke.

Former documents valid. Public note.

OKONKWO: Formerly Miss Stella Uju Okonkwo now Mrs Stella Uju Akpala. Former documents valid.

NYSC, public note.

OKORIE: F o r merly Miss Okorie Ogochukwu Blessing, now Mrs Ogochukwu Blessing Dominic. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKOYE: Former Miss Patricia Ujunwa Okoye now Mrs. Patricia Ujunwa Nworji. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

OKUYEMI: Formerly Miss Stella Idowu Okuyemi, now Mrs. Stella Idowu Adeyanju.

Former documents valid. Public note.

OLAOPA: I, formerly known as Olaopa Oluwatobi Tolulope now wish to be addressed as Bashorun Oluwatobi Tolulope.

All former documents remain valid. Public please note.

OLARINYE: Formerly Mr. Taofeek Egbeshanu now Mr. Olarinye Taofeek Egbeshanu. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

OLUFEMI: Formerly Miss Abosede Promise Olufemi, now Mrs Promise Abosede Ajakaiye. Former documents valid. Public note.

OLULEYE: Formerly Miss Oluleye Abiodun Fagbulu now known as Mrs. Fagbulu Abiodun Clara Titilayo. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

ONIHA: Formerly Miss Sophia Aiterevbe Oniha now Mrs. Sophia Aiterevbe Silas.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OMIYEMI: Formerly Miss Omiyemi Christaina Mojure Olubunmi now Mrs Bello Christaina Olubunmi.

Documents valid.

Laspotech, NYSC, public note.

OKPARA: Formerly Miss Lynda Laraba Okpara now wish to be addressed as Mrs Nkechi Lydia Laraba Okocha former documents remain valid.

General public note.

OPUTA: Formerly Celestina Oroma Oputa now to be known as Celestina Oruma Fischer. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

ORUME: Formerly Miss Orume Kesiena Okanlemhen now Mrs. Onoge Kesiena Okanlemhen. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

OSIBOTE: Formerly Miss Kemi Kofoworola Osibote now Mrs. Oluwakemi Kofoworola Popoola. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

OSINOWO: Formerly Osinowo Jamiu Fagbemi now OgoOluwa Oreofeoluwa James. All former documents remain valid.

Public note.

OSITA: Formerly Miss Osita Onyinye Ginika now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Okolo Onyinye Ginika. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OWOLABI: Former Miss Temitayo Oluwakemi Owolabi now Mrs. Temitayo Oluwakemi Kolajo.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

OWOLABI: I, formerly Miss Owolabi Eunice Oluwayemisi now Mrs. Ogunekun Eunice Oluwayemisi. All former documents re-

main valid. General public please note.

OWOMOYELA: Formerly Miss Owomoyela Esther Oluremi now Mrs. Ojo Esther Oluremi. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

Olaoba Peter. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

UBANWA: Formerly Miss Ndidiamaka Patience Ubanwa now Mrs. Ndidiamaka Patience Onyekachi. Public note.

OWOYOKUN: Formerly UKANACHO: Formerly Miss Owoyokun Miss Ukanacho Ola PaOlayemi Taiwo now tricia, now Mrs OnukMrs. Onadele Olayemi wugha Olachi PATRICIA. Taiwo. Former docu- All former documents ments remain valid. remain valid. General public note.

Public note.

PETERS: Formerly Fadekemi Dorcas Peters now Mrs Fadekemi Dorcas Peter. Former documents remain valid.

U.I note.

QUADRI: Formerly Miss Oluwakemi Rukayat Quadri, now Mrs Oluwakemi Rukayat Adabale. Former documents valid.

Public note.

ROTIMI: I, formerly known as Miss Rotimi Oluwakemi Lucy now wish to be addressed as Mrs. Ogunkola Oluwakemi Lucy. All other documents remain valid.

RUFUS: I, formerly known as Rufu Dayo Abraham Onaderu now wish to be known and addressed as Onaderu Dayo Abraham.

Former documents remain valid. Public note.

UKAZU: Formerly Miss Ukazu Peace Onyinyechi now Mrs Peace Onyinyechi Nwaigwe. Former documents valid. NYSC, public note.

UMEH: Formerly Miss Chioma Nneka Umeh, now Mrs Chioma Nneka Eze. Former documents valid. Public note.

UMERAH: Formerly Miss Angela Ijeoma Umerah now Mrs Angela Ijeoma Iloehika. Former documents remain valid.

Public note.

UMOREN: Formerly Miss Umoren Ukeme David, now Mrs Elvis Precious Ukeme. Former documents valid.

Public note.

USMAN: Formerly Basirat Olajumoke Usman now Alayoku Basirat Olajumoke. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

UKACHI-IKEMBA: Formerly Miss Ngozi Ukachi-Ikemba now Mrs. Ngozi Victoria Enelamah. All former documents remain valid. Public note.

SAFIRIYU: Formerly Miss Safiriyu Ajisafe Adijat now Mrs. Waheed Adijat Biola. Former documents remain valid. Public UZOKA: Formerly Miss note.

SALAU: Formerly Miss Salau Aishat Yetunde now Mrs. Iwajomo Aishat Yetunde. Former documents remain valid. General public note.

SHITTU: Formerly Lateef Shittu now Lateef Bamidele Akanji. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

SHONEYE: Formerly Shoneye Aminat Yetunde now Lawal Aminat Yetunde. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

THOMAS: Formerly Idowu Olumide Ibironke Olaitan Olaoba Thomas now Idowu Olumide Ibironke Olaitan

Uzoka Chineye Grace now Mrs. Rotimi-Adewole Chineye Grace. Former documents remain valid. Public note.

IF FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS CHANGE OF NAME YOU WANT TO BUY A COPY PLEASE

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 | 59

JUSTHUMAN told me that he was willing to help and asked for Queen’s picture, medical bill and my bank account details, which I sent to him. He told me that I should relax that God would do it. To my surprise, after a week I started receiving donations on my bank account. I called him and said ‘look at what is happening’ and he told me that he has launched a campaign on the Facebook on Queen’s behalf. And that was it.”

Ejoor further explained that the pacemaker fixed in Queen’s heart is a permanent one, noting: “What it means is that after we change this one now, it will last for another 10 years.

But by the grace of God, by then she would be a grown up lady and we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”

On the exact amount raised for the family, Ejoor said: “Already, we have over N980 cash and there are pledges which we believe would still be redeemed. We are leaving for the operation on Sunday March 16.”

Also speaking with The Guardian, Queen said: “I want to thank Nigerians for donating to save my life. May God bless all of them abundantly.

Meanwhile, because they donated a little above the amount my mother requested for, we are donating the sum of N100,000 to another heart patient who also needs urgent medical attention and is in dire need of money.”

The Guardian learnt that the patient, Imran Muhammad, is a two-year-old boy with a patent ductus arteriosus. According to the echocardiograph result and medical report, he has difficulty breathing, poor feeding, recurrent pneumonia and failure to thrive.

Queen (left) with her mother, Helen Mr. Okuhu, who championed the fund raising for Queen on the Facebook, said he took inAfter Facebook friends raised more terest in her case simply because he saw it as an opportunity to offer help to somebody and than she required to undergo a heart advance the cause of humanity. surgery in a Ghanaian hospital on the He said: “I took interest in Queen’s case first because I know the mother; secondly because social network, 12-year-old Queen when you have an empathic spirit, it is easy for Ejoor has donated the excess amount you to understand the pains people go through. As an individual, I have passed to a two-year-old heart patient, Imran through a lot of challenges in life to underMuhammad, who also needs urgent stand that life is not that smooth. And when you have that and you have just one small platI’m so grateful to all those God has used to give the bill until 2007 when I lost my job. medical attention. my daughter the chance to live again,” Ejoor “Meanwhile, when they did the heart surgery, form and capacity to offer help, I believe that if you don’t make that platform available, you

By Onyedika Agbedo said. they discovered that the hole in the heart was are denying God something and you will pay Narrating the story of her daughter to The large and they had to fix what is called a paceIGERIA is in deed a great country populated for it somewhere. maker inside her heart. The pacemaker helps by good people. This is because despite the Guardian, the Igbuzo, Oshimili North Local “So when Queen’s mother came to me, I just Council Area of Delta State born explained that the heart to work at a normal level when the economic hardship in the country, the mistrust felt a compelling need; she didn’t quite underthe fund was actually raised through a social person is sleeping and the heart rate is dropamongst her people and the attendant burgeonstand what I was going to do. But believe me, I ping. They told us that the battery in the paceing security and social crisis, a good number of media network, Facebook, through the spirdid not know what was going to happen beited efforts of Mr. Ikem Okuhu, who was her maker would last for 10 years.

They fixed it in Nigerians still have the heart to lend a helping cause there were credibility issues as I have colleague at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) her when she was a year plus and now she is 12 hand to the needy. And when such helps come, years old. When we went for check up in Ghana never seen more than 99.9 per cent of the peothe beneficiary is always left praising the country Plc. ple I interact with on the social network. So, She said: “I gave birth to Queen on July 10, last year, we were told that the battery in the and her people. just because I run a lot of political and market2002.

Along the line we discovered that she pacemaker is dead and that we need to replace Mrs. Helen Ejoor found herself in that state reing commentaries on the social network don’t had a hole in the heart, which required medit.

They put the cost at about 4000 euro.” cently after being relieved of the burden of raisconfer on me the status to call on somebody to ical attention. Then, I was still a staff of the Ejoor explained that because she was no ing about 4000 euro which her 12-year-old action and the person will respond. But it was United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. Under the longer in regular employment, the amount daughter, Queen, who is a hole in the heart paa risk I needed to take and when people UBA medical scheme for members of staff, we was quite beyond my reach.

Thus, she had to tient, needed to undergo treatment in a Ghanastarted responding, I had a unique sense of fulwere entitled for the medical treatment. So, reach out to friends for assistance. ian hospital. fillment that I braved the odds to take up the the bank helped us to go for the medical treat“It was while thinking of how to raise the “Nigerians have really tried for us. I don’t know challenge. To this end, I am happy that they ment in Ghana.

We have been going for medmoney that I went to Ikem, my former colany of the donors that helped to raise the money. have also taken the step to give something league at the UBA for financial assistance. He So, I just want to thank Nigerians for helping us. ical check-up every year and I was incurring from what they got to make sure that another

Saved By Facebook Friends, Queen Donates To Another Hole In The Heart Patient

N

Grief, As Nigerian Student Falls To Gruesome Murder In Ghana

By Onyedika Agbedo E travelled to Ghana to earn a degree in Economics but has been snuffed out of life midway into graduation. Already in 300-level at the Department of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Mr. Godwin Chukwudi Ayogu, a Nigerian, was brutally murdered penultimate week by persons believed to have links with his Ghanaian roommate, Mr. Abotsi Gweus, alias Enay.

The brutal murder of 19-year-old Ayogu came as a shock to the university community and the Ghanaian Police authorities are reportedly working to unravel the identities of his killers.

Information made available to The Guardian showed that Ayogu was stabbed to death by his attackers who tied his hands and feet, disemboweled him and later dropped his corpse in front of his hostel in the seaside Ghanaian university.

The victim’s father, Mr. Fred Ayogu, a Lagos-based businessman, told The Guardian that the younger Ayogu had returned to school for the second semester in September

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last year with $5,000 meant for his tuition and sundry fees. However, for very inexplicable reasons, the money was allegedly collected from him for ‘safe keeping’ by Gweus, a 400-level music student. But until the night of his murder, Ayogu was yet to pay his school fees because his roommate allegedly refused to give the money back to him.

When Gweus was asked by the police why he refused to hand the money over to Mr. Ayogu since he said he was only holding it for ‘safe keeping’, he reportedly answered that the money was no longer enough to pay the 100 per cent school fees required by the university since, according to him, Mr. Ayogu had earlier collected $600 from the $5,000 leaving a balance of N4, 400, “which is not enough to pay his school fees.”

However, the Vice Chancellor was said to have quickly faulted that claim when he ordered his secretary to print out the fees for the session, where it was discovered that the total amount payable by 300-level Economics students for the session

amounted to exactly $4,400.

At this point, Gweus reportedly changed his story, claiming that Ayogu later removed the whole money from where he Gweus had kept it and that that was why the people he referred to as ‘they’ killed him.

The police in Cape Coast are working on the theory that Mr. Ayogu was killed by his attackers to prevent him from squealing on them either to his parents or the school authorities.

It was learnt that the slain student would have travelled back to Nigeria a day after he finally summoned the courage to tell his parents why he was yet to pay his school fees, more than five months after he returned to his school in Ghana.

The Guardian further learnt through the deceased’s father that the police in Ghana had assured him that his son’s killers would be found and punished. He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra for the “expeditious manner in which they handled and are handling the case.”

“I can’t thank the High Commission officials enough,” he said.

“My escorts and I were actually conveyed to the university and back to Accra in the High Commission’s vehicle by the High Commission’s officials. They demonstrated a new Nigerian resolve to ensure that no citizen is killed so carelessly again in a foreign land or anywhere else for that matter, the way my son was killed by persons acting in collusion with his roommate at the University of Cape Coast. I was told that some Nigerians who were involved in the murder have since run back home, but I am certain that the long arms of the law will catch them.

“My son just lost his life so carelessly. He was kind to a fault; he lent his own school fees to another person to pay his own school fees and their gratitude was to murder him.

It’s most unfair, a very callous thing to do to a fellow human being.”

Further investigations revealed that the Senator representing Enugu North District where Ayogu comes from, Senator Ayogu Eze, has briefed the Senate and the Presidency on the development.

Ayogu

60 Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

TRANSITION Adieu, Deborah Olajumoke Olayiwola

Olayiwola

By Onyedika Agbedo HE crowd that gathered at the Sam Shonibare Community Centre, Sam Shonibare Street, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos, last Saturday (March 15, 2014) to bid her final farewell told a story: The late Deaconess Deborah Olajumoke Olayiwola led a good life that endeared her to thousands of people who could not sit back at home and miss witnessing her final rite of passage. And convinced that her good deeds on earth would earn her God’s mercy and a place in His heavenly kingdom, it was celebration galore for family members, friends and associates that graced the carnival-like event. The atmosphere at the event was that of joy, love and sharing.

The tributes by the late Olayiwola’s children gave an insight into the kind of life she led which prepared the ground for the mood of the people in the arena.

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His son, Rafiu Olatunji wrote: “Words are not enough to describe my mother. She was a peace-loving, caring and smart mother. She supported us with her prayers and advice in ensuring that things work out well. We will forever be grateful to you for your prayers and everything you did for us.

May the light of God perpetually shine upon you. Sleep on, our dearest mother, in the bosom of the Lord Jesus till we meet to part no more.”

Her daughter, Olamide wrote: “I take solace when I remember what the psalmist said: ‘what man is he that liveth and shall not see death? (Psalm 89: 48). Your favourite song remains: ‘Kin se iseowo mi lole mu ofin re se, bi tara mi kolara, to mije mi san titi, won ko to fun etutu, iwonikan lo le gbala’. You wore a special smile, a special face, and you were a special someone I can’t replace. I love you and will always love

you. You filled a space that no one will ever replace. Your departure is a great loss. May the Almighty God grant you eternal rest, Amen.”

Another of her daughters, Aina Nafisat, further captured Olayiwola’s humanitarian virtues thus: “You cared not only for your children but also for every young and old person that came across you. In deed, you were generous to a fault. You taught me that life is not all about material acquisition but about contentment and service to humanity.”

Born at Apomu in Isokan Local Government Area of Osun State in 1951 to the late Pa Adekanbi Aderogbin and the late Madam Dorcas Aderogbin, the late Olayiwola did her elementary schooling at Saint Barnabas Primary School in Apomu (1954). After her First School Leaving Certificate, she got admission into high school but could not complete her higher school education due to financial constraints. She proceeded to a fashion designing school where she graduated as a Fashion Designer in 1965.

In 1968, she got married to the late Alhaji Suarau Otitoloju Olayiwola and they both walked in thick and thin to raise lovely children, who gave them great pride and joy. She lost her lovely husband in October 15, 1989, after a brief illness.

The late Olayiwola was a devoted and committed Christian and chorister. She was a Deaconess with the Divine Anointing for Evangelism and Counseling Works. A staunch member of the Evangelical Mission to Rescue the Perishing in Itire, Surulere, Lagos, she was baptised and ordained as a Deaconess in 1999 under the anointing of Bishop Paul Omotosho, the General Overseer of Christ Gospel of Peace International Ministry. Olayiwola was a full member of Good Women ministry in the church.

She prayed fervently until her death.

The late Olayiwola valued relationships particularly among her old friends and relatives, and those that were in need of financial and spiritual assistance. She was generous, caring, highly industrious and humble.

The late Deaconess Deborah Olajumoke Olayiwola was in deed a woman of many good parts who left her world better than she met it. May God grant her children, grand children and relatives who survive her the fortitude to bear her loss and the wisdom and courage to build on her wonderful legacies.

Nawe Eric Akporiaye, A Tribute

By Emmanuel Akporiaye HE late Mr. Nawe Eric AkT poriaye was born on November 19, 1921, at Okere to the family of the late Akporiaye Jarikre of Okere-Urhobo, Warri, and the late Obine Uku of Okere town, both in present day Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He attended Okere Union School and as a brilliant pupil, read at home and sat for the London Matriculation Examination, which he passed with good grades. He worked briefly as an Assistant Clerk in the Education Department of then Western Region, later at the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) and as a Produce Examiner before he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he had been admitted into the University of Hull to study Law. He was called to the English Bar in 1957.

Papa returned to Nigeria in 1958 and was enrolled at the

Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Barrister and Solicitor on November 1, 1958. He immediately set up his law practice in Warri and at various times had legal associates like Chief P.E.S Ideh and Chief O.P. Edodo in Chambers. He continued to practice the profession he was completely committed to until he became incapacitated as a result of a motor accident in 1996. He remained an Ex-Officio member of the Nigerian Bar Association Warri Branch until his death on January 29, 2014.

Papa was called ‘‘the Fox,’’ because in the practice of law, he would, with all his wits, drive a wedge into the split ends of a bolt to tighten it in his cases. He was indeed a formidable legal luminary.

He was married to Felicia Tetsoma and they were blessed with children – Esther, Emmanuel, Lesile, Roger, Kwaku (deceased) and Violet. Later in life, he married a British lawyer, Valerie

(deceased) and they had three children – Duncan, Sheila and Wendy. He is also survived by other children, as well as grandchildren.

In the course of impacting his generation, he was a member of the Boys Scouts of Nigeria, and rose to the enviable position of Commissioner of Scouts in the former Bendel State. He was a member of Rotary International and also of the Warri Club. In his early days, he was a member of the Warri Football team even as he was a good cricketer.

He served on the Board of the Bendel Transport Company and the Bendel Newspaper Corporation. He also served as member of various panels of inquiry in the former Bendel State. He was a director of the Niger Benue Transport Company Limited for many years.

Papa was a Christian and was baptised at the First Baptist Church, Warri. He worshipped and devoted his life

to serving God and always wore a kind and gentle spirit.

He was an easy-going person and was kind to all and sundry. His Christian life is exemplified in his children and in the way he related to everyone he met. He believed in God and strove to live his life as a good Christian.

Papa, at the end of every conversation, always left his listener with a laugh.

Papa’s burial rites will commence with a service of Songs on Thursday March 27, 2014, at 19 Upper Erejuwa Road, Warri at 4pm. On Friday March 28, there will be a valedictory service in his honour at the High Court, Warri, at 9am; funeral service at First Baptist Church, Mission Road, Warri, at 10am; interment at 19, 19 Upper Erejuwa Road, Warri, at 12 noon; and reception of guests at The Brownhill Evens Centre, Idugboe Estate, Ogunu at 2pm.

Great N.E., may the good Lord grand you eternal rest and peace in Jesus name, Amen.

Regina Mgborie Azuh (1921-2013)

By Anthony Chidubem Nwachukwu EGINA Mgborie Azuh was R born into the Agwume family of Idumu-Ise of Agbonta-Idume-Ede (Umu Ojukobi) of Ubulu-Uku, Delta State. She was the third child of the six children of his parents, Ofulue (father) and Mgbonwobi (mother).

At the time of her birth and early childhood, Christianity and female education were not popular. By divine providence, she got married to the late Mr. Camillus Ogwu Azuh of Ogbeakwu in Abuedo Quarters of Ubulu-Uku, who was a Catholic, and received basic education that empowered her to read and write.

She consequently embraced Catholicism by marriage and both started their life in the present day Plateau State, where they had almost all their children. Although she was not well educated, she recognised the power of good education and cooperated with her husband to ensure that all their children received the best of education.

Her husband died over 25 years ago and afterwards, she got visually impaired, which restricted her movement and scope of activity.

She lived to attain the following positions: Mama General of Catholic Women

Azuh Organisation (CWO), St. Michael’s Parish, Ubulu-Uku; Matriarch of Agwume Family, Umu Ojukobi, AgbontaIdumu Ede, Ubulu-Uku; and Head of Umu-Anugwe Wives Association, Abuedo, UbuluUku. She died at the ripe age of 92.

She is survived by a sister, Mrs. Josephine Kabulu Okondu Mordi, seven children, 30 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

Emmanuel Olaniyi Oyewumi (1948- 2013) LTHOUGH he would have A loved to serve more in the Lord’s vineyard, death did not allow Revd. Emmanuel Olaniyi Oyewumi to do so.

He was born on May 20, 1948, into the royal family of the late Pa Idowu of Ajingba compound and the late Pa Oyewumi of Bashamu Compound in Iganna, Iwajowa Local Council of Oyo State.

He grew up with his mother, the late Madam Allice Adepate Abeni and grand mother, the late Madam Segilola Awero.

Emmanuel had his Primary education at First Baptist Day School, Iganna. After his primary education, he left his hometown for Lagos. Because of financial constraint, he had his secondary education at University of Ibadan Extra Moral Center (Lagos Branch), where he was trained as secretary/ typist.

Being one of the brilliant students in his class, the institute recommended him to the West African Brewery Limited where he was employed as the Company Secretary (1968-1972). Oyewumi studied privately for the General Certificate of Education (GCE) O’ Level and A’ Level, the result of which qualified him for admission into the Institute of Chartered Secretary and Administrators, London (1980-1984), where he was awarded ACIS certificate.

He had his B. Sc Accounting in 1990 from University of Lagos as a part-time student, M. Sc. Finance, as well. He

also had a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGD) from the same institution.

As a preliminary to his spiritual academic pursuit, he went to Faith Bible College, Otta, before proceeding to The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomosho (1998-2001). He left the shores of Nigeria for the United States of America in January 2012 to obtain his PhD in Theology at Faith Christian University of Theology, where he was until his death on March15, 2013.

Oyewumi got married 36 years ago to Rachael Funmilayo Oyewumi (nee Gbadegesin) and the marriage was blessed with children.

Oyeyemi

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014 61

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Sports Glo Premier League

Enyimba and Sunshine Stars battling for points at the Akure Township Stadium…recently.

PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Resolution In sight For Giwa, Nembe Issue

By Christian Okpara He 2013/2014 Glo Premier League promised to be one of the T most exciting seasons in the history of club football in Nigeria. But the season could not have started on a worse note.

Just before the first ball of the season was kicked, the League Management Company (LMC) refused to register two clubs, Nembe United and Giwa FC of Jos, for the season because they could not meet the requirements stipulated by CAF/FIFA for clubs in professional football.

Among the requirements are that all teams participating in the 2014 Glo Premier League season will comply with the mandatory provision of N100 million Performance Guarantee from an approved financial institution and also provide assurance that the least paid player earns at least N100, 000 monthly.

However, “clubs are allowed to provide the financial guarantee in quarterly installments of N25 million naira and any defaulting Club shall be liable to forfeiture of six points, six goals and a further withholding of the defaulting Club’s financial entitlement from the sponsorship rights.”

At the end of the registration exercise, only 18 out of the 20 clubs were able to meet the conditions, a situation that forced the LMC to exclude the teams (Nembe United and Giwa FC) from the competition.

But the affected clubs did not take that decision kindly.

Last week, Giwa FC challenged their exclusion from the league at a Jos court, which reportedly ordered the suspension of the competition.

Despite the court order, the league continued across the country, as the LMC insisted that it was not aware of any order stopping matches of the Glo Premier League.

“We reiterate with all sense of responsibility that there is no order stopping the League,” stressed the LMC in a statement.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that the issue could be sorted out soon if the affected clubs retraced their steps.

A source close to the LMC disclosed that following the intervention of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports and the Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo, the clubs could be readmitted to the competition if they complied with the

registration requirements or at least begin moves to meet the essential ones.

“The House of Representatives have advised the clubs to appeal to the LMC to reconsider its stance rather than going to the ordinary court.

“The House reminded them that this is a football matter, which should be tabled first before the NFF and then the court of arbitration if the federation’s decision do not go down with them.

“When the matter went to the minister, the clubs were told to write to the LMC appealing for readmission to the competition with a firm promise that they would put their houses in order,” the source said.

The Guardian learnt that the clubs have written to the LMC, as directed by the minister and the issue could be resolved soon.

The clubs have every reason to want to participate in the Glo Premier League because the LMC has a jumbo package for every team, players and match officials.

During its meeting with the Club Owners before the season kicked off, the LMC announced incentives covering players welfare, match officials indemnities and clubs earnings and specifically includes the introduction of a Bridging Pension scheme for players, substantial increases in the match indem-

The House of Representatives have advised the clubs to appeal to the LMC to reconsider its stance rather than going to the ordinary court.

The House reminded them that this is a football matter which should be tabled first before the NFF and then the court of arbitration if the federation’s decision do not go down with them. When the matter went to the minister, the clubs were told to write to the LMC appealing for readmission to the competition with a firm promise that they would put their houses in order.

nities for referees and match commissioners and a 50 per cent rise in the total pay-out for the Merit Award introduced last season.

Clubs will also in the new season receive rights fees for hosting any match that is televised live during the season, just as the indemnity of match officials and commissioners was reviewed upwards by 25 per cent starting from the 2013/14 league season.

The LMC chairman, Nduka Irabor, also announced a 50 per cent increase in the Merit Award from N50 million of the 2012/13 season to N75 million for the 2013/14 season.

According to Irabor, merit award is a performance bonus paid to clubs at the end of the season based on their final standing on the log and is aimed at increasing the intensity of the competition and the entertainment value thereon.

LMC Chairman, Nduka Irabor

62 Saturday, March 22, 2014

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SPORTS have been very reluctant to be a part of the debate over the proIOdemwigie, priety of inviting any or all of the trio of Joseph Yobo, Osaze and Uche Ike to Nigeria’s World Cup squad as the final squad is being put together by manager Stephen Keshi.

I observe that the media has not let off in fueling the controversy and compounding Keshi’s many challenges. Deep down in his mind Keshi had settled for the core of his team less one or two positions that require some reinforcement particularly the position of a creative midfielder, a versatile defender and his bench (substitutes).

He was combing for new players in several European teams and from the local league to fill up the few gaps in his team. He never considered reverting to the pool of old and already-dropped super-star players to fill up the spaces. That was the situation before Osaze changed clubs and started scoring some goals for Stoke City FC. Yobo also changed clubs from Turkey back to the lower rung of the English Premiership and started looking good again; and Uche recovered from his injury, regained his form and started banging in goals again for Villarreal FC in the Spanish La Liga, and a segment of the Nigerian media started to canvas for a recall of the three players. The controversy has raged on ever since and has not abated.

As an ex-player myself, I appreciate the danger of getting involved in such debate. Any way, which way, I shall be vilified for expressing my opinion one way or the other.

So, permit me even as I now choose to partake (albeit reluctantly) in the conversations, to do so by meandering carefully through the ‘landmines.’

Joseph Yobo, Osaze Odemwigie and Uche Ike are three players have been outstanding in Nigeria’s football history in the past decade and even more. They have been great ambassadors of the game and the country and their contributions to Nigeria’s place as a giant in the game is without question.

It is only in the past two years, or so, since Stephen Keshi took over the mantle of managership of the Super Eagles and decided to do things slightly differently by building a new national team that the three players started falling out of favour justifiably!

Yobo, Osaze, Uche And The 2014 World Cup! As key actors and permanent fixtures in the national teams of the decade before Keshi’s entry, they had not won anything significant internationally.

Joseph Yobo was the first to play his way into the national team that won qualification to the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup. He took over the heart of the Nigerian defense from the legendary Taribo West, who fell out of favour with Nigeria’s emergency World Cup manager, Adegboyega Onigbinde, during the 2002 World Cup. Osaze followed closely. He was also a fringe player during the 2002 preparations, but did not take part. I was one of those that convinced Chief Onigbinde to take him along to the World Cup as a motivation for the young, inexperienced but gifted right-winger fresh from Emmanuel Ibru’s academy and Bendel Insurance Football Club.

I did not know anything about Ike Uche until Amodu Shuaibu (I think) discovered him in Europe and brought him into the national team. He was a brilliant attacking midfield player that was expected to take over from ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, who was slowly show boating his way to retirement.

Of course, Okocha’s shoes were big to fill easily but Ike’s finishing power in front of goal compensated for his lesser skills, flamboyance and showmanship.

In over 10 years, Nigerians saw all three at their very best! From 2012, it was clear that they could no longer offer beyond what they had offered in terms of sharpness, energy, speed, strength, and comportment, the elements on which Keshi’s assembly has thrived.

All three surely are doing well in their different clubs at the moment, but it is, in my humble opinion, only Uche that can compete for and possibly take over from the new player(s) in the creative attacking mid-field position of the Super Eagles. That appears to be one of the two positions that the Super eagles still fall slightly short.

Neither Yobo nor Osaze can walk into the present team and take over from the younger players that have shot up Nigeria’s profile and achievements under Keshi in the past two years. At best they will sit on the bench.

The consequences of high profile players like them sitting on the bench, even if it is for the World Cup, is very uncertain. It could be destabilizing or positive, depending on the strength of character

Segun Odegbami of the players. It is only Stephen Keshi that can take the risk and hope their presence will not create problems! He appears to be unwilling to take that risk. He has his own personal experiences to take lessons from.

So, at this point unless there is an absolute need to replace any of the present players with any or all of the trio because they are considered obviously better, it makes sense to avoid the psychological dilemma that may ensue.

Beyond the arguments above, I may also understand Keshi’s decision (should he take it) to invite Yobo for sentimental and ceremonial reasons. It is for the same reason that he (Keshi) went to the USA 1994 World Cup. Although injured and not fit for the World Cup, Clemens Westerhof took him nevertheless because of his influence with the players and to not deny him the opportunity of going and playing in a World Cup and adding to his bulging CV before he finally bowed out, for there was going to be no other opportunity after 1994!

But Joseph Yobo is really not in that same state. He had been to two previous World Cups. His own issue is that even as the most capped player in Nigeria’s football history, he has not made the 100-cap mark! Keshi can help him achieve that feat even outside the World Cup proper.

It is Uche’s case that really needs closer scrutiny.

He performed so poorly during his last few outings for Nigeria that when he was dropped from the team no one missed him.

Injuries also reduced his effectiveness and he disappeared from the Eagles radar for a while.

But still relatively younger than Yobo and Osaze, he has bounced back in his European team and has been very consistent of late.

Aside from that, he is the only player of the trio that can join the present national team and still find a place in the first team. The Super Eagles under Keshi has been struggling without a creative midfield player who can also score goals. If the team has an apparent weakness it is in that area.

Keshi also apparently appreciates Uche’s ability but worries about his discipline. Not being an insider to understand what Keshi means by ‘indiscipline,’ it becomes rather hard to intervene. Discipline in a team is an essential ingredient without which a team cannot thrive and succeed.

So, I rest my case believing that the issues are now clearer.

Umohette, Nigerian USA Boxing Champion/Promoter, Stages Another Fight In April From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia NITED States-based Nigerian born Wisconsin State Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Enobong Umohette, who was recently crowned Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) International heavyweight

U

Ikechukwu Uche.

NNL Fines 3SC N2M For Assaulting Match Officials ETERMINED to stamp out D hooliganism in the country’s football, the Nigeria National League (NNL) has fined Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan N200, 000 for the alleged physical assault on the match officials during its last home tie against Prime of Ogbomosho.

The letter conveying the sanctions to the management of Shooting Stars and signed by the NNL secretary, Lawrence Katken, said that the official match reports indicated that Ibadan fans manhandled the officiating officials before the commencement of the encounter, while the match referee was again assaulted after the game.

In view of these acts, the NNL said 3SC flouted the rules and regulations of the game and

would, therefore, pay a fine of N200, 000, which will be paid within three weeks, just as the Oyo State Football Association and Shooting Stars management were warned to henceforth provide adequate security before, during and after their home games or face

stiffer fines.

The sanction on Shooting Stars will bring the number of clubs so far reprimanded by NNL this season to three following the fines on Jigawa and Abia Comets respectively for various acts, which tended to drag the beautiful game to disrepute.

NNL Week 7 Fixtures

Division A

Division B

Mighty Jets vs DSS FC

Remo Stars vs Unicem Rovers

Prisons FC vs Kogi Utd

COD Utd vs Akwa Starlets

FRSC vs Sokoto Utd

Stationery vs ABS FC

Jigawa vs Kwara Utd

Go-Round vs Gabros FC

Tornadoes vs Ranchers

B.Insurance vs Ekiti Utd

Wikki T. vs TEAP FC

Prime FC vs MFM FC

Adamawa vs Spotlight FC

Abia Comets vs 3SC

Plateau Utd vs Supreme Court

Gateway Utd vs First Bank

champion, is preparing for his next boxing promotional event.

Umohette, also known as ‘The Nigerian Gentleman,’ told The Guardian in a telephone chat that all was set for his next live professional boxing event, tagged “Ballroom Battle Royal: The Return Of The Champions,” which will hold on April 25 at the historic Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Umohette had on November 2, 2013 fought for and won the vacant UBF International heavyweight title, which he also promoted through his Ibom Stars Promotions Company, LLC. Speaking on the challenges of promoting professional boxing, Umohette said: “Professional boxing even at the global stage, has faced some level of decline, lack of patronage and stiff competition from other combat sports.”

He added that it was a welcome surprise that the last event had approximately 1000 people in attendance, saying that the public enthusiasm has been tremendous and has spurred him to continue in his efforts to be con-

sistent with boxing promotions in the U.S.A in order to create an enabling platform to support Nigerian boxers, both amateur and professional.

Asked if boxing promotion would not interrupt his career as a professional fighter, Umohette said: “The strain and hazards of being a boxing promoter is enormous and it is correct that as a consequence of promoting events, I will not fight as often and must create a delicate balance between the two endeavors.

“This only means that when I

Umuhette

am not promoting events, I will be training much harder because I will fight less but fight very consequential title or career defining fights.”

According to Umohette, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, the April 2014 event will include main headliner fights featuring Fres Oquendo - the current WBA ranked world number seen heavyweight and WBA Heavyweight Champion, who is also a former USBA, NABA, NABF, WBC Latino champion, as well as a former IBF World Heavyweight title contender.

Saturday, March 22, 2014 63

THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com

SPORTS El Clasico: Barcelona Feels The Pressure ARCELONA is feeling the side other than Madrid or B pressure as they prepare Barca to take the title since for tomorrow’s crunch Valencia in 2004.

Battle Of Stamford Bridge:

Wenger Steers Clear Of Mourinho Row RSENAL manager, Arsene A Wenger will not let a war of words with Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho deflect his focus ahead of today’s Barclays Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

Wenger will take charge of the Gunners for his 1,000th match, looking to close up to within a point of the leaders.

Last month, Mourinho branded the 64-year-old Frenchman a “specialist in failure” in response to Wenger’s own comments about the title race.

Wenger, however, does not intend to allow anything to get in the way of making sure his team produces the required performance to collect what would be a first victory over the Portuguese.

“I would keep that (his opinion of Mourinho) for myself.

Tomorrow I represent my club, I don’t represent myself, and I will behave always in respecting the values of our club, and keep my own feelings far away from that,” said Wenger, whose last trophy came in 2005.

Mourinho has continually used his press conferences to talk down Chelsea’s title chances, describing them as a “little horse” in the championship race.

Wenger, though, is not about to take any notice of such gamesmanship, preferring instead to let Arsenal do all of their talking with a football as the FA Cup semi-finalists look to build on last weekend’s north London derby win at Tottenham.

“What gives the teams advantages is performances on the pitch,” Wenger said when asked if Mourinho’s prematch statements had any real impact.

“Press conferences can be for you (media) less or more boring, and I can understand you like some more than others, but the real excitement is the game on the pitch.”

Wenger continued: “You cannot say they (Chelsea) are favourites or not, but they are among the teams who are fighting to win the Premier League, nobody can deny that.

“What is very interesting is you have Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all fighting for the title, which that has not happened for years.

“None of these four teams can say they are not going for it, that would be stupid.”

Wenger maintains the Chelsea clash is “the game of the season for us”, with every point “vital now”.

Clasico trip to Real Madrid.

Gerardo Martino’s men will head to the Bernabeu four points behind Madrid in the title race, and knowing they cannot afford to cede any more ground as the season moves into the final stretch.

But although they are still in the thick of the battle, and also through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, there are murmurs of discontent around the club and Andres Iniesta has admitted he is at a loss as to why some fans are questioning Barca’s direction.

While Barca cannot afford defeat, Atletico Madrid may well be rooting for a draw as they seek to become the first

Ronaldo

PREMIER LEAGUE Today Chelsea

v Arsenal 12:45

Cardiff

v Liverpool 15:00

Everton

v Swansea 15:00

Hull

v West Brom 15:00

Man City v Fulham 15:00 Newcastle v Palace 15:00 Norwich v Sunderland 15:00 West Ham v Man Utd 17:30

Tomorrow Tottenham v Southampton 13:30 Aston Villa v Stoke 16:00

Bayern On Brink Of Clinching Title AYERN Munich is on the B brink of making history this weekend.

The defending Bundesliga champions could be crowned champions of Germany for the 24th time with eight games to spare with a win in Mainz today.

For them to be celebrate today, they would also need Borussia Dortmund and Schalke to fail to win their matches against Hannover and Eintracht Braunschweig respectively.

“It would be fantastic if we could seal it there already,” said

midfielder, Bastian Schweinsteiger, who clinched last season’s title with a goal at Eintracht Frankfurt.

That saw the Bavarians win the title after 28 matches, on the first weekend in April.

This year, they can have it all wrapped up with two games still to be played in March.

“It doesn’t really matter when we win it, what matters is that we keep the tension high,” Schweinsteiger added. “We still have to keep our focus and concentration high for another two months.”

By the time the big match kicks off, Atletico will already have played their match away to rock-bottom Real Betis, where victory would put them level on points with their city rivals, at least for a few hours.

Although El Clasico has a habit of overshadowing everything else in Spain, Gabi has told his Atletico team-mates to worry only about their own game against a side nursing emotional wounds following their Europa League exit at the hands of arch-rivals Sevilla on Thursday night.

“Betis are worthy of being considered a big team,” Gabi said. “They are a team who need to take their chances in the league and on Sunday (tomorrow) they have another. But if we can win in Seville, any result in El Clasico can work for us.”

Although the manner of their defeat - in a penalty shoot-out will sting for Betis, their exit from European competition will at least focus minds on the huge challenge of saving their season as they sit nine points adrift of safety.

They are seven points adrift even of 19th place, which currently belongs to Almeria ahead of their match against Real Sociedad on Monday night.

TheGuardian

www.ngrguardiannews.com

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Costa Rica 2014 FIFA U-17 Women World Cup NFF Spends N11M On Flamingoes’ Nigerian food From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja He Nigeria Football T Federation (NFF) has disclosed that it spent $67,500 (about N11m) on local delicacies for the country’s Under17 women national team, who are currently participating in the Costa Rica 2014 female cadet World Cup. A breakdown of the football federation’s financial estimate for the tournament as contained in an official document from the federation shows that while the tournament would cost Nigeria N228.9 million, N20.69 million would be expended on flight tickets, just as the match bonuses and daily allowances for the players and officials would gulp $472,500 (about N77.02 million).

Details of the football federations’ budget for the tournament revealed that: “The return air tickets for the 20 players at N340, 000 per player would amount to N6.8 million, the return air tickets for 10 technical officials would amount to N3.4 million.

“The return air tickets, Business class, for 15 officials, comprising the Minister of Sports, Permanent Secretary, members of the National Assembly and others at N450, 000 each, would amount to N6.75 million.

“The return tickets for 11 other officials, comprising two board members, two heads of Departments, one accompanying accountant and six others, would cost N3.74 million, totaling N20.69 million.”

The football federation further revealed that while it earmarked $106,500 (about N17.36 million) as the amount for the daily allowances for the players and officials, the sum of $426,000 (about N69.44 million) would be expended on paying winning match bonuses to the team.

The federation would also pay as allowances to the Nigerian contingent to Costa Rica the sum of $204,990 (about N33.413 million), adding that the estacode for eight government officials at $425 for 20 nights would gulp the highest amount of $68,000 (about N11.08 million).

Flamingoes celebrating their victory over Colombia at the FIFA Women Under 17 World Cup in Costa Rica

Champions League

Man Utd, Bayern Renew Rivalry, Atletico Landmine For Barca ANCHeSTeR United have M been drawn against holders Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals, while Chelsea face Paris St-Germain.

Spanish champions, Barcelona play La Liga rivals, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid meet Borussia Dortmund.

The first legs will be played on April 1 and 2, with the return matches slated for

April 8 and 9.

This year’s final is to be held at Benfica’s estadio da Luz in Lisbon May 24.

United overturned a 2-0 deficit against Olympiakos to book their spot in the last eight, while Chelsea saw off Turkish side Galatasaray.

Premier League champions, United beat their Greek opposition 3-0 in the second leg on Wednesday to provide some much-needed relief for

manager David Moyes and his players, who are struggling in seventh in the Premier League.

But they now play Bayern, with the first leg at Old Trafford, and Moyes believes the German league leaders who beat Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in the last 16 - are favourites to win the competition and retain their european title. “i was thrilled we were in the

NBBF Presents 16 Teams, As Battle For Zenith Bank’s N25m Begins From Ezeocha Nzeh. Abuja ixTeeN teams have arrived STerritory, the Federal Capital Abuja, to battle for honours at the 10th edition of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, which began yesterday at the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.

Presenting the clubs to the media yesterday, president of the Nigeria Basketball

Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, who disclosed that the federation has secured a three-year N90 million sponsorship deal from Zenith Bank, said the board has decided to commit N25 million to run the league on a yearly basis.

He stressed the need for the clubs to benefit from the sponsorship, adding, “simply put, there has been about 25

per cent increase on the sponsorship deal from Zenith Bank compared to what we had last year.

“So across the board, from all our expenditure, including the clubs, we are hoping of an increase to that percentage. We are making sure that our teams benefit in the region of 45 to 50 per cent of the sponsorships funding from both DSTV and Zenith,

which is very unique.

“We have also stretched the money to run for N25 million for this year, N30 million for next year and N35 million for 2016.”

The NBBF president disclosed that the champions of the league would get N1 million, while the runners up and third placed teams would receive N750, 000 and N500, 000 respectively.

Published by Guardian Newspapers Limited, Rutam House, isolo, Lagos Tel: 4489600, 2798269, 2798270, 07098147948, 07098147951 Fax: 4489712; Advert Hotline Lagos: 7736351, Abuja: 07098513445 (iSSN NO 0189-5125) Acting editor: All correspondence to Guardian Newspapers Limited, P.M.B. 1217, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria.

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draw and that we are in the quarter-final of the Champions League,” said the Scot. “i have to say we have probably drawn out the favourites and holders of the competition. it is a really tough draw for us but one i am looking forward to. it is a rematch of the 1999 Champions League final, when late goals from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham won the trophy for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

Bayern beat United on away goals in the 2009-10 quarterfinals, ending the english club’s hopes of reaching a third successive final.

“We can’t allow Manchester United’s current position in the Premier League table to affect our mindset for this game,” said Bayern skipper Philipp Lahm after Friday’s draw in Switzerland.

Premier League leaders, Chelsea will travel to the French capital to play PSG in their first leg.

The Ligue 1 champions, with Sweden striker, Zlatan ibrahimovic as their spearhead, are eight points clear of nearest rivals, Monaco as they aim to retain their domestic title.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their two previous Champions League meetings with PSG, which came in Blues boss Jose Mourinho’s first season at Stamford Bridge.

The west London club won 3-0 in Paris before a 0-0 home draw in the 2004-05 group stage.

Spanish leaders Real, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in blistering form, brushed aside Schalke 9-2 on aggregate in the last 16 and now face German opposition again after being drawn against last season’s runners-up Dortmund.

Atletico Madrid, who are second in La Liga, are rewarded for a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win against seven-time european champions, AC Milan with a tie against domestic rivals Barcelona.

The sides drew 0-0 in their league meeting at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon Stadium in January.

Pairing Barcelona v Atletico Madrid Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund Paris St-Germain v Chelsea Manchester United v Bayern Munich