January 28, 2012

10th anniversary of Ikeja bomb blast:

Boko Haram says no to negotiation

Tinubu, victims’ families flay FG for unfulfilled promises Page 6

Fashola gives N17.5m to 70 families

Page 3

25 suspected members arrested in Enugu

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL.05 N0. 20018

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

N150.00

Tenure elongation: Supreme

Court sacks five governors Nyako, Sylva, Imoke, Wamakko, Idris end tenure abruptly FG directs Assembly Speakers to take over It’s illegal to hand over to Speakers -Ex-AGF Page 2

Wamakko

Idris

Nyako

Imoke

Sylva,

...drama as two governors emerge Page 5 in Kogi Olanipekun, Falana condemn ‘judicial rascality’

2 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

TENURE ELONGATION VERDICT

Supreme Court sacks five governors I

N one fell swoop, five state governors were yesterday swept out of office.

The Supreme Court ,in a landmark ruling ,terminated the tenures of Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River).

It declared that there was no reason for them whatsoever to rule beyond last May 29, having first taken their oaths of office and allegiance on May 29, 2007.

A seven-member panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Dahiru Musdapher handed down the verdict in an appeal filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Brig.

Gen. Buba Marwa and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the governors and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the appeal.

It was a unanimous judgment prepared and read by Justice Walter Onnoghen.

No one elected under the 1999 Constitution, the court pointed out , can remain in office beyond four years.

Said Justice Onnoghen: “It is therefore my considered view that what the lower court meant by saying that the elections were null and void is simply that they were voidable as a result of which they proceeded to annul same.

“I hold the considered view that since the acts performed during the period prior to the nullification of the elections remain valid and subsisting and the same persons contested and won the rerun election thereby taking another set of oaths and since what was nullified was the election, the oaths they took in 2007 remains valid and the starting point in calculating their four years’ tenure of office as governors of their respective states, particularly as the 1999 Constitution does not envisage a tenure exceeding four years by the same person who took the first oaths following the election which kick started the tenure.

“To accede to the argument of the Respondents (governors and the PDP) is to bring uncertainty into the clear provisions of Section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which will render the tenure of governors indefinite as what it will take an elected governor whose elect ion is nullified to remain in office almost indefinitely or for life is to continue to win the re-run elections, which would then be nullified to continue the cycle of impunity.

“From what I have been saying so far, it is clear that I am of the view that the provisions of Section 180(2A) of the 1999 Constitution as amended is not relevant to the determination of the issue under consideration as the intention of the framers of the constitution of assigning four years tenure to the governors is clear from the language used in Sections 180(1 )(2)&(3) and 182( 1 )(b) of the 1999 Constitution. At best, the said Section 180(2A) can be described as a classification of what is, by the deployment of the

• Sylva, Imoke, Nyako, Wamakko, Idris end tenure abruptly ...FG directs Assembly Speakers to take over • It’s illegal to hand over to Speakers, says ex-AGF

B

ARELY a few hours after the sack of five governors, the Federal Government yesterday asked all the Speakers of the affected State Houses of Assembly to take over governance.

It also directed the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, and all security agencies to put appropriate security measures in place for orderly transition.

The government, which made its position known in a statement by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), said it would enforce the judgment of the Supreme Court.

The statement said: “Today, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered judgment in the appeal emanating from the judgment of the Court of Appeal in respect of the tenure of the five governors namely, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Cross River , Sokoto and Kogi states.

“The Court decided that the five governors had since completed their tenure and accordingly relieved them of their office.

“The Federal Government acknowledges the judgment of the Supreme Court and in line with the provisions of Section 191(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, calls on the Honourable Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly of the affected states to take over the governance of their respective states pending the conduct of fresh governorship elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The Inspector-General of Police and other law enforcement agencies have been directed to put in place appropriate security measures to ensure orderly transition and to avoid any breach of the peace.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria remains committed to the observance of the rule of law in all parts of the federation and therefore calls on the political leadership in the affected states to give full effect to the judgment of the Supreme Court

Kamarudeen OGUNDELE, Abuja tools of constitutional interpretation, obvious and attainable as demonstrated in this judgment. The 1999 Constitution has no room for self-succession for a cumulative tenure exceeding eight years.

“On the nullity of the elections as declared by the courts/tribunals, it is beyond dispute that by our laws, there is a presumption that an election is valid until the courts/ tribunals declare it a nullity.

When the tribunal/courts so declare the election, the declaration does not affect the validity of the oaths the governor took so as to function in that office as required by the constitution, neither would it affect the Bills he signed into law, contracts awarded, budgets etc, etc see Balonwu vs Governor Anambra State (2009) 18 NWLR (Pt. 1172) 13 at 49. “ It therefore means that the consequences of the annulled election are different from a null and void proceeding or act which is usually described as being incurably bad and of no effect whatsoever.

“The nullity which allows the validity of the acts of the governors prior to the nullification of the election is therefore much closer to the concept of a voidable act which is usually legally valid until challenged and subsequently set aside.

“I hold the considered view that to uphold the validity of the acts of the governors in office prior to the nullification of their election and reject the period they spent in office during which time they performed those acts in the determination of the period of their tenure is contrary to common sense and the clear

intention of the framers of the constitution.

“The fact that there was an election in 2007 as a result of which the 1st respondents (governors) took their Oaths of Allegiance and of Office are facts which cannot be wished away, just as the acts they performed while occupying the seat.

“The said governors may not have been de jure governors following the nullification of their elections, which is not supported by the acceptance of their acts in that office as legal and binding on all and sundry, they were certainly governors de facto during the period they operated ostensibly in accordance with the provisions of the consti-

Yusuf ALLI and Augustine EHIKIOYA, Abuja of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, former Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) said yesterday that it was unconstitutional for Speakers of the Kogi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Sokoto and Cross River Houses of Assembly to take over the administration of their states as directed yesterday by the Federal Government.

Moments after the Supreme Court ruled that the tenure of the governor of the states expired last May 29,Mr.Bello Adoke, Attorney-General and Justice Minister issued a statement in Abuja asking Assembly Speakers of the affected states to take over governance.

But Chief Agabi, who served in the same capacity in the Obasanjo administration, differed, saying any such action is illegal.

Although Chief Agabi welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court, he argued that the Speakers of the State Assemblies cannot be the successors stipulated in Section180 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution. In his view, a Speaker can only take over when an election is annulled or invalidated.

Apart from Kogi State where election has been concluded, he said the other four governors should remain in office until an election is conducted and a successor emerges. He said:”Section 180 subsection (1) of the Constitution says, subject to the provision of this Constitution, a person shall hold the office of a governor of a state until when a successor in office takes the oath of that office. He holds that office until his successor takes over the office.”The Speaker of a state is not the successor of the governor under the Constitution except when the election is invalidated or something like that happens. As a consequence of the judgment, the terms of office of those Continued on Page 8 tution and Electoral Act and as such, the period they so operated has to be taken into consideration in determining the terminal date of their tenure following what I may call their second missionary journey vide a re-run election, particularly as the constitution unequivocally grants a tenure of four years to a person elected governor of a state calculated from the date he took the Oaths of Allegiance and of Office which was the 29th day of May, 2007.

“It is settled law that the time fixed by the constitution for the doing of anything cannot be extended. It is immutable, fixed like the rock of Gibraltar. It cannot be extended, elongated, expanded,

or stretched beyond what it states. To calculate the tenure of office of the governors from the date of their second Oaths of Allegiance and of Office while ignoring the period from 29th May, 2007 when they took the first oaths is to extend the four years tenure constitutionally granted the governors to occupy and act in that office which would be unconstitutional.

“It is therefore clear and I hereby hold that the second Oaths of Allegiance and of Office taken in 2008, though necessary to enable them continue to function in that office, were clearly superfluous in the determination of the four years tenure under Section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitu-

tion.

“In consequence, I hold that the tenure of the 1st Respondents began on the 28th day of May, 2007 and terminated on the 28th day of May, 2011 being four years allowed by the 1999 Constitution.

According to the apex court, to uphold the validity of the actions performed by the governors in office during the period under contention while invalidating the period in which they were carried out is illgocal.

“They were governorsdefacto during the period; so the period must be taken into consideration in counting their tenure.

“The second Oath of office and Oath of allegiance taken by them to continue in office is super-flux. I resolve the issue against the Respondents.

“I allow the appeal, it is meritorious. I set aside the judgment of the lower court.

I hold that the tenure of Respondents began from 29/ 5.07 and terminated on 29/5/ 07.

“In conclusion, I resolve the issue against the respondents. I allow the appeals which have been demonstrated to be meritorious and set aside the judgments of the lower courts and in their place, it is hereby ordered that suit NOs: FHC/ABJ/CS/246/ 2010; FHC/ABJ/CS/648/ 2010; FHC/ABJ/CS/650/ 2010; FHC/ABJ/CS/651/ 2010 and FHC/ABJ/CS/665/ 2010 be and are hereby dismissed.

“In consequence, I hold that the tenure of the 1st Respondents began on the 28th day of spent in office by a governor following an invalid election does not count as part of his tenure.”

The PDP National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke who represented the party maintained that “oath is a condition precedent to becoming a governor. The oath must be predicated on an election. The election is a foundation of the oath. Oath cannot precede an office. Can it be said that the oath taken in 2007 is relevant to the election won in 2008? The answer is No! Continued on Page 4

• The Kogi State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Bello (left) being sworn in as Acting Governor by the state Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Nasir Ajana... yesterday PHOTO: Mohammed BASHIR

NEWS 3

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

TENURE ELONGATION VERDICT

Lawyers express divergent views on judgment

L

• The Bayelsa State PDP governorship candidate in the in next month’s election, Hon. Seriake Dickson (left, front row) at a rally in Sagbama, Bayelsa State...yesterday

Cross River, Bayelsa, Adamawa Speakers sworn in as acting governors

D

IFFERENT acting governors,different strokes. That was the situation last night as Speakers of the Adamawa, Bayelsa and Cross River assemblies took over the running of the affairs of their states.

The Sokoto Speaker is, however, to be sworn in this morning by 9.00 am.

The governors, along with that of Kogi, had been sacked from office by the Supreme Court earlier in the day in a landmark ruling .

Mr Larry Odey,Cross River Speaker, took the oaths of office and allegiance at about 5.10pm and declared that he was merely marking time in Government House for ousted governor, Liyel Imoke, to reclaim his position.

Odey was sworn in at the executive chambers of the governor’s office by the State Chief Judge, Dorothy Eyamba-Idem.

Speaking during the sober ceremony that lasted about 20 minutes, Odey said: “This is a sober moment for us in Cross River State. I do know that in all things, God says we should give him thanks.

I am confident that in a short

NLC’s website hacked THE official website of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) came under attack yesterday from a group calling itself NaijaCyber Hacktivites.

The hackers defaced the website and called two leaders of the union traitors for allegedly selling out to the Federal Government over the oil subsidy removal.

They accused NLC and the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) of sabotaging the recent anti-subsidy removal protests in different parts of the country.

•Sokoto Speaker’s inauguration holds this morning Isaac OMBE, Nicholas KANU,Barnabas MANYAM,Adamu SULEIMAN time from now, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would come up with a time-table for us to re-elect Imoke to come and re-occupy his seat.

“We have gone through this before and we came out strong; this time, we would come out stronger.

“Given the synergy that exists between the three arms of government, the executive, the judiciary and the legislature, we have defined a path of progress and growth. With all sense of humility, I say we would put in our best to make our principal (Imoke) proud of us. I call on all of us to ensure we remain at our duty posts and make the necessary sacrifices required of us to make the state move forward.

“At times like this miscreants take advantage but I am sure the service chiefs here are capable of handling any situation.”

Mr.Nestor Kemenanabo Binabo,Speaker of Bayelsa assembly, assumed office at 4.45 pm having been sworn in by the state Chief Judge,Justice Kate Abiri.

Binabo is the fifth person to rule the state since the return of civil rule in 1999.

In the presence of his wife, Martha; the Deputy Speaker, Fini Angaye, the SSG Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei, Amb. Emmanuel Otiotio Special Adviser to Governor Sylva on Political Matters, the Head of Service Mr. Gloria Izonfo, and other top government officials and members of the state House of Assembly, the acting governor called for the cooperation of all Bayelsans.

Recalling the circum-

stances that led to his assumption of the new responsibility, Mr. Binabo implored all to “ maintain peace in your domain. I have a short period to deliver my services, mine is to make sure there are peaceful elections in the state; you should also ensure peace in your councils and communities.”

But he was quick to add: “Within this short period, I will not condon violence or insecurity in the state. I will meet with the security chiefs immediately after the ceremony.”

Immediately after the ceremony, the acting governor lowered the picture of former Governor Sylva Timpre and replaced it with his own. He then had a photo session with some members of the cabinet.

A guard of honour was mounted by the Nigerian Police by the gate of Glory Castle to mark his formal entry as the new helmsman.

Adamawa Acting Governor, Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, was sworn in by Chief Judge Popo Lawi, pledgingto make security of life and property his priority.

Alhaji Fintiri later went into a close-door meeting with security chiefs in the state .

Fintiri maintained that the administration as a child of necessity would be firm but fair to all and would effect changes where they are not only necessary but desirable for good governance.

The acting governor asked the political class to conduct their campaings ahead of the forthcoming governorship election peacefully.

However, the Sokoto Speaker, Alhaji Lawali Zayyanu Mohammed will be sworn in today.

He and other stakeholders

had waited for several hours yesterday for the swearing in only for an unnamed aide to the former governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wammako, to come with a message that it had been rescheduled for today.

The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Dahiru Maishanu, confirmed the postponement at about 10.20pm yesterday. But he gave no reason for the development.

The ousted governor, Alhaji Wamako, said he would bounce back.

Reacting to the court ruling through his Special Adviser on Media,Mallam Sani Umar, he said: “We expected that the Supreme Court would take into cognizance that INEC had already fixed dates for the conduct of the governorship election in the affected dates.

“Anyway, the court decision is in order, after all we cannot question the decision of the apex court. We are ready for the election anytime and I can tell you that the people of the state are still behind us.”

The chairman of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in Adamawa State, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri, described the apex court judgment as a landmark, intended to address some lacuna in the legal system about the tenure of the governors.

According to him, the judgment should serve as a signal to the judiciary to assert its independence and redeem its image.

Commenting on the judgement in a statement in Yenagoa, Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, Action Congress ofg Nigeria (ACN) National Youth Leader, said it has vindicated the party’s earlier position on tenure elongation.

He said the judgement was a watershed in the political development of the country.

EGAL experts on Friday expressed varied views about the Supreme Court judgment sacking five governors from office.

The general belief was that it may not have significant effect on primaries and elections held in respect of the governors’ posts while the case was in court. Renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof Itse Sagey (SAN), Niyi Akintola (SAN), Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), rights activists, Bamidele Aturu, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa and Joseph Otteh of Access to Justice, hailed the judgment.

Former President, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said although he did not agree with the reasoning of the apex court, the country will have to live with it.

He said the position of the court has been taken care in the last amendment to the Electoral Act. Sagay, Akintola, Nwobike, Adegboruwa, Aturu and Otteh stressed that the judgment was a very healthy one in that it would set the moral tone for the practice of politics in Nigeria.

Sagey said the verdict would go a long way in setting a moral tone for politics in the sense that politicians would be discouraged from rigging elections.

“The judgment is a fine one and I agree with the pronouncement of the apex court.

This judgment raises moral tone for politics in the sense that people should not be made to benefit from their fraud and criminality,” Sagay said.

He argued that the primaries already conducted by political parties should remain, while those yet to be conducted should go in accordance with the new scenario created by the judgment.

Akintola said: “Today is one of my happiest days. The position of the Supreme Court has always been my position on the matter. I have always maintained that the judgment of the

Eric IKHILAE Court of Appeal on the matter does not make any legal sense to me.

“I mean, how can someone be made to enjoy from his illegality? I want to salute the justices of the Supreme Court that gave the verdict. I know that the judgment will throw up many issues in days to come, but I think the judiciary will also address the issues that will follow it,” he said.

Akeredolu said though there is nothing anybody can do about the verdict since it emanated from the nation’s apex court, the affected governors ought to be allowed to complete their tenure.

“It is judicial pronouncement and there is nothing anybody can do about it, especially that the judgment is coming from the Supreme Court. But to me personally, I do not agree with the judgment. Lawyers will always argue for and against but I think the election that brought the governors to office was a fresh one.

“In any case, that position has been addressed by the recent amendment to the Constitution,” Akeredolu said.

Nwobike said: “I support the decision of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on tenure elongation. I salute the rare courage and intellectual sagacity demonstrated by the apex court in reaching this very laudable decision.

“It is very strange that governors whose tenures had clearly elapsed could turn around to use the court system to secure extended tenure on a very narrow and destructive construction of applicable constitutional provisions. The question is: now that it is clear that their action was brought in bad faith and in breach of their oath to defend the constitution, is it not proper for proceedings to be taken to determine the extent of their personal liability to the Nigerian people?”

Boko Haram says no negotiation with Fed Govt

T

HE Islamic sect,Boko Haram, is not keen on negotiation with President Goodluck Jonathan or the Federal Government, its leader,Abubakar Shekau,said on Thursday.

President Jonathan in an interview with Reuters published earlier that day had challenged the sect whose members are behind the spate of bombings in the North to come out publicly and show its face and declare what it wants from government.

He said it is only on that condition that government can consider dialoguing with the group.

“If they clearly identify themselves now and say this is the reason why we are resisting, this is the reason why we are confronting government or this is the reason why we destroy some people and their properties...then there will be a basis for dialogue,” the president said.

But responding in an audio message posted on You Tube Shekau, speaking at times in Arabic, English and Hausa said the negotiation suggested by the president would not happen.

He said:” He cannot do it...If Jonathan does not repent as a Muslim, even if I die myself, Jonathan’s going to see. He’s looking at me like I’m nobody, but he’ll see.”

Shekau acknowledged that Boko Haram carried out the January 20 attacks in Kano, that killed at least 185 people. Gunmen from the sect armed with explosives and assault rifles, some wearing army and police uniforms, others suicide car bombers, attacked police stations, immigration offices and the local headquarters of Nigeria’ secret police.

However, Shekau denied killing civilians in the attack, claiming that the sect’s gunmen tried to protect the more than nine million people who live in the city.

“We’re killing police officers, we’re killing soldiers and other government people who are fighting Allah and Christians who are killing Muslims and talking badly about our Islamic religion,” Shekau said. “I am not against anyone, but if Allah asks me to kill someone, I will kill him and I will enjoy killing him like I am killing a chicken.”

The message shows a still image of Imam Abubakar Shekau sitting on a beige sofa, a Kalashnikov rifle at his back.

4 NEWS

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

TENURE ELONGATION VERDICT

How Supreme Court altered political calculations in Kogi, Bayelsa, others The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday sacking governors of Kogi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Adamawa and Sokoto states is bound to alter political calculations, writes Assistant Edithere was a leadership change tor (News) OLUKOREDE YISHAU day, in the House of Assembly, which

I

DRIS Wada was sworn-in some minutes to 4pm yesterday as the governor of Kogi State. The ceremony took place at the Government House, Lokoja, when questions were still being asked as to who between Wada and Jubrin Isah Echocho should benefit from the Supreme Court ruling sacking Ibrahim Idris as governor. The apex court also sacked the governors of Cross River, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Sokoto on the ground that the Appeal Court should not have extended their tenure beyond four years.

Not long after Wada was sworn in by the President of the State Customary Court of appeal, the state’s Chief Judge also swore in the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, in line with the apex’s court’s ruling and the directive of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke.

The confusion means the state has an acting governor and a ‘governor’.

The apex court said the tenure of the five governors ended last May 29. Echocho was chosen by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its governorship candidate for Kogi State before the Appeal Court said their tenure should start reading from the day they won re-run elections. This led to Idris continuing in office, but when it was time for the PDP to choose its candidate for the December 3 election, it said Echocho was not good for it again. Wada emerged. Echocho headed for the Supreme Court. The decision is being awaited.

For some analysts, if the Supreme Court said Idris and others tenure ended last May 29, Echocho, who was to fly the party’s flag in the last general elections, should be the beneficiary of the judgment. Were it not for the apex court’s decision, Wada was waiting to be sworn-in March 29. But with the swearing-in of Wada, the Supreme Court will have to determine the matter. Echocho wants the court to decide the propriety or otherwise of PDP organising a fresh primary when he had earlier won one.

It is not only in Kogi State that the calculations have been altered. It is in almost all the affected states.

Bayelsa State seems to be the most dramatic. Timipre Sylva, who was sacked yesterday, is the only one of the four governors eligible for a second term, who has been denied ticket to seek re-election. The PDP handed the ticket to a former member of the House of Representatives, Seriake Dickson.

Incidentally, the Federal High Court, Abuja Division yesterday heard an application instituted by Sylva seeking to be joined in the suit filed by Dickson.

In the suit before Justice Gladys Olotu, Dickson wants the court to declare him the lawful candidate of the PDP for the forthcoming Bayelsa State governorship poll.

The court had last week granted an exparte order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put Dickson’s name on the list of governorship candidate for the state. Sylva described the order as “immoral, ungodly and pathetic”, saying it was “obtained by fraud in the dead of the night.”

Sylva’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi

‘

The case Sylva is pushing at the apex court is that there ought not to have been any governorship primary since he had won the one conducted last year before the Appeal Court ruled that his tenure was yet to lapse. With yesterday’s ruling, many believe his case is strengthened, given the fact that the court ruled that the tenure ended last year

‘

(SAN) said he was convinced that if all the facts of the matter had been brought before Justice Olotu, including the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, she would not have made the order. “It is clear that the use to which the plaintiff sought to put this order was far beyond your contemplation when you granted it,” he said.

The case Sylva is pushing at the apex court is that there ought not to have been any governorship primary since he had won the one conducted last year before the Appeal Court ruled that his tenure was yet to lapse. With yesterday’s ruling, many believe his case is strengthened, given the fact that the court ruled that the tenure ended last year.

The primary Sylva is holding on to as the authentic one was conducted for the last general elections, which the apex court said Baylesa and the other states ought to have participated in. The primary election was conducted in January 2011 and was monitored by the INEC. Sylva said he had neither resigned nor died; the two circumstances upon which his nomination could be replaced by the party. He urged the Supreme Court to invoke Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act so as to decide once and for all who should be the lawful candidate of the PDP. He is seeking “an order that, in view of all urgency and circumstances of this case, which the powers of the Supreme Court in Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, ought to be invoked to determine the merit of the case.”

He also prayed for “an order granting all the reliefs of the Cross – Appellant/Plaintiff as contained in his originating summons before the Federal High Court and any other consequential order(s).”

The PDP leadership is not pleased with Sylva. President Goodluck Jonathan, who also hails from Bayelsa State, does not want the former governor to have a second term too, even though he has refused to speak on the matter publicly.

It is even feared that with Sylva no longer enjoying immunity, the powers-that-be may cause his arrest on one ground or the other. The days to come will paint a clearer picture of what is to come in Bayelsa.

Adamawa State, whose election has been fixed by INEC for next Saturday, is a state to watch. Before Murtala Nyako was sacked yester-

saw the emergence of a former member of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Ahmadu Fintiri, as Speaker, a development not a few said was not in Nyako’s interest.

Nyako’s response was to close the Assembly. Fintiri, in a statement, said his election was not to work against Nyako. The statement reads: “The Adamawa State House of Assembly wishes to assure the people of Adamawa State that the recent change of leadership was effected for the purpose of providing focus and clear sense of direction to this Arm of Government and not a prelude to the commencement of any action to destabilise the Executive Arm headed by Governor Murtala 11.

Nyako (GCON) as it being widely but wrongly perceived and generally speculated.

“Having appraised the activities of the State House of Assembly in the past Six Months, Honourable Members came to the inevitable conclusion that it was adrift and therefore required immediate action to halt the drift and refocus the legislature in line with the vision and transformation Agenda f the Government.

“However, the House of Assembly will not succumb to cheap blackmail of any form of intimidation in the performance of its constitutional role.

“Our relationship with the Executive Arm remains cordial based on the rule of law and within the bounds of each other’s constitutional Limits.

“The public should note that legislative activities are currently on hold because of the desire to restore normally and will resume as soon as this is done.”

Now that Fintiri is acting governor, it will be clearer where his loyalty lies. Nyako has always had issues with the leadership of the House. During the last re-run election, the acting governor, James Barka, did not ‘work’ with him, a development which saw him being removed only to be re-installed later.

Many foresee that Fintiri will play the Barka option.

Not much alteration is expected in Sokoto State which is another place to watch. Aliyu Wamakko narrowly escaped being denied the PDP governorship ticket. It took a lot of horse-trading for him to escape the Sylva treatment. He was accused of working against the interest of the party and the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan during the last presidential election. He was said to have almost truncated his chances to emerge the PDP presidential candidate as he was accused of mobilising delegates from Sokoto and other states in the Northwest in favour of former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

The Speaker Alhaji Lawali Zayyanu,who is to be sworn in as acting governor today is expected to work to ensure his former boss’s re-election. Zayyanu was an aide of the governor before emerging Speaker.

Like Sokoto, Cross River State is not expected to see any much change in political calculations. It is believed that Liyel Imoke, whose tenure came to an abrupt end yesterday, will be re-elected. He won the PDP ticket on Monday.

But for Kogi, Bayelsa and Adamawa, the days to come will be dramatic and intriguing ones.

•Bayelsa acti

•HOPING FOR SIL VER LINING: Will ex-Governor Sylva get SILVER any respite?

Continued from Page 2 May, 2007 and terminated on the 28th day of May, 2011 being four years allowed by the 1999 Constitution.

Justice Onnoghen commended the legal luminaries who accepted the invitation of the court to act as Amicus Curiae and availed the court of their views which according to him helped to resolve the thorny constitutional issue.

Other members of the panel apart from the CJN and Onnonghen are : Justices Mahmud Mukhtar, Chukwuma Ene, Ibrahim Coomasie, Olufunlola Adekeye and Mary Peter-Odili.

Supre The appellants (Marwa and INEC) had challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which upheld the decision of an Abuja Federal High Court extending the tenure of the five governors beyond May 29, 2011.

Two of the three legal expertsAmicus Curiae (friends of the court) invited by the apex court called for their removal. They are renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) and Olukanyinsola Ajayi (SAN).

But a former Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) advised the apex

NEWS 5

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

TENURE ELONGATION VERDICT

High drama as two governors emerge in Kogi Mohammed BASHIR Lokoja

T

•Bayelsa acting Governor Binabo

•Odey (right) after he was sworn-in by the Chief Judge EyambaIdem...yesterday

Their emergency Excellencies

H

E escaped being sacked by the Elections Petitions Tribunal last October. Three months after that escape, which some believe is a narrow one, Nestor Binabo has a vital assignment bestowed on him by the Supreme Court. He has temporarily vacated his seat as the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to act as the governor of the state. His people in Sagbama II, whom he has been representing since June 4, 2007, would be without a voice in the House until a successor is elected for Governor Timipre Sylva.

Mr Barnabas Edure of the Labour Party (LP) wanted the Justice Christopher Auta-led tribunal to remove Binabo on the premise that he was not qualified. He alleged that the documents he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were falsified. In the judgment read by Justice Halima Mohammed, the tribunal said it was throwing out the matter because Edure had failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.

Binabo is not the only one who is vacating his seat. His counterparts in Sokoto, Adamawa, Kogi and Cross River states have also been made emergency governors by the Supreme Court, following the declaration that their tenure ended May 29, last year.

Alhaji Lawali Zayyanu will be vacating his Speakership seat in Sokoto for his deputy Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Tureta.

Zayyanu, a former Special Adviser to former Governor Aliyu Wamakko, holds a degree in Islamic Studies. He holds a Master in Business Administration. He was elected for the second time,

Olukorede YISHAU Assistant Editor (News) having occupied the same position during the immediate past Assembly. He has also served as Commissioner for Environment.

He is from the same Gwadabawa State Constituency as the former Speaker Abdullah Balarabe Salame, who is now a member of the House of Representatives.

Zayyanu is considered an unabashed Wammako ‘boy’. He confirmed this when he said the Seventh Assembly intended to work harmoniously with the Executive, even if this was misconstrued to mean “rubber-stamping” the Executive.

He said: “We will surely work together with the Executive and of course, the Judiciary. If there is harmony of purpose in leadership, harmony of good intentions and harmony of reason between the three Arms of government, that is when the Legislature is regarded as rubber-stamp or an appendage of the Executive. Members do not have to over-flog issues by way of debate on the floor of the House before they are seen by the public as doing their job.”

In Cross River, the speaker of the 7th session, who is a second term member representing Yala 1 State Constituency, Mr. Larry Odey now has to take executive decisions. His deputy, Itaya Asuquo representing Akamkpa 1 State Constituency, will act as Speaker while he is on the new assignment.

Odey recently escaped being removed by his colleagues, who said they were not pleased with the way the assembly was being run. A member of the assembly said Odey and about five of the principal of-

ficers no longer had good working relationship. He said only the speaker and his deputy were seeing eye-to-eye.

A member of the House said in an interview: “One of the major issues we had in wanting to impeach the Speaker had been late sitting. From the inauguration of the assembly, we were sitting very late. We were sitting at 11.30am sometimes at past 12 noon. We complained seriously about that issue. We had other issues of deductions done unilaterally by one or two members of the leadership and the members were aggrieved. Twenty one members signed the impeachment notice.”

He weathered the storm and is today acting governor.

In Adamawa State, Mr Sadiq Ibrahim Dasin was removed by a unanimous decision of 24 out of the 25 members of the House .

Alhaji Ahmed Umaru Fintiri was elected Speaker. The mandate has now fallen on him to act as governor. Fintiri, a former member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2010. He represents Madagali constituency.

The Kogi State acting governor is a two-time member of the House from Okene 1 Constituency, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, Bello, who is the first Speaker of the House from Kogi Central Senatorial district, narrowly escaped being lynched earlier this week when supporters of the ACN and PDP supporters clashed during the inauguration of the Governorship Lection Tribunal. His two official cars were smashed.

WO governors emerged in Kogi State yesterday soon after the Supreme Court terminated the tenure of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and that of four other PDP governors.

One is Captain Idris Wada winner of the December governorship election and the anointed candidate of Alhaji Idris.

The other is the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Bello.

The drama ensued after Alhaji Idris apparently invited Chief Judge Nasir Ajanah to the Government House,Lokoja to come and swear in Wada. Ajanah declined and drove out of the complex.

Alhaji Idris then sent for the President of the State Customary Court of Appeal,Justice Ibrahim Atadoga who proceeded to swear-in Wada.

About three hours afterwards Justice Ajanah administered the oaths of office and allegiance on Alhaji Bello,the speaker as acting governor at the high court.

Justice Ajana said on the occasion that it was sequel to the ruling of the Supreme Court.

He said there was no consequential order on who the governor should be in the state and that he was directed to swear in the speaker in acting capacity pending when the decision on who to take over the mantle of leadership of Kogi would be made.

All members of the state assembly, some members of the state executive and special advisers were at the high court to witness the ceremony.

The Special Adviser to the immediate past governor, Zakari Adamu said the President of the customary court of appeal has a right to swear in the governor.

...Olanipekun, Falana condemn ‘judicial rascality’ Augustine AVWODE and Okorie UGURU WO prominent lawyers, Chief Wole Olanipekun and Chief Fred Agbaje yesterday came down heavily on the President, Kogi State Customary Court of Appeal ,Justice Ibrahim Shuaibu Atadoga for what they described as “judicial rascality and an unprecedented embarrassment to the nation’s judicial system”.

Following the Supreme Court ruling yesterday, the President of Kogi State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Atadoga, swore in the winner of the December 3rd governorship election, Captain Idris Wada while the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, swore in the Speaker of State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Bello.

In his reaction to the development, Chief Olanipekun said what the president of the customary court of appeal did was “most undesirable. He is an undisciplined personality, he should have known that the CJ is the head of the judicial form in the state. He is an embarrassment to the judiciary and the NJC should send him packing immediately. By the Supreme Court ruling, all actions that were taken pursuant to the Court of Appeal ruling is a nullity. So in the eye of the law, there is no governor-elect, let alone swear him in. It is assumed that no election has held in Kogi State”.

Agbaje faulting Atadoga said: “The man is not serious. He should have read the ruling by the Supreme Court before doing what he did. The Supreme Court said their tenure ended May 29, last year. “If election had taken place would Wada be anywhere to be sworn in today? What has happened in Kogi with respect to the President of the Customary Court of Appeal is judicial rascality. The man should be sanctioned for this act of illegality that sought to undermine the ruling of the Supreme Court.”

Lagos lawyer,Mr. Femi Falana applauded the judgment of the Supreme Court for sacking the five governors. Acccording to Falana, “the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court today (yesterday) on tenure of governors has cleared the doubt and controversy surrounding the tenure of office of governors and other elected public officers in Nigeria.’

He said further: “The judgment is sound, logical and coherent. By this historic decision, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been given the fiat to proceed with the arrangement for the election in the affected states which was truncated by the orders of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal whose judgments endorsed tenure elongation for those governors, since all arrangements put in place including the submission of names of candidates for the elections. The elections can now proceed and be held within three months, in line with the constitution. The implication of the judgment as rightly interpreted by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke is that the speakers of the affected states are to assume office as acting governors pending the conduct of elections in the affected states in line with section 191 sub section 2 of the constitution.

“Therefore, the purported inauguration of the so called governor-elect in Kogi State by the President of the Customary Court of Appeal is a rape on the constitution and an invitation to anarchy.

“In this circumstance, one would advise the federal government, which has accepted the judgment of the Supreme Court, to flush out without delay, the so called governor-elect of Kogi State and the sit-tight governor of Sokoto State, who has said that he will not relinquish office until the speaker has been changed.”

T

Supreme Court sacks five governors court to uphold the decision of the Court of Appeal.

At the last sitting, the governors and the PDP accused the amicus curiae of whipping up dangerous sentiments which could not be backed by law.

Adopting their written briefs, Marwa’’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the verdict of the two lower courts.

Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court had, in his consolidated judgment, ruled that the tenure of the governors started in 2008 when they took a fresh Oath of Alle-

giance and Oath of Office after their victories in the rerun elections conducted by INEC. The rerun elections were conducted by INEC after Appeal Courts nullified their victories in the April 14, 2007 general elections.

The FHC held that since the 2007 elections were nullified and set aside by competent courts, the oaths of office and allegiance subscribed to by the governors had been nullified.

Following the judgment, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal chaired by Justice Muhammad Garuba, governorship elections did not hold in the five states, on April

26 this year.

The INEC subsequently fixed governorship election in Kogi state for April 4, 2012; Adamawa- 30th April, 2012; Bayelsa-27th May, 2012; Sokoto- 28th May, 2012 and CrossRivers for 27th August, 2012.

Section 180(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, stipulates that the Governor of a State shall vacate office at the expiration of four years from the date when he took the oath of allegiance and oath of office.

Section 178 (2) of the Constitution as amended provides that, “An election to the office of Governor of a State shall be held on a date not ear-

lier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office”.

Suspecting that INEC was lukewarm in pursuing the appeals, the former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Buba Marwa applied to be joined as interested party. His prayer was granted.

Olanipekun told the seven-member panel of Justices chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Dahiru Musdapher that “the issue of second oath is subsidiary, not relevant and it is of no moment.”

He added:”the judgment of the

two courts is dangerous, if not corrected it will become a judicial albatross. It could be an ill-wind that will blow us into lagoon.

He urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the lower courts.

Nyako’s counsel, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN) who argued otherwise said:”a governor whose election has been annulled is not an elected governor.

Once an election is annulled, the oath is annulled. The word second oath is a contrivance of the appellants.

“Prior to the amendment, the time Continued on Page 8

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011

6 NEWS

•From left: Brig. George Sanya-Olu; Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello and Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Wale Ahmed, during the ceremony.

•Governor Fashola laying a wreath at Oke-Afa, Lagos yesterday.

PHOTOS: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

Ikeja bomb blasts 10th anniversary Tinubu, victims’ families flay FG for failing to fulfil promises

F

ORMER Lagos State Governor,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Ikeja Cantonment bomb blasts yesterday, deplored the inability of the Federal Government to fulfil its promises to the victims of the explosions.

He said while his administration and that of his successor delivered on theirs,the federal authorities have not deemed it fit to live up to expectations.

“What happened to all the promises they made to these people? Ten years is a long time to wait and hope!,” he declared in a speech at the ceremony”, he said.

He added: “Ten years down the road, I am saddened by the fact that the Federal Government is yet to deliver on all the promises made to the victims.”

He recalled the conduct of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo who, while inspecting the scene of the blasts, shouted down a hurting victim and said he did not have to be at the blast site.

“I remind you of this not to disparage the person of the former president, but to drive home my point about power and responsibility. That soldier could no longer care if he was going to be courtmartialled or shot for confronting his commander-inchief. He felt the condition of the victims ought to have evoked pity from the nation’’s number 1 citizen,” he said.

Reviewing the current security situation in the

...Fashola gives N17.5m to 70 families

I

T was a day of emotions and sad recollections yesterday as the Lagos State Government handed out cheques to 70 families of victims of the black Sunday, January 27, 2002, at the foot of the Oke Afa canal, where no less than 1000 souls who were running for safety from the aerial blasts perished.

The state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, gave N250,000 to each of the families, amounting to N17.5 million.

Fashola, who performed the symbolic ceremony which also included the opening of the veil on the ceremonial wall of remembrance and later laid a wreath at the foot of the January 27 cenotaph, urged the families to “let go of their grief and march on.”

Fashola said: “We must take solace in the fact that there will always be a special place in country,Asiwaju Tinubu said: “We live in a country we no longer recognise. Bombs everywhere, collapsed social and economic infrastructure, near total security breakdown

history for people whose deaths bring about change, and we must take solace in the fact that out loved ones will never be forgotten.”

He listed the gains of the tragedy to include a more proactive training of emergency responders, the establishment of relief camps at Agbowa with another ongoing at Alimosho, among others.

Fashola said eight school blocks, containing 82 classrooms, had been fully built and operational at the Ikeja Military Cantonment since 2010, while government had equally rebuilt and fully equipped the damaged hospital in the cantonment.

The governor said 10 blocks of housing units would soon commence under the Lagos HOMS scheme on a piece of land adjacent to the canton-

ment.

“These structures will stand as enduring testimonials to the ultimate sacrifice of our loved ones. We can never regain the lives that we lost, but the depth of our compassion for one another has put death to shame”, Fashola said.

The governor took time off to praise the efforts of those he described as “the heroes of Oke Afa,” among them the divers (eight of whom have been employed into LASAMBUS), the medical and paramedical personnel headed by the then Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan, members of the Lagos State Ambulance Services headed by Dr. Femi OkeOsanyintolu, the Nigerian Union of Teachers led by its then chairman, Mr. Micheal Alogba Olukoya, who ensured that they sacrificed extra hours to teach the overflow

of pupils of primary and secondary schools that had to be moved from the affected areas to neighbouring schools and the Red Cross led by its National President, Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere, among others, whose ‘labours of love’ led to the reduction of casualties in the days after the tragedy.

The Chairman Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, thanked the governor for approving the payment of compensation to families of the bereaved.

Speaking on behalf of other receipients, Mr. Olaniran Majekodunmi praised the state governor for fulfilling its promise. He said the agitation for the payment of compensation began two years ago, and thanked the governor for putting smiles on the faces of the downtrodden who lost their

and a government that functions in fits and starts.

“We cannot go on like this as a people and a country and expect a different or better result.”

Challenging Nigerians to hold their governments to account, if there must be improvements in the present situation, he declared:“We must not relent in extracting from

our leaders the promise of a better life, of economic emancipation, employment and a country that builds institutions that can offer the citizenry a better life.”

Yinka ADERIBIGBE

Boko Haram kills two policemen in Kano

S

OME individuals sus pected to be members of the Boko Haram group yesterday night launched an attack on the Mandawari Police Station in Kano.

An eyewitness, who described the attack as “brief,” said on condition of anonymity that the gang stormed the police station on motorbikes and a Hilux van.

In the gun duel that ensued, two policemen were allegedly said to have been gunned down.

The Kano State Police Command spokesman confirmed the attack. He said: “Some unknown gunmen attacked the police station, but the prompt reinforcement of the police and the military over powered them and they

•Suswam charges Benue citizens as slain Channels TV reporter is buried

fled.”

He added he was yet to be briefed on whether any policeman was killed or not.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Benue State, Dr Gabriel Suswam, has urged indigenes of the state and all peace-loving people to resolve to face the menace of Boko Haram and defeat it.

He spoke at the funeral of the late Enenche Akogwu, a Channels Television reporter, felled by the violent sect in Kano last week.

“I want to appeal to all the people of Benue State to remain vigilant and resolute in facing the scourge of Boko Haram, so that together we

can defeat it,” the governor represented by his deputy, Chief Stephen Lawani, stated.

While appealing to all who love Nigeria and are Godfearing to stand up to condemn the violent activities of the sect, he said that people must not be tempted to the route of violence with those he described as cowards.

“The despicable act deserves to be condemned by all right-thinking Nigerians because life is sacred and no human being has the right to take the life of another,” he said.

Governor Suswam de-

scribed Boko Haram members as a few misguided elements bent on putting not just Christians and Muslims apart, but the entie country under the guise of religion.

He said the late Akogwu who was a fine journalist left behind legacies of hard work, commitment and dedication which should be a consolation to all.

“The qualities which he showed while alive are worthy of emulation, particularly by the younger generation, “ he said.

National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists

(NUJ), Mr. Garba Mohammed, led a delegation of the media community to the funeral, while Senior Manager, Human Resources, Mrs Maryanne Ude, led that of Channels Television.

Born on March 13, 1980, the late Akogwu graduated with a BSc Mass Communication from the Benue State University in 2004 and worked with Independent Television before joining Channels in 2008.

He is survived by a widowed mother and eight siblings.

His mother, Mrs. Agnes Akogwu, told reporters that the death of her son, who was the breadwinner of the family, had brought sorrow to the entire family.

25 Boko Haram suspects arrested in Enugu Chris OJI, Enugu

A

team of policemen on patrol in Nsukka area of Enugu State yesterday arrested 25 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

The suspects were being conveyed by a young driver and an aging conductor in a Toyota bus, belonging to the Zamfara State Government with registration number XA 581 MRD. Some of the items recovered from the suspects were guns, unexpended bullets, daggers and battle axes.

Police source said the suspects, who were coming from Zamfara State, were intercepted at Okpuje, a border town between Enugu and Kogi State.

He said the police patrol team had, in their routine stopand-search, halted the vehicle, adding that upon opening their bags, discovered the weapons.

“We were on our normal stop-and-search when we suspected the vehicle, and we asked them where they were coming from. They said they were Zamfara indigenes, coming to do business in Enugu State.

“At that stage, we ordered them to open their bags and when they did, we discovered that arms and ammunition were properly concealed in most of them. We are still wondering how they were able to beat all the security posts all the way from Zamfara to this place’, a policeman who does not want his name mentioned in print asked.

On arrival at the police station, more arms were recovered from other bags which the suspects claimed contained foodstuff.

However, there was a mild drama at the Nsukka Police Division where the suspects were immediately taken to when the new Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in a very unfriendly mood, told newsmen that “you are just coming here now and you are already insinuating that they are Boko Haram members; they are hunters and not members of Boko Haram”.

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

7

8 NEWS THE BIG PROTEST (DAY FIVE) NEW YEAR MESSAGES

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Supreme Court sacks five governors Continued from Page 5 “A tenure of four years cannot be predicated on two elections. The fear expressed by the appellants has been cured by the 2010 Amendment Act.” Countering his position, the counsel to INEC, A.B. Mahmud (SAN) argued that Section 180 (2a) as amended “”is to give the meaning intended by the 1999 Constitution on tenure of office”.

To him, it was the ambiguity created by Section 180 of the 1999 Constitution that necessitated the clarification in the 2010 Amendment Act. But counsel to Idris, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), argued that oath of office is a consequence of election, election is not a consequence of oath of office. The oath is an accessory to the super structure. The election contemplated in the Constitution is a valid and legal election.

Once a given election is nullified, the affects are the same”.

Fagbemi said the 1999 Constitution as amended in the 2010 Act cannot be visited on the rerun elections conducted in 2008 since it does not have a retrospective effect.

Expressing reservations on the position taken by the amicus curiae, he called the attention of the court to the language used in their brief of argument.

“The submissions of the amicus curiae are sentimental. If you saw the brief, the Respondents (five governors and PDP) are already condemned to death.

Their duty as an amicus curiae is to analyse the issue as a nonpartisan party not to take a position on it; you leave the rest for the court to do. Your lordships should not be persuaded by their submissions”, Fagbemi said.

Toeing the same line, coun-

sel to Sylva, Chief Ladi Williams (SAN), said the only law applicable for determination of the governors tenure is the law in existence when the cause of action arose.

According to him, the 2010 Amendment Act was not in existence then, so it will be wrong to use it in determining the present case.

Counsel to Imoke, Paul Erokoro (SAN), also argued that the 1999 constitution did not envisage a four -year of split tenure. Since the elections of the governors were nullified, he argued that they never existed in the eyes of the law.

Counsel to Wamako, Mr. S. I. Ameh (SAN), urged the court to discountenance the argument of the appellants and dismiss it as ”it is completely devoid of merit”.

Earlier, the amicus curiae gave their legal opinion on the issue.

Akinjide said the oath of office subscribed to by the governors in 2007 cannot be the rallying point in calculating the four-

year tenure.

Ajayi maintained that the Constitution centres on the date of the election and not the validity of the action.

Sagay opined that since all the actions taken by the governors before their elections were nullified remain valid, the time spent should form part of their four -year tenure.

Referring to past military head of states who came into power through coup, Sagay pointed out that they are still referred to as past leaders.

“Today they sit in the council, enjoy pensions. They set most parts of the laws in use today. ‘‘Those governors contested, declared to have won elections, sign bills and budget into existence, appointed commissioners and must have recommended Judges to the National Judicial Council as well as awarded contracts.

“If you say those acts are valid, that time should be reckoned with”, Sagay submitted.

FG directs Assembly Speakers to take over Continued from Page 2 governors has expired, but they cannot just leave the office because the Constitution says when their term of office has expired, you hold on to that office until somebody succeeds you. ”It is not a matter of what makes sense or what does not make sense. It’s what the Constitution provides. If the Constitution says that he remains in the office until somebody succeeds him whether in 30 minutes or a year’s time, he is out, but if nobody succeeds him for another one year, he has to remain there, because you can’t leave the state without a successor. ”Judgment merely says that, look, their terms have ended, but having ended, they cannot just leave the office because the Constitution provides that they can leave office only when a successor emerges; the governor cannot just leave office except in the case of invalid election, once an election is invalid and the governor’s election has been invalidated, he must leave immediately, but in the case such as this, when they were validly elected governors and were serving, the declaration that their terms have ended simply means they will leave when somebody emerges to take their place.”

9

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

T

HAT Boko Haram has literally sacked the Northern part of the country is no longer news.

The news however that the Emir of Kano, the illustrious and regal Ado Bayero wept on receiving the president of Nigeria after a sympathy visit on last Friday’s bombing in Kanofollowed by another on Monday made my heart ache in deep sorrow.

This is because the ancient city of Kano was a cosmopolitan and important hub in the trans Saharan trade that was a main link in the development of trade and commerce along the northern part of the Sahel and the entire ECOWAS region.

Kano was also the hotbed of Nigerian politics where the late Aminu Kano fought successfully for the rights of the Takalawas and Kano was a center of Islamic learning. Now Kano has been sacked by Islamic militants who say they do not want western education. And the Emir of Kano a former diplomat and suave monarch who brought class and modernity to royalty and had played host beautifully to all visitors to his palace, wept at the spectacle of Kano lying prostrate under the heels of those who are giving our formal security apparatus not only a nasty kick in the ass, but also a good run for their money. The fate of Kano was that of Maiduguri in recent times and that too is a source of personal anguish for me as I served as a youth corper in the former North Eastern state when the Lake Chad Hotel was the social hub of the area.

Now Boko Haram has driven social life out of town because it says it does not want western education and therein lies a tale .With Kaduna under siege and Kano bombed so insolently and brazenly, Sokoto is about the only major city left standing in the north against the fury of Boko Haram.

So what really is happening that the fear of Boko Haram has become the beginning of wisdom in the north in this age and time? Globally too the bombings in Kano have attracted international attention as UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and Canada’s envoy have both made statements condemning the loss of lives and property especially the killing of Christians on Xmas day.

In addition an Assistant US Secretary of state came calling in Nigeria and said he was invoking a bilateral arrangement between the two nations and that discussions will be along two major regional areas, the North and Boko Haram and the Niger Delta.

Now for the first time, I find it difficult to object that a foreigner can dictate the direction of our foreign policy on our soil, for the simple reason that we are

Security, leaders and sovereignty on tenterhooks

rudderless at this point in time in terms of leadership and conduct of both our foreign affairs and local and regional security. Since nature abhors a vacuum we have no choice but to listen to another round of American sermons and excoriations on our security and diplomatic inadequacies as we are so insecure for now, that we do not know where the next bomb will explode and when.

Which throws a question mark on our concept and understanding of politics, government and sovereignty and brings us into a direct comparison with Africa’s newest state, South Sudan and the way it is handling its oil transportation problem with its former half–North Sudan commonly known as Sudan.

Let us go back to Boko Haram, the Emir of Kano and the import of that for the topic of today. The Emir could have been saddened that Nigeria was sinking into chaos and he was helpless in protecting his city and its inhabitants and that would be a legitimate feeling shared by millions of Nigerians. Indeed it is obvious that the government did not take the Boko Haram threat seriously or else it would not have created the

costly diversion of fuel subsidy removal on New Year’s day after the bombing of churches on Xmas Day last year in the North .

That it took the Kano bombing for the authorities to change the Police IG also speaks volumes about the fact that this government can fiddle like Nero while Rome burnt and is incapable of appreciating that in dealing with terrorists, decisiveness matter as a deterrent and procrastination can be a thief of time.

Now that a new Acting IG has been appointed more questions are being raised over the background of the new appointee. Instead of a sense of relief and increased security pervading the land, that at least the bungling former IG is now mercifully out of the way for crass incompetence, or as some have said – culpable negligence in the leadership of the police and handling of the Boko Haram monster – new disturbing facts have surfaced from the career of the new Acting IG. A white paper on the Jos September 2001 religious crisis reportedly indicted the new Acting IG Alhaji M D Abubakar for alleged spon-

soring of an Islamic militant group when he was the Commissioner of Police in Plateau State. For this the Niki Tobi panel reportedly recommended that he should be asked to retire from the police or failure on his part to do so, should lead to his dismissal. That was at the Nigerian Jos 9/11 twelve years ago. Now the man is the new IG to lead the fight against another Islamist militant group Boko Haram and we are told that former IGs of the police and even the Emir of Kano have reportedly agreed on the choice.

The new IG is also from Zamfara State which was the state that first practiced Sharia Law under the Obasanjo Administration.

To me therefore the signs are not good at all except one considers two future possibilities or remedies, one religious the other professional.

The first which may appeal to Christians asked to leave the north by Boko Haram is that like the biblical Saul was converted on the way to Damascus and went to become Paul the greatest apostle of the gospel of Xtianity which he was initially against, then a modern

miracle is about to happen in terms of security and police leadership in this nation. Secondly given the Niki Tobi report the new IG has first hand knowledge of the way religious militants operate and that can only scare and rattle the Boko Haram leadership and anything that rattles Boko Haram should be welcome news for the Nigerian people and government.

Furthermore the way that Boko Haram reacts to the change in police leadership will also be another barometer of the future of security, unity and sovereignty of the Nigerian nation state.

To all the foreign interests and concern on the bombings, one can only show appreciation and gratitude as a Nigerian, especially as our leaders seem not to appreciate the gravity of the problems and forces we face as a nation. I say this with all sense of seriousness because if we had devoted one tenth of the efforts and expenses we devoted to removing the fuel subsidy and marketing that removal, to containing Boko Haram as an upstart insurgency at the outset, we would not have been in this state of decadent insecurity.

Really we will not be trembling as we are doing now like jelly leaves; just like ancient Rome did when the barbarian Attila the Hun who boasted - that there, where I have passed the grass will not grow again- confronted it ages ago. Just like Boko Haram has done now in our cities in the north while sending Xtians scurrying for cover and safety in their states of origin in their father land.

Anyway, while we may not appreciate that desper-

ate diseases require desperate solutions the people and government of South Sudan are teaching the world a lesson in sacrifice and leadership even though that nation is the newest state in the world, born just last year. It has accused the north of stealing its oil which flows through the refineries and pipelines in the north for exportation from the northern capital of Khartoum.

The south produces the oil but is landlocked and the north says it charges fees for the transportation but did not send any thing back to the south. Now the South has taken the painful decision not to send oil through Khartoum by stopping oil production completely until it can build a pipeline though the Temu region of Kenya which may not be ready till one year’s time.

So the South is ready to forego its oil production and the juicy proceeds for development rather than produce for Khatoum to seize brazenly by the way of transport fees.Although the two nations are meeting in Ethiopia to sort things out I am sure that the North never bargained for the stoppage of oil production from the south and I wonder what they will do to their empty refineries and pipelines as well as the lack of oil fees to develop the north while the south ,the land of oil wallows in deep poverty and deprivation.

Surely the mills of justice may grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine. That is the vintage lesson to be learnt from the split sovereignty and security of the two Sudans over the sharing of oil proceeds and transportation costs by all nations who take oil wealth as a do or die affair for the benefit of a few instead of it being a blessing for the good of all.

10 COMMENTARY

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Jonathan, Nigeria Police and the rest of us Knucklehead

E

VER since random bombings, mindless destruc tion and senseless killings became part of the un fortunate ‘norms’ of our polity, many Nigerians have had to grapple with the usual problems of survival in an atmosphere that is now chokingly unsafe for quotidian living. What started as a reprisal attack against a system that ‘wastes’ the lives of suspects without recourse to the laws of the land has grown into full scale war against the state and the people. We may not know how this assault on the land will end but we sure know that the time to apply the brakes is now. With close to a thousand innocent lives lost to the sporadic attacks by the Boko Haram sect, all well-meaning Nigerians must step in to find a meaningful end to a crisis that has the potential of fragmenting the country.

Ordinarily, it would have been wise to entrust the government with our collective safety since that should be its primary responsibility. However, as things stand today, it is doubtful if anyone believes the government’s repeated boast about being ‘on top of the situation’ while an emboldened Boko Haram sect continues to maim, kill and destroy. With the Kano bombings and the attendant huge casualties, it is obvious that the government is far gone in its illusory canticles, believing that its lame duck vow of a desire to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice would assuage the fears of a caged citizenry. Instead, it has attracted jeers from a populace that has grown tired of listening to the impotent whining of its clueless leadership. Citizens ask a simple question: how many of such criminal and deadly acts would they have to witness before the authorities put an end to the bloodletting in the land?

With the bird-with-the-broken-beak response to the Kano carnage, it is obvious that the government needs help. Maybe that is the message it has struggled to pass across ever since Jos, the Plateau State capital, transformed into a killing field of sorts. If the killers from both sides of the divide in Jos are still walking the streets as free men after countless promises to bring them before justice, it would be sheer stupidity to imagine that ‘faceless’ members of a sect that has chosen to go to war with the government would be easily apprehended. This is especially so, when officials say they may be strangers from another land. It is also not in doubt that the country’s rag-tag security network is often caught napping whenever members of the sect decide to flaunt their might. Now, add that to the abysmal record in intelligence gathering and you’ll understand why some persons are suggesting granting amnesty to members of the sect after luring them to a roundtable discourse!

Whatever it is, we all have a part to play in redirecting the ship of state from hitting the rocks. And, for the first time, the President appears to be putting his mouth where his money is with the belated, though reluctant sacking of the former Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim. That, I assume, was the first step in a rash of shakeup expected to be carried out in the security agencies. The serial failure of intelligence could only be a

sad reminder of the rot in the system. When President Goodluck Jonathan publicly declared that members of the sect have infiltrated all arms of the government including the security agencies, I knew he could no longer sit by and cuddle incompetence with both arms. He needs to carry out more excavation work in order to weed out the bad eggs entrenched in the system. This is not the time for cheap politicking but a time for action.

Taking action would include going after those politicians the government claims are behind the savagery of the Boko Haram sect. It is time for naming and shaming not the present huffing and puffing in high places. He who alleges must prove and, in this matter, the onus is on the government to rein in the real enemies of the state.

Those who are bent on foisting anarchy on the land must not be allowed to realise their agenda. Nevertheless, in addressing this matter, the President must stop dabbing himself in the garb of a South-South leader. That much could be gleaned from the ridiculous ‘position’ taken by some elders and ex-agitators from the region during the fuel subsidy strike led by the Nigeria Labour Congress and civil society organisations. Where one had expected informed discourse on the fuel subsidy imbroglio, these self-acclaimed loyalists of the President came out with an outlandish claim about a plot to kill a South-South son, threatening fire and brimstone. By now, it should be obvious that all that ethnic braggadocio did not add a feather to Jonathan floundering image.

‘

Whatever it is, we all have a part to play in redirecting the ship of state from hitting the rocks. And, for the first time, the President appears to be putting his mouth where his money is with the belated, though reluctant sacking of the former Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim. That, I assume, was the first step in a rash of shakeup expected to be carried out in the security agencies.

’

With

Yomi Odunuga E-mail:yomi.odunuga @thenationonlineng.net SMS only: 07028006913

However, the good news is that Jonathan appears to be on the move again. With the singular step he took last Wednesday, the President is beginning to engender trust.

At least, we now know that he can kick and take drastic actions when necessary. We now know that he is not all talks. It is a good thing that Mr. Jonathan is gradually coming out of the closet and acting presidential. It is a welcome development that he did not stop at removing Ringim but he has also taken step to reform the Nigeria Police towards meeting the challenges of the time by setting up a Special Committee to be chaired by Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police. It is truly benumbing to understand how dangerous suspects continue to walk away from justice after being apprehended by the police. One can only hope that the Osayande-led committee would come with a report that would, if implemented, effectively tackle the crying rot in the police force.

The ship of state, though slowly ebbing to the brink, is not beyond rescue if Nigerians begin to have implicit trust in the Nigeria Police Force. Over the years, the citizenry have become wary of the police force for a number of reasons. With total disrespect for human dignity, corrosive corruption and brute application of raw power, the police have transformed into agents of terror. Rather than being our friends, the police have become the enemies within. In this kind of scenario, it is difficult to offer relevant information to the police, to aid their work. Whistle-blowers know better than to pass information to those who could, for the lure of lucre, expose informants to danger from criminal elements. It is this atmosphere of mutual mistrust that fosters the kind of criminality that has made the Boko Haram sect and many others look so invincible.

Criminals, like the President pointed out, are not spirits. They live among us. They thrive because most Nigerians know that their safety is only guaranteed if they keep mum instead of reporting criminals’ nefarious act to the local police. When Nigeria gets a responsive, responsible and trusted police force that the President dreams of, there will not be any need running from pillar to post to justify the visible incompetence that we are grappling with today. We just hope that, this time, the President will have the courage and the political will to do that which is meet and proper in spite of the expected pressures from the numberless leeches in the corridors of power. For the sake of a truly united Nigeria, we wish him well!

Nigeria: Between optimism and leadership of bad faith

M

OST Nigerians are incurably op timist. Their optimism is based on two myths. That somehow, God loves Nigeria more; and that Nigerians are always a happy lot whatever the shape of leadership. But then, God loves all his subjects equally, and citizens’ happiness is a subjective affair, but leadership driven. There is a third factor often neglected by Nigerians. Situations create myths.

National situations point out good or bad faith in leadership, which as time passes, develops into myths. Ignoring evidence that myths are situation created but leadership driven, Nigerians naively believe that their future will somewhat represent an improved version of their past.

Whoever their leaders, Nigerians think they can be heroes of their own lives, with or without interventions by leaders of good faith. It is this pleasing illusion of progress that creates the myth surrounding the portrayal of Nigerians as the happiest people on earth. Sadly for so long, Nigerians unfortunately have been bonded to leadership of bad faith, who continue to sustain the happiest people on earth myth. The myth has now reached a level of acceptable-fact that any of the so-called leaders feel the ability to embellish it, however falsely, to make a point.

Leadership of good faith must wean Ni-

Fakunle ODIFA gerians off a habitual culture of not seeking message details. In situation of crisis, deciding to shoot the messenger or the message takes a lot of learning processes.

Leadership of good faith has an uphill struggle in teaching Nigerians the basic concepts of separating message details from the messenger.

Not being sufficiently knowledgeable to

‘

National situations point out good or bad faith in leadership which, as time passes, develops into myths. Ignoring evidence that myths are situation created but leadership driven, Nigerians naively believe that their future will somewhat represent an improved version of their past

’

separate myths and actualities create the difficulty called Nigeria and her lot. You can read and understand their behaviour, but true intentions are difficult to judge.

Myths, behaviour and true intentions combine to give conflicting signals to the outside world. The chaos and shallow faith exhibited by all in the future of Nigeria is a resultant collective tragedy. The singular act of supreme tragedy is corruption. That silent manipulation of decent behaviour widely acceptable in the society, which denies ordinary people their birthrights.

The most natural of birthrights is access to equality of opportunity. Corruption robs people access to opportunities and therefore self actualization and quality of a decent life. Since the quality of a people determines national development, a nation can only truly develop inversely proportional to its corruption index; everything else is therefore secondary.

Home and abroad ,this is the context which without pacifying illusions, everyone sees Nigeria. Save for its fossil deposits and “population threats,” Nigerians are treated as objects rather than subjects.

Stripped of patriotic nonsense, Nigeria continues to exist as an irrelevant global state. Naturally, the typical Nigerian leader of bad faith is completely blind to this fact.

The energetic, optimist and dreamy or-

dinary Nigerian is at the tipping point, waiting patiently for a Nigeria that will lead the world. However, the means by which Nigeria achieve sustained economic development and improve the collective welfare for her people should now be reexamined. Real development will vary according to the vision and illusions which is attached to the primacy of the relationship between corruption and prosperity.

Since the complexity that is Nigeria is unique, the vision is to see beyond the myths, examine message details and peep into prospects for national progress. This is with the current struggle of so called subsidy removal, but which message and perhaps true intensions had been muddled up. The message and the messenger are gradually being shot at by entrusted citizens, who have penchant for headlines, and none for details. The focus of the message and the messenger should not have been about fuel or subsidy, but the reactivation of the most natural of birthrights for all Nigerians; access to equality of opportunity.

But then, the Nigerian crowd is entitled to a long dream. Patiently awaiting leadership of good faith, to descend and articulate their collective dreams into a coherent vision.

•Mr. Odifa wrote from Ada, Ghana .

'My tribe is better than yours!’

‘Many foreigners are ready to settle in Abuja because of the housing glut in Europe’

Interview/ 18-22

Thriller/ 19

Screen/ 23

Row over death of 45-yr-old The rise of PHCN female female producers staff

Weekend

PEOPLE THE NATION, Saturday, JANUARY 28, 2011

Relat io

nship

11

s r o r r o h Our r o r r e t o n a K f o s Victim e c n e i r e p x e e v i attacks rel

12

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Victims of Kano terror Penultimate Friday, the nation woke up to behold the city of Kano on fire. As bombs exploded simultaneously, guns boomed in various parts of the city, creating a war-like situation. A week after, a pall of eerie silence has since descended on the city, swirling with soldiers; the dead are being buried and the injured nursed in hospitals. Those who are wearing the shoes of pains and anguish arising from the loss of loved ones and hospitalisation of breadwinners, have been telling their stories. KOLADE ADEYEMI met some of them

F

IVE days after the coordinated bomb attacks that rocked the commercial city of Kano, residents are still wailing and mourning. The stench of decomposing bodies fills the air as all mortuaries within the metropolis are filled to capacity. The coordinated attacks, said to be carried out by the members of the Boko Haram, were majorly targeted at police stations and other government formations in the city.

About 186 persons, including 29 policemen, three state security service officers, two immigration officers, a custom officer, a journalist and 150 civilians, died in the attacks, believed to be the deadliest carried out so far by the implacable sect.

Most of the friends and relations of the dead and the injured wish that penultimate Friday’s incident were a dream from which they hope to recover.

But the reality of the loss of their loved ones draws home the hard reality.

Abdukareem Muhammad, a 39-year-old man, who resides at Bompai Quarters, is one of the residents who were badly affected by the attacks. He lost his wife, Halima, and his twins who were born that Friday, to the bomb that exploded at Bompai.

Mohammed, who was almost running mad when The Nation visited him, said life was meaningless to him without his wife and his children, who were killed in the explosion that hit his area.

“I lost my lovely wife and two children who were born that day to the bomb that exploded at Bompai; now, my life has been shattered meaningless”, he only managed to utter as he gazed at the roof, amidst uncontrollable sobs. He was too devastated to coordinate himself when our reporter met him.

Mohammad’s case is only one of the pathetic stories that resulted from the coordinated attacks on Kano residents last Friday. At the Christian section of Ahmadiyya burial ground, off Airport Road, which hitherto witnessed a few number of people coming to bury their dead, people are now seen on a daily basis their wailing and raining curses on the perpetrators of the evil act.

The Nation reporter, who went to the cemetery, at a glance saw three of the bomb blast victims, including a little child, being lowered into their graves. A relative of the deceased was heard shouting: “They killed my brother who knew nothing about whatever cause they are pursuing. They killed a dream; and

so will God whom I serve reward them according to their wickedness.”

Some people, whose culture does not permit the dead to be buried outside their states of origin, have started conveying the bodies of their loved ones to their various country homes for burial.

While some people are preparing for burial, others are still in search of their loved ones, five days after the incident.

One of such persons is Mrs. Salamatu, 32, wife of Yakubu Joshua Ciroma, a staff of the Society for Family Health who was one of the victims of the dastardly act.

With tears rolling down her pale-looking face, she narrated her ordeal to The Nation, saying: “My husband woke up that fateful Friday a very happy man. Usually, every Friday, my husband always gave me N200 for break-fast after our morning devotion.

But that very day, I was surprised he gave me N500, and whispered into my ears to use the remaining balance to take care of my hair, which he noticed was unkempt.

“I was so happy that I promised to prepare his favourite dish in the evening in appreciation of his love, but little did I know that it was the last moment with him”.

Salamatu, a mother of four, wondered how she would take care of the children alone.

The widow, who recounted that her husband was in the habit of calling her on phone at least four times a day before returning from work, said she became disturbed when he called only twice that faithful day.

“I became so worried when it was getting late. Then, around 6 pm, a boy ran to me and informed me that there was problem in the town.

“Immediately, I called Yusuf Daiyabu, a colleague and friend to my husband, to inquire if all was well. Daiyabu told me that my husband was around Kurna Asabe area and that he would soon be home. After a while, I called Daiyabu again and he still assured me that my husband was close by.

“It was getting so late and I became apprehensive as news of several bombings and killings by the evil Boko Haram agents increased. I could not sleep that night as my children kept on crying and asking me about their father.

“Around 3am, something strange hit me on the chest and I became unconscious.

As if I was in a trance, I saw my husband in a pool of blood and when I regained consciousness, I became convinced that my husband was dead,” she stated.

Salamatu thereafter started a search for

•Inspector Abubakar Yelwa on hospital bed

•Abdullaziz (right) and his wounded father at the hospital

her husband’s bodies on Saturday morning, but the body was yet to be found as at press time on Thursday, even after having gone round the morgues in the state in search of him.

Families and friends of the injured, who are still lying critically ill at the hospitals, are also maintaining a daily vigil in supplication for the survival of their love ones. Others are wallowing in poverty as some of their read winners were seriously hit.

Babangida Abdullahi Yelwa, 25, a Corporate Economics and Management student of Kano State Polytechnic, disclosed to The Nation that the condition of his father, Inspector Abdullahi Yelwa, who was hit by the scraps of the bomb blast at Zone 1 Police headquarters,

remained a serious setback to the family.

“My father married two wives with 12 children. He is the bread winner of the family. It is very sad to see him in this kind of condition.

“We all woke up that Friday very happy.

My dad, after giving us instructions on what to do, set out for work. After the Friday Jumat prayers, I went to Kofar Naisa playing ground to play football. All of a sudden, I heard a big bang and people started running helter-skelter. I became apprehensive when I learnt that a suicide bomber had penetrated Zone 1 Headquarters where my dad was on duty at the time.

“I called his number but nobody picked.

I contacted my brother to inquire from him; and he said someone else picked my

13

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

attacks relive experience

‘

“I lost my lovely wife and two children who were born that day to the bomb that exploded at Bompai; now, my life has been shattered meaningless”, he only managed to utter as he gazed at the roof, amidst uncontrollable sobs. He was too devastated to coordinate himself when our reporter met him

’

•Seargent Abubakar Yunusa

•Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim, elder sister to Inspector Yelwa

daddy’s number and told him he was a victim of the blast and had been taken to the hospital.

“A cold shiver ran all over me. I thought my dad would not survive it but I thank God that today he is still alive. I am a Muslim from Chiranchi community in Kombotso Local Government Area in Kano State. I wonder why a fellow Muslim, for whatever reason, will do this to my family.”

Though his Father is alive, Babangida is perturbed because the family is now in dire need of help to survive. “We are all students and applicants in our family, though some of us engage in little businesses which can hardly sustain our daily needs, not to talk of school fees and other needs. We need help to survive”.

•Late Joshua

Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim, elder sister to Inspector Yelwa, told The Nation that she is eking out from the little she has to attend to the needs of the family of her wounded younger brother. “I was embarrassed when one of his wives told me to get some money for their family upkeep. My brother was wounded in active service”.

She added: “Though I thank God that he did not die because on Saturday morning when I went to Murtala Muhammed Hospital to search for my brother, I was shocked to see heaps of dead bodies all over the place. But I believe government should be sensitive and take care of the families of the victims of this bomb blast.”

Inspector Abubakar Yelwa and another police officer, Corporal Abubakar Yunusa

•Salamatu, Joshua’s widow

, are currently on admission at the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital in Nasarawa Quarters. When The Nation visited the hospital, they said the whole scenario was a surprise to them as it was at hospital that they gained their consciousness.

“I was indeed a bitter experience. We were at the gate when we heard a big bang and the next thing we knew was that we are here in the hospital. My brother, I thank God I am alive but I feel so bad that we lost so many of our colleagues to the menace of those enemies of the state,” Yelwa who was fit enough to speak told The Nation.

Some people like Abdullaziz Abubakar, 19, and an SS3 student of Fatimat International Secondary School, Tudun

Wada, Kano, were, however, lucky as they sustained only minor injuries.

Abdullaziz joined his family 24 hours after Friday’s bomb blasts, though his father, a sentry at the Bompai Police Headquarters, is still lying at the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital in Nassarawa Quarters.

He narrated his ordeal to The Nation: “That Friday when the Boko Haram people came, I was sitting outside the Bompai Barracks’ gate. I saw people running, entering the barracks. Then, I ran inside the house but could not see my father, mother and three siblings. I asked our neighbour and she told me everybody had run away from the barracks and she too was on her heels. I cried and searched for my family till 1am on Saturday. I was so tired and hid myself beside a Mosque where I slept till day break.

“At about 7am on Saturday, I woke up and saw a crowd crying. I ran home again, and this time, I saw my daddy on the bed bleeding profusely. I and one of our neighbours took him to the Police clinic but no one was there. We now had to bring him to Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital. It was on Sunday evening that my mum, my two brothers and younger sister came back home from Brigade Quarters where they had gone to take refuge. Though my father is lying here critically wounded, I am happy to see my family again after one night of trauma and loneliness.”

Abdullaziz may be happy to be with his family again, but he has a regret. He lamented: “Oga, I must tell you that we need help to survive. My father is the only bread winner of the family; now he is here. It is true that the government has promised to take care of his medical bills, what about us who solely depend on him to survive? The government should please come to the aide of not only my family but to the families of all the victims of that black Friday,” the young man pleaded fervently.

14

THE NATION, SATURDAY,JANUARY 28, 2012

Row over death of 45-yr-old PHCN female staff •I suspect foul play — Deceased’s mother •Husband: she’s lying Kunle AKINRINADE

T

•Continued on Page 15

‘

He had told me that her body was due to arrive on a particular day and having suspected foul play, I asked him to call me as soon as her body arrived the airport so that I could send my son to verify that it was her corpse. He instead chose to call several hours on the day asking me to send my son to come and look at the corpse somewhere on Airport Road, Lagos State

‘

•Adebola

HE untimely death of 45-year-old Mrs. Adebola Kushimo, an ex-Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) staff has thrown her widower, Olalekan Kushimo, and her mother, Alhaja Agbeke Balogun, into war of words that may endure for a long time.

The septuagenarian mother of the deceased has accused her son-in law of complicity in the death of her only daughter. She claimed that contrary to the belief that her daughter had died while undergoing a fibroid operation in a Indian hospital, she suspected Olalekan of manipulating information on the circumstances leading to her death and her burial in Lagos.

She said:” I never knew that my daughter would suffer such fate in the hands of her husband.

There is more to her death than what her husband has made people to believe. My daughter never told me she was going for an operation in India and her husband too did not inform me until she died.

“Throughout

their 13-year marriage, the couple visited me on three occasions. The last time I saw my daughter was on June 15, 2011 when I threw a bash in my residence. She came with her husband (Olalekan) in a space wagon car which she said she just bought and I prayed for her. Surprisingly, on September 2, 2011, Olalekan called me on the telephone to inform me that some people would be bringing an undisclosed consignments to me, not knowing that they were coming to break the news of my daughter’s death.

“But the moment I saw those who came in company of some landlords in my area, I knew that something terrible had happened.

Eventually, his siblings who came told me that my daughter had died in a hospital in India during a fibroid operation.”

She further stated that when her daughter’s husband informed her that her daughter was dead, she told him not to bury her so that she could ascertain the cause of her death, but he allegedly went ahead and buried her without her consent. She, however, was given a picture of her daughter that was taken during the lying in state at the funeral by concerned friends, which showed a big cut on her head and her mouth was swollen.

She said: “I may not have a university education but I can distinguish what is reasonable from falsehood. How come my daughter was going for an operation of that magnitude abroad and I was not informed? You won’t believe that it was the younger sister to my daughter’s husband who is a medical doctor and runs a hospital that wrote the referral to the Indian hospital, if the document given to us by Olalekan is to be believed.

“That means my daughter was initially admitted at that particular hospital before her purported ‘operation’ in India. How come her husband or any relative did not accompany her on the trip? If truly my daughter died in India, how come her husband deceived me when her body arrived from India?”

According to her, from the findings made by the family, no corpse entered Nigeria through the Airport from India on September 7 2011, as being claimed by Olalekan except the corpse of an old woman from U.S.A. “He had told me that her body was due to arrive on a particular day and having suspected foul play, I asked him to call me as soon as her body arrived the airport so that I could send my son to verify that it was her corpse. He instead chose to call several hours on the day asking me to send my son to come and look at the corpse somewhere on Airport Road, Lagos State.

“From what I found out during a check, the only corpse brought into Nigeria that day was that of

15

THE NATION, SATURDAY,JANUARY 28, 2012

Row over death of 45-yr-old PHCN female staff I don’t know what my mother-in law’s problems are. She is just trying to cook up stories in order to attract public sympathy. I want to believe that someone has been feeding her with lies and pushing her to do all these

•Alhaja Agbeke

•Continued from Page 14 an old woman from US. Please, ask him why he hurriedly buried my daughter despite my instructions that he should put the funeral on hold until a proper autopsy was done.

“He must have beaten my daughter to death because there was a deep cut on her head and her mouth was swollen. Some people took photographs during her burial ceremony and photographs don’t lie. He has been lying to the Police in order to absolve himself of complicity in the death of my daughter.”

She said that her daughter did not have a good relationship with her husband as he had physically abused her several times in the past.

“He was constantly beating my daughter when she was alive.

There was a day my daughter sought refuge in my house for some days after she was assaulted by her husband. My daughter told me that Olalekan had resorted to beating her for daring to challenge him on some marital issues.

“My daughter had worked all her life to make her husband a better person in life. She opened a beer joint for him because he was allegedly jobless. He has converted my daughter’s belongings, including her vehicles, into his personal use. I believe that since my daughter did not have children for him, he should be honest enough to return all her belongings. “ In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the deceased’s

SUDOKU Welcome to SUDOKU, the captivating and engrossing numbers logic puzzle popularised by the Japanese.

The idea of the puzzle is to fill the grid of 81 cells divided into nine 3 x 3 boxes, such that every box, every row, and every column contains the numbers 1-9, each number appearing only once in each box, row and column.

1st step in solving puzzle 370

Look at column h. It containes 7 numbers, meaning there are only 2 numbers missing. These are 1 and 4. But, since the top right vertical box already contains 1-in cell Bi, the only number of the 2 missing ones that can be accommodated in cell Ah is 4.

Continuing from there, try and fill in the other vacant cells.

SOLUTION TOMORROW. HAPPY PUZZLING!

widower, Mr. Olalekan Kushimo, however, denied complicity in the death of his wife and the allegations by his mother-in law. He explained that his mother-in law was trying to point accusing fingers at him in order to curry sympathy.

“I don’t know what my motherin law’s problems are. She is just trying to cook up stories in order to attract public sympathy. I want to believe that someone has been feeding her with lies and pushing her to do all these.

“Her daughter had barely been buried when she started asking me for her daughter’s personal effects while I was still mouring and I told her it was too early. She had never taken off a single day to mourn her daughter.

“She had even asked me for some documents that she gave to my wife and I have asked my lawyers to take them to her. Her belief is that my wife had made so much money from her job and that I wanted to corner her belongings. Is it possible for a low rank civil servant to amass wealth without running into problems?

“Contrary to her wild tales or allegations, I asked my late wife to inform mama about her medical trip to India and she did. She was hale and hearty when she was leaving for India to undergo a fibroid operation because she was bent on having children for me. I had admonished her to consider adopting children, but she explained that since her medical hindrance was not beyond cure, she would rather prepare to have her own kids.”

He explained how he disagreed with the mother-in law following her insistence on having another autopsy carried out on her body.

“Even her family members were at the burial and I think she is saying these because of money. There

‘

‘

was nothing I could have done because the Nigerian High Commission in India and Indian authorities were duly informed and an autopsy had already been carried out on the body in India. It was on the day of the burial that she called to say that I should not go ahead with the burial anymore.

“I refused to heed her instructions because it came rather late when my late wife’s colleagues, friends and associates were already at the lying-in state. So, how could I have cancelled such an event and what would I have told those present? I cannot keep her corpse in my house because I had already set out the programme for her final interment. If she has any grievance against me, let her go to court. I was never at any time jobless; I am a car dealer and I have been running my business for many years now.

“My wife and I had mutual agreement on what to do in case of death. I told her to ensure that a certain nephew of mine gets university education and today, I am happy that the boy is a graduate in my lifetime. She equally asked me not to let her mother suffer in case she dies. It was on the strength of this understanding that I considered it necessary to give h e r money f o r Ileya celebration in November

last year. Unfortunately, the money I gave her to celebrate Eidfitri (Ileya) is what she used to facilitate my arrest by the Police. I was taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos and I have explained my own side of the story.”

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the late Adebola until her death worked in the Administration Department of PHCN Ikeja Distribution Zone, Alausa.

A highly placed source, who asked for anonymity, said:”Ah, Bola (the deceased) was such an amiable lady. She actually applied for a sick leave and it was rather unfortunate that she died during operation in India. She was a Level 9 Officer until her death.”

•Adebola

16

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘I joined the Police to get easy access to superior weapons’ •I got only N200 after inviting criminals to rob my boss — Security guard

•The suspects

S

OME years back, former President Olusegun Obasanjo shocked the nation with the very devastating disclosure that some of the persons recruited into the Nigeria Police then were criminals.

For those who doubted the claim, the story of two police officers cooling their heels in the cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command for allegedly leading an 11-man armed robbery gang, will clear their doubt.

The two alleged armed robbery suspects in police uniform, Corporal (CPL) Igba Isaac, 33, from Okpadubo village in Benue State and Corporal Abya Chashe, 36, from the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) Abuja, confessed that they joined the Nigeria Police Force to get access to superior weapons and to beat police intelligence .

Though they were successful in the over seven armed robbery operations they claimed to have participated in since they joined the Nigerian Police Force, nemesis caught up with them when one of their gang members, Ratty Edem Edet, a 28-year-old man from Oron in Akwa Ibom State fell in love with their victim’s house-help.

Edet had saved one Comfort Uwaya, aged 25, from being raped by the gang leader, Ogechi Sunday.

He subsequently gave her his phone number for easy contact. The number turned out to be their nemesis, except the owner of the phone who is still at large.

Naratting his role while being paraded recently, the first suspect, Igba Isaac, admitted being a police corporal and that he was part of the gang who robbed a successful legal practitioner in Ajah, a suburb of Lagos for the rich and affluent.

“I am a police corporal, a noncommissioned officer (NCO). I followed the gang to Ajah, a town in Lagos State, to rob a rich legal practitioner whose security guard, one Adamu Garba from Kebbi gave my gang the hint that his master, the lawyer, kept big money in his duplex and that we should come and rob him (his master) and give him his own share.”

He served last at the Isokoko Police Station. Immediately after

•Chashe

•Chashe

Ebele BONIFACE

his arrest by the SARS, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Yakubu Alkali, ordered an orderly room trial for him. Upon his confession, the CP dismissed him and ordered a thorough investigation and his subsequent prosecution. The same fate befell the second suspect.

Isaac claimed to be a petty thief before he joined the Nigerian Police Force. He was neck deep into picking pockets and snatching women’s handbags. But once he made up his mind to be an armed robber, he immediately concluded that the best bet was to join the Nigerian Police to get easy access to superior weapons.

“I used to go after women handbags because they like to stock

collect clothes somewhere at Costain area of Lagos Mainland. He claimed that he was assigned the job of defence because he it was who could counter the police or the vigilance group whenever they suddenly showed up during operations.

As for the second suspect, Chashe, who was orderly to former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Abateur Police Station, confessed to joining the force so as to beat intelligence and sabotage the •Isaac efforts to arrest armed robbers whenever they are on operation.

“I joined police to be able to beat police intelligence. I was a common thief before I joined police. I paid N10,000 to scale screening. I celebrated when I passed out. I fired 10 bullets. I had SSCE before I joined police. I enjoyed roadblock and stop and search duties because it gave me opportunities to search and steal money and other valuables whenever we stop vehicles for searching’, he said. And in a note of defiance, he could not understand why others are doing it and he was being •Isaac cash punished for doing the same thing. i n “Many of the rank and file have t h e i r developed plots (of land) in Lagos and bags to (bought) expensive jeeps, yet nobody is show off that questioning them”, he tried to they are big girls or ladies, rationalise. but men do not like to put He admitted giving a gun to the money in their handbags dismissed Cpl Isaac and that he partook except when they are in only three operations. carrying suit cases and for “I was the one who gave the gun to one to snatch them (suit Cpl Isaac. I served last at Abateur before cases), you need a gun; I was dismissed. I have participated only otherwise he will not let you in three robbery operations namely: the go. It is very risky”, he one at Computer Village, Ikeja; one stated. at Victoria Island and the one at Even as a recruit at lawyer’s house at Ajah.” the Nigerian Police A third suspect, Ogechi Sunday, who College, he still claimed to be an amateur footballer and managed to find time for his robbery hails from Ubakala in Abia State, said he operations. Curiously, he could used to be the leader of the gang before neither remember the names of the Edet or Ratty, as he is popularly called, other members of the gang nor where usurped his position. He, too, had taken they are today. part in four opertions.

All he needed was to tell the “In those four operations, I led, one instructor one cock and bull story and was at Lekki where we robbed one he would be exempted from the super market and got N240,000.00; necessary parade. And when he another at Victoria Island before the passed out, he was posted to a bank.

Falomo Roundabout where we got A man long in the business of N150,000; the one at Costain where we robbery, Isaac, while serving at the got trousers, shirts, belts, wrist watches Abateur Police Station, confessed to and the Ajah lawyer’s bungalow where being part of those snatching we got N16,000, two wrist watches, one motorcycles, popuilarly Lexus car, three plasma TV sets, one called Okada. While they made it a laptop”, he stated. policy not to kill their victims, they The gang were driven to Lamgbasah beat them to a pub so much so that in Ajah, where they robbed the said they would not recognise them. wealthy lawyer, by the fourth suspect, Before going for the Ajah operation, identified as Emmanuel Effiong, a 29they first went into a boutique to

year-old driver from Calabar Cross River State. He claimed to be a private company driver.

Apart from driving them, his second role was to tie their victims. In fact, he claimed he tied two girls at one of the scenes.

“I played two roles, one to drive the gang to the scene of crime and to ensure their escape. Two, to tie the victims, I was the one who tied the two girls. I used cushion rope to tie the girls”, he confessed.

Michael Noah, the fifth suspect, hails from southern Ijaw. He was jobless, even though he used to work as a bus conductor for interstate vehicles when he was invited to join the gang. His was to stand guard at the door and ensure that nobody comes in or goes out.

Edet or Ratty, the sixth suspect, often signals the beginning of operations whenever they enter any house by bringing out the gun in his possession.

He is bulky and hails from Oron in Akwa Ibom State. He trained as a technician. Referring to his stature, he confessed: “I am not the gang leader; I am the field commander because of my intimidating stature and the mere fact that I am the only one holding gun”.

It was he who gave his number to the girl. According to him, “the girl is too beautiful and I liked the girl. I told the girl that she was too beautiful to work as a house help to the lawyer. She told me to look for a better work for her. I then gave her my phone number. Later, she called me; I didn’t know that she was with SP Abba and Supol Adetarami Adegbehin and four others. The moment I surfaced, they handcuffed me and whisked me away to SARS office”.

The gateman, Adamu, it was who let them in at about 8.30 pm. They got in when the said lawyer was not around and so had to wait. The lawyer came back around 9.30-10.00pm with one man and his wife. The gateman had erroneously informed the gang that his master had much money in the house, but to the consternation of the gang, they could not find the said money. On threatening to shoot the lawyer, he offered to give them whatever they thought was worth the millions they said he had at home.

“When we could not get plenty money from the lawyer, we threatened to shoot him, but he begged us and told us that he would give us something worth millions. He showed us a Rolex wrist watch worth N1.8 million and other things worth N160,000, N17,000 and N20,000, but when we contacted our buyer receiver, he said the Rolex was fake”, Edet confessed.

Adamu Garba, who played the Judas Iscariot, is full of regrets. He vowed not to arrange any job for any gang again as he was given only N200 for bringing his employer trouble. The man who said his salary was supposed to be N15,000 but got only N5,000 every week, confessed to being well fed and given good accommodation. He even confessed to getting good tips from people who often come to see his boss and sometimes makes more than N5,000 a day. But the sin of his boss was that he was giving him only ties and shoes, whereas he prefers money. and what have you but not money. The Kebbi State-born security guard faulted the gang’s greed for money and wondered why they gave him just N200. ”I am the lawyer’s security guard at Ajah. They said my salary in a month is N20,000 but I received only N5,000 every month. May be the person who brought the work for me was ‘eating’ my money because anytime I complained, I was not taken seriously. I have good accommodation and I eat well. I also change clothes and shoes always. I even wear ties like my oga at times but visitors used to laugh at my ties, yet they used to dash me money.

“Sometimes, I get money beyond my salary. Oga get plenty money and gives me only used ties, coat, shoes, trousers, shirts, bed sheet. He does not give me money. That was why I informed the gang to come and rob him. I was the one who opened the gate for them and told them that Oga (the lawyer) would soon come back. They promised to give me the same thing each member would get.

The only money they gave me was N200.

They are greedy and heartless. They lied to me. I will not arrange any job for criminals again. You can not trust them.”

17

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘My father retired as a robbery gang leader’

•Ogbonna and Obed

•Olanrewaju

Ebele BONIFACE father did until he retired.

“My freedom came when Femi, aka JJ, visited me and advised me to come and live with him in Ajah, so that I would learn how to become a millionaire without doing much.

“When I got to his room and parlour apartment at Lakure in Ajah, he told me that I should feel free because he was living with only one wife as those he divorced went their different ways after giving him children ”, he said.

That was to mark the beginning of his initiation into armed robbery. At night, his friend and host, JJ, invited the rest members of the gang and asked him to join in the meeting that was to hold. The initiation was simple.

JJ told him that he was in the midst of armed robbers and that he would want him to join, even though it was voluntary. Upon his decision to join the group, each member of the group hit Akinola hard on the head and was made to kiss a locally made gun. That was all. For the celebration of a new convert, the group smoked large quantity of Indian hemp, drank assorted beer and smoked cigarettes.

His first outing was the following day at Epe. But before the operation, he was told to be a man and informed the other members of the group that indeed they had a lion in their midst. JJ declared to the rest members of the gang that “armed

‘

turned every bag upside down.

When they searched the student bag we put under the seat, they saw three short guns and bundled all of us, including the driver, to Elemoro Police Station. From there, they took us to Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah . “ On the second day when they wanted to transfer us to SARS Police Headquarters ,GRA, Ikeja, the team leader, Supol Adamson, asked me whether I knew the driver and the other three passengers, and I said I did not know them. I told him that I boarded the car with Emma and Obed as passengers and others were released and we were taken to SARS. “I would like to tell you something important please. Femi’s mother and my father are from the same father and mother, so when he called me to come and stay with him, I did not argue. I stayed with him and did whatever he wanted me to do. He also inherited robbery” he stated.

He, however, claimed to have been born again , saying he would like to go to a living church for a thanksgiving, if set free.

As for the second suspect, Emmanuel Ogbonna , 25, hails from Afikpo. He claimed to be a school dropout . It was when his father died that he came to Lagos in January, 2010.

Once in Lagos, he started off with selling puff-puff. And he was making between N560 to N600 a day. He had learnt how to drive a car before coming to Lagos. He could also ride motorcycle, popularly called okada.

As luck would have it, somebody gave him a motorcycle to ride on a hire-purchase term of N130,000.00.

He was delivering N3,500 every week. But somehow, he failed to meet his obligation on two occasions, making it two weeks, totalling N7,000.00. The owner just came one day and seized the motorcycle.

It was a big blow to Ogbonna. Frustrated, he took to smoking and drinking, going from one joint to another. It was in the course of his going about that he met one Dada who took him to JJ. JJ welcomed Ogbonna with a firm assurance that his life was about to

His first outing was the following day at Epe. But before the operation, he was told to be a man and informed the other members of the group that indeed they had a lion in their midst

‘

A

34-YEAR-OLD man, who was nabbed by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command, has declared that his father retired as the leader of an armed robbery gang.

The man, who gave his name as Akinola Olarewaju, was a member of a dangerous six-man armed robbery gang before he was arrested.

He also gave the names of other members of the gang to include Femi Enuyemi, aka JJ, who he calls master and leader of the gang. Femi is said to be from Ondo State.

Others are Felix Enuyemi (Femi’s brother), aka Askari; Keshi also from Ondo State; Emmanuel Ogbonna, aged 25, from Eziwachi in the Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State; and one Obed Odeme from Eziogbaku in the Owerri Local Government Area of Imo State.

According to Akinlola’s account, he trained as a motor mechanic. But he could not raise money to buy working tools. His attempt to get his father to assist him did not yield any positive result. And when he turned to his father’s friend, he was not forthcoming.

“Go and do what your father knows how to do best, and you would raise the money to buy working tools”.

In his words: “I am a motor mechanic, but I didn’t have a workshop. Anytime I asked my father and his friend, who I usually called father when my real father neglected me, to help me buy working tools and to get a workshop, he laughed at me and advised me to do what my father used to do.

“With time, I started doing loading and off-loading at Breweries in Costain, Surulere area of Lagos, just to avoid being idle. I stayed with my sister,Nikere, at Surulere . With time, I became uncomfortable with my sister as she always warned me to stay away from bad boys, so that I would not end up doing what my

robbery runs in the family of Akinola.“ The Epe operation was successful. The five -man gang snatched a Toyota Camry car which JJ sold for N350,000 to a ready buyer. He was given N70,000. JJ ensured that the money realised was shared equally.

His second outing was in his state of Ondo. The gang snatched a vehicle which was sold for N300,000 and each member got N60,000.

He confessed to be very good at torturing their victims.

“I am good at torturing victims and that is why we get extra cash during operation because our victims reveal where they hide their money when I start torturing them. I can’t torture them to death, but they will never forget the experience”, he said.

The third operation was at Ajah.

The gang snatched a Honda Bulldog car and sold it for N450,000 and N50,000 was given to every member of the gang. He said they were always five in number as every member had a vital role to play for the gang to be successful in its operation.

His fourth and last operation was on the way to Epe. He could not recollect the brand of the car. He, however, described it as a “very fine and modern car”. JJ took it away for sale and, as usual, shared the money.

“We did the operation in October last year, but we were arrested on November 25 along Epe Road, he said.”

It happened that JJ was to do the burial of his paternal grandmother which was to be November 26. It was while on the road to the place that himself and two others were arrested.

“We boarded a commercial car.

We were three, myself, Obed and Ogbonna. There were other three passengers and the driver making it seven passengers. Then, men of the Federal Highway Patrol stopped and searched us. They searched everywhere. The way they were searching us showed that SARS operatives would have signalled them that the men they were looking for were inside that car.

“They searched thoroughly and

change. He told him what they would be doing and that there were buyers waiting to buy instantly the moment they were able to snatch any car.

The first operation was successful, and from the proceeds, he was able to rent a room and sent some money home for the upkeep of his siblings.

He narrated how his half-brother claimed all their father’s property and drove everybody out of the compound and how he lost his mother and had to fend for his younger ones.

His aim was to save as much as about half a million naira with which he could start a good and profitable business such that at the end of the day, he would be able to challenge his father’s second wife who had made it possible for her son to chase everybody away from the compound.

“The woman is a strong woman with rich men from her family. I could not fight her. I joined an armed robbery gang and targeted N500,000 to start a solid business so that I could challenge the woman and reclaim my father’s property. My father married my mother first and I am the first son of the man. If I regain my freedom, I will run back to my village. I will never come to Lagos to hustle again”, he stated.

The third suspect, Obed Odemene, 21, from Ogbaku village in Imo State, claimed that he dropped out of school at SSS 1 due to the untimely death of his father.

“I lost my father on January 31, 2009. After his burial, I started work at the Nigerian Breweries as an offloading and loading member of staff. We were paid everyday. The moment you finished your work you lined up for your pay. At times, one could get N3,000 or N3,500, depending on what one loaded or offloaded.

“I used to save N500. Every month I sent my savings to my brother, sister and mother. There is money in armed robbery. If you have gun, you can’t be hungry. But if you are caught, you will wish you never ventured into it in your life because people will be looking at you as if you are a beast. Imagine, one of the onlookers was annoyed that police were keeping us alive. That is just to show you that people no longer take us as human beings and they don’t believe that if we are given another chance, we will change. That is too bad. I can change, if I am given the opportunity. I was not an armed robber before. So I can still change and become responsible”, he said.

18

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

INTERVIEW

Many foreigners are ready to settle in Abuja because of the housing glut in Europe —FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed Occupying one of the nation’s revered political offices comes with its complex contradictions and controversies. But the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, appears to be in firm grips of affairs despite the many challenges that he has had to grapple with since his reappointment. In this interview with a select group of editors in Abuja, Mohammed laid bare his plans to transform the city and made clarifications on some thorny issues pertaining to his administrative style.

Our Managing Editor, Northern Operations, YUSUF ALLI, and Abuja Bureau Chief, YOMI ODUNUGA, were there. Excerpts:

C

AN you give an overview of what you have been doing since your appointment and how you have been piloting the affairs?

For me, persuasion rather than persecution did the magic. It is a leadership style that I believe in.

We have been carrying people along in a manner that our own responsibility is to make people understand what the government is doing. It is their government and leadership. In any case, whatever we do that will not add value to their lives, no matter how good and noble, is not important.

The FCT, as you all know, was established in 1976 by a decree. Of course, since then, there have been two bodies-the ministry and later the Federal Capital Development Authorityestablished as a project parastatal.

Later in 2003, it was made a territory like a state as per the constitutional provision of section 299 that the FCT be considered as if it were a state. So, it has really metamorphosed into a ministry that is akin to a state and now we have the FCDA and other parastatals running essentially to build a federal capital that will be the pride of all Nigerians. Our business is not to have assets and liabilities, but to provide facilities for governance, including the private sectors in terms of infrastructure and services. Since then, we have expanded. We have about seven secretariats which are like ministries with commissioners and secretaries overseeing them. Just like in the states, we have the executive secretaries in the FCDA, driving

the project of infrastructures and services; and, of course, we have expanded the other departments like environmental, infrastructure investment agency and satellite town development agency which was just created recently by His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to make the development of the federal capital city at par with the satellite towns.

In the FCT, there seems to be this feeling of mistrust by residents in the way the authorities handle the issue of land administration.

What are you doing about this?

Our major thrust is to make sure we bring land reform administration. It was the first thing that we embarked on, to make sure that we make land registration transparent and in accordance with the global best practices where people access land without so much difficulties. And the turnaround time is such that somebody who has the capacity or the finance or the resources will be able to access land and develop and also to do away with fraud.

In the past, there was a lot of fraud starting from the speculation.

That has always been the problem of any department which has to do with land allocation.We had to block all the gaps and make sure we flushed out some people, not

because we didn’t like them, but because they appeared to be constituting problems to our desire to evolve a transparent land administration system.

Today, we have established the land use allocation committee as a vehicle and as a provision of the land use act to make sure that states, local governments and indeed all members of the federating states are given land without necessarily showing their faces, without any personal attachment, but on the basis of what is provided as per the template for allocation. But, of

•Sen. Mohammed

course, we don’t have all the resources. By this, I mean the cadastral on the ground to give land to all those who deserve it.

So even on the basis of availability, we’ll make sure we spread it as per federal character since it is the way it is provided in the land use allocation act.

Has there been any remarkable improvement in Internally Generated Revenue?

We have done so much and we have been able to increase our IGR in terms of payment and collection and we have reached a 27 per cent increase, not minding

the prevalence of fraud in the department. Some of the payments made for premium are circulated or round-tripped in a manner that one draft can be used to pay two or three or more land premiums for the same purpose.

What we have done to check this was to adopt the e-payment system and that is why, today, we have been able to reach where we are in terms of generation of revenue on land. Of course, because we want to stop the obnoxious practice where land •Continued on Page 22

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

19

Saturday

THRILLER

‘My tribe is better than yours!’

The ugly manifestations of tribal politics in Nigeria

If the unexpected should happen, God forbid, you would probably not get this copy to read. Depending on which part of the motherland you depart with, your thirst for news and other literature will be catered to by whatever regional news medium survives; in your new found land. The truth, among other things, shall be redefined within the paradigm of the patriot's creed of your newly found nation. That would no doubt defeat the passion and joy of the throngs that surged toward the gaily decorated race track, where bands played and dancers swayed in then sweltering Lagos through the night of September 31, 1960. Precisely at midnight, a mighty roar went up as a green-white-green flag was hauled aloft to replace Britain’s Union Jack. With that, Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation (36 million), became independent and took its place in the councils of the world. Solemnly, 40, 000 voices rose to sing the country's official anthem: "Nigeria we hail thee; Our own dear native land; Though tribe and tongue may differ; In brotherhood we stand." Fifty one years afterwards, the situation is remarkably different as ethnic politics threatens the existence of Africa's most populous nation of about 150 million people from the foundations. But this by no means implies that the sustainability of the Nigerian dream is unattainable, writes OLATUNJI OLOLADE, Assistant Editor

20

N

O shot from the buried war can kill him now but a bullet from the resurrected skirmishes has killed his son. Consequently, Tanko Maijeida welcomes every new dawn like a setting sun. “There is really nothing left to live for,” said the native of Jema’a, Kaduna. Maijeida lost Mahmud, his only son, to the rampaging hordes of Bulbulla, Jos. Woefully, he recounted the scene in which his son was shot to death in the sectarian crisis that pitted the Berom and Jasawa tribes in the state against each other in the twilight of 2008. According to him, Mahmud was hacked to death by people who were supposed to be his friends and co-apprentices at the furniture company where he worked.

“He had nothing to do with their fight. He wasn’t Berom, neither was he Jasawa. He didn’t even live among them. He resided in a part of town heavily populated by the Yoruba and Igbo. Yet they decided to kill him. They pushed him out to the warlords who attacked the house of a client in which they were working. Eye witnesses said that his co-apprentices, after pointing him to his assailants, joined in beating him. then they held him as he was shot in the neck…My late wife died giving birth to his only sister. She is all I have left now. I have no son to carry on my lineage,” lamented Maijeida in a cadence that choked back tears.

At that point, the 78-year-old spotted a mien that indicated that he could not go on thus leaving a greater detail of his buried narrative a matter of conjecture. It was a pose that characterised limitless grief and the tragic forbearance of one who felt that his joy was fated to be replaced by the graveside nettle.

Despite his irreparable loss, Maijeida believes in the capacity of the average Nigerian to be good.

According to him, Mahmud’s friends and colleagues were simply jealous of his speedy rise and the goodwill he enjoyed from both their customers and their boss. He said the ethnic genocide in Jos presented them a perfect opportunity to eliminate his son whom they considered a formidable competition.

“As there are bad people, we also have good people. There are still some very kind Nigerians in this country…I was rescued by a Berom family on the day my son was hacked to death by members of the same tribe. I only wish they had taken me instead,” he lamented.

Milda Ogoka’s grief may seem milder but it’s of a more insidious nature, she claimed. The native of Abia State lamented her inability to progress professionally due to her employer’s knack for placing ethnic interests above merit. “He is Igbo and yet he discriminates against fellow Igbo. He prefers to employ and promote people from his native Anambra to the plum positions. And he is brazenly supported by his wife who is also from Anambra. I have spent 13 years working for them and even though I was in line to become the next General Manager, Southwest Operations, after the former one resigned, our chairman ordered the Administrative Manager to rescind the management’s decision and to pacify me; he added to my salary and gave me a second official car.

It’s so unfair.

“I would have resigned had the new GM not pleaded with me to stay. She is my friend and she admitted that she knew I had been wronged. She arrived four years after I had been working with the company and she got the job through me. Yet she was given my spot just because she hails from the chairman’s home state,” lamented Ogoka.

A similar sore festers within the cadres of a southwest civil service (currently under investigation) where non-Yoruba are allegedly denied the opportunity of progress-

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

The ugly manifestations o

•Tribal feuds fosters mi and bloodshed of which youths serve as canon-fo

•Nigerians celebrate the end of the civil war

•Persistent tribal-fuelled anarchy forces the government to let the soldiers loose from the barracks ing beyond a certain grade point.

“If you are not Yoruba, you cannot become a director or permanent secretary in the state. It is wrong. Promotions should be handed out by merit. Your ethnic affiliation shouldn’t be the criteria for rewarding your hard work,” stated Ifeoma Ahaegbuna, a victim and staff of the affected ministry.

But in a swift response, a senior staff of the establishment stated that Ahaegbuna’s claim is totally unfounded. “Nobody does that here.

Not in any state in the southwest. It is what they do to our people employed by their state ministries.

Many Yoruba come back dejected after being robbed of their due positions and rewards just because they do not hail from the southeast.

There was the case of a woman who remained an assistant head teacher till she retired, even though her Igbo contemporaries and even juniors were promoted into the positions.

She did the promotion exams and passed, yet she was never invited for interview. She resigned and came back home against the counsel of her Igbo husband and friends at work,” he said.

Tribal love and other stereotypes The manifestations of the ethnic scourge permeate every aspect of life across the country. Even the hallowed and much romanticised confines of love and marriage aren’t impermeable to its blight. Take the case of Bisi Shogbade, a lecturer and a widower; his fiancée’s parents have been against his proposal to wed their daughter right from the moment he disclosed his intentions. “”Even though her father who hails from Anyagbai, Kogi State and her mother, a native of Benin, Edo State

are both products of inter-ethnic marriage; they have vehemently refused to let me wed her. They claim they would never let their daughter wed a Yoruba man,” lamented the native of Osogbo, Osun State.

And to his chagrin, his fiancée of seven years seems to have succumbed to her parents’ demand.

“I’ve met and pleaded with her mum but she remains adamant. Now their daughter is as adamant as they are.

She claims she cannot go against the wish of her parents.”

Ethnic chauvinism has so far been responsible for the wanton stereotyping of almost every ethnic group within the country. Each tribe is associated with a peculiar vice or more and oftentimes, the virtues associated with each tribe pale in comparison with its perceived vices.

Beyond the sanctity of love and wedlock, and the cut-throat world of business enterprise, ethnicity has become a common feature and bargaining chip in local politics. This, Abiodun Akande, a sociologist and historian, attributes to the fact that Nigeria’s national identity has been at odds, since the colonial era with the appeal of more exclusive ethnic identity as fostered by the country’s colonialists.

Ethnicity and party politics Akande may not be too far from the truth, in pre-independence Nigeria, party politics and party formation assumed an ethnic colouration, even as it metamorphosed into the post-independent first republic. The Action Group (AG) developed from the political wing of the cultural association of the Yoruba educated elite, the Egbe Omo Oduduwa; the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC) was closely allied with the

•Scenes like this become a recurrent feature in a state of anarchy

Igbo state union and played a significant role in the internal affairs of the party, while Northern People’s Congress (NPC) was founded by the Fulani aristocracy. In the smaller ethnic groups, a local political party was often indistinguishable from the cultural association.

And more significantly, the division of the country into three regions for administrative convenience by the Richards constitution of 1946 led to the development of strong regional feeling.

The consequence of this was such that by 1953, the major political parties in Nigeria – NCNC, AG and NPC, were associated with the major ethnic groups and the three regions, Western, Eastern and the Northern regions. To further crystallize the tripartite ethnic cleavages, the party leaderships were structured accordingly, viz: the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello led the NPC of the North; Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe held the ace for the Igbos NCNC, while Chief Obafemi Awolowo led the AG in the Yoruba West, each representing their regional divides.

It was, however, the absence of well-organised, strong, visionary and purposeful cross-national political parties with the organisational depth and durable popular support for democratic effectiveness and legitimacy that led in part to the collapse of the first republic according to Ademola Azeez, Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

According to Prof. Emmanuel Udogu, a professor of International, Comparative and African Politics, it is safe to contend that many individuals might not consider it insulting to be referred to as ethno-nationalists, “because the concept gen-

erally implies the love for one’s ethnic groups. Yet, there is often a hidden problem stemming from the psychological and primordial attachment to one’s ethnic group in a pluralistic society. The situation, in a polity, such as Nigeria, becomes more problematic when the politics of who gets what, when, and how gravitate toward ethnic clashes and antagonisms.”

Udogu noted that generally, the assumption has always been that an adequate education was likely to induce the various collectivities to peel off or at least modify their ethnic identities-a move that could result in the superimposition of nation-state nationalism upon ethnic loyalties.

“In other words, theoretically, education would retard and weaken the non-centripetal dimensions of ethnicity. There might be some truth to this thesis, since many of those who have been in the vanguard in opposition to ethnic politics have traditionally come from the educated cadres. But, there are also many in this group who have, in the struggle for power, resurrected their ethnic emblems and solidarity, as rallying cries in the competition for the authoritative allocation of values.”

The professor brings to mind the case of a former Minister of Transport and Aviation in the Abacha administration, who declared thus in an interview: “And if people think that because I am a minister that I have forgotten the fact that one, I’m an Ilesha man, two, I’m an Ijesha man, and third, I’m a Yorubaman, then fourth, I am a Nigerian citizen, then such people should really go and examine themselves. I cannot divorce myself from the yearning and aspirations of the people of

21

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

of tribal politics in Nigeria

Tribal feuds fosters mindless violence d bloodshed of which the nation’s uths serve as canon-fodder

•Women and kids are major casualties of ethnic feuds and other forms of violence

•Police officers examine the body of a victim of ethnic violence my roots.”

The political equation no doubt, becomes more confounding and discordant in democratic and pluralistic societies like Nigeria where an overwhelming a sense of communal solidarity tends to intensify ethnic preference, so much so, that, in the struggle for political power, to promise less for one’s group in the name of harmony and accommodation was tantamount to betraying that group’s interest.

Little wonder, then, that an influential minister in the Second Republic of Nigeria was alleged to have expressed, proverbially, his concern regarding the inauguration of a national conference by the late Sani Abacha administration-a conference intended to work out the modalities for the formation of Nigeria’s nation-state. He reportedly said: “No man becomes a hero by selling his father’s house to buy a land.” What the minister implied, it has been contended, was that Abacha (a northerner) was, by the scope of the national conference that he had initiated, selling off the northern interests without being cognizant of what he would get in return for the north.

Although this assertion was later refuted, the moral within is applicable to many ethnic groups and their disposition to both grassroots and national politics.

Nigerians won’t forget easily the ugly resurgence of dirty tribal manipulations in the wake of widespread protests over President Goodluck Jonathan’s removal of fuel subsidy. Many of the president’s kinsmen in Bayelsa trooped to the streets in a counter protest against those condemning the president’s action. Subsequently, tribal senti-

ments were whipped up and manipulated in careless abandon with the president’s apologists castigating the protesters for trying to make Nigeria ungovernable for their “son.” In response, many of the protesters, spread across the country’s various ethnicities pointed out the perceived double standards of the president’s apologists. They wondered why it was ideal for people across various ethnic tribes to vote for President Jonathan but wholly unreasonable for them to protest an unfair policy by him.

A never-ending bloodbath Religious polarisation and ethnic considerations feed upon one another to spark bloody clashes across the federation. Eleven years ago, an estimated 2, 000 people were killed in communal clashes sparked by the proposed introduction of Shari’ a (Islamic law) in Kaduna State. Two years later, violence triggered in part by controversy surrounding plans to hold the Miss World beauty contest in Nigeria claimed around 250 more lives.

In addition to providing a new set of triggers for violent conflict, the increasing tendency for Kaduna’s communal tensions to be expressed in religious terms has drawn groups into violent conflict that have no interest in the deeper underlying causes of north-south tension in the state.

Many settlers have fought, died or had their property destroyed in Kaduna’s 2000 and 2002 clashes for example. Some have reacted by packing up and moving back to their home states and many of those who remain in Kaduna are increasingly likely to be drawn into future conflicts with sectarian overtones;

like the 2011 post-election violence for instance.

Despite the massive loss of lives and property in past conflicts, the acts of violence are still carried out in the troubled zone. On April 18, 2011 for instance, hell was let loose in Southern Kaduna, particularly in Zonkwa, following the post-election crisis that erupted in many states in the North.

Residents were forced to flee from Zonkwa, Kafanchan and other trouble spots during the post-election violence. During the fracas, fleeing youths hid in pit latrines and wells but the unlucky ones were gunned down, slaughtered, burnt alive or dumped in wells. Although most women and children were spared, they were subjected to various degrees of humiliation, as their assailants ordered them to denounce their preferred candidates for their favoured ones. In the end, over 1,000 people were allegedly killed.

Out of the 38, 976 displaced persons, over 90 percent are women and children, according to statistics obtained from the Nigerian Red Cross. However, the figure has since plunged below 15,000 across the 15 refugee camps in the state as some refugees have been reunited with their families.

The indigene-settler crisis in Jos, Plateau State has also evolved to become a colossal eyesore in Nigeria’s catalogue tribal tragedies.

Causes of the violence and mass murders are many and varied but eventually all contributed to fuel the mayhem. In reality the crisis is more political and economic than religious. The violence stems from a longstanding battle for control of political power and economic rivalry between different ethnic groups and between those labeled

as “indigenous” and “non-indigenous” inhabitants of Jos. As grievances built up over time, all sides appealed to religious sentiments to manipulate popular emotions and eventually to inflame the situation to a level where it could no longer be controlled.

Another major causal factor in the Jos crisis, according to some residents, is institutionalised discrimination and government’s refusal to heed calls for its redress. In terms of access to resources and opportunities in day-to- day life, the distinction between “indigenes” and “non-indigenes” is critical. In practice the two groups effectively have different rights, resulting in discrimination and inequalities of access in many fundamental areas of life and human well being. The impact remains particularly felt in education and employment, where an informal two-tier system operates.

For example “non-indigenes” have to pay higher fees to enter good public schools. While paying the same taxes as “indigenes”, “nonindigenes” complain of discrimination and harassment in their search for employment especially in the civil service and in federal institutions, where many senior positions are seen as effectively reserved for “indigenes”.

And more recently, the escalation of violence and deaths in Nigeria’s northern cities as perpetrated Boko Haram, a self-styled terrorist group have been described as another possible trigger of unmitigated bloodbath reminiscent of Nigeria’s most tumultuous eras. Although, many analysts are quick to associate the activities of the militant group to radical Islam, others argue otherwise claiming that it is simply a brutish and advanced on-

slaught of demographic conquest.

Whatever the truth is, it would remain relative to the experiences and estimations of victims of the group’s deadly bomb and artillery attacks.

Burying the ethnic divide Udogu, in the spirit of the raisons d’être of the Abacha conference, suggested the writing of a new constitution, which will, among other factors, resolve the political grievances rendering the Nigerian polity ungovernable. The 1979 constitution, which suggested ways for creating ethnic harmony, was a fundamental step in the direction of providing a solution to the ethnic problems in Nigeria.

For instance, Article 14 (3) of the 1979 constitution states: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”

This provision, he stated, should remain intact in any future political and constitutional framework.

According to him, it is a sine qua non for the furtherance of ethnic harmony in the republic, because it recognizes the significance of every ethnic group in the ethnic mosaic that is Nigeria.

To combat and assuage feelings of alienation of one tribe against the other, the Nigerian state must strive for an equitable distribution of the national resources and wealth. In short, it must promulgate policies aimed at political and economic enfranchisement of all Nigerians according to Idris Uthman, a diplomat and social worker.

On another note, Umar Habila Dadem Danfulani of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), stated that the use of military force and emergency powers cannot permanently resolve the problem posed by sectarian violence given its historical, ethnic, elitist, class and faith character. The Nigerian people must be mobilised towards engaging and embracing the political reality of multiculturalism and on the basis of this recognition, address the challenge of multicultural citizenship.

“This implies a reform of the Nigerian constitution towards sharpening and broadening the concept of citizenship and eliminating the definition of indigeneship and all the political privileges that goes with it. Economic policies should be drawn to provide the basis for sustainable development, emphasising social welfare, compulsory mass education and literacy, poverty alleviation and popular participation, which is, entrenching the principles of democracy,” said Danfulani.

Another possible step forward, now under active discussion, seeks to compromise the rights of indigenes and the rights of resident non-indigenes of particular LGAs, by allowing only non-indigenes who have resided there for a long time to vote in local elections, but also by then giving them indigene certificates from that place. This would dilute the current rights of resident non-indigenes, who already have the right, more or less without regard to length of stay, to vote and be voted for in local elections; and it would dilute the current rights of local indigene groups, who would have to share political control and indigene rights with long-term residents of other ethnic groups. If this could achieve, such a compromise could produce two healthy effects: advance effective political rights, and encourage the development of new, less exclusive, local identities.

22 officers in the area councils and the satellite towns exploit the gullibility of the Nigerian public to collect money and allocate land, we stopped land allocation in the area councils and centralized it.

This is because we realised that, since the establishment of Abuja, no deeds and titles had been given to any holder in the area council from Abaji up to Lugbe. So we established a new vehicle called Area Council Land Accreditation Outreach (ACLAO) just at par with the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) to make sure that about 100,000 allottees that are just holding papers today are given attention in terms of coming to verify and getting their certificates of occupancies. From that, we envisaged that we are going to get more than N50 to N60 billion in terms of revenue, while, at the same time, it would provide those holding the titles just in terms of allocation the opportunity to have certified certificates of occupancy that they will use to access small loans and use them as collateral.

Housing is another major problem in the FCT, do you have any blueprint to reduce the accommodation challenges faced by residents?

This is another area that is fraught with fraud because it started as an accelerated development programme on a time line. It had exited about two years ago, but people are still keeping allocations which they bought from those who must have had the resources to do it or by those whose closeness to the administration or discretion on the unilateral decision they were given. But because of their capacity, they sold them and the people who bought them are still keeping them in 10s and 20s. And when we make allocations, because they still existed in our AGIS system, they become dual allocations or double allocations, and so we have streamlined that.

I made sure that, henceforth, those getting mass housing allocation must be people who have business plans and are worth their financial capacity. We want to give land to those who can develop them for mass housing.

Our worry is that the whole area of mass housing has not been provided with primary infrastructure because we give the land free. Unfortunately, they subdivided the land and made up N500m per allocation when the government had not had anything. This is not fair to government because we have to look inwards. Henceforth, we make sure those getting land will pay a certain premium that will not impinge on their capacity to develop. The government had, in the past, given land free for mass housing because of the need to provide affordable housing.

Affordable in the sense that right from the registration of the land, you are not paying anything.At the end of the day, we will achieve a rent value that is affordable by the masses for the same value. But this has not been achieved because Nigerians take things for granted.

At the end of the day, the common man is not benefitting from the service and we end up not having the infrastructure and not having the houses. We end up with speculators, using the allocation as a commodity to make money. So we are abandoning that sector by making sure we make land more available to the people who can develop, but at a cost.

Is there any plan to tackle the high cost of rent in the FCT? Soon, we will be coming out with a bill to make sure we regulate the

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘As minister, I’m not out to emboss my name on projects like others’

•Sen. Mohammed

rent regime in the territory. It is simply not fair for somebody to be asked to use his salary to pay N500, 000, N2 million or N5 million for two-bedroom or three- bedroom flat when our own actual earning is not up to that. So that is encouraging corruption and government has a responsibility to do that, even if we are borrowing from the developed societies. In London, in Paris, in America, people pay for houses for weeks or some months. So why are we insisting on two years, why are we insisting on five years and then the value is so high beyond the affordable level of our earnings?

We will make sure that the Nigerian public workers and other private sectors are getting rents that they can afford genuinely and sincerely.

A modern capital like Abuja cannot be developed without the infusion of foreign investment, are you making any progress in this area?

First of all, we’ll talk about the investment opportunities. We have opened the former Bakassi market where we made allocations to the Churchgate Group and other groups which were in court when we came. We made sure we

‘

removed all the impediments and then gave them licences to develop that place. We also have investors who are putting up over $2.6billion for a World Trade Centre that will give over 10, 000 jobs to Nigerians.

Past ministers were faced with the issue of resettling the original dwellers of Abuja, have you evolved a better way of handling the matter?

Like my predecessors, we have challenges in the areas of resettlement and compensation because what we require is more than N150b to settle the original settlers. For some time, it has been a big problem when you have Nigerians living in the territory that is carved out as a no man’s land and they are not being transferred.

They are not being resettled somewhere and they impinge on the development of infrastructure because all the districts were named after towns that were originally here before. Even today, Garki is not resettled Gusape is not resettled. Jabi village is not resettled and it constitutes a security problem. Only Wuse and Maitama are fully settled in Sabon -Wuse.

Whereas we are building houses within the city because the concept of resettlement has been re-

conceptualised to bring integration and so rather than taking people out of their territory, they are being integrated in the city and yet we don’t have the huge capital outlay required to build houses for them.

Even when the houses are being built, they do not capture the culture and tradition. They are built in such a manner that they are just one room for somebody with three wives and five kids. So they sell them and go to another place to resettle because they are kin and kits and they further aggravate the resettlement and compensation problem in a manner that it becomes a cyclical problem. We have not been able to transcend this problem. That is why we are bringing a new policy of urban renewal. For example, in the case of Garki, you can sell Garki to a private sector. The private investor would now go and settle them within the city or within the territory. That is marrying integration with urban renewal rather than outright resettlement somewhere. We don’t have money and we don’t capture their sensibilities, yearnings and aspirations. But this thing takes time to mature. When I went to Lebanon, I saw how an area was

There are many foreigners that are ready to come because of the housing glut in Europe.Here, we have the opportunity. We will take the opportunity of the housing glut of Europe to develop Abuja because this is the only place where property is moving, not even Dubai

‘

•Continued from Page 18

INTERVIEW

resettled ,and today if you see it you won’t believe it. There are many foreigners that are ready to come because of the housing glut in Europe.Here, we have the opportunity. We will take the opportunity of the housing glut of Europe to develop Abuja because this is the only place where property is moving, not even Dubai. We will take Abuja to a level we never even imagine. The most important thing is to unbundle Abuja within our own fiscal outlay and masterplan, within our own land administration and within the concept of our own business initiative. We have a road map of these areas. I have touched just the surface so that you can see what we are trying to do and where we want to go. We will generate wealth and create employment at the same time. We will provide services and affordable housing within the territory.

Q. What about parks and recreation centres?

The FCT is large. We have a big problem with parks and recreation centres because everybody knows that parks and recreation centres all over the world are for recreation and they normally open for certain hours. Because they are not supposed to be restaurants only, or night clubs , that’s why we are building the Abuja town centre with other groups and, of course, to make sure we look at our urban original planning to provide areas for indoor recreation, not the urban recreation that parks provide.Then, it will add to our insecurity because when they are open at odd hours, hoodlums, criminals, hooligans and charlatans normally find safe havens in them. We always exercise restraints not to allow people, but when people practise impunity, we have to practise enforcement, and, of course that will come with a little pain. Soon, we are going to advertise that all the parks and recreation areas of the FCT will come for what we call recertification so that they will be reinspected to be audited to make sure they are okay.

What are you doing about transportation?

I want FCT buses and I told you BRT is not synonymous with Bala.

AMTCO is not synonymous with Bala. Somebody is taking over Abuja Municipal Transport Company and we brought it into our statutory budget to give subsidy so that it will be sustainable. It will certainly not be like El-Rufai’s which was casual and ad-hoc just to gain some kind of good marks from the public.

Ours is to bring service that is permanent, sustainable and institutionalized not personalized.

Somebody asked about the issue of commercial taxis. What are we going to do with the commercial taxis? We are not just coming with a sledge hammer to start beating them off the road. We have invited an association to participate in our licensing taxi regime. Some Americans are bringing some, but they are free to come in as an association and participate and we will regulate them. Certainly we will not condone the rickety vehicles that are always breaking down on the road. We will establish a structure whereby they will get these cars almost free. They will get the cars without interest and they will be paying the money and we will service the interest for them.

We are not buying cars as a government; we are partnering private investors.

24

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

STANDh BY! Wit

VICTOR AKANDE E-mail: victor_akande@yahoo.com Tel: 08077408676 (SMS only)

THINK

nt part of An importa s of any the succes is its civilisation late the mu ability to e t led to the a th factors ther success of o Eric .— s civilisation rt Reine

In search of an Igbo film industry

O

N August 16, 2009, I'd poured out my in their local dialects. mind on how our traditional values are Same can be said of Chinese films but beginning to suffer at the expense of definitely not about Nigerian films. Of the western culture. That article which I titled three major languages in Nigeria, the Yorubas, 'Upping the prospects of indigenous language of the South West could be said to have done a films' quoted an AFP report of February 2009, proportional number of their production in which states that, out of the 6,900 languages their local language. The Hausa language spoken in the world, about 2,500 languages are producers have also favoured movies in the being threatened with extinction. The report Hausa language. But apart from Kenneth which quoted the UN's cultural agency, Nnebue's Living in Bondage which came after UNESCO, said that already, “the world has Alade Aromire's Ekun, and a few earlier films lost Manx in the Isle of Man, Ubykh in Turkey like Gabriel Okoye's Battle of Musanga and and last year (2008) Alaska's last native speaker Nneka the Pretty Serpent, which gave credence of Eyak, Marie Smith Jones, died, taking the to the emergence of the home video industry in aboriginal language with her.” Apparently, this Nigeria, 100 per cent of production by the Igbo report represents a multi-fold increase from the filmmakers are in the English language. last atlas compiled in 2001 which listed 900 It is however worthy of note that minority languages threatened with extinction.My languages in Nigeria have held their languages article reads in part: “This analysis may be a high through films done in Efik, Ibibio, and little complex, but you and I could tell that 95 Nupe to mention a few. per cent, to say the least, of Indian movies are It is my pleasure to publish this article sent in by guest writer, Nnamdi Lionel which he titled:

T

HE seed which we know today as Nollywood was sown in 1992, when Mr Okey Ogunjiofor took up the lens and directed an Igbo movie known as Living In Bondage. This movie gave birth to Nollywood, and subsequently, other Igbo films were produced. Suddenly, the Igbo movie producers decided to start shooting films in English language; even epic films and this tends to erode their originality and lack of proper role interpretation by artistes, some of whom are not even Igbos, and who do not even speak the language. At this period, the Yoruba movie industry was just coming up, as it was previously in stage format. Today, in terms of indigenous films, the Igbo movie industry has gone from number one to nothing. It is now worse that Igbo actors and actresses who do not understand the culture of the Igbo's '' Omenala ND'Igbo'' are now comfortable acting in Yoruba films and other indigenous language films.

Meanwhile, majority of

rt A UNESCO repo ck some few years ba bo Ig e listed th of language as one at th s the language t of ea tr was facing the ck la extinction due to ote of efforts to prom . it through the arts s ay One of the best w e th t re to interp ular culture of a partic lm fi tribe or race is

Igbo movies and cultural promotion Nollywood producers and directors are Igbos.

A UNESCO report some few years back listed the Igbo language as one of the languages that was facing the treat of extinction due to lack of efforts to promote it through the arts. One of the best ways to interpret the culture of a particular tribe or race is film.

That is the reason why when, I watch some Nollywood epic movies; I laugh because, I see stupidity being displayed.

Cultural ignorance of the highest order is what I call them.

The Ancestral home land of the ND'Igbo '' Nri'' in Anaocha Local Government of Anambra State is the oldest Kingdom in Nigeria. It is synonymous with the famous Igbo Ukwu art, and has a museum'' ODINANI MUSEUM'' where Igbo's origin, mythology, legends, culture can all be seen and learnt. Also, the Kingdom of Aguleri which is home to the Omambala River; where the Ofo ND'Igbo is gotten from can also be of help in learning Igbo history. There are various epic stories which can be produced and directed in Igbo language and shot in 3D/HD format. After all, Viva Riva which won best Movie at the 2011 AMAA Awards was shot in Lingala, an indigenous language of the Congo people with HD format. Therefore, all movie producers, directors and actors of Igbo extraction should bury their heads in shame as

SNAPSHOTS Stephanie s Okereke shop for wedding

A

S you read this piece, Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke is in Paris, scouting for suitable wedding stuffs for her marriage to Linus Idahosa, scheduled for next month.

Sources squealed that the lavish wedding ceremony will take place in Paris, the fashion capital of the largest country in Western Europe.

Planned to hold far away from prying eyes, the ceremony will be Stephanie's second attempt at marriage her first, which was in 2004 to Super Eagles football star, Chikelue Ileoanusi ended with sad tales.

Stephanie has no doubt done quite well for herself from her days as a runner-up in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant in 2002, to her rapid rise in the movie industry, with several endorsement deals and the recent conferment of a National Honour by the Federal Government.

me The Ancestral ho '' bo 'Ig D N e land of th Local Nri'' in Anaocha Government of the Anambra State is in om oldest Kingd Nigeria. It is the synonymous with art, u kw U bo famous Ig m'' and has a museu M'' U ODINANI MUSE in, where Igbo's orig s, mythology, legend en se culture can all be nt ar and le they are not doing enough like their Yoruba and Hausa counterparts in promoting Igbo culture through filmmaking.

However, the following are stories that Igbo filmmakers can shoot films on as they all form part of the history of ND'Igbo; Eri; founder of the Igbo race, Ala, Agbala, Owumiri, Mmanwu, Ikenga Eze-Nri Obalike, Nri- Ifikuanim, Aba Womens Riot, Ekumeku Movement, Ibini Ukpabi, Izuogu Mgbokpo, and Igu- Aro to mention a few.

It is my hope that Igbo movie directors, producers and actors will take this bold initiative and shoot films based on the above themes so that the young generations to come will have an understanding of the cultural roots of the Igbo people.

- Odumody Nnamdi Lionel writes from Surulere, Lagos

WRITE TO US! Do you watch Nollywood movies? What do you think of the Nigerian motion picture industry? Send your review of any movie or short essay on any topic of your choice about the film industry in not more than 200 words. Send entries by e-mail to: victor_akande@yahoo.com or SMS your short comments to 08077408676

Femi Brainard

to star in Awakening

A

CTOR, Femi Brainard, is set to star in new movie, Awakening. The movie which is directed by James Omokwe and produced by Theresa Fatima Ananenu is billed to make entry in March.

Ananenu said the flick takes the viewers on an exciting and unpredictable journey into several mysterious deaths that profoundly affect the lives of two strangers, who are thrown together by fate. Nicholas a fastrising Advertising Executive, and Zainab a brilliant but bored journalist.

On a quest to uncover the truth behind mysterious deaths, both are led to an unimaginable past and their futures are changed forever. The movie also has other cast which include, OC Ukeje, Kehinde Bankole, Adewale Aroloye, and Bryan Okwara.

Lepa Shandy stages comeback

A

FTER what seems like a spell of silence in the movie scene, Shade Omoniyi known as Lepa Shandy is planning to return with a new movie; Eri Ife. According to the actress, Eri Ife would be her fourth movie. “It is not my norm to churn out movies, but it took me this long because I have been preoccupied with some other things. And hopefully it will be released this year by His grace,” she said She also revealed that she will be featuring alongside Biola Adebayo, Tola Oladokun, Buky Ogunnote, Dayo Amusa, Tito Harrison and a host of others.

25

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

SNAPSHOTS

RE ELNEW S

Mr. Ibu loses child

Bamanga Tukur for O'jez forum

T

HE household of Nollywood comic act, John Okafor was on the night of Monday, January 23, thrown into mourning following the demise of their two-year-old son.

The actor who confirmed the tragic incidence, has since Tuesday, been receiving visitors, among them, colleagues who have come to commiserate with the Okafor family.

“John, accept my deepest sincere condolence. He has gone back to his original father, but he will be back. So innocent; so pure without sin; definitely, he is in heaven. It is well. May the love of God soothe and comfort you and your wife at this time, God be with you,” wrote Victoria Inyama on facebook.

It would be recalled that about this time last year, gunmen invaded the Agbani Road, Enugu State home of the top actor, and abducted his wife and three children. The kidnappers who immediately opened a communication line with the entertainer's family had demanded a N50 million ransom before taking pity on the actor.

•Mr. Ibu

M

IPTV, the world film and television content market, last Thursday, opened nominations for the second Brand of the Year Award, as part of its two-day Branded Entertainment programme for April 2-3.The 2012 Brand of the Year Award will be presented to a global consumer brand for its outstanding contribution to the development and production of branded entertainment programming, on April 2 at MIPTV, in Cannes, France.

Launched in partnership with Ogilvy & Mather in 2011, the first Brand of the Year Award went to

S

H

•Lekinson

American Express in recognition of their innovative use of music, sport and entertainment to develop brand awareness. The Award underlines MIPTV's recognition of the strategic importance of branded content creation and the collaboration between production studios, networks, brands, and agencies to deliver new, compelling audience

Opa Williams returns with new comedy show

EQUEL to the resting of the 17-year-old Nite of a Thousand Laughs a month ago, the brand owner, Opa Williams has initiated a replacement, attributing the IS name may not ring a bell, but many, who are reason he is stopping the former event to the proliferation of familiar with the Yoruba language movies, would comedy shows in the country. He called the new show, Nite of A affirm to the fact that Lekan Thousand Laughs Xtra.

Lekinson was one of the very Williams, who said that the popular actors in the industry new show will make a debut in years back.

The actor, it was gathered gave Kenya and Uganda in February, up the ghost on Wednesday, to a added that “audience will now have the chance to laugh a heart related ailment.

In his active years as an actor, thousand times like in the past Lekinson was a producer's toast due to his ability to interpret different roles, especially being cast for a widely travelled character who prides himself arrogantly with big grammar and knowledge of the world.

Yoruba actor, Lekinson dies

Nominations open for MIPTV Second Annual Brand of The Year award

•Opa Williams

when we started off. While I will not reveal everything about the new show, the only teaser I will let out is, we will have just four best comedians from four countries in Africa at any edition of Nite of a Thousand Laughs Xtra; two from Nigeria (including the compere) and three from other African countries”.

experiences. Ad agencies and production studios will be asked to nominate a brand for their outstanding contribution to branded entertainment.

The call for nominations is now open and submissions need to be made by 24 February 2012.

Nominees will be judged by an international panel of high-profile experts on a number of criteria including: commitment to branded entertainment as a key element of their marketing mix; measurement of the branded content's effectiveness; innovative use of platforms or new formats; success in communicating a positive message in a relevant and engaging way. Brands which have participated to MIPTV's Branded Entertainment programme include American Express, BNP, British Airways, •Tukur The Coca-Cola Company, Dove, Fanta, Expedia, and Nike among others.

Dele Odule, Hafiz Oyetoro for Digital Filmmaking Training

26

A

S one who runs a business and also does comedy, do you have to split your personality to suit both purposes?

It doesn't get to that stage where they clash. I have organised my life in such a way that, one minute, I am on stage cracking jokes and the next minute, I am coordinating affairs in the office. As much as I have been able to develop my brand to be an all encompassing one, I would say that combining both is not easy at all but then, it is something that I said to myself is necessary and has to be done.

How did the AY Brand come to be?

It all started as a joke. It began way back when I was in school. Then a girlfriend of mine won a beauty pageant on campus, but she was not given her prize money by the organisers. We did everything possible to get the money, so we were invited to a meeting with the Student Union.

While we were deliberating on the issue, it got to a point that I said to the organiser that I will go into the same business on campus and run his own down. That was exactly what happened. I registered it on campus and my girlfriend and I organised our own beauty pageant. It became the toast of Delta State University. I did it to the point where I graduated from school. The same pageant has produced two representatives of Nigeria to the Miss World beauty pageant, and of course, one of them has also gone for the Miss Universe competition all from the Corporate World Entertainment which started like a child's play.

A

Y

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

I always wanted to be like RMD—AY Ayo Makun has come to be regarded as one of the most successful comedians in Nigeria today; showcasing a television show, a comedy competition and the always sold out AY Live.

The top notch comedian talks to Ovwe Medeme on his career, the AY brand and a host of other issues.

What challenges do you face in organising the AY Show?

The challenges are a handful but sponsorship is seen as the key to a successful show. Despite that notion, I have done a number of shows without any form of sponsorship and indeed achieved great success. In a way, it has endeared people to us because they see it as a feat that we could organise big shows such as last year's 'AY Live' at the Expo hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, without the corporate world support.

Their absence is a major challenge to us.

With the challenges, what does it take to survive in the industry?

What it takes to survive is a strong determination, not to believe that it is not doable, to accept the fact that no matter what the situation is, you will always succeed, you will always grow and you will take your career to another level.

So far, have you had any career threatening experience?

I have. There have been times when I see mys

elf on stage and I am not feeling myself. at those times, I say to myself that I don't think I am getting it right I then ask myself if I am sure I want to remain in this business. But then, subsequent events tend to boost my ratings to another level and I see myself growing again.

What does it takes to organise a show like the AY Live?

The planning stage is usually fundamental knowing that you want to bring a certain number of people and have them come watch your show. You need to first of all find out what they like and what you think they will want to hear. For me, what follows is that I draw up the concept. At that stage, I start publicising. It is important to reach out to the public for feedback.

That way, you can improve on your lapses. It is also important to know the kind of content you are giving out.

When you have these entire put together, you will automatically know the kind of artists you will bring to the venue. After doing all that, you are good to go.

Is there any show you consider as a threat to yours?

I don't see any other show as a threat because I don't subscribe to the fact that there are people out there threatening my brand. The only threat that I have always harboured is AY threatening AY. If AY is doing better this minute, the other AY is already threatening AY to do better. That is how it has been for me.

Last year, the AY Live brand visited Asaba; what was responsible for that?

I received my first lessons in life in Delta State hence my affection for the state. Indeed I am who I am today because of

what I learnt from my years in Delta state and it had always been my dream to go home and honour that great state with the best of the brand and that is why we spared no expense in making sure everyone that came had a good time. Not just from the performances of the artistes but also from the screening of the exclusive comedy skits we produced for their entertainment. His Excellency, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan threw his weight behind making the dream of AY Live brand in Delta State a success.

What inspired the AY Live Comedy DVD? I have always aspired to be a pacesetter in the Nigerian comedy industry and this has been characterised with show-stopping antics and hilarious skits which have been part of the uniqueness of my brand. We decided it was time the Nigerian comedy industry was seen as a veritable export product, so that not just Nigerians in Diaspora, but also foreigners would be able to watch and enjoy the best of the Nigeria comedy industry. The concept of the premiere as a vehicle to introduce the DVD into the Nigerian market was designed as an avenue to celebrate everyone who had made an impact in the growth of AY as a brand and to show the new level the brand was moving into.

Would you say growing up had anything to do with your career choice?

Growing up, I have always loved to see the movies. I loved the likes of Richard Mofe Damijo. Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala. I used to love the way they got people all excited and I always thought I would like to be the modern version of these people. RMD is one person I always want to be like. At some point, I tried to reach out to him but fate brought us I have always loved to see the together and we talked. movies. I loved the likes of Does running the Richard Mofe Damijo. Hubert family in any way with your Ogunde, Baba Sala. I used to interfere business? love the way they got people Being a husband and a father does not all excited and I always interfere in any way. thought I would like to be the As a matter of fact, what I do with my modern version of these brand can be I n rso pe e people. RMD is on regarded as family business. Those who always want to be like. At are used to me ch rea some point, I tried to always see my wife us ht ug bro e running the business fat t bu him to out angle for me. We run d ke together and we tal the business together.

27

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

2Face, elDee, Julius Agwu, others sing for love

Jaywon returns after medical treatment Ahmed BOULOR

W

ITH the season of love around the corner, gifted comedian, Julius D'Genius Agwu is set to return with 'Festival of Love', which he describes as an evening of romantic love songs, couples' games and great comedy for lovers.

The show is scheduled for February 11, 2012 at the congress hall of the prestigious Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The organis er

G

BON Gbon Gbon exponent, Jaywon, is back in the country after receiving medical treatment in far away California, United States of America. The fast-rising artiste was flown abroad after he was reportedly beaten and bruised by label mate, Eedris Abulkareem.

Both artistes were said to be present alongside other Kennis Music label artistes at the monthly Industry Night on Thursday December 29, 2011 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, when the brawl occurred.

Though the cause of the fight is yet to be ascertained, sources say the clash may not be unconnected to what Eedris regarded as Jaywon's seeming disrespectful act. Thus the Jaga Jaga crooner ensured that his younger label mate got the beating of his life at the hotel.

Femi Adeyinka, otherwise called C.A.P.I.T.A.L FEMI, was also not spared the venom of the exRemedies member, when he tried to interfere.

Jaywon is said to be fast recovering from that unpleasant experience after spending 11 days in California for medical attention, and in preparation for the Kennis Music All-star trip to th the forthcoming 54 Grammy Awards taking place at the Staples Centre on February 12, in Los Angeles.

said the show will feature acts like 2face Idibia, elDee Da Don, Timi Dakolo, J'odie, and W4, while comic acts scheduled for the show will include Osama, Akpororo, Lepacious Bose, Triple White and a few others.

Agwu emphasized that the show intends to preach the message of peace and unity among Nigerians.

“Love is exactl y

what we need in Nigeria at the moment, to put a final stop to the latest terrorist attacks threatening our existence as a nation. It is also love that can put an end to the religious attacks also threatening our unity.

We also want the couples to come out and re-ignite their love life. That is why we call it Festival of Love,” Julius said.

This year's event, he said, is put together by JAFFY (Julius Agwu Foundation for Youth) and will be supported by Aero Contractors, as official career. Last year, the event featured Darey, MI, Waje, Iyanya, and Onyeka Onwenu.

•Jaywon

Rapper, Mo Eazy is back home

U

K-based Nigerian rapper, Mo Eazy is set to return to Nigeria, just so he can be part of the fast moving music train in the country.

The award-winning singer, who is noted to have worked with Craig David, collaborated with Nate James and penned hits with 2face Idibia is returning after over a decade away from home.

It would be recalled that in 2010, the artiste coproduced and co-wrote the Golden Jubilee song by 2Face Idibia to mark Nigeria's 50th independence. He also featured on remix tracks for 2face (Chemical reaction) and worked on the smash hit single from Darey Art Alade (The way you are).

His first single Red Carpet was a big hit in the UK, peaking at number one on BEN TV's Top-Ten Music charts. His next single Make Your Move was released in mid 2011 and is now receiving massive play on all radio stations in Nigeria as the video charted on Soundcity and NIgezie.

“You need to work hard to get what you want, and your hard work pays off after time; just be patient” says Mo' Eazy who announced to his teeming fans “I'm back. Back home to where I belong. Back here to stay”.

Mo Easy (real name,

Moses Agboola) won the Best UK Nigerian artiste award at the Nigeria Arise 2010 Awards, and at the Black Entertainment, Fashion, Film, Television, Arts Award (BEFFTA) 2010, he won the Best UK Male Act category, he recently won the Nigerian Promoters Association 2011 for Best International Music Act.

•Agwu

F

•ElDee

BeeCee steps in with Amara Gi

R

•Mo Eazy

Midnight Crew grateful to fans OR their support all through the decade of their existence, gospel music group, Midnight Crew has come out to thank their fans.

The team stated; “A big thank you to our new followers and others alike.

And for everyone that has

•Tuface

purchased King of Nations, we say thank you. We are truly grateful! You have spent your hard earned money, God bless you.”

Midnight Crew, a group of four singers, is made up of Patricia Uwaje-King, Gbenga Oyebola, Odunayo Ojo, and Michael Abdul.

OCKING the airwaves at the moment is the song Amara Gi, put together by debutant, BeeCee. The single is the first effort of the fastrising gospel singer and has been serenading major churches across Lagos in concerts.

Married with two kids, the model says she started singing at an early age and did her first recording in the studio at age five, with her father. Though her singing career didn't kick off at that age, she kept writing songs, sang in the choir and did a few

T

EE A's Tyme out Lounge has relocated Ivory Health Club, Ikeja Lagos, where it began operations in 2010. The celebrity hangout, founded by the popular comedian, has been alive to men and women from the music, banking and oil industry.

“The business is bigger, the vision is even much bigger, hence the expansion. We need to move to a bigger property.

But we'd still be in the same vicinity”, said the comedian.

shows while studying at Center of Educational Research and the University.

After her second baby Development, India. in February 2011, BeeCee decided to take music as a career. She did her first recording at Instincts Studios in August with the song Amara Gi and has since been recording other songs as well. born Obiajulu Olabisi Ugboh, the artiste is a graduate of Political Science from Delta State University, with an International Diploma in •BeeCee Montessori from The

Tee A changes venue

CO

R C O V E ER V

R E V O C There is no point trying to be like another person when my features are being envied by others. The truth is, my skin colour always sets me apart. I have featured in more than 80 good movies with this complexion of mine. What else can I ask for?

COVER

CO

R VE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

30

35

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

•Late Best Ogedegbe

PROJECTION SPORTS IN 2012

FOR

P

EOPLE like us were identified while in school.

During my days at St.Theresa’s college when it was mandatory for all students to take part in one sport or the other and we knew the sports from the grass root level. The schools are not what they used to be, with competitions lined up and every child fitting into the sports of their choice. In those days when as young girls we benefited by being

•Late Sunday Bada

given scholarship because of our involvement in sports.

All fingers are not equal, and these young athletes need support from the grassroots. With scholarship being given to these athletes from the schools, they are encouraged to go through the challenges having discovered that they are being catered for and that there are people that are interested in them and by so doing they will last longer in their chosen sport.

The School Sport Federation should come up with so many competitions. We know that 2011 is gone, so let’s start planning for the future. The National Sports Festival is coming again, we can continue to groom the athletes discovered and do not leave them.

We most provide them with training grants to put body and soul together as they train to represent their father land.

THE J.K RANDLE ANNUAL OLYMPIC DINNER It a very laudable programme in the sense that J.K Randle we can say is child that appreciates his father. The appreciation of what he has been able to instil in him within the sport circles is what we experience every year.

We know that through the father there was the Ejanla Swimming Competition that he himself knew the essence of his father doing that and he is still doing it till today.

We can see in him a child that believes in history and look back in the fact that though his father died in 1956, he is still involved in what his father left as a legacy in identifying the young ones that love to swim because we know that swimming is a sport that is essential to saving life because we find ourselves in an environment that there are different hazards that we had to surmount and in surmounting these, we either run, jump or you swim depending on the situation you find yourself.

This has now evolved to becoming a sport.

So bringing together all those that have been able to represent this country in time past, it is a landmark event in the sense that those that have not seen themselves for so many years see it as a rallying point for them to come together. He somebody that appreciate the fact that the father went to the Olympic in 1956 he is now doing this to bring them together in memory of what the father has been able to achieve in his life time.

RETIREMENT FUNDS FOR ATHLETES Former athletes should be remembered in the sense that they have spent their youthful years to be able to take part in sports and be good Ambassadors of this country. So people have given their all to represent this country appropriately it is nice for us to be able to think of something tangible like a retirement fund that is set aside which they can fall back no.

When we look at the situation in America, the base ball and NBA players that have been able to represent the country in different sport are not neglected. It is not just only when Olympians or exinternationals find themselves in a problem that they can now say let us go to their aid. I remember and i thank some governors or influential Nigerians that have been coming to the aid of former athletes like the recent case of former IICC Shooting Stars player Sam Ojebode at the University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH), and many more of them. But it is not only when they need our help that we should be able to come around them. There are only few of them that were able to go through school or get gained employment but there are some that spent their lives playing sports, and when they now tire out, should be catered for.

Everybody can not be a coach or have a gained employment in the various sport councils.

They should be given the opportunity to have something that they can fall back to if it is put in trust fund and at a particular time in their lives they can now draw on it i think it is something we should think about .

LOSING SUNDAY BADA Sunday Bada is a great loss. We were both on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and any time i look around myself when we have to take decision and I see Sunday bada I see him as somebody that is like a pillar.

Though he competed after me, he is somebody that knows the sports. He is somebody that had the passion for the sport. Even when he broke his leg , because he was performing the role of Technical Director in the the AFN he will always be on his feet moving round to see that things are done appropriately and that is how I will remember Sunday bada as somebody I will miss.

Anytime I am going for meetings i don’t go alone.

I thank God he was the one in Lagos that I could call upon anytime. We put our heads together on issues and he was a very respectful person. He gave respect to whom it was due and if he found himself in any situation that will warranted him raise his voice at anyone, he will apologise at the appropriate time. He was somebody that when I look at the way he has been able to spend so many years representing this country, winning laurels and bringing glory, I feel he should not have left so soon.

Though he joined the Police Force at a time, it did not disrupt

•Blessing Okagbare of NGR attempts competes in the Women's Long Jumps during the adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium

2012 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS

Ghana’s coach to ring changes for Mali clash

G

HANA's coach Goran Stevanovic reacts during their African Cup of Nations Group D soccer match against Botswana at the Stade de Franceville in Franceville, Gabon, Tuesday Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic will tweak his team for their next match against Mali at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

The Serbian has been forced to alter his defence with captain John Mensah suspended for the tie.

He is also expected to take a decision on his left-back and midfield position.

When asked about changing personnel for their next Group match, Stevanovic replied: “Some of them, we will see.”

“You know who plays first game but never know who would play last game. I need 20 ready players for the competition.

“And I am sure that I have very, very good quality [players] and I believe in every player present

here.”

Ghana laboured to beat Botswana 1-0 in their opener on Tuesday.

•Stevanovic

Equatorial Guinean captain revels in last eight berth

E

Create retirement fund for athletes –Obajimi She represented this country well in her active days appearing in the green and white colours of Nigeria in track events at the highest level. Now a sports administrator, Director, Women Development on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Gloria Obajimi in this interview with INNOCENT AMOMOH bared her mind on several issues affecting sports, especially athletics in the country and the way forward. his passion. You can see how merciful God is, He allowed him to call his close friends Henry Amike,Yusuf Ali and others to come and join him at the National Stadium before his death. The National Stadium is like our rallying point, is like our home.

Though he’s left us his spirit will still be with us because we know what he stood for. He stood for assisting the younger ones to achieve their dreams. He assisted so many athletes, drew them out of the labour market and made sure they were employed in the Police Force and because of that I would forever appreciate what he had been able to put down and go away with.

ATHLETES’ MOTIVATION Government and other sports stakeholders should support young athletes in the country and help to remain focused in

their chosen careers. The upcoming athletes should enjoy material support from the government and other sports stakeholders in the country

“Former athletes should be remembered in the sense that they have spent their youthful years to be able to take part in sports and be good Ambassadors of this country. So people have given their all to represent this country appropriately it is nice for us to be able to think of something tangible like a retirement fund that is set aside which they can fall back no”

because the difficulties young athletes are passing through in the nation are becoming unbearable for them.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) and other stakeholders in the country should urgently extend their helping hands to these young athletes. We all need to rally round them and ensure that they remain focused on the game. We need to support them with training materials and other necessary things needed for them to polish their skills.

I want the NSC to map out strategies on how to develop grassroot sports in the country.

We need to discover more athletes this year and ensure that they are

•Obajimi

well groomed for future competitions.

I M M O R T A L I Z I N G ATHLETIC HEROES The best we have seen is the Sam Okwaraji statue in front of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. For instance, Sunday Bada is from Kogi, they should build a statue of him in front of the new Stadium in Kogi State which I know is almost completed.

Like what the governor of Rivers State did by naming a Stadium after Adokie Amasiemaka.

Athletes that have done well for the country and died in the process should be immortalized.

The Kogi State government must follow these examples when the Stadium will be opened.

Sunday Bada was an Olympian, who won a silver medal in the 4 by 4 relay and we also know that he was the world indoor champion in the 400m. We should be able to establish a foundation of a group of young athletes that will be named after him.

QUATORIAL Guinea captain Edjogo-Owono Juvenal has described their qualification to the last eight of the 2012 Orange Africa Cup of Nations as one of the best moments in the history of the country Nzalang Nacional beat the Teranga Lions of Senegal 2-1 on Wednesday at the Estadio de Bata to seal their place at the last eight and becoming the first team to book their place at the knockout stage.

“It is an important victory. Today is a historic day in the life of this country. The fans are very excited and I am very proud to be part of this piece of history,” an elated Edjogo-Ewono said after the match.

The Spanish-based midfielder admitted that Senegal handed them a strong test, which they passed in the end thanks to David Alvarez’s superb strike in added-on time.

“It was a very difficult game as Senegal also wanted to win to remain in the competition. They (Senegal) started very well and we had to wait for our chance. After,

•Edjogo-Owono Juvenal (l)

we had to wait for the decisive moment, which came very late.

“Despite the fact that we have qualified, we still want to win our last match against Zambia. Our target is to finish as the winners of the group and we can only achieve that by winning our last game.”

Coach Gilson Paulo shares the same view as his captain regarding their final Group A match against the Chipolopolo of Zambia on Sunday, January 29 in Malabo.

“Senegal is a very good team with talented players. We did a good job with the win but we are not there yet.

We want to win all our matches to finish tops in our group,” said the Brazilian.

Nzalang Nacional has six points, Zambia on four points, with Libya and Senegal in that order with one and no point respectively.

TODAY'S MATCHES Botswana v Guinea Ghana v Mali

THE NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

31

NATION SPORT N his campaign pitches, President Goodluck Jonathan promised Nigerians a breath of fresh air and while many have insisted in nearly one year of his ascendancy that the atmosphere is still infested with foul and stale air, he released a true scent of fresh air late Wednesday with the announcement of former Assistant Inspector Mohammed Abubakar as the acting Inspector General of Police. In one fell swoop, the Commander-in-Chief swept away all serving Deputy Inspectors General of Police to make way for their ranking junior to be the nation’s Chief Police Officer.

I plead a great deal of incompetence to comment knowledgeably on administration of security especially in uncertain times such as we have experienced in the country since the outbreak of the Niger Delta brigands during the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The commentary therefore will deliberately steer clear of Abubakar’s credential in security but will pan on his foot-prints in sports.

Abubakar came into national sports consciousness when he was appointed a member of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) in 1996 to serve on the board led by Colonel Abdulmuminu Aminu. He represented the Nigeria Police Force on the Board as provided for by Decree 101 which granted representatives of various organisations and institutions seats on the NFA Board. For those who talk about law and due process, we are yet to understand the legislative instrument used by a former Sports Minister, Colonel Musa Mohammed to amend the provisions of that Decree which on inception of the civilian government in 1999 became an Act of Parliament.

As we continue to subject the fate of millions of youths to the selfish ambitions of a few to seize control of the leadership of football administration in the country, it has become imperative to assess those jostling for positions and confirm what they are bringing to the table. As a nation steeped in clichés, the most abused ascription in our sports nay football vocabulary has been ‘stakeholders’. It was the Stakeholders that ushered in the long knives in football board politics when a few men that were feeding fat on

I

M.D Abubakar…Breath of fresh News for Police Sports

By Harry Iwuala state funds constituted themselves into a shadowy umbrella body of Football Stakeholders to oust Ibrahim Galadima after he secured re-election in 2007. Our football have ever since then known no peace and success has been eluding us on many fronts. I therefore urge the supervising Sports Minister, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi to be wary of those parading themselves as stakeholders as a majority of them cannot show proof of what they have staked for the development of the game. Sorry for the brief digression.

The appointment of Abubakar as the IGP portends a great ribbon of prospects for Police Sports, a platform that has produced some of the finest sports men and women for the country. From the Police Games, Nigeria produced two Olympic Medalists, Chioma Ajunwa and the late Sunday Bada. Sunny Oyarekhua, Willie Bazuaye, Julius Aghahowa and Iseme Ikpoto are some the great sportsmen that have emerged from the Police to become leading lights in their field of performance. Their emergence was not accidental but a product of carefully orchestrated scheme of encouraging men and women of the Nigeria Police Force to simultaneously pursue a career in the force and in sports.

It will therefore not be a misplaced optimism to expect IGP Abubakar to set in motion the process for the return of the glorious Police sports days.

At a time when it is fashionable for our Police officers to flaunt protruding fronts, Abubakar cuts a refreshing niche with his neat athletic built.

Having related with him from close quarters, it has to be stated without equivocation that his passion for sports is real and transcends a pass-

ing interest in the administration.It was during his days as the Police representative on the Board of NFA that we hosted the very first FIFA tournament, the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship and many who were worried about the incidences of hooliganism at local match venues could not but commend the organization.

Part of Abubakar’s challenge as the IGP will be to revive Police Games both at the states and zonal constituencies as we know that a horde of talents that could not further their academic aspirations find their way into the Force but end up languishing at road blocks in the bid to keep their jobs. The Sports Department of the NPF must be overhauled to inject professionalism both in policing duties and in sports performance. The IGP will need to put in place policies and regulations that will open the space for experts to work with the Police Sports Department either as external consultants or full-fledged officers.

It’s not going to be easy especially with the precarious security situation in the country but what can drive the vision is good planning and effective strategizing. Drawing a multi-discipline resource to develop a blue-print for Sports in the NPF is a guaranteed route to discovering, nurturing and encouraging talents in uniform to find expression for their endowment.

It is also interesting to note that Abubakar is not pigeon-holed to football because he has also functioned as coordinator of the very popular though irregular Police-Peoples Marathon that used to hold annually in Abuja. The Police-Peoples Marathon is a project conceptualized as a platform to deepen the Police-public engagement as part of the tool for community policing.

Overall, as one who has remained close to the football family, the IGP may have one or two useful advice for the President towards resolving what is fast emerging a national blithe in our football administration. As a member of the NFA Board that came under stringent interference from the Chief Jim Nwobodo led-Sports Ministry, Abubakar is well positioned to know what Alhaji Aminu Maigari and co are going through in the hands of a seemingly powerful National Sports Commission.

Here is wishing you and excellent service on the IGP’S seat.

"It was the Stakeholders that ushered in the long knives in football

board politics when a few men that were feeding fat on state funds constituted themselves into a shadowy umbrella body of Football Stakeholders to oust Ibrahim Galadima after he secured re-election in 2007. Our football have ever since then known no peace and success has been eluding us on many fronts. I therefore urge the supervising Sports Minister, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi to be wary of those parading themselves as stakeholders as a majority of them cannot show proof of what they have staked for the development of the game" Harry Iwuala is a renowned Journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria

•Abubakar

Ogbuke keen to Onuoha may debut shine for Schalke 04 against Chelsea •As Joel Obi, Utaka target win ENGLISH FA CUP

N

IGERIA-BORN Queen Parks Ranger's (QPR) new signing, Nedum Onuoha may debut today against Chelsea in the English FA Cup fourthround clash at Loftus Road Stadium.

Onuoha signed a four-anda-half-year deal with QPR on Thursday to put him in line for the Cup clash.

•Onuoha

•Osaze, Ameobi, Olofinjana eye next round

By Bimbo Adesina Onuoha becomes Hughes' second signing as QPR boss after the loan deal for Nigeria international Taye Taiwo from AC Milan on Tuesday.

Though, Mikel Obi may have returned to Chelsea training as he join the Blues

on their warm-weather training camp in Mallorca, Spain, he still doubtful for the clash as his still recovering from muscle injuries in an away match at Spurs in December.

However, Osaze Odemwingie will have a lot to contend with as West Brom faces Norwich City in The Hawthorns with the aim of bouncing back from three successive defeats Osaze has only scored four goals this season and try to fire the Albions past Norwich to advance to next round.

Newcastle have not progressed beyond the FA Cup’s fourth round, but it could however be a last real chance for Shola Ameobi to show what he can do for the Magies as they faces Brighton & Hove Albion at Amex Stadium.

At the Kingston Communications Stadium, Seyi Olofinjana will be in line for Hull City as they face Crawley Town.

A

FTER a rousing debut last Saturday, Nigeria striker Chinedu Ogbuke will aim to increase his profile with Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga as they face Cologne at RheinEnergieStadion.

Ogbuke who joined Schalke 04 on loan from another German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim till the end of the season makes his debut against Stuttgart and was applauded by the club fans.

Schalke could go into this encounter with arguably its strongest eleven, as outlined above. However, Ralf Rangnick may opt for the exuberance of youth, meaning that Joel Matip could replace Christoph Metzelder in defense with Julian Draxler usurping Jose Manuel Jurado on the left flank. Mario Gavranovic, Tim Hoogland, Levan Kenia, Christian Pander and Christoph Moritz are all out.

In Italy, Joel Obi continue to sniffe around with Inter Milan as the club goes with seven-straight wins in the Italian Serie A League after a

horrendous start to the campaign.

Claudio Ranieri's men have moved up ominously into fourth from 16th in early December and travel to struggling Lecce with another three points on the cards.

With Montpellier not affected by the African Cup of Nations, Nigeria interna-

tional John Utaka will continue to aim for the French Ligue 1 top as they clash with Nice at Stade Municipal du Ray. Montpellier defeated Tours 1-0 to advance in the French League Cup is second on the table with 41 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain with 43 points.

•Ogbuke

FIXTURES Saturday

QPR Liverpool Derby Millwall Hull Leicester Sheff Utd West Brom Blackpool Bolton Stevenage Brighton Sunderland Arsenal

R

v v v v v v v v v v v v

Chelsea Man Utd Stoke Southampton Crawley Town Swindon Birmingham Norwich Sheff Wed Swansea Notts County Newcastle

v v

Middlesbrough Aston Villa

Sunday

OY HODGSON has revealed he will not risk losing key players for league action as he weighs up his team selection for tonights FA Cup clash with Norwich.Paul Scharner remains a doubt for the fourth-round tie due to the Achilles problem that sidelined him for tonight's 2-1 win at Stoke.

Full-backs Steven Reid (ankle/knee) and Billy Jones (hamstring) could be available to face the Canaries.

Jonas Olsson came through the Britannia Stadium encounter with no ill-effects to the calf injury that saw him miss the previous four games - but the medical staff remain cautious with him.

And Hodgson insists the Baggies' top-flight trip to Fulham four days later and home clash with Swansea the following Saturday must take priority.

"The difference between the last cup game where we played Cardiff is that we only had one game per week then and whatever happened in that game we knew we had a full week to prepare before our next league game," said the Hawthorns boss.

THE NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

34

NATION SPORT

Inside The Glass House WITH AMINU MAIGARI

Our expectations for year 2012 (2) I

will like to start this piece by applauding the performance of the U-17 Women National Team, nicknamed Flamingoes in defeating their Kenyan counterparts in the first leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification fixture.

Goals from Patience Okaeme (one in each half) made it 2-0 for Nigeria and it was a good thing coming just 10 days after the Senior National Team B stood up to the ‘A’ team of Angola in an international friendly match at the National Stadium, Abuja. The Flamingoes were there in New Zealand in 2008 and came within touching distance of a place in the quarter finals, following a 2-2 draw with Brazil in their final group phase match in Christchurch.

Two years later, the Class of 2010 did better in Trinidad and Tobago, reaching the quarter finals and having only themselves to blame for not grabbing a semi final ticket. I told Coach Peter Dedevbo then that he failed to read the game well enough as the South Koreans, eventual Cup winners, kept coming strongly against our girls at the most unexpected mo-

ments. We led at a time but eventually lost 5-4 after extra time.

Coach Dedevbo must surely take the credit for the win in Nairobi after supervising the screening programme well and selecting quality girls to form the bulk of the team, with a sprinkling of those ones from the last edition who still fall within the age category.

I was impressed with the outcome because that was exactly what we desired, as the Executive Committee has pledged that all our teams will take every match serious this year. Every match must be considered a MUST-WIN, whether it is being played at home or abroad.

However, that will not foreclose our determination to ensure that the right things are done, such as the truly qualified players for the age-grade competitions and that we do not lose focus of the development purpose of these competitions.

It serves no point that a country wins age-grade championships at global level, and several years later, that fails to translate to excellence at senior level.

The women will have the

•Osaze

odemwingie

field of play for the months of March, April and May before the Super Eagles have their VERY IMPORTANT month of JUNE. Next Saturday, the Flamingoes will host the U-17 Women Team of Kenya with the Nigerian girls having great chances of advancing to the second and final round of the series. Victory will set the Flamingoes against the winner of the Botswana/Zambia fixture, with the winner qualifying to represent Africa at the tournament in Azerbaijan in September/October of this year.

Three countries will represent Africa and we are sure one of those will be Nigeria.

With eyes on development as well as excellence, we had instructed and continue to instruct the technical crew of the zero tolerance of the football ruling body to age cheating, while also insisting that those girls who fall within the age and are good enough to fly Nigeria’s flag be preferred.

I must use this medium to express our sincere and heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Ogun State (in particular, His Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun) for agreeing to host the second leg of the clash between the Flamingoes and their Kenyan counterparts.

The U-20 Women’s Team has also been called to camp with the technical crew starting with a screening programme for 30 players who had never been in the team before. By the time they look at these players for about two weeks, they would be able to discover some that are good enough to now compete for places with those players who went to Germany in 2010 and are still within the age limit. The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is one that we are condemned to take very serious always considering the mileage our country has earned from there. At the first edition hosted by Canada in Year 2002, our girls failed to get beyond the first round. But they have been in the quarter finals in 2004 (Thailand), 2006 (Russia) and 2008 (Chile) before reaching the Final Match in Germany two years ago.

While some of those girls have made the progression from U-20 to the Super Falcons, there are still a few of them still within the age limit and capable of doing the nation proud in the African se-

ries and at the final tournament in Uzbekistan in August/September.

The Falconets start the race for Uzbekistan when they take on Sierra Leone’s U-20 girls at the National Stadium in Freetown on February 18.

The return leg will come up in Nigeria on March 3.

The Falconets have THREE ROUNDS of qualifying fixtures to negotiate to qualify for Uzbekistan – which we believe, is an opportunity for our girls to confirm their mettle and pedigree and also toughen them for the challenge of the global tournament later in the year.

After crossing the Sierra Leone hurdle, the Falconets will be called on to tackle the winner between the U-20 Women teams of Zimbabwe and Mozambiquein April, before the final round of the qualifiers in May. As for the Super Falcons, the reigning champions of Africa, they have to wait till the month of May to start the qualifiers for the 8th African Women Championship, which will be hosted by Equatorial Guinea in November. The Super Falcons will play the winner between Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The Super Eagles must relish a staple that lines them up for TWO FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and a crucial African Cup of Nations qualifying match in the month of June.

First up is the clash between the Falcons and the Brave Warriors of Namibia, in the race for a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals to be hosted by Brazil. That match will come up between the first and fifth days of June.

A week later, the Super Eagles are again involved in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier, when they fly to Blantyre to take on the Flames of Malawi. I remember that in 2003, in a qualifying race for the 2004 African Cup of Nations, the Eagles defeated their Malawian counterparts 1-0 in Blantyre.

Again, a week later, the Super Eagles are in action, this time to conclude their 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Wasps of Rwanda. That match coming up in Nigeria is the return leg of the game that will take place in Kigali on Wednesday, February 29.

We certainly expect to do well in all these qualifying matches, in order to be eligible to participate in several important tournaments – something we are missing this year.

For the Super Eagles, I am to feel the assurance of our FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon who pledged more top-quality international friendly matches to help put the Eagles in shape for the big ones and also, to boost our stature in the global sphere and with good outings in these matches, improve our FIFA ranking.

All three matches in the month of June are crucial and critical to re-defining the Senior National Team, Super Eagles. And no stone will be left unturned to guarantee solid performances in these matches.

NEXT WEEK: Our Expectations For Year 2012 (3)

AKINLOYE AT LARGE 08050246155 atlarge84@yahoo.com

The NFF illegality WHEN we thought peace had returned to our football, we were told we were wrong by an Abuja High Court last weekend.

The court presided over by Justice Donatus Okorowa declared the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and the Nigeria Premier League illegal and gave official approval to the Nigeria Football Association(N FA) and the Nigeria Premier League Limited.

With the judgment which rocked Nigeria football last weekend, we are back where we were last year when groups and individuals brought chaos to the scene with over 15 court cases hanging on the neck of our football.

The African Cup of Nations is holding in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea with Nigeria absent. The chaos in the football house must have contributed to the absence of the country's football team. When we thought those involved in the crisis had sown seeds of peace, championed by the erstwhile Sports Minister, we are back where we took off. The question is, why was Mr. Sam Sam Jaja left out of the peace initiative when the peacemakers knew that he had a case in court? Was he underrated or the case was left as a weapon by the National Sports Commission to put the NFF and NPL where they belong?

The NSC has not beeen particularly happy that football took its freedom from its apron string and had done all sorts of things to undermine the success of the NFF. The government bank-rolls football in the country and for the same government not to have a say in how the two bodies are run is bitter to taste. The truth is that the government is doing what is should be doing by bankrolling football. The NFF prepares teams for international competitions.

The teams represent Nigeria in those competitions. They fly the country's flag and therefore should be bankrolled by the government.It is doing what other governments outside our borders are doing for their football. They influence who becomes the head of the body. At a point, they were appointing the Secretary General of the football house.

What, therefore, is the source of the problem? IT comes when the government wants the football house to do some illegality. The NFF belongs to an international body called the Federation of International Football Federation(FIFA). It has its own laws with which it runs football worldwide. The laws are against what NSC stands for. FIFA frowns at government's interference in the administration of football. Its hammer falls on any federation that allows that to happen in its domain. IT is banned from the comity of members and excluded in taking part in any football activities world wide. The country so banned can only take part in football within its borders.

The country has missed being banned several times and this could lead to a suspension if the rebel group moves in to take control of football administration in response to the court judgment as was being planned last week. The government says it cannot be bankrolling the NFF and have no say in how the body is being run, whih is in contrary to FIFA laws. President Goodluck Jonathan found out its powers do not affect the NFF when he withdrew Nigeria from participating in FIFA organised competitions for two years. He recanted and allowed the status quo to remain when FIFA threatened to ban the country for years. His action was considered interference in the administration of football in the country.

How did NFF come into being?

The football body did not change its name without getting instruction from the National Sports Commission when it ordered National Sports Associations under its hand to change their name to federation. The order came from Dr Amos Adamu who was the Director General of the Sports Ministry. The instruction did not come from FIFA or through brainwave from oficials of the football house. The instruction came from the government. What NFA did was was to obey the instruction and table it before its Congress which endorsed it.

It is not only the NFA that trasmuted to Federation. Athletics changed its name too and it has since been known as Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN). There are several other sports associations that got transmuted to Federation and they are there for every one to see.

Why is it that it is the NFF that is causing chaos?

Football cannot develop in an atmosphere of chaos. For NPL, the court judgment declaring it illegal is a big set back. It took about a year to conclude its season last term and now that it started early, we thought it has found its range. NOw, it has to face distraction which the court case is instead of how to make the league viable for sponsors. MTN moved in with big mioney to sponsor the competition. IT might consider stepping aside if there is no peace.

I BACK TAIWO TO COME GOOD I am happy for Taye Taiwo that he will get an opportunity to play regular football with the Queens Park Rangers afterall.

The six months loan from AC Milan will enable him develop his game and restore his confidence that has been battered while trying to prove himself in ITaly. He has to prove himself in England and have club captain JOey Barton recant his word:'Was good the last time I saw him in Marseille.'

I back Taiwo to come good in QPR. He cannot be that bad and spend five years as a regular in Marseille.

NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE

Obuh rues Aba loss SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

36

Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf...Golf

Time out with Ehindero

I

GOLFLINE

NTDC brings for

WITH

Tony Akhigbe

MUST pinch you a bit by asking this question… golflineintl@yahoo.com How do you know the real men of power? Must they appear like this satanic cartoon of a man who 0 8 0 94863638 breaks stones with his teeth? Or must they appear like Sister Theresa, brimming with milk of kindness, but then coming out to storm like those special guards of Sani Abacha?

Whatever, I will still request you cast your mind back to those dark days of former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun.

Now, view Tafa’s face, I mean look deep in his eyes and I will tell you what you will see. Well, you will see firebrand eyes of a man who could beat the whole being out of a human without having to waste a bullet. You will see the face of a man who is so determined to that point where he could rip out your guts with his barehands. It was like this with Idi Amin of Uganda .

It was like this with late Kabila of Congo. It was like this of Nigeria ’s Obasanjo. Sheer brute. But they puffed less.

Now, view the real men of power. They are like a surprise. You won’t see them coming. Usually, they appear gaunt, hungry looking. Look at Brutus.

Look at Caeser. Look at Adolf Hitler. Move home, •Former Inspector General of Police Sunday Ehindero and look at El Rufai, Ribadu and most certainly, Sunday authorities to drum it bush to bush chasing love to play the game. But Ehindero, the former through the throat of such small balls. It was like this we must face the fact that atmosphere Inspector General of power drunk fellows that until I was introduced to the this guns and muscle men are the game in Kaduna . surrounding Police.

Okay, Ehindero plays not allowed in golf course. Someone bought me a full environment won’t allow golf. But then, it’s real men At the time of this golf set, but I didn’t play him. I mean the place is so who play golf. See, the talk interview, I was expecting immediately. I was hooked open. It’s not like you have is all over that policemen muscle men around him. I on squash. That one was in the United States where You big people play golf on will soon go on strike so was wrong. Ehindero was energy-sapping. that poor fellows like us on his own. So, this is know, one is not getting their own ranches. But the could be on name terms former Nigeria ’s top cop… younger. Squash was President plays squash. with a certain ‘Shina and no gun totting guys becoming too strenuous. That he can do in his home.

Rambo’. Or was there around him? This is Then I remembered golf ON COURSE-BETTING another crook that was Ehindero. Down to earth. and I tried. But God, the Well, betting on course is out-doing that guy at the You won’t see him feeling was something else. It was cool. I was very popular. But I’m time Ehindero was leading coming.

At once he became getting the same amount against it. You just told me the force? Anyway, given the threat of police strike, business-like. He told me of exercise without really that Bill Clinton used to bet you might not link his schedule was filled. So having to strain my heart. $10 per hole whenever he’s Ehindero with golf at that he had limited time. Golf is wonderful. I have playing, but still, I’m moment. But see, the man Anyway, he talked with so since passed it to my entire against it. You see, golf is knew his salt… add onion, much gusto. Several family. It’s not just a sport. all about relaxation. I if you want. He knew things all lumped up in It says everything about don’t think it’s wise if police won’t dare move on minutes. Everything he you. If you are a thief, golf betting is involved.

Anyway, people are doing strike. He knew who tried said was interesting. Let’s will prove you out. If you are temperamental, it will it and they are happy about it could have the baton share it. show. If you are impatient, it. But seriously, I don’t beat on his head… until he it will show. Whatever you support it COMING INTO GOLF died. He never puffed. He Before anything, I must are, golf will prove you out. just read out his terms. Just MY GOLF GAME like El Rufai, while under tell you that I am a Besides, the game relaxes you.

If I have too many I am not comfortable with complete sportsman.

I the cover of his bedroom blanket, would ask have played about every things in my head, golf is my tee shots. Most times, I bulldozers to move and sport. I used to be a very there to clear them. It’s a don’t find the fairways. But mow down structures. So, solid footballer. I was so great. I can say it’s the my approach shots are not why would he not play good in football that I once biggest game in the world. really bad. And unlike represented Nigeria in But it is expensive, I must most golfers who dread his golf?

In this job, I have seen University Games held in warn. I think golf is bunker shots, I can tell you men who are not up to Sierra Leone . And let me expensive. But it’s a great my sand shots are cute.

Then my putting isn’t bad Ehindero, arriving the golf tell you something, I never game for leaders. touched golf.

I was looking either. But you have to course with muscle men WHY OBJ DOES NOT remember I still play off and those gun-totting at golf from afar. I used to handicap 23. I can only do zombies. Usually, it would wonder why solid men PLAY GOLF would be moving from Truly, I believed he would things in bits. take golf course

...decries fans’ poor attitude

J

OHN SAM Obuh, the Technical adviser of Sharks Football club has lamented the poor show of his side against Enyimba of Aba during the week four encounter of the Nigeria Premier League games.

Speaking with the press after the week two games in Port Harcourt against Jigawa Golden stars, the gaffer said it was over confidence on the side of his players that led to the two nil loss in Aba. "Unlike me, I've never started the league and lose my first two games consecutively. And you know that in between we should have played our home game; that is to say if you lose the first, you should win the second.

"But I also think my players were over confident when we were going to play with Enyimba, because we never had such a bad game and we never had such a heavy loss against Enyimba. So they had the confidence that they were going to do something better at Aba against Enyimba but they could not match it with action. The first half was very bad. In the second half, they were able to come back into the game but at that time it was already late".

On the 4-0 bashing of Jigawa

Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt Golden Stars, Obuh said the victory was to make up for the previous losses.

"With the kind of situation we had in our hands, we needed to cancel it because we already had four goals against us in the last two games and we thank God that we were able to cancel it". he said.

Obuh went further to lament the poor attitude of Port Harcourt fans in a loss situation.

•Obuh

Azuka Ebinum silent on season’s targets •Hopes for injury-free period

D

ESPITE scoring four goals after just two premier league matches, Niger Tornadoes’ Azuka Ebinum has remained tongue tied regarding what his targets are for the season.

Azuka got the second hat-trick of the season on Wednesday when got all the three goals that drowned Ocean Boys of Brass in one of the belated Week 2 matches of the NPL barely few days after Gombe United’s Mustapha Babadidi opened the floodgates. All his three goals were scored in the first half of the encounter.

Ins pite of his early potency infront of goal, the Delta born player told NationSport that it was still early days in the league and would still remain mute for now on the number of goals he would record, highlighting that what soars high on his mind is to have an injury free season unlike last term when he had an injury hit season.

“I am happy that I got three goals but the credit must go to

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri the entire players for making it to happen. If they didn’t supply the passes I don’t think there will be any goal. We won three zero and did not concede any it is a sign of something positive for Tornadoes this season. I am not setting any target for now but I want to be injury free and keep on enjoying my game and if goals come along the way, I will gladly take my chances,” the 19 years old striker told NationSport.

Both Sibi Gwar and Daniel Etor whom also ply their trade with Tornadoes also praised the workrate of Azuka and they stated that they knew that the player always had something special despite having an injury plagued season last season. They added that with Azuka back to scoring form and others too whom are also warming up for upcoming matches, Tornadoes would be among the teams to beat this season.

Tornadoes have three points from three matches after their away losses against Kano Pillars (0-1) and Gombe United (1-3).

WEEK 5 FIXTURES

•Azuka

Saturday Sharks vs Wolves ABS vs Kwara Utd Tornadoes vs 3SC Pillars FC vs Enyimba Rising Stars FC vs Wikki Sunday Ocean Boys vs Akwa Utd Jigawa vs Heartland Lobi Stars vs Sunshine Dolphins vs Rangers

Crane over Ghollywood

39

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

D

IFFERENT strokes for different folks as the saying goes, aptly describes our piece for today. I mean, here we are reading stories and woes of couples who have been married for years without a child to show to show for it.

Couples in this category will give anything to hear the cry of a baby in their homes.

They will travel far and wide, some out of desperation to get a baby or babies; some even adopt as a last resort when all other attempts have failed. Abortions of babies are carried out for various reasons.

Some are on health grounds, which might be reasonable, especially when the life of the would-be mother is threatened.

Unfortunately, however, some are callously done for very selfish reasons. Selfishness on the part of the ‘impregnator’ or the impregnated, or either of their parents. “What would people say?“ “How would society place me?“ “What would my friends think of me” ‘Me’ Me’ Me’; how utterly cruel and selfish! Not once do we as individuals spare a thought or two for the fetus, which already has a heartbeat. Murderers; that’s what we are as women that had at one time or the other aborted our babies and cry foul when we have challenges later in life, in that department.

Our men are hundred per cent accessories to murder as well, since some of them not only financially support •I think the pastor played a little with the story. If both the mother in-law and the wife had threatened to get out at a faster rate, I would gladly have allowed it! 11 years for what?

Subsidy or otherwise, it was an unnecessary story, told by the Pastor. However, for the sake of love, there is nothing some people can not do to settle quarrels even is some mums and dads are insulted by wives, husbands and inlaws. The strike paved way for the resolution of the conflict in the pastor’s house. For me it was a “comic relief” from the rude shock of the subsidy removal. Over the years,

Just before you abort that pregnancy these monstrous acts but also ‘push’ for it to happen.

Studies have shown, however that at least 70 per cent of women say they believe abortion is an immoral act , but they choose against their conscience because of pressure from others and their circumstances. They choose abortion out of fear; fear of not being able to raise a child; fear of losing their partner if they do not have an abortion; fear of losing control of their lives etc.

Many women lack support from their families and loved ones. More than 80 per cent say they would have completed their pregnancies under better circumstances or with more support from the people they love. Abortion is not a true choice on the woman’s part. It is an act of despair.

On a very basic level; it is precisely because women

who abort are acting against their consciences and their maternal instincts that the psychological impact of abortion is so profound. Every woman is different.

They have different responses that may appear in a different time frame. Some women repress or are unaware of any after effects for years. Many reactions are delayed but are triggered later by significant events such as the birth of a child; the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or a religious conversion.

Commonly reported reactions include, feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, helplessness, and or remorse.

Uncontrollable crying, feelings of anger, bitterness; lowered self esteem, avoidance of babies, small children , or anything to do with pregnancy; fear of future pregnancies or desire to

‘

Every woman is different.

They have different responses that may appear in a different time frame

’

have a ‘replacement’ baby, flash back to the abortion experience, nightmares or sleeping disorders, depression, sexual dysfunction; broken or abusive relationships, problems bonding with other children etc.

A major problem is that women and men may feel unable to share their grief with others. As a result, women and men who are

struggling with a past abortion are likely to feel ‘boxed’ on both sides. Truth is the damages faced by women after abortion cannot be overemphasized. Some live to regret it for a very long time.

Take for instance, Nneka , a friend and a colleague who took drastic measures in aborting her baby by allowing her sister to mix for her concoctions that included, alum, melon , salt, and some unprintable items and gave her to drink. Her excuse was that her baby was barely three months old and that her husband was worried about what people would say. Well, it’s a miracle that she even lived to tell the story.

This incident happened about 10 years back. Nneka, has not been able to conceive since then. Henrietta’s story is a more interesting one.

Though similar to Nneka’s

Text messages

Re: How subsidy strike saved my marriage labour had always chickened out when it mattered most.

Hence, I observed the strike by watching the reality show – “Occupy Nigeria”.

Kola Alao •The pastor in question must have endured a motherin-law for 11 years. He is no doubt a man of God. Though he did not tell us if his own mother is alive because the story would have been different as no mother would allow another woman to take her rightful place. And by the

way, some mother-in-laws could be terrible teaching their daughters things against their husbands. Stories abound where mothers advised their married daughters against their husbands, especially where the husband is rich and he is suspected of keeping other women outside the home. On the other hand, the story could have been different if it were the Pastor’s mother. Most wives don’t tolerate their motherin-laws for reasons known to

only them.

Adeyemi Agboola, Iju •The mother-in-law must likely be a widow to have abandoned her matrimonial home for her daughter’s for 11 years! For the pastor – husband, there is still fire on the mountain.

Barister Moronkeji

ertheless , we all pray to grow old to reap the fruit of our Labor. Emotions, though quantifiable are relative and are dependent on the circumstance and the basis of the union, hence, it will be incorrect to say a party should mourn his or her spouse for a particular length of time . For a very old couple, it will be shorter though still relative; for a very young couple, it

but I guess she was a little wiser. As a matter of fact; I will applaud her decision and recommend same to all women concerned; old and young, alike. Henrietta was nursing a three-month old baby when she ‘accidentally became pregnant with their second baby. Thereafter her husband hit the roof, and that, according to Henrietta would be putting it mildly.

He threatened to divorce her, if she failed to abort the baby.

She called his bluff and stuck to her gun, that she was not having an abortion, no matter what the society says or thinks.

Today, Henrietta recalls with nostalgia; 15 years after, she and her husband are blessed with six boys and a girl. The only girl they have in their union is the child the husband once told her to abort. She recently got an admission into a university.

Her Jamb and GCE results were exceptional, even at 15.

Need I say more? So; tell me, do you still want to have that abortion?

will be longer, yet still relative. My definition of relative is premises on so many factors, including love, closeness, etc.

For some other people it is a dream come true. They enter such marriages for selfish reasons. They do not mourn at all; never mind their “crocodile tears” A demola Ola tunde Ola oti.

•I read with amusement the story of the man that lived with the mother in-law for eleven years, that man should thank God because if the marriage had gone the other way, he would be the one to blame. He sat on a gun powder for eleven ignorant years saying the mother inlaw is a wonderful woman.

I conclude by saying that the man should mend the foundation of the marriage because cracks still looms.

Godwin Dominion, Nsukka •Moving story and a good case study. In marriage do not push the self destruct button.

Frank calm dialogue (not a shouting match) is always good. Who can understand the heart and mind of a woman? Marriage ultimately is perseverance.

Aloysius, Abuja •It all depends on the age of the widow. If its a young couple , the emotional feelings will still be there for some couple of years, but tradition demands six months whether old or young.

Glory Chi

•Babajide Alobo-Bakare, his wife Olajumoke, flanked by his father Mr. Hakeem AloboBakare and wife, Modupe after their marriage in Ibadan

•As a married person , the probability of falling into this category is 50per cent. Nev-

•Ezeka Agozie Nnamdi Charles and Jane Loyning after their marriage

40

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Taiwo, I’m celebrating with you and crying with you Last week was tiring for me and by Saturday when I would have wanted to rest, my house was filled to capacity. My friend who was made a chief the same month he became Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), came visiting. Other friends soon joined him and before I knew it, it was like a party.

By the time they left and I managed to clean up the house, I was so knackered I crawled to bed. I didn’t have time to read some of the messages on my phone until Sunday morning when I saw Taiwo Aina’s message that his wife, Tobi had been delivered of a set of twins – a boy and a girl. He had sent that message since Saturday.

A rich smile spread all over my face. Taiwo’s twins, Kehinde is a girl. I called to ask in what sex his twins chose to come (I wanted very much for the girl to be the Taiwo in this case so as to beat Taiwo a little). I was expecting to hear Taiwo’s usual boisterous laugher at the other end of the phone, but alas, it was a teary voice that answered me.

Tobi, the young girl Taiwo just got married to last year passed away some hours after giving birth to those little gifts. She had the babies in one of those churches with nothing as much as equipment to take the delivery of one single baby, much less two babies at once. The poor girl lost so much blood (as expected of multiple deliveries) and died without anybody taking her to the hospital.

Tobi had registered at a general hospital from the moment she got pregnant and had gone for ante-natal care till the last minute when her parents said they wanted her to deliver in their church. It’s too late to blame Taiwo, an exposed and educated man for being so unwise as to take such suggestions from her in-laws.

As I share in his joy at becoming the father of a set of twins, I cry with him too for losing his dear wife, Tobi.

May her soul rest in peace. May God be kind to these little ones and make them grow. I have begun my commitment to them and I pray God continues to help me to do that.

N.B: They are on an infant formula now. If anybody wishes to show love to those babies, you may please reach me. God bless you.

My girl is now a bag of lies, what can I do to save her?

Happy New Year ma. I’m a popular reader of your column and I must say you are a God-sent to our generation. Ma, it’s a year now since I met my girl and things have been working fine until recently when she turned into a bag of lies after we settled a dispute.

I tried making corrections where we had pitfalls and encouraged her to study for a better future when I found out she was below average in school, instead, she likes logging on to 2go. She is lazy, weak and unserious, though she is a good girl.

I’ve told her how much I love her and want to assist her academically, financially and in all ways, all to no avail.

My mentors advised that I let her be, that she may come back to her senses after a while. For more than a month now, we’ve not really spoken to each other. I call her mother steadily but I don’t want her to know what is going on.

We love each other but her sudden lies hurt me. I need your advice, please.- DS. Dear DS, you didn’t say how old this girl is, but I guess she’s a small girl.

You may be more matured maybe you seem more in control. If my guess is right, then some of the traits she’s exhibiting are natural with young people.

Maybe she lies because telling you the truth got her into trouble with you before. For all we know, she may not be lying to you, she may not just be giving you details about events.

If you have described her with all those negative adjectives and you still want

to cling to her, then I suspect that you’re contributing a lot of problems into this relationship that you haven’t admitted.

If a girl has so much vice, a man won’t

sound this despairing for her love. You’d have let her be.

So, if you’re as good as you want us to believe, give enough space between you and the girl. If she misses you, she will come back to you a better and more focused girl because the gap between you will let her realize what she’s about to lose.

He wants us to have a long distance relationship Good day ma. Please is it right to marry a 40-year-old man; I’m 26? He doesn’t stay in Nigeria and he wants to have my hand in marriage before he travels back. Do you think I should go on with his ideas?

I must let you know that it’s not easy maintaining a long distance relationship especially as it concerns marriage. As for the age difference, I’m sure you read my views on that last week. Now, below are tips on surviving a long distance relationship: Be sure that he doesn’t have another wife in his country of residence.

Those of us who go abroad often know how many of our men have wife here in Nigeria and live comfortably with wives in the countries where they live. Be very sure you’re not playing wife without being recognized by the law.

Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk … and then talk some more. With social networks like Skype chat and video you can actually engage in conversations without having to rush through phone calls that are costing you a fortune. Running bills will affect you later.

Have a Plan Some relationship

experts will tell you to have a plan on when the two of you will be together forever. Ultimately, that is the best thing for the marriage to survive – being together. But in the time being, have a plan on when you will see each other next.

Get a Life You absolutely cannot have a positive long distance relationship if wait for him to send money to you the moment he gets on the plane. Being a hardworking woman will earn you a lot of respect with the man and instead of dreaming of being the one who wants to join him, he may even be in a hurry to join you if you have a striving business here. .

Stay positive by never allowing people to drum rubbish into your ears. Once you have established that you’re the only wife, become deaf to suggestions that he may be sleeping with other women over there. You don’t need people who want o make you sad so they can spoil what you have. Good luck.

How can someone go into a relationship without ‘collabo’?

How can someone go into a relationship with a girl without collabo?

– 08068428802.

If my guess is right and your ‘collabo’ means sex, yes, a relationship can function without sex. It is possible to have a relationship without sex if both parties agree. There are many reasons why sex may not be a necessary or feasible part of your relationship, especially if the other person is not ready. It is important thing to establish if both parties are happy about having sex. If not, there’s no point in putting the por person under pressure. Just leave the matter and if you’re not comfortable with that, you can move on or look for somebody who shares your anxieties for sex.

From you to me Hi, tell those with saggy breasts that it isn’t an issue nowadays. Some of us have seen it all. What men see in women go beyond breasts; it is character (08025256930).

•Mr & Mrs Friday Ojeaburu during their wedding ceremony held at Afuze-Emai, Owan East L.G.A Edo State recently

•I have spoken with you and heard your sweet voice.

It was a great gift for me this year and I will cherish it throughout my life because it is like fragrance oil over my spirit. (08055431874).

Hearts With Adeola Agoro E-mail: libranadeola@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 08023162609

He’s 24 and I’m 24; can there be marriage in the horizon soon?

Dear aunty Adeola, first of all Happy New Year. I’m an ardent reader of your column and I really admire the wise and loving way you handle issues, which is why I’m compelled to pour out my own worries to you. I’m a 24 year-old lady dating a 24 year-old guy, although he’s four months older.

I’ve always dated guys who are at least 2 to 3 years older than me so it took a lot of work on his part to convince me. This April would make it two years that we’ve been together and it’s a long distance relationship because of the nature of his job. Now the problem is that I’m scared. I keep wondering if I’m wasting my time because despite the fact that he has a job and says he’s deeply in love with me, I know that these days, guys don’t marry until they are maybe 28 and above..

I love him very much and don’t want to lose him but can I wait for him till he’s ready? What if he leaves me for a younger lady in the long run? Please do you even think it’s advisable for people who are of the same age to marry? Please I’m really confused and worried. I need your honest and candid opinion aunty. Thanks and God bless you.

Dear Janet, thanks for the trust in me. Let me say this - your concerns are valid. You’re wise and very reasonable to have looked at the matter clinically.

In fact, I was almost tempted to say you do not really need my advice on the

matter. However, as a sister, I should add one or two things. At between 23 and 26, most women are ready for marriage. In fact, the society expects that. But it’s not the same with guys.

Even when they’re ready for marriage at about 25/26, the same society that puts a lot of pressure on us women wonders why they want to be married at that young age. I guess this disparity in expectations id due largely to the fact that women are believed to get old faster than their peers and issues of the biological clock etc.

What that means in your case is that whereby you are ripe at 24 for marriage, your guy still has a few more years, except he does not bow to societal expectations.

Also, if he has a good job, he’s from a rich family and very independent, he can ignore society and marry you. I guess you have to discuss this with him to a large extent.

Hear what he has to say about this.

If he wants to wait for six more years, then you can put your yam on the fire while you look for a knife. What I mean by that is that you should keep him as your boyfriend (thank God it’s a long distance relationship) but be free to mingle with older men who are appropriate.

As events unfold, you will know the right steps to take, but please, don’t take chances. I don’t like women getting too old before they get married. It exposes us to a lot of temptations, mistakes and heartbreaks. God will light His way on your path and you will find your own man.

Matchmakers P.S: You will need to send your pictures, full profile and verifiable address to my email and pay a linking fee before you can get the contacts of the following people. We want to know those who are serious as against those who are set on defrauding innocent people. Indicate your interest in the subject of the email. N.B: A lot of highly placed people are available now.

Females

•She is 46 years old, from the SouthWest and based abroad. She wants a responsible male for a serious relationship. He must be based in Nigeria, specifically in the South-West, employed, of any religion and be between 42 and 50, a widower or divorcee, tall, light and skilled.

•Rita, 26, chocolate in complexion and into business needs a God-fearing man for a serious relationship.

•Favour, 29 needs a caring and loving man between ages 33 and 40 for a serious relationship.

•Buma is 31. She needs a responsible man for a serious relationship.

Males

•A clergyman, 46, widower with children needs a working class woman who is a graduate and one who is not interested in child bearing. She should be a devoted Christian who is responsible, submissive, caring and aged between 36 and 41, preferably a widow or a single mother.

Lost Contacts Double A, Happy New Year to you.

Please help me reach out to my old friend, Goddy Alabo Idaminabo, chairman, Ijaw National Congress, Abuja branch – Mr. Bolanle Oladele, (08023241601).

•Victor, 35, 5.8 feet tall, chocolate in complexion and based in Lagos needs a lady between 30 and 34 for marriage.

•He’s 39, 5.9 feet tall, light complexioned, Yoruba, Christian and employed. He needs a woman between 30 and 35 years old who is a Yoruba Christian and chocolate complexioned for marriage.

•Tokunbo, 36 years old, hard of hearing, handsome businessman needs a good, slim and beautiful Yoruba lady aged between 21 and 27 for marriage.

•Akin, 38, Yoruba, a Christian, tall and employed needs a Yoruba lady whose genotype is AA and who is fair complexioned, Christian, moderate in size m employed or in business and ready for marriage.

•John, 38, needs a God-fearing lady from Anambra State aged between 25 and 35 for a serious relationship.

•Ayo from Ondo State but based in Lagos is 36, 5.6 feet tall and not so literate needs a working class Muslim lady for marriage.

•Ben is 37. He needs an older lover of about 50 to 55.

•Ndubesi, businessman based in Lagos needs a God-fearing lady aged between 28 and 33 for a serious relationship.

&

LIFE

Society Profile

THE NATION, Saturday, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘What defines my style’

STYLE Gossip Interviews

41

44

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘Fashion statements don’t get written on a single label’ John Kofi Senaya is an advertising guru, who has made his mark in the industry. Born of Ghanaian and Togolese parents but has lived all his life in Lagos, this man of style and currently the 27th president of Ikoyi Club, talks about his family, life and style, advertising and Rotary Club, in this encounter with GBENGA ADERANTI and AMIDU ARIJE.

‘

at (favourite th ke li g in h yt an e er th Is lly, I always fashion designer)? Rea ce; that way, oi want an open ended chsurprises and I can spring fashion citing ways... stand out in different ex ts don’t get en em at st n io sh Fa ! aa Naa l. I would love written on a single labeand flow with to keep an open mind me any day!!! any label that impresses

’

•Senaya

H

E looks every inch like the American human rights activist, Martin Luther King (Jnr). From the way he talks, you would know that he had proper upbringing. His carriage, his mannerism remind you of a typical English aristocrat.

But the current President of Rotary Club of Ikoyi, District 9110, Nigeria, John Kofi Senaya, is neither related with Kings nor brought up in the English aristocratic set up, he is a man with tripartite roots. His father is a Ghanaian and his mum, a Togolese.

But the 52-year-old Senaya has lived all his life in Lagos.

“To a large extent, I speak the Togolese language because when we were growing up, my mother used to speak Togo to us. Those who do not

know their origin somewhere along the line, they may encounter problem. I have traced my origin and I have known it better. I have been able to know the very first Senaya in Ghana. I have links with other members of the family; I have also made our origin known to my daughter .”

Where ever he is, he is always noticed, what with his dress sense.

Senaya is not one of those you find wanting when it comes to dress sense.

He dresses very well and he knows this.

He is into advertising where good dress sense is one of the essentials of getting good accounts. The man who would describe himself as cool, calm

45

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

•Senaya with wife (right) and daughter

and collected says as long as what he is wearing is simple and comfortable, “Your personality will do the rest.”

If you think he has a favourite fashion designer, you are dead wrong. “ Is there anything like that? Really, I always want an open ended choice; that way, I can spring fashion surprises and stand out in different exciting ways,” he says.

While not promising unflinching loy-

alty, his choice of cologne any day is Armani. “The Armani family has really impressed me over the years. Most times, you can’t go wrong with an Armani,” says Senaya.

He is not one of those with allegiance with a particular label. According to the advertising guru,”Naaaa! Fashion statements don’t get written on a single label. I would love to keep an open mind and flow with any label that impresses

me any day!!!”

Irrespective of his long stay in Nigeria, Ghana is still his favourite holiday spot, because “Ghana is always there to soothe you any time of the year.”

Phone is one thing he cannot joke with. Nothing would make him forget his phone.

At 50 plus, he is looking so good.

Remaining cool, calm and collected, when all seems lost, he says, has been the secret.

He would not but talk much about his wife, Misan Kofi Senaya, the woman she describes as a pillar. “My wife has been a pillar to me since we met. She has always been there for me in all ways; she is indeed a wonderful wife, she is my pillar. We are blessed with one child by name Alero”.

Ever since he finished from the Federal School of Arts and Science, Victoria Island, Lagos, his life has roved between advertising and journalism. “In 1979, I joined Radio Nigeria. From there, I travelled abroad to further my education. That was where I studied Advertising and Marketing.

“After I left there, I joined an advertising agency. I worked with them for two years. Thereafter, I moved on to LTC, another advertising agency. I was the copy writer in the creative department. I was assigned to design advert messages for the Nigerian Bottling Company”.

Typical of those who have made their marks, he took a risk, first by teeming up with some of his buddies to form BTAS agency, but having learned through the ropes, he went solo.

“When I went solo, I started my own company, the Drawing Board Advertising Agency in 1999. I have also set up another consulting agency, “he says proudly.

Aside his love for advertising business, his love for broadcasting is another passion he had.

For many years, he was a broad caster, the voice and the looks of a broadcaster he probably retains till now.

Senaya is happy with advertising business in the country currently because it has put Nigeria on the world map. “The state of advertising has improved”, he says.

In as much as he appreciates the advertising business, he has his reservations. “The only problem I have is in the aspect of training. I don’t think we have got it right in terms of training; a lot still needs to be done. We have seen so many cases where people who are not trained in advertising are coming in to practise it.”

If he had the opportunity, he would want advertising to be made a degree course in the university.

This Ghana-born Nigerian expects more from his constituency, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

“There should be a lot more from the APCON to properly vet the advertising materials both on print, outdoor and electronic media”.

He adds: “I also want to say that publishers and owners of broadcast media are not helping matters because any body can walk into the media house and place adverts without being a member and proper vetting. Such advert messages should not go on air.

I know those laws are there but they are not enforced. We should enforce those laws to sensitise the advertising industry”.

He says his membership of Rotary Club is a way of giving back to the society because Rotary is about humanitarian service to the society.

Asked if he would allow any of his family members to be a Rotarian, he responds: “Yes but, the choice is theirs because in Rotary, we don’t force people to participate; it is always by one’s desire. So I cannot force them to join Rotary.”

In a subtle campaign for Rotary Club, he reels out what Rotary Club is all about. “Well, Rotary is about humanitarian service to the society.

It teaches generosity and philanthropy. It gives a face to people in life.

“Our club has put together a strategic plan for the achievement of our goals. Our mission is: ‘to build and sustain a vibrant and effective mega club, which embraces and provides the true ideals of Rotary service to its community and humanity.

“Our vision is to be the effective and number one club of choice with dynamic, action-oriented membership and programmes, whose contributions will improve lives in our community and communities worldwide.”

As a parting shot, he advises that any youth who wants to be successful should dream, be dedicated and determined to excel in life.

A peep into his full background?

Senaya is the current Team Head of John Senaya and Associates, a Communications Consultancy based in Lagos and is also a member of Toastmasters, Croydon. In 2005, John was introduced to Rotary; and since then he has never looked back, as he sees in this as an opportunity to give back to society. He has served the club at Board level since 2007.

He was born in September 1959, the fifth in a family of five boys and one girl. His parents, Vivian Cophie and Irene Adukue Senaya were born, bred and buried in Lagos. John Senaya began his education at St. Saviour's School Railway, Ebute Metta while his father was in service with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (where he served for 36 years). He later moved to Mainland Preparatory Primary School, Yaba, Lagos where he completed his primary school education.

He had his secondary school education at St. Finbarr's College Yaba and later attended Federal School of Arts and Science, Victoria Island.

John's love for languages saw him through his French studies at Alliance Francais, Onikan, Lagos.

In 1979, John Senaya joined the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (now Radio Nigeria, Lagos) as a duty continuity announcer, presenter and newsreader until 1981 when he left these shores to study Advertising and Marketing in London.

Armed with a qualification in Communication, Advertising and Marketing, he returned to Nigeria in 1984 to start his career in Advertising. Between 1984 and 1986, he was a Junior Executive, Copy at Hunters Publicity Broad Street, Lagos. He moved to Grant Advertising in 1986 as Copywriter. While at Grant Advertising, he was exposed to top clients such as Coca Cola, Union Bank, Associated Breweries, Food Specialities, Lever Brothers, Reckitt and Coleman and many others.

He joined the Lawson and Colleagues team as Senior Client Services Executive.

46

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Best ways to rock jumpsuit

•Chandeliers earrings

IModel

Simple tricks can make difference. Just slippingall the over a jumpsuit takes a blazer party element completaway the ely. When you wear it this way, it’s much different from we not really trousers and a fitted toparing .

Belt it If you have got a great flaunt it. A belt around waist, will give you a flatterin your waist g hourglass shape.

Glam up Accessories with a sta necklace or an oversizetement take it out of the office d bangle to to the next level.

•Stylish hat

Heels For a sophisticated nig ht out, heels are a must.

•Stella Damasus

•IB Agwu •Tuxedo style jacket

Tibi’s Tuxedo style jumpsuit

IModel

Chunky necklace

•Cocktail rings •Elegant belts

•Heels

47

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Shirt matters A

S we all know, eye-catching outfits are a pleasant way to add elegance to your wardrobe and looks. Guys all over the world are parading shirts of different hues, designs and patterns. These eye-catching outfits are a pleasant way to add elegance to your wardrobe and looks.

Popular among the working class and youths are stylish shirts as long as it unifies with the rest of their outfits.

Nothing says comfort like the shirt. But pulling one on shouldn’t cramp your style. Whether it’s to be worn underneath a jacket or on its own, the shirt should be more than just a fashion afterthought for men.

It should be a blend of comfort, fashion and personal style.

All great t-shirts flatter one’s form. Like everything else in your wardrobe, they shouldn’t be too big or too small. Shirts that are too large will make you look sloppy and visually add unwanted pounds to your frame. Shirts that are too small can make it tough to move freely and make you appear stiff or awkward.

Williams Derrick

Uti

TENI ZACHAEUS

Chanel Couture Show holds on plane Apparently the seating for the Chanel Couture Show, which walked in Paris on Wednesday, was very limited because the stage was a plane.

And as all of us commercial travellers know, planes are cramped places. How Karl Lagerfeld, who so memorably flew privately in the documentary Lagerfeld Confidential,knew that is a bit of a mystery.

The seats were rumoured in advance of the show to be “throne-like,” or extrawide, hence greatly limiting the number of guests who could attend which is said to have upset many editors in the U.S. who were not awarded a seat on the Chanel plane which was erected over the course of five days in the Grand Palais.

The clothes the models wore vaguely referenced airline flight attendant uniforms. “I didn’t want to make it too literal,” said Lagerfeld backstage. “If you look at what air hostesses really wore back in the ’60s, it wasn’t that great”.

Academy nominations for Best Make-up The Academy Award nominees for best make-up have been announced: They include Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Iron Lady

48

SOCIETY

THE NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

When two veterinarians say ‘I do’ Two veterinarians, in the course of their academic pursuit at the University of Ibadan, found love that refused to melt. Two years after, it blossomed to a glamorous wedding, write BISI OLADELE and TAYO JOHNSON

T

HEY were at the University of Ibadan to obtain different de grees in Veterinary Medicine.

While the bride was an undergraduate, the groom was a postgraduate student.

But an encounter in the course of a research work led to a relationship.

Then, love crept in and refused to go away. The relationship led to an exchange of vows at a ceremony that saw the two veterinarians clinch to

•The couple cutting the wedding cake

each other through a glamorous wedding in Ibadan at the weekend.

That was the story of Ifeoluwapo, daughter of the Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, Dr (Mrs) Foluke Oluwatoyinbo,and Ibikunle Akanbi, a veterinary surgeon.

It was a three-in-one affair featuring the engagement, holy solemnization and a lavish reception.

With blue and gold as the colours of the day, both the massive St James’ Cathedral, venue of the marriage ceremony, and the popular Jogol Event Centre, venue of the reception, were alive with glamour.

The officiating minister, Rev. Thomas Olayinka, enjoined the couple to pay more attention to religious duties.

The cleric also urged the couple to be God-conscious. The chairman of the reception, famous Christian broadcaster, Mr Kunmi Adedeji, also

advised the new couple to focus their attention on God. Adedeji, who is the president of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship international, said: “You are two people from different families joined together today as one. May you remain one. Marriage is an institution where no one has ever graduated, so you both need to be focused and submissive to each other.”

The groom, Ibikunle, described her wife as “a beautiful and levelheaded person who is God fearing, hardworking and of great integrity.”

He said: “I thank God for making today a reality. I am happy to have her as my best friend and better half.

What attracted her to me most is her sense of purity. She is my prayer partner, my confidant, my sister and someone I am helplessly in love with.”

• Bride’s parents, Dr and Dr (Mrs) Olusola Oluwatoyinbo

Prof. Moses Makinde’s son takes Abimbola to the altar

•From left: Dr. (Mrs) Taiwo Makinde of the Department of Public Administration, •The bride, Abimbola Yetunde Adesoye and bridegroom, Mr. Akinola Adetokunbo Makinde and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife , mother of the groom; Oba Samson and their parents at their recent wedding at the Bishop Akinyele Memorial Anglican Church, Adeyeye, Lesi Ekun of Onu Funfun; Oba Oladejo Akintola, Olu of Abata Egba; Oba Ibadan, Oyo State John Abiri, Obapero of Abiri and Prof. Moses Akinola Makinde,Professor of Philosophy, OAU, father of the groom

•From left: Mother of the bride, Princess of Okuku, Mrs Bosede Adesoye; Prof. Makinde and Hon. Justice Yinka Ayoola, former chairman, ICPC, congratulating the bride’s mother.

•Hon. Chief ( Dr.) Titilayo Oluwatuyi, former chairman, Ikole Local Government, Ekiti State (left) and Princess Adesoye

49

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

We’re ready to meet Boko Haram for peace talks —Ex-Militants’ leader Some call him Pastor. Others call him General.

And in some cases, some of his fans put the two titles together as they addressed the former freedom fighter, Reuben Wilson, who held sway in the creeks of the Niger Delta for about three years before he was dragged out by the Federal Government in 2009 when he accepted amnesty and surrendered his arms. Today, Wilson is the chairman of the Leadership Forum for Peace in the Niger Delta and has used the organisation to reach out to militants who are yet to surrender their arms.

In this interview with a group of journalists, Wilson said he was ready to meet the Boko Haram terrorists to convince them to surrender their arms so that peace can be restored in the country. Excerpts: •Wilson

W

HAT gave rise to the formation of this organisation?

We decided to float this body to use it as a platform to launch a peace action that would result in persuading freedom fighters that are still in the creeks to come out and accept the government’s amnesty so that we can achieve total peace in the polity. All of us were former militants that embraced amnesty and we are out to also help the federal government to achieve development.

Right now, there is still violence in some parts of the country and sometimes, my attention is called

upon to go and talk to those who are still making trouble in the Niger Delta. I can tell you that there we still have some youths who are still carrying arms and terrorizing people. So, what we do is to go and talk them into seeing reason with us and accept the amnesty.

But the Federal Government has said that the doors of the amnesty programme are shut.

Yes. I agree that the amnesty scheme stopped in October 2009, but after then, the Federal Government still accepted the second phase of repentant militants into

the programme and that was in 2010. But after, they said they wouldn’t accept them again.

However, we are still talking with the Federal Government and equally, we are pleading with the people with arms to drop them.

When we dropped our arms and accepted the amnesty offer, they were afraid that they would be arrested, but now they have seen that the government meant well.

That is why we are pleading with the Federal Government to accept them when they drop their arms.

Is it easy to identify those who are still with arms in the creeks?

Yes, very easy. We know most of them. We talk to most of them on the phone. I have visited two camps when government sent me.

I went to a camp in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and I went to see General Mammy Water and before I went there, he warned that I should not come to his camp with security men. Of course, that was normal. I led the team to the place with ordinary people, and he appeared with his boys and guns. We told him that it was of no use for him to remain in the creeks, that if he continued that way, he would have nothing to gain. I told him to embrace peace. In November last year, I also visited General Lato who is leading a camp in a creek in Cross River State. I went there with an army captain who dressed in mufti. I can’t talk about the quantity of guns he came out with, but among them were machine guns. But I was undeterred.

I told him to consider coming out of the camp to embrace peace. The good thing was that he was ready to drop his guns, if the Federal Government opened the amnesty doors for him.

We are waiting for the Federal

Government to react because all those I have met are ready to drop their arms. Let me remind you, among those who came out to accept amnesty during the second phase was Commander Koko. I went and talked to him and he accepted and dropped his arms at the JTF in Bayelsa State. There are people that have accepted the amnesty, but who are still having some issues with the authorities.

Through this platform, I have been able to address such issues.

Just recently, I went to Ezedu to settle a rift. I was also at Akwa Ibom to settle similar issues.

How many camps are still active right now?

Right now, I can’t know the number. Let me tell you, the boys that are terrorizing Rivers State, you cannot know how many camps they are operating from.

Just of recent, somebody called me from Bonny that a group of boys attacked some soldiers and three days ago, I was told that in the Kalabiri area, close to Bille, two groups clashed and people died. In Akwa Ibom State, there was a clash among those groups and about eight people died and that was two days ago. So, I can’t really say the number of camps •Continued on Page 50

50

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

‘Boko Haram fighters should not remind us of our days in the creeks’ that are still operating. But whoever is still in the camp now is a criminal. Some of them actually started opening their camps after we had accepted the amnesty offer, and we did not know them.

What they do is to terrorise traders on the sea and hijack trawlers.

Recently, I sent my boys to the village to go and drop things for me, and as they were coming back, they met sea pirates. My speed boat was 115 horse power, and my boys were not armed. The pirates attacked them when they were on the sea trying to fix the engine boat that developed a fault, but my sea pilot being an expert was able to overrun them on the sea, and my boys overpowered and arrested all of them.

They were handed over to the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State. We still have pockets of criminals who are yet to understand that the party is over.

Can we ever have peace in Bayelsa State?

We can, that is if we can have support from the government.

There is nothing you are doing that does not require money.

Now, a drum of fuel is about N50,000 in Bayelsa State. That is why we need support, just like the IYC and others who are fighting for peace in the region . We need to continue going into the creeks to preach this peace message so that we can have total peace in the Niger Delta.

How has life been since you came out of the creeks?

Nothing is as sweet as freedom.

When we were in the creeks, we would not go out to the town. We would only leave our camp to the nearby riverine communities and then back to the camp. The only thing we were enjoying in the creeks was fish. Anytime we needed fish, we had enough. But you can’t compare the life we are enjoying now with the life in the creeks. Then, we were in bondage, fighting with mosquitoes everyday. To drink water, we would dig holes for water to come out. If you saw our skin then, you would pity us. Now, we can go anywhere we want to go. We were there for like three years and could not see our wives. There is a very big difference in life then and life now. So, anybody who has tasted a life of freedom and does not treasure it is a stupid person. Today, I am a happier person.

You are initiating an organization that is promoting peace, but we are yet to witness real peace in Nigeria.

The thing is that Nigeria belongs to everybody. We understand that the people who are causing the havoc are doing so because of Goodluck Jonathan and you will recall that when he was presenting himself for the election, a lot of comments were made by certain people. Some of them were bold enough to say that if Jonathan took over, they would make Nigeria ungovernable.

Boko Haram does not seem to know what they are doing. We were told that their grouse is that they did not want western education. But tell me, when did you hear that Boko Haram has burnt a school? They are bombing churches and other public facilities. That is to show you that they are not sincere. Why can’t they come out to say this is what we

are fighting for? They are merely acting a script and they want to make sure that Jonathan does not concentrate. We will not copy them. All we are saying is that they should support Jonathan and allow him to concentrate so that we can all enjoy this fresh air. Before he contested the election, he promised Nigerians a regime of fresh air and that is exactly what he is pursuing. He wants the good of our children. That is the truth.

Come to think of the subsidy removal protests. Why was it that those who were leading the protests were those who failed to win elections?

You call yourself a politician ,and because you could not win an election, you now find an opportunity to lead a group of innocent and unsuspecting boys to go into the streets to protest.

What are you protesting for? If the people that you are leading now knew you were a credible person, why did they not vote you into office? Some are even abusing Mr President, and it is very bad. Look at somebody like Pastor Tunde Bakare. How can he lead his people? He cannot. The Bible says by their fruits we shall know them. He is raining curses on the president. Is he supposed to curse or bless? I pity those who are in his church. Some for them are even sending text messages to people that the president should be impeached, that the military should take over. Can you imagine? Just because he is from the south-south?

The army are a wise people and they will not disrespect the constitution of the land. Let me tell you, they cannot impeach the president. If they try that, I can assure you that it will turn to something else. Nobody will be happy to see their own son being disgraced out of office.

This is the first time that somebody from this region would get to that office and now they are saying that because he wants to stop a cabal from stealing our collective wealth under the guise of subsidy, they want to impeach him. It cannot happen. If the northerners knew, they would not do what they are doing. I am from Koluama in Southern Ijaw. We don’t have money. We don’t have roads. From Yenagoa to my place is three hours with speed boat and when you go there, you see flames everywhere. That was a place that was once flooded and many people were wiped out.

As I talk to you now, water has gone back there and the people’s existence is being threatened. This was part of why we had to take up arms to attract government attention. When others were buying fuel for N65 per litre, we were

•Wilson

buying fuel for N200. As I talk now, we are buying for N300, yet the oil is from my area. Do they have oil in the north? No. Yet we are buying the fuel at a more expensive rate than they are buying.

The late Yar’Adua told us to accept amnesty and we accepted.

Today, they are bombing and killing our people. The government is planning to give buses to the states. How about the riverine communities? There is no plan for them, but have we killed people?

What I will say is that we need to give peace a chance.

‘

I do not mind meeting the Boko Haram people for peace talks.

What they should do is to open up and tell Nigerians what their problem is and I am sure that the government will give attention to it. I took the risk and went to Bakassi to meet militants in their creeks

‘

•Continued from Page 49

You are saying it is difficult for them to impeach the president I am saying that it is not possible.

Impeachment will lead to more violence, and ,for us in this forum, our major concern is how to achieve peace. We will take it upon ourselves to go about the country and talk to our compatriots to give peace a chance. We do not want to think of what happened in those days before we accepted amnesty. We want Nigeria to remain one. Yes, we have heard that some people predicted that Nigeria will split in 2015, but I can tell you that this satanic prediction will not work. When their person was there, we did not go after them. Now, they are going after our son for no just cause. We are not saying that we will carry arms. But you can be sure that even without arms, we will confront them, if they try to think of impeaching him.

There are complaints about fight against corruption and that he is not serious about it I am aware that he is doing something about this. The other day, he sent a name to the Senate for confirmation as chairman of the EFCC. That is the beginning.

He has directed the EFCC to probe

the fuel subsidy transactions. We know him as a man of action.

When he was governor of Bayelsa State, you are aware that he made so much impact there.

Today, there is a bridge across Swali and he did that in just one year. How long has he been in office. This is a country that people had destroyed and he is trying to make amends. How do you expect him to use six months to correct the wrongs that were done in the past decades? He is taking it one step at a time and I am very sure that we will get there. He needs time and support.

For some months now, they have not allowed him to concentrate.

Boko Haram here and there and they are doing this to have reasons to pick holes in his governance, that he is not in charge. I think he does not deserve this.

What is it that worries you most about this country?

For now, it is the menace of Boko Haram, the spate of bomb blasts in the country. I don’t want to talk about the protests that seized the peace of our country. You won’t believe that those guys were paid by certain people. They had coordinators. But that is aside. Boko Haram is becoming a major threat to the peace and security of our country. I have always said if they think they have a case, they should come out and tell the government what their problem is.

When we were in the creeks, we were known. The SSS, the police and government officials were talking to us and we told them our problems. Sometimes the governors would come to the camp to talk to us and we would tell them our problems. In Bayelsa State, the governor even said he would give us some money so that we would not disturb the peace of the land and then we later came out of the creeks. I was among the first group to meet Yar’Adua and when we met him, we told him our grouse and things were sorted out. Now, there is peace in the Niger Delta. If Boko Haram has anything that is disturbing them, let them come out. They should not hide and then continue destroying churches and killing innocent people.

Can you make yourself available to approach the Boko Haram warriors to embrace peace?

There is no place I cannot go as long as we will achieve peace at the end of the day. What we need at the moment is support from the government and from the people of Nigeria. I do not mind meeting the Boko Haram people for peace talks. What they should do is to open up and tell Nigerians what their problem is and I am sure that the government will give attention to it. I took the risk and went to Bakassi to meet militants in their creeks. Now, assuming I went there and they killed me, I would have gone. But I did not care.

Why do they call you pastor?

I have the fear of God. I am somebody that if I have this little thing and somebody wants it, I will give it out. Even when I was in the creeks, I preached peace. I remember when General Africa and General Ogunbus had problems in their camps, I went to their camps to reconcile them.

I invited Africa to Ogunbus’ camp and the problem was resolved.

Pastor is not my name. It is just because I have the fear of God. They also call me General because I was the leader of warriors. In fact, it was Cameroun gendarmes that called me General first. That time when we were going to war in 1994, the gendarmes saw the way I was commanding my warriors and they called me General.

51

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

W

HAT can you say you have achieved since you assumed office as Health Commissioner in Delta State?

Let me say the Ministry of Health has been a blessing to Deltans, especially through the governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. What do I mean? If you look at the programmes we run, the free maternal health, the free under-five health care, the rural health care, whereby we move from one community to another and ensure everybody that has surgical problem is attended to, many lives have been touched through these programmes. The people who had been blind for the past 10-20 years were able to regain their sight. If you look at the free maternal health care programme, from the time of conception to six weeks, including laboratory investigation, treatment, antenatal care, drugs, consultation, including HIV test up to delivery, even Caesarian Session, is free and this goes on for six weeks after post delivery. It is usually like a market place when you see patients trooping into various government hospitals in the state. My colleagues in the private hospitals have been complaining that they no longer have patients. As at today, over 150,000 pregnant women have been treated in this programme.

We moved about with three to four set of doctors. We had the surgical team, eye surgery, general surgery and others. For last year alone, surgeries were performed on 661 persons who were completely or partially blind and they regained their sight.

We had about 99 cases of obstetrics and gynaecology and then other surgeries totalling about 377 cases. There was a particular case of a woman who had been carrying fibroid for the past 16 years. When she went for treatment she was asked to pay about N300,000, but she could not. When it was removed it was weighing 10.5 kilogram, done successfully and it was one of the greatest operations I have witnessed in my life. The woman was so grateful to the ministry and the state government.

What is the attitude of the state government to primary health care?

I should say excellent. We have about 432 primary health care centres across the state. Over 90 per cent of them are in use, very vibrant. All health issues are under my supervision, and, because of the paucity of funds at the local government level, they do not utilize the primary health care centres the way they should do.

Whenever the nurses and doctors cannot take care of any patient, they refer them to secondary health centres, the government hospitals which are 62 in all. If at that secondary level they could not manage the problem, they can then refer the patient to the teaching hospitals. We have more than enough health centres in the state. There has been some dispro-

Doctors should not play politics with their job

M

‘My people are suffering from hunger and diseases’

ANY people would have thought that having served your people in various capacities, you would have been okay with achievements My people have really been impoverished. There is no government presence in Takum. The local government is meant to be the closest tier of government to the people, but this is not really the case here . Takum is endowed with various mineral resources. As one of the first local government areas in the state, it shouldn’t be behind in development.

Based on the forgoing, I am ready to avail myself of this opportunity to liberate the people of Takum.

What would you enumerate as peculiar problems of Takum?

The problems of residents of Takum currently include hunger, disease, illiteracy and unemployment. Over 70% of our fellow citizens live in poverty.

Except the governed are carried along, there will always be the missing link between the government and the people.

How do you hope to tackle these problems?

I will put in place a government that understands the challenges, a government that will transform Takum into an industrial area, a government that will guide the affairs of our local government through laws and projects aimed at

— Otumara, Delta Health Commissioner Dr. Joseph Otumara is Commissioner for Health in Delta State. In this interview with AUGUSTINE AVWODE, he enumerates the various steps taken by the administration of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan to raise the bar of health care delivery in the state. Excerpts: What is your target or what is your portion in siting of primary health centres. While some local governments have up to 20 health centres, some have just about five. But there is no council area without a minimum of five functional health centres. Within a radius of about five kilometres, there must be a health centre. We try to locate the centres in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) policy and standard. We recognize the importance of this sector of health care delivery and we pay good attention to it.

There seems to be so much emphasis on treatment of the blind.

Why the special interest?

Let me rather say that our interest is holistic. Our goal is to give Deltans qualitative health care which is affordable. But let me just say that in the past three years, the state government has successfully restored the sight of 1,680 Deltans who were blind through provision of free surgeries.

It is part of the effort of the state government, through this ministry, to prevent and give treatment to the blind to meet the human capital content of the three-point agenda of the present administration. The state government embarked on the provision of ophthalmic equipment worth millions of naira for improving the quality of eye care services in the state.

The current administration is involved in the provision of counterpart support for the eradication of river blindness (onchocerciasis) through the distribution of Mectizen tablets in communities affected by the disease. We have already incorporated visual screening in school health programme, including a database on blindness in all government hospitals and also developed a strategic plan for the prevention of blindness and attainment of vision 2020 tagged the right to sight in Delta State. There are plans to increase the number of people being sponsored in the school of the blind and establish at least one school to train children who are blind.

What would you say is the impact of these programmes on the lives of Deltans?

I can tell you that never in the history of this state, even in old Bendel State, would you find a governor so caring as to have a medical team that moves from one community to the

•Otumara other, including riverine communities like Escravos, Ogidigben, Ogugbugbudu and others requesting people to come forwards for operations. It is like missionary efforts. It could only be the pursuit of happiness. I say happiness because the governor believes in it. Look at the free maternal care, we have pursued vigorously and consistently this programme over the years, treating under -five, pregnant women and ante- natal care. This has been completely free. What Deltans should do now is to give the governor, Dr Uduaghan, good support. Before now, the maternal mortality rate in Delta State was about 500 to 600 per every 1,000 delivery. It was quite high. The figure then dropped to about 300 per every 1,000 delivery by the end of November, 2010. I am sure it would have fallen further down to about 150 now. So these programmes have endeared us to the heart of most Deltans, particularly mothers, children and fathers.

ministry targeting?

One of the Millennium Development Goals is for any country to reduce the number of deaths that occur per 100,000 among children between 0-5 years. The target in Nigeria is to ensure that at least by 2015, maternal and infant mortality rate is reduced drastically to a figure that is very low.

We realise that the major killer diseases among these groups are poverty and ignorance. How do they come in? A lot of people know the importance of the hospital, but the money is not just there. The government is fully aware how disadvantaged some people are in accessing qualitative health care. It removed the barrier of poverty, so that the people can get health care. Therefore, the introduction of the under-5 programme and free maternal health care are attempts to increase the average life of Deltans. And by doing this, we have already achieved it. It will get to a point that the average life expectancy of Deltans will be about 70/75.

And would you say you have all the resources or funds needed to keep the ministry moving?

We have a governor who is a medical doctor. Therefore, he understands the situation better than you can imagine. He takes health issues as the pursuit of the happiness of the people. He sees the care for human beings as the pursuit of their happiness.

The government, through budgetary provision, provides money for all the caesarian sections, delivery, drugs that have been taken by over 120,000 pregnant women, all the treatments received by the under-5, surgery and others. The money is released as at when due to us. So we never ran into financial difficulty for us to pursue the programmes.

There are allegations that Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH) equipment is underutilized. What is the true position?

Well, the hospital is perfectly in order. There are sophisticated equipment there like MRI CT Scan Fluoroscopy, ECG, Ultrasound and Angiographic studies. The hospital can accommodate 180 patients. Every thing is a complete package. It has respirators and ventilators for children. They are all there in Oghara.

The doctors are there. It is not that

the equipment is outdated, or there are no professionals to operate the machines. We have the most modern CT scan. The hospital is opened 24 hours to the public. The equipment there is not underutilized. Don’t forget that it is a tertiary hospital.

Last year the state faced industrial action by doctors. Why the incessant strikes in this crucial sector and how can this be addressed?

Well, there is a salary structure that has been the issue over the years. One of the reasons for brain drain is, particularly within the medical line ,is that of low pay. Most of the doctors in Delta State Teaching Hospital today are brought in from Europe, America and Canada. They earn good salaries. You cannot compare the salaries in Europe to that in Nigeria. The salary structure is to enhance their personalities, to ensure that the years spent at the medical school are not in vain. That is the truth and justifiable. You still find out that some doctors 10 years after leaving schools are still without a car.

They put in their best to make sure that human lives are catered for. And I am sure it is on that note that the federal government approved that salary structure. After the approval, the late President Yar’Adua and the former Minister of Health agreed that the payment be done once the budget was passed at the beginning of last year. But most states, including Delta ,have always been buying and keying into what the federal government is doing so that we don’t have the disparity line, the disparity whereby a federal doctor receives N300,000 and his counterpart at the state hospital gets N150,000. It will cause a migration into the federal service and at end of the day, we will be left with no doctor. So the state government is also looking at this based on the funding.

You had cause to fire some doctors last year…

The state government has always exhibited large heartedness; we try to satisfy our doctors. But when some doctors try to play politics with their job, which I think is very sensitive, in spite of government’s efforts, we have to wield the big stick.

But then the government, almost immediately, also heeded the pleas by many well-meaning Deltans on their behalf and they were recalled.

The governor decided to pardon the doctors because of the intervention from well- meaning Deltans who appealed to him to temper justice with mercy and having also considered a letter of apology by the doctors to their management.

So by and large, the issue of poor remuneration accounts for incessant strikes by doctors, but here in Delta State, we give doctors their due.

Former Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Northern Political Summit Group, Prince Bulus Audu, is to contest the chairmanship election on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming local government election in Takum , Taraba State. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, he talks about the problems of the local government and ways to address them. Excerpts: strengthening our development efforts and a government that will seek to improve the lives of our people.

Generating revenue has been the problem of the third tier government; how are you going to address this?

Revenue drive shall be taken seriously, as we know that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) shall, in no small measure, further ensure dividends of democracy.

We shall not cause darkness, but we shall light the candle that will guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future for Takum. The time demands innovations through imagination. We shall put in place a comprehensive database for revenue collection and management.

Most local government chairmen find it difficult to pay salaries; how do you intend to tackle this situation ,if you are elected?

Such things are due to visionless leadership. My leadership shall be focused,

accountable, transparent and peopleoriented. Takum is commercially viable. The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as an addition to the revenue allocations shall catapult and transform our land to a place where developmental projects are carried out alongside prompt payment of salaries.

I believe employees deserve their wages promptly.

Many would want to know your plan to take care of the crisis in Takum We will productively engage the services of our youths in developmental processes, for it is the absence of this that makes our youths ready tools in the hands of mischief makers. The government will provide leadership that will help us discover true unity in our diversity and ensure equitable distribution of our common wealth.We shall deal with ignorance . prejudice and poverty. My government will ensure

that our ethnicity will have no more significance than the content of our character and our individual commitment to the cause of building a strong Takum.

Your are against godfatherism God is the only Godfather I know. I am a Christian, and my strength comes from God Almighty. I am enjoying tremendous support from the people in Takum. They will never abandon me me.

What about your political antecedents Well, I have always been around politics since the return of democracy and politics in Nigeria. I have always worked to ensure the success of my party in the state. I was a board member of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). I was the Chief Protocol Detail to the Hon Speaker of the House of Representatives . I served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Northern Political Summit Group. I also served as Special Assistant to a former minister. I served in the Of-

•Audu fice of the First Lady of Nigeria. I am currently the Political Adviser of the All Nigeria Youth Alliance.

52

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY,JANUARY 28, 2012

Attracting God’s presence in your home (2)

D

EAR Reader, So, far we have seen how to bring God’s presence in our home by possessing a heart for God, employing the fruit of the Spirit and creating a godly atmosphere.

This week, by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, I will be sharing with you on Diligent Kingdom Service.

What is kingdom service?

Kingdom service can simply be defined as the use of divine endowment such as your strength, time, resources, talent etc, in promoting the kingdom of God on the earth. If you want to enjoy the presence of God in your life this year, one of the key factors is to be diligent in the things of God and in service to the Lord. God’s

Word says: (Romans 8:31). What shall we then say to these things?

If God be for us, who can be against us? If God’s presence is with you, there is no mountain that can stand against your breakthrough (Psalm 114:7).

There is a world of difference between service and mere activity. It is possible to be involved in activities without actually serving. You cannot serve God without being involved in activities, but you can be involved in activities without actually serving God. There is no reward for activities, but there are rewards for service.

The reason many people are involved in activities and do not get any rewards, in most cases, is because they don’t know what serv-

ice is. So, it is not just enough to be involved in a place, but you must render your service unto the Lord from your heart.

You can’t be serving God, and at the same time serving the enemy. Sickness and disease are enemies; poverty, lack and want are enemies too. God’s Word says: And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil (Exodus 23:25-26).

At the presence of God, obstacles and problems tremble. God’s Word says: Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob (Psalm 114:7).

The story of the little boy with five loaves and two fishes readily comes to mind, as an instance where Jesus multiplied the little at hand. I believe that that little boy was used to giving or had made giving his lifestyle, so he didn’t have to struggle to part with his meal. Maybe, his parents had taught him that the principles of giving hinge on seed time and harvest time. That little boy in John 6:9 rendered service to the

people of God via his meal and now everywhere the gospel of multiplication is preached, he is remembered. His service is still speaking for him, even though he is dead.

Service always distinguishes a man from the crowd, just as it did to the little boy. Serve God with your time, means, energy, and all that is yours. God’s Word says: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorities, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

The key word here is “service”.

The choice of whom to serve rests with you. God is the focus of our service, so we must serve Him unreservedly. Whatever will compete with our devotion to God must be done away with. Locate where you belong in the kingdom and serve God faithfully there.

Use your energy, intellect, position, possession, and all you are and have to serve God. When you do that, you will begin to experience all-round breakthrough. Have you wondered why some Christians are still very far from realizing God’s benefits, in spite of God’s glorious

plan for the church in general and individual members in particular? It is because their focus has shifted from God-centred projects to their personal projects only.

If you are not born again, the only condition required by God, in order to become His child, is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour (Roman 10:10). If you are ready to accept Him as your Lord and saviour, then say this prayer and mean every word of it from your heart: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today as a sinner. I believe You died and rose on the third day for my sins.

I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.

Make me a child of God today.

Congratulations! You are now born again!

Till I come your way next week, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel. No: 234-17747546-8.

For more insight, these books authored

by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion BookStores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work and Building a Successful Family. v Making Marriage Work •Building a Successful Family •Success in Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).

Exercise during pregnancy – the myths and reality

W

HEN it comes to exercise during pregnancy there are a lot of myths and misconceptions around what is safe and what isn’t.

Dr Etti Barsky (MBBCh, MSC Sports Science), a training director laid the facts bare.

Barsky says that the most common myths about exercising in pregnancy include: •Pregnant woman should take it easy during pregnancy •She can exercise gently by going for walks •She cannot raise her heart rate above 140beats per minute •Pregnant woman cannot use weights •She can’t do abdominal exercises if she is pregnant.

A recent study reveals that as many as one in five women gains too much weight during pregnancy, doubling the chances her baby will weigh 9 pounds (4kg) or more.

A large baby can pose risks for a difficult delivery - increasing the chances of vaginal tearing, bleeding, and Caesarian-sections for the mother and the risk of stuck shoulders and broken collar bones for the baby.

Babies whose mothers do aerobic exercise during pregnancy may have healthier hearts.

Pioneering new research shows that these babies have significantly lower heart rates.

And researchers believe that ‘womb workouts’ have health benefits for a baby and continues into adulthood, lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension decades later.

The necessary exercise In terms of types of exercises, most forms of recreational exercise are fine but the woman should make sure that her exercise programme includes cardiovascular and strength training, as well as flexibility and balance.

However, if she has been exercising regularly prior to falling pregnant, Barsky says there are two core things which would need to be modified: intensity and position.

“Position-wise – she would want to avoid lying flat on her back and avoid periods of motionless standing.

“Starting or continuing a mod-

erate level of exercise is not thought to cause any harm in pregnancy and should in fact, help women to feel good during their pregnancy.

“For a minority of pregnant women exercise is not recommended if the pregnancy is complicated by other medical problems. Her doctor or midwife would need to advise a pregnant woman if exercise was not advisable for her,” Barsky says.

It is stressed that some forms of exercise would be better avoided if pregnant.

“Contact sports, high impact sports and vigorous racquet sports that may risk bumps to her abdomen, excessive stress on her joints

have been found to be of better quality than their non-exercising counterparts. This shows an improved delivery of nutrients to the growing foetus. (Clapp and Rizk 1992 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ; Jackson et al 1995 Placenta) •Women who exercise during their pregnancies heal faster after delivery regardless of their mode of delivery.

•Exercising in pregnancy helps control the amount of weight gained during the pregnancy.

•By exercising in pregnancy, she returns to her pre-pregnant shape faster.

Other studies show women who exercise enjoy more rapid weight

•Exercise during pregnancy is not only good for the woman, it is also helps the unborn child both in the womb and even after birth or risks her falling and scuba diving should definitely be avoided,” she added.

Strenuous exercise more than triples the chances of miscarriage during early pregnancy, according to researchers.

Why pregnant women need to exercise There are many reasons why it is important to exercise when pregnant, says Barsky, adding that the following are the most important: •Exercising in pregnancy helps improve fitness and endurance for labour.

•Placentas of exercising women

loss after pregnancy, along with improved mood and sleep patterns.

Other benefits can be faster labours and less need for a painkilling epidural injection.

The heart rate confusion One common sentence pregnant women who begin exercise hear from the people around them is that they shouldn’t get their heart rate too “high”. However, as pregnancy affects her resting heart rate and thus her heart rate during exercise, it’s not always the best indicator or effort. It is also why the rather old fashioned method of

keeping the heart rate below 140 beats a minute during exercise has been shown to be ineffective. The heart is a muscle and, like other muscles, becomes stronger through conditioning. And if it is stronger, the heart rate will drop, so that the heart puts less effort into pumping the same amount of blood.

‘A regular exercise programme during pregnancy may be the earliest intervention to improve cardiovascular health,’ says Dr Linda May of Kansas University, who led a study recently.

May explains that heart rate refers to the amount of times the heart beats in a minute. Traditionally, this is an easy way for someone to measure the intensity of their training. The harder one train, the faster the heart beats. Everyone has a maximum of how high they can push their heart rate based on their age.

But in pregnancy, heart rate is no longer an accurate indicator of exercise intensity. This is mainly due to the physiological adaptations that happen in the body during this time. Also, many other factors then affect her heart rate too – such as age, level of fitness and how well hydrated she is at the particular time that she choose to exercise.

During pregnancy a woman’s resting heart rate goes up, there is only so much reserve left for her heart to pump faster and her heart’s maximal rate gets ‘reset’ to a lower rate.

Exercise in the three trimesters Interestingly, there are no official guidelines per trimester; rather the guidelines for exercise during pregnancy apply over the whole period.

However, as Barsky points out, the main concern during the first trimester is that of over-heating. In order to avoid this, a pregnant woman needs to do the following:•Drink cool water during your training session •Wear cool comfortable clothing •Exercise in a well ventilated environment •Don’t exercise in extreme heat •Don’t exercise if you are running a temperature.

•Exercise in the second and third trimester •By the time she reaches her second trimester she should be over

any of the common gripes of the first 12 weeks such as morning sickness and she will be feeling great. This is often referred to as the ‘honeymoon trimester’ and exercise for the next few weeks will be a pleasure as she will have lots of energy.

By the third trimester, if she has been exercising regularly, she should still be able to continue, although Barsky says here her primary concern will be to avoid going into premature labour.

When not to train Since she will be exercising for two, she needs to pay extra attention to any signals her body may send during exercise that she might be over-doing it. Barsky says that there are a number of medical and obstetrical contra-indications as to when a pregnant woman should not train.

She should stop exercising immediately once she experiences any of the following: •Excessive shortness of breath •Chest pain or palpitations •Severe dizziness •Painful uterine contractions or preterm labour •Leakage of amniotic fluid •Vaginal bleeding •Excessive fatigue •Abdominal pain, particularly in back or pubic area •Severe pelvic girdle pain •Reduced fetal movement •Headache •Muscle weakness •Calf pain or swelling.

Exactly how maternal exercise shapes the foetal heart is not clear.

But one theory is that the development of the foetal autonomic nervous system is boosted by exposure to maternal hormones and other compounds released during exercise.

However, doctors warn pregnant women that exercising until they are exhausted or breathless is a sign that they - and their unborn baby - are not getting the oxygen they need.

‘Because there are so many women who are gaining more than 40 pounds during pregnancy, it’s an important health message for most women to avoid excessive weight by exercising consistently during pregnancy,’ said Dr. Teresa Hillier of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Oregon, whose study appears in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

FAMIL Y HEAL TH AMILY HEALTH

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Creatures that affect your health:

Cockroaches

C

OCKROACHES, like mosquitoes, flies, rats, mice, spiders, lice, fruit flies, and mites are members of the “club unwanted” that we try to keep out of our homes and often never manage to do so. Their eggs, stuck to all kinds of human property, are brought into our homes and, before we know it, they have hatched into cockroaches and they are feeding away on the food we bought with our money. Why they do not all stay in the wild and eat free food remains a query but it is possibly because they know that living with humans seems safe; humans, unlike other animals, may not hunt for cockroaches to eat them. Our ancestors must have experienced their unsuitability for human diet. Try eating a few dozen raw cockroaches and your nerves will be affected and you will be unable to swallow.

They produce a nerve toxin that, in sufficient amounts, teaches you a lesson not to ever eat roach.

Actually, all over the world, only about 40 different species of cockroaches live in human environments such as homes, hospitals, grocery shops, and hotels and the other 4000 and more species live in the wild. Amongst the most famous (yes, they are famous and appear in many movies) are Periplaneta africana (African), Periplaneta americana (American), Blattella germanica (German), Blattella asahinai (Asian), and Blattella orientalis (Oriental). They like to live indoors and eat human foods. However, if we do manage to drive cockroaches outdoors, they feed on decaying materials including leaves and wood, garbage, and sewage. There, they get contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus and other disease causing organisms which they can transfer into our homes and onto our foods when they get back inside. They do get back through cracks and small spaces that we fail to seal up.

Cockroaches naturally love dirty, dark, and damp environments. They can survive in drains even as water passes through. They are known to stop breathing for more than 30 minutes without any problem. Do not think you can kill a cockroach by flushing it. It probably enjoys swirling around in the water, like in a jacuzzi. If you do not want cockroaches to thrive in your home, you need to take good care of the kitchen and bathroom. They are attracted to these places by

P

ELVIC inflammatory disease is caused by germs that are transmit-

ted through sexual contact and other bodily secretions.

Bacteria that cause gonorrhea and chlamydia cause more than half of cases. Other organisms found in the vagina can also cause PID but are much less common.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Symptoms If you have PID, you may have any of these symptoms: Abdominal pain (especially lower abdominal

moisture and smell of organic (life) materials including the dirt in drains and food remnants. Your store is another safe haven for cockroaches and the more cluttered the store, the better for them. You can keep a lot of things in the store without making it safe for cockroaches. You just have to manage the space well, creating surfaces upwards by open shelving, keeping the floor space free enough for cleaning, and leaving room in between items so that there is no cozy spot for them. Remember that they spend about 75% of their time resting in your home and the remaining time eating your food, mating, and laying eggs around your food while you spend 33% of your time slaving for bread, and some of the rest in the traffic and very little time enjoying your home. It is up to you to let those little creatures colonize your hard-earned habitat.

I guess there is not one of us who has never attempted to kill a cockroach. The coat (outer skeleton) of the cockroach can withstand the force of a smack. The cockroach fakes death.

You happily go and collect your broom and packer to pick up the dead pest and, before you return, the cockroach runs off at a speed of 3 miles per hour making you look silly. If you go after a cockroach with determination, good luck to you. Cockroaches are known to be able to change direction at a speed of 25 times per second. They are artful dodgers. They have tiny hairs that detect movement from various directions and an extremely sensitive nervous system that provides quick reflexes. Their eyes have thousands of tiny lenses that co-ordinate vision in every direction. If you run after them under a table, you may end up banging your head. For your safety, attempt a smack only if you see a cockroach in an open space.

Even if you manage to chop off a cockroach’s head, it might live for up to a week before dying. This is because its brain is not in its head like ours are; its brain is extended all over its body. These creatures can survive in our homes if we clean up and refuse to bring any food inside for them. Cockroaches can live about two weeks to one month without water and four weeks to 3 months without food. The human would die of starvation long before a cockroach would.

The brilliance of the cockroach in thriving has generated so much human hatred that we have developed insect “contraceptives” which can be used to sterilize large populations of cockroaches in human environments. These chemicals are technically referred to as insect growth regulators (IGRs). The IGR’s can stop young cockroaches from maturing in their sexual function. Thus, these unwanted pests may eventually be eliminated from the environment. We humans know how to be wicked.

Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

Pelvic inflammatory disease causes pain) or tenderness •Back pain ( Abnormal uterine bleeding •Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge •Painful urination •Painful sexual intercourse Symptoms not related to the female reproductive organs include fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Your symptoms may be worse at the end of your menstrual period and during the first several days following a period.

If you are experiencing the following symptoms, you should see your health care provider: •Abdominal pain that does not go away •Irregular vaginal bleeding •Foul-smelling vaginal discharge •Unusual vaginal discharge •Fever, nausea, vomiting Given the long-term complications PID can cause, such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy, it is recommended that you seek immediate medical attention if you have any of these symptoms: •Lower abdominal pain or tenderness •Fever greater than 101°F (38.3°C) •Abnormal or foul-smelling vaginal discharge Adult women with PID are either closely monitored or admitted to the hospital.

More aggressive treatment may take place in the hospital for adolescents, who are at a much higher risk of not following treatment plans and of having complications.

You may be admitted to the hospital if any of the following are true: •The diagnosis is unclear.

•Ectopic pregnancy or appendicitis cannot be ruled out.

•You are pregnant.

•An abscess (an infection) is suspected.

•You are acutely ill or can-

not manage your illness at home.

Exams and Tests •Physical exam findings include the following: •A temperature greater than 101°F (38.3°C) •Abnormal vaginal discharge •Lower abdominal tenderness when felt •Tenderness when your cervix is moved •Tenderness in your female organs Laboratory tests may include the following: •A urine pregnancy test if you are of childbearing age •Urinalysis to check for bladder and kidney infection •A complete blood count (although fewer than half of women with acute PID have a high white blood cell count indicating an infection) •Cervical cultures for gonorrhea and chlamydia •Testing for other sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and HIV •Additional tests if you have more severe symptoms •Imaging: A pelvic ultrasound, although not routinely done, can be an important tool in diagnosing complications such as tubo-ovarian abscesses, ovarian cysts, and ectopic pregnancy. Although unlikely to occur in pregnancy, PID is the most commonly missed diagnosis in ectopic pregnancies and can occur during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

53 Coping with diseases with Prof. Dayo Oyekole

Candidiasis

C

ANDIDIASIS is an infection caused by a genus of yeast-like fungi (formerly known as Monilia ), often harmlessly present in the mouth of healthy people.

In some circumstances, however the micro-organisms may proliferate to produce a symptomatic infection of the mouth, intestines, vagina, skin or (rarely) the entire body. The species most often involved is Candida albicans.

When the infection involves the mouth or the vagina, the condition is commonly referred to as “thrush”. Thrush occurs particularly in babies, but it may also occur in debilitated adult or those with dentures. It usually forms a white curd-like deposit on the tongue, cheeks and palate which may cause severe discomfort.

The symptoms of candidiasis include moodiness, extreme food sensitivities with gas and bloating after meals, depression and general weakness of the body.

Generally this condition is caused by the suppression of acute diseases such as colds, fevers, and other inflammatory diseases with excessive use of antibiotics. In fact, even taking so-called natural anti-inflammatory such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in high doses can predispose one to this condition. Patients with reduced immune defenses (for example, those with any severe illness like HIV/AIDS and those on drugs that suppress immunity) may get generalized, life-threatening candida infection, involving most organs.

Vaginal candidiasis is one of the most common causes of inflammation and itching of the vagina ad vulva, typically producing a white, curd like discharge. Vaginal candidiasis is becoming increasingly common, perhaps partly because of changes in vaginal acidity brought about by oral contraceptives. It is often seen in pregnant women and diabetics.

Candida albicans may occasionally infect the entire intestinal tract, causing anal itching and forming a reservoir for repeated accidental infection of the vagina.

One of the most serious causes is an unbalanced diet.

The liver and pancreas regulate the smooth flow of important digestive enzymes which, if lacking, will cause gas and bloating. Specifically, the accumulation of abdominal fluid and gas will put pressure on the sensitive nerves and meridians in the gastrointestinal tract, giving rise to a number of paradoxical emotional reactions ranging from anger and anxiety to depression. Thus there is a strong connection with hypoglycaemic reactions in such individuals.

One who indulges in cold, raw foods, and lacks in proper protein balance can give rise to the candida overgrowth condition. Another cause is eating too many rich or denatured foods like cakes and pastries.

In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advocated that the best prospect of control and total cure of candidiasis is to turn to nature in terms of personal hygiene, diet, exercise and judicious use of chemical antibiotics. Some of the natural remedies being advanced for the treatment and total cure of candidiasis include the extracts of local herbs such as Allium cepa, Senna alata, Plumbago zeylanica and Jatropha curcas.

For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-3303897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan.

Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.

54

•Nigeria’s stand at 2012 FITUR

T

HE winter was biting hard in the Spanish capital of Madrid, but that did not in any way affect the frenzy of activities at the Feria de Madrid centre which hosted the annual FITUR Tourism fair in Madrid, the Spanish capital. It is the world’s first international tourism fair for the year.

FITUR is among the three big annual tourism fairs in Europe. The other two are ITB-Berlin and the World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

These fairs are the blood that propels the tourism industry. It is in these fairs that major industry players from all over the world come together. They include those from the aviation industry, tour operators, travel agencies and government agencies in-charge of tourism.

They all come together to do business.

It is in this context that about 172 countries gathered at the Fera de Madrid for this year’s event. Out of the 172 countries at the fair, 32 were from the African continent. This simply underscores the importance African countries attach to the fairs.

For the five days that the fair lasted, most of the exhibitors try the much they could to attract visitors to their stands using colourful cultural displays and other activities which include handing out souvenirs to attract

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

FITUR: Nigeria takes the lead in Africa

visitors.

The Nigrian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), in line with its mandates to promote and market Nigeria as a tourism destination, put up an impressive performance. Within the African section in pavilion four of the exhibition venue, Nigeria’s stand painted in the traditional colour of green-whitegreen , had a bold square banner suspended high above the stand that proclaim to people, even from afar, where Nigeria’s stand was. It also had on display different tourism sites that Nigeria could boast of.

This visibility helped in attracting traffic to the stand where inquirers from Europe had a mix-mash of interest that cut across culture, business and eco-tourism. Those from the Americas where mostly interested in the Osun Osogbo grove in Osun State.

Many made business enquiries, looking for opportunities in the tourisms industry Nigeria.

The fair also offered the NTDC an opportunity to have a feel of how the travel professionals feel about Nigeria.

A particular tour operator who said he was based in Barcelona, complained about the difficulties in getting visas to Nigeria. He talked about how he had

Continued on Page 55

••At the ATPI meeting chaired by Nigeria, in the middle is Otunba Segun Runsewe

55

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012 Continued from Page 54 made several calls to the embassy with no positive response. The NTDC boss, Otunba Segun Runsewe, assured him of the readiness of the country to receive foreigners promising him and others in the same dilemma that he would intervene to ensure that genuine tourists interested in visiting Nigeria get their visa promptly.

“I will continue to show the world that Nigeria is a blessed country with a very hospitable people that is ready to receive visitors.”

FITUR: Nigeria takes the lead in Africa The FITUR fair was also used by the African delegation to meet and discuss how to move the tourism industry forward. The meeting called the African Tourism Promotion Initiative (ATPI) held its meeting at the Nigerian stand. The meeting was presided over by the NTDC boss.

The ATPI was conceived as a veritable platform for the unification of individual African nations with a view to making African countries take

their rightful place and attract their market share of the travel industry and saw the 2012 FITUR exhibition as not only an avenue but also an excellent opportunity for African countries to meet, fashion out modalities of providing necessary logistics for the effective launch of the African Tourism Promotion Initiative (ATPI) considering its accruable benefits and its expediency to the development of the industry in the continent.

At the end of the meeting, the

•Ghanaian contingent showcasing their culture

ATPI, which was attended by representatives of 13 countries, among other things, agreed that a forum such as the African Tourism Promotion Initiative was necessary to fully harness available tourism potentials in Africa.

They also agreed on the diverse potentials of Africa tourism and plethora of opportunities that exist on the continent. It also agreed that there was a need for African nations to strategize; network and integrate all regions of Africa with a view to providing a formidable bloc

capable of capturing a sizeable portion of global tourism receipt. It also agreed to create a platform through the ATPI that could be explored by the individual nations of Africa to market and announce tourism calendar of events, programme of activities and other scheduled tourism related projects.

Also after due deliberation the forum unanimously agreed that while

the year 2012 FITUR exhibition provided an opportunity for African countries to meet once again, a conducive meeting would be convened at Abuja, Nigeria at a date to be agreed on an communicated to all members in due course.

In all, it was a good outing in which Nigeria had the opportunity to not only market its tourism assets, but provide leadership for the rest of the continent.

•Activities at Nigeria’s stand in FITUR

Kehinde FALODE: 08023689894

Pineapple cake

If you are a lover of cake, here again is an amazing recipe of fruit cake which we make you ask for more and more.

Ingredients 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained, divided 1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks) 2 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar Preparation Put 3/4 cup of undrained pineapple with its juice in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain remaining pineapple and measure 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple; set aside cream shortening, butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder together; add

to creamed mixture, 1 large spoonful at a time, alternately with milk. Add vanilla; stir in 3/ 4 cup undrained pineapple with juice and blend well.

Pour butter into a well greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Place in a cold oven. Turn oven to 325° and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Let pineapple pound cake stand for few minutes in pan.

Run knife around edges to loosen and remove pineapple cake carefully to a rack.

To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar and 1 cup crushed pineapple, heat and stir until melted Pour pineapple sauce over cake while still hot.

Health and nutritional benefits of butter

Pineapple juice

Pineapple juice is a delicious and healthy drink. It contains bromelain which aids digestion, making it ideal for finishing a meal. It can be used for a tasty treat on a hot summer day. Actually it is very refreshing and juicy. Most importantly, the juice is fresh and nutritious.

Ingredients Pineapple chunks 4 or 5 saffron seeds (optioner) 3 teaspoons of sugar (optioner) 1 1/2 cups of water Blender Strainer Method Cut your pineapple into pieces discarding the pores.

Add pineapple, saffron, sugar and water into a blender.

Blend on the highest speed setting until smooth.

Once the juice is well blended, strain it and pour into chilled glasses.

Add your ice cube.

Butter is a concentrated form of whole milk. It is typically made from cow’s milk, but it can also be created from goat and sheep milk.

Dairies make butter by letting milk sit in large vats in a cool place, allowing for the cream to rise to the top. The cream is then skimmed off and moved to a separate vat. This cream is then usually allowed to sit so that acids form on the top which helps break down the fat and gives the butter a slight sour taste. Below are a few more benefits: Butter contains protein, calcium and phosphorus.

The main vitamins in butter include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. Additional nutrients in butter include fatty acids, lactones, methyl ketones and dimethl and diacetyl sulfide.

While butter is high in fat, this fat features hearthealthy fats which have shown to lower cholesterol, prevent certain cancers and prevent the spread or growth of tumors. Butter is one of the easiest forms of vitamin A to absorb. Vitamin A promotes good vision, a healthy thyroid and adrenal health.

Butter contains antioxidants, specifically selenium which helps protect the body from free radical damage. Additionally, butter

contains iodine which has shown to support the thyroid gland. It contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes and protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

It is beneficial for fighting tooth decay and to promote muscle growth. This dairy product contains less amounts of lactose, and so, those who are lactose intolerant, may also consume it moderately. It is also said that the lecithin in butter is essential for cholesterol metabolism.

The only source of an anti-stiffness factor, butter protects the calcification of the joints and pineal gland, prevents hardening of arteries and cataract. It is a source of Vitamin K2 which is important for treating arthritis, osteoporosis, tooth decay; tuberculosis, emphysema and asthma. It also helps in keeping the skin smooth and healthy.

56

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

Naija 7 Wonders to market chosen destinations

UNWTO joins industry voices in support of Obama’s move to facilitate travel

U

•Entrance to Osun grove

T

WO years after the search for the seven top tourism destinations in Nigeria kicked off, the first three destinations to breast the tape have been unveiled.

They are the Osun Osogbo grove in Osun State; the Ancient Sukur huts in Adamawa State and the cable car in Obudu Ranch Resort, Cross River State.

The organizers of the

search, however, refused name the remaining four which they planned to announce at an event next month.

In addition to the seven top tourism destinations in Nigeria, the organizers said that in the course of the search, they have also unearthed “the seven natural wonders of Nigera, seven aquatic wonders, the top seven heritage sites, the top seven modern architectural wonders

along with top seven highlands in Nigeria”.

The organisers said the comprehensive list of the search results will be unveiled at the next month ‘s ceremony and they will be presented with plaques. There will also fam-trips by local and foreign tour operators and media.

The project team is also planning a global marketing

programme for the seven sites. But the team would first want to enhance the value of the sites through training and site development before the global marketing programme.

‘The organisers said they would want to work with the sites owners of the selected sites for the second and third phases of the project.

International icons for Cape Town Jazz Festival

L

EADING South African event and artist promo tion company, espAfrika has announced the first 17 confirmed acts for the 13th Cape Town International Jazz Festival which will take place from 30-31 March, 2012 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

For the first time the festival brings multi Grammy award-winner and back-toback platinum gold selling vocalist James Ingram (USA) with hits such as Just Once and I Don’t Have The Heart.

Ingram is best known for his hit collaborations such as Yah Mo Be There, Baby Come To Me and How Do You Keep The Music Playing.

Returning to the festival is award winning sensational music icon, internationally renowned jazz saxophonist Dave Koz (USA) with special guest Patti Austin (USA), sixtime Grammy nominee and premier jazz and jazz-fusion guitarist Mike Stern (USA) performing with accomplished drummer Dave Weckl (USA), as well as South Africa’s own Virtual Jazz Reality (SA).

Serious jazz lovers can look forward to international jazz veterans like the Brubeck Brothers, Darius (piano), Chris (bass) and Dan (drums) with special guest Mike Rossi (sax) playing as Brubecks. Jazz master bassist, Ron Carter (USA), saxophonist Donald Harrison (USA), creator of the Noveau Swing Jazz style, and jazz fu-

sion drummer Lenny White (USA), from Return To Forever fame, will be cooking up a storm on the Rosies Stage.

Other artist to look forward to on the Rosies Stage include the Andre Petersen Quintet (SA) who will be launching their debut album.

Attracting the younger audience is hip-hop band Atmosphere (USA), as well as South African born female MC Jean Grae (USA). Other artists included Cape Town electronic duo Goodluck (SA), South African songbird Zamajobe (SA) and local rising soul star Zahara (SA), all set to take the Bassline Stage by storm.

Audiences will be treated to

a dynamic performance, fresh off the release of his newest album Outline, by The Jason Reolon Trio (SA), as well as Alfredo Rodriguez (Cuba), a young pianist of astonishing virtuosity and imagination, discovered and introduced to the festival by legendary music icon Quincy Jones, and Grammy award winning tenor saxophonist David Sanchez (Puerto Rico) invites Lionel Loueke (Benin), who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past years, as his special guest.

Audiences will also see The Moreira Project (Mozambique) fill venues with their unique afro-jazz

sounds, as well as youth development band, the Alexander Sinton High School Jazz Band (SA) who has been selected to open the festival on the Saturday.

“We are extremely excited about the variety of the line up. Audiences can expect an sensational mix of world-renowned icons and top quality rising stars, both local and international, young and old, and male and female.

As usual we have put together a few exciting collaboration performances which promise audiences some spectacular shows,” said Rashid Lombard, festival director and CEO of espAfrika.

NCPC plans to introduce two pilgrimage exercises in one year

T

HE Nigeria Christian Pil grim Commission (NCPC), the apex pilgrim regulatory body in Nigeria plans to introduce two pilgrimage operations twice in a year.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgim Commission, Mr. John Kennedy Opara made this known recently in Israel while briefing members of the Federal Government Delegation to Israel led by the Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs, Senator Mathew I. Nwagwu who were in Israel as part of thier oversight functions to assess the pilgrimage operation for the 2011 Christian Pilgrimage.

The NCPC helmsman disclosed that the two pilgrim-

age operations in one year would be for Easter periods and October of the same calendar year. He affirmed that the NCPC Board was still working on the proposal which would be forwarded to the President for his consideration and approval.

He explained that the new innovation would afford intending pilgrims the opportunity of choosing when to go on pilgrimage and also enable them to plan well ahead of time. He addded that it would equally pave way for most states to be accommodated, who for one reason, could not meet up with NCPC deadline for payment.

He further intimated the distinguished senators that the Commission was able to introduce local content in

the pilgirmage exercise as two local tour operators were used in the 2011 pilgrimage exercise.

Mr. Opara also stated that the 2011 christian pilgrimage exercise would soon come to a successful end.

His words. “administratively we have plan to end pilgrimage operations on January 31, 2012”.

He further hinted that the Commission successfully commenced operations to Greece from the 2011 pilgrimage, saying that NCPC recieved about 2,000 aaplications for visa to Rome and Greece and they were granted.

According to him,’’ there was no case of abscondment of pilgrims from Rome and Greece”.

NWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, has thrown his weight behind the decision taken by the Obama Administration to implement the necessary measures to improve visa and foreign visitor processing in order to create jobs and spur economic growth in the USA. In his words: “It is extremely encouraging to see President Obama calling for a coordinated policy to support a prosperous and secure tourism sector in the USA and, in particular, his recognition of the need to advance travel facilitation by enhancing and expediting visa procedures,” said Mr. Rifai.

“For every job created in tourism another 1.5 jobs are created in other sectors and thus this is a key moment to support the sector. Travel facilitation is closely interlinked with tourism development and can be a vital tool to grow the tourism economy and create jobs.

This objective is of particular relevance at a time in which economies are looking to stimulate their exports and economic growth but have limited capacity to use fiscal policy instruments,” he added.

As destinations worldwide look to stimulate travel demand under pressing economic conditions, UNWTO has been urging governments to consider advancing travel facilitation. Despite the strides made so far there is still much room for progress in the area of travel facilitation, namely in terms of creating better access for new and growing markets.

Travel facilitation has been identified by UNWTO, together with industry organizations such as the World Travel andTourism Council (WTTC), as main priority in 2012. UNWTO advises countries to make the most of information and communication technologies in improving visa application and processing formalities, as well as the timings of visa issuance.

The USA ranks first in the world in terms of international tourism receipts, with foreign exchange from tourism reaching US$ 104 billion in 2010. Its share of global international tourism earnings has nonetheless declined from 17 per cent in 2000 to 11per cent in 2010, with travel restrictions following September 11 often pointed to as one of the reasons for the decline.

Qatar Airways to launch Premium Lounge in London

Q

ATAR Airways plans to launch its first premium lounge outside Doha at the Heathrow Terminal Four, London. It will be the airline’s first dedicated facility for first and business class passengers outside its Doha hub.

The carrier currently operates the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport, exclusively for use by passengers travelling in First or Business Class.

The opening marks the start of another busy year for the carrier, with the launch of new routes, as well as additional capacity on the London Heathrow – Doha route, being stepped up from four to five flights a day, effective March 25.

Following a landmark year in 2011, which saw Qatar Airways introduce 15 new destinations to its network and win the coveted Skytrax Airline of the Year Award, the airline’s new Heathrow lounge is set to become the benchmark for international airport lounges.

Designed to resemble a boutique hotel or private member’s club rather than a conventional airport lounge, the new Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Heathrow has been created to provide the ultimate in luxury and Five-Star service.

Qatar Airways recruited lounge staff from Five Star hotels and restaurants to work in the theatre-style Global Brasserie kitchen and innovative Delicatessen.

The lounge also includes private shower facilities, with heated floors and mirrors, hotel-style towels and luxury brand toiletries and amenities.

Business and leisure travellers can stay connected with free Wi-Fi throughout the lounge, discreet power sockets at every seat and a business centre that includes PCs and printers.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the new lounge reflected the importance of extending the airline’s award-winning service beyond the signature Premium Terminal in Doha.

“London has long been one of our best-performing routes, so Heathrow was an obvious choice for our first Premium Lounge outside Doha,” he said.

“With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place this summer, the international spotlight will be on the British capital and we look forward to the increase in capacity and welcoming more premium travellers on our high demand services to London.

“The lounge is the latest development in our expanding global network and will enable both loyal customers and those travelling with us for the first time, to take full advantage of the high levels of service we provide.”

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

57

58

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

59

60

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

61

62

THE NATION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

THE NATION SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

SPORT EXTRA Please FIFA, ban Nigeria Continued from back page met it and sports continue to suffer.

Unfortunately, if FIFA bans us and we beg, as usual, we would return to embrace the NFF whose removal that we are clamouring for. If we are sincere in this campaign for change, it should be done with subsequent boards.

Grandstanding will lead us nowhere because nothing works here. Those vexed are jobbers who take all and give nothing to the game. They are always quick to collect money, but never care how to generate any. They are the match commissioners, independent assessors and committee members; landlords and rent agents. They get paid but the players are owed salaries and other entitlements for years. If the ban starts to take its toll, these agitators would again canvass an out-of-court settlement. It has happened before.

Rather than cover our faces in shame whilst the Africa Cup of Nations matches are being played, we have chosen to impugn our national interest with needless controversy.

Those complaining benefitted from this flawed system when they served as board members or participants in other facets of the NFF. They only want changes now that they are not there.

Those canvassing the ban want to play the spoilsport. They complain of being cheated. Even those who beat their chests that they splashed their money (refunded) on our football don’t know that if they had performed, we won’t be where we are today.

Bolaji Abdullahi must stop this rot. He must be told that on Wednesday January 5, 2005, the Federal Executive Council approved the abrogation of Decree 101. This bill has been tabled before the National Assembly and is undergoing the normal legislative procedure. Why do we want to discard what was initially sent? Is it because these complainants were not part of the process? Who has told them that others would accept what they have done?

On February 23, 2007 vide NSC/HMCH/NFA/CON/02/ 2007, one-time sport Minister Bala Bawa Ka’Oje informed FIFA through the NFA that Decree 101 wasn’t the instrument for running our football but the statutes.

Whose duty is it to ensure that the Decree is repealed, more than seven years after? It is apparent that some NSC people are unwilling to effectively repeal the decree and would not be bothered if it remains in one of the dusty drawers at the National Assembly.

With the decree lying fallow, NSC eggheads hiding under the toga of wanting to know how government cash released to the NFA is spent, interfere in the body’s affairs as if we don’t have organisations that can handle fraud. What are the responsibilities of EFFC and ICPC? The minister should, therefore, insist on seeing the process through because it will give the NFA the fillip for growth; it will ensure accountability; the corporate world will see sports as a business and this will translate into more money in the body’s coffers.

NSC men have refused to untie the NFA because they want to be funded during big football competitions, such as we saw at the 2010 World Cup where the late President Umaru Ya’Adua administration appropriated money to the NSC even when it had no soccer team at the Mundial. Yet, those who want the NFA to account for money given to it have not told us what they did with what they got nor have they accounted for money they received from the government for the Maputo All Africa Games held last year? He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Isn’t that the standard?

PUBLIC NOTICE RURAL COMMUNITY CHILDREN ACADEMIC & VOCATIONAL INITIATIVES. This is to inform the general public that the above named organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Cap 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Doctor Kodjo Willie Soroh 2. Engineer Olufemi Samuel Ogundele 3. Mrs. Aderonke Grace Odetola 4. Hakeem Babatunde Ariori 5. Mr. Rotimi Omolola 6. Mrs. Taiwo Deborah Akanni 7. Jibodun Oluyemisi 8. Mrs. Patricia Osaretin Abbe 9. Samuel Folorunso ESQ AIMS & OBJECTIVES • To encourage reading habits among children • To enable children learn suitable use of their environment • To provide and stock resources centers with textbooks, reference books and related materials for use by the children.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed: SAMUEL FOLORUNSO ESQ. Akins & Akins Solicitors 20, Oreretu Street, Ondo.

63

Tomorrow in THE NATION PUNCHLINE

Mr. President should proceed this coming month, by sending an executive bill proposing major cuts in these totally unreasonable perquisites SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL.7, NO. 2018

—Femi Orebe

H

IS was one of the most vehement, vigor ous and strident voices during the re cent crisis attendant on the removal of the contentious and unendingly mystifying fuel subsidy. Atedo Peterside, accomplished banker, entrepreneur and member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s National Economic Management Team (NEMT) was fiercely unapologetic in his fervent defence of the abrupt removal of the subsidy.

A skilled verbal pugilist, Peterside made the rather smart point that Jonathan could well have made the easier decision to let the subsidy be, enjoy his four years in power and leave the problem for others to solve. Good debating point. The only problem is that with over N1 billion budgeted for exotic presidential feeding in Aso Rock this year, the plan to add two jets to the already expansive presidential convoy of luxury jets and the envisaged ultra-modern health facility fully equipped to take care even of presidential domestic pets, there is every indication that GEJ will have a rollicking time at the Villa during his tenure –subsidy or no subsidy.

Unlike Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and other passionate Ijaw nationalists, Peterside does not hinge his support for oil subsidy removal on the primordial imperative of queuing as a matter of course behind ‘’their son, our President”(apologies to Segun Adeniyi) . That is why his own more subtle rationalization of the policy is potentially more insidious. A wealthy Ijaw man who is also a true Lagosian in every sense of the word, Peterside in advocating fuel subsidy removal posed as a champion of the poor asserting that the subsidy benefits a rich few rather than the teeming masses.

Of course, by rallying massively in support of the strike and street protests organized by labour and civil society groups, the poor politely asked Peterside to pocket his unsolicited affection for them. They wear the shoes; they should know where the pinch lies.

Peterside’s rhetoric is indeed most dangerous and potentially combustible when he attempts to inflame northern passions particularly against Lagos. He asserts rightly that states like Jigawa, Kebbi and Yobe rank among the poorest in the country. The reason for this, he argues, is that the money which should go to such states is consumed by the wealthy in Lagos through the fuel subsidy. This pedestrian argument is surely not worth responding to. But his remedy? Remove the subsidy and share the money to poor states like Kebbi, Jigawa, Yobe and their local governments.

We encounter two fallacies here. One, the root cause of the pervasive poverty in the northern states he mentions is not insufficiency of fuelderived funds for development. Rather, the humiliating poverty in which the north and every other part of this hugely endowed country is trapped is fundamentally due to a dysfunctional political structure that has institutionalized a parasitic and unhealthy dependency

Atedo Peterside’s self indictment

‘ •Atedo Peterside by the entire country on oil resulting in a pathetic paralysis of creative will and dynamic vision to develop other sources of revenue for transformation. The second fallacy is the assumption that making more funds available to states and local governments by distributing savings from fuel subsidy removals will necessarily translate into development. Alas, the same constricting political structure and attendant culture of corruption and impunity that have consistently aborted the stated purpose of fuel subsidy removals by successive governments since IBB over two decades ago still persist and will make the latest exercise equally nugatory.

By making so much noise about the abysmal poverty in the north, Peterside indicts himself and other political elite in the Niger Delta who have always mobilized their people in support of conservative political forces responsible for the current pathetic state of the north and the

By making so much noise about the abysmal poverty in the north, Peterside indicts himself and other political elite in the Niger Delta who have always mobilized their people in support of conservative political forces responsible for the current pathetic state of the north and the entire country over five decades after independence.

’

entire country over five decades after independence. Power in Nigeria since independence has continuously oscillated between civilian and military factions of a backward, reactionary and visionless political class. The PDP that has been in power at the centre since 1999 is the latest manifestation of a notorious mainstream centripetal tendency that has turned us all into thoughtless parasites feeding lazily on the oil of the Niger Delta while that region itself largely remains a veritable wasteland of misery and poverty.

States like Jigawa, Kebbi and Yobe cited by Peterside are not poor because they have no resources for development or their people are lazy. They are trapped in poverty because of Nigeria’s lack of visionary leadership at the centre for the better part of the last 50 plus years.

To reinforce my point, let me quote at some length the following excerpts on Nigerian ag-

riculture by Professor Glenn Johnson from Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s ‘Strategies and Tactics of the Peoples Republic of Nigeria ’published in 1969: “We estimate that Nigeria can be producing over three times its 1961 GDP by 1985. By then GDP from a properly managed agriculture would probably make up about one third of the total as contrasted to 55% in 1966.

Conservatively, that one third, however, would be over twice as large as in 1966. It would contribute much more foreign exchange, larger amounts of raw materials for industry, more and better quality food per capita for up to 100 million people, and more income for savings in both the farm and non-farm sectors. From the stand point of social and distributive justice, we see the possibility of substantially improving the lots of millions of small holders and livestock producers to such an extent that the increase in their effective demand for the products of Nigeria’s urban and industrial economy would be a positive driving force for the industrialization of Nigeria.”

In the same book, to cite another example, Awolowo advocated that the rail line between Lagos and Kano should be urgently re-laid and realigned at a cost of 34,000 pounds per mile to achieve an average speed of 50 miles an hour from the original 20 miles an hour. According to the sage, “This undertaking will cost us about 30 million pounds. But its immediate effect, on completion, would, in general, be a tremendous boosting of our economy and, in particular, a big rise in the standard of living of Nigerians who live north of the Niger.”Imagine if this had been done over four decades ago as suggested?

What happened to such rigorous thinking and lofty vision for an agriculture-driven industrial transformation of Nigeria? It perished on the altar of oil discovery. A person like Peterside now thinks that poor northern states that should ordinarily today be thriving agriculture and agro-allied industrial centres are liabilities to the nation, which can only thrive on fuel subsidy hand outs. We have been doing the same thing for 50 years and expecting a different outcome. That is the definition of insanity.

There is an alternative progressive vision for the transformation of Nigeria. It is based on true federalism. It emphasizes resource control and fiscal federalism. It allows the Niger Delta gain greater control of its resources and motivates others to develop their God-given resources within their jurisdictions and live within their means.

The PDP, which has enjoyed the fervent support of Atedo Peterside and the generality of the Niger Delta since 1999, has no such vision.

It is committed to the same mainstream structures and philosophy responsible for the continued development of underdevelopment in Nigeria and particularly the deepening poverty in the north that Atedo Peterside is shedding crocodile tears over. What a searing selfindictment.

Ade Ojeikere on Saturday talk2adeojeikere@yahoo.com

Please FIFA, ban Nigeria

W

E have been toying with daring FIFA to ban us from its competitions with out looking at its consequences. Should FIFA heed our call, we will surely appreciate the enormity of our audacity.

People have argued that President Goodluck Jonathan shouldn’t have rescinded his ban. They have asked what we achieved since the recant.

But these are the same people who misguided the President; they won’t relent until a ban is invoked.

Some have lied brazenly that Ghana pulled out of FIFA competitions to re-develop its game.

Yet, it’s been 30 years that the Black Stars clinched the Africa Cup of Nations diadem. What the Ghanaians did was to reduce the number of competitions that they took part in, unlike in Nigeria where we enroll for any competition. The Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, told journalists on Wednesday that we have 63 million youths eager to burn energy productively. If you ask me, sport is one of the avenues that they can

exploit. But that is not the story, these 63 million Nigerian youths; that’s three times Ghana’s population, hence the need to appreciate why we must enroll in all competitions.

Again, the Ghanaians didn’t write FIFA or CAF that they wanted to pull out of their competitions. They knew the danger in that. If they did, FIFA and CAF would have accepted. But, they would have been sanctioned heavily when they decided most likely with a longer period of absence (between two to three years).

My heart bled listening to distinguished Nigerians stand truth on its head by saying that Article 7, which takes care of normalisation, could be exploited. There is no friction within NFF’s board’s ranks; so, it can’t be invoked. FIFA knows that our impasse is NSC chieftains’ subtle interference, using proxies. Since it is FIFA that can invoke that Article, you can understand why such views are bunkum.

Do we have the culture of planning? Who will provide the plans? Those who plunged us into this mess are now seen as messiahs? What have they been doing since they left the NFA and/or NPL? A FIFA ban implies that all our local clubs in

continental and sub-regional competitions will be eliminated immediately. It also means that our national teams cannot register for any competition. No country will invite us for friendly matches and players will just be restricted to training sessions. Indeed, because all recognised matches must be handled by FIFA badge referees, the soccer ruling body will delist ours to ensure that results of matches handled by them are otiose. It happened in 2005 when the interim league board dared the NFA over its independence. Week 20 matches were replayed (Remember?).

Of course, our players would leave in droves to other leagues, with a few of them changing nationality. For the players, it is business. They have responsibilities. Their career paths can’t be scuttled on the altar of administrators’ greed and ego.

FIFA rules state that once you belong, you lose your right to seek redress in the ordinary court. The soccer body’s processes terminate at the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS).

Nigeria cannot be an exception to the universal rules obeyed by 208 countries. FIFA shouldn’t spare us. We need an earthquake for sports to be

treated as the combination of science and business.

Rather than dissipate energy in the law courts, we could inform the President that we don’t want to belong to FIFA. But it must be stated that FIFA’s statutes are constantly retouched to address conflicts in the affiliate bodies. FIFA frowns at government interference as it is common with developing countries like ours, largely because it wants continuity in governance. But for this clause, we would have had as many NFF presidents as we have had sports ministers.

Again, FIFA’s rules are clear on the body charged with the responsibility of tampering with its statutes, which are not essentially for Nigeria. Rules that developed countries have abided with run counter to ours. So, what are the rules that FIFA must concede to when we know that being members of the football ruling body is not compulsory?

What has come out of this new scenario is not different from the past. Each time a minister is appointed, such issues are essentially to distract him. They capitalise on the confused setting to peddle influence. They confuse the minister who panders to their requests by opting for political solutions, rather than enduring ones. In the end, the minister leaves the industry worse than he

•Continued on Page 63

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025, Oshodi, Lagos.

Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Editor-08094000052, Marketing: 01-8155547, Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Tel/ 07028105302 `E-mail: saturday@thenationonlineng.com Editor: DELE ADEOSUN

Lagos